❄️ Hi guys! I hope you’re having a beautiful day full of good readings.❤️ Today I bring you a new post… my June Wrap Up! where I’ll tell you ALL about my readings of the month. Well, as you can see from the title, this wasn’t my best reading month and I dare to say that I think it was my worst month in terms of everything that has to do with books so far. If you’ve been through a reading slump then you know that it’s very difficult to describe why it’s happening, you just know that you’re trying to read and nothing seems interesting enough, then you think of thousands of things you could do instead of reading, you just don’t have that motivation to continue your reading and honestly, it feels terrible. 😭 I think it feels even worse when you have a blog because I LOVE sharing my new readings with you and if I don’t read, I don’t have anything to talk to you about and I feel super frustrated, but well, it’s what happened to me this month, unfortunately, I felt this way and I accepted it and decided to go with the flow of what was happening to me and not force myself to read. This is just a stage… I know, you know, and I’m feeling better so everything is fine, I don’t want to be dramatic about it here 😅, I just wanted to share it with you and I also came up with the idea of doing a whole post to discuss this topic and give you some tips that have worked for me in the past and also share our experiences, I think it’s always healing to know that it can happen to all of us and that’s fine, it’s natural. 👏🏻
In other news, I had decided to participate in Make Your Myth-Taker readathon, a wonderful readathon that you can learn more about by clicking on the link, and obviously, I failed miserably 😂, but that was obvious to me being in a reading slump, honestly, I didn’t feel as to read anything that was in my TBR, so I’m very sorry that I didn’t succeed, but I hope to participate again at another time and do better! I hope you’ve done amazing if you participated. On the other hand, and although it wasn’t my best reading month, I think I’ve read quality things, so that makes me feel a little better. I also found one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not the best! so obviously that deserves celebration. 🥳
I read a hard-hitting contemporary with a mix of magical realism that blew my mind, I still don’t have the words to express how incredible that book was. I’ve also chosen to read graphic novels because they’re quicker & easier to read, so I thought they were exactly what I needed this month and I really liked them. Apart from that, I was part of a blog tour & I read a very intense short novel that I enjoyed a lot. Last but not least, I read one of the most loved books by the community that involves mythology, and I loved it, I had a great experience which I’ll share with you later.
Thank you SO much for being here and sharing each wrap up with me, it means the world for me, and even more when I had such a rare month and full of emotions. 🥰 So without further ado, let’s get started, I’m excited to share my readings with you and tell you a little about them. ❄️
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❄️ PEAKY BLINDERS BOOK TAG | ORIGINAL BOOK TAG 💣
❄️ 2020 BOOK RELEASES BY BLACK AUTHORS & RESOURCES TO HELP AND SUPPORT ⚡️
❄️ 2020 LGBT+ BOOK RELEASES | 30+ BOOKS 🏳️🌈
❄️ MID-YEAR FREAK OUT BOOK TAG | 2020 🎍
❄️ MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR SO FAR | 2020 ⭐️
June Statistics
💫 Books Read: I’ve read 6 books this month 😊
💫 Total Pages: 1878! 👏🏻
💫 Authors Gender: I’ve read 4 books by female authors & 2 books by male authors 💞
💫 Book Genres: I’ve read 4 YA books & 2 Adult books|| Within this, I’ve read Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Contemporary, Magical-Realism, Mythology, Romance & Dystopia
💫 Releases: I’ve read 1 from 2020, 3 from 2019 & 2 from 2018
☁️ Unexpected but Wonderful Reading 🌔
❄️ Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown | I wasn’t looking forward to picking up this book to read this month, but I did want to read it since I had heard about it, and as a result of everything that was happening with the black community and the BLM movement, I decided to stop everything I was doing and read it. OMG, it was the best decision I could have made, this book is heartbreaking but it also opened my eyes to racist problems and injustices that black people must go through, and it broke my heart, but I can also see how important these type of books are in the society we live in today, that’s still so ignorant. In addition to being a hard story to read, due to the graphic and explicit content of Echo’s life as she grows, it’s also and above all, super inspiring. It talks about how this girl could exceed all the limits expected of her and be better every day but also talks about so many wonderful things, such as family, love, friendship, and dreams, but above all, about forgiving ourselves. About growing, learning, and moving forward, loving yourself as you are with everything and your past. I LOVE IT, and the author has had wonderful courage in telling a story that’s highly inspired by her own experiences and has also done a wonderful job incorporating magical realism. I highly recommend it! | BOOK REVIEW |
🌕 Intense & Complex Stories 📝
❄️ Circe by Madeline Miller | Unlike most of my readings this month, this one was on my TBR so YAY! I liked it a lot, guys, I know it’s a huge favorite for many of you, so I’m happy to share those feelings. It took me a bit of work to go through the story due to the writing style that’s descriptive and the book, in general, is slow, and besides all this, I was going through my reading slump, so I would say that it wasn’t the best combination, But the story is absolutely amazing, I’d never read about Circe before and I was fascinated by this character, her story is intense, tragic and powerful in many ways. It’s very easy to put yourself on her side immediately with everything that happens in her life, how always has been despised and displaced. I think it’s a very interesting journey with many emotions and it’s very atmospheric which you know I adore. The author never ceases to amaze me with her lyrical writing style and I cannot wait to continue consuming her future works. My complete review will be on the blog soon and there I’ll share more about the book, but basically, I think it’s incredible, and I would like to read it again once I feel better, because I think I could even enjoy it more.
