#SignedBookSundays August Monthly Wrap Up

Crushed on by Kelly BookCrushin, on September 2, 2021, in Blogging, Book Recommendations, It's Personal / 0 Comments

#SBS August Monthly Wrap-Up

Welcome to our monthly feature where we talk about what we read, adopted into our libraries, and what’s on our minds. After hosting #SignedBookSundays on instagram for 4+ years, we are transitioning to this format as a way to share signed books and talk about bookish (and personal) highlights. Join us the last Sunday or last day of every month!

What We Read

Kelly: I didn’t read as nearly many books in August as I did in July, but technically…my pages read is pretty decent comparatively (like about 1500 less but I read 13 books in July vs. 6 in August!).

Suns Will Rise by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell – the epic conclusion to the space opera, System Divine trilogy – did not disappoint! There is a new box set releasing on September 21st, so if you are interested this is the way to buy!
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar – fake dating tropes are always fun and this one has some good descriptions of toxic friendships and religious stereotyping.
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen – Yes, I read two sapphic fake dating plots back to back, enjoyed them both!
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – getting my spooky on early, and I ain’t mad, this was a mind fucker for sure!

Christy: I think this might be my lowest read month in 6 years? Sheesh. You’d think being on vacation would have given me more time to read but yeah, no. Also, Kelly and I read several of the same books haha.

A Lesson in Vengeanace by Victoria Lee: Look, I almost passed this book up because the cover says fantasy and we all know I don’t read a synopsis. But watching the internet rally to support this book piqued my interest. What a mistake missing out on this book would have been. Put it on your fall TBR. It’s a mindfuck.
Surive the Night by Riley Sager: Yes, we are doing spooky season right. Never miss a Riley book and this one was different than the last two!
Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond: I loved it? Fun banter and cute romance. Yes.
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams: I started this book before it came out and kept getting sidetracked. That is NOT an indication of the quality of this book, which was fantastic. Stacey Abrams showcases a hole in our justice system that is absolutely terrifying and all too real!
In Every Generation by Kendare Blake – Kelly and I read this with our friend, Sarah, and the nostalgia was REAL.

What We Hauled

You too can be obsessed with signed books, look here for where to buy a copy from your favorite author’s local indie or preorder incentives that include bookplates.

Kelly’s Highlights

ARCs:

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta – queer bakery and sprinkle in some extra magic, yes please! – October 12th (courtesy of Candlewick Press)
Battle of the Bands anthology – Sixteen stories all revolving around their HS Battle of the Bands event! – September 14th (courtesy of Candlewick Press)
Act Cool by Tobly McSmith – Aspiring teen actor wants to transition but worries about acceptance. – September 7th (courtesy of the author giveaway/Quill Tree Books)
Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes – Gay teen wants to go to prom, but school refuses due to an incident in 1985, and boom teen is transported to 1985! – November 2nd (courtesy of Bloomsbury YA)
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes – This is an adult sci-fi horror and yes I am excited! – January 25th 2022 (courtesy of the author/Tor Nightfire)

Finished Copies:

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith – out in paperback now (gifted by author giveaway/Quill Tree Books)
Your Life has Been Delayed by Michelle I. Mason – September 7th (Gifted by Bloomsbury YA)
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee – September 7th (Gifted by Fierce Reads/Macmillan)
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin – ordered a signed copy from The Ripped Bodice
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress – ordered a signed copy from Northshire Books
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould – ordered a signed copy from Annie Bloom’s Books

Christy’s Highlights

Any time I think I buy too many books I just look up at Kelly’s list LOL

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – Yes, I am mentioning this book twice because you need it.
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner – Is it bad that I wanted to experience this book all over again?
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress – Emma reached out to me forever ago to share her cover and it was then I knew this book would come to live with me.
So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow and A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee – Friends, the new Remix series is GORG and has two powerhouses launching it. You won’t want to miss these books. TY to Fierce Reads for sharing them with me!

On the Top of Our Minds

Kelly:

Not sure if you all noticed but we scaled back on our weekly posts for the summer, focusing on posting at least 3xs a week, and sometimes more. Christy and I are both taking on a lot in our real lives, and blogging is an extracurricular activity, so we are trying to keep the ship sailing, but not checking in as frequently. I am also undergoing huge home renovations a lot of it DIY style so I am exhausted.

We are coming up on our 9th blog anniversary and I hope we can celebrate in style!!

Christy:

Like Kelly said, we both have a ton going on right now, and way too much adulting. If you follow me on social media, you’ll notice we bought a house…in Colorado! Terrifying. I’ve lived on the West Coast my whole life and most of it in CA. Chris has lived in CA his whole life. We visited Colorado and decided to buy a house within 24 hours of arriving. I’m nervexcited! I’m planning yet another library overhaul because I hate my current shelves (I tried to be fancy…bad idea).

I am in the third semester of grad school and taking statistics. The math does not scare me but damn, the database we use for this class is so antiquated. Why is public service so hard?