Happy end of July, friends!
I’m very surprised at how quickly July went by! A lot of fun and exciting things happened, and I hope August is just as good. Without further ado, here is my monthly wrap-up for July!
books:
NATALIE TAN’S BOOK OF LUCK AND FORTUNE – Very magical descriptions of food and cooking, and heartwarming relations. The whole time I read this book, I either felt hungry or wanted to jump up and start cooking something! (FOUR STARS)
SONG FOR A WHALE – Despite being a MG book, this is my favorite read so far in 2019! I loved it so much because it reminded me of all of the wonderful people I’ve met in the Deaf community. I loved the detailed description of not only American Sign Language, but the feeling behind the signs and why Iris, the deaf main character, decided to use them. The story was heartfelt, exciting and very realistic. I recommend it to anyone and everyone! (FIVE STARS)
ESCAPISM: WORDS + PHOTOS – I had somewhat mixed feelings for this one. The photography was gorgeous, and I found a new favorite photo with nearly every turn of the page, but the poetry seemed a little flat in some aspects. It didn’t transport me into the author’s heartbreak and grief. However, some of the lines of poetry were quite relatable and I liked how the poems were formatted to bring more impact to the words. (THREE STARS)
CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT – This is the first book I’ve read by Brigid Kemmerer that didn’t really impress me. I know some people loved it and I was very excited to read it – so much so that I preordered it, which I rarely do – but it didn’t pack as much punch as her other books did for me. The last quarter of the book was better, but I could guess what was going to happen. I wouldn’t go so far as to say CIWYW was disappointing, but it definitely wasn’t as intriguing and ‘unputdownable’ as the author’s previous books.
LIBRARY WARS, VOLUME 2 – This manga was recommended to me by a librarian, and I must say I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit! It’s humorous, a little frustrating, and very interesting since the series is set in an alternate timeline where the government censors books it finds offensive. The library taskforce is created to protect against censorship. This is the second volume, which I devoured just as quickly as the first. I’ve checked out both volumes from the library and my only regret is not checking out more each time…I read them so fast! (FOUR STARS)
reading progress: 34/60 books…on track!
writing:
July was supposed to be the month I wrote a lot. I was very excited for Camp Nano, but for whatever reason, I lost that enthusiasm and barely touched my current WIP. *sad face* In my defense, I’ve been busy with a lot of different things and writing felt a bit like a chore. Also, why can’t the book just edit itself? Does it not realize how much I would appreciate it if it did? I would shower it with praise and love it forever.
At any rate, I’m hoping I can find my motivation again and set aside more time for writing in August.
writing progress: 50 words written. Total word count = 10,727.
How was your July? Any good books you read? Did you find a new favorite book? Are you looking forward to anything in August? Let’s chat in the comments!
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