june/july wrap up!

I really felt like I didn’t read anything in the last couple months, but I read 16 books between the two months…so… that’s kind of cool.

In June I read 9 books and in July I read 7.

june

She Loves You (Yeah,Yeah,Yeah) by Ann Hood. This was such a cute little middlegrade. It didn’t do anything special to my soul, but it was really precious. Set in the 1960’s, Trudy is, like most everyone else, obsessed with The Beatles. Trudy makes it her mission to not only get to The Beatles concert but meet Sir. Paul McCartney himself. 4 stars.

Slut!: Growing up Female with a Bad Reputation by Leora Tanenbaum. This nonfiction book about slut shaming and rape culture was super important. I will say it was published in 2000 so it was a little outdated, but the overall message held true.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer. This was my ultimate surprise read. I had NO idea that I would like this so much. I actually have a review up, so if you want to hear my thoughts click here (;5 stars.

Heartstopper vol.1 by Alice Oseman. If y’all want to SWOOON, read this comic. Its about 10th grader Charlie and 11th grader Nick as they become friends…and maybe a little more. 5 stars.

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann. This one broke my heart… I wanted to love it! I really did! I just didn’t. I think if I listened to it as an audiobook, it would have been at least a star higher, but, alas, I didn’t. This one is great for asexual/biromantic representation at least. I also have a review up sooooo click here (; 3 stars.

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart. This adorable middlegrade novel tells the story of Lily, a transgender young girl, and Dunkin, the new kid in town who is just trying to fit in while he handles his bipolar disorder. This was so cute, but made me sooooo sad. If you are interested, I have a review up with a full list of CWs linked here (; 4 stars.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. Tackling racism, classism, homophobia, loss of a parent, and the unbelievable pressures high school seniors are under, this book really is THAT BITCH. Johnson handled everything so beautifully. High school senior Liz Lighty didn’t get the scholarship she needed to go to her fream school. Her next plan? Win prom queen and get the scholarship that comes with it. Things get a little more difficult when she develops a crush on another candidate for prom queen. 4 stars.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. I read this one upon my good friend and aspiring author, Kiana Krystle‘s recommendation (please check out her Twitter for a look into her beautiful fantasy WIPs). Anyways, this was new for me. If I read fantasy, it is almost exclusively urban fantasy. Ngan’s intensely fantastical world was a lot for me, but I did really enjoy it! More in depth thoughts linked here (; 3 stars.

The Anti-Virginity Pact by Katie Wismer. This was literally my most anticipated release of 2020. I loveeee Katie’s Booktube channel, so I had been following the entire process on this book. High school senior Meredith is the local preacher’s daughter so she’s expected to be the perfect little angel of the family. One problem: her and her best friend have decided to lose their virginity before graduation. Needless to say, things go awry. For more thoughts….check out my review! 3.5 stars.

july

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige. The third book in the Dorothy Must Die series follows Amy Gumm after she gets stuck back in Kansas. Now she and the rest of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked have to find their way back and finally defeat Dorothy. I didn’t love this one, but I loveeeee the world so ya know. This book just kind of did the Riverdale / Pretty Little Liars thing where they never actually get to the bottom of the evil…like once they reach one checkpoint, a whole new villain appears. Anyways, I will be continuing with the series, but I’m not hopeful. 3 stars.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. ELIZABETH ACEVEDO DESERVES SO MUCH PRAISE. Literally no one can write such beautiful characters in verse quite like she can. Xiomara comes from a very religious family in Harlem, which she no longer participates in. What she does like is slam poetry. Her mom is not a fan of this. I listened to this on audio and WOW it is beautifullllll if you can, please listen to it. 4 stars.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalyn Bayron. This one was a doozy. I read it at a time when I was reallllllyyyyyy struggling with my school load, but I still really enjoyed it. This story takes place in Cinderella’s kingdom 200 years after her death. The city is now far from a fairytale. The women are possessions, often beaten by their husbands. Sophia wants nothing to do with this fate; she doesn’t want a husband–a wife, she wouldn’t mind. That would never do in her city. So, she fleas. Now on a quest to stop the tyrannical king, she teams up with Cinderella’s closest living relative to undersatnd what happened 200 years ago. This was soooo good ! 4 stars.

Goldie Vance vol. 1 by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams  (Illustrations). This was such a cute read! It’s a graphic novel following teenage Goldie Vance who lives at a hotel and works as a valet by day and a detective by night. I just found out there is a novelized version which is interesting, so maybe I’ll look into that? 4 stars.

Simon vs The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. This was a reread to get me out of a reading slump (which…apparently was all in my head because dang???) Anyways I love this book so much. If you don’t know what this is about, it follows 16 year old Simon Spier who’s hasn’t come out to anyone yet. Anyone except Blue, his email-exclusive boyfriend. But this kid Martin found Simon’s private emails to Blue and blackmailed him. BIG YIKES. This is such an important read, so if you haven’t read it yet, I highly reccomend it. 5 stars.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie. No part of me wanted to read this. My mom and grandma decided they wanted to do a “book club” during quarantine, so I read this. I didn’t like it really at all. There was absolutely no character development or means of getting to know them in any way, so I ended up picturing the characters as the cast of Criminal Minds to make it more interesting. So…do with that what you will. 2.5 stars.

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HOLY COW. I DON’T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED.

Okay if you’ve read any on this list, I would love to hear your thoughts ❤