Happy August Everyone :)
Can you believe it's already August? I'm so excited that fall is just around the corner, but I have to admit that I'm a little sad to see the days of boating, lounging reading by the lake, and going for walks coming slowly to an end.
Which do you guys prefer: fall or summer?
I'm definitely more of a fall person myself, but there's many things I do still love about summer.
I apologize for my posts having been few and far between the last week. My husband and I went away with my family for a few days, and unfortunately the wifi at the hotel we stayed at was not the greatest. I'm planning to share a day in the life post with you all soon, so I can share all our vacation adventures, but that'll be later this week or possibly even next week.
Today I'd like to share with you all my July 2018 reading wrap up. I read some amazing books, and some not so amazing books last month, and today I can't wait to share all about it with you guys.
As always, these will be listed in the order in which I finished them and not listed in a best-to-worst or worst-to-best order.
The Beloved Hope Chest by Amy Clipston:
I'd really loved all three previous novels in the Amish Heirloom series, and I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it took me quite awhile to really get into it for some reason, but once I did get into it I really ended up enjoying it, and rated it four out of five stars. I'd still say it's not quite as good as the previous books in the series, but it was still really good overall.
Made to Last by Melissa Tagg:
Ahhh I adore Melissa Tagg, and I'm also sad that it's taken me this long to get around to reading her amazing books. I fully reviewed this one on my blog here, and I completely loved it and gave it a five out of five star rating.
Not Cinderella's Type by Jenni James:
This one had also been included in my June 2018 wrap up but in that month I read the Wattpad version, and in July I read the published version just to see if it was any different. I really only noticed small differences between the two, but it was still an enjoyable read, and I love how this one tackles the emotional abuse issue that's so often not discussed in Cinderella retellings. I gave this one a four out of five star rating.
Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston:
Destination Unknown was definitely my favorite of the Roadside Assistance series, mainly because I loved Whitney's character so much. I loved Whitney and Taylor together, and I loved reading about Whitney's determination to stay true to what she believes in and what she feels is right, even when her family and friends try and stray her from doing so. I gave this one five out of five stars, and you can read my full review of it here.
One More Wish by Robin Jones Gunn:
In the month of July I finally had the chance to read the last book in Christy and Todd: The Married Years, and I really enjoyed it. I feel that I've honestly grown up with Christy Miller, and so it's extra special to be reading about her and Todd's first years of marriage, as my hubby and I prepare to celebrate our five year anniversary. I will be posting a full review of this one shortly, so in the meantime I'll just say that I gave it four out of five stars.
The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie:
I surprised myself with just how much I ended up enjoying this one. I happened to stumble upon it on goodreads, and I was intrigued by it being a Christian fiction, young adult novel that largely takes place in a theme park. I will be posting a full review of this really soon on my blog, but in the meantime I'll just say that I loved it, and I gave it four out of five stars.
From the Start by Melissa Tagg:
This was definitely one of my favorite books I read in July 2018. I'm so glad that I discovered a new favorite author last month, and I can't wait to read more of Melissa Tagg's books this month. This first release in the Walker Family series was absolute perfection, and I rated it five out of five stars. I'll be sharing my full review of it with you all shortly.
The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E Brunstetter:
This one is an upcoming release that I received from NetGalley. I really enjoyed the sweet holiday tale, and how it's a little bit different release from Wanda E Brunstetter than her usual. I rated it four of five stars, and I'll be sharing my full review of this one a little closer to the release date of September first.
Here To Stay by Melissa Tagg:
Another favorite from the month of July, and shock of all shocks, it's another Melissa Tagg book. I was very excited to read Blake's story, and it was everything I was hoping for and more. I also love the way it connects the characters to the Walker Family series. I'll also be sharing a full review of this one shortly, but it was amazing and I gave it five out of five stars.
One December Night by Melissa Tagg:
This was such a cute, fun read that gave one last little glimpse into Whisper Shore, and I really enjoyed it. I gave it four out of five stars, and I love when authors give the readers novellas of their favorite series as an added bonus.
Diamonds Are Forever by Michelle Madow:
I had read the first two books in this trilogy a long time ago and had enjoyed them, but I'd never gotten around to reading the last book. I think reading it now made it slightly less enjoyable for me, as I really feel I've gotten too much out of the target age range to really enjoy these the way I used to. While I definitely still enjoyed a final visit with the Diamond sisters, and the way some of the characters have grown and matured, I really didn't enjoy the way it once again seems like these girls have no rules or responsibilities, and are allowed to do whatever they want. For instance, their father letting them jet off to his house at Aspen with whoever they want, with no adult supervision seemed really far-fetched. I did still enjoy certain elements, so I'm giving it three out of five stars, but it isn't a series I can probably see myself rereading anytime soon.
