Books: 3
From TBR: 1
From My Classics: 1
Pages: 1146
Average rating: 4.3
Authors: 3
Genres: 2
Languages: 1
June was a good month, it wasn't like 100º C and sunbathing was all fun and games until August came along and we all caught fire, even in the shade. But I did get to go to Italy for a few weeks, a country I love and have missed so much since last year. But shame on me... I did read in August, but I didn't finish any of the books I started. I'll tell you my theory right after the wrap up list. But at least I got to read a book that's on my yearly TBR and also happens to be on my Classics list: A Little Life.
July and August wrap up
Mr Salary, Sally Rooney ★★★★☆
(33 pages, literary fiction, English)
A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara ★★★★★
(816 pages, literary fiction, LGBTQ+, English)
Juno Loves Legs, Karl Geary ★★★★☆
(297 pages, literary and historical fiction, LGBTQ+, English)
I started the month of July reading A Little Life. This book broke my heart and soul, I couldn't stop crying for the last quarter of the book and cried for half an hour after I finished it. It was just too much, sometimes I had to put it down and stop reading, although I would pick it up after a few minutes because I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I still think about it. How am I supposed to read anything else now? I don't think I can, no other book will be as good as this one. I have to admit that I believed in the story and the characters so much that sometimes I thought I'd be able to find Jude or Willem or Malcolm or JB on the street. That's something I've never experienced with any other book before, and I had to keep reminding myself that they were fictional characters. And that made it even more painful, I think. I absolutely loved it. I don't think I'll ever read it again.
In between chapters of A Little Life, I read Mr Salary, by Miss Rooney herself, and I can finally say that I've read all of Sally Rooney's published works. And that I absolutely love every one of them. Mr Salary is a thirty-odd page story about a girl in her twenties (or so I think) who has a strange relationship with a man in his forties, who's somehow related to her family, but you don't really know how. The fact that it's short makes it better, even though not much happens.
Juno Loves Legs. But Juno doesn't have a fetish, she's in love with a boy nicknamed Legs. I don't know what I was expecting, but it's not what I got. It wasn't a disappointment per se, because I didn't expect anything from this book, I bought it because I thought: "Irish writers, I like them". But it turns out that maybe I only like Irish women writers (aka Sally Rooney), but I still felt like it wasn't what I wanted at the moment. Still, it's a beautiful story that will absolutely break your heart.
In August I started about three different books. But here comes my theory: I think A Little Life might have put me into a reading slump, so not even a light read like How to Fall Out of Love Madly (which I almost finished, but I couldn't get through the last 80 pages, to be honest, it was a bit boring, I guess I'll finish it eventually, but not right now) could get me out of it. So, after a whole month where I couldn't finish a single book, I decided to pick up one that might be a bit like A Little Life, at least the title sounds a lot like it and the cover looks pretty similar... Real Life by Brandon Taylor. We'll see.
September and October TBR
Here comes the sad girl autumn again: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) and many other sad songs, leaves on the ground, longing for hugs and kisses on the forehead, goodbyes and new beginnings, harvesting what we've spent all year nurturing, unsent letters, the witching hour, black cats, pumpkin spice everything, the cold, hot chocolate, thick sweaters, and of course sad and somber books.
Real Life, Brandon Taylor
(327 pages, English, rating pred.: ★★★★☆)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
(157 pages, English, rating pred.: ★★★★☆)
Cauterio, LucÃa Lijtmaer
(157 pages, Spanish, rating pred.: ★★★★☆)
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
(157 pages, English, rating pred.: ★★★★☆)
Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood
(157 pages, English, rating pred.: ★★★★☆)
Books I got and want
All the books I've bought in the last two months have been new, mostly because my roommate is currently working at my favorite bookstore, so I go there from time to time, and she has a very attractive discount. I have bought more books than I have read. And now that I think about it, that's what I usually do, and I think that's going to be my goal for next year: not buying more books than I read. But at least I only bought one book in July, and I read it, so does that count for something?
July: 1
Juno Loves Legs, Karl Geary
August: 4 (all new)
How to Fall Out of Love Madly, Jana Casale (in Bologna)
Freckles, Cecelia Ahern (in Verona)
Real Life, Brandon Taylor
Happy Hour, Marlowe Granados
Once again, there are no books I really want to get, and I don't have any more money to spend after my vacation. Which like I've said previously, I spent in Italy. I sent an e-postcard to all my subscribers. If you want to receive them, subscribe to my newsletter here!
What did you read in the last two months? And what are you planning to read this fall? Let me know!
As always, thanks for reading me.
