After the mess that was June July was a much better month. I still had a lot going on, mainly with work but also with YALC which was the last weekend of the month, but I managed to post one of my new features I was planning to launch, which is one more than I managed last month. I reviewed eight books this month, and most of them were amazing reads which when it comes down to it is pretty much all I look for in books.
Books I Reviewed
The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
Unfortunately this was a little bit of a disappointment for me, but not as much as it could have been because I saw some mixed reviews for The Love Interest before picking it up myself.
Legend Trilogy
I started the Legend trilogy back in 2014 and now, three years later, I’ve finally finished it. This was an incredible series, and now I am that much more excited to get around to Lu’s other books.
Legend by Marie Lu
Prodigy by Marie Lu
Champion by Marie Lu
Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser
Another anticipated release of mine that I’d hoped for a little more from. Song of the Current was an amazing book, but it was just missing that spark that would have made it incredible.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
If I were to pick one book that I’d say was my favourite read of July it would be this one. The Gentleman’s Guide was amazing, bringing to mind My Lady Jane with its unique humour.
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
My favourite part of this book, asides from Eliza’s character development, was Zappia’s take on fandom. I love reading books that talk about fandoms, and have ever since I read Fangirl.
ARC Review: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
All I needed to know about this book was that it was set in a travelling carnival and I was hooked. Daughter of the Burning City was a good read, just a little heavy in places when it came to the world building.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy by Ameriie
While anthologies aren’t normally my thing Because You Love to Hate Me really was. There were more stories I enjoyed than didn’t, and it had some brilliant contributions from my favourite authors.
Waiting on Wednesday
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry
Standalone Sunday
Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
You may be looking at the picture for my book haul this month and wondering if that’s all. After all I was at YALC this past weekend so shouldn’t I have more books? The answer is yes, I have a lot more, but I will be posting my YALC recap and haul in a couple of days. If I included everything I wanted to recap in July in one post it would be huge and no one would have the patience to read it, not even me.
Waterstones
- Lost Boy by Christina Henry
- The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
- And I Darken by Kiersten White
Check out my review here. - Now I Rise by Kiersten White
Check out my review here. - Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy by Ameriie
Check out my review here. - Long Dark Dusk by James Smythe
- Dark Made Dawn by James Smythe
Amazon
- The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey
Fairy Loot
- Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Check out my review here.
The book I have featured is being released this month, and it is also a book I am eagerly anticipating, however changes are I won’t be getting around to it until September. This is because it is being released in the UK on the last day of August. I may be a fast reader, but I’m not that fast.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
The highly anticipated coming-of-age story for the world’s greatest super hero: Wonder Woman by the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.
She will become a legend but first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning…
Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world.
Alia is a Warbringer—a descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies, mortal and divine, determined to destroy or possess the Warbringer.
To save the world, they must stand side by side against the tide of war.
Technically I am doing my July Recap in three parts, posted over the next three days. Tomorrow I will be posting my to-read goal for the next five months – it’s a lofty one but I’m hoping to get part way through it – and the day after I will be posting my YALC Recap. Coming up later in the month I will be posting the second of my Reading Around the World posts, and launching a new feature which I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to launch for months now.
Wonder Woman is one book I am SOOOO NOT skipping. So excited for it!!! Couldn’t be happier to have Bardugo on it too!!! Also can’t wait for Marie Lu’s Batman. Gosh. 😛
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Me neither, it’s going to be amazing and I can’t wait for its release. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of Batman but I am a huge fan of Marie Lu so that one should be great too! 😀
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Seems you had a fantastic month of reading in July! So many amazing books, especially The Gentleman’s Guide which was just SO SO good 😀 And it made me so happy to see your positive reviews for the Legend trilogy! I, too, am waiting on Wonder Woman. So many good things going on with that boo, but mostly, Leigh Bardugo and Wonder Woman LOL. Can’t wait for us to get our hands on it!
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I think July was a success for me yes. 🙂 The Gentleman’s Guide was amazing and I’m definitely counting it as the best book of July, and one of the best of the year! 😀
The Legend trilogy is another amazing series, and oh Wonder Woman is going to be amazing isn’t it? At least it’s not too long to go until its release right? 😀
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Thank goodness Wonder Woman is coming soon haha. I still need to preorder it, but at least I don’t have to wait as long to have it in my hands! 😄
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I still need to pre-order it too, but I guess we have time given it’s not out until the end of this month! 😀
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Yup! 😊
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Gentleman’s Guide was SO GOOD. Really glad you loved Eliza and Her Monsters and Because You Love to Hate Me. I really want to read both of those!! Bloomsbury is sending me a copy of BYLTHM but it’s not released physically here until September so I’m considering just buying the ebook because I’m impatient 😂
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Gentleman’s Guide is one of my top reads of the year at the moment, and oh I really hope you enjoy both Eliza and Her Monsters and Because You Love to Hate Me Lauren. 🙂
I’d say buy the ebook, I can never wait for books so I completely understand your pain here. 😀
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AHH I can’t wait to read your YALC recap, Beth – I’m planning on living this experience through you haha, it sounds like it was amazing. Also, I so want to read Legend soon, especially knowing you enjoyed it so much. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on The Young Elites series now 🙂
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I’ll be posting my YALC recap tomorrow, there’s plenty of info and pictures for you to live though my experience, and hopefully enough to make you want to come next year as well (because that would be amazing!) Oh the Legend trilogy is amazing, I’m sure you’ll love it Marie, the same way I’m sure I’ll love The Young Elites! 😀
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seeing the legend trilogy on your july recap makes me want to cry all the happy tears in the world. ugh wasn’t it just amazing?! that ending of champion left me wanting more lol.