A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen:
I thought it was a neat idea how this one was written about a woman who was the contestant on a bachelor type reality show, and now is struggling with planning her wedding to a man she doesn't know that well, while she can't stop the feelings that keep arising from the man who broke her heart before their wedding day. I gave it four out of five stars.
High Stakes by Alex Duval:
July was the month I finally decided to finish the Vampire Beach series, and I enjoyed the fifth book immensely. Sienna's older sister Paige shows up for a visit, and the gang decides to take a road trip to Las Vegas. The situation turns sinister however, when it's discovered that Paige is running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, who's part of a powerful, old world vampire family. I gave this one four out of five stars, and thought it was a great addition to the series.
Hunted by Alex Duval:
In the final installment in the Vampire Beach series, vampires are going missing, and it hits close to home when it happens to one of Malibu's own. Jason and his friends are determined to figure out what's truly going on, and this was honestly probably one of my favorites in the series. I gave it four out of five stars, and really enjoyed one last visit with these characters. Of course, as typical with a lot of YA, I could have done without the innuendos and sexual content, but aside from that I really enjoyed it.
A July Bride by Beth Wiseman:
I had a hard time sympathizing with some of the decisions that the main character makes in this one, but I did still really end up enjoying it, and the way the ending wrapped everything up. I gave it four out of five stars, and I thought it was a cute addition to the Year of Weddings novella series.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King: The Fallen, The Stolen and The Chosen by Liz Braswell:
I'm going to just talk about this whole trilogy in one post, rather than doing three separate mini reviews. I had wanted to read this a long time ago, since I did enjoy the couple of episodes I'd watched of the TV show while it was airing. Unfortunately, I felt this was one example of the show being better than the books, as I really didn't like Chloe's character, and how boy crazy she is for the better of the series. I did enjoy the writing style, some of the plot developments, and some of the other characters, but I wish it had been written a little cleaner, I wish more of the questions had been answered, and I wish the ending had gone in a different direction. I gave the series overall, a three out of five star rating, and I'm sorry to say it's a tad underwhelming when compared with the show.
An August Wedding by Debra Clopton:
I didn't think this one was going to be to my liking, as it sounded like it was going to have an instant love type of vibe. However, I completely ended up loving it, I gave it a five out of five star rating, and it was definitely my favorite of the Summer Brides collection.
Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins:
It has been a long time since I read Rebel Belle, and in fact it was one of the very first reviews ever posted on my blog when I started it back in the fall of 2015. I decided it was finally time to finish this trilogy, and enjoy one last visit with Harper and her southern friends. As always, I loved Harper's character, and the way she's still a southern princess despite having her paladin powers. I also really enjoyed the journey her character goes on in this one, and the way she's determined to find a way to help David, often sacrificing herself in the process. I gave it four out of five stars, and it might have even been a five star novel for me, but unfortunately the ending goes a little too deep into supernatural stuff that I was not okay with reading, and I wasn't a fan of the ending at all. All in all, I did really enjoy this series, I just wish the supernatural content hadn't been quite so intense in this one.
Miles From Nowhere by Amy Clipston:
The Roadside Assistance trilogy was kind of an up and down experience for me. I didn't really love Roadside Assistance, mainly because I didn't really care for Emily's character, and I ended up giving it a three star rating. I completely loved Destination Unknown, and gave it a five star rating, so I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about the third and final book. Unfortunately, while I loved a lot of the aspects of this novel like Amy's amazing writing style, the vivid theater setting, Chelsea's love of costuming, and many of the amazing secondary characters, I had a hard time relating to Chelsea's character, and the numerous awful decisions she makes throughout the story. I also didn't really care for her parent's, as it seemed they expected way too much from her, and we're likely part of the reason she ends up rebelling the way she does. Overall though, I really did like this one, just not quite as much as I did Whitney's story, and I was happy with the way everything turned out at the end. I gave it four out of five stars, and I would definitely recommend this trilogy, especially to teen girls looking for some clean, faith based novels to read.
The Fall of Candy Corn by Debbie Viguie:
After loving The Summer of Cotton Candy so much, I couldn't wait to dive into this one, and it definitely did not disappoint. Candace is such a likable character, and the author has definitely written her in a way that will really relate to teen girls everywhere. As before, the theme park setting was vivid, and amazingly done, and you'll literally feel like you're right there experiencing everything right along with Candace. I loved this one, and gave it four out of five stars, and I'm very much looking forward to continuing on with the third book in the series.
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton:
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. Have you ever read a book where you literally could not stand one character in it? Well I hadn't until this one. This book is told in the viewpoint of three girls: Bette, a Caucasian spoiled prima donna who's got a drug addiction, and family problems galore, June; a Korean/Caucasian girl who's had it with always being passed over because of her heritage, and never being considered the way the other dancers are, and Gigi; new girl at the academy, and an African-America girl who's got a heart way too big for the world she's entered into. Now most of the girls featured in this story, with the exception of Gigi, take mean girls to a new level. Bette and June and their numerous fellow dancers do some of the most horrendous things you can possibly imagine, and I cringed reading about a lot of it. Gigi would have probably been my favorite, but I hated how she kept everything happening to her from Alec, and kept driving wedges between them, and yet kept trusting people she shouldn't be trusting like June. As well, the sexual innuendos, drug and alcohol abuse, inappropriate behaviors from the academy's instructors, and general smallness of a lot of the school's patrons really didn't sit well with me in this one. I did like the ballet setting, as I've always loved getting to read books centered around a ballet setting, I enjoyed the writing style, the fact the three narrators voices never blended and that I never got confused as to who was who, the attention it brought to eating disorders, and the fact that it demonstrates that parental inattention can lead to a huge mess of problems like it does for many of the characters in this book. However, the negative definitely out ruled the positive for me on this one, and I came really close to rating it two out of five stars, since it was more likely a 2.5 star read for me, and I don't typically use half star ratings, I am going to bump it up to three stars, but I'm not sure at this point if I'll be continuing on with reading the sequel or not, and I'm definitely disappointed in this one.
And that's all the books I finished in July 2018 guys! July was a pretty good reading month for me, and here's to hoping August will be the same! I'd love to hear what were your favorite books you finished in July!
Thanks so much for reading guys :) Have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you all again on Friday.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
Can you believe it's already August? I'm so excited that fall is just around the corner, but I have to admit that I'm a little sad to see the days of boating, lounging reading by the lake, and going for walks coming slowly to an end.
Which do you guys prefer: fall or summer?
I'm definitely more of a fall person myself, but there's many things I do still love about summer.
I apologize for my posts having been few and far between the last week. My husband and I went away with my family for a few days, and unfortunately the wifi at the hotel we stayed at was not the greatest. I'm planning to share a day in the life post with you all soon, so I can share all our vacation adventures, but that'll be later this week or possibly even next week.
Today I'd like to share with you all my July 2018 reading wrap up. I read some amazing books, and some not so amazing books last month, and today I can't wait to share all about it with you guys.
As always, these will be listed in the order in which I finished them and not listed in a best-to-worst or worst-to-best order.
The Beloved Hope Chest by Amy Clipston:
I'd really loved all three previous novels in the Amish Heirloom series, and I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it took me quite awhile to really get into it for some reason, but once I did get into it I really ended up enjoying it, and rated it four out of five stars. I'd still say it's not quite as good as the previous books in the series, but it was still really good overall.
Made to Last by Melissa Tagg:
Ahhh I adore Melissa Tagg, and I'm also sad that it's taken me this long to get around to reading her amazing books. I fully reviewed this one on my blog here, and I completely loved it and gave it a five out of five star rating.
Not Cinderella's Type by Jenni James:
This one had also been included in my June 2018 wrap up but in that month I read the Wattpad version, and in July I read the published version just to see if it was any different. I really only noticed small differences between the two, but it was still an enjoyable read, and I love how this one tackles the emotional abuse issue that's so often not discussed in Cinderella retellings. I gave this one a four out of five star rating.
Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston:
Destination Unknown was definitely my favorite of the Roadside Assistance series, mainly because I loved Whitney's character so much. I loved Whitney and Taylor together, and I loved reading about Whitney's determination to stay true to what she believes in and what she feels is right, even when her family and friends try and stray her from doing so. I gave this one five out of five stars, and you can read my full review of it here.
