Kayla’s END OF SUMMER RECAP (TAG)

I found this tag on the blog of the amazing Kristin Kraves Books just after noticing how the leaves are turning outside, and I’ve decided to “tag along” (see what I did there?). So, let me recap what I read this summer, and I’ll try not to forget anything.

What book can you not stop thinking about?

I can’t stop talking about this book, and I definitely can’t stop thinking about this book. It is in my top three favorite reads of the year, possibly one of my favorites of all time, but that’s impossible to determine.

Which book would you rather not have read?

See how I didn’t even bother to find a full scale image of this book? That’s how much I did not enjoy it. I kept waiting to see what the big deal was. There was literally zero character development, and sacrificing all character development for the sake of a good twist is not good writing. Here’s my full review if you want to feel the extent of my wrath.

What genre did you read the most?

I know I’ve left something off this chart, but I guess that’s fine. I have a tie between mystery/thriller and literary fiction. I think that is mostly because I can’t figure out which genre to put The Silent Patient into. It’s plot works like a thriller, but it’s writing is definitely that of literary fiction. Also, how have I gotten through an entire summer without a single science fiction read? I’m slacking.

Which book surprised you the most?

Why did this novel surprise me? Literally everyone was recommending it, right?

You see, I’ve got just enough of a rebel spirit that I always want to reject “trendy” things. Everybody’s doing it? Well, I don’t want to do it. Everybody loves it? Well, I’m going to hate it. It’s just how I am. It’s the same reason it took me so long to finish the Harry Potter novels. I guess I just don’t like agreeing with people.

However, Where the Crawdads Sing is just as perfect as everyone says it is. I should have listened sooner and read the thing because it really was worth the read. If you’re like me and you’ve been avoiding this “trendy” book like the plague, stop it. It’s not worth the fight. Embrace the book. You won’t regret it.

Which book disappointed you the most?

This isn’t really fair. It’s not the book’s fault that it disappointed me. It’s actually a really good read. However, it went in a direction that I did not want it to go. Is it bad that the book did something to surprise me? Absolutely not. Did it kind of disappoint me? A little, yes.

What was your favourite cover?

What can I say? I really like pie.

The best part about this cover is how perfect it is for the story. Despite its simplicity, it exudes a sense of home and family. That’s exactly what the novel is about. Also, in case you didn’t know, this novel is one of the reasons we started this blog, so it is close to our hearts.

What was your favourite summer release?

It’s one of the only two YA novels I’ve read recently, and it was a blessed surprise. It manage to avoid most of the typical genre cliches (there was the romance with the boy whose name I’ve totally forgotten at this point, but I guess it was necessary). The Companion is one of those books that really pushes you into the darkness, but it also gives you reason to hope. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was also my first ARC review, so it really made me feel like a grown-up!

What book did you plan on reading, but never got around to?

I probably shouldn’t admit this on the internet, but I wanted so badly to read and love The Belles. I even got a couple of pages into it, but then the ARCs started coming in and I found myself with deadlines. I’m still planning to read this at some point. It’s a beautiful cover, and I’ve read some pretty positive reviews about the story.

Which books do you plan on reading this fall?

There are so many books I plan to read this fall and that list is forever growing. It’s going to be a doozy of a season, but here are just a few of the titles I’ve chosen to keep me and my reading nook warm.

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What’s your summer reading recap? Consider yourself tagged if you haven’t already done this.