June Wrap Up and July TBR

Read in June: Contemporary

June was a good month for me. It finished really strong. Although my favorite book of the month came at the beginning, I went through a stretch where I wasn't loving a lot of my reads. It was contemporary month and I have a bit of a tortured past with contemporary romances but I realized that I just need to pick the right ones and I will love them.

I'm also doing great on my challenges. I'm up t 67 books for the year which is 7 ahead of my goal to read 120 books for my Goodreads challenge. I read five books for the Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge and I am fast approaching my goal of 25 books. I'm also approaching my goal of reading at least 21 books on my TBR that I already own after reading two in June. I also read two debuts and have officially surpassed the goal of reading 12 debuts this year. I'm thinking of setting a new goal for myself of reading 20 debuts.

The Books:

1.) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

2.) The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker Rating: 7.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

3.) Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracey Deebs 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

4.) More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera Rating: 8 out of 10 [Full Review]

5.) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

6.) Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

7.) The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek by Seth Rudetsky 

Rating: 6 out of 10 [Full Review]

8.) Nil Unlocked by Lynne Matson Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

9.) Ana of California by Andi Teran Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

10.) The Fixer by Jennifer Lynne Barnes Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

11.) Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid Rating: 7 out of 10 

Full Review to Come

Other Posts:

BEA15 Recap

Crossing Over: Contemporary Romances

Audiobooks Month: My Top Five Audiobooks

Mini Review: Some Comics I've Read Recently

Waiting on Wednesday: Carry On 

Release Day Spotlight and Giveaway: Ana of California by Andi Teran

To Read in July: Historical Mysteries

I'm so excited for this month. Historical Mystery is one of my favorite subgenres, I mean it combines two of my favorite genres. Plus a few of the books I have planned are second books from an author I absolutely love.

1.) Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - Add to Goodreads
I destroyed this book this weekend. I mean that in the best possible way. It was amazing. Look for my review in a few days.

2.) Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George - Add to Goodreads
I started this one the other day and I'm more than halfway through it. I'm excited for a supernatural historical mystery set in Romania. It sounds really unique.

3.) The Watchmaker of Filligre Street by Natasha Pulley - Add to Goodreads
This is a book I saw on Goodreads and was like... I need that! It sounds like something I would love. London at the end of the 19th Century with an exploration of gender roles. Yup, need it!

4.) Armada by Ernest Cline - Add to Goodreads
This is not historical or fantasy but it comes out in July and it's Ernest Cline. Plus I got a copy at BEA so I gotta read it. I was going to wait for this audiobook but I'm not good at waiting.

5.) The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig - Add to Goodreads
I have heard good things about Lauren Willig. I have a friend who loves her Pink Carnation series. This is more traditional historical fiction but it's set in the 1920's and sounds fantastic.

6.) Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson - Add to Goodreads
I'm reading this BEA book a little early because it fits this month's theme. I'm so excited to read another book set in the Wild West, especially because this one has fantasy elements.

7.) A School for Unusual Girls by Kate Baldwin - Add to Goodreads

I'm a sucker for boarding school books, especially ones that sound like unique boarding schools. This one reminds me a bit of The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger which I loved.

8.) Tangled Webs by Lee Bross - Add to Goodreads
I'm still excited about this one even after seeing a few mixed reviews. I've been saving it to read during this month so I'm making it happen finally.

9.) The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth - Add to Goodreads

Kate Forsyth's book Bitter Greens was my favorite book of 2014 so obviously I had to preorder and read this one. I'm so excited for another one of her historical fairy tales. Her writing is just so beautiful.

10.) The Diviners by Libba Bray - Add to Goodreads
I absolutely love Libba Bray and I have no idea why I have waited this long to read The Diviners. But with Lair of Dreams coming out next month I'm finally reading it.

11.) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - Add to Goodreads

I'm doing terrible with my goal to read 10 classics this year. I did well the first few months but missing a few months I'm getting back into it in July.

12.) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - Add to Goodreads

Okay so when I realized that I wasn't going to wait for the Armada audiobook I needed one to take it's place. I bought a copy of this about a year ago and still haven't listen to it. It fits this month's theme so why not.

