You may have noticed I skipped last month’s Reading Recap. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I only read one book last month. July was a hard month for me, so I didn’t really make a lot of time for the things that I enjoyed.
I did a little better in August, though! I only read four books, but that’s an improvement over last month! That brings me to a total of 33 books read this year, out of my goal of 52. I’m 63% done and am still on track to reach my goal!
Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman – 5/5 stars
I’m a pretty big fan of Neil Gaiman. I looooved Stardust and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, so this happened to be an audiobook that was available to be checked out from the library when I needed a new book to listen to.
This is a compilation of short stories, and as it’s all by Gaiman, it ranges from whimsy and fantastical to a little creepy and morose. They were all very unique and so imaginative and creative which is what I love so much about Gaiman as an author. Some are short, some are long – but I really enjoyed them all!
I also thought that it was a nice touch that he added an introduction for each of the short stories at the beginning of the book. It gives the reader a little more insight into what inspired him to write the story and some fun real-life situations that have happened to him.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne – 4/5 stars
I have been very impatiently awaiting for this release! My mother, so a few days later it showed up on my door step! If you’re unaware, this seventh installment is in the form of a screenplay and takes place 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Overall, I really liked the plot. There were some little plot loopholes (due to the use of the time-turner, I won’t go into more details though if you’re planning on reading it!) that bothered me a bit, but it was all very quick-paced and kept me turning the pages.
I did miss diving more into the characters thoughts and all the descriptions that you would normally get in a novel, but I understand that this was never intended to be a novel and that’s what you get with a screenplay. All the same, it was a quick, fun read that will indulge all Harry Potter fans with a deeper look into the wizarding world. Would recommend!
The Brotherband Chronicles
(#4-6) by John Flanagan – 3/5 stars
The Slaves of Socorro, Scorpion Mountain, and The Ghostfaces
I finally finished up all the books that are published so far in this series. The series continues off where the third book ended, but I don’t feel like there is really a whole lot that is newly introduced in the last half of the series. The character development continues, and each individual book has its own plot which keeps it unique. But it also makes it feel a bit formulaic. It took me a long time to get through the sixth book since it really just all felt a bit stale.
I will probably read the future books that come out in this series, but I do hope that he brings something unique to them, because they’re becoming tiresome.
Anyone else read the Cursed Child? Thoughts?
Happy reading, friends! 
Thanks for sharing your reading for this month
I recently got a Kindle so I’m quickly making a list of all the books I’d like to read 
I haven’t read any Harry Potter books but my friends say they aren’t disappointed 
I loved the Harry Potter books. The amount of detail that Rowling puts into the plot and characters is just amazing. It has so many great elements too which is why I think it appeals to such a broad audience! I would definitely recommend them – and though some of the later ones are really thick, they don’t take too long to read!
I liked Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! I noticed some of the plot holes too but I thought the plot was suspenseful and kept my attention like the other HP books.
Do you read Sarah Dessen? She’s coming out with a new book next summer! She’s my favorite author.
Yes, I love Sarah Dessen! I haven’t liked her last couple of books as much as her previous ones, but they are always good reads. I didn’t know she was coming out with a new book next summer, but yay! What’s it called?
I follow her on her social media so I knew about it! Haha! I met her too so I like her more.
Its called Once and For All.
How’s the job hunt going for you?
Also I think Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer is a fun read too. It’s a little childish but its well written and a fun read. And I like the fact that she wrote it with her daughter who’s a senior in college and a psychology major. So that’s partly why I read it.
I am glad that you managed to get back on track with your reading. I had no time this summer to read anything :(. I am so ashamed of myself, I just couldn’t find the time. At the beginning of the summer I planned reading a lot, but I ended up doing nothing. Shame on me! Maybe after my exams I will catch up with some reading.
I am planning to read the Harry Potter book. I wish it was a novel, I love novels more than screenplays :(. I just get a better idea about the surroundings and the characters. But it’s Harry Potter, so … It’s going to be great no matter what type of book it is <3
I’m not going to lie…I’ve tried to read Harry Potter when the books first came out; however, I didn’t really get into it. I have read ONE page of the first Harry Potter series before I had put it down. To me, it’s really slow. I guess it is in the very beginning? However, I did enjoy the films though.
I’m still reading two books that I have been reading off and on. I don’t think I will make it to my goal of 20 books this year. Unless, I count the several books I have read for college? Do those even count?
Oh yeah, new blog. I needed a new and fresh start after what happened with my old blog. Don’t worry, this is the last time I am switching blogs. This one is more me anyways.
I haven’t read anything by Neil Gaiman, but so many of my friends love him! I should really give him a try. I do have American Gods on my to-read list . . . one day!
And although I have the Cursed Child, the synopsis I read just sounds like a really bad fanfic ~_~ I’m not sure if I’ll ever get around to it. Glad you enjoyed it overall! I do miss the HP universe, so maybe I’ll dive into it LOL
It did feel a lot like a fanfic… The more I wait after I read it the more I dislike it, haha.
I only saw Stardust the movie, but I heard Neil Gaiman’s books are quite good. Need to check them out because they seem very interesting. I’m on the fence about Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. I still don’t want to read it because I was and still annoyed by the 7th book’s epilogue.
With all of the things that happened, it’s understandable that you didn’t have a chance to read many books in July. We still have a few months left and you’re doing a really great job! It sounds like you had some good reads this past month! It is great when an author shares some facts on what inspire them to write what they write. I’m glad to hear that Harry Potter is still going on! Even though Brotherband was a bit stale at the end, you still finished it!
Hope September is full of good reads :).
I’m pretty sure I read zero books last month, so you don’t need to worry about being embarrassed for reading one, haha. I’ve heard good things about Neil Gaiman books, and Trigger Warnings sounds like a fun and interesting read. Lots of people have also been talking about Cursed Child! It makes me curious about it, even though I haven’t read any of the other Harry Potter books. I might have to pick it up
I loved the Harry Potter books and I haven’t read Cursed Child yet, so I’m really jealous of everyone who has read it!
I know that some people didn’t really like how the Cursed Child book was presented in the form of a script, but I heard that the actual play was splendid and I would like to watch that as well.
I love Neil Gaiman! I myself love “American Gods” and “Neverwhere”.
Read the Harry Pitter one a month or so ago. I really enjoyed it! Couldn’t put it down!