Kait's Bookshelf

Book Reviews and Literary Services

August Wrap-Up!

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August was a fast month for me! It was filled with great new and upcoming reads. Back-to-school is happening all around me, and summer is winding down with the long Labor Day weekend. Fall is just around the corner, and the truth is that I can’t wait for it! It is strange not going back to school this Fall, and I’ll admit I felt a little sad on Monday when my Alma Mater started the Fall semester. As stressful as it was, I enjoyed my back to school experience. But I am thankful to finally be working full time in a field I love and excited to be able to really relax and enjoy a Fall season again (my favorite time of year!). There are so many books I am excited for this Fall, and I’ll be sharing them in the coming weeks. But for now, let’s recap the last of my summer reads with my August wrap-up!

My first August blog post was about upcoming children’s and middle grade books for Fall. There are so many books that I am excited for, and it was hard to narrow them down. I didn’t even tackle the “grown-up” reads on my radar. Of the titles on my list, I am most excited for The List, Wishtree, and Nevermoor. Shortly after my post, I received an ARC from Disney of Click’d so I was able to check that one off right away. If you missed my list of upcoming reads, you can check it out here.

My next book post was about a new publisher I have found named Theme Park Press. They publish exclusively books about Disney. I read two of their books, Moving to Main Street, U.S.A. and Murder in the Magic Kingdom. Both of them were good books and packed with Disney, which I loved. If you missed that review, you can read it here.

My next review was a pleasant surprise from Lake Union Publishing. They sent me a copy of Amanda Prowse’s new book, The Art of Hiding. To be honest, I didn’t think I would like this book. It sounded depressing because, well, it is depressing. The main character, Nina, loses everything, literally everything, and has to find her strength and start over. What I found as I kept reading was that while Nina’s circumstances were depressing, the book was not. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite inspirational. I love strong, resilient characters! If you missed my review of The Art of Hiding, you can read it here.

I did something in August that I have only done once or twice before. I reviewed a picture book. While I love picture books, I don’t often review them, though I’m thinking of changing that. This particular picture book, What Do You Do With A Problem? had been catching my eye for some time, and I finally decided to check it out. I am glad I did! It is one of those books that I think will resonate with both kids and adults. You can check out my review here!

A new thing I tried in August was starting a new blog series called Friday Firsts. In this series, I plan to dedicate each post to a first time literary experience. My first Friday First post was all about my first time reading a book all by myself. It was Frog and Toad, and I still have a soft spot for them and the sense of freedom they gave me by helping me to learn to read and to learn to love reading. If you missed my first Friday First post, you can read it here.

My next post was a review of Click’d, a new middle grade read from Disney Books. Click’d was featured in my early August post of Upcoming Children’s and Middle Grade Reads for Fall. Disney sent me an ARC of the book, and I was pleased to find that it was as good as I had hoped it would be. One of the big things that attracted me to this book was that the protagonist is a young teenage girl who loves coding. She creates her own app at Coding Camp and the story takes off from there. I love stories featuring smart female leads, and I think they’re especially important in the younger genres.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop was, unfortunately, a bit of a letdown for me. I had high hopes for this book as I love books about books and books with literary settings. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t “click” with the main character in this one.

My books about books post was all about books with a literary setting or books where the main character has or comes to have an appreciation of books. I love stories in which the author’s love of books resonates through the pages. My list of books about books included reads for both younger and older audiences. If you missed it, check it out here and then let me know what your favorite book about books is!

Well, that’s it for August. Fall is just around the corner, and I can’t wait! Don’t get me wrong – I love summer! But Fall has always been my favorite season, and with these northeastern nights growing cooler every week, I’m in the mood for sweater weather, hot tea and cider, pumpkins, pretty leaves, and new Fall books! What book(s) are you most looking forward to reading this Fall?

-Kait

Up Next: An appreciation of libraries! Subscribe to the blog or sign up with your email here so you don’t miss out!

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Author: kaitsbookshelf

A few years ago, I made the decision to go back to school, and at the age of thirty-five, I received my B.A. in Writing (better late than never!). I am now pursuing a career in the field I am most passionate about. I am a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I am a freelance writer, a published author, a freelance editor, and a book reviewer. I also offer book and product promotions. Thanks for visiting my website!

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