August Wrap-Up and September TBR

I previously just did this on tumblr to display all the links to my reviews, but I think I'm going to also do it here, especially because I'm not planning on writing a full review (at least not anytime soon) for To Kill a Mockingbird. So, here is a summary of my reading this month because I don't write a review for everything, but if I did, I'll link it. I'm also attempting to put ratings but I've got to say, I'm bad at them.

 Overall this was a pretty good reading month considering my time became limited by school.

1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (review has spoilers): I can't say this is going to be a tip-top favorite of mine or anything, but I really enjoyed reading it. I personally thought it was a much quieter story than the hype suggested, and so while it wasn't what I expected I was actually pleasantly surprised by what it really turned out to be. 5/5


2. "Nothing O'Clock" by Neil Gaiman: This is that Doctor Who ebook short story written for the 50th anniversary and is the last one featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond (in really early pre-Rory travels, actually). It's Neil Gaiman, Doctor Who, Eleven and Amy, and less than 50 pages, so how could I resist? It was really fun to read and I loved how creepy and abstract it was (really just tradition Gaiman, though). 5/5

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: I don't know if I'll actually write a review for this one sometime. I'm still puzzled. This was one of the more widely-loved classics, even among the younger crowd. And yet...I didn't really feel it. Certainly very important points were made, it was well-written, and I loved the courthouse scene, but I wasn't a fan of the ending and how it handled childhood. Scout hardly developed and consequences weren't addressed, with the end seeming to imply that it's okay, you're just children, and you're going to stay that way. I guess I was expecting the punch-in-the-gut feeling I get from good books, especially about the growing up subject matter, and I didn't get it. 4/5.

4. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (review to come): Definitely a new favorite. This was my first read of King's and while it may be the consensus best, I'm going to be checking more out. I really wish her books (or at least this one) was more popular. This one is about bullying, problems with parents and relationships with others in general, and a loved one who has been forever MIA from the Vietnam War. I am going to be writing a full review, so for now I will just say that I loved the themes, the nuanced portrayal of the adults, how the relationship spanned and alternated between more than one kind of love, the plot/character twists, and the amusing description of the metaphorical ants. 5/5.

As for the books I'm planning on reading next month/the future:

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: I've just started reading this. I also have the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight, which I expect I'll be reading afterward.
•  Brave New World by Audious Huxley: I'm going to be reading this one for a class.
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: Because I still have it on my shelf and haven't gotten around to it.
• I'm going to Barnes and Noble in a few to pick up their leatherbound Ray Bradbury edition, because I adore Fahrenheit 451 but haven't read anything else by him, but they really intrigue me. It is an omnibus of The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and The Golden Apples of the Sun, though they are all short story collections anyway.
• On my Kindle I have barely started reading two ebooks that were free when I had downtime: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells and Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
• This month I have also acquired Cinder by Marissa Meyer, The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima, and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas because they were cheap on Kindle, and I hope to get to them eventually.