this truly was the month of thrillers. i don’t even know why i read so many, but it just felt right to scare myself this month :’)
August was actually pretty eventful. We had our Eid celebration at the VERY beginning of the month (Eid Mubarak to all those who celebrate!! ππ) and then comes the invitations with family and friends (which, i always look forward to).
aside from that, i’m back on my crap watching cooking shows for hours on end βοΈ there’s nothing that gets your heart racing like burning a dish you spent hours making. truly relatable
i’ve also had somewhat of a breakthrough on my art and im so very happy with where it’s going and im here to share just SOME of what i’ve been busy creating so,,,,,
HELLO I DREW NEW DIVIDERS AND AN ACTUAL SIGN-OFF FOR MY BLOG, PLS TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THEM
but first, books,
I read a total of 16 books. 5 physical books π, 2 e-books π±, & 9 audiobooks π§
YARC reads will be represented with this emoji: π i’m currently at 32/50!! and you can track my progress and mini reviews HERE
Links will take you to my reviews for each book.
Β
π§Β A Thousand Splendid Suns: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§ π
khaled hosseini knows how to write hard-hitting books with so much emotion and nuance. i was really worried how he would handle negative stereotypes without demonizing an entire culture but honestly, i think he did a pretty good job.
π§Β Recursion: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§
i LOVE mind-bending books that make you feel really stupid and make you rethink your entire life. and that’s exactly what recursion did to me. the book did become repetitive at times but i thought the ending was SO MUCH more conclusive than Dark Matter.
π Ask Again, Yes: β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦
i. freaking. loved. this. book.
ask again, yes is this slice of life, multi-generational story that’s built on family and forgiveness and redemption and love and it was outstanding.
π§Β Lock Every Door: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§
i had so much fun reading this book. the ending got a little fantastical for a mystery/thriller but i really enjoyed the eerie, creepy feelings it delivered.
π§Β A Stranger in the House: β¦β¦β§β§β§
i’m so tired of seeing this plot point in thrillers. i found this book to be bland and uneventful up until the last line. and then the last line was PRETTY good if it got more elaboration on???
πΒ No Exit: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§ (3.5 stars)
this started off as one of the most promising thrillers ever. it was creepy and chilling. the fear of isolation and danger could be felt through the pages.
my main issue was that it became repetitive and there were aspects that were SO UNNECESSARY and you know the author just added it in to keep the story afloat.
π§Β A Short History of the Girl Next Door: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§
this book isn’t for everyone but i found it to be a really refreshing story of a boy’s unrequited romantic feelings for his best friend. it explores grief and anger in such a real way and had a great balance of humour.
π±Β The Way of Kings: β¦β¦β¦β¦β§
this freaking 1000 paged monster almost took me out.
honestly the story was long and drawn out and i felt it could have been shortened by 500 pages and still had the same effect but the ending was superb (in sanderson fashion) and i’m so attached to these characters. I’m so excited to be continuing it
π§ An Anonymous Girl: β¦β§β§β§β§
oh my god. i hate this theme in thrillers, it’s so BORING and OVERUSED. this entire book was a snooze-fest sorry π€
πΒ The Chalk Man: β¦β¦β¦β§β§ (3.5 stars)
i really enjoyed this book. it was paced well and had a really really creepy plot but i felt it pushed the bounds of reality a bit and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. the main reveal didn’t phase me but THE EPILOGUE, fantastic.
π The Gilded Wolves: β¦β¦β¦β§β§ (3.5 stars) π
this was so fun!! i think it had a lot of potential to be this amazing book that was entertaining as well as informative. i loved the science/math riddles included and the characters and their development.
what i did not like was how nothing was explained, especially the magic system and the narrative structure. i was lost A LOT of the time.
π§ Miracle Creek: β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦ π
!!!CONTENDER FOR THE BEST BOOK I’VE READ THIS YEAR!!!
idek how to put miracle creek into words but damn this connected all the elements in the book in the most incredible way. i loved it so much.
π§Β Normal People: β¦β¦β¦β§β§
normal people was highkey depressing and sad and the miscommunication was so FRUSTRATING but at the same time it’s such a human story and so packed with emotion.
idk, im kinda confused about this book.
π± Sleep: β¦β§β§β§β§
i could not deal with this book.
π§ Five Feet Apart: β¦β¦β¦β§β§
i watched the movie first and i really enjoyed it and it was basically a play-by-play of the movie, so that’s cool i guess. but the ending in the book was SO MUCH BETTER than the movie omg thank goodness that exists.
π Technically, you Started it: β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦
this book was told ENTIRELY in text messages and i found it so ADORABLE and FUNNY and so charming and i just love the enemies to friends to lovers thing im so soft
β¨ read 15+ books
β¨ participate in contemporary-a-thon
β¨ LETSπGETπTHATπWIPπGOINGπ
β¨ workout at least 3 days a week
β¨ publish 5 blog posts
β¨ complete “way of kings” & “words of radiance” ββοΈ – i got through WoK but not WoR so
β¨ read 15 books βοΈ
β¨ write 10,000 words for my WIP β – HAHAHAH i didnt even open my document!!!
