August Wrap-Up

Happy September, bookworms!

It’s finally spooky season 👻 It’s been yet another busy month filled with puppy training and trying to fit editing into my schedule. I think I’ve spent more time in my backyard in the past month than I have in the past 3 years I’ve lived at my house. I’m also 99.99% sure my daily step count has at least tripled because of how much time I spend chasing this puppy around the house 😂

My reading time has significantly decreased, but I am so grateful audiobooks are a thing so I can at least get some reading done by listening to them during my commute. I managed to read 5 books and I listened to 3 audiobooks. I have a huge stack of books on my TBR that I’m hoping to get to this month, but I’ll probably postpone those and read all my spooky books instead.

In regards to editing, I finally got a chance to catch up on watching all the session videos from the Editors Canada conference. I learned a lot and I can’t wait to put my new knowledge to good use! I also registered for the ACES conference and I’m so excited to learn even more. Since I’m a newer editor, I’ve been loving all these opportunities to expand my knowledge and hone my skills. Now I just need to read the stack of editing reference books on my TBR cart too 😂

NOTE: I’m also booking into October, so if you think your manuscript has ghastly grammar or needs more spooktacular plot twists, don’t call Ghostbusters—check out my editing services page instead and let me help you maximize the impact of your story 😊 Bonus points if it’s a horror with a boo-tiful storyline!

My Library

My Boss’s Kitten Vol. 1 by Yumi Hisawa

Review:

This seemed like an interesting manga and I was excited to read it. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but I think I'll still continue reading the series. I found there wasn't much backstory or buildup to the MC’s boss–kitten relationship. The first kiss came out of nowhere—basically in the beginning of the story—but I wish there was a bit more development before the kiss. The book was also more sexual than I was expecting, but I'm not complaining 🤣 The story is very fast-paced and I just blew through this manga. Overall, I'm just excited to see how their relationship unfolds over the next few volumes.

3/5⭐

Netgalley eARCs

Hetty and the Battle of the Books by Anna James

Review:

This was such a fun children's book to read and I loved the illustrations. The story was filled with great messages about friendship and the importance of libraries. Going to the library was one of the highlights of my childhood and I remember spending hours there, browsing through the books and taking home a huge stack every time 😅 I highly recommend this book for kids, especially if they love going to the library! This book is also formatted so it's easier to read if you're dyslexic 😊 Thanks to Barrington Stoke for that!

4/5⭐

Dream On by Angie Hockman

Review:

TW: Car accident, coma, and a miscarriage.

Gosh, this was such a sweet romance and I was totally rooting for Cass and Perry to get together. They had so much romantic tension, and the part with the volunteer shirts and the names just stole my heart. That was so thoughtful and sweet 😭 However, there was a moment near the end with Perry that kind of made me lowkey hate him for a bit, but he had his reasons and he did redeem himself in the end. I thought Cass and Brie’s friendship was so pure and supportive and I think they are a great representation of being a good friend. On a side note, I totally called the whole Mercedes thing, but some of the backstory was still a surprise. Also, this book really made me want to go to a flower shop, so I think I’ll have to check out a local shop and get a bouquet just because. I would really love to see an artist’s replica of Cass’s mural too because the description in the book sounded so pretty. Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this if you want a nice, sweet romance with a complicated love interest.

4.5/5⭐

Other (e)ARCs

From HCC Frenzy

Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach

Review:

This was such a fascinating book on feminism and what it means to be a feminist. I loved seeing how the girls acted towards each other and how they’d go through moments of still putting each other down even though they said they were feminists. I like the definition that being a feminist is being equal and not judging other women for what they wear or how they act. I also thought the generational gap between Eliza and her mother was interesting because her mother believed that even though her daughter was smart, she should still not bother getting a good job because she’ll have kids and be the homemaker and won’t have time for work because that is basically a full-time job. That’s why she thinks the man should make all the money because he earns more anyway and should be able to support his family. I liked how we got to see both sides of everything and how feminism is not so black and white. I felt for Eliza and her internal conflicts. Overall this was a really thought-provoking read and I think if you’re interested in feminism, you should read it.

