Hi guys, sorry I didn’t write my Camp Nanowrimo Post next, I didn’t get to do a lot of writing lately, but I will do a wrap up post very soon.
For today we’re gonna take a look at my reading month which, considering how much I had to do for uni, went very well. I got a few requested reviews done, I did some research for my bachelor thesis and I read a few really fun books. I didn’t listen to many audio books this month, but for some reason I just wasn’t in the mood for them. It happens, it’s fine.
As always, don’t compare your reading to other people’s reading, everyone has an individual path and all reading is successful reading. If you want to follow my reading journey in real time, check out my Goodreads account and let’s become friends 🙂
Without further ado, here are my short July reviews:
The Herd by Andrea Bartz (3/5)
This was one of those thrillers that was somewhere in the mediocre middle. The beginning wasn’t too gripping, the ending quite chaotic and overall I wasn’t too impressed. If you want to read my full review, you can find it here
Circe by Madeline Miller (4/5)
I’m absolutely in love with the writing style of Madeline Miller. I feel like those are classics in the making. Circe’s stories was so intriguing to read, while it wasn’t particularly exciting, it was generally beautiful to read. I even wrote an essay for uni on this book, so it’s fair to say that I enjoyed reading it.
Bruises That Never Heal by Aislyn Elizabeth (3.5/5)
This was another requested review and while I had a few issues with it, such as the Insta-Love trope that is just not for me and the very casual drug use, I still read this book in one go on a Sunday morning. And as you know, I cannot rate a book that I binge read in one go lower than 3 stars.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (4/5)
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (4/5)
I really shouldn’t start a 7 part (?) series right now, but I just couldn’t help myself and I wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t epic, but it certainly had that atmosphere that always draws me into SJM books. Which is also why I already read two parts of the series and cannot wait to read the next parts
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (4/5)
I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, so I had to read The Bride Test. While the premise was a bit strange and odd, I quickly learned to love Esme and Khai and their story. I also generally love to read Helen Hoang’s stories because her characters are just so easy to read about and the autism representation is, in my subjective opinion, really great.
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe (3/5)
Read this for uni, not a big fan, but the quickest Defoe book I’ve read so far.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (5/5)
Great end to the series. I was a big fan of the style of writing and the world building and absolutely loved Jude as a main character. The overall story line was great and I will always love and recommend this, but I’d be lying if I didn’t wish for an adult version of this series with more fights, more steam, and more warfare 😉
Try & Trust by Nena Tramountani (4/5)
This is only available in German, my bilingual review is here, and while it was quite entertaining, it was a little too dramatic for my taste. Still, it was a fun read and I love the way Nena Tramountani creates characters and addresses trauma.
With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (4.5/5)
I absolutely love Elizabeth Acevedo, especially when I listen to her works as audio books and this was no exception. It took a little while for me to get into the story, but the descriptions of food and Acevedo’s beautiful style of writing were what got me to read on.
Blackout by Angie Thomas and five other amazing female black authors (5/5)
This was definitely a surprise for me. I had no idea I could love this book so much, but I did. It was like a queer, black, YA version of Love, Actually or a film of a similar concept and I absolutely loved it. It had such a great summer atmosphere, so if you’re looking for something to read on your balcony in the heat, then this is it.
The Layover by Lacie Waldon (4.5/5)
This was such a fun enemies to lovers romance and I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed the banter, the way the story developed and the insights I got into the life of a flight attendant. There were a few moments that I didn’t enjoy as much as the rest of the book, but overall this is the perfect summer romance.
Dream Again by Mona Kasten (2/5)
This was one of those series that I’ve seen on bookstagram (mostly German bookstagram) and just had to give this a try. Let’s just say, I wasn’t too happy. The language/dialogue felt super wooden and strange, it sometimes even felt like it was a bad translation or didn’t go to an editor. I was actually sad about this, because the premise was quite interesting, but the execution wasn’t for me.
The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters ()
Coming very soon
Experiences in translation by Umberto Eco (no rating)
The Translator’s Invisability by Lawrence Venuti (no rating)
Not sure if you care at all, but these two books were quite helpful for my BA thesis.
I’m actually quite happy with how much I managed to read this month. I used all the free time I had to read books, mostly Sunday morning binges and I’m not mad about that.
For the next few months I hope to continue just like that, because 16 books a month is quite respectable.
Hopefully, you had a great reading month yourself and if not, I hope the next month will be better for you 🙂
I’ll be back in a bit with my Camp Nanowrimo wrap up.
Until then, take care, stay healthy and read on.
Lena
Lena Fiala Books 
Leave a Reply