July 2021 Wrap-Up and August TBR

Title: Jay’s Gay Agenda

Author: Jason June

Rating: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: Growing up in a small town, Jay is used to being the only gay kid, so he spends time dreaming of all the firsts and experiences he will one day have. When his family relocates to Seattle for his senior year of high school, Jay is thrilled to have the opportunity to finally start experiencing things in an openly queer area.

Title: A Pho Love Story

Author: Loan Le 

Rating: 3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blurb: Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai have both grown up working in their parents’ pho restaurant. Although the Nguyen and Mai’s restaurants are nearby, they are rivals, so Bao and Linh have only spoken once. Until one day they run into each other and get placed on a project together reviewing restaurants for the school newspaper.

Title: The Blood of Stars Duology

Author: Elizabeth Lim 

Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: Maya has trained for years to be a breathtaking seamstress, but her dreams of being the imperial tailor are out of her reach because she’s a girl. When the Emperor summons Maya’s ailing father for a competition to become the royal tailor, Maya dresses as a her brother to go in her father’s place.

Title: Out of Character

Author: Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: When Milo shows up in Jasper’s life again after years of friendship ending with silent bullying in high school, Jasper is wary. But Milo needs his help, and as the two guys set out on a hunt to find rare Odyssey cards to replace the ones Milo lost, they reform an important connection.

Title: Six Crimson Cranes

Author: Elizabeth Lim 

Rating: 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blurb: After discovering a dragon, Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, realizes that she has forbidden magic running through her veins. When her magic catches the attention of her stepmother Raikama, Shiori and her six brothers are placed under a curse and removed from the palace. Shiori then must find her brothers, break the curse, and save her kingdom from magic and invasion.

Title: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Author: Alexis Hall

Rating: 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blurb: Ever since Rosaline dropped out of college to raise her daughter on her own, life has not been easy. So when she receives the chance to enter a baking competition for prize money, Rosaline decides to brave the baking, the competitors, and the madness for her chance at victory.

Title: The Empire of Gold

Author: S. A. Chakraborty 

Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: This was a wonderful, thrilling conclusion to the stunningly rich world of The Daevabad Trilogy.

Title: Hang the Moon

Author: Alexandria Bellefleur

Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: Brendon loves love, so when he runs into his long time crush, Annie for the first time in years, he jumps at the chance to show her around Seattle. However, Annie has just about given up on love, and she’s not about to change her life around for a man- but what about for her own happiness?

Title: What White People Can Do Next

Author: Emma Dabiri

Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: This was a powerful book discussing the importance and struggles of antiracism, and considers methods of using coalition and unity to fight the systems that oppress all.

Title: Lore

Author: Alexandra Bracken 

Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: After angering Zeus, seven Olympian gods and goddesses are forced into the Agon every seven years where they become mortal and are hunted by the lines of Ancient Greek heroes who try to take their power and ascend as “new gods”. This story takes place in the modern age and follows Lore, the last of the line of Perseus, as she tries to escape the grasp of the Agon and its powerful players.

Title: Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow Bk 3)

Author: Rainbow Rowell 

Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb: After saving the day twice, Simon, Baz, Penny, and Agatha return to London and try to discover how to move forward. How should their shape their lives and their futures? What is happening within the world of mages- and consider if that’s even where they belong.