August Wrap-Up (Part 2)! Hey Guys, So, if you haven't read Part 1 of my August Wrap-Up, you might want to check that out first. Part 1 - http://sprinkleofbooks.weebly.com/blog/august-wrap-up-part-1 Basically, August was a pretty good reading month and I was writing my wrap-up, I realised that it was going to end up being a pretty long post. Due to this, I've decided to split it into two parts. Anyway, without further ado, here is the rest of my August Wrap-Up! The World's Worst Children 2 by David Walliams Date Started - 15/8/2017 Date Finished - 15/8/2017 Synopsis: The brilliant follow-up to David Walliams’ bestseller The World’s Worst Children! Ten more stories about a brand new gang of hilariously horrible kids from everyone’s favourite children’s author, illustrated in glorious full colour by Tony Ross. If you thought you had read about the World’s Worst Children already, you’re in for a rather nasty shock. The beastly boys and gruesome girls in this book are even ruder, even more disgusting and WORSE than you could ever imagine! This gorgeous collection of ten stories from the master himself, David Walliams, will make you snort with laughter and thank your lucky stars that you don’t know anyone like Gruesome Griselda or Fussy Frankie in real life. It also features a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj! Gloriously illustrated in full colour throughout by artistic genius Tony Ross, The World’s Worst Children 2 is a side-splitting companion to David’s blockbuster hit, The World’s Worst Children, perfect for fans aged 9 and up. After reading the first book, I knew I wanted to dive straight into the sequel. I was quite tired though, so decided to wait till the following day to begin it, so I could enjoy it fully. I ended up feeling the same about this as I did with the first one, so there's not much to say. Once again, brilliant storytelling and the illustrations (by Tony Ross) were just as brilliant as before. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book. Rate -5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35394276-the-world-s-worst-children---2 BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Worlds-Worst-Children-2-David-Walliams-Tony-Ross/9780008259624?ref=pd_detail_1_sims_b_p2p_1 It's Not Me It's You by Stephanie Kate Strohm Date Started - 15/8/2017 Date Finished - 18/8/2017 Synopsis: One high school girl's comedic examination of her dating past as told by the friends, family, and boys who were involved! Avery Dennis is a high school senior and one of the most popular girls in her class. But a majorly public breakup with the guy she's been dating causes some disastrous waves. It is right before prom and Avery no longer has the perfect date. She runs the prom committee, how could she not show up with somebody? Post-breakup, Avery gets to thinking about all of the guys that she has ever dated. How come none of those relationships ever worked out? Could it be her fault? Avery decides to investigate. In history class she's learning about this method of record-keeping called "oral history" and she has a report due. So Avery decides to go directly to the source. Avery tracks down all of the guys she's ever dated, and uses that information, along with thoughts from her friends, family, and teachers, to compile a total account of her dating history. Avery discovers some surprises about herself and the guys she's spent time with -- just in time for prom night! I have a full spoiler-free review up for this, which I will link down below when it's up. This was my third read for #7in7readathon, however it took up more time than I hoped. I ended up not having as much time to read, so I ended up having to read it over 3 days instead of 1. It's written as Avery's oral history report and I loved the idea of Avery basing it off of her dating history and interviewing all her ex-boyfriends. It was a cute, funny read and I really liked all of Avery's little extra Editor's Notes throughout. Overall, I enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequel/companion. Rate - 4/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28113227-it-s-not-me-it-s-you?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/It-s-Not-Me--It-s-You/9781407172491 Full Spoiler-Free Review - We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Date Started - 18/8/2017 Date Finished - 19/8/2017 Synopsis: A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. This was my 4th #7in7readathon read. I was contemplating writing a full-review for this, but I'm not sure. If you guys want a review, make sure to let me know below and I'll do one. I didn't really know much about this before I went into it as the synopsis on the back is pretty vague and also I made sure not to look much further into it. The writing style had to be my favourite bit. I absolutely loved the writing and found myself scribbling down my favourite quotes into my book journal. I also loved the plot and the twists that came along the way. I definitely wasn't prepared for the surprise near the end and I have to admit that I was very close to tears. I have to admit that I did get a bit confused of which kids belonged to who, so I was thankful for the family tree that was included at the beginning. Overall, I really loved We Were Liars and will definitely give some of E. Lockhart's other books a try as well as Genuine Fraud when it's released. Rate - 5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/We-Were-Liars/9781471403989 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Date Started - 20/8/2017 Date Finished - 21/8/2017 Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. If you guys would like me to do a full review, let me know below and I'll do so. This book is probably going to be in y top books of 2017. Just calling it now. Over the past few month, since it's release, I've seen this book everywhere. I've had it on my shelf for a while, but I've been trying to wait till I was in the right mood, so I could take my time and enjoy it. See, that was the plan. I was supposed to take my time with it. However, I was sat down the following day after starting it, staring at the back of the back wishing for more. I was completely sucked into the story and didn't realise how quickly I was flying through it. It focuses on some really important topics, that some people tend to skip over or pretend aren't happening and I'm really happy that Angie decided to write a book and speak out about them. It features police brutality and racism, but also much more. The writing was brilliant and I found it easy to get into. The characters all had something about them and they felt so real. I loved seeing how some of Starr's family interacted with each other and how important family and community was to this story. Overall, this book has really opened my eyes and I'm grateful for that. I'm really looking forward to the movie being released and to see this story shown to more people. Rate - 5!!