August 2020 Reading Wrap Up

January / February / March Part 1 / March Part 2 / April Part 1 / April Part 2/ May Part 1 / May Part 2 / June / July Part 1 / July Part 2

I can’t believe we’re on September already. Yet in some ways, it really feels like we’re slipping back into March. If I think on that too much, it gets…depressing. So on to happier things! As of today (9th September), I’ve read 94 books this year. So if the Pandemic’s good for anything, at least it’s meant I’ve read more. And yet, thanks to ARCs, wonderful ARCs, I have not really made a dent in my TBR. Yay! Anyway, see below for a rundown of the 8 books I read this month.

All the Stars and Teeth – Adalyn Grace

My Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

This book is a fantastic, fresh feeling YA Fantasy, with a kickass princess, a cute pirate, a soft, gentle suitor, and a dangerous mermaid. I can’t convey how much I really, thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Strongly recommend. 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1910

My Review

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Kinda disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed Volume 1, Volume 2 was decent, and the start of the third installment was sort of…meh. Like, it’s okay, it’s just got an uninteresting storyline and not great characters. The ones we’ve grown to know and love seem completely different here, too. 

The Hunted – Gabriel Bergmoser

My Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

A tense, action-packed ride in the Australian Outback. The Hunted follows a few different characters, who first circle each other then crash together as they try to survive. It works really well, and makes for an engaging read.

Unravel the Dusk – Elizabeth Lim

My Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

I will literally read everything Elizabeth Lim puts out. Her Twisted Tale books are fantastic, and this duology (with Unravel being the second book) is solid. Spin the Dawn was a brilliant read and Unravel the Dusk carries the tale to a good conclusion. Definitely worth checking out.

Cinderella is Dead – Kalynn Bayron

My Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

I loved this book so much. It’s such a fantastic story, about a young girl who fights against a system designed to keep women ‘in their place’. In this world, Cinderella was very much real, a few centuries before, and she’s worshipped in death, but her story isn’t quite what it seems.

Crossroads – Laurel Hightower

My Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

If you like horror and haven’t checked out Laurel’s stuff, you really should change that. Personally, I see her as the Queen of Heartbreak Horror. Her debut Whispers in the Dark didn’t read like a debut, and Crossroads packs so much into novella form it’s hard not to feel impacted by it. As I indicated in my review, this novella has convinced me Laurel actually survives on the tears of readers.

Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile

My Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

The second graphic novel of the month, and this was much more enjoyable. Fables is essentially about fairy tale characters trying to live in the real world, interacting with one another and avoiding letting the ‘mundanes’ know who they really are. As a bonus, Volume 1 contains a short story at the back, revealing more about how these characters escaped into this world.

Seven Devils – Laura Lam, Elizabeth May

My Review

Rating; 5/5 Stars

This book is really, really good, and as promised, it’s feminist as fuck. Like Guardians of the Galaxy meets Star Wars meets Firefly but something unique all the same. A fun space romp that had me gasping and cheering, an adventure that’s rich and exciting and just, well, I loved it. 

So there we have it. Actually a really good month for what I read – most of the books got 5 Stars from me, and the good books really do keep on coming. Now let’s see what the rest of September brings!