β¨ limit my youtube intake (this is a full lie) – i mean,,,,,,how does anyone measure this???
β¨ publish 5 blog posts β – I PUBLISHED 4! does that count as a win?
so tell me, how was your August? have you read any of the books i mentioned above? what did you think of them? what book was your favourite book of the month? is anyone else hyperventilating over the fact that it’s already September???
and ahem, not to be a self-absorbed bish but what do you think of my graphics?? do you like them?? do you hate them?? i would love to hear if you have any suggestions i could incorporate to make them better.
i hope you’re all having an amazing month,
May, I love your dividers! They’re so cute!!! What a fantastic reading month! I read The Way of Kings a few months ago and I thought it would take me out too. I enjoyed the story and love the characters, but it definitely could’ve been shorten. Great wrap up.
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ahhh thank you so much, that means so much to me π omg wasn’t it SO BIG?? i’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the story and the characters as well. good luck if you plan on continuing with the series soon, the books are just HUGE
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I love your dividers and your signature! It’s so cute β€ And you were so close to your 5 blog post goal! I think you can do it this month for sure. I love books that are written in all text for some reason, so I feel like I would like Technically You Started It. Great wrap up β€
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THANK YOU SO MUCH LEELYNN!! π i’m definitely going to try and push myself this month to get those 5 posts done.
yessss, technically you started it was so cute and the texting was so much fun to read. i can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it when you read it. π
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omg you’re dividers are the cutest! π The signature too! You’re very talented!
I’m REALLY curious about Miracle Creed.
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thank you so much ππ you’re too kind to me!π
Miracle creek was one of the best books i’ve read this year omg you should totally check it out.
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I freaking loved Lock Every Door – it also got me out of the review slump I was in, I just had so much to say about it, but I’ll probably put my review aside for October. It was definitely VERY over the top, but I still gave it five stars, because of how invested I was all through. I’m intrigued by Technically You Started It, but I’m also a bit intimidated by the text-message format. My favorite book in August was most likely Jade City by Fonda Lee, it’s an incredible fantasy novel that deserves 1000x more hype than it’s received. I’m currently reading and loving its sequel. Hope your September is going well! π
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ahhh books that get you out of reading slumps are gifts to the world. right, i had so much fun reading it, even if some aspects got a liiiittle fantastical. i can’t wait to read your review.
oooohh, i’ve heard so much about jade city and im absolutely so intrigued. definitely going to try to get to it this year. i hope the sequel is everything and more π
thank you so much, i hope your september is amazing as well π
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I love the graphics!!! They’re super creative & cute. I definitely need to get going on my WIP this month as well; I’m gonna work on prioritising that as soon as I get into the swing of being at uni. Once I get my daily/weekly schedule figured out, I’ll figure out how to start my WIP…. at least that’s what I’m telling myself :’) Good luck hitting your goals!! You got this β€
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fjdlakjflk THANK YOUππ
let’s get those WIPs moving!!! we GOT this!!! i believe in youuuu! lol good luck on managing uni stuff with books & blogging!!
thank youπ
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YOUR GRAPHICS ARE AMAZING, MAY!!! π
Your month sounds great, I loved this post! Hope you have an amazing September π
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!!!!THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! π
i hope your september is going amazing as well
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I LOVE YOUR ART AHHHH I kind of felt that way about the girls involved as well but the characters were so amazing that I put that aside because I still want to really read the sequel! I feel you about youtubeπ
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THANK YOU AAAAAAAA ππ im so gladdd to hear that you enjoyed the characters and i hope you LOVE the sequel!!!
lol youtube is a void, once it catches you, youre done (pretty much me rn) lol
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Literally all Iβve been watching is disneyland and movie commentaryπ
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I’m glad you had such a good reading month! I really need to read Blake Crouch’s books as they sound like something I would love. I weirdly didn’t hate the length of TWOK, but that’s because I’ll read anything Sanderson writes (except his YA).
Love your new dividers!
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thank youuuπ yes, you REALLY do, his books mess with your mind in the best of ways, i hope you love them.
oooohhh, you’re a strong one to manage sanderson’s books. theyre so intimidating to me. which of his series is your favourite??
thank youuuu, that means a lot to me π
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I’m not sure anything will ever beat the original Mistborn trilogy for me! I was really intimidated before I started The Final Empire, but then I realised his books are sooo easy to read. I would recommend starting with that one if you can!
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HARD AGREE!! i love the mistborn trilogy so much and i even found the second era to be so!! much!! fun!!
i’m currently reading words of radiance and its HUGE but i think im enjoying it more than way of kings. sanderson is a next level author
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I love your new dividers and sign off!! They’re so cute! ππ
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Gilded Wolves, I really liked the sound of the premise but I was just confused most of the time and I thought a lot of the characters weren’t developed super well. Ooh, Technically You Started looks so cute! I can’t wait to read it!
