Monthly Wrap-Up: July + August ’22 – I’m Back!

Hello, friends, I’m back and I’ve missed you! I was going to come back from my hiatus in the middle of August, but wasn’t really feeling it at the time. Decided to give myself a little more time away. I ended up working on blog posts this last week of my hiatus because I like to be prepared, you know, like a nerd. I am combining July and August for this wrap-up post to make things easier. I read nine books in July and nine books in August. Not absurd numbers, but I am counting them as huge wins considering I really struggled starting books over the summer. I really wanted to get back into fantasy and only kind of succeeded. I must get back to the genre because I have bought so many fantasy books this year, it’s not even funny. I am really itching for fall and am in deep denial that it is still summer even with this 100°+ heatwave we are currently experiencing (It was 110° yesterday and that isn’t even the hottest day we are supposed to have. I cry). I’ve already started crocheting pumpkin projects and even bought R.I.P. cupcake holders. I just need the weather to start cooperating. Latinx Heritage Month is just around the corner as well and yes, you guessed it, I’ve already started working on blog posts. Oh and I finally had a chance to import my Goodreads data to StoryGraph. I am still figuring out how to use it, but you can add me as a friend here!

Favorite Books in July & August:

I picked up the second volume of Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama in July and loved it so much. This world is so enchanting. I’m trying to pace myself with these, but it is not easy. My favorite read in August was Claribel A. Ortega’s Witchlings. I was really impressed with this middle grade fantasy. I was a little scared I wasn’t going to love this one as much as Ghost Squad, but it turns out I love it even more. Ortega does a wonderful job of addressing really serious issues in this one without losing the warmth of this world. Covers linked to Goodreads.

Least Favorite Book This Month:

No book received less than three stars from me.

Other Books I read in July:

(Covers linked to Goodreads.)

✿ Witch Hat Atelier, #1 by Kamome Shirahama **reread**

✿ My Mechanical Heart by Alexene Farol Follmuth

✿ Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

✿ Make a Scene by Mimi Grace

✿ The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

✿ The Sweetest Connection by Denise Williams

✿ The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia **reread**

Other Books I read in August:

(Covers linked to Goodreads.)

✿ The Final Girl’s Support Group by Grady Hendrix

✿ The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

✿ What’s Coming to Me by Francesca Padilla

✿ Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

✿ Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo

✿ Heartstopper, Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman

✿ Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

✿ High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

Reviews Posted:

(Covers linked to reviews)

Notable Blog Posts:

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2022 – The latter part of the year has some amazing releases!

What I Watched/Am Watching:

Bride of Chucky through Cult of Chucky – I am starting the Halloween season early by watching lots and lots of horror movies. It all started because I wanted to finally watch all the Chucky movies I hadn’t seen before the second season of the television show airs. Then I was suddenly watching a bunch of other horror movies: Candman (good), Halloween Kills (terrible), Oculus (traumatizing), and Evil Dead (rewatch, gorier than I remember).

Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo – Fans of friends to lovers, this K-Drama is made for you! I absolutely adored the two lead characters in this one and loved every interaction between them. Whether they were arguing, bonding, or supporting each other, their chemistry was undeniable.

September Releases I’m Excited For:

(Covers linked to Goodreads.)

What was your favorite read in August? Are you looking forward to fall? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your own wrap-up post, so I can visit!