I had a pretty decent month when it comes to the amount of books read. I read eleven books (YAY!). The downside to this fact, is that though I read eleven books, I didn't really like a more than half of them. *frowny face*

So yeah. Not the best quality of books this month. However, there is something I'm really proud of! The lack of books I bought. If you have read any of my blog posts, you will know that I buy WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY too many books for the average person--and the average reader. I read blog posts from bloggers I admire who say things like, "Wow, my TBR is so huge. I own fifty books that I haven't read yet." And I am jealous as hell. I currently own 405 books that I haven't read. 405. That shocks even me. So the lack of books this month is a huge accomplishment for me.


I bought two books: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Gemini. And while maybe I should have skipped The Cursed Child, I'm really excited to dive into Gemini in September.

Now back to the books I read. No matter who reviews it positively or how good it sounds, sometimes you just don't like a book as much as you wanted/expected. That was the story of my life this month. Upsetting, but well, that's life.




Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls A solid first half before it crumbled in to a selfish, creepy, unrealistic mess. The characters were about as enjoyable to read about as the sun is to look at. ★★
Tell Me Three Things: This was a quietly entertaining novel with a strong female character and a mysterious--though actually kind of obvious--romance. ★★★★
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Jeez, this was a kind of a nightmare. It took all of my favorite characters and just threw them in the trash. Everyone acted out of character and the plot was unoriginal. ★★
We'll Never Be Apart: An IMMENSELY predictable plot twist and a super creepy, psychotic relationship. I'll pass on seconds, please. ★★
My Heart and Other Black Holes: Maybe I went into this expecting too much, after all of my favorite fellow bloggers loved it to the moon and back. But this was just lacking something; some intangible thing that would make me love it--or even really enjoy it. ★★★
More Happy Than Not: I picked this up because, though it sounds like a great plot, Adam Silvera just seems like a super awesome person. I kind of stalk his Twitter. But I didn't like it like I wanted to. Aaron is a fantastic character, but everything else was lacking for me. This was the only book that I truly regreted not loving. I wish it was different. ★★
Gena/Finn: If a book is centered around fangirls, you are gonna bet that I'll pick it up. However, this ended up being less about the life of a fangirl, and more about a semi-bisexual relationship and an explosion. Seriously. An explosion. ★★
Sweetbitter: I read this for the book club I have with my friends (Publishing nerds, FTW). I was originally really excited; then the book itself was really disheartening. The writing is magnificent, but the rest of it was so pretentious or so unsettling.
I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After: Goddamn, I loved this. It's hilarious, unique, and gory as hell. It was my only five star read. And if you know me, it takes a lot for me to give a graphic novel five stars. Skottie Young, you are a brilliant bastard. ★★★★★
On the Edge: This won't change your life, but it was a really decent YA romance. Swoon-tastic, amusing, and predictable. ★★★
Throne of Glass: I loved rereading this after so many years. I fell in love with Celaena, Chaol and Dorian all over again. ★★★★





So here is where I am in my reading challenge:


And I am okay with that, as I fully intend to get completely caught up this month. Also, though my goal is 100, I would really love to read closer to 115, if I can do it. We'll see.

I have a lot of new pubs that I'm looking forward to in September. Will I read/buy them all? Not even close. But you can bet I will grab a couple and do happy dance. Here are my most anticipated books:


But other than those wonderfully sounding books, I have collected my September TBR with books that I already own. And honestly, I have no doubt that I will not read all of these, but hey, I'm gonna try:



There ya go! My August reads and September plans. Hopefully it's going to be another solid month of reading and not a lot of book buying. Let me know what your plans are or some of your most anticipated new pubs!