4.5/5⭐

From Diamond Comics

Side Effects by Ted Anderson

Review:

TW: Sexual harassment from a professor.
This was such a sweet story about learning how to cope and thrive, with a mental illness. It was nice to see the therapy sessions vs. how Hannah implemented the strategies in her life. This comic seemed very honest and inspiring, especially by normalizing taking medicine for your mental illness. I also loved Hannah's relationship, and thought it was great how they were always there for each other and supported each other.

4.5/5⭐

Audiobooks

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Review:

TW: Rape off-screen, violence, and gore.

This was such a great book and I would highly recommend reading it. The worldbuilding with the patriarchy was so interesting to read about and I loved how descriptive it was! I thought Deka’s romance didn’t have much substance, but I’m glad it wasn’t a huge plot point of the story. It was nice to see the focus more on her relationship with her blood sisters, especially Britta. That part at the ending with Britta shocked me for sure and I had a huge, “OH NO THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING” moment. Luckily this book has a great ending that is filled with closure and could honestly be a standalone. I’ll still check out the next book because I’m interested to see what happens next. I also thought Adwapa’s character was great and I loved that there was a lesbian romance. This book definitely features some heavy content but I think it was beautifully written and was very much “girl power.” On a sidenote, I totally called the deathshriek plot twist super early on in the story.

3.5/5⭐

Beware of Chicken: A Xianxia Cultivation Novel by CasualFarmer

Review:

First impressions: This was recommended to me by a friend and just for shits and giggles I decided to check this out on Audible. I have not regretted spending a credit on this. I also love anything to do with chickens, so this book was a perfect rec for me. This is thoroughly entertaining and I love the wit and humour of the MC. The scenes in the POV of the chicken, omg I loved them. I highly recommend this though, because it's just SO WHOLESOME. The MC is just so kind and loveable and sweet. His relationship with his animals is so adorable! The book is told from multiple POVs which could be a bit confusing to tell who was speaking at times, but once you get the hang of them, they are super entertaining and each POV was fun to read! The humour in this is so on point and the wordplay is so clever, especially when you see how the MC sees things vs. how his chicken sees the world. It's just such a great book and I'm so sad the next volume isn't out yet, but you can read the whole story online!

6/5⭐

Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

Review:

TW: If you have a phobia of clowns, don’t read this because you’ll probably get nightmares 😅

I AM SO SAD THIS SERIES IS OVER. I loved every audiobook in the series and they’ve always been some of my fav spooky books on my TBR. I was so sad this was the last book because I didn’t want Ollie and the Smiling Man’s adventures to end. This book was absolutely amazing though, but I expected nothing less. I loved the carnival idea along with the dolls and the fun house and the spookiness was on point as always. I wish the ending was a bit more dragged out because it felt like everything happened so quickly and was resolved in an instant. I wish we also got more backstory about the Smiling Man, but everything was resolved so it wasn’t a problem. I wasn’t sure how the fun house escape worked because it seemed too easy, but I liked how it showed the importance of friendship and how you’re stronger together. The kids were great and I loved their friendship. The adults on the other hand, oh boy. Coco’s mom was so annoying and I was so frustrated with how she didn’t want to listen to Coco in the beginning of the book. I think she handled everything terribly 😅 I thought Ollie’s dad handled the situation much better, and I thought he was so kind to the kids and had more faith in them compared to any of the other adults. Overall, I wish this series never ended because it’s so great and a perfect MG read for spooky season.

4.5/5⭐

Thanks for sticking around for another wrap-up recommendation post and I hope you found some good recs! If you have to pick one book from this list though, I’d recommend the chicken one for some lighthearted entertainment, or Empty Smiles for some clown scaries. If you have any spooky book recs for me, I’d love to hear them and potentially add them to my October TBR. I read any genre of horror, but I have a special place in my heart for ghost stories that’ll keep me up all night. And don’t forget, I’m booking October editing sessions, so send me your manuscript and let’s see if I’d be a good fit to edit it 😊

Happy reading, bookworms, and I hope you have a great start to your spooky season! Go grab those PSLs!