ARC August Wrap-Up

I can’t believe it’s already the last day of August! This entire summer has gone by way too quickly – my Facebook feed this morning has been inundated with back-to-school photos. I’m not too disappointed though, after all, Fall is my favorite time of year.

This month my ARC August wrap-up will be taking the place of my usual monthly reads post, and since I’m transitioning into reviewing pretty much everything I read those monthly posts will probably be looking a little different from now on anyway. I just haven’t decided exactly how they will look. Fotunately, I have one more month to think of that.

I would have to say my very first ARC August was pretty successful. I went into it with the goal of reading 8 ARCS and I managed to finish 11, which is actually really good for any month of reading. If I can only keep up that pace, maybe I would actually be able to make progress on that ever-growing TBR pile!

Read in August:

Reviews for the following books may be found by scrolling through the ARC August Category:

• Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
• The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick
• Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
• In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
• The Fold by Peter Clines
• Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz
• The Thing About the Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

These reviews will be coming in September:

• The Lost Girl by R.L. Stine
• Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Look for these reviews in October:

• We’ll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean
• After Alice by Gregory Maguire

Currently Reading:

Since August is basically over, I can branch out into non-ARC titles, though most of my reading for September will probably still be ARCs as I have several coming out in the next couple months that I want to get read.

I have a bad habit of never being able to read just one book at a time. I always have at least three books being read at once. (Technically four at the moment in you count the battered paperback that goes everywhere with me just in case I find myself stuck somewhere unexpectedly and need something to read.) Here are the books I am actively reading at this moment:

Red Rising by Pierce Brown – This was my book club’s pick for September. I’m less than 100 pages in, but it’s intriguing so far. I’ve read a lot of good reviews about it as well.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – I had heard so many interesting things about this book I couldn’t resist picking up the ARC when it showed up at work. So far it’s living up to the hype.

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone – I really knew nothing of this book before Netgalley emailed me a recommendation. It sounded like a fun read for a nerd, so I’m giving it a chance.

September Reading List:

I was so successful sticking to my ARC August reading plan, that I’m going to try to come up with a planned reading list on a month-by-month basis and see what happens. So here are the books I’m hoping to finish in September (in addition to those I’m already reading):

• Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas – I don’t think I need to tell you why this book is on my reading list.
• The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich – I’ve been hearing so much about this book I just had to request an eARC. I can’t wait to check it out.
• The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra – I’m not at all familiar with this author, but the book sounded really interesting.
• The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson – This is the first in a series of modernized retellings of Shakespeare by various author. The Gap of Time is based on The Winter’s Tale.
• The Witches by Stacy Schiff – This is a nonfiction book about the Salem Witch Trials, which I’m very excited to read and learn more about my 8x-Great-Grandmother, Mary Esty.
• In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware – This ARC has been passed around at work and so far almost everyone has loved it. Now it’s my turn.

That’s a rather ambitious reading list for September, but it’s still fewer than I read in August, so we’ll see how far I get. If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on what books I’m reading you can also find me on Goodreads.