It’s time for my monthly run-down on books I read over the past month. I ended up reading 9 books in August, bringing my total books read to 60. It was hard to pick a favorite book because I read so many great ones! But I would say Maybe Someday was my favorite, and Code Name Verity was my least favorite.

1. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes – 4.5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel because I have high standards for Jojo Moyes’ books. Me Before You stands as one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve yet to read a book that has touched me in the same way.  But I’ve also read The Girl You Left Behind, and I didn’t care for that one all that much. So she either hits it out of the ballpark with me or falls incredibly short of my expectations. This book? Definitely a favorite! I just completely adored all of the characters and the plot was so interesting to me. I love this author so much.

2. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover – 5 stars

This was my first Colleen Hoover book (many of my friends adore her!), and I can easily see why she is such a beloved author. This was a sweet romance that went so much deeper than your usual YA romance. There was so much emotion, so much maturity, so much depth. It was a book I just couldn’t put down and had a major book hangover when I finished it. I can’t wait to read more from her!

3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – 3 stars

I read this for book club and was even the one who suggested it because I had heard nothing but rave reviews of the novel. And I have no idea why people love this novel so much. I was so bored by it, though the last half saved it from being a truly awful novel. I feel like I missed something because I didn’t even like this book, much less love it. Meh.

4. Landline by Rainbow Rowell – 4 stars

Rainbow Rowell is one of my new favorite authors. I just adore her writing. This novel was a bit of a departure from the love stories I’m used to reading from her, but it was still a wonderful story. While it’s probably not my favorite Rowell novel (Attachments forever holds the #1 place in my heart), she can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to her novels. My only criticism was that I wish Rowell had made Georgie’s husband a bit more likable. It was hard to root for their marriage to make it because he seemed so whiny at times. Still, a wonderful novel that made me happy sigh when I finished it.

5. Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins – 4 stars

I’m rereading Kristan Higgins’ books because I love this author so, so much. Her books just make me so darn happy! They are lighthearted, romantic, funny, and sweet. They feature awesome main characters that have depth and spunk and a cast of secondary characters that you can’t help but love. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite novel of hers (I wanted more from the love story), but it was still a very good read.

6. Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker – 2.5 stars

I didn’t love this book. I read it slowly, during bouts on cardio equipment at the gym. It never truly captured my interest, and I felt that the characters were two-dimensional and some of their actions were inconsistent. And I felt that the sex scenes were just… kinda gross? I dunno. I felt like the author tried too hard to be RACY and SMUTTY, and it just fell flat.

7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – 4 stars

If there has ever been a fictional character that I have most closely identified with, it is Cath in Fangirl. She is fantastic. Although I wish my freshman year at college evolved as hers did! Alas, my life is not a cute YA novel, and my whole year was awful and miserable. I can’t tell you how many days I called my mom crying because I hated it so much. But. I digress. This book was good! Everything Rainbow Rowell writes is good. She’s just wonderful. I will say that as much as I wanted to give this book 5 stars, the Simon Snow parts were very boring and I didn’t feel added much to the novel. And now I have read all of Rowell’s novels and I am a sad, sad panda.

8. The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas – 4 stars

I think this book might be my favorite one of Kleypas’ yet! This is the third book in her Wallflowers series and follows Evie’s story as she proposes marriage to notorious rake Viscount Sebastian St. Vincent. I loved their relationship and seeing it grow. I adored Evie and seeing her mature throughout the pages. Just. Fantastic. So fantastic.

9. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins – 5 stars

Gosh, Stephanie Perkins is perfection. I love, love, love sweet YA romances. They are just such a nice escape. I couldn’t get enough of Isla and Josh. They were adorable, I loved how much they loved each other. I finished this book in under 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t really want to do anything except read the book, and then, when I finished it, I was in a book hangover fog that took a while to get out of. All signs of a fabulous novel!

What was the best book you read in August?

I had a wonderful reading month! In July, I read 9 books, bringing my total for the year up to 51 books and way, way ahead of schedule to read 75 books this year. I know I won’t be able to read 100 books, but maybe 90? That would be awesome! My favorite book I read this month was The Theory of Opposites and my least favorite was Executive Protection.

1. The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich – 2 stars

I reviewed this book on my blog for TLC Book Tours. I wasn’t a fan and my reasons why are apparent in the review.

2. Executive Protection by Jennifer Morey – 1 star

There were so many things about this book that I didn’t like that it’s hard to know where to start, but my Goodreads review lays it out very nicely. There was a lack of emotion in the writing, plot lines that were so unbelievable (and the plot line of a Harlequin novel is already pretty unbelievable) they made me laugh, and just… the writing wasn’t very good. It’s hard to be so critical of a novel when I sit here as someone who has not published a book, but I have to be honest, right? It had potential, but the writing was too weak.

3. The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring – 4.5 stars

We read this novel for book club and it was such a great read. I think we all gave it a high rating. I really love books that are set in the South and take place in the 50s or 60s. There is just something special about that time period for me. This book has a nine-year-old protagonist, which can sometimes be a detriment to a novel but it really worked for this one. It felt really authentic. This was the type of book that reminded me why I love to read so much. Stories like this make it all worth it.

4. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White* – 3 stars

This was one of the books on my reading list. I think I may have read this when I was younger, but I wasn’t sure if I had. It was a super quick read, and I’ll admit that I skimmed a lot of it because the language was written at an elementary level. I’m sure if I was eight, I would have adored the book but reading it at 26? It was okay, but I could see why it is so beloved.

5. The Publicist by Christina George – 3 stars

I’d seen this book being reviewed by other bloggers – and they all gave rave reviews – so when I found out this book and the next book in the series were on sale for $1.99, I snatched them up. Honestly, I didn’t really love it. While it was interesting to get an insider’s view into the world of book publishing, I was really underwhelmed by the writing and the plot. There is an infidelity aspect and the author really tries to get the reader on her side to root for the romance, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t feel any passion, and the characters felt very underdeveloped. And, please, for the love of everything holy and good of romance novels, never, ever, ever, ever, ever refer to making love as a “sexual storm.” No. Never. Do not. Ever. Stop. STAAAAAHP.

6. The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch – 5 stars

Oh, my heavens, did I love this book. I actually spent an entire Saturday morning and part of the afternoon snuggled in my bed, reading the second half of the novel because I loved it so much and couldn’t put it down for anything. It’s chick lit, but the main character never made me roll my eyes by being flighty and stupid. She had her issues (don’t we all?), but I really love the way the plot moved along. And I was super, super satisfied with the ending. A must-read, in my opinion!

7. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner – 4 stars

WELP. I must say, I think I am becoming a Jennifer Weiner fan. The first few novels I read I didn’t love (Best Friends Forever being one I had to abandon), but I’ve read quite a few more since then and I’ve grown to love her writing style. Her books have the right amount of character development, smart dialogue, and a plot that makes me happy and sad. I’m a fan!

8. Shelf Life by Christina George – 2 stars

I wasn’t keen on reading the second novel in George’s series because I thought her first novel (above) was just okay. But I paid for my copy and I was going to read it! I was hoping for a better story, but this one was even more underwhelming than the first. It was suuuper boring and I thought about abandoning it multiple times (never a good sign!). I didn’t love the push-pull of the love triangle. I didn’t love the writing. I didn’t love the ending.

9. Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman – 5 stars

I’m writing a review for TLC Book Tours on this novel that will be up in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for my thoughts on this one!

How many books did you read in July? What time period and/or setting do you love to read about the most?

*Part of my Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Happy Fourth of July to my American readers! I have an easy morning and afternoon planned, and then around 3pm, I’m heading over to my uncle’s house (he lives mere steps from the beach!) to celebrate the holiday with a barbecue and walking down to the beach to watch the fireworks. I’ve skipped the fireworks for a few years now (since I always had to work the next day), so I’m excited to see the show!

Today, I have an easy reading recap for you! I read 7 books in June, bringing my total books read in 2014 to 42. I’m currently 5 books ahead of my goal to read 75 books, which I’m happy about! At this rate, I should be able to read at least 80 books this year. Wahoo!

It was hard to pick my favorite book I read this month, but I think I enjoyed The Edge of Normal the most. My least favorite read was Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which is one of the books on my reading challenge list for this year. I really wasn’t a fan and only finished because of the challenge.

Let’s dive into the reviews!

1. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells – 2 stars*

This book was really hard for me to get into, and at the end of it, I found I didn’t really enjoy it. There were a ton of interesting themes at play (mother/daughter relationships, friendships, mental illness, etc.), but I never felt a connection to the story. I didn’t like Sidda all that much, and I really didn’t like Vivi. I felt like the language was super cheesy and very overdone (how many descriptions of a character’s clothing does one book need?). I went into this book knowing it was well-loved and expecting to enjoy it, but it just fell flat for me.

2. The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton – 4 stars

I loved this book. It reminded me of Gone Girl a bit because of the thriller aspect and not knowing what would happen next. But with likable characters! At times, it was hard to read because it involved many tough themes, such as captivity, rape, and abuse. But I zipped through this book, even staying up late one night to finish it because I couldn’t put it down! I definitely recommend this book!

3. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen – 4 stars*

Oh, gosh, I really liked this book a whole lot more than I thought I would! I never saw the movie when it came out (I was only 12, after all), but I really want to see it after reading the book! It was a really quick read, as it’s only around 160 pages long and some of those pages involve medical transcripts from Kaysen’s time in the hospital. I wish there had been more chapters involving Kaysen’s time in the hospital and the other patients there because I found that so incredibly fascinating. It was not as dark and twisty as I thought it would be, but instead, shed a light on mental illness and psych wards.

4. In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig – 4 stars

This was a really cute romance novel. I truly enjoyed it. It was entirely predictable and you could easily tell what was going to happen from the start, but I didn’t mind that. There were some things that happened that made me want to shake the character because she was being so ridiculous, but, all in all, a super cute novel.

5. Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann – 4 stars

This book (I think it’s the 16th in Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series) involved the continuing story of two of my all-time favorite book characters, Sam and Alyssa. Those who read this series probably feel the same way about these two. There is just something about them. And I got to read some scenes with my other two favorite book characters – Robin and Jules – so, safe to say, this was a book I wanted to keep reading forever and ever and ever amen. What can I say that I haven’t already said about Brockmann’s books? They’re top-notch, have the best writing, and there is always a crazy plot twist at the end. Another great novel from her!

6. He Found Me by Whitney Barbetti – 3 stars

I was really excited to read this book since it was written by a blog friend of mine! It was an enjoyable book, but it was a little slow-moving in parts. I also expected more twists and turns due to the description of the book (I thought there would be more of a mystery element). All in all, though, I thought the writing was fantastic and it was a really great debut novel. I can’t wait to read more from her!

7. Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah – 3 stars

This was an okay read. I think I had a really hard time connecting to the characters because they are in such a different stage of life than me (late forties, married for 20+ years, two kids who are in college). The wife realizes she’s spent more time focusing on her family and making sure they are happy than herself and what makes her happy. It wasn’t my favorite book from her, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this one.

*Part of my Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

What was the best book you read in June?