August is already coming to a close, and I can’t say that I’m sad about it. While it’s been an absolute delight to have been able to take a couple of weeks’ vacation this summer and enjoy time with friends and family, I’m officially over the oppressive heat. I’m ready for cool days, changing leaves, and snuggling up on the couch with a good blanket and an excellent book. 

Despite being very ready to move into September and the autumn season that comes with it, I do want to acknowledge that August was satisfying, particularly as it relates to creating content. I ran my first content series, which focused on how to read more, and I was so pleased that it spurred a lot of great discussions with fellow readers about different tactics that we’ve all used at various times to up our reading game. I also experimented with different aesthetic flat lays and photography styles, and I’m really happy with where I’ve landed on some of the recent review templates I’ve crafted. I feel like my approach to content creation is ever-evolving, and I’ve been feeling more inspired lately than I have in a long time. It has me feeling like I’m headed into a new season as a blogger and bookstagrammer; one that I’m excited for.

August was also a phenomenal month for reading. It’s a little staggering to me that I was able to complete ten full books over the month, and even more incredible, they were all fantastic. August was also my first month as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) reviewer and I can’t emphasize enough how enjoyable the experience has been. Not only have ARCs opened me up to new books that I may not have enjoyed otherwise, but it’s also been a great opportunity to engage with new authors and their art. I’m truly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been afforded so far, and I can’t wait to keep it up going forward.

Books Read

August was a fantastic reading month. There were so many books that I was happy to get through, and so many original stories that I fell in love with, including:

1. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo: This was the conclusion to the Six of Crows duology and now that it’s done, I completely understand why it has a fandom all its own. I rated this book 4.5 stars, and my full review is here.
2. The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward: This is a memoir/poetry piece that has been on my backlist for ages! I love Daley-Ward’s unique approach to form and the poetic way she chose to tell a very difficult story. I rated this one 4 stars and you can find my review here.
3. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas: This was a reread on audio and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around as I did the first. I didn’t review the ACOTAR series on my first pass, so I’ve been writing reviews as I go through this reread. I rated this one 5 stars and you can read my review here.
4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber: This book was the start of a YA series whose premise is based upon a belief in fairy tales and true love. I thought this one was enjoyable and rated it 3.5 stars, with my full review available here.
5. The Sun and The Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz: This was my Illumicrate book of the month, and had probably one of the most original premises I’ve read in a long time as a fantasy based in South American folklore. I thought it was an ambitious start to a series and rated it 3.5 stars, with my full review available here.
6. The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen: This was an ARC provided by Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark and it was the perfect introduction to the spooky season. The story follows two Norweigan witches in the 1600s as they each grow and discover who they want to be. I rated this one 4 stars and you can find my full review here.
7. Glow (The Plated Prisoner #4) by Raven Kennedy: This was an explosive addition to the Plated Prisoner series and left me emotionally wrecked. Kennedy has a real way with plot twists and the major ones in Glow I did not see coming. I can’t wait to get my hands on the final book when it is released. I rated this one 5 stars, and my full review will be up in the next couple of days.
8. The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2) by Stephanie Garber: I enjoyed this second installment in the series and felt like both the story and the characters grew tremendously. This book hooked me even more than the first, and I can’t wait to listen to the final book when it is released. I rated this book 4 stars and my review will be out later this week.
9. Wielder’s Prize by Melissa Mitchell: This was an ARC provided by Net Galley and BooksGoSocial and I found it to be a compulsively readable romantasy. I loved this one, I rated it 4.5 stars and you can read my review here. 
10. Masters of Death by Olivie Blake: This weird and wonderful book was peak Blake, using her signature wit and cleverness to bring a super unique story to life that had me simultaneously crying, laughing, and philosophizing about life, death, and the afterlife. My review will come later next week but this was an easy 5 stars for me. 

