July 2022 Reads

Happy Monday! One of my goals this year was to share the books that I've read. Well...I haven't really done that on the blog, but I have been somewhat more consistent on Instagram. I usually share my favorite books in my Stories, but I haven't made a monthly series. Maybe I should?

Anyways, July was a perfect month for reading. I read 32 books in July and enjoyed reading most of them. I also read a lot of books that I received from Netgalley. I read a mix of genres, and I absolutely loved it. Since my last favorite reads post was in February 2022, I thought sharing another would be fun.

How We Heal by Alexandra Elle

This was one of my favorite reads for the month. I first heard of Alex Elle on Instagram and have been a fan ever since, so I was excited to find that she had a new book coming out. This is the first book that I've read by Alex Elle.

How We Heal was a much-needed book that came at the perfect time for me. I enjoyed reading the mini-essays and interviews of other writers, artists, and activists. It was interesting to read stories about healing and the ways that Alex, as well as the other individuals mentioned in the book, practice healing. The journaling prompts and meditation techniques were so good. I found myself highlighting so many pages.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

1-2-3 Scream! by R.U. Ginns

This was such a fun read. This collection of spooky short stories reminded me of the Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. Some of the stories were silly, but there were a few that some kids might find scary so beware of that. One of the scarier stories was Instagrave. This story is about an app that predicts deaths. The ending of the story, Mean Machine, was also a story that might scare younger kids.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Vibes Only by Nora McInery

I was first drawn to this book by its title and cover. It was interesting to read stories about Nora's life, which spans from childhood until now. I loved reading her perspective on various topics such as grief, religion, and motherhood. I loved that she didn't simply focus on "good vibes" like many self-help and memoirs tend to do. It made it seem more real. Some of the essays were funny, a few were sad, and a few that I could relate to.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Everything is Ok by Debbie Tung

I was so excited when I learned that Debbie Tung had another graphic novel coming out. I previously read her book, Quiet Girl in a Noisy World, and loved it.

Everything is Ok is a collection of comics about anxiety and depression. Debbie shares her experiences and her road to recovery from anxiety and depression. The illustrations were excellent, and there were a few things that I could relate to. I think the book covered anxiety and depression well.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Opening My Eyes Underwater: Essays on Hope, Humanity, and Our Hero Michelle Obama by Ashley Woodfolk

Ashley Woodfolk is a new-to-me author, but the cover and title of her book got my attention. I loved that Ashley used quotes by Michelle Obama as starting points for her essays. Using quotes as a starting point/inspiration for her pieces was a good idea. I enjoyed reading her opinions, reflections, and stories on various topics such as bullying, education, career, love, and racism. Some of the essays were difficult to read and broke my heart, but I think they were all essential to read.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer

I absolutely loved this collection of poetry. It was a fast read, but I loved that the poems were straight to the point. The poems focused on motherhood, friendship, loss, and love. There was even mention of the pandemic. There were so many relatable poems. The only downside to the book was that it was a short and quick read, leaving me wanting more. I devoured this book in about 30 minutes.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Art of the Travel Journal by Abbey Sy

I love all forms of journaling, including art journaling, so I was excited to read this book. I'm a fan of Abbey Sy's art and was interested in reading about travel journals. I was already aware of a lot of the information in this book, but I learned a few things. I think some tips included in the book would be helpful for anyone interested in journaling. I loved that Abbey included an artist gallery so that you could see other artists and journalers' who keep travel journals.

I think this book is perfect for beginner artists and journalers, but it can still be beneficial for those who have experience keeping journals, especially travel journals.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

Wow! Wow! Wow! I loved this book! I love how Amber McBride used fairytales, stories, and folklore to tell this story about trauma, mental illness, and depression. Everything tied together perfectly. This book kind of felt like reading a modern fairytale. I loved Amber included a glossary of the fairytales, stories, and folklore at the end of the book. I will definitely check out some of the fairytales that were referenced or inspired Amber to write this book because there were a few that I've heard about but haven't read yet. I also love that she included a playlist as well.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Knot Over You by M.J. Marstens, Jarica James, Grace McGinty, Sabrina Day, Calliope Stewart, Sarah Blue, Merri Bright, Flora Quincy, Juniper Kerry, Aisling Counsins, Maya Nicole, and Hannah Haze

Knot Over You is an omegaverse anthology with stories by various authors. The stories range from RH to MF. The stories are spicy, and I love that every short story was complete and not a sneak peek at future books/releases. There is something for everyone. 

The only issue was that there were some formatting issues. Some stories had repeating chapters; however, I believe those issues will be fixed soon.

*Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shadow of St. Nick: A Krampus Fairy Tale Romance by J. Dylan

Shadow of St. Nick is the first book I have read by J. Dylan. I loved this novella. This was a perfect Christmas in July story, and it also had a bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes/feel to the story, which I loved. I haven't found many books or retellings about Krampus, so I'm always excited when I find a new one.