❄️ The Test by Sylvain Neuvel | This book was a great surprise, I picked it up to read because I knew that I couldn’t finish a large book, and ended up being really good. I didn’t expect such an intense story in so few pages, but OMG, it is. I LOVE the idea that there’s a Test to be citizens but that it’s much more than that, and the combination of mystery, suspense, action, with elements of sci-fi & dystopia was incredible. I think it’s very well done, although at the beginning I wasn’t sure about how the author decided to write this story, but when you get used to everything flows very well and it’s obviously fast-paced, you can easily get hooked on the plot that’s very unique. Maybe I do something like a short review of this one at some point to touch on other points and dig a little deeper as well.
💞 Adorable Graphic Novels 🧁
❄️ The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang | OMG, this graphic novel was everything my life needed right now. It’s absolutely adorable, innocent, and wonderful. I LOVED the characters and it was beautiful to see the evolution of each one of them in so few pages, I think it was well achieved. The feelings are also transmitted perfectly and I ended up in love with Frances & Sebastian, as well as with their so adorable relationship. A beautiful story that perfectly portrays the search for identity, love, family, and friendship in the purest and sweetest way. Plus: The artwork is SO beautiful, and reflects perfectly everything the author wants to convey.
LOVED IT SO MUCH!! I confess that I would love to have more of these characters in the future, it was a beautiful experience.
❄️ Bloom by Kevin Panetta & Illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau | I loved this one, although I confess that at the beginning I didn’t like any character after it progresses there’s a growth in them and you get to know a little more about their personalities and what defines them, and ends up being much better! I loved the romance, I think it’s subtle, adorable and very sweet. But above all, I liked the family dynamics within Ari’s family, I think he has incredible parents and it was nice to see how the relationship between them developed and grew. The friendships dynamics seemed super interesting and realistic to me as well as the plot itself, so I loved it and towards the end, I was quite fond of the characters & I absolutely adore Hector, I want to hug him forever. Also, I loved the design of the graphic novel, the graphics are simple but it works very well and it has beautiful moments like when Hector and Ari bake together, I think it has a wonderfully adorable design. I loved!
💥 Blog Tour 💫
❄️ Venators: Promises Forged (Venators #2) by Devri Walls | It’s always a lot of fun to return to this world, so it has been an honor to become part of this blog tour. If you like fast-paced urban fantasy storylines, you’ll love this series. What I enjoy most about this journey is that it has an incredible variety of fantasy characters and also has a very interesting world to explore, but above all and this isn’t something I say often, I adore the descriptions of this book, I think the author has a “simple” writing style but like too perfect for this type of plot and she knows exactly how to use it to make you feel hooked and want to continue reading. I’m glad to see growth in the characters in this sequel since I think that the construction of them was one of the weakest points in the story & it has that paranormal vibe that makes it seem like you’re in a TV series or something. If you like Shadowhunters I think this one might work for you. | BOOK REVIEW |
DNF of the Month ⚡️
❄️ Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff | Well … I tried, guys. This is my second time trying to read this book, and I wanted to love it so bad, but I think it just isn’t for me. I love the format and I think it’s very cleverly done. BUT the story itself doesn’t make sense to me, SO boring and I can’t stand the characters. Still, it makes me happy if you love this series, but I have to accept that it’s not for me and move on.