/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Hate-U-Give/9781406372151 Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Date Started - 22/8/2017 Date Finished - 22/8/2017 Synopsis: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. I decided I would finally give this a go, after having it on my shelf unread for a few months. The main reason I wanted to read it now is that the movie has come out into cinemas this month in the UK. I wanted to go see it, but I decided to read it first. I have to admit I didn't really like or dislike this book. I found it to be alright, but nothing really that special. I found the first half to be pretty slow, but after that I flew through and finished it within a few hours. I have heard things about this book being problematic, so I'm going to have a look back through and have a look again. Overall, it was okay, but I think I might've preferred the movie. I think I will try The Sun Is Also A Star because I've heard some quite good things about it and might end up enjoying it a bit more. Rate - 2.5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18692431-everything-everything?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Everything-Everything-Nicol-Yoon/9780552574235?ref=grid-view&qid=1504461174710&sr=1-1 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman Date Started - 23/8/2017 Date Finished - 27/8/2017 Synopsis: Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it. So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. His new self. Whomever this new Simon might be. But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. And that differences—like being a former vampire—are greatly looked down upon. At least Simon is trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D. Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. These ten short stories give an epilogue to the Mortal Instruments series and provide glimpses of what’s in store in the Dark Artifices. Well, now that I've finish TMI and TID, this was my next taste of the Shadowhunter Academy. Just like with any collection of short stories, I loved some and didn't really enjoy others. The ones in this sort of follow on from each other though and I enjoyed that. I was really looking forward to getting to this, but I think I might not have been in the right mood as I did struggle to get into it and I felt like I was having to push myself to carry on reading it. I tried to leave it and only read it when I wanted to, so I could avoid another reading slump. With the last few stories, I was actually wanting to carry on reading and I'm glad that I didn't push myself too hard to carry on. Also, I'm not sure if it's just me, but I struggled to see Simon as the right age in a few of the first stories. I kept feeling like he was younger than what he was. Overall, I enjoyed some stories and didn't with others. I am looking forward to starting The Dark Artifices series though and to see where it'll take me. Rate - 3.5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28954137-tales-from-the-shadowhunter-academy?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Tales-from-the-Shadowhunter-Academy/9781406373585 Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green Date Started - 25/8/2017 Date Finished - 25/8/2017 Synopsis: Like most kids, Katie was a picky eater. She'd sit at the table in silent protest, hide uneaten toast in her bedroom, listen to parental threats that she'd have to eat it for breakfast. But in any life a set of circumstance can collide, and normal behavior might soon shade into something sinister, something deadly. Lighter Than My Shadow is a hand-drawn story of struggle and recovery, a trip into the black heart of a taboo illness, an exposure of those who are so weak as to prey on the vulnerable, and an inspiration to anybody who believes in the human power to endure towards happiness. I received a copy through Netgalley and I have written a full review, which I'll link below when it's up. This is basically a graphic novel memoir of the author's, Katie Green, struggle with eating disorders (including Anorexia), being sexually assaulted, and depression as well as more. I'm glad Katie has come out and written a graphic novel about these subjects because they are so often hidden away. It is quite along graphic novel (500 + pages). It was a bit slow and I struggled to get into it at first. Overall, it was okay, but I struggled to get through it. If you want to hear more of my thought, make sure to read my review. Review - 3/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17456953-lighter-than-my-shadow?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Lighter-Than-My-Shadow/9780224090988 Full Spoiler-Free Review - Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green Date Started - 29/8/2017 Date Finished - 31/8/2017 Synopsis: Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is...Well, it's pure HELL. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos. I met Simon at the Manchester YA Cringe Panel and I was really excited to read Noah Can't Even after I heard him talk about it. It's one of those awkward contemporaries where nothing seems to go right for the main character. In this case, that was Noah. There was also more to this then just being a YA contemporary with an awkward protagonist, it's also a coming of age story as Noah has to decide what he's feeling and he also has quite a few family problems. This book covers it all. I found it super easy to get into and I was able to read it pretty quick. If I'd had more time to read it I probably would've finished it quicker. I began to really feel for Noah and I was rooting for him all along. The ending was a good one and I liked how things ended though I know there'll be more trouble in the sequel. Overall, I enjoyed it and am now quite looking forward to the sequel being released. Rate - 4/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33961524-noah-can-t-even?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Noah-Can-t-Even/9781407179940 Anyway, this is the end of my August wrap-up! I'm sorry for the long posts. I actually meant to keep it quite short and sweet, but then I just couldn't stop typing.
If you've read any of the books I've mentioned, let me know your thoughts below as well as how August was for you. I'm glad I managed to have a good reading month in August as September won't probably be as I go back to school and I'll be trying to get back into a routine. I'm going to try and carry on posting as regularly as I can because I've been doing quite well recently, though a lot of the posts have been book blitzes. I do have some more reviews coming soon though to mix things up a bit. Thanks for reading! BYE x
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AuthorHello and welcome to Books With Beth! I'm Beth and on this blog I share a mix of all my bookish thoughts through reviews, book tours and hauls. Have fun! Categories
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