Three
months and three weeks, 112 days. That is how long it has been since my last
blog post. At least it has not been 3 years like last time. Small improvements.
July was the last month of my twenties and this month I will enter my thirties.
Time flies! I am thankful for the time I have been blessed with and pray that
God will use the rest days for His glory!
July Highlights:
Movies-
My
family and I enjoyed Hallmark's Christmas in July all month long and still have
a few movies on DVR to finish. The standouts for me were:
Write Before Christmas
Double Holiday, (this one was a surprise favorite)
Picture A Perfect
Christmas
Music-
Taylor Swift-Folklore
(Clean) 8/10
What about I like most
about Taylor Swift music is her story telling and song crafting. Her
newest release surprised me. When I first listened, I was not a fan. The songs
quickly grew on me and keep the relaxing tunes on repeat most days. I like all the
songs except seven and betty. My favorite tracks
include the duet with Bon Iver exhile and the 1.
Favorite lyrics:
“I think I’ve seen this film before,
and I didn’t like the ending. You’re not my homeland anymore, so what am I
defending now?” – exhile
“And if my wishes came true, it would've been you. But it
would've been fun
If you would've been
the one.” – the 1
Books-
I
love how books transport me to different times and places, introduce me to
casts of unforgettable characters, and invite me on incredible adventures.
Part of the joy of reading is sharing stories with others. I follow many inspiring
Bookstagram accounts and am excited to start sharing posts of my own. I made a
little progress on my TBR (to be read) list this past month but ended up adding
more books than I completed. It is a good problem to have. I used unique
notebooks to record my thoughts of each story and different bookmarks
inspired by each read.
Here
are my currently shelved books, a mixture of TBR and favorite reads. I have
four bookcases in all, not counting my devotional bookcase. Any guess on how
many are on these pictured shelves?
The first book I began
reading in July was Kringle by Tony Abbott.
Kringle... The title, cover art, and gold-rimmed pages of this
book, paired with my sister's recommendation, earned this story a spot on my
TBR list.
The origins of a legendary
Christmas tale began by introducing readers to a boy known simply as Kringle.
Ripped from the only home he has ever known one night, Kringle embarks on a
journey that uncovers the truth of his past while preparing him for his
destiny.
What I
liked:
Book Beauty-The cover art,
illustrations, and gold-rimmed pages of my copy are beautiful and assisted in
bringing Kringle's world to life.
Kringle's character-I am
not a huge fan of stories with males as the lead character, but I enjoyed
Kringle's optimism, imagination, and overall goodness.
Supporting Cast-I loved the
pirate warriors being portrayed as positive characters instead of being given
the role of villain. The little girl Mari was another of my favorites. I am not
sure what her purpose was in the story other than to bring joy to everyone,
including readers. Last, but furthest from the least, were the elves! I'm
partial to elven characters at the moment, especially the jubilant, kind, brave
magical creatures in this story.
His-story: Discovering
the backstories of well-known holiday traditions was interesting. I also
enjoyed the Christian references.
Finally, the identity of
the narrator was a surprise. An unexpected twist is always nice.
What I
did not like:
Alban's character- I found
his wining annoying.
I was also not a fan of the
magic of the runes and the author's use of repetition throughout the story.
Rating and
Recommendation: Overall I give this story a 3/5, targeted for readers in
the 13-15 year age range. If I had read this story when my sister first
recommended it many years ago, my final review may have differed. A good one-time
read.
The Second book I
completed in July was While the Clock Ticked by Franklin W. Dixon,
book 11 in the Hardy Boys Mystery series.
"Great Jumping Irishmen!" This was an actual
quote from this book. Apparently, it was a common saying when the story was
originally published in 1932. I enjoy the unique vocabularies of different
eras. The Hardy Boys series is a nostalgic read for me. The characters are
well-loved, but this mystery was not one of my favorites. It was an easy enough
read and not one of the worst I have read. I liked that Chet was the hero of
the story multiple times and the cover art was intriguing. But the rest of the
story was all over the place and did not connect well. The conclusion seemed
rushed and unbelievable. Still, I look forward to the next mystery in the
series. 3/5
Book number three for
July was Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn.
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters is a cleverly written, fast
paced read. Twins Ingrid and Giselle, only identical in their appearance, won
me over early in the story and had me rooting for them until the surprising
end! This book became a favorite that I look forward to reading again in the
future, along with many other stories by this author that I plan to add to my
TBR shelf. 4/5 Stars.
The final book I read
this past month was Crown Princess Academy by A. J. Flowers.
Crown Princess Academy, was not what I expected. The main
characters and plot was darker than the beautiful colorful cover eludes too. I
enjoyed the face pace of the story, likable characters, and quick humor.
Although I knew there would be a cliff hanger, I was left disappointed by the
conclusion. I feel like so much more should have happened before the end;
mostly the connections between the "love" interest. Yes, I was
rooting for one suitor over the other by the ending, but lust does not equal
love. Other than some stolen kisses and physical attraction, relationships were
not really developed. Still, I want to read what happens next when the sequel
is released Summer 2021. Rating 3.5/5
Next on TBR List for
August are these beauties:
What new reads do you
plan on checking out this August?
