August 2017 Wrap Up!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrappping up August for you! August has been pretty hectic for me. The first half of the month, I was just hanging out with my family (watching movies, shopping together, etc.) and seeing my friends. On the 19th I moved into college (I'm a first-year at UNC Chapel Hill), and classes started on the 22nd!

As for my classes, they are all very reading heavy. I'm taking three English courses (British Literature, Popular Genres, and Intro to Sexuality Studies), one Women and Gender studies class (Intro 101), one Philosophy/Religion class (aptly named Heaven & Hell), and a Spanish class (203)! So I've been reading a lot of short stories, excerpts, articles...everything! It's been a lot of fun, but also really taxing. But I'm overall loving it here.

This month I read 12 things! Yes, things, because not all of them were novels or full length books. Out of those 12, one was a short story, one a play, and two were manga volumes. I felt as if I was cheating a bit on goodreads when I marked short stories as read, but I did read them! And I also want my goodreads less focused on my challenge and more focused on my reading in general. So I don't feel bad anymore!

ANYWAYS, enough of my rambling and onto my actual wrap up!

Short Stories/Plays/Manga

Dengeki Daisy Volumes 4 and 5 by Kyousuke Motomi
I really liked these two volumes! I can't really differentiate between the two, but I am having a lot of fun with the series. The plot is really picking up, and I'm looking forward to reading the upcoming volumes as well. The only thing is that I feel like these volumes, while fun, feel more like a bridge to the later volumes instead of standing on their own.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story by Gilman, and is very well known. Gilman was very much so compared to Poe, and I could see why. This is a great psychological thriller, and is very atmospheric. It also has feminist undertones, which I definitely appreciated. If you are even mildly interested in this, I totally recommend it! I really enjoyed it. :)


The Second Shepherds Play by Wakefield Master
I didn't mind The Second Shepherds Play, but I definitely didn't like it that much. This play is a perfect example of the plays of the time (16th century) and this is a play for the common people, played by the common people. There was a part in the story that I felt came out of nowhere. I was completely blindsided from it, but after talking about plays of that time and other hints that went right over my head, I understand it now.

Books

Recreated by Colleen Houck
Recreated is the second book in Houck's Reawakened series. This fell down the middle of the road for me. It wasn't that great, but it wasn't horrible. Though I didn't necessarily like it, I am reading the third book right now. If you want to know more of my thoughts, check my review out here!

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
I read The Wrath and the Dawn for the Make Me Read It Readathon (which was awesome!!). The Wrath and the Dawn was basically a five star read for me. There was that missing factor for me, but it came pretty close. I am so happy that this was a popular pick and I read it for the readathon! I hope to read the sequel up soon. :) Here is my review!

The Diabolic by SJ Kincaid
This is yet another book from Make Me Read! It was the second book I read that week, and I enjoyed it a lot as well! It's completely different from The Wrath and the Dawn. The Diabolic is a science fiction novel and it was fantastic. The Empress, the sequel, is coming very soon. I can't wait!! More of my thoughts are here!

PS I Like You by Kasie West
And this was the last book I read for Make Me Read! PS I Like You was a really endearing and cute book. It wasn't spectacular, but it did make me want to read ore of West. If you are looking for a cutesy and quick YA contemporary, I recommend this one! Check out my review here for more of my thoughts!

Frostblood by Elly Blake
Frostblood is the first book in a new YA fantasy trilogy. It was published in the beginning of this year, and I was happy that I finally got around to it. I mentioned wanting to read this throughout the year, and I wasn't disappointed! Yes, it was a conventional fantasy novel, but I wasn't upset with it all. And here is my review!

My Wattpad Love by Ariana Godoy
Yes, I read a book named My Wattpad Love, and yes, I read it on wattpad. It's been a while since I've read anything on wattpad, solely because it's hard to find something actually good on there. There are a few gems I've come by, but most follow the same rudimentary plot. This was featured on a list of good YA contemps on wattpad, so I decided to give it a go. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't anything I'll remember. If this was a traditionally published book, I would give it two stars. But considering I read the wattpad version that wasn't nearly as edited, I'm giving it 2.5 instead.

Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly
Sea Spell is my favorite book of last month! It is the fourth and final book in Donnelly's Waterfire Saga, and I really liked it. With each book the series becomes even better, and I this was my favorite of the series. The premise sounds silly (mermaids, sea monsters, singing spells) but it really isn't. Under the guise of a fantasy series is a book that is heartwarming and real. I'll be reviewing this soon!

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin 
And now my final book of the month! Giovanni's Room took such a toll on me. I read it for one of my English classes, and I completely see why it is such classic. Giovanni's Room is a tragic tale of a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality is Paris. The story was very raw, and none of the characters are too likable. I normally read books that allow me to escape, but Giovanni's Room is raw. It honestly took a lot out of me. I am very glad I read it though, as the book gave me a different perspective of the struggles of being homosexual. I didn't give this book a rating, simply because I have no idea what it would be.

So! Those are all the things I read this past month! As I'm writing this (September 2nd), I've already read two books, so my September Wrap Up might be a big one! I'm still trying to balance my time between reading books for school and books for pleasure (though they can intersect). After the 19th, I was rarely reading any YA, so hopefullt I find my groove. I missed it!

Have you read any of these books, short stories, or manga volumes? What did you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!