Hey everyone! I am so excited about today's post because it is my first of this kind! Today will be all about the books I read for leisure in the month of August. I always post reviews of books that I find through authors on Twitter, which I thoroughly enjoy as well, but these are the books that I hand-picked and read on my own time!
The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma *****
This book was the first I read this month. I finished it in 24 hours because luckily I went on a five-hour road trip in the midst of reading it. I am sure many of you have heard of this book. If not, it is (in the tiniest summary) how and why starting your day at five in the morning is so effective and beneficial for anyone. This is done so in a fictional way; we follow two main characters who are on a journey of self-discovery and are taken along by a man who teaches so many lessons about how the 5:00 a.m. routine is so effective. I am personally a morning person, so this was very intriguing to me, and I gave it five stars. If you read this, be prepared to annotate and take notes because even though it is not massive, the lessons taught within the pages are!
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert **
Alright, this was the one DNF of the month. Always have to have one in the group. If you do not understand that abbreviation, DNF stands for did not finish. And here's why. This book had so much potential. I am obsessed with the cover, first of all. But also, the synopsis had me hooked. A girl embarks on a journey to figure out the meaning behind the fairytale her grandmother wrote, whom she never met, and along the way discovers so much. It was a great concept for a book, I personally do not like the trope of following in the footsteps or figuring out the legacy of a grandparent. But that is just my preference and I believe that is why I just could not get myself to enter Act 3. Also, the writing style was not my thing. I ended up rating this a two-star book because I never finished it, but if you are into this trope and fantasy definitely try it out!
The Invisible Life of Addie Laure by V.E. Schwab ****
This book. Wow. I love Schwab's writing style, first of all. She has such a unique way of approaching fantasy and developing characters that it keeps me wanting more. This book follows Addie, who was granted a wish to live forever and have the freedom she always wished for in exchange for no one remembering her. She was born in the 1700s and has lived a lonesome yet wholesome life. That is until someone remembers her. Ahh, this initial encounter between the person who remembers her is one I will never forget. I wish I could give this book five stars, the only reason I did not is that I slowed down in the middle. It was not that the book itself had a saggy middle, I just reached a part where I started to second guess how much I liked it, but then ended up loving it. If I would have never had that brief moment, this would be a five-star because it is just so good!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab ****
In the middle of reading the Addie book, I really wanted more of Schwab. I have read Vicious, and I have the second book, but I had heard so many great things about this trilogy I think it is. So, I gave it a go. This was also the first book I annotated because I know how complex this author's fantasy and rules can get. Annotating this as a first book was such a great decision. This book was great! There are four different Londons, all of which used to be able to travel to by anyone, but the Black London went into chaos and the pathways closed to travel for everyone but the rare select few. Kell, the main character and so happens to be one of those select few, is a genius. He is such a great character. And our other main character, Lila, is so stubborn and strong-willed. The plot is great but this story, in my opinion, is definitely character driven. I gave this story four stars because although I really enjoyed it, I was not automatically reaching for the second book. If I am in love with a story, I will go for the next in the series right away. This story was just on the cusp of that.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood *****
I wanted to pick up an easy read after reading both of those V.E. Schwab books. I had just bought this book a few days prior, and it has been on my TBR for a while. The only thing holding me back was the hype; I was scared that I would go into this story with way too high expectations. Which I did... but oh my gosh. This book was in and out of my hands finished in 24 hours. It was so good. I cannot even explain how much I enjoyed this book. It was stuck to my hands like glue. Olive and Adam, Malcolm... my three favorite characters. The relationships and arcs are so good. It felt real, and it got five stars because I finished it three days ago and yet it is still the top story on my mind. Go read this!
There you have it everyone, the books from August! I am so excited to start posting these blogs, I hope you enjoyed it. Maybe through these, you will be able to learn a little bit more about me based on what genres I read... you will see a pattern. Anyways, I will be back soon and I hope you have a great day and September! I am so excited for Fall!
The Livi Chronicles