i always love your recaps. happy to see that you had some really good reads. sorry to hear about the love interest and song of the current, i have seen a ton of mixed reviews for those two as well. i need to catch on your Eliza and Her Monsters review! *smiles with happiness while reading that you liked it*
The FairyLoot box is beautiful! i know i said this in your review already but i really need to get daughter of the burning city, that cover is gorgeous!
i also cannot wait for Wonder Woman! sorry to hear that it’s being released so late in the UK. hope you had a great time in YALC, i can’t wait to read that post about your experience ❤
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It was definitely amazing, and now I’ve finished it I’m pretty much kicking myself for not picking it up again sooner. Still I got around to it in the end. 🙂
Thanks so much Gretchen, yeah I was a little disappointed by both those books but the rest I picked up this month kind of make up for them a little. 🙂 Eliza and Her Monsters was one that helped! 😀
I love Fairy Loot, and I hope you really love Daughter of the Burning City.
We tend to get a few books released later over here than you guys do in the US, still at least it’s not too much longer to wait now right? YALC was amazing, and my recap post will be up tomorrow. 😀
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We reviewed the same amount of books 😀 I was happy to read 12 books, including one in one sitting on the 31st :p
I wish you a wonderful August!
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I think 12 books is a very decent amount to get through in one month. Go us, right! 😀
Thanks Meggy, I hope you have a great August as well. 🙂
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Great month 🙂 I remember reading the legend series a few years ago, they were enjoyable but didn’t blow me away… and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Daughter of the Burning City 😁😁😁
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Thanks so much Lauren, and oh that’s a shame but at least you enjoyed them somewhat right?
Also I really hope you enjoy Daughter of the Burning City. I thought it was a really good read so I’d be interested in seeing what you think of it. 🙂
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I just ordered Song of the Current! I’m so excited to read itttt!!!
BAH I am on a buying ban until the end of August AT LEAST so pray for me because I can’t buy Wonder Woman!!! D:
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Oh yay! I hope it both arrives quickly and you end up really enjoying it as well. 🙂
Oh that’s sucks, but at least Wonder Woman is being released at the end of the month. That way it won’t be long after its release that it’ll be September and then you can buy it! 😀
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Hahaha yeah….the problem is my ban is supposed to be till Christmas haha *CRIES* because I’m starting a new job in January (hopefully) and I have to save up until then!
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Oh no, I can’t imagine that, but then again I’ve never stuck to a book buying ban in my life. I’ll keep my fingers crossed you manage to stick to it, and oh good luck for your new job as well! 😀
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HAHAHA LITERALLY SAME. I always cave I have a grand total of ZERO self control 😂
We’ll see how this hoes 🙄
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I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! 😀
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Okay, we LOVED My Lady Jane, so we will have to pick up A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue asap!!
Great post!
-Ash & Lo
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Oh definitely do, I think if you loved My Lady Jane you’re guaranteed to love The Gentleman’s Guide as well. At least that was the case for me. 🙂
Thanks! 😀
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i’m so glad you liked the Legend trilogy!! and i also read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and loved it ❤ and oh my goodness, Wonder Woman!! i am so excited. leigh is one of my favorite authors so of course i'll be reading it lol.
looking forward to your post about YALC!!
madeline @ a paper reverie
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It’s amazing, I just wish I’d gotten around to picking it up sooner, still better late than never right? 🙂
The Gentleman’s Guide is definitely amazing, and I think Wonder Woman will be as well, Leigh Bardugo is one of my favourite authors too! 😀 ❤️
Thanks so much, it’s already written and ready to go but I’ll be posting it tomorrow. 🙂
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OMG YOU WENT TO YALC??? That’s awesome! I’ll be looking forward to reading about that! And I’m so so glad that you liked the Legend trilogy! I also read Gentlemen’s Guide this month and it was SLIGHTLY disappointing, but still really good! AGH I’M SO EXCITED FOR WONDER WOMAN!!! I’m not into Marvel/DC stuff but it’s Leigh so I’ll love it anyways. 😂 Hope you have a great August!
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Yep, it was a weekend full of craziness but probably the best weekend of the year so far! 😀 I’ve written my recap, just got to post it now and it will be posted tomorrow.
