Summer Reading Wrap Up

So it seems, I haven’t shared a reading wrap up since last August. Oops. We’ll get back to monthly recaps (I promise — I love sharing book thoughts and recommendations), but for now, with the changing season, let’s start with a summer reading wrap up. Today I’m sharing what I’ve been reading the past few months, highlighting a few mini reviews on my personal favorite books (because they weren’t all winners haha). Let’s recap June, July, and August reading!

June

9 books total — 3 physical books and 6 audiobooks. Favorite: A Court of Mist and Fury; least favorite: Big Summer.

July

9 books total — 4 physical books and 5 audiobooks. Favorite: Just for the Summer; least favorite: Georgie, All Along.

August

7 books total — 2 physical books and 5 audiobooks. Favorite: The God of the Woods; least favorite: All Adults Here.

And now for a few mini reviews on each of the books I liked best.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Book thoughts — Disclaimer: I’m not your average fantasy reader, rather someone whose first foray into the faerie realm was reading A Court of Thorns and Roses (4 stars). I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to fantasy novels, but I do know… I like what I like. And ACOMAF (ACOTAR book 2) was EVERYTHING to me. There wasn’t a single moment I didn’t love. The storyline!! The characters!! The romance!! The world building!! The ending!! So many pages… so many details… yet I couldn’t stop reading. I adored Feyre and her strength and determination, Rhysand and his grace and patience, the Night Court and all it’s surprises, and the bond between two mates that became the start of a greater, more powerful love story. I don’t want to spoil a single thing, but I will say — book 1 walked so book 2 could run. ACOMAF changed me as a person and I’m NOT being dramatic. Consider my brain chemistry ALTERED in the best way. BRB, going to daydream about Velaris…

My rating — 5 stars. A book I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of myself for investing in and sticking with this series. I have no doubt Taylor Swift wrote Guilty As Sin? with ACOTAR/ACOMAF in mind. It’s so lyrically coded to the plot, it plays on loop in my mind whenever I think of Feyre’s journey through Spring Court, Under the Mountain, and Night Court. So good!

Goodreads | Amazon

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Book thoughts — Abby Jimenez writes the most relatable characters that’ll charm the heck out of you and I’m here for it! In Just for the Summer, Part of Your World’s third installment (which can absolutely be read as a standalone), Emma and Justin are both cursed when it comes to love — every person they date goes on to find the love of their life when they inevitably breakup. After meeting on a Reddit thread where Justin posted an r/amitheasshole post for naming his dog after his friend and ex-roommate (who’s happily dating his ex-girlfriend), Emma and Justin make a pact to date each other and later break up so both their curses cancel out with one another. As such, Emma, a traveling nurse and serial I-do-not-get-attached-to-anyone-or-anything-er, agrees to a new work assignment in Minnesota to be close to Justin and see out the terms of their agreement. Will it work the way they planned or will the fake dating scenario lead to something much deeper? I think you already know! Romance novels are pretty hit or miss from me (more miss than hit tbh), but when they hit, they hit. My favorite trope is usually fake dating — it’s always so much fun to watch characters develop from awkward companions to full blown lovers. In Just for the Summer, I believed in the romance between Emma and Justin and thought the attachment issues and overall miscommunication added aspects of ~real life~ to the story. Fake dating was totally on point!

My rating — 5 stars. A great summer read. I love me a happily ever after!

Goodreads | Amazon

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Book thoughts — Add this book to your reading list now! The book of summer and it’s NOT a beach read. A simply incredible, atmospheric, summertime vibe-y slow burn mystery involving a teenager who goes missing from her Adirondack summer camp. Multiple POVs across different timelines help tell the story of Barbara Van Laar, the missing daughter of the family that owns and operates the summer camp. But Barbara’s not the first child in her family to go missing… her brother Bear disappeared before her, more than a decade prior, leaving no trace behind. Today, the unsolved disappearance of Bear Van Laar only complicates the feelings surrounding the younger Barbara. What could have happened to her? Are the two cases somehow related? Will the search and rescue efforts of the camp staff and townspeople yield positive results? Or will the Van Laar family crumble once again? The God of the Woods features so many gripping elements — parallel mysteries, deep-seeded family secrets, multi-layered webs of lies, and so much more. I had many theories circling my brain throughout. And every chapter made me second guess each of my theories. I love books that grab hold of your mind like that.

My rating — 5 stars. A well-written book that pulls you in and keeps you guessing. Not a fast-paced read, but one that’s worth it in the end. The last 200 pages had me asking my husband to drive the car so I could keep reading! You’ll want to see this one through to the very last page. One of my favorite books of 2024 for sure.

Goodreads | Amazon

That’s a wrap on what I read this summer. My favorite book was The God of the Woods (perfect slow summer mystery sizzler), my least favorite was Big Summer (just couldn’t get past it). As always, much respect to the authors of each book. Whether I loved, liked, or disliked a book, it’s important to acknowledge that writing and publishing a book is an incredible feat in and of itself.

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Enjoy!

JB