August Wrap Up 2019

August was a pretty good month in terms of reading which is good because, as I've got Netflix now, my reading productivity is going to go down hill significantly...

BOOKS

Three Dark Crowns- Kendare Blake (July's Book of the Month)
* *
I started reading this is in July and finally finished it in August because it took me a lot longer than I thought it would. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. I think the premise is really cool and promising but I found this book very slow to slug through and the characters very difficult to like. The ending had some redeeming qualities but, for me, not enough to have me continue this series.
Three Dark Crowns Review
Three Dark Crowns Book of the Month Discussion

Without Merit- Colleen Hoover
* * * * *
I can always count on Colleen Hoover to both break my heart and make it soar. I can't fault this novel. Colleen Hoover creates this beautiful blend of romance and painful realism. This story covers topics like depression, suicide, sexuality and mental health in such a sophisticated and respectful way.
Without Merit Book Review





A Thousand Perfect Notes- C. G. Drews
* * * 
I've loved C. G. Drews' (aka. Paperfury) blog for so long and I couldn't wait to jump into her debut novel. This was a great book but it wasn't outstanding or anything. I liked the characters and the relationships but I didn't love love love them or anything. This book deals with sensitive topics really well and one thing I did love was the character development throughout the novel- it was very raw, real and inspiring. 




I Owe You One- Sophie Kinsella
* * * 
Sophie Kinsella books are always great rom-coms to go to but, while I did like this story, it wasn't my favourite of hers. There was a smaller focus on the actual romance and a lot of attention on family and work issues which I found to be a bit boring and mundane at times.







Anna and the French Kiss- Stephanie Perkins
* * * *
Is nearly ten years too late to jump onto this hype train? This book was published nearly ten years ago and I'm only just getting to it... that shows how bad my TBR pile currently is. I've always heard lots of hype about this book and I can understand where it's all come from- this a great book! It's not too heavy, the characters are likeable and the romance is cute. This was a very easy read for me and I enjoyed it a lot.




The Upside of Unrequited- Becky Albertalli
* * * 
Becky Albertalli writes cute books but, while they always get lots of hype, I'm left feeling 'meh'. I felt the same after Simon vs the Homo-Sapiens Agenda- it was cute, enjoyable and I liked the characters, but it wasn't anything amazing. What I do love about it is all the inclusiveness and acceptance of different body types, sexualities and races. Unfortunately, the story itself was forgettable and I doubt I'll even be able to remember the character names in a couple of weeks.

Take It Off the Menu- Christina Hovland
* * *
Overall, this was a pretty average read but it was one of those nice stories that pass the time. The characters were okay and I love a good romance but it lacked anything meaningful or substantial. I read it when I was on holiday so, it was a nice read to kill some time by the pool, but, in reality, it wasn't amazing or anything noteworthy.




The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- Taylor Jenkins Reid (Book of the Month)
* * * *
This was mine and Kaitlin's (Liber Amoris) book of the month for August and I loved it. I read the majority of this on a three hour ferry journey coming back home from holiday and I devoured it! It was strangely addictive and I love how interesting it was. The characters were some of the most complex and morally nuanced characters I've ever read and I fell in love with that.
Review coming soon!
Book Discussion coming soon!


TV and MOVIES
Adrift
* * * *
I've wanted to watch this movie for a while (mainly because it has Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin in it) but also, because it's based on a true story! This story is about a couple that go sailing and get caught in a hurricane. I'll be honest, this film tugs on the heart-strings- especially when you consider how it's a true story. But, as much as it was terrifying, it was also quite empowering because the characters (*real people) are so strong and never stop fighting. It's actually quite inspiring.

Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost (Re-watch)
* * * 
Of course, there were more pizza and movie days with my best friend this month and, of course, we'd choose a totally age appropriate film like Scooby Doo. I absolutely love Scooby Doo (especially the movies- both cartoon and live action) and watching this again was like stepping into your childhood and pretending to be a kid again. The Witch's Ghost isn't my favourite of the Scooby Doo movies but it was still excellent and a lot of fun to re-watch.

The Wolverine 
* * *
Me and my friend then sat down to watch a more mature movie- go us! We're still storming through all the X-Men movies and I really enjoyed this one. The setting of Japan was different and cool and I really liked some of the new characters (Yukio, I'm looking at you).

Radio Rebel (Re-watch)
* * * *
August was the month that I finally got Netflix and, oddly, the first thing I watched was this movie. I remember seeing this movie as a kid and I've never seen it since! As soon as I found out Netflix had it, I just had to delve into comfort of such nostalgia. It was a great watch.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1
* * * * *
Continuing with Netflix, I completely binged the first season of this show. I've heard so many great things about B99 and I wanted in on the hype! I mean, sitcom with the NYPD? Sign me up. I've become so obsessed with this series. I'm shipping Jake and Amy so much and it's doing terrible things to my reading productivity.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
* * * 
And finally... the whole reason I wanted to get Netflix in the fist place! I have mixed feelings about this movie. I enjoyed it and I think it was pretty faithful to the book but... it was just missing something for me! I think this is just a case of a film being over-hyped and me having too high expectations. Despite feeling a little disappointed, I'm still excited to see the sequel they're making.

Started Watching:
Riverdale Season 1 (Re-watch)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 2

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe