Hello friends of the Internet,
it seems like I have been in a state of “autumn blues” lately; I just can’t believe that summer is already over. I’ll miss you, sun!
Today I woke up feeling proud of myself. Those who have been following this blog for a while now know that reading is not merely a hobby to me – it’s a passion that I love with all my heart. So being able to read so many of the books on my TBR list this summer was a pretty big achievement for me, one that led to me waking up happy today.
As some of you might know, I am an avid Goodreads user and love sharing my thoughts and opinions on books there. I try to write a review for every single book I read because let’s face it – sometimes you forget if you liked a book or not years later. And in my case, with friends asking my opinions on books all the time, being able to recall my thoughts via my old reviews is very useful.
To give this list a little twist, I went through my reviews of the books I read this summer and picked out a line that I thought was fitting for the given book. (YES, I am quoting myself😎) If you have read any of the books listed below, be sure to tell me your own opinion on them, I’d love to know!
SUMMER 18 READING LIST
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
“I found it to be quite okay, good even towards the end. And gosh, I HATED that every few pages there was a different variation of the word ‘sneer’.”
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
“OH MY FREAKING GOD I AM UTTERLY SPEECHLESS hdkdododbkcocueisoisb”
Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake
” I really enjoyed both of these short stories. Can’t wait for the third book to come out!”
A Court Of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
“This isn’t Sarah’s best work, especially regarding her writing, yet it was still enjoyable to me because I got to connect with my favourite characters again.”
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
“I was not prepared for the heavy emotions that would overcome me when reading this, nor for the many, many tears that I spilt.”
Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
“I would definitely recommend this, not only to lovers of thrillers, but also to people who don’t usually read books like this.”
Sharp Objekts by Gillian Flynn
“I don’t know how I feel right now. Stunned. Shocked. Horrified. Impressed.”
Tattletale by Sarah J. Naughton
“The build-up was the best part about this book but when it finally came to its peak, I found it to be pretty anticlimactic.”
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
“It isn’t a story that stands out a whole bunch but damn, I do like a cute romance once in a while.”
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
“If you’re like me and you like interpreting and seeking to discover and understand a deeper meaning, then this book could turn out to be one of your new favourites. It certainly has become one of mine.”
Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook
“Contrary to other people’s (aparently 4 or 5 star) opinions, I did not like this poetry book very much. I just….can’t with this book.”
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
“Reading this so far has been like trying to unterstand that one friend who always talks in metaphors – I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.”
Dead Poets Society by N. H. Kleinbaum
“It’s really rare that I read the first 10 pages of a book and instantly know in my gut that I am going to love it.”
Love Her Wild – Atticus
“This was mostly a collection of rewritten quotes straight out of Tumblr. And while it may look beautiful, there isn’t really any substance there upon closer observation.”
The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
“I still absolutely love this book. Reading it again, getting to read about Lucy, one of my favourite characters ever, again was something I didn’t even know I needed that much until now.” *
*(check out my full review on this book here)
Sticky Situation 
I remember reading The Lovely Bones when I was younger and sobbing my eyes out at it. I was old enough to understand what rape was but still young enough that it affected me pretty badly. I think the person that lent me the book didn’t realize exactly what the book was about! I actually almost purchased one of Atticus’ books for a friend the other day so reading this, I am so glad I didn’t. Are you a fan of Rupi Kaur at all? xx
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The Lovely Bones definitely hits hard. It’s actually why I’ve still not watched the film – I need a little break before I can revisit that story again. Have you seen it?
I know a lot of people who absolutely love Atticus and all of his work, I think it’s a matter of what type of poetry you’re looking for. His is Instagram poetry through and through and I just couldn’t connect to his words, nor did they really strike me in an interesting way. The book is beautiful though. Rupi is one of those modern day poets where I’m kind of in the middle. I watched her TED-talk, started to watch interviews with her and really liked what I was seeing. I started to read Milk&Honey and it all just fell a little flat for me. I guess in terms of poetry I find her to be “okay”. Definitely overrated and overhyped in my opinion, but I applaud her for trying to spread the messages she does. She seems like a wonderful human being. What about you? xx
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I have seen the film and I actually found it easier to watch than reading the book because it doesn’t show the rape and death, it is just implied.
My friend loves Rupi Kaur so I bought a book recommended to me of lovers of Rupi Kaur for her birthday and so I was curious as to whether my friend would love Atticus’ poetry as well, being a lover of Rupi Kaur.