What did you read in June? What do you plan to read in July? Have you read any of the books on my TBR. What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

May Wrap Up and June TBR

Read in May: Adventure/Survival

May was another great reading month for me in May. This was supposed to be my freebie month but when I looked at what I planned to read, I realized it basically had a theme. I cannot avoid the themes it appears. So I read a total of eleven books relating to adventure and survival. In general I really enjoyed most of these books they were really fantastic reads. A few even blew me away but a few also didn't work.

And once again I am doing fantastic with my reading challenges. I have read a total of 55 books so far this year my Goodreads Challenge. I'm up to 18 books for the Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge having read 4 books this month. I'm up to 11 books total for the Debut Author Challenge having read two this month (I'm actually one book away from finishing the challenge). And I'm up to 12 books for the TBR Pile Challenge having read 4 books that I already owned before the year began. 

The Books:

1.) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Rating: 8 out of 10 [Full Review]

2.) The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

3.) The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson 

Rating: 5 out of 10 [Full Review]

4.) Legend by Marie Lu Rating: 8.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

5.) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 

Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

6.) Hold Me Like a Breathe by Tiffany Schmidt 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

7.) Prodigy by Marie Lu Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

8.) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

9.) Uprooted by Naomi Novik Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [Full Review]

10.) Champion by Marie Lu Rating: 9 out of 10 [Full Review]

11.) The Martian by Andy Weir Rating: 10 out of 10 Full Review to Come

Other Posts:

Waiting on Wednesday - This Monstrous Thing, Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning, BEA Edition

My Thoughts Figuratively - Why I'm a Plot-Driven Reader

To Read in June: Contemporary

I can't believe that I am doing a contemporary month. If you had told me a year ago that I would not have only loved some contemporary reads but that I'm devoting a whole month to it, I wouldn't have believed you. But after loving Since You've Been Gone and Simon Vs. plus the looks at some contemps coming out this summer I'm doing it. Here is my plan.

1.) The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker - Add to Goodreads

So this is not contemporary, it's fantasy. But I'm excited to read it. I've heard some good things so I was glad to get a copy from Netgalley and BEA

2.) Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracey Deebs - Add to Goodreads

This is a total "me book." Another fantasy and this one has an MC who doesn't have any powers in a world of superheroes and supervillains.

3.) More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera - Add to Goodreads

I'm really excited about this debut with a diverse MC who is a person of color and LGBTQ. I've heard good things so I snagged a copy at BEA.

4.) Those Girls by Lauren Saft - Add to Goodreads

I received this from the NOVL newsletter and it sounds like an interesting contemp that's been compared to Mean Girls. I've seen some mixed reviews but I'm going to give it a try and see what I think.

5.) Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone - Add to Goodreads

I'm picky about my contemporary novels but I love coming of age stories and this seems like an interesting MC who might be a bit of an unrelaiable narrator.

6.) The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek by Seth Rudetsky - Add to Goodreads

I'm a big fan of Broadway (my cat is named after a Les Mis character) and I know Seth Rudetsky and his humor. I'm excited to read a book written by him.

7.) The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Add to Goodreads

Barnes has been on my TBR list for while and this sounds like an absolutely amazing mystery/thriller. It'll be good to shake things up a little too this month.

8.) Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid - Add to Goodreads

I picked a copy of this up at BEA because it sounds really fantastic. I love the coming of age story idea and I'm excited to try Adi Alsaid's books because I know a lot of people loved his debut.

9.) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Add to Goodreads

I already listened to this audiobook and it is fantastic and beautiful.

10.) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Add to Goodreads

I asked you all to pick one of my contemp reads for this month and you picked this. Everyone is such a fan of this book and this series. I got a copy from my Secret Sister so I'm reading it.

11.) NIL Unlocked by Lynne Matson - Add to Goodreads

I planned to read this book last month but I never got a copy and with BEA I ended up listening to a second audiobook instead of this. It needs to happen in June.

12.) Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - Add to Goodreads

I am so freaking excited for this book. I loved Julie's debut and the idea of a plus size beauty pageant consultant makes me so excited I may puke.

Those are the books I plan to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think:? Do you plan on reading any of them? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!