July 2019 Wrap-Up & Best of the Bunch

Posted August 2, 2019 by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction in Best of the Bunch, Monthly Recap / 43 Comments

My Goings On in July:

  • I worked on planning a vacation to LA (we leave today!) and a backyard renovation that keeps growing and growing. (Check out this Sunday Post for details on how the scope keeps creeping and this Sunday Post for pics of the first step of the project.)
  • I finished the editing project I’ve been working on (a book called Momoire by Alyssa DeRose. It’s not in Goodreads yet, but I’m sure it will be soon!).
  • Things I watched: 
    • I continued watching Game of Thrones (a little bit), I’m still on season 5.
    • I’ve been watching the new season of The 100!
    • I watched way too many episodes of Married at First Sight. This show is ridiculous and also strangely addictive. I think I might have maxed out on it, though. I’ll probably give it a break once I’m done with the season I’m watching right now.
    • I watched the Democratic debates.
  • I chopped off my hair and got purple highlights!! And I’m LOVING it! Here are a couple of pictures (the lighter purple is actually my gray, which got a bit of purple on it and turned a lavender color):

Features & Discussions:

July 2019 Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway
June 2019 Wrap-Up & Best of the Bunch
Why Don’t Illustrators (and Cover Artists) Get More Attention? Let’s Discuss.
In Memory of Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog
July 2019 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up & Make Me Read It Giveaway

My 2019 Reading Progress:

I’ve read 110 books so far this year, which puts me 24 books ahead of schedule.

July 2019 Reviews

  • Storm Blown by Nick Courage | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • After Zero by Christina Collins | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • Breath of Flowers by Caly | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • George by Alex Gino | Review | Rating: Devoured It
  • Carry On by Rainbow Rowell | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • Before I Disappear by Danielle Stinson | Review | Rating: Absolutely Addicted!

  • Birthday by Meredith Russo | Review | Rating: Absolutely Addicted!
  • Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva | Review | Rating: Fed My Addiction
  • Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia, Illustrated by Gabriel Picolo | Review | Rating: Devoured It
  • Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball by Laura Ellen Anderson | Review | Rating: Devoured It
  • Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis by Laura Ellen Anderson | Review | Rating: Devoured It

July Best of the Bunch:

(Best of the Bunch is hosted over at Cocoon of Books. We link up our favorite reads of the month!)

My MG favorite was Amelia Fang and the Unicorns of Glitteropolis. This series is absolutely adorable—I loved them both, but the second book was even better than the first!

My YA choice was a little tougher because I absolutely loved both Before I Disappear and Birthday. They’re very different books! I ended up choosing Birthday, though, just because I feel like this is a really important book that could help a lot of people understand someone who’s transgender.


2019 Reading Challenges/Goals Progress:

Progress: 16/21-30 Discussions (Chatty Kathy)

I wrote three discussions this month (including my tag post). Looks like I won’t have any trouble hitting my goal!

Bookish This or That Tags (x2!)
Goodreads’ YA Books Lists: 2019 Edition.
Why Don’t Illustrators (and Cover Artists) Get More Attention?
How Often Do You “Randomly” Visit New Blogs?
Bookish This or That Tags (x2!)
Goodreads’ YA Books Lists: 2019 Edition. Let’s Discuss.
Have Books Ruined Me for Movies?
“Other Stuff” I Like Reading About on Your Book Blog.
I Want to Post It NOW! (AKA One Reason I Almost Never Blog Ahead.)
I’m Addicted to Exclamation Points!!
The Challenge of Running a Successful Meme (or Challenge!)
How Much Is Too Much? Sometimes Life Is Stranger Than Fiction.
Why Audiobooks Are Important.
Bookworm Confession: Swag Isn’t My Thing.
Why I Love the Book Blog Discussion Challenge (Even When I Fail)
Things I Learned About Fairy Tales By Reading the Grimm’s Versions

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Feed Your Fiction Addiction & It Starts at Midnight


Progress: 2/12 Classics Read

Nope. None this month. I’ve kind of set this challenge aside since I’ve been so busy, but I’m leaving here because I’m hoping I might have more time in the fall.

19th Century Classic
20th Century Classic – Catcher in the Rye
Classic by a Woman Author
Classic in Translation – Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Classic Comic Novel
Classic Tragic Novel
Very Long Classic
Classic Novella
Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean)
Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia)
Classic From a Place You’ve Lived
Classic Play

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Books and Chocolate


Progress: 42/48 Library Books Read

Five books from the library this month:

After Zero by Christina Collins (audio)
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (audio)
Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa (audio)
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (audio)
Birthday by Meredith Russo

Earlier books for this challenge:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predators and Prey by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Steven S. DeKnight, Drew Z. Greenberg, Jim Krueger, Doug Petrie & Georges Jeanty
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Twilight
 by Joss Whedon, Brad Meltzer, & Georges Jeanty (reread)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson & Georges Jeanty (reread)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon, Scott Allie & Georges Jeanty
Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword by Henry Lien (audio)
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (audio)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, & Georges Jeanty (reread)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate by Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard, & Georges Jeanty (reread)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon, Jeph Loeb, & Georges Jeanty (reread)
Winter by Marissa Meyer (audio)
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (audio)
Far From You by Lisa Schroeder
Rebound by Kwame Alexander
The Color of Lies by CJ Lyons (audio)
A Friendly Town That’s Almost Always by the Ocean! by Kir Fox
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (audio, reread)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (audio, reread)
Cress by Marissa Meyer (audio, reread)
Fairest by Marissa Meyer (audio)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty (reread)
The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondō & Yuko Uramoto
We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan & Brian Conaghan
The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton
The Language Inside by Holly Thompson
Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace (audio & ebook)
Slayer by Kiersten White
Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout (audio)
Release by Patrick Ness (audio)
The Whispers by Greg Howard
Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd (audio)
Solo by Kwame Alexander & Mary Rand Hess
Educated by Tara Westover (audio)
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab (audio)
Finale by Stephanie Garber (audio)
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (audio)
George by Alex Gino (audio)

