August 2021 Wrap-Up

Hello and welcome to August’s Wrap Up post! It’s September now which means if you are a student or working for a university or school, it’s the busy and exciting part of the year with people coming back to campus, whether it is virtually or in-person. The summer just flew by and I can’t believe it! This is also a good time to note that we have been writing these wrap-ups for about 10 months now and I hope you are enjoying them as much as we are. Let’s get started.

Kriti’s Selection

I thought July was busy but let’s just say August was even more eventful for me. I am keeping to my 8 book a month streak thanks to some short and insightful books.

Number of library books: 3/8
Review copies: 5/8
Buddy Reads/ Book Club: 4/8

Books:

• Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie – Thriller – Buddy read with Pam – Thrillers are super quick to read and this was a weekend read. We will have the discussion posted sometime this month! Learn more about this one on Goodreads.
• Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Magical Realism – Buddy read with Ariel – This was such an amazing collection of stories about time-travel. Highly recommended! Discussion will be on the blog next week! Add it to your Goodreads shelf.
• The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara – Romance – A quick romance that brought a smile to my face. Review and author interview will be on the blog this week!
• The Weight of a Thousand Oceans by Jillian Webster – Climate Fiction – You probably saw my review and Q&A with the author just a few days back! This is a new subgenre of Post-Apocalyptic fiction for me and I am enjoying it.
• Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are by Danny Gregory – Non-Fiction – This was a quick read that encouraged me to draw what I see and reminded me that 15 min of art is better than no art. I haven’t reviewed it yet but keep an eye out for an Instagram post in the future! Check it out on Goodreads. As an illustrated book, it’s a treat for the eyes.
• Entriss Online by David J Pedersen – LitRPG – Buddy Read with Erynn – If you are interested in books about video games and immersive reality, check out the two part discussion Erynn and I had on her blog and mine.
• Pride, Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen – You heard all about it yesterday at our monthly horror post!
• Em by Kim Thúy – Historical Fiction – Short and beautifully written, this book about people’s intersecting lives and the Vietnam war is unforgettable. Review will be on the blog this month! Add it to your Goodreads shelf.
• As Per My Email by Stephanie K. Wright – Whether you work from home or from the office, this book has lots of fun and quirky alternatives to everyday office-talk. I liked the small sections and the numerous examples. I wish my GRE Verbal exam textbooks had been so much fun to read. See full review on Goodreads.

I feel like I have found a good balance between writing and reading. Eight books a month is a pretty good number and it gives me time to do non-bookish things too. We have had a lot to celebrate this month with completing all the paperwork for Permanent Residence as well as getting engaged. Now all the planning for the wedding next year will kick start and I might not have as much time. But I shouldn’t worry because I need my books to feel good. 🙂

Clinton helped me build the corner bookshelf finally so here is a photo of that just for you. 

I know September is just beginning and here I am going to talk a bit about October – it’s my birthday month which means I will be evaluating and reflecting on all the books I read in my 27th year. I can’t recall if I set any book goals last year and we will see if I will for next year. It’s still a bit away but stay tuned for a wrap up for that separately!

Ariel’s Selection for July 2021

In August, I found myself quite busy due to non-book related personal things. However, I was able to read several ARCs through my prompts with Trope-ical Readathon . I felt like I made some significant progress, especially with the books that are going to be released soon. I kept to my 1-2 books at a time, and felt like I was able to really dig down and focus on the books at hand. Next month I hope to continue working on my Netgalley books, especially the ones that have already been released or will be released between September and October.

Number of Books on Last Month’s TBR: 166
Number of Books on TBR Now: 163

Number of books on my Netgalley TBR: 12
Number of books on NG TBR Now: 9

Books read: 7
Library Books: 2/7
ARCS: 5/7

Special Bookish Reads:

Most Anticipated: My Heart is a Chainsaw
Buddy Read with Kriti: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
5 Star Read: Iron Widow

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What did you read in August 2021? Tell us some of your favorites so far!

We hope you have a wonderful September ahead, reading and otherwise.