August 2014 Wrap-up

Alas. Thanks to school and work, I was not able to read as many books as I did in July...

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1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: As The Little Book Club's "Male Protagonist" pick of the month, I was EXTREMELY excited to dive in (and not just because it was the first time I had ever participated in any sort of "official" book/reading club). Ready Player One was a very fast-paced, action-packed read, and I definitely agree with all of the hype surrounding the story and author. It was a bit difficult to get into at times, though I blame that on my inability to understand anything too tech or Science Fiction-y. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

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2. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke: In preparation for the sequel's release, I picked up the first book in the Between duology and loved it just as much the second time around! Tucholke's writing is creepy, suspenseful, gothic and beautiful, and I adored every single one of her characters - Violet in particular.

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3. Between the Spark and the Burn (Between #2) by April Genevieve Tucholke: This series is so dark and odd. I love it! Though the ending was not what I was expecting—and originally hoping for—I found myself enjoying it just as much as the first. It was very creepy and I liked seeing Violet's relationships progress from the beginning of book one to the ending of the second. Tucholke has quickly become one of my new favorite authors and I look forward to seeing what else she has in store for her readers.

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4. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins: While I did not enjoy this book as much as the other two, it was nice to see all of our favorite characters return to the City of Love and reconnect after a year—and a million changes—away. I was all for the quirky, awkward Isla at the beginning of the book, but once she and Josh began dating, she really started to get on my nerves. The ending wrapped up a bit too nicely and seemed a little insincere but, overall, I really enjoyed the conclusion to this wonderful series. I definitely plan on rereading these books sometime soon.

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5. Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan: I did not realize just how much I needed this in my life until its release. Greek mythology is extremely difficult to get into—I love all of the stories, but the lengthy, text-filled books are so dull... I can never get past the first few chapters. This book, however, was hilarious and informational and I finished it in about a day. Oh, how I've missed Percy's wit!

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August Stats:

▫ Read 5 books

▫ Read 1,706 pages

GR's 2014 Reading Challenge:

▫ Read 47 of 70 books

▫ Currently on track

Upcoming Releases:

▫ Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes -- September 2, 2014

▫ Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang -- September 9, 2014

▫ The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey -- September 16, 2014

▫ Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter -- September 30, 2014

We are one month closer to some of my most anticipated releases of the year. I can't wait!