I do not know much about Rupi Kaur other than the beautiful poetry I see on Instagram. I will definitely have to check out her Ted Talk as I love Ted Talks. My personal favourite at the moment is Lucie Fink’s. xx
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Oh really, that’s good to know. I was already mentally preparing for the worst. I love TED talks too! A friend of mine just alerted me to the fact that they have a daily podcast, I’m so excited to give it a listen! I’ve been following Lucie’s journey for years now and she’s a truly inspiring and hard working person – a total girl boss! I saw her talk too and thought it was amazing. xx
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i love that you quoted yourself, definitely iconic x
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LOL😂x
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I read The Waves when I was fourteen and absolutely loved it!! It was one of the first books that got me into classics and it is still one of my favorites to this day!
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That’s so great! I wish I would have been into classics at that age. I’m only now really starting to appreciate them more and more. It’s actually one of my goals to read more of them! Have you read any of Virginia’s other books?
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Unfortunately I haven’t read any of Virginia’s other books. Although, in terms of classics, you should definitely check out Pride and Prejudice, Peter Pan, and The Sorrows Of Young Werther. After The Waves, those three are my absolute favorites!
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I read Pride and Prejudice when I was super young and have been wanting to re-read it for years. I just feel like I didn’t appreciate it enough. A friend of mine is also in LOVE with Peter Pan, so I’ll definitely have to read it (she wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t 😂) . Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it!
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Of course!!
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oOOOh I see three of my favourite authors here! The Hating Game is forever one of my fave reads, perfect lil summer fun read. I love Sarah J Maas, but I haven’t actually read her latest (although I have a lot of flights coming up so might be time to change that!) and Gillian Flynn honestly blows me away with her books. I know it’s basic bitch but Gone Girl will forever be a “I can reread you ANYTIME” book! Great reading list girly and I loved the little snippets from the reviews – it’s a great way to get a quick feel for how you enjoyed the books!xx
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If you read Sarah’s most recent works, definitely hit me up and tell me your thoughts on them – I’d love to hear them. Do you know that she actually recently came out with her own version of Catwoman? The book was released a short while ago and I have been dying to read it. And thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed this (a little unusual) format of book reviews! xx
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There are so many books on here, that I’ve been wanting to read for ages. Into the Water, Dead Poets Society, The Hating Game.
I always look forward to posts about the books you read, because I get some amazing recommendations off of them. I actually read Lolita after reading your post on it, and I loved the book so much (though it did leave me just..wOoOa. I can’t explain that *sigh*)
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I never knew that you read it because of me! That so nice to hear, wow. I’m kind of proud of myself, I mean I basically try to convert everyone in my life into a book nerd anyway so that I can talk to them about books 😂 And Lolita is definitely a book that leaves you speechless… In a very weird way. And oh my god, Arshia, I’m telling you right now – you’ll LOVE Dead Poet’s Society. I just know you will.
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SO. MANY. BOOKS. Honestly sometimes I think we’ve all gotta quote ourselves, right? There’s so many of my TBR here, I took a break from reading over the past couple of months (not enough hours in the day) but I miss it so much, this makes me want to get back into it even more – I need to finish the Throne of Glass series!! xx
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I know, reading is so time-consuming (but totally worth it). I try to get some reading time every day, even if it’s just a few pages. And I have been savoring the most recent Throne Of Glass book, I just don’t want the series to end 😦 xx
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My goal was to catch up with them all by October but clearly that did NOT happen hahaha xx
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Loooool but in a way I envy you because you still have more of the story to read!
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Damn girl! I wish I could read as many books as you have! I only read a small portion of what you do for the whole year! You make me want to push myself to read more frequently. I’ve read Lovely Bones a long time ago, and I thought that was a good read! I haven’t read Sharp Objects at all, but I just finished the HBO series, and hell, that’s a good one!
Natalie | http://nataliesalchemy.wordpress.com
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A few years ago, I would read 1-2 books a week for the whole year, so kind of getting back into that rhythm was so rewarding. That’s what not having a phone for a month will do for you🤷♀️ If the HBO series (with Amy Adams, right?!) is as horrifyingly shocking as the book, then I’m definitely all in.
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that’s amazing. I aspire to do that one day haha. Maybe, I, too should give up my phone lol. Yes, with Amy Adams! And, it is! Not only that, but the cinematography and music score makes it an art piece, well at least for me 😉
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Daaaamn I really want to see it now, like asap
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haha well if you do, let me know what you think of it 🙂
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I really wanna read the dead poets society dude. Loved reading this by the way!
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You’ll love it! It’s one of those books where you just understand instantly why it’s considered a classic. I’m happy you did!
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Definitely gonna check it out next time I see it!
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