July Book Haul & Wrap Up

It's the end of a month which means a quick recap on my reading goal and book haul. This was by far my biggest book haul month, I got a little bit carried away. When I took this picture I was thinking that With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo was a July book purchase but it was really June, so I accidentally photographed it with my July book haul.

My reading goal for July was to read 5 books. I figured I should play it smart and keep it realistic since I've managed to average 5 books for the past few months. I met my reading goal and I managed to read one book, not pictured, rounding my total up to 6 books. I actually surpassed it this month by one. Yay!

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

Love & War by Melissa de la Cruz

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward

How did you do with your monthly reading goal? Did you hit it or fall short? What about your July book haul? Did you get anything really awesome?

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Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
(Hunger Games, #0)
by Suzanne Collins

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Publication Date: May 19 2020
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 517
ISBN: 9781338635171
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopian | Science Fiction
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: It's been 10 years since the war ended and the penance for the districts retaliation against the capital is the Hunger Games. Every year each district must send 1 boy and 1 girl to the Capital to fight against the other tributes in a battle to the death game that is aired publically. This is the 10th Annual Hunger Games and the Academy has chosen 24 of its top students to act as mentors to the tributes. Being chosen as a mentor is a sign of respect and standing within society and Coriolanus Snow finds himself selected as a mentor. The odds are against Snow as he finds himself the mentor of the District 12 girl, a humiliating assignment. Their fates are now intertwined and her survival is directly linked to his. Tasked to make the tough decisions, Snow needs to use brains not brute to help Lucy Gray survive in the arena.

Review: When I first heard that this book was coming out I was told it would be about Haymitch and his time in the Hunger Games, I was so excited because Haymitch is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. When details were released that the book would take place during the 10th Hunger Games and revolved around Coriolanus Snow, I was a bit disappointed. I hated Snow. Absolutely despised his character because of how pure evil he was. After thinking about it some more I realized that as much as I hate him, he is still perhaps one of the most fascinating characters to read about because his story would unlock the reasoning of his evil. It's a great way to "study" human behavior and see the cause and outcomes.

I know this book has gotten a ton of mixed reviews, but I absolutely loved it. It's definitely one of my favorites. You really can see and understand how his mind works and the series of events that transpire to set up the rest of the series. At the beginning of the book, I really felt for Snow. His family was poor, having lost all their money in the war. He was still dealing with the loss of his parents, his mother who he absolutely adored and looked upon fondly, and his father who he appeared to have a somewhat contentious relationship with. He came from an affluent noble family with a high standing within the capital. The war transpired in his youth and he ended up losing his parents, his family fortune, and essentially their place within society as one of the founding families.

I really was rooting for Snow at the beginning of the book. He was just down on his luck and trying desperately to cling to a society he believed he still belonged in. It was abundantly clear from the beginning that not only was his focus only on himself and his presumed rise to power, but also on his allegiance to the capital. He was friendly with his classmates but didn't truly have any real friendships, except perhaps with Sejanus - which was sort of forced upon him unwillingly.

Loss of parents. Loss of money which led to not enough food to eat, no money for new clothes and items. Feeling like an outcast due to the fact that his family's social standing was in jeopardy without the money to support the lifestyle he had been accustomed to and felt like he deserved. He seemingly had no moral compass. He cheated his way to winning the games and then he just seemed to spiral from there - murdering two, presumably three people, and being responsible for the death of his only friend. Snow had a lot of reasons for his anger, and it eventually was just too much for him that it's no wonder he became the evil person he was.

Snow was truly a sociopath. He was incapable of loving and caring about others. He had no empathy and wasn't able to relate to others. Everything was centered around the fact that he felt like he deserved better because of who he was, and his family's legacy and notable name. His infatuation with Lucy Gray was because she benefited his own advantage. He ended up using her for personal gain but when she was no longer needed, he cast her aside.

One thing I really loved about this book was all the philosophical situations that arose. I loved the foreshadowing of the future and the 74th Hunger Games. There were many characters and their families who were introduced that play a large part in the future of the games, such as Crane and Heavensbee. There were also some really notable quotes that I felt really foreshadowed the other books in the series.

“The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.
“The mockingjay?” He laughed. 
“Really, I think you’re just making these things up.”
“Not that one. A mockingjay’s a bona fide bird,” she assured him.
“And it sings in your show?” he asked.
“Not my show, sweetheart. Yours. The Capitol’s anyway.”
― Suzanne Collins,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

 

“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.”
― Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Snow made horrible decisions. He used people for his own gain. He discarded those he longer needed. Everything he did was a calculated move to make it to the top. Not only did he think he was better than everyone else, he truly believed that he was. He had no respect for human life and would happily run someone over to get what he wanted.

