Hey! How was your July? I can’t believe It’s already August! Anyways, for today’s post, I’ll be giving you a monthly wrap up for July.
Books
- The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman. This book was so good. I read it after my sister, who also really enjoyed it. It’s a Snow White and Rose Red retelling, and although I’ve never read that fairy tale, I still enjoyed this book a lot. It’s about these two sisters who live in New York, and they are very different. And when Bear, a secretive person, lands on their doorstep, Rose is friendly and she’s delighted by his knowledge of poetry and music. But the other sister, Blanche, is more cautious and she is afraid of his apparent connections to drugs, murder, and a hidden treasure. 5/5 stars!
- P.S. I Like You by Kasey West. This is a sweet contemporary YA novel. Lily is the main character, and when she scribbles a few lyrics to one of her favorite songs on the desk in chemistry class, it turns into writing letters to a secret pen pal. I loved this book so much! 5/5 stars!
- The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This is a children’s book, but I still loved it! It’s a historical fiction book set during WW2 about a ten year old girl. She has never left her one room apartment because her mother is too humiliated by the girls, her name’s Ada, twisted foot. But her little brother Jamie is going to be shipped off to London to be safe, she escapes and goes too. She is cast into a new adventure as she learns to ride a pony, read, and she looks out for German ships. So good. 5/5 stars!
- Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman. This is the second book after The Shadow of the Bear, so there will be spoilers for the first book. It’s based on the fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. I liked it just as much, or maybe even more, than the first one. Bear is in Europe for the summer, Blanche’s sister and mother are in Florida, and Blanche is by herself in New York. And she is becoming to be in grave danger. 5/5 stars as well.
- The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jennof. This is a historical fiction book set during WW2. 16 year old Noa is cast out by her family, and she’s forced to work to clean a rail station to earn her keep. When she finds a boxcar full of Jewish babies, her life changes in an instant when she takes one. Astrid is a middle aged lady who works at the circus. When Noa comes and Astrid has to teach her the flying trapeze act, they are first rivals, but then become friends. It was so sad, with a tragic ending, but I still rated it 5/5 stars.
- Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts is a contemporary book about two cancer patients. It is told in different POV’s and it follows Zac and Mia. Zac is a seventeen year old who is going through leukemia treatment. He believes in science, statistics, and math. Then Mia, an angry cancer patient, moves in next door. They start to talk and then they both have to go back to their normal lives. But they can’t stop thinking about each other. This was a very good book! 5/5 stars
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This is a contemporary book about Cath, a teen who is going to college, who loves Simon Snow, a series of books for children. She writes fan fiction, hangs out in forums, and talks about it with her twin sister, Wren. But Wren doesn’t want to be room mates with Cath in college, and Cath feels like she’s on her own. 5/5 stars!
- A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Prince Rhen is from Emberfall, and he’s also the heir of Emberfall. But he is cursed by a powerful enchantress. He repeats the Autumn of his eighteenth year, and the spell can only be broken if a girl falls in love with him. But he also turns into a vicious beast. Harper is from the regular world, and she accidentally gets pulled into the magical world when she tries to save a stranger on the streets. This is such a good book! I loved it! 5/5 stars!
- Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. After Lina’s mother dies, she goes to spend her summer in Italy with her father. But she is given a journal that her mother kept during her years living in Italy, and she is uncovering many secrets that her mother kept from her. She follows in her mother’s footsteps and she, along with her new friend Ren, explore the city. I loved this book! I also love what the cover looks like. 5/5 stars!
Run Streak
So, those were all of the books I’ve read. I also started doing a running challenge where I run (or walk) at least a mile everyday in July. I successfully finished it. I loved doing it. It was fun some days, and other days it was more of a struggle. There were a lot of days where I definitely did not want to get out there, like when I got a small cold, and a lot of days when I almost didn’t go for a run. It taught me discipline and perseverance. It is a good thing to do, but do make sure to hydrate and be aware of injuries. It’s also not recommended to run when you have a sickness below the neck. So, if you have a runny nose or cough it should be fine, but if you have a stomach ache or fever, you should take a break.
Writing
I got so much more writing done this month than in June. I am 30,101 words in. I am still on my first draft, and there is not much that I can tell you about it yet.
Crochet
I didn’t get much crocheting done in July. I was just busy with school and reading and stuff. I did get a few small key chains and bracelets done as well as a lovey (I’ll be posting the pattern soon!)
Other Stuff
Sorry about not posting last Wednesday. Everything has been really busy with school, (yes I do school through the summer) relatives visiting, going swimming, and a lot of household projects. My dad is doing a lot of household projects, and right now, he’s working on the kid’s bedrooms flooring and repainting the walls. He is taking out the carpet and putting hardwood flooring in and repainting the walls. Right now, he’s working on mine and my sister’s room, so everything has been crazy. We had to put all of our stuff in our little sibling’s room, and so a lot of stuff is unorganized. I will try to be more consistent with posting in August.
I hope you have a good day! I’ll post on Saturday, with either a pattern or a book review! Bye!
Books and Hooks 