One More Wish by Robin Jones Gunn:
In the month of July I finally had the chance to read the last book in Christy and Todd: The Married Years, and I really enjoyed it. I feel that I've honestly grown up with Christy Miller, and so it's extra special to be reading about her and Todd's first years of marriage, as my hubby and I prepare to celebrate our five year anniversary. I will be posting a full review of this one shortly, so in the meantime I'll just say that I gave it four out of five stars.
The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie:
I surprised myself with just how much I ended up enjoying this one. I happened to stumble upon it on goodreads, and I was intrigued by it being a Christian fiction, young adult novel that largely takes place in a theme park. I will be posting a full review of this really soon on my blog, but in the meantime I'll just say that I loved it, and I gave it four out of five stars.
From the Start by Melissa Tagg:
This was definitely one of my favorite books I read in July 2018. I'm so glad that I discovered a new favorite author last month, and I can't wait to read more of Melissa Tagg's books this month. This first release in the Walker Family series was absolute perfection, and I rated it five out of five stars. I'll be sharing my full review of it with you all shortly.
The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E Brunstetter:
This one is an upcoming release that I received from NetGalley. I really enjoyed the sweet holiday tale, and how it's a little bit different release from Wanda E Brunstetter than her usual. I rated it four of five stars, and I'll be sharing my full review of this one a little closer to the release date of September first.
Here To Stay by Melissa Tagg:
Another favorite from the month of July, and shock of all shocks, it's another Melissa Tagg book. I was very excited to read Blake's story, and it was everything I was hoping for and more. I also love the way it connects the characters to the Walker Family series. I'll also be sharing a full review of this one shortly, but it was amazing and I gave it five out of five stars.
One December Night by Melissa Tagg:
This was such a cute, fun read that gave one last little glimpse into Whisper Shore, and I really enjoyed it. I gave it four out of five stars, and I love when authors give the readers novellas of their favorite series as an added bonus.
Diamonds Are Forever by Michelle Madow:
I had read the first two books in this trilogy a long time ago and had enjoyed them, but I'd never gotten around to reading the last book. I think reading it now made it slightly less enjoyable for me, as I really feel I've gotten too much out of the target age range to really enjoy these the way I used to. While I definitely still enjoyed a final visit with the Diamond sisters, and the way some of the characters have grown and matured, I really didn't enjoy the way it once again seems like these girls have no rules or responsibilities, and are allowed to do whatever they want. For instance, their father letting them jet off to his house at Aspen with whoever they want, with no adult supervision seemed really far-fetched. I did still enjoy certain elements, so I'm giving it three out of five stars, but it isn't a series I can probably see myself rereading anytime soon.
A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen:
I thought it was a neat idea how this one was written about a woman who was the contestant on a bachelor type reality show, and now is struggling with planning her wedding to a man she doesn't know that well, while she can't stop the feelings that keep arising from the man who broke her heart before their wedding day. I gave it four out of five stars.
High Stakes by Alex Duval:
July was the month I finally decided to finish the Vampire Beach series, and I enjoyed the fifth book immensely. Sienna's older sister Paige shows up for a visit, and the gang decides to take a road trip to Las Vegas. The situation turns sinister however, when it's discovered that Paige is running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, who's part of a powerful, old world vampire family. I gave this one four out of five stars, and thought it was a great addition to the series.
Hunted by Alex Duval:
In the final installment in the Vampire Beach series, vampires are going missing, and it hits close to home when it happens to one of Malibu's own. Jason and his friends are determined to figure out what's truly going on, and this was honestly probably one of my favorites in the series. I gave it four out of five stars, and really enjoyed one last visit with these characters. Of course, as typical with a lot of YA, I could have done without the innuendos and sexual content, but aside from that I really enjoyed it.
A July Bride by Beth Wiseman:
I had a hard time sympathizing with some of the decisions that the main character makes in this one, but I did still really end up enjoying it, and the way the ending wrapped everything up. I gave it four out of five stars, and I thought it was a cute addition to the Year of Weddings novella series.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King: The Fallen, The Stolen and The Chosen by Liz Braswell:
I'm going to just talk about this whole trilogy in one post, rather than doing three separate mini reviews. I had wanted to read this a long time ago, since I did enjoy the couple of episodes I'd watched of the TV show while it was airing. Unfortunately, I felt this was one example of the show being better than the books, as I really didn't like Chloe's character, and how boy crazy she is for the better of the series. I did enjoy the writing style, some of the plot developments, and some of the other characters, but I wish it had been written a little cleaner, I wish more of the questions had been answered, and I wish the ending had gone in a different direction. I gave the series overall, a three out of five star rating, and I'm sorry to say it's a tad underwhelming when compared with the show.
