July 2022 Wrap-Up

August is here which means it’s time to look back at July and see how we did for reading. Take a look at our update and share yours in the comments!

Kriti’s Month

July was a month of contemplation. I read books that called to me, books I was curious about, while at the same time, recognizing that I want to do more with the blog. You might have noticed two posts this month – On continuing a practice and the review of book quotes from The Forty Rules of Love. Those are my attempts at slowly dipping my toes into sharing more personal ideas on the blog. Things that I struggle with and am inspired by. In this post too, I will be taking another little dip today by sharing an update beyond the books but reading first (as always):

Total books read this month: 6
Number of personal picks: 1
Review copies: 5

I have been finding it easier to read review copies and I made it through the following in July:

• How to Draw Adorable: Joyful Lessons for Making Cute Art by Carlianne Tipsey is exactly how the name sounds! A cute book with lots of visual aids and practice to help artists learn to draw adorable things. This is a short book with lots packed into it – I would recommend getting the physical copy since the digital version will not allow you to take advantage of the practice sheets. Check it out on Goodreads.
• Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow was a cozy mystery that reminded me of my Nancy Drew reading days! I also had the opportunity to connect with the author and you can read her interview here. Full review can be found here and you can learn more about the book and what readers are saying on Goodreads.
• I tried out a scifi thriller by an author I hadn’t read before: Ymir by Rich Larson was an off-Earth advanture about two brothers. I was fascinated by the planet, society and Yorick, the main character. I found the world and the characters hard to imagine. Some art would have really changed the experience of this book for me! My full review and the book are on Goodreads.
• From that thriller I went to a more contemporary thriller: Are You Sara? by S.C. Lalli. Out on the 9th, this is a story about two girls who share the same name and end up taking each other’s taxis back home. One of them is murdered. I liked this book for its character development and breaking out of the image that society imposes on Indian women. I will be reviewing it on the blog at some point. Meantime, check it out on Goodreads.
• I have read and enjoyed Liz Parker (All are Welcome) so it was a no-brainer for me to pick up her upcoming novel, The Family Compound. This one is about 5 cousins and the property that has been left to them. It’s a book about family, finding oneself and happiness. Learn more about it on Goodreads. I am part of the book tour for it and will be sharing a longer review later this month.

My one personal pick this month was:

• The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: After reading Kaikeyi and her side of the story of the Ramayana, I was interested in what Sita had to say. This retelling is a beautiful yet heartbreaking love story. In earthy forms, even gods make mistakes. Expect a long review for this one at some point but meantime, find the book on Goodreads.

Total TBR: 260 (July 1) -> 260 (August 1)
When I found out the total TBR number for August, that came as a surprise! It’s a great feeling to see numbers balance out. It’s not something I am striving for so the discovery makes it special. 

Though I haven’t worked at all on my Aussie reading challenge, I added another book, Hydra by Adriane Howell to my reading list for the challenge. In this second half of the year, I am hoping to reach the WALLABY level: 3 books. Apart from Hydra, I have Orphan Rock and The Dictionary of Lost Words, all by Australian authors.

August and the following two months are going to be quieter on the blog as I gear up for the wedding and our travels after that. I have a long running list of books I want to share in detail about and I hope to get back into writing about them whenever the opportunity comes up. While you may/may not have felt it, I have not done a lot on the blog in the past few months. The content is based on past collaborations with the authors when I was on top of answering review requests. The slow period though has helped in gathering ideas of what I want to do going forward. So here is a glimpse of that.

The Noteworthy: A random collection of findings

1. A recent show I watched: Resident Evil on Netflix is based on the famous Resident Evil movies (which I never watched). The show was a little slow for me to get into but overall I quite enjoyed it! If you like zombie shows that don’t really focus on zombies and more on the technology and human living side of things, check out this mini series. While researching for this post, I realized the show has a low rating on imdb so proceed at your own caution! There has been a lot of great tv lately and this is definitely not on the same level but it’s short and interesting for its own reasons. It’s gotten me thinking of reading more scifi… 
2. A throwback song: While hanging out with family on the weekend, we were playing throwback songs! If you grew up with Adam Lambert like us, give If I Had You a listen.
3. A recipe I loved: I was recently gifted an Instant Pot and have been diversifying my dinner recipes repertoire. I found this teriyaki chicken to be absolutely fantastic! So if you have an Instant Pot, you can check it out and if there are recipes you love making, share in the comments or let us chat via email (kriti.khare@gmail.com).

Ariel’s Selection for July

Notes and Summary: 

It’s another month of smaller reading quantity, but high reading quality. I finished up one of the best series I’ve ever read, The Dandelion Dynasty. I also picked up some great arcs and participated in some tours with B2Weird.

Top Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Top three book moods: Adventurous, emotional, reflective
Number of Books: 6

Bookish Highlights of the Month:

• Five-Star of the Month: Speaking Bones (The Dandelion Dynasty #4)
• Notable Netgalley: The Art of Prophecy
• Most Anticipated: You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories behind Abortion

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How was your July? What was something you enjoyed doing? Add your own noteworthy finds in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful August. 🙂