july wrap-up! // aka the month i got back into audiobooks

July is over and you all know what that means:

Just kidding. That’s not until next month guys! This month is the time to stream August by Taylor Swift and pretty much whatever other fall vibe songs you enjoy. With that being said, it’s time to talk about what I did this month! July was strangely enough the month I got back into audiobooks after complaining about how much I disliked them all year. A little bit of consistency is all you guys ask for, and I can’t even give you that. Side note: I read two manga volumes at the very end of July but I’m much too lazy to talk about them right now so we’re talking about them next month*!

*hmm…maybe i do have a little bit of trouble with consistency…

books read from least favorite to favorite of the month!

Beasts of Ruin by Ayana Gray was definitely not a bad book by any standards. It continued the stories of both Ekon and Koffi, while bringing in a third perspective. I just think that I wasn’t really as invested in this series as I thought since it does run a little bit younger than I’m used to. I do think that the representation and plotting is top-notch, and I would recommend this for anyone who is a little bit younger looking for a great series to read! I gave this 3/5 stars.

Survive The Night by Riley Sager drove me crazy. On one hand, I respect what Sager did and the risks he took, and I certainly didn’t predict everything. On the other hand, did I even like this book? I read it all in a day…but did I enjoy what was going on? I don’t know but I should probably figure it out if I’m going to review it. This follows Charlie who ends up hitchhiking with a guy who might just be a serial killer. I gave this 3/5 stars!

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney was my first audiobook of the year and my first Alice Feeney book! While I initially gave this 4 stars, I realized that I was mostly invested in the relationship and the twist might have been predictable if I weren’t speed-running this audiobook. So in the end, I think this is 3.5/5 stars? It follows a couple who win a weekend getaway but all is not what it seems…

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager was a really hyped-up Sager book that honestly just fell really flat? It’s on the same level as Rock Paper Scissors in terms of stakes, but the last twist just elevated slightly above the latter. I don’t know why but I just feel like the actual plot was just meh. Like OOH BIRDS IN THE CABIN???? So mysterious! So dangerous! Ahhh! Anyways, I gave this 3.5 stars as well but a higher version of it than Rock Paper Scissors (if that makes any sense).

His and Hers by Alice Feeney (yes, I know, another thriller) follows a divorced couple (a journalist and a cop) who are being separately framed for murder. I wasn’t really enjoying this one until about 70% of the way through, when the twists start twisting and totally did not predict the ending. Alice Feeney is too good (or maybe I’m just too dumb). Anyways, this was ALSO 3.5/5 stars!

Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi was an absolutely amazing anthology following three friends who want to give their true loves a love potion on Halloween night. Onny, Ash, and True each have their own story attempting to find the love of their lives and IT’S SO ADORABLE. Each of their stories is so romantic and fun, and I loved how each of them has its own diverse culture, and we got to see little hints to that!

Sacred Hospitality by Olivie Blake is a little novella that I basically skimmed just to read Nicolibby content. There’s literally nothing else to say about except that I am quite possibly the biggest Nicolibby simp this side of the US. 5/5 stars for Nicolibby alone.

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake surprised the heck out of me. Mostly because I actually like Callum now? And I only slightly despise Parisa now? Of course, one slight facet of this book annoyed me but I’ll talk about it in my review! Anyways, this was a great sequel and as much as I whine about this series, it’s strangely enough one of my new favorites. 5/5 stars!

i got back into Instagram!

For some reason, it won’t embed so here’s a link! It’s been so much fun getting back into Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/afictionalbookworm/

around the blogosphere

I adored everyone’s mid-year book freak out tags and here are just a few of my favorites: Riddhi, Jayati, Lia, and Aster

Gauri recommended books by Asian authors!

Suhani posted an amazing wrap-up for May and June and IT’S SO MUCH FUN!

April wrote an amazing review for a book that I’m incredibly excited to read now: A Disaster in Three Acts!

Dinipanda Reads wrote an amazing post for her July Birthstone covers!

Yolanda did the Animal Crossing book tag and it was so much fun to read!

Sophie wrote an incredibly interesting discussion regarding the question of would you still blog if you knew no one was reading your posts?

So that’s it! I’ve also been watching a lot of Extraordinary Attorney Woo which I 1000% recommend because it’s a Kdrama about an autistic lawyer and it’s SO good! Tell me: what’s your favorite book you’ve read this month?

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Girlfriend Box | The StoryGraph | TikTok