TBR Lists

I feel like I immersed myself in books this month, spending even more time than usual either reading or immersed in the book and publishing community. A natural byproduct of this was a lot of new additions to my TBR list. Here’s a smattering of books that I’ve added that I can’t wait to (hopefully) get to in the future:

• Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin: a romantic fantasy full of witches, magic, and forbidden love. I saw this one highly rated on bookstagram and immediately added it to my TBR for spooky season.
• Curse of the Thorn King by Lisette Marshall: I saw this one described as something akin to a magic-filled Bridgerton with more badassery and that was enough for me to add it to my TBR.
• A Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall: a romantasy about a strong-willed heroine and her morally grey, broody hero, said to be perfect for lovers of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout (of which I most certainly am).
• Evocation by S.T. Gibson: a story about a family curse with a lot of VERY interesting sounding characters, and some high recommendations from bookstagram. This one I’m particularly excited about.
• The Will of the Many by James Islington: a new dark academia/fantasy about a young fugitive who seeks to learn the secrets of a prestigious academy and solve a murder, among other things. This is another one I saw highly recommended that sounds fantastic.
• The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young: a woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve the disappearance of her mother, and find love. This one seems to be making the rounds on bookstagram and I’m very intrigued.  
• The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick: a dark romantasy written in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Persephone and Hades, which is such an interesting combination to me. 
• Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot: a witchy romcom, which is a very specific subgenre I happen to be craving.
• Wielder’s Bond and Wielder’s Might by Melissa Mitchell: the two other books currently available in the Lady Witch series. After reading the first book courtesy of Net Galley, I can’t wait to read what else is available in this series. 

What I’m Loving Right Now

Creatively, August was probably my most productive and rewarding month ever. I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling inspired and motivated and just generally good. A lot of what brought me joy in August was related to creating in some way, though of course I also had a great time with friends and family, sneaking in a whole vacation 😊. 

Here are some of the bookish-specific things making me happy lately:

Reading ARCs

August was my first month ever working with Net Galley to review ARCs for up-and-coming novels and authors and it’s been an incredible experience thus far. I didn’t know what to expect from the quality or calibre of the books that would be available, but everything I’ve read has been phenomenal. I’m now reserving a few books a month for ARC reads and I can’t wait to continue working with Net Galley and publishers to hype up well-deserved books.

My Kindle

I’ve had my Kindle for many, many years, but I haven’t consistently read on it for a long time. I picked up a Kindle Unlimited subscription last month because I have about a million indie reads I wanted to access, and ever since, my Kindle has been a staple of my reading routine. I don’t know what it is about the digital screen, but I feel like I’m reading so much faster than when I have a physical copy. 

Now that I’ve been using it consistently enough to know that I want to keep using it indefinitely, I’m going to be upgrading shortly. If you have a Kindle rec, let me know! I’m still deciding on which model I want, but I’ve been leaning towards the Paperwhite Signature. 

Bookish Merch

A hallmark of the bookstagram community is the many innovative entrepreneurs using their love for books to fuel beautiful and creative designs and products. I’ve been obsessively following some of these creators for quite some time and have been eyeing a handful of designs for the fall. Here are some of the ones I’ve already purchased or have my eyes on:

• Book Babe Designs: I recently purchased a couple of spooky bookish tees from this shop and both the quality and design are incredible. I’m living in my new tees, so I’ll be watching closely for product drops in the fall and hopefully picking up some more! 
• Stella Candle Co: These luxe bookish candles look gorgeous and the scents sound divine. Hoping to add a few to my home library ASAP.
• Enchanted Oddities: a Canadian-based bookish shop with a whimsical, romantic feel to all of the designs. A lot of the products here seem to sell out super fast, but she has some incredible licensed fandom designs that she’s teased are coming, so I’ll be watching closely to compete for a few items for myself in the coming months.
• The Lit Homebody: Tessa creates stunning Kindle decals that you can purchase to have printed. As soon as I decide on which model Kindle I’m upgrading to, I’ll be using her shop to customize my Kindle. 
• Timeless Library Co: another Canadian bookish shop with planner stickers, bookish candles, and art. I’ve been specifically eyeing some of the bookish candles, which are stunning. I can’t wait to pick one up. 

So that’s August! I’m headed into September feeling excited about all the wonderful bookish things I have on the go. 

What was your favourite read of August??