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures


Progress: 7 (~1 Connect 5 per month)

I just posted a “bonus” Connect Five on the 31st (Eastern/Southeastern Asian Stories) to make up for a month I missed earlier in the year, so check that one out too!

My July Theme: Weather/Seasons

Hurricane Season – The title pretty much says it all. Storms and hurricanes are a central theme in this book (and an actual physical reality).

Storm Blown – Another hurricane book. This one is actually all about the storm, though, and the main characters’ struggle to survive!

Far From You – This verse novel revolves around a huge snowstorm that strands the MC in her car for days!

Midsummer’s Mayhem – Again, you can see the tie-in here right from the title. The climax of this book takes place on midsummer’s eve.

Stealing Snow – Snow is actually the main character in this book; however, since this book is based on “The Snow Queen” there’s also a definite winter-magic element.

(NOTE: I haven’t reviewed Far From You and Stealing Snow on the blog, but they are 2019 reads!)

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Book Date


Progress: 5/12 Books Read

I didn’t manage anything from this list in July. I plan to pick up History Is All You Left Me very soon, though!

  1. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard (2016)
  2. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner (2016)
  3. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab (2017)
  4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015)
  5. Winter by Marissa Meyer (2015)
  6. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (2015)
  7. UnBound by Neal Shusterman (2015)
  8. Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes (2016)
  9. Geekerella by Ashley Poston (2017)
  10. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (2017)
  11. Every Last Breath by Jennifer Armentrout (2015)
  12. Alienated by Melissa Landers (2014)

Alternates:

  1. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis (2016)
  2. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Roof Beam Reader


My bookish resolutions for 2019:

  • Write the first draft of new MG. I did a teensy bit better this month? I’m hoping once the kids are in school, I’ll be more focused with my writing.
  • Read 1 review book for every 1 that I receive. Still moving in the wrong direction. I got twelve books for review this month!! (Again, a few of them were surprise bookmail.) Which means, so far in 2019 I’ve received 63 books for review. I read/reviewed 11 this month, putting me at 55 for the year, so I’m still 8 behind. This is starting to feel a little insurmountable. I really need to Just. Say. No.  🙁
  • Read at least 6 books on the craft of writing. Um, no. I’ve still only read 1. But I do read articles online and magazines, and I’m going to another conference in August … excuses, excuses.
  • Read at least 12 books written in verse. (Since I’m writing my next book in verse.) None this month, but 7 so far, so I’m still on track.
  • Query 50 agents. Or get an agent. ? (I was a wimp and I only queried 12 agents in 2018. At that rate, I might get an agent in like 2050.) Crossed this one off in February when I signed with East/West Literary!! Will I leave it here, crossed-off, for the rest of the year? I just might.

Non-bookish resolution for 2019:
(This one doesn’t count for the challenge, but I’m putting it here so it’s with my other stuff and I’ll hopefully pay attention to it.)

  • Work out 3 times per week. Well, I shouldn’t have said I was doing decent at this last month because I went right back to failing this month. Sigh. Wish I could be more consistent.

HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Because Challenges Make Reading More Fun


Wrap-Up Round-Up!

Don’t forget to link your July wrap-up posts up to the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up. And enter the giveaway!

 

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43 responses to “July 2019 Wrap-Up & Best of the Bunch

  1. Waaaaaah I miss L.A.!!!! Haven’t been home in almost 3 years. What all are you going to do while you’re there?????? Have a great time!!!

    I love your purple and lavendar hair. So much!

  2. Oh my gosh, I absolutely love your hair!!!! Love, love love! It looks amazing and I think the lavender on the gray is what really gives it that extra something special.

    Also I’m kind of jealous of your month of reading, sounds amazing! Hehe.

    Lizzy recently posted: August 2019 New Releases
  3. YOUR HAIR LOOKS ACTUALLY SO GOOD AND AMAZING!! I got a haircut too, and my hair’s about the same length as yours, so are we twinning? absolutely.

    Also, I didn’t hear about the synopsis of Birthday, but it sounds absolutely incredible? I had no idea it had transgender representation. I just looked and I saw so many people on Goodreads really loving it!

  4. Hope you have a fantastic vacation! And I love the hair! If I didn’t work in a rather conservative office/field I’d consider doing something like that. Wow, twelve review books in just one month! Ack! That would be totally overwhelming for me! Good luck getting caught up!

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books recently posted: Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2019
  5. Saw and loved your hair on IG – it just looks amazing. Hope you enjoy your holiday break. Great Connect 5 as well with the weather theme. Your library challenge is really rocking – the library challenge is helping me to focus more on going there before buying.

  6. Your hair looks fabulous, love the purple highlights. I also went short this past week, cut about 8+ inches off… love it. Have a safe and wonderful vacation.

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