How on earth is it September tomorrow? Come one, can’t we have one more month of summer? Please? I blinked and August was over. I didn’t get as much done as I wish I had. But hey, it was a great month for books!
Life Things
I passed a major test for school! Bring out the ice cream and the confetti! After a kerfluffle over which test I was actually supposed to take (hot tip, double check before you book…) I was able to reschedule and take the right one. I was a little nervous, okay a lot nervous, because there is a lot riding on this test. Not to worry, I passed, and I don’t ever have to think about it again. Phew.
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I am still holding on to the warm weather, even though September is only hours away. I love summer. The languid days of heat and sunshine cooled by iced tea and frozen yogurt. The long evenings to sit outside with a cup of tea and a book, the adventures we can go on without worrying about freezing. I could go on and on. But the bottom line is that I am not ready for fall. Thankfully, where I live summer fights on for another few weeks before surrendering to autumn.
Music to Obsess Over
The artist on repeat this month was Livingston. His lyrics are achingly beautiful and true to life. He tends to sing about melancholy things, which I like anyway. Like breakups, wanting to help a person struggling with depression, and feeling like he has to do it all. One of my favorites is a song about his childhood love of Pixar, and how he is trying to grow beyond the fairy tales they spun on the screen. Do yourself a favor and go listen to it. Just do it.
Lovely Stories
I read all of four books this month. Fantastic I know. However, they were all pretty good books, so I think it turned out fine. Quality over quantity here.
This book came highly recommended by a good friend of mine, and won multiple awards at Realm Makers. So why not?
The setting is based on Mesoamerican cultures, and the author does a great job in weaving a world true to history, yet with a fantasy spin. I was fascinated with the Mayan culture growing up, and I thought she did a wonderful job with staying true to history. Also, the main character is the best empathetic character I have ever read. It didn’t feel forced, or that the author was shoving this trait into my face. It felt so natural to the character, and I appreciated how her empathy was used to connect with other characters, yet to also create tension as she is feeling what others are feeling.
There is a massive case of insta love in the story. Their eyes meet and they are head over heels. I did not enjoy that part quite as much, nor the kissing scenes… But that really just isn’t my cup of tea, I know people who really enjoy the romantic shtuff.
I picked this one up at Realm Makers as well, purely because I really liked the other books the author had written. It did not disappoint! The premise of this novel is a dystopian society where everything is decided by popular vote. Including whether you should live or not… As a result, most people are really nice to each other. The main character is a Mask, the person who collects the people who have been voted out. He completely trusted the system, until it asks him to harm an innocent.
The whole world was really well drawn and portrayed, a ‘what if’ in society played out in all of its terror. World building is one of this authors strengths, and I was never lost when it came to the ins and outs of the technology and the society. The character is so conflicted between what he is beginning to believe is right and the system he has been following his entire life. Far from slogging the plot down, it propelled him forward to find things out, and make his mind up once and for all.
My favorite reads of the entire month. I am now caught up on the Murderbot diaries, and I am not sure how I feel about this. Can I go without the totally relatable sarcasm of murderbot?
The rundown of this series is that a Security Unit hacks his governor module and instead of going rogue and killing the human race, he decides to spend his time watching tv shows. And the whole series is him torn between catching up on his favorite shows and saving his friends from danger. Who totally aren’t his friends. Absolutely not.
If you are ever uncomfortable in social situations, if people every confuse you, or if you ever felt like hiding from the world and rewatching your favorite show, you will relate to this character. So go read it, and don’t sue me for the stitch in your side you will get from laughing.
So tell me…
How did your summer treat you? Get anything interesting read this last month/season? I hope you all have a lovely day!
Shaina Merrick
The Beauty of a Story 