An August Wedding by Debra Clopton:
I didn't think this one was going to be to my liking, as it sounded like it was going to have an instant love type of vibe. However, I completely ended up loving it, I gave it a five out of five star rating, and it was definitely my favorite of the Summer Brides collection.
Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins:
It has been a long time since I read Rebel Belle, and in fact it was one of the very first reviews ever posted on my blog when I started it back in the fall of 2015. I decided it was finally time to finish this trilogy, and enjoy one last visit with Harper and her southern friends. As always, I loved Harper's character, and the way she's still a southern princess despite having her paladin powers. I also really enjoyed the journey her character goes on in this one, and the way she's determined to find a way to help David, often sacrificing herself in the process. I gave it four out of five stars, and it might have even been a five star novel for me, but unfortunately the ending goes a little too deep into supernatural stuff that I was not okay with reading, and I wasn't a fan of the ending at all. All in all, I did really enjoy this series, I just wish the supernatural content hadn't been quite so intense in this one.
Miles From Nowhere by Amy Clipston:
The Roadside Assistance trilogy was kind of an up and down experience for me. I didn't really love Roadside Assistance, mainly because I didn't really care for Emily's character, and I ended up giving it a three star rating. I completely loved Destination Unknown, and gave it a five star rating, so I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about the third and final book. Unfortunately, while I loved a lot of the aspects of this novel like Amy's amazing writing style, the vivid theater setting, Chelsea's love of costuming, and many of the amazing secondary characters, I had a hard time relating to Chelsea's character, and the numerous awful decisions she makes throughout the story. I also didn't really care for her parent's, as it seemed they expected way too much from her, and we're likely part of the reason she ends up rebelling the way she does. Overall though, I really did like this one, just not quite as much as I did Whitney's story, and I was happy with the way everything turned out at the end. I gave it four out of five stars, and I would definitely recommend this trilogy, especially to teen girls looking for some clean, faith based novels to read.
The Fall of Candy Corn by Debbie Viguie:
After loving The Summer of Cotton Candy so much, I couldn't wait to dive into this one, and it definitely did not disappoint. Candace is such a likable character, and the author has definitely written her in a way that will really relate to teen girls everywhere. As before, the theme park setting was vivid, and amazingly done, and you'll literally feel like you're right there experiencing everything right along with Candace. I loved this one, and gave it four out of five stars, and I'm very much looking forward to continuing on with the third book in the series.
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton:
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. Have you ever read a book where you literally could not stand one character in it? Well I hadn't until this one. This book is told in the viewpoint of three girls: Bette, a Caucasian spoiled prima donna who's got a drug addiction, and family problems galore, June; a Korean/Caucasian girl who's had it with always being passed over because of her heritage, and never being considered the way the other dancers are, and Gigi; new girl at the academy, and an African-America girl who's got a heart way too big for the world she's entered into. Now most of the girls featured in this story, with the exception of Gigi, take mean girls to a new level. Bette and June and their numerous fellow dancers do some of the most horrendous things you can possibly imagine, and I cringed reading about a lot of it. Gigi would have probably been my favorite, but I hated how she kept everything happening to her from Alec, and kept driving wedges between them, and yet kept trusting people she shouldn't be trusting like June. As well, the sexual innuendos, drug and alcohol abuse, inappropriate behaviors from the academy's instructors, and general smallness of a lot of the school's patrons really didn't sit well with me in this one. I did like the ballet setting, as I've always loved getting to read books centered around a ballet setting, I enjoyed the writing style, the fact the three narrators voices never blended and that I never got confused as to who was who, the attention it brought to eating disorders, and the fact that it demonstrates that parental inattention can lead to a huge mess of problems like it does for many of the characters in this book. However, the negative definitely out ruled the positive for me on this one, and I came really close to rating it two out of five stars, since it was more likely a 2.5 star read for me, and I don't typically use half star ratings, I am going to bump it up to three stars, but I'm not sure at this point if I'll be continuing on with reading the sequel or not, and I'm definitely disappointed in this one.
And that's all the books I finished in July 2018 guys! July was a pretty good reading month for me, and here's to hoping August will be the same! I'd love to hear what were your favorite books you finished in July!
Thanks so much for reading guys :) Have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you all again on Friday.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
Comments
Post a Comment