August 2023 // To Be Read

Hi Friends,
It’s TBR time again! Just like last month, I’m using a prompt list I found off Pinterest to help me pick my prompts. There are 50 prompts, and I use a random number generator to help me pick the prompts. I started off by using the same random number generator to help see how many books I’ll be reading. I only do 1 – 10, because I usually don’t read more than 10 books in a month. This time around, I got 9, so I’ll be reading 9 books and picking 9 prompts!

However, just like last month I can only pick books off my physical TBR or audiobooks I own/have on the Libby app.

My first pick was number 23 and the prompt is ‘Read a Historical Fiction Novel’. Honestly, I struggled with this prompt, because I don’t really gravitate towards historical fiction, but with my husband’s help, I ended up choosing ‘The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ by Stuart Turton. I don’t know much about this book, except that it’s a murder mystery set in the 1920s.

The next prompt is 21, which is ‘Read a Book Set in NY ’. I had a few options for this, but I decided to pick an adult thriller that I’ve been dying to get to, ‘Not a Happy Family’ by Shari Lapena. I’m not really sure what this book is about, but it does take place in New York, so it fits the prompt.

Then I got prompt 27, which was ‘Read A Book with a Happily-Ever-After ending’. The book that I will be reading for this prompt is ‘When In Rome’ by Sarah Adams. I’m not entirely sure if this has a happy ending, but it’s a romance, so I’m going to assume it does.

The next prompt was number 48, which is ‘Read A New To You Author’. I had a few options for this but I ultimately decided it was time for me to read my first Simone St. James book. I own ‘The Book of Cold Cases’, which is a thriller with a true crime element.

Next up I got prompt 20: ‘Read a Book that Starts with The’. So, the title has to begin with ‘The’, which is pretty easy, considering a lot of book do that with their titles. I’m going with a book that I’ve been wanting to read for a while, which is ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman. This is apparently a funny mystery book series that takes place in a retirement home.

Yay, I got prompt number 2, which is ‘Read a Book that is More Than 300 Pages’. This book is just barely over 300 pages, abut it makes the cut at 318, and that is ‘The Housemaid Secret’ by Freida McFadden. I read the first book and loved it, so I can’t wait to see if the sequel is even better.

The random number generator was nice to me and gave me number 15, which is ‘Read a Retelling’. I love a good retelling, and have quite a few on my shelf. I went with ‘The Shadow in the Glass’ by J.J.A. Harwood, a gothic retelling of Cinderella.

Luckily, I got prompt 41, ‘Read a Book you Bought’ that’s pretty simple since I have a book buying problem. Although, I’m not actually in the mood for this book, but it’s part of a series and I really want to start finishing some series. The book is ‘Daughter of the Siren Queen’ by Tricia Levenseller. I bought the beautiful special edition hardback copies of this series. I read the first book in June, so I want to get to the second book while the first one is still fresh in my mind.

Last but certainly not least, I got number 7 ‘Read a Thriller, Mystery or Suspense Novel’. This couldn’t be more perfect, because that’s one of my favorite genres. I had a lot of options, but my mood is leaning towards ‘56 Days’ by Catherine Ryan Howard. This is a suspense novel that takes place during the time of Covid and lockdown. I can’t wait for it!

Now for my book club pick! If you don’t know, I have a book club called ‘The Reading Rabbits’ over on the Novellic app. This month the book is ‘You Shouldn’t Have Come Here’ by Jeneva Rose. This is an adult mystery thriller about a woman that falls for a man that starts to become obsessive.

There you have my August TBR! I have many more books that I am in the mood to read, so we’ll see what I actually end up reading. Don’t forget to hit the follow button to get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Reading Wrap-Up // August 2022

Hi Friends,
Below is my August wrap-up! I show all the books that I read in the month of August and my ratings for them. August was a great reading month, since I was able to read 13 books. My ratings were all over the place and I had my first 1 star read of the year. In the comments, let me know if you are excited to see my reviews for each of these books. And, feel free to follow not only my blog but my booktok (@bookswithbunny) and bookstagram (@books.with.bunny).

Summer Mixtape 2022 // Readathon Wrap Up

Hi Friends,
I wanted to do a Mixtapeathon wrap-up, and share what I read. If you haven’t seen my August TBR, which was essentially my Summer Mixtape TBR, then let me give you a brief rundown. This is a summer readathon created by some lovely Booktubers. The readathon ran from August 1st – 14th, and there were 5 main reading prompts. I am happy to say that I completed all the prompts! However, once the readathon started, I decided to change my TBR up a bit.


Here Comes the Sun – read a book with nature on the cover

Originally, I was going to read ‘Lost in the Never Woods‘ by Aiden Thomas, but I realized about 12% into the book that I might just not be a fan of Peter Pan retellings. So, I decided to opt for a failsafe book, which was ‘Maybe This Time‘ by Kasie West.

“Beloved author Kasie West brings her signature witty banter and rom-com fun to a bold, fresh format. Think Four Weddings and a Funeral for YA.”


Blame It On The Weatherman – read an unseasonal read

My initial pick for this prompt was ‘The Witchery‘ by S. Isabelle, but I wasn’t feeling the audiobook. So, I was very lucky that my hold for ‘Long Live The Pumpkin Queen‘ by Shea Ernshaw came in on Libby. This book took me a while, but was one of my most anticipated books of the year.

“Hear Sally’s story in this young adult sequel to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas written by New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw.”


Cake By The Ocean – read a book involving food/read a spicy book

Once again, instead of going with my first book choice, ‘With the Fire on High‘ by Elizabeth Acevedo, I read ‘A Taste for Love‘ by Jennifer Yen. Yes, I went with a food related book, because spicy books aren’t really my thing.

“For fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen, and The Great British Baking Show, A Taste for Love is a delicious rom-com about first love, familial expectations, and making the perfect bao.”


We’re Going To Ibiza – read a book set in another country

I did end up reading ‘Hot British Boyfriend‘ by Kristy Boyce, and you are certainly going to want to read my review of this book. Let’s just say I have a lot of things to say about it.

“This enchanting debut teen romance novel, which follows one girl across the Atlantic in a quest to find adventure, love (preferably with a guy with a cute accent), and maybe even herself, is perfect for fans of Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins.”


Mixtape – pick a book based on your favourite summer bop/free choice

Finally, I read ‘The Girl From The Sea‘ by Molly Ostertag, which was a very short read. When it comes to readathons, shorter books are the way to go, so I am glad I had this on my TBR.

“In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.”


In total, I read 1554 pages and completed all the prompts! I didn’t complete any of the non-reading prompts, but that is okay by me. I am very proud with the outcome of the readathon, and there will even be an Autumn Mixtape readathon. Please follow the blog, so that you can get notified when my reviews for each of these books go up.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny