My Recent Reads & Why I Took A Break From Blogging

HELLO!!! It has been over a month (‼️) since my last post but I am back with a new one today 🥳. So, there are a couple of reasons I haven’t been very active. To sum it up, I:

• was packing to move to University
• moved to University
• started classes ON TOP of working part-time and doing extracurriculars
• have been in a writing slump

So, as you can tell, things have been really quite hectic and I’m lucky to get a little bit of free time during the week. I don’t want to make any promises, but hopefully I can be more active on here once I figure out my schedule and can balance everything.

I don’t want to spend much more time talking about that because I HAVE SO MANY BOOKS TO TALK ABOUT!!! Since the last time we talked, I read a 💖record number💖 of books in August. So without further ado…

ACE OF SHADES by AMANDA FOODY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Okay so this is a YA Fantasy that had been on my radar for a while and I finally was able to get to it in August. It takes place in a fictional version of Las Vegas (at least, that is how I interpreted it) and follows main characters, Enne and Levi, who are polar opposites but are forced to work together for the sake of both their lives.

This was such a fun time and the character dynamics was just *chef’s kiss*. The world-building was done so well and the magic system used by this book was really interesting and unique! I really have never read a book quite like it and it also lowkey gave me Six of Crows vibes which is always a plus. This is such a gritty novel and I would highly reccommend!

THE ONE by JOHN MARRS
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a book I randomly saw at the bookstore and found intriguing enough to buy. It’s a dystopian novel set in a version of our world in which there is a dating app that finds your ~real~ soulmate based off your DNA. This app has taken the world by a storm and so many people have found their person through it. Obviously, it’s a very controversial topic and not everything is as it seems…

What I loved about this was how interesting the concept was. While I did ultimately enjoy my time reading it, I felt it was too short! Ugh. There were some characters and plot lines that were underdeveloped and I wish we could have seen everything drag on a little more for some closure.

A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by SARAH J. MAAS
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite SJM book from the ones I’ve read. I feel like it was such a let down compared to the other books and the way many of the characters we had grown to know and love were just acting so different in this book. I really liked Nesta and the two new friends she made (whose names I have forgotten 🤧) but everyone else was really frustrating me.

I have a very mini review on my goodreads if you are interested in checking it out, but essentially I just hated how we got more smut scenes as opposed to actual character development and plot.

A VERY LARGE EXPANSE OF SEA by TAHEREH MAFI
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book follows a Muslim American teenager in post 9/11 America. Shirin, the main character, is trying to navigate high school and everything that comes along with that in addition to being stereotyped. I really liked the message of the story and Shirin’s growth from page 1 to the end.

I did give this a high rating and do think it is deserving of that, but my only complaint was how fast-paced the whole story was. Sometimes I wish we could have spent more time focusing on stuff that was otherwise mentioned once and then brushed over.

THE PASSENGERS by JOHN MARRS
⭐️⭐️.5
As you can see, John Marrs is an author I was really intrigued by. His works just all sound interesting and have unique concepts, so my expectations were high. Ultimately, while this was definitely unlike anything I’ve read before, the execution just was not it. Everything played out in a very predictable way and, like my complaint with The One, things moved too fast.

For a suspense/thriller, I didn’t ever find myself on the edge of my seat. I also did not care for the characters or the dialogue so,,,2.5 stars is the rating I settled on.

THE WAY I USED TO BE by AMBER SMITH
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’re looking for a hard hitting contemporary, then this is the one for you. That being said, please check out the trigger warnings for this one before getting into it if you’re interested because there is some difficult content.

What I liked about this book was how it dealt with the topic of rape and showed how Eden changed because of it. I think it was a realistic portrayal and also went to show that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to react afterwards. The writing was really straightforward and to the point, but it still made me emotional at times especially any scene with Eden and a member of her family. I was rooting for her the whole time and she’s really a character you’ll grow alongside with ❤️

SKY IN THE DEEP by ADRIENNE YOUNG
⭐️⭐️
When I tell you all I have never been more disappointed- 🧍🏽‍♀️I AM SO MAD, I wish I could have loved this and I really went into it thinking it would become a new favorite. But alas, the character development was nonexistent, the plot…what plot? And don’t even get me started on the supposed “romance”. Before going on my hiatus, I actually started writing a rant review for this, so my goal is to have that done at some point so you can all get the tea on my full thoughts.

But yeah, I would not recommend Sky in the Deep at all and there are definitely much better fantasy novels out there.

THE PERFECT COUPLE by ELIN HILDERBRAND
⭐️⭐️⭐️
For fans of Liane Moriarty, this book would be perfect. It’s a fast paced mystery in which we find out at the beginning that the maid of honor of a wedding party has died. As the police look more into it, they realize that not everything is as it seems with multiple guests of the wedding, including even the bride and groom.

I think in a lot of ways this book was predictable and the ending felt like sort of a cop-out. That being said, I still did enjoy the journey and is a perfect way to spend a day by the beach.

SUCH A FUN AGE by KILEY REID
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I mean, what can I even say about this book that hasn’t already been said? Such a Fun Age explores the subtle nuances of racism in a way that I’m sure a lot of readers will be able to relate to. In a way, this was so hard to read because every character was just awful, with the exception of Emira. I really have a deep appreciation for Reid’s writing style because it is so light and easy, but the topics she covers are anything but.

A lot of complaints for this book mention the writing style and how they just couldn’t click with it which is very valid, but I also want to emphasize the point that this is not meant to be a character driven story.

FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE by MARIANA ZAPATA
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
New favorite romance alert??? 👀 I definitely didn’t love this as much as I had expected BUT romance is not a genre I tend to love anyways so I was surprised by how cute I found this. It is an enemies to lovers sports romance and I was just in love with both main characters, Jasmine Santos and Ivan Lukov.

I’m still looking to find that one romance book that will just click for me, but I will say this came close! I just wish we got more time at the end to actually see them as a couple 🥺

Those are all my August reads!! I had an amazing reading month and read the most books I ever have. My favorite of the month was Ace of Shades, and I’m actually currently reading its sequel 😁

If you are still here, thank you so much!! I don’t know when I’ll get back to regular posting but I appreciate you all so much for sticking around <33

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

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