hello, loves! 

It’s been quite the month! I’ve read some really great things… but most things I would consider a “favorite” were rereads, such as my Knitting in the City series reread, the Psy-Changeling short stories and my Hidden Legacy reread. Besides that, I’ve started my fourth (and final!!) year of college and am taking a heavy load. I’m trying to work through my library loans that have been coming in, but also prioritizing my end-of-year reading to fulfill my year-long goals.

 

✨ Stories Consumed! ✨

Reading Statistics

 

Books I Read (24!)

        

KNITTING IN THE CITY: This month, I wrapped up my Knitting in the City series reread! This series is so good. SO GOOD. I’d forgotten how amazing it actually is!!! I’m on a Penny Reid reread this season and I completely took for granted how amazing a writer she was. Please, please pick up this series! (My Review of Book One)

 

         

GIRL, SERPENT, THORN by Melissa Bashardoust was one of my favorite reads of the month, and even of the entire summer. I was shook by how consumed I was by this sapphic monster story. Check out my gushing review, and let it convince you to pick it up!

BELOW ZERO by Ali Hazelwood was the final of the STEMinist novellas and I’m so sad it’s over :( I really enjoyed the short stories. This one featured a second-chance romance with a ONS-to-dislike-to-lovers dynamic featuring a snowstorm rescue, with a workplace romance and forced proximity trope for good measure. PLUS, women-in-STEM goodness and a daring snowstorm rescue!!! Check out my thoughts here.

WHIT by Cora Rose was a reread, just because I was craving a needy MM romance featuring cuddle buddies, one of my favorite tropse :) View my review here.

THE PRINCESS TRAP by Talia Hibbert was another surprise of the month! I’d loved her Brown Sisters trilogy, and am still so excited to delve into her backlist. This one, according to my review, featured fake dating in the royal family, and was delightful British and utter ~quality~ with Talia’s amazing writing.

 

            

GUILD HUNTER series by Nalini Singh is a series I’ve been slowly savoring over the years. This month, I read Archangel’s Heart and Archangel’s Viper, both of which were excellent!! Super excited and rejuvenated to continue reading this series now… especially to get to Bluebell and Sparkle’s story :)

THE HIDDEN LEGACY series by Ilona Andrews is one of my all-time favorite series ever, and I mean that. Like one of top ten, at least. Ruby Fever dropped this month, a book I’ve been waiting for FOREVER!! It was so good to get back into this world 💛💛

 

            

THE PSY-CHANGELING series by Nalini Singh is one of my other top-forever favorites. I started by reading one anthology and three short stories within the world, hoping to stave off a reading slump and looking for some comfort. Then I reread Heart of Obsidian, one of my faves within the massive series. All were absolutely fabulous. Heart of Obsidian is fabulous, but I also feel no compunction in declaring that Nalini Singh is one of the best short story writers ever. 

 

            

EROTIC ROMANCE: Little Sip of Sin was a reread, but I love Clio’s monster romances. It wasn’t the first, and it won’t be the last. Dark Notes was a D/s  student/professor romance. Oops? And the blue books were kinda dark erotic romances, with the vague fairytale twist. Sexy! Some were, some weren’t.

 

Movies + TV Shows Consumed

       

Buffy the Vampire slayer: I’m so excited to have started watching Buffy again!! I watched the first few episodes several years ago, but stopped for some reason. Tis the season, now, and all that!!!!! Some of my favorite shows are Charmed, Veronica Mars and Supernatural, so this is the perfect meld of elements of those. The 90s is my favorite era for TV 😁🙏🏻

Love Island, UK: I’m really enjoying season three of Love Island!!!!! It’s my first watch of the franchise, and I was recommended to start here. So close to finishing, and I’m in love with Camilla and Jamie :)

New Girl: My roommate and I are continuing to watch New Girl, and we’re in the middle of season four now! A good time :)

 

2022 Resolutions: How’s that going?

• Publish 12 Posts by the end of the year: Complete!!
• Participate in + complete readathons: I mostly participated in one back in February!
• Maybe a little review pressure… Mostly! 70% of my reads this year are reviewed :)
• Post to Bookstagram 4 times a month (minimum). I posted… once. I need to. I know I need to. It’s just so hot to go outside to take pictures…
• Publish Netgalley Warriors posts quarterly: I’ve posted twice! And am far behind in the reading portion..?!
• Use Goodreads as the tool that it is: MAJOR success! I’ve been keeping Goodreads updated all year  so far, and even have been posting status updates while a book is under “currently reading.”
• Expand your reading repertoire: Doing pretty well! Keeping a variety
• Engage in bookish communities. Doing… better but still not great. Bookstagram stories is rocking, but I’ve only posted once and haven’t engaged too deeply in my feed.
• Experiment with your reading tastes and methods: Better but also still not great. Mood reading did happen, but I read books that were actually on my TBR which is excellent. However I already feel the motivation for this slipping….
• Track your reading, utilize Airtable database: Smashing this one! I love my Airtable database reading tracker :)
• Try new things, evolve my perspective with reading: Also better, but not great. I’ve read more #ownvoices stories than usual, with representation towards autism, mental health and chronic pain/illness. I would like to keep this at the forefront of my mind when selecting books.

 

Netgalley Warriors Update

Read: 6/20

• January: A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings (2022 Release | Review)
• January: Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone (2021 Release | Review)
• February: Nothing :(
• March: Not Second Best by Crista Maurice (2016 Release | DNF)
• April: Nothing :(
• May: Nothing :(
• June: Fake it Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley (2022 Release | Review)
• July: Dream Chase by Kristen Ashley (2020 Release | Review)
• July: Dream Spinner by Kristen Ashley (2021 Release | Review)
• August: Nothing :(

 

~ SEPTEMBER TBR ~

• ARC: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
• ARC: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
• ARC: Fear Me, Fear Me Not by Someone?
• YA: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• YA: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
• YA: Once and Future Book Nerds by Alix E. Harrow
• THRILLER: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• TBR: Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
• TBR: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
• TBR: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid —> Starting my Winston Brother’s read!

 

💛 Thanks for stopping by! 💛

How was your month of reading? What are you looking to pick up next? Let me know in the comments down below, I’d love to hear from you!