Book Talk: July Wrap Up

July turned out to be a lot better of a reading month than I expected. I read as much as I could before I left for my vacation but between packing, finishing up blog posts, and squeezing some last minute get-togethers in, there wasn't much time left for reading. I checked out four ebooks in preparation for the trip, figuring that would be more than enough, but I was in such a reading mood that I had to break into my reserves. By the end of it, I was a book ahead of my Goodreads Reading Challenge, which is about three steps ahead of where I thought I'd be.

Have you been keeping up with xo, Yvette recently? If not, you may have missed out on some Greek mythology recommendations! To catch up on what else I've been reading, all my previous monthly wrap ups can be found here and I always keep my Goodreads as up to date as possible. Want to get to the books? Click that read more!

Stats:

• Books Read: 7
• Genre:
• Science Fiction: 2
• Fantasy: 4
• Non-Fiction: 1
• Page Count: 2,055

Books:

Proxy by Alex London

Imagine a world where the rich can be as reckless as they please because their physical consequences are inflicted on the poor. Okay, that sounds pretty much like America... But in Proxy, this relationship is much more direct and linear. Each wealthy individual, called patrons, can purchase a proxy, somebody from the slums (in the same age range and same gender, from what I gather) to take all their punishment for them. This can lead the patron to be either extremely wild and impulsive, due to the lack of consequences, or to be extremely well behaved to avoid causing their proxy pain (this probably wouldn't happen if the patrons didn't have to watch their proxies be punished for their wrongdoings). I've heard some really great things about this book and I wasn't disappointed. It's a sci-fi dystopian that emphasizes the sci-fi elements, which I really enjoyed reading about, especially from the point of view of Syd, the proxy, who isn't accustomed to the latest and greatest. Proxy actually employs a dual pov but not chapter-by-chapter like most books sometimes it's hard to discern which "he" (Syd or Knox) the author is referring to. Towards the end I sort of gave up but not for lack of trying. Ultimately it didn't really matter because when it was ambiguous, those emotions could've easily come from either boy. I really appreciated the racial diversity and LGBTQ representation in this book. There was also some great character development overall and in regards to Syd's sexuality. I loved that you never knew who to trust in this world. It kept me on my toes and wanting to know more. With this territory, there are bound to be some betrayals. This book didn't give me feels, per se, but it did get pretty emotional at the end. And I haven't read a cliffhanger in a long time so this definitely gives me some incentive to pick up the second book.

Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky by Marissa Meyer

If you haven't been living under a rock, you've definitely heard of the Lunar Chronicles. Carswell (aka Captain Thorne) is a character introduced in Scarlet, the second book in the series. He's smooth, witty, and charismatic -- a combination I love to hate (but hate in the love way) (that's bound to make sense to somebody). In the series, Carswell's past is a bit of a mystery. He doesn't divulge much about himself and being a wanted criminal probably doesn't give him much of an incentive to share stories of his past. I absolutely adored this short story. We get a glimpse at the caring side of Carswell that we only begin to see in Cress, the third book in the series, as well as that conniving, mischievous (and entrepreneurial) Carswell that we all know and love. It's a well rounded short story and also (thankfully) really easy to access! Just sign up for Meyer's newsletter and they'll email it to you straight away for free! I think my favorite part was seeing how he was able to salvage a scheme gone wrong and get things back on track (and avoiding getting his face beaten in, which is always a plus). If you're all caught up with the Lunar Chronicles, I would highly suggest picking this up because, while it isn't required reading, I think you would love getting to know Carswell a little bit better.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

How long have I been wanting to read this book for?! Mindy Kaling is great. She is fantastically hilarious and, as with anybody who read the book themselves rather than listening to the audiobook, I wish I would’ve checked out the audiobook instead. That being said, I could still hear her voice while I was reading. She really comes through in her writing and I found myself having to slow down because I was flying through her book. I can’t say this book started me on a path to self-discovery or anything but it did give me some insight on who Mindy is and that is good enough for me. I don’t know what took me so long to pick this book up but I have to thank Amreen for reminding me about it before I left for my trip. I had such a great time reading it and I found myself starting another book to read simultaneously so that this one would last longer. I was expecting a few more audible laughs but it did happen more with Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? than with other books. Again, listening to Mindy read the book would probably enhance the reading experience.

