I read 10 books in a month…?!

Hello fellow bookworms! July has been a busy month, and a lot of ups and downs in changes to lockdown restrictions here in the UK. Personally, I’m still working from home, still getting ready to go back to studying at the beginning of October, and I finally had my welcome pack and syllabi through; I’m starting to feel even more like a student again, and I’m so excited! We also had The Reading Rush this month, which I managed to take some time off work for, and it definitely contributed to the main bulk of my reading this month! I read 10 books this month, which I think should be marked as a historical even in my personal lifetime so here are the books to mark this momentous occasion

What books have I read this month?

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

I’d heard some really good things about this book, both when it came out and when the movie was released, and I saw it on my shelf when I was looking for an easier read that I knew I could get through quickly. I hadn’t read a YA romance in a while, and this is just the sort that I love to read! The story was so lovely, perfectly suited my tastes, and was exactly what I was looking for.

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

I’ve had this book on my shelf forever! The synopsis on the back cover sounded really intriguing but I definitely wasn’t expecting what I got! This book was so weird and quite different to what I thought I was getting into. I found it quite difficult to pick up at times, possibly owing to the fact that I literally had no idea what was going on until very end! I’d be interested to read another one of her books though because I think the writing was really nice and quite poetic.

Sadie by Courtney Summers (audio)

My first book of The Reading Rush! This has been on my radar for a while and I’m definitely glad I’ve now read it/listened to it! I think I’ll try to listen again or maybe read the book as I think my main problem was losing track of the story while doing other things. What I got of the story was good though, and I loved the way the audiobook was done with a full cast!

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Book 2 of The Reading Rush and it was okay… this was my second book by Ness and I have heard it’s not his best, but it was quite quick and easy to read and the characters were likeable enough. Ness definitely tackled some issues which appear a lot in contemporary YA fiction (relationships, mental health, college education) and it was nice to see diverse representation in there as well. The story could have been a little more interesting, althoughI do understand the concept of why it wasn’t more exciting.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I was really surprised at how much I loved this book! Considering it was the book I chose for my least read genre challenge, the fact that I gave it 5 stars just goes to show that I can enjoy classic literature! I read this and listened along to the audiobook at the same time so I was completely immersed in the story and followed the story a lot better I think. A perfect classic romance that I will definitely be revisiting!

Books read towards Children’s Classics Challenge

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Considering I’m not a horse person, I found this book oddly moving and quite emotional. It was interesting to read something from an animal’s perspective and I enjoyed following the horse’s life to the end.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

I vaguely remember watching the Peter Pan Disney films as a child, but not recalling much of the storyline itself. The book was really fun and a bit emotional at the end, and a classic story I think every child should be introduced to, either through book or film.

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

I loved the concept of this story, and It was an adorable character in my imagination! The main thing I took away from this story was the morals it teaches children, and probably something adults can learn from as well!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I vaguely remember the film from when I was younger but I don’t recall ever having read the book, so it was really nice to revisit the story and get a bit more detail about the world of Narnia.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I was really looking forward to reading this, and I enjoyed the first two-thirds of it maybe, but I’m not one who enjoys battle scenes, and so the last part just went over my head a bit. This is definitely very high fantasy as well, which isn’t a genre I usually read, and haven’t read in a while, so it took some adjustment as I was reading.

Average Rating: 3.6 stars

Number of total pages read: 2,807

Books read toward 2020 Book Challenge goal: 39/50 books 

Books read toward Children’s Classics Challenge: 10/15 books

What am I currently reading?

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary

I’m really enjoying this so far! After The Reading Rush I was getting a bit distracted when I tried to read, I think mainly because I had done so much of it the previous week and I had other things floating around in my head that I needed to do and catch up on. However, this soon got very addictive and it won’t be long before I finish!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I remember loving this the first time I read it, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it the second time around too! It’s just as weird as I remember…

Books I plan to read in July

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

I’ve wanted to read this since it won the Booker Prize last year and I read the first few pages and was really intrigued, but for some reason I chose to pick up something else… but I will definitely be reading it this time, I’ve nothing but great things so I’m super excited!

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

I don’t even want to admit how long ago I added this to my TBR (maybe 10 years ago…) but when Malorie Blackman appeared on my very diverse reading list (finally, people are getting it!) I knew now was the time! I can’t wait, and the chapters look super short so should be a quick read for me.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

I am waiting for this to become available at my library, hopefully soon! Supporting female black authors this month!

What do you think of the books I’ve read this month? What about the ones I plan on reading? Leave your comments below, and book recommendations are always welcome!

Happy August and Happy Blogging!

Jade 🙂

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