I hope you have a fantastic September!! β€
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THANK YOU!! YOU’RE SO KIND TO ME ππ
ugh yesss. i was confused for the majority of the book and felt like the more i read, the more confused i got.
i can’t wait to hear your thoughts on technically you started it bc it was TOO cute.
thank you, hope your september is going amazing as wellππ
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AH I LOVE YOUR NEW GRAPHICS THEY LOOK FANTASTIC! β€
I get what you mean about the gilded wolves, I loved the characters so much that I was able to overlook the confusion at times, but…. without that confusion it would have been even greater haha. AND I NEED TECHNICALLY YOU STARTED IT it sounds way too incredible.
I hope September will be amazing! β€
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THANK YOU SO MUCH MARIE, THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME ππ
yessss!! totally agree. the gilded wolves had so much potential. ITS SO CUTE MARIE I HOPE YOU LOVE IT!!
thank you sm π i hope youre having a fantastic monthπ
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The new graphics look beautiful!
Technically You Started It looks so good!
I hope your September goes well!
– Emma π
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thank you so much ππ i hope youre having an amazing month too π
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I love the stuff you designed SO MUCH. especially what you did with the sign-off–that’s an amazing touch!!
sorry i say this all the time, but wow YOU READ SO MUCH. Teach me your ways!! I think the only book I’ve read from the books you read in August was The Gilded Wolves because guess who’s still scared of reading adult books, but I think you enjoyed it more than I did. Idk, it was pretty Meh. Like, I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I just have zero emotions toward it, and I hate it when a book makes me feel that way
Anyways, I hope you meet all of your September goals and have a great month π
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THANK YOU SO MUCH IM GONNA CRY π
omg no dont apologize, it makes me feel like a proper adult lol
awwwh sorry to hear that it DIDN’T work out for you. i hope youre reading stuff that makes you ridiculously happy (bc you deserve it)
adult books can be really scary to read but i just started slowly, like a thriller amidst a BUNCH of ya contemps. it made it less scary for me.
thank you sm love, i hope youre having a fantastic month as wellπ
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THE! GRAPHICS! ARE! AMAZING! AND! SO! ARE! YOU!
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DID I MENTION THAT I LOVE YOU A LOT???? πππ
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May!! The new graphics are so adorable!! π
Also, what a good reading month you had! 16 books is amazing!
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ahhh thank you so much!! ππ i appreciate u π
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Oh my gosh, your sign off graphic is the CUTEST, and I LOVE the dividers! We stan an artistic queen! β€ Congrats on reading so much! That's incredible! I actually haven't read any of these books yet, but a few are on my tbrI hadn't heard of Miracle Creek before, but I have been loving thrillers lately, sooooooo I think I have to read it now. π
Wishing you the happiest of Septembers, love! β€
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KELLY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH π that means so much to me π
miracle creek was sooooo good, it absolutely ruined my heart but that’s the best kind of book. i desperately need you to read it bc i think you’ll love it
thank you bby. hope youre having an amazing month too π
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Your sign off graphic is AMAZING and so beautiful!! I love your dividers as well!! You are super talented πππ
I’m so glad your month was pretty good, and that you read so. many. books!!! I’ve read No Exit and I was so nervous, but I get why you think it was kind of repetitive and some parts were unnecessary (that ending seems really unbelievable too…). But it was so fast paced and it scared me lol and I couldn’t put it down so I still really liked it. I’m glad you still liked it as well π
Yes, I am freaking out that it is already September, because nearly a whole year of my life is gone again, and it still feels like yesterday was December!!! Anyways, I wish that September is a super awesome month for you and that you pass all your goals π
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AAHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!! youβre too kind, im going to cry π
yessss i totally agree, no exit made me have so much anxiety and was so thrilling but some parts i was just ????confused. it was solid thriller though.
RIGHT??? we seriously need time to stop moving so quickly omg i feel like i canβt keep up with anything. thank youuuuu π i hope youβre having an amazing month as well
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Omg, your new graphics are so cute! Your sign-off image is particularly gorgeous!!
I’m so glad to see that you enjoyed Lock Every Door (oooh, I love those little pinches of fantasy mixed in)–it’s on my TBR, and I really wanna read it, tho Idk how soon I’ll be able to get to it.
)
And I’m happy to see that you enjoyed The Gilded Wolves, even if the magic was confusing. I just got an e-ARC for the sequel and I’m so excited (tho Ik I need to wait until after this semester to read it
And ooooh, my bookclub is going to read Normal People this fall, tho EEKKK, I HATE miscommunication. At least if it leaves people with mixed thoughts it’ll make it easier to discuss as a group, right??
And FOR SURE YES, any content from you is a win in my book β€ β€
(AND YES IM FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT BEING SEPTEMBER TOO LIKE HOWWWWW)
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