Hi all!
Welcome to my July Reading Wrap-Up for 2018! Baby finally arrived this month and we moved out of our apartment so needless to say, we were extremely busy and very exhausted. Still, I managed to read a few books in between her naps. Also, a really great tip I picked up from a fellow mama on Twitter, is to listen to audio books whilst breastfeeding. Such a good idea! I hope you enjoy my mini reviews!
1.) UNDERCOVER PRINCESS (BOOK #1 OF THE ROSEWOOD CHRONICLES) BY CONNIE GLYNN (PHYSICAL BOOK)
Order a copy here!
PLOT: The first in a five book series, Undercover Princess follows Lottie Pumpkin, a girl obsessed with all things royalty. Through a bursary, she is admitted into the prestigious Rosewood Academy where she meets the disguised princess of Maradova, Ellie Wolf; desperate to lead a normal life away from her regal duties. One day, a rumour spreads throughout the school forcing Lottie and Ellie to switch identities, but does Lottie have what it takes to fool the world and who is the mysterious person threatening to reveal their deep, dark secret?
MINI REVIEW: I bought this debut novel because I absolutely adore Connie Glynn (AKA YouTuber: Noodlerella). After scanning the reviews on Goodreads, I saw that a lot of people had the same complaints: too girly, too childish, too unrealistic etc. For those that watch Connie, this is who she is. She loves Disney, the colour pink, cute things and dressing up. If you buy her book, this is what you should expect. Did I think the writing was excellent? No, but I enjoyed the story because it reflected her personality 100%. The setting was my favourite part. I don’t know about you but I love reading books that take place at boarding schools. I commend Connie for putting herself out there in the first place and I just know she is going to grow as a writer with each new release. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey!
RATING: I gave this 3.5/5 stars.
2.) SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BY JANE AUSTEN (E-BOOK) – MONTHLY CLASSIC PICK FOR JULY 2018
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PLOT: This classic work of literature follows sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, the living embodiment’s of good sense and sensibility. When their father passes away, they find themselves destitute due to his decision to leave his home, Norland Park, not to them, but to their stepbrother John. Although instructed to take good care of his sisters, John is dissuaded of his duty by his greedy wife, Fanny. The family moves to a modest home in Devonshire, where the romantic Marianne becomes infatuated with the attractive John Willoughby, who is not as he seems. The ever prudent Elinor however, finds love with Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s older brother, leading to distressing events…
MINI REVIEW: Unpopular opinion time! I hated this classic! I was completely bored by it from beginning to end. In fact, I’ve already forgotten 95% of what happened. I did not engage with the story at all nor did I connect with any of the characters. I found both sisters to be completely man-obsessed and superficial. All they did was pine and pine after their love interests which irritated me to no end. I am sorry if this review is upsetting but I was not a fan. I’m surprised I actually finished it.
RATING: I gave this 1/5 stars.
3.) WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI BY SANDHYA MENON (E-BOOK) – SASSY BOOK CLUB PICK FOR JULY 2018
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PLOT: This was our Sassy Book Club pick for July. The live show discussing the novel will be held August 9th, 6:00pm PST on MissSassyKassie’s YouTube Channel.
Meet Dimple. Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech-world domination. Meet Rishi. He’s rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she’s got other plans…Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works even harder to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
MINI REVIEW: Oh how my happy little heart loved this book. It was such a feel-good read that made me smile from ear to ear. I absolutely adored Dimple and Rishi equally. They had chemistry, spirit and fun. The story itself was engaging and unique. I could definitely see there being a sequel. I thought the author did an excellent job developing her characters and giving them flaws to work through. I would highly recommend this book for anybody who is partial to a cute love story with plenty of laughs along the way.
RATING: I gave this 5/5 stars.
4.) THE EVERYTHING VEGAN PREGNANCY BOOK (KINDLE BOOK) BY RD REED MANGELS
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PLOT: Do I need more protein? Am I getting enough nutrients for the baby? How do I defend my decision to stay vegan? These questions and more are on the minds of vegan moms-to-be who want to maintain their lifestyle but still nurture a healthy baby. Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief because a vegan pregnancy is not only possible, it’s also healthy and completely safe. With this helpful guide, you will learn about all aspects of vegan pregnancy from conception to bringing home baby, including: * Which foods to eat (and avoid!) to get optimum nutrients for you and baby* How to deal with disapproval from family and friends* Methods to ensure a vegan-friendly hospital birth* Setting up a vegan nursery for the baby. Packed with information for both moms and dads, including 150 nutritious and healthy recipes for the whole family, this book is the ultimate resource for parents who want the best for their baby–without sacrificing the vegan life!
MINI REVIEW: I mentioned this handy-dandy guide in my Vegan Pregnancy & Parenthood FAQ! Now that baby has been born, I finally finished reading it. It really helped me have a healthy, vegan pregnancy and answered many of my questions along the way. It covers pre and post-natal birth, what to expect and how simple it is to be plant-based and pregnant at the same time. I also really appreciated all of the recipes and will definitely be trying them out once Abigail starts eating solids. I would highly recommend this book as it is written by a trusted, registered dietitian. Check out my FAQ above for further clarification.
RATING: I gave this 5/5 stars.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed. What was your favourite book of July? Let me know down below.
Peace & Love xoxo
This post contains links to my Book Depository Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own
I actually have not read Sense and Sensibility, and if that is what happened in the narrative as you said, not sure if I’d like it much either. One thing about classic stories is they are often set in another generation with another mindset…and if I don’t like the narrative, then I don’t as I can’t relate. So lovely to hear you are reading quite a bit this month! Hope you are well my friend and cannot wait to see you soon ❤
I don’t believe you would enjoy Sense and Sensibility either my friend. As you said, if they are set in a different mindset it’s harder to connect and engage with the story/characters. Cannot wait to see you too! ❤️
I’m a huge Austen fan, but I do agree Sense and Sensibility isn’t my favourite, I hope this hasn’t put you off reading others if you haven’t already! I loved Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and obviously Pride and Prejudice! I think Emma is the most accessible to a modern audience of all the books and is definitely worth a read. I must admit though, I love being transported to a different time.
Thank you! I’ve read Pride and Prejudice in the past and really enjoyed it and Emma is on my list. I won’t give up 🙂