August Wrap-up

Hopefully from now on, I’ll really be able to keep my blog up to date! I read quite a few great books this last month, so if you’re curious, do check them out! Be sure to let me know in the comments if you spot any favorites:)

Amanda Foody – Daughter of the Burning City

Daughter of the Burning City was such a treat! It was mysterious, thrilling, original and cute all at the same time, with really amazing characters. A central theme in the book is what makes someone a ‘real’ person, something that’s definitely less clear than it seems. I would have preferred a somewhat less predictable story though – it was pretty obvious who the murderer was throughout most of the book…

Mindy McGinnis – Given To The Sea (Given Duet #1)

It doesn’t happen all that often, but I really disliked this book. And I believe I have good reason to. From the start, it was full of harmful concepts like a massive focus on racial differences, and disabled babies being thrown away to die. Furthermore, nothing about the story had me interested in what would happen, as the main character, whose only purpose in life was to have a child and then drown herself, wasn’t exactly the most likeable character, nor were any of the others. This book was a massive disappointment, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Marissa Meyer – Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles #4,5)

Only a few of these stories actually provided new insights, but they were all cute and fun to read. I felt like the story about the android didn’t really have a purpose, but the last one was nice, because it actually showed us how the characters are doing now. I was hoping all the stories would do that, though…

Lemony Snicket – The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8)

It’s so fun to see how Count Olaf keeps coming up with all these insane disguises, and there was a lot of character development in this one. Also, the Baudelaires keep finding more hints as to what happened to their parents.

J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit

Before starting one of Tolkiens books, I always feel like they’ll be a bit of a project, for some reason. But that’s never the case at all, they always prove to be a real treat! And this might be especially true for The Hobbit.

Melinda Taub – Still Star-Crossed

Set after the events in Romeo & Juliet, I loved the drama and intrigue in this book. I have a thing for retellings, and this was a rather fun one – it’s not technically a retelling of course, but it was based on and set in the same world as the Shakespeare play. The writing was a bit of a let-down, but as I read the Dutch translation, I’m not sure if that’s because of the original text or the translation. The attempt to stick to Shakespearean language felt very forced, because there were also a lot of very modern word choices that didn’t fit at all.

Brendan Reichs – Nemesis (Project Nemesis #1)

This was one strange book. I quite liked it at first, and the concept was pretty fascinating, but it took too long for anything to be revealed, and then around the last quarter of the book it felt like a whole new book had started, in which everything needed to be explained. A lot of things stayed quite vague though…

Lemony Snicket – The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9)

Things are really kicking off now! Count Olaf is no longer hiding, and instead the Baudelaires are. That cliffhanger really makes me want to read the next book quickly! I do feel like things are getting dragged out a little though. It would be nice to get a clue or two a little more often.

Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (Inkworld #1)

I wish I could have had this book as a child. I’m sure I would have loved it! There’s a solid, original fantasy plot and great characters, but what I loved most was the love for books that was everywhere in this book! From the chapter headings and Elinor’s library to some of the most important plotlines.

Jenny Han – To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #1)

I didn’t expect to like this book much, as it seemed quite a bit too sugary for me, but I have to admit that – even though I had a hard time getting through the first half – I really got sucked into the story in the second half of the book! Even though I didn’t like the romance much, I did like the interaction between the three sisters, and all the cooking and baking sure got me a little hungry!

Jenny Han – P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #2)

I actually liked this book better than the first. Sure, the plot is cliché, but in a good way. The writing is good for this genre, and Jenny Han is especially great at writing realistic characters. Lara Jean has gone through quite a lot of character development, in a really believable way, and she seems to me to be a great rolemodel for teenage girls: she’s kindhearted, but she has a good sense of selfworth and knows what she wants.

Lemony Snicket – The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)

This installment was pretty suspenseful, so I read it in one sitting! I’m glad we’re finally starting to get some answers.

Jenny Han – Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #3)

Yes, this book could have been quite a bit less sentimental. But it was a cute read nevertheless and these characters have really grown on me, so I loved reading more about them. So can we also have a next installment about Lara Jean’s college experiences please?

Lemony Snicket – The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11)

The good part is the Baudelaires are finally starting to figure things out when it comes to VFD. The bad part is this book was pretty annoying, especially the dialogues with the captain we’re not exactly nice to read, and it could have been quite a bit shorter. Let’s hope the next installment will be a little more action-packed!

Lemony Snicket – The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12)

The setting of the Hotel Denouement was so much fun and a lot of questions got answered in this book – though not as many as I would have hoped. This series definitely leaves you with more questions than answers!

Lemony Snicket – The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13)

This book honestly felt rather unnecessary, even if it was fun. The end is really unsatisfying, but that completely fits the rest of the series so it makes a lot of sense. Still, I would have liked a little more closure.

Renee Ahdieh – The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2)

No matter how much I loved the writing and how much I love Shazi and Khalid, I couldn’t help feeling like the majority of this book wasn’t of much relevance to the plot. Some parts were rather suspenseful and added a lot of insight, but others didn’t really seem to serve a clear purpose. Overall, I did really enjoy this book, but The Wrath & the Dawn was definitely better!

Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Sisterhood #1)

This used to be one of my all-time favorite books as a kid, so I was a little wary upon rereading it. It might be part nostalgia, but I still really liked this book! Especially the characters feel so real and sweet, and are still pretty relatable to me.

Ann Brashares – The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #2)

I honestly thought this second installment was just as much fun as the first! Sure, it’s a little predictable at times, but that’s not always a bad thing. It’s the characters that really make the book, and they have all gone through quite a bit of growth so far.

Ann Brashares – Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood #3)

These books all blended together in my head over the past years, but this installment is again a nice one, of which I forgot quite a bit! I might be cliché but I really liked some of the life-changing things that happened.

Conclusion

This was another very successful reading month: 20 books!! I finished A Series of Unfortunate Events, got a big surprise in the form of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and relived my childhood through The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.