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

If you remember in my June Wrap Up, I read The Winner’s Crime and I was highly anticipating the sequel. This book. Oh man. The secrecy and the lies and the politics of the court. I can’t handle it but I want more. The stakes are high in this one and there are many instances where Kestrel and Arin just barely miss each other or unable to say what they really mean because of the court. It was all very frustrating. I think they should’ve come up with some type of code word or some sort of signal before all this happened. Most of all, I just wanted to sit the two of them down in a room together and be like, “btw, y’all’re in love with each other so now that that’s out of the way you can sort all this out.” I really cannot wait to get my hands on The Winner's Kiss because it’s looking like things are about to get real with the war and whatnot.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

I don’t know where to begin with this book there were so many emotions. Violet is a girl from the Marsh, the outermost and poorest of the five rings in the Lone City that has the genes to be a surrogate for the royals in the Jewel, the heart of the city. Due to inbreeding, royals can no longer have their own children. They rely on the surrogates, who have powers that stimulate different aspects of a baby’s development, to bear their children for them. Violet hates this life but puts on a façade of happiness for her family’s sake. When she meets Lucien before the auction, things start to change. She begins to learn about the politics and an underground network that are working to get the surrogates out. Then things get even more out of hand when Ash, a companion for the insufferable Carnelian, comes into the picture (accompanied by a good dose of insta-love). After finishing The Jewel, I found myself wanting to return as soon as possible. The world was captivating and the characters are so complex. There were also a lot of unexplained behind the scenes action that we caught glimpses of. It’d be interesting to read novellas from other characters’ perspectives. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, The White Rose, so that I can delve even deeper into this world. 

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Pirates! Magic! Assassins! Revenge! This is an exciting recipe for an exciting book. Right off the bat Ananna runs away from her betrothed and into hiding. Tarrin’s family hires an assassin, Naji, to kill her (duh) but when she slaughters a snake that was about to do him in, she activated a curse that would lead them on an adventure of a lifetime. On their journey they encounter many magical beings and endure many hardships all while bound together by this curse. I don’t want to give much away because I think you should check it out for yourself. Although Ananna is seventeen, there are times when she seems a lot younger. It may be the pirate-y way she talks or it may just be because she’s a little immature at times but it reads like a middle grade novel for the most part. If you like adventure stories, this would definitely be a good one for you. There are lots of magical elements and a nice chunk of the book is set on a ship so you get a taste of the pirate life. This is the first in a duology so I’ll definitely be reading The Pirate's Wish soon. 

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I had to read this book painfully slow because the timing was never right for me to check out ADaughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor and it wasn’t for lack of trying. The ship’s library was open 10-11am and 7:30-8:30pm on port days (which was nearly every day of the cruise) which were times when we were off the ship, at a show, or having dinner. Very convenient. All I could do was gaze at the lovely book from behind a pane of glass. That’s beside the point, though. I bought this Kindle book a while ago because it was free and I’d actually heard of it. I was saving it for a time like this when I had absolutely run out of books to read. I was reluctant to break into my reserves because now this means I have to find a new free book to buy. I knew this book was popular, but I had no idea why. I hadn’t bothered to look up the synopsis or anything since it’s always better to go in blind and I can certainly see the appeal.  Katy, our protagonist, and I had a lot of similarities from the get-go. We both blog about books and don’t leave the house much. In comes the neighbors, Dee and Daemon Black, and nothing will ever be the same again. Right from the start Katy could tell there was something odd about them but Dee was friendly enough that she would half tolerate Daemon (who is a Grade A jerk) as well as the strange vibes that they give off. Between the glares Katy gets from other folks in town and the pure hatred coming from the Blacks’ friends, they seem to be trying to run her off. The more Katy knows, the more she puts herself in danger. The entire book was very intense and since the writing was kind of informal and in the first person, I felt like I was in the story with Katy. I really appreciated how Katy stood up for herself against Daemon and doesn’t give into him every time he pays attention to her. I’m not sure I would have that much self-control. The sexual tension is insane. Thankfully the entire series is already out because I’m dying to start the next book in the series because oh my goodness the end I need more. I also hope they search for an explanation for that climax scene because I don’t get how any of that worked.

I'm not gonna lie -- I'm impressed with this list. I underestimated my craving for books. I did end up starting a couple new series, but hey, keep those books coming. I was not pleased when I found out I had to wait for sequels to The Jewel and The Winner's Crime. I would like to know more now, please. I'd love to know what you've read this past month. Have you read any of these books? What are you reading now? I'm curious. Let me know in the comments!

Don't miss my Travelogs coming to you every Sunday for the next four weeks! They're going to be long so you might have to start mentally preparing now. Following this blog on bloglovin' or via email is always a safe bet. Why risk missing a post?

Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette