I didn't have a whole lot of time to read during the month of July, but I still managed to read 10 books. I did a really good job of reading the books that I own this month, only checking out one book from the library. But of the nine books that I read and owned, six of them were purchased in July so that didn't really help me reduce my TBR pile. So here are the books that I read this month along with some of my feelings on them:
In A World Just Right by Jen Brooks - This book centers around a boy who after surviving a plane crash, he realizes he can create his own universes. He creates a universe where someone he knows is his girlfriend and everything starts to intertwine when he mixes the real world with his made up one. This story was so complex and involved several plot twists that I'm still wrapping my head around. I was really intrigued by the concept of this story and I think it was well executed. Overall I felt that the story and characters were well developed but I felt that there were some minor plot points that didn't add up. Overall I really liked this book and I can see myself rereading it sometime in the distant future.
Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius - This book follows Fallon, who lives in a society where love is predetermined and she rebells against her fortune that predicts she will not fall in love. This book ended up being a light fantasy, which worked for the story but I really wanted to know more about the magical aspect of the world. The world the author created was really interesting, and I ended up really liking this book.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han - This trilogy follows Belly (short for Isabel), and her family and friends each summer at their shared beach house. I had a lot of expectations going into reading this series because I love Jenny Han's writing, her series, To All The Boys I've Loved Before is high on my favorite list. I ended up liking this series but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I really liked the characters, but I wasn't a fan of the love triangle and that made it harder for me to get into the last two books. The redeeming qualities were that I really like how the series ended and there was a part in the second book where I started crying because the emotions were so raw.
The Land of Stories: Beyond The Kingdoms by Chris Colfer - This book is the fourth installment of The Land of Stories series. The series follows twins, Alex and Connor, after they get trapped in a fairytale world. I love this series, the stories are great and they're full of humor. This series has the strangest and most hilarious twists to classic fairy tale characters. Currently Chris Colfer plans to write one more book in the series, but he has said that he's considering writing a sixth one. This book was not my favorite it in the series, it felt like the first part of a story to me. There was a lot of storylines that were built up and left as a giant cliffhanger. I'm really looking forward to the fifth book being released next year because I really want to know how everything get's resolved.
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson - This book is the sequel to The Kiss of Deception, which I read earlier this year. I really liked The Kiss of Deception, but this book completely floored me. I seriously loved everything about this book, and it has earned a place on my favorites shelf. The author did such an incredible job developing the story and characters, everything about this series is extremely well written. I had the chance to go meet the author and get my books signed, and it was a fun experience to hear her talk about this series. I seriously can't wait for the third book to come out because this story is so beautiful and I need to know what happens next.
Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi - This is a dystopian YA series that revolves around a girl who can't touch anyone without torturing them to death. I ended up loving this series, it's well written and I liked how everything came together. The thing that blew me away about this books was the character development, especially Juliette and Warner's. I absolutely hated Warner during the first book, but the author wrote him so well that my opinion of him changed dramatically towards the end. I think Warner has the best development of any character I've yet to read. I just really love how well written this series is, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Tahereh Mafi.
So those are the books that I read during July, and I've already started reading Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour and Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. As always, feel free to follow me on Goodreads to see my reviews on these books and I see my progress during August. - Jessica