In this novella, Emmeline drinks and celebrates the winter solstice with her friends. She's told the story of Krampus. Emmeline doesn't believe in the story. Once her friends leave, Emmeline finds out that Krampus does indeed exist when he arrives and takes her. I won't give much else away, but I liked the plot twist.

Thank you, Nisha's Books and Coffee PR, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What did you read in July? What are you currently reading?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Favorite Books Read in January 2022

Happy Tuesday! It's been a while since I've shared some of my favorite reads, so I thought it'd be fun to share my favorite books from January 2022. I read 32 books in January! It was an excellent month to read.

There were several books that I was really excited to read. Some of the books I read were anthologies, a few were novellas and/or short stories, and others were novels.

Not only did I think it'd be fun to share my favorite reads in January, but I thought it would be fun to link up with Steph and Jana for their "Show Us Your Books" series.

Lies by A.L. Woods

Oh my goodness! This is not a book that I would typically read, but I'm happy that I did. Lies is a second-chance married couple romance. The story falls into several other tropes like workplace romance, opposites attract, and accidental pregnancy. I've read second-chance romance books before but have never read one that involves a married couple, infidelity, or the loss of a child. However, this book really got my attention, so I decided to give it a shot. I devoured this book in a day...it was so good.

Lies is a standalone novel set in A.L. Woods' Reflections universe. The story is about Dougie and Penelope, a newlywed couple whose marriage is falling apart. I don't want to give too much away, but Dougie and Penelope were keeping secrets from each other. However, I think Dougie's secret was far worse. Penelope's "lies" seemed more understandable because she was grieving. It was evident that communication was not one of these characters' strongest suits. Their lack of communication and secrets literally almost destroyed their marriage. Dougie and Penelope kept so much stuff buried inside that it almost consumed them as well. Once everything was out in the open, Dougie really tried to work things out while Penelope was going through a range of emotions and was contemplating divorcing Dougie. Eventually, they both decide to try to work things out.

For more information on the book, click here.

I received an ARC from Grey's Promo in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Snowed Inn for Christmas: A Christmas Anthology

Yes, I am still working my way through some Christmas books. It took me a while to finish this anthology, but only because I had many holiday-themed books to read in November and December. I also had many other books that I had started or needed to finish. 

This anthology was really great. The collection featured nine novellas about couples being together during Christmas. These short stories could be classified as "insta-romance." I love that each couple and story was different. I also loved that there was a story that featured a married couple. 

Pack Darling Part 2 by Lola Rock

I was so excited to read this book. This is the second and final part of the Pack Darling series. The story follows Lilah and the Wyvern pack (Atlas, Jett, Orion, Finn, and Hunter). The Wyvern pack are supposed to be Lilah's mates, but they mess up big time at the end of the first book. Pack Darling Part 2 picks up immediately following the first book's events.

I absolutely loved the groveling that the guys did, and I loved how each one of the guys changed. The character growth was incredible, especially for Jett and Atlas. I also loved how confident Lilah was and how she made sure to stand up for herself and put herself first. I wish there was more of a storyline with the Sorenson pack. I also think that Orion should have done some groveling as well. Lilah definitely forgave him almost immediately. However, I love that he and Lilah got to spend time together. I love that the guys' dads stepped up a little and made sure to make changes to the staff at the school that Lilah lived at; however, I think there should have been more groveling on their part. Of all the characters, it seems that Hunter was the most respectful of Lilah's wishes. We find out what happened to Jett, which was terrible. 

Overall, everything tied up together at the end, but I love that there was an opening for a possible new spinoff series. Fingers crossed that it actually happens.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

I've always loved reading mythology, folktales, fairytales, etc., and am always interested in reading anything by Neil Gaiman. He is one of my favorite writers and storytellers. Norse Mythology had been on my TBR list for a while, and I finally decided to go ahead and read it. And I am so glad that I did. 

Norse Mythology is Gaiman's retelling of myths. The stories are primarily about Odin, Thor, and Loki, with a few other characters thrown in the mix. All of the stories lead up to the final story, which is Ragnarok. 

You can tell that Gaiman researched Norse mythology, and I loved that he included a notes section and a glossary at the end of the book. I ended up looking up several of the different people mentioned in the glossary, and I also learned more about the Poetic Edda. 

I'm More Dateable than a Plate of Refried Beans by Ginny Hogan

I'm More Dateable than a Plate of Refried Beans is a book about dating. I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was funny. I loved that this book included lists, short stories, observations, fake text conversations, etc. It definitely made the book even more interesting and unique. I loved the graphics as well. Reading this book almost felt like reading a magazine which I absolutely loved.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What did you read in January? What are you currently reading?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...