The Legend trilogy was amazing, and oh that’s a shame about The Gentleman’s Guide but I’m glad you enjoyed it overall May. 🙂
I’m a massive superhero fan, more Marvel over DC, but I saw the Wonder Woman film and fell in love. Also like you said it’s Leigh Bardugo! 😀
Thanks so much May, I hope you have a brilliant August too. 🙂 ❤️
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Gentlemans guide is one of my faves from this month too! ITS SO GOOD Monty is the best narrator and I’d like him to narrate everything I read from now on xD Hope you have an awesome August Beth ❤
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It was such a brilliant book wasn’t it? I only picked this one up on a whim because I saw some good reviews for it but I was so glad it was one I decided to read when I did! 🙂
Monty is an amazing character, and I’m really looking forwards to the companion novel about Felicity too.
Thanks Casey, I hope you have a brilliant August as well! 😀 ❤️
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LADY PIRATES BETH BRING ON ALL THE LADY PIRATES xD I can’t wait for it either, I loved her character
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We need more books with lady pirates don’t we? 😀
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It looks like you had a good month! 😀 I just started reading The Savage Dawn today & I’m roughly 40 pages in and it’s starting off pretty good. 🙂
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Definitely a better month than the last one at least. 🙂 Oh in that case I really hope you enjoy The Savage Dawn Meghan, I want to get around to it really soon myself because I love that series! 😀
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Thanks, I hope you do! 😛
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Ahhh I need to read Daughter of the Burning City and A Gentleman’s Guide so badly!!! I’m having some serious FOMO!!
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Both are brilliant books, granted I thought The Gentleman’s Guide was a little better but Daughter of the Burning City was still a great read. I hope you manage to get around to them soon in that case! 😀
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I’m so glad to hear you liked The Gentlemen’s Guide To Vice And Virtue! The humor in My Lady Jane was one of my favorite parts of the book, so I will definitely pick it up soon
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Oh it was a brilliant book, and I think of you enjoyed My Lady Jane you’re pretty much guaranteed to enjoy The Gentleman’s Guide as well. You’ll have to let me know what you think when you do get around to it! 😀
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I definitely will! Thanks for the recommendation!
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That’s all right! 😀
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I’m so happy to hear that you had a great reading month and I am just slightly jealous that you’ve read Daughter Of The Burning City already! I really want to read it, but I don’t want to get the US hardcover because I am utterly in love with the UK paperback which doesn’t come out for another month and a bit.
Marie Lu’s Legend trilogy was SO good! I read it a couple of years ago and it’s still the reason why I am SUPER excited for Warcross (and then next year, her take on Batman) as I haven’t read her Young Elites trilogy yet! But I have faith in her and I figure if her FIRST trilogy was good her newest works must be great too!
I love your choice of a feature book! I can’t wait to get my hands on Wonder Woman either and I just HOPE that amazon doesn’t mess up too much with my pre-order. I need this book as soon as humanly possible! I’ve been waiting MONTHS at this point.
I can’t wait to read the rest of your July wrap up posts and your YALC recap! 😀
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Thanks so much Swetlana, and oh Daughter of the Burning City has actually been released now in the UK too, so you can read it if you don’t want to wait for the paperback edition. I reckon you’ll find it was worth the wait. 🙂
Oh it really was, and now I can’t wait for Warcross either. I’m hoping before it’s released to have read The Young Elites series as well. I think the same thing, Legend was amazing so really it just has to get better from here on out. 🙂
Same, I pre-ordered it today and now I’m counting down the days until it’s released. Books like this are the reason I’m glad I’m paying a little extra for Amazon Prime! 🙂
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Has it? Because when I check amazon, it keeps telling me the release is September 7th (or something along those lines)? I might just get the audiobook for now and then buy the paperback once it’s released. 😀
I might have to ask my sister to pre-order it for me then if Amazon Prime is better about delivering pre-orders on time!
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The paperback version is being released in September, but the hardcover edition was released last week. The link’s below if you wanna check it out;
Normally I have it so my pre-orders are actually delivered to me on the day they’re released, worth the monthly cost in my opinion! 😀
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Thanks Beth! 😊 You’re lucky! I’ve had to wait at least half a week for my preorders so far this year!
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That’s all right, and yeah I used to do that, then I figured getting Amazon Prime would be worth the cost in order to not have to wait for my pre-orders. 🙂
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I just remembered why I wanted to wait for the paperback release because I want a different cover than the one that has been released so far! I want this cover: https://www.amazon.de/Daughter-Burning-City-Amanda-Foody/dp/1848455445/ref=pd_sbs_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TNKAAR8P47CDBFHJX44P
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Oh that is a nice cover. I think I prefer the hardcover cover though, which is good because that’s the one I ended up with! 😀
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I’ve been in love with that paperback cover ever since I saw it – I wasn’t able to get myself to buy the hardcover ever since! I’m happy you love the hardcover though! It’s still ridiculously pretty!
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Both covers are pretty gorgeous, and if the paperback one is the one you want I reckon it’ll be worth the wait. It’s not too much longer to go if you think about it. 🙂
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