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Review: Beach Read

 

Beach Read
by Emily Henry

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Publication Date: May 19 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9781984806734
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Adult Fiction
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: January Andrews, a bestselling romance author, finds that life isn't quite what she expected it to be. She suddenly finds herself in the darkest part of her life, unsure of what to do next. Completely broke, and in desperate need to get over her writer's block and finish her next book, January escapes to her father's beach house but being there opens up memories of their past and when mixed with present-day, January finds that nothing was quite as it seemed. January wonders, can anything else go wrong? The answer is yes! It turns out that her new neighbor for the next 3 months is Augustus Everett, her grad school nemesis, and acclaimed author known for killing off his characters.

January and Gus have nothing in common except that they both seem to be struggling with writer's block. They end up striking a deal with each other to help force them out of their creative ruts. They decide to swap writing styles, Augustus will spend the summer writing something with a happy ending and January will work on writing the next bestseller. To help with the writing process, January will take Gus on field trips worthy of any rom-com, and Gus will take her on research and interview trips. Will spending so much time together rekindle their grad school feelings for each other, or are they both past that now?

Review: I put off reading this for a couple of months and I'm really mad that I waited so long. This is the first book I have read by Emily Henry so I had no idea what to expect but this book was incredible! I couldn't put it down, it was so good. I loved the writing style, realism, and relatable characters. Both characters were guarded, understandably so, but it was refreshing to see them work out their own issues and then come together.

“It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when we internalize others' assessments; it's usually not just a single experience but rather a series of moments that bruise the spirit and lead us to distrust ourselves and those around us.”
― Emily Henry, Beach Read

I recommend this book to everyone, not just those who love romance. It's such a fantastic contemporary read with real problems. It was such an emotional and exhilarating read.

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Review: Take a Hint, Dani Brown

 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown
(The Brown Sisters, #2)
by Talia Hibbert

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Publication Date: June 23 2020
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780062941251
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Adult Fiction
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Danika Brown has no interest in love. She's been there, done that, and gotten her heartbroken. It doesn't matter anyway, Dani is focused on work and working her way towards professional success but she's not against having some fun. Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend with benefits, someone who knows their way around the bedroom.

During a workplace fire drill gone wrong, Dani finds herself being rescued by the brooding security guard, Zafir Ansari. Dani thinks it's a sign from the universe that Zaf is her friend with benefits. There's only one problem though, Dani's rescue goes viral and everyone is shipping Dani and Zaf as #DrRugbae. Dani realizes that Zaf has been hiding his past, as a professional rugby player, and that his charity could use some publicity to get donations. Dani and Zaf decide to play along and pretend they're really in a relationship, that way everyone wins - Dani gets her sexy time with Zaf and Zaf gets money for his charity.

There's only one problem, Zaf is actually a hopeless romantic and looking for a real relationship with Dani. The longer the charade goes on, the more in love with her he falls. Will Dani freak out and run, or will she finally take a hint that the universe is trying to give her more.

Review: I really liked the first book in this series, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, so I was excited to read this one. I'm so glad I did! It completely blew the first book out of the water. Talia Hibbert is a writing genius. The best part of all? This book was STEAMY!

Not only is this book full of diverse characters, but Danika Brown is the girl everyone wants to be best friends with. She is smart and sassy, has an amazing fashion sense, and a spunky and eccentric personality. Like seriously, can I just be Danika Brown when I grow up? Zaf is also such a great character. Strong, brooding, sexy - what's not to like? Especially since deep down under is rough exterior he is the sweetest and kindest person.

“Anything you want to do, you can. Hurdles were made to be jumped. Glass ceilings were made to be smashed. But all that can be exhausting, so make sure you can for yourself too. There's great value in the things that bring you joy.”
― Talia Hibbert, Take a Hint, Dani Brown

Overall I absolutely loved this book. I'm looking forward to rereading it in the future, that's how good it is. I definitely recommend it to all rom-com fans, especially if they love steamy scenes and strong females.

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Review: Party of Two

 

Party of Two
(The Wedding Date, #5)
by Jasmine Guillory

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Publication Date: June 23 2020
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780593100813
Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Having recently moved to LA from NYC to start her own law firm with her best friend, Olivia Monroe has no time or interest in dating right now. But when she meets a gorgeous and charming man at the hotel bar where they spend the evening flirting, she can't help but feel a little bit interested. That is until she realizes this gorgeous man just happens to be Senator Max Powell. Olivia has no interest in dating a politician, but then a delicious cake arrives at her office with the cutest message.

