Books of July
The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz - ***** - Review: August 5th
The Maze Runner by James Dashner - *** - Thoughts here
Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff - ***** - Review: August 12th
Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury - **** - Review: August 19th
Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle - ***
Uprooted by Naomi Novik - *** - Review: August 26th
This Crumbling Pageant by Patricia Burroughs - DNF - My thoughts here
Encrypted by Lindsay Buroker - ****
Thorns of Decision by Breeana Puttroff - *****
Trial and Temptation by Ruby Lionsdrake - *****
The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace - DNF - I've got a rant/review planned for next month. Probably on the 14th.
Books and Blog Thoughts
I actually think I did fairly well this month. Yeah, some of the books could have been better - especially a couple of those that I was really looking forward to - but over all...I did alright. (Except for those DNF's... Some books just make me so angry that I can't read them.)
Towards the end of the month, I got a big package of books in that I'd ordered from book outlet. They don't have a ton of stuff I want there, but whenever I can get a big order together, I save a bunch of money. 9 book for 45 dollars is quite a deal if you ask me. Not quite as good a buy as their stuff usually is, but I ordered a couple of 5+ dollar books. But I also had several that weren't even 3 dollars.
I was going to post this in the next section but...It's hot. I'm suprised July is over, but also so very glad because that means we're getting closer to autumn and winter. (At least, eventually.) Because we've been so hot, I've been even more lazy than usual and my life has been pretty much comprised of 'work, read, television, sleep'. Sometimes we've been so hot that I don't even want to eat. (And that is plenty unusual for me.) I stand outside for ten minutes and I feel all wilted. What that means is that I've pretty much locked myself in with my AC and, instead of going out, I read.
Also, I am so proud of myself. So far this year I have already posted more here on my blog that I did the entirety of last year! It only took me a year to get my feet firmly planted on the ground. So, I'm very happy about this.
Off the Blog
So, remember those lilies I planted? I've actually gotten a few blooms off them but...They're not doing so well. One of the plants turned brown and died already, five or six others are turning yellow and I can't figure out why, they have bugs eating their leaves (I bought some different bug spray) and all four blooms were the same type (I planted three different colors and of all eighteen bulbs, (I planted nine of each) none of the others looks like it's doing anything). I don't know what's wrong with them besides this being the reason that I don't have plants inside: I always accidently kill them. If there is truly such a thing as a 'brown thumb' I have one. I think next time I decide 'oh, I want to plant something' I'm going to get a farm simulation game. I'm good at those.
One of my all time favorite bands (we'll ignore the fact that, technically, 'they' are no longer a band, m'kay?) released their new CD at the beginning of the month. That's Breaking Benjamin, for those of you that...well, for everyone ;) So, I think that the longest stretch that CD has been out of my stereo since I got it has been less than two days last weekend when I listened to some Kelly Clarkson. Even though I've loved all BB's other CD's, this one is even more amazing than usual and I actually love every song. However, I have a new addiction:
This song is one of my favorites of theirs - right up there with Home and Into The Nothing. Everytime I listen to the CD, I have to listen to this song. Heck, even if I don't listen to any other song off this CD, I have to listen to this one.
On TV
I finished rewatching season 3 of Babylon 5. And I read Valor's Choice just as I was wrapping up with B5 and it worked perfectly. Made me hungry for sci-fi though. (If you've got any show or book suggestions for sci-fi, I would love to get some!)
I finally finished a couple of shows that I'd been working on for ages. 1) Season 5 of Vampire Diaries. I took a long hiatus during all the Katherine/Elena stuff because I hate those storylines, but it really wasn't as bad as I had expected. And then I got sucked back into it. & 2) Blood-C. I really wouldn't recommend the show. I had my doubts about it before I ever started watching it, but it is from CLAMP and, even if I don't love all their shows, I watch them. This one wasn't even my least favorite of theirs, but I didn't like very many of the people. There is a pretty awesome storyline there and I love that we finally get some typical CLAMP weirdness. It only took until episode 11.
I also watched Devils & Realist and Girls Und Panzer. Both were quite a bit of fun. They're both really light and I loved watching them together because you've got the one that's (basically) all guys and the one that's (essentially) all girls.
So, that's my month. Over all, it's been a good month for me and I hope everyone else is doing well.