I 100% understand DNF-ing Illuminae- I DNf’ed it 3 times at 11%, 15% and 20% before I finally read it and once I got past the like 30% mark and actually started understanding the story, I was hooked and I ended up loving it and the other two books in the trilogy!
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That’s SO cool!! It’s great that you’ve given it multiple opportunities and you ended up loving it. Even when it’s not for me, I can definitely see why so many people love it and I’m glad 🥰✨
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I’m sorry that you’re in a reading slump and hope you can escape it very soon. But I’m glad you enjoyed Circe! I agree, the author’s writing style is quite mesmerising.
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Thanks, Steph! I’m currently reading an ARC and enjoying it very much, so I’m on the right track, hopefully I hope to read a lot this month. 😊✨ I ended up fascinated by Circe! I’m glad I continued reading because I think it gets better and better towards the end, and the story is very intense, I loved it. 😍
I hope you have an incredible month ❤️
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Ah I’m glad you’re enjoying your current read! Have a lovely July too 🙂
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I’m definitely adding both graphic novels to my TBR! Also, I¡m glad you enjoyed Circe. Have a lovely day!
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YAY!! I highly recommend both, they’re wonderful and the graphics are SO adorable, I hope you love them. 😊✨
So happy to have read Circe, it’s a whole an experience, I really liked it. Thank you, beautiful, I hope you have an incredible month ❤️
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Urgh I’m in a reading slump right now and not only am I massively behind on my reading, it’s making it hard to stay blog motivated as well 😭 hopefully it won’t last long. You still managed to get books read which is the important thing. I’m loving the Venators series at the moment I have to admit. Heard a lot about Circe but never read it – sounds like it’s got a unique narration style? Great wrap up and I hope the slump is over for you!
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Oh, Lindsey, I’m SO sorry you’re going through that, I totally understand, though. Sometimes the slumps can invade all our activities and it sucks. But I’m sure that you’ll feel much better soon, don’t push yourself, just do things that you enjoy in the meantime 😊✨ & YAY 😍, I’m so glad that you’re enjoying The Venators, it’s great and Circe is really unique, I highly recommend it, it’s slow, but it’s worth it ❤️
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Confession: I still have to finish Illuminae too!!!! For me, the format does not work!
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I think it’s one of those books that you love or just doesn’t work, there’s no middle ground 😅
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Sofiiiiii!! THIS POST IS SOO PRETTY I WANNA DIEEEE!! 😭😭😭😭😭 So beautifully managed! 😍😍
Still I am soo sorry about the reading slump! Those are the WORSTTTT!! But hey, I am sure July is going to be an AWESOME month for you – bookish and otherwise. 😍❤️🦋😇
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Sweetie!! Thank you, seeing your comments again made my day.🥺🌻
Awww, it makes me happy you like the post, I’ve been trying new things 😅
I have the feeling this month will be much better and I hope it’s incredible for you too, SO happy that you’re back ❤️✨❤️✨
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AWWW! And visiting your blog makes mine, Sofi! 😍😇
THANK YOU SOO MUCHHH!! I hope so too! ❤️😇🌻
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Ugh totally get what you’re saying about a reading slump and feeling obligated to read! I find that I’m also in slumps after I try to do readathons, which is obviously super counterproductive 😭 I personally loved Illuminae, but I get how it’s not for everyone!! Hope you have a slump-less reading month in July!! 🥰
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I swear it’s the worst feeling, right? Losing the motivation to do what you love, it’s the most frustrating thing, but I hope this month is much better! 🥺🌻
It makes me happy that you love Illuminae, I can see why & I hope you have a beautiful month ❤️✨
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I really like your blogs. There is so much honesty and simplicity in it. I loved reading your blogs, keeping posting great blogs…
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Thank you SO much for your kind words 😊
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Reading slumps are the worst and I feel your pain as I am there now and really don’t know what to do with myself!
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I know, right? I have faith that this month will be better and I also hope it’s incredible for you! ❤️✨ I’ll be writing a post about it, so at least we all can share our experiences 🥰
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Yes let’s hope! I thought I’d read for at least 45 nins everyday……but I forgot yesterday and didn’t read anything!!!
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I LOVED the Princess and the Dressmaker!!!
