July Wrap-up

In July, my plan was to participate in Transathon. I ended up not really sticking to my TBR, and I only managed to read 4 books by trans/non-binary authors: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, Ciel by Sophie Labelle, my reread of Red, White & Royal Blue, and Just Like That by Cole McCade. I do still really want to read the rest of my TBR, and I know I’ll get to them eventually.

I did participate in the Reading Rush, and I shared my wrap-up of that here.

All in all, it was a really successful reading month in terms of quality – I read so many amazing books. I read 24 books in total.

My plan for August is to participate in #ARCAugust, and I shared my TBR yesterday. I’m already currently reading the second book off my TBR, so hopefully I’ll eventually learn how to stick to a TBR.

In this post, I’ll share my Goodreads reviews of my 4 and 5 star reads of July. Want to keep track of my reading in more detail? Feel free to add me on Goodreads!

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Lyla Lee – I’ll Be the One

I have to preface this by admitting I know nothing about K-Pop. That didn’t prevent me from falling hard for this book though!

This was such a delight to listen to. It was an incredibly fun read and I really loved the romance – Henry is a love interest you can’t help but love.

I loved the discussions on what it means to be fat in a fatphobic industry, and while it was hard to hear all the fatphobia, I loved how it was addressed every single time and how brave the main character was in standing up for herself and correcting people.

CWs: fatphobia, emotional abuse from a parent

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Alexis Hall – Boyfriend Material

My review will be up soon!

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Talia Hibbert – That Kind of Guy

I didn’t review this book, but this is now one of my favourite romance series.

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Sophie Labelle – Ciel

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: it’s really such a special thing to see your identity represented in middlegrade. I’ve read a few books with non-binary main characters so far, but never one in middlegrade, and it really means a lot. It’s just such a healing experience.

This book did a really great job at finding a balance between showing the more subtle and heavier transphobia trans people deal with in their day-to-day lives while also showing the love and support and just the happy moments. In that way, it dealt with important and very real themes while being an inherently pretty uplifting and really empowering book. Ciel was a really lovely main character, and one I could really see myself in. And it was great to see multiple trans characters in one book as well, because it shows how there are so many different ways to be trans.

CWs: transphobia, misgendering

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Kata Konayama – Love Me For Who I Am, Vol. 1

I didn’t review this book either. It’s the first installment of a manga about a non-binary person, and I loved it a lot.

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Alice Oseman – Loveless

Review to come soon! But let’s just say this will probably be my favourite book of the year, I felt so seen.

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Sandhya Menon – 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

If you need a joyful, funny read, pick this up! It’s the perfect summer read and such a delightful romcom! My only regret is that I didn’t reread all the other books once again.

Fake dating is really my fave right now and the trope was so well done here – feelings slowly but steadily creep in. I also loved how this wasn’t just an (adorable!) romance, it was also a story about the relationship between Pinky and her mother, who seem like they are opposites, but maybe they have more in common than it seems.

Read this for:
☆ Punk heroine with piercings and multi-coloured hair who cares a lot about a lot of things
☆ Very steady and organized love interest who will steal your heart with how earnest he is
☆ Opposites attract, enemies to lovers, fake dating
☆ Cousin who feels more like a sister, no girl on girl hate to be found here
☆ Rescued opossum who likes to play dead
☆ Butterfly sanctuary (I’m actually terrified of butterflies but as long as they stay fictional, it’s cute)
☆ All the summer vibes

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Kat Cho – Wicked Fox

This is exactly what I look for in urban fantasy. It really transported me into the world of the story.

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Mia Sosa – The Worst Best Man

I didn’t review this either, but I did really enjoy this romance. However, I really want to reread it at some point, because I listened to the audio and really didn’t like one of the narrators, which made me dislike one of the main characters. I think I’ll enjoy it more if I read it physically.

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Wibke Brueggeman – Love Is For Losers

Two words: thriftstore romance. I didn’t know I wanted that, but I really did.

This book is super funny – think Georgia Nicholson but gay – but it packed some real emotional punches too.

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Kat Cho – Vicious Spirits

It makes me so happy when the sequel is just as good as the first book! I love these characters, the found family, the setting – it’s all just amazing. This is one of those fantasy series that deserves a huge fandom.

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Rebecca Stead – The List of Things That Will Not Change

I really need to read more middlegrade. This was so profound and heartwarming.

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Rey Terciero – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

I loved it so much!! I haven’t read Little Women but I did see the movie and this did have the same vibe, just a modern update.

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Renni Eddo-Lodge – Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race

I didn’t review this book because it didn’t feel like the kind of book I’m equipped to properly review. But I do think it’s a must read for antiracist reading.

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How many books did you end up reading in July? What was your favourite read of the month?