Olivia and Max begin dating secretly but when they finally go public with their relationship, neither Max nor Olivia are prepared for the intense media, paparazzi, or Olivia's rocky past coming back to haunt her. Scrutinized by her looks, job, and past, Olivia is finding out that she is not a trophy girlfriend, nor does she want to be. But what Olivia and Max have is something special, now it's up to them to decide if it's worth fighting for or not.

Review: I love Jasmine Guillory and will read anything she writes. It's refreshing how she writes about real people and real relationships, biracial couples, and people of color. When I saw that she was releasing a new book, Party of Two, I just had to preorder it so I could get it as soon as possible. I didn't even want to wait for the library copy, I wanted my very own.

Jasmine loves to write about strong female characters who don't need to be saved by a man. All of her characters are beautiful, smart women, with amazing careers and goals. It's not surprising that her characters would be such kick-ass women, Jasmine herself is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School - yup, Stanford.Law.School. Damn!

With all of that said, this book fell a little flat for me. I know I am one of the few who felt this way, other reviews are just seriously raving about this book, so much so that I can't help but wonder if I somehow missed something. Olivia is a fantastic character but unfortunately, Max is a bit dull and Olivia overshadowed him. The storyline was kind of meh. I liked the premise of it and it was a fun read being around the Fourth of July, and also a great look into what a Senator's life is like. I'm not sure exactly what it's missing, but there was just something there that didn't push it over the edge to the next level.

“But you know, I only rush into the big things when I know to my core that they're right. I know to my core that you're right for me, Olivia Monroe.”
― Jasmine Guillory, Party of Two

Overall, I did like this book, it just wasn't my favorite, especially compared to Jasmine's other books. I loved all the food in it though - seriously, there was so much food talk! I swear every scene talks about food, Olivia and Max were always eating, which left me always feeling hungry.

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Review: More Myself

More Myself: A Journey

by Alicia Keys

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Publication Date: March 31 2020
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781250153296
Genre: Biography | Adult Nonfiction
Source: Audible

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: More Myself is an autobiography about Alicia Key's journey in life. Known across the world for her dynamic vocals and stellar piano playing, Alicia has spent the last 20+ years in the public eye as a music icon. Not only has she been listed on multiple lists as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time or 100 Greatest Women, but she also inspired a new sound within hip hop to have a more classical sound, paving her way as a young, gifted, black female.

In this autobiography, Alicia talks about her rise to fame, her journey into adulthood, and the struggle she had with not compromising her values. She discusses relationships, love, and parenting. The reader learns about Alicia's dive into philanthropy and activism and the nonprofit she co-founded, Keep a Child Alive.

Review: I've been a fan of Alicia's music since her debut album, Songs in A Minor, was released in 2001. Though I enjoyed her music and owned several of her albums, I never actively kept up with her career or attended any of her shows. Alicia regained my attention in the last several years, especially with the release in 2012 of her fifth studio album, Girl on Fire.

In 2016 Alicia made headlines by doing a photoshoot for her upcoming studio album, Here, without any makeup. Since that moment Alicia has gone makeup-free to multiple photoshoots and awards show, most notably the Grammy's. Her embrace of natural beauty and the effect that movement has on not just all women, but specifically on youth, is tremendous.

I choose to listen to the audiobook for this read because I love Alicia's voice and I love hearing about people's lives from their own mouths. Bonus points that it also included lots of piano interludes and even some singing, along with quotes from various other celebrities in Alicia's life. At one point she talks about active listening, which is something I have personally been trying really hard to work on with my husband, and how without actively listening, she wouldn't have been able to become the stepmother that she is today. I also enjoyed the rawness her biography had and how she mentions being judge by others, which is something all women experience continuously throughout their lives.

“It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when we internalize others' assessments; it's usually not just a single experience but rather a series of moments that bruise the spirit and lead us to distrust ourselves and those around us.”
― Alicia Keys, More Myself: A Journey

I highly recommend this, specifically the audiobook, to all women. It coves so many aspects of life and growing into adulthood, and the constant change that happens as you gain more life experience and perspective.

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July 2020 TBR

Happy first day of July, bookworms!

Did you have a good reading month in June? My goal was to read 8 books and I knew that was a pretty ambitious goal. I ended up finishing the month by reading 5 books. Not bad! That tends to be my average for most months.

This month I have another small TBR picked out, mostly because I know not to overreach with my goals. Being back at work is leaving me with less time to read and even when I am home, I feel so exhausted and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of reading. Anyway, I am hoping to read 5 books this month which is my average.

Here's what I'm reading this month:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Here's to hoping for a great reading month! What about you? What are you reading this month?

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