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It’s SO sweet and pure, right? LOVE IT 😍
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I loved Illuminae, but I can understand it’s not for everyone. I’ve been wanting to pick up the Prince and the Dress Maker since BookCon last year. It looks so cute!
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It makes me happy that you love Illuminae, certainly my opinion is super unpopular about that one 😊 & The Prince and The Dressmaker is just wonderful, I hope you enjoy it if you get to read it ❤️
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The fact that you read 6 books while in a reading slump is great! 😀 It looks like you read a lot of good books too! 💞 Here’s to a better July!
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Aww, Meg, thank you SO much! I hope July is even better and obviously I hope you have an incredible month full of good readings ✨✨✨🌻
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You’re welcome! 😄 ❤️
Thank you! Happy readings in July!!
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I mean… if it can make you feel any better I’ve miserably failed the Make your Myth Taker Readathon too. I get you so much. I think the reading slump hit me so hard as well (that and the fact that I was reading WAY too many books at the same time). That being said, reading 6 books is still something (I’ve managed to only read 4 books this month so yeah) and you’ve actually found books that you enjoy so that is totally fine. I really need to read Circe now and Black Girl Unlimited definitely caught my interest too!
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I’m SO sorry that you’re going through the same thing, I’m seeing that many of us are going through this slumpy state, so I hope that our July is much better! 😊✨ And I think giving up my original TBR was a good idea, otherwise I wouldn’t have read anything 😅. Circe was amazing but Black Girl Unlimited is perfection, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough 😍
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I hope you are able to break your reading slump soon! For the most part it looks like you read a lot of really great books too 😊 I loved Illuminae but I can definitely see why it’s not a favorite for plenty of people story-wise!
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Thanks, Julie, you’re super sweet! ❤️ I’m glad you enjoyed Illuminae, I see the potential and understand why so many people love it, which is great! I hope you have a fantastic July 🥰✨
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I didn’t like Illuminae either! I forced myself through it and just kept waiting and waiting for it to get better because of all the hype… nope not interested lol and I never finished the series. Glad I’m not the only one haha
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I’m also glad not to be alone with my thoughts! 🥺 I tried to read it 3 times and I can say it’s not for me at all and that’s ok. I hope you have a beautiful month and enjoy your readings ❤️✨
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Graphic Novels are such a great way to get through slumps. I get this accomplished feeling even though they are short. And there are some GREAT ones out there! Glad to see they are helping!
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Absolutely!! In general I don’t usually read graphic novels but I’ve come across incredible stories that way, so I will have to check more in the future 😍✨
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Even with a reading slump, you were able to read SIX WHOLE BOOKS! That is incredible!! I have Black Girl Unlimited on my TBR, so I’m really happy that you enjoyed it so much!! I’m. happy to hear your reading slump is gone and I hope it does not return in July ❤ May this month be an incredible reading month for you 🥰
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Thanks, sweetie!!! ❤️ the graphic novels were very helpful, I’ll have to look for more to have just in case.😅
OMG, I can’t wait for more people to read Black Girl Unlimited, I promise it’s absolutely brilliant, but be prepared for the feelings & thank you SO much, I really hope to continue with this motivation to read throughout July. Have a beautiful day ✨✨✨🌻
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I’m sorry you were feeling slump-y, but glad you still had a good reading month! I’m sorry you couldn’t get into Illuminae. ❤ But so so happy you liked Circe!! 🥰🥰🥰
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Thank you, my love, I hope that July continues to be good in terms of reading and motivation, so far I feel very good, YAY! 🥰✨
Circe was amazing, I look forward to re-reading it and maybe trying the audiobook, I’ve heard the best things.
Have a beautiful day. ❤️❤️❤️
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I’m so sorry that you undergoing a reading slump but I totally understand I’ve been suffering from it too and it really sucks
Most of my reads this month are rereads and even though I love rereads I wish I got to read more new books
There are a lot of books here that I really wanna read like bloom and the prince and the dressmaker, they both sound super cute
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I hope that this month you feel better and exceed your reading slump too, beautiful! ❤️ I know we can do it! & Both, The Prince and The Dressmaker and Bloom, are wonderful graphic novels, I highly recommended them especially if you feel slumpy, I know you’ll like them 🥰✨
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I’m definitely gonna try getting those books soon
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OMG I’m SO happy someone else dnfed Illuminae!!! we share the exact same thoughts on it!! the story is so boring, and i didn’t care about the characters at all 😷 i’m very sorry to hear that you’ve been suffering through a reading slump though! i hope you can get through it soon ❤
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Oh! I’m glad I’m not the only one!! 🥺🥺🥺 I try reading it like 3 times and OMG, I can’t handle the plot, soooo boring 😅
Thanks, beautiful! I hope you have an incredible reading month ❤️✨
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I hope you get over your reading slump soon, I know how much that sucks! I’m in a slight reading slump just when a readathon I joined has started. Bad timing for a slump but I’m trying to get over it. The books you’ve read in June all sounds so good, and I’m especially looking forward to Circe! It’s also rare for me to see someone not enjoying Illuminae so that’s a surprise. It’s awesome of you to give it another try but I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
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I love your layout for your wrap-up. I like that you bunch some books together and talk a little bit about your experience reading the book as well as what it was about and such.
I’m also in a huge slump for the last couple of months, so I feel that pain, and hope that it gets better for you soon!
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OMG, Samantha, you’re so sweet! Thank you very much. ❤️✨ I think that unfortunately most of us are going through something similar right now, so I hope that in general be a good July for all of us 🥰
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I’ve seen quite a few people mention that June wasn’t their best reading month and me included, so I know how you feel. Reading is books is so great though. Totally jealous as I was only able to read one. Illuminae wasn’t for me either. I wanted to love it so bad because everyone else does, but I didn’t. I read the entire book, but I was so bored throughout all of it except the last 100 pages. I think the book is like 600+ pages, so to only like the last 100 is pretty bad. I never continued with the series and I doubt I ever will. So you’re not alone in not liking it!
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I thought I would be catching up on TONS of reading during COVID-19, and nope. The opposite happened. I was in a second quarter slump. But making up for it in Q3!
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I’m SO sorry you felt slumpy too! I hope July is our month 👏🏻✨ & I’m glad I’m not the only one to have those thoughts on Illuminae, I thought it would be super unpopular. 😅 I hope you have an incredible month, love ❤️
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glad to hear that reading graphic novels helped get you with regards to your reading slump. I have had similar experiences and I know how frustrating it can be. if you want more graphic novel recommendations, just let me know what types of books you’d prefer, and I’ll send it to you.
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Graphic novels have been wonderful for me, plus, I found some adorable stories! 😍 I would love some recommendations, I haven’t read many, so I’m not sure of my preferences, but I’m really liking this type of romance and stories about families and friends 🥰✨
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The Saga series is great, but it will destroy you emotionally, the Monstress series will also do this, highly recommend both. I also recommend Giant Days and The Lumberjanes as both have a great focus on the power of friendship
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YOU’RE AMAZING!! I’ll add all those to my TBR, thank you so much 😊
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You’re welcome, it was no trouble 🙂
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I have added and erased Circe from my TBR so many times 😂 Maybe one day I end up reading it!
Black Girl Unlimited was added to my TBR as one of the books I really want to read before the end of the year on my Mid-year Freak Out tag, and I can’t wait to finally read it! The Prince and the Dressmaker sounds super adorable and cute!
Loved that you added the snow-y emojis bc winter definitely has come to this part of the world! Hope you have a better reading month in July!! ✨
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OMG, you have to give Circe a chance, was a little slow to read due to my reading slump, but I plan to re-read it sometime to appreciate it better. 😊
I have no doubt that you’ll love Black Girl Unlimited, it’s absolutely beautiful.❤️
I know, right? it’s SO cold here! I can’t relate with so many posts about summer 😅
Thank you, honey, I hope you have the most incredible month, I’m excited to see what you’ll be reading 🥰✨
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Wow!! I know you’ve been in a slump, but you still read so many books and I think just finishing Circe deserves a celebration, lol. 😀 It’s a short book but so dense. And I’m so happy that you enjoyed The Test. It’s mindblowingly good.
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Yes! OMG, finishing Circe was quite an achievement, I still really enjoyed it, and I plan to give it a re-read and maybe go for the audiobook, I heard it’s great! 😍👏🏻 & The Test, no words, SO GOOD, I was very surprised 😮
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Really glad you liked circe!
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It was a great read, although I really want to re-read it to appreciate it in more detail. I’ve heard great things about the audiobook 😍✨
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