-A.M. Aguilar

Top 5 June & July Reads

Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Sci-Fi Romance, & Magical Realism

Happy August book lovers. I hope that the past few months have treated you well 🙂 I’m back with a double monthly wrap-up today and I can’t wait to share these amazing reads with you. I finished online classes last month so the past two weeks I’ve read a bunch 😀 So let’s get started with my Top 5 Reads of June & July…

I discovered new stories during these months so take into consideration that all of the following recommendations are stand-alones so if you’re in the mood for one of those, here you have some recs 😀 I always look forward to read other bloggers and bookstagrammers monthly wrap ups because it is fun to see how everyone spent their month reading. Of course my TBR is growing never-ending every month but that just makes me excited to read books for the rest of my life HAHA 😀

I’m always happy to talk with you guys and gush over our favorite reads in DMs so please don’t hesitate in sliding in there 🙂 If you’ve been following me on Instagram, (we’re so close to 1.7K, THANK YOUU! @thebookssmuggler) then you may have seen me fangirl over many of these in my stories and posts, I’m always active there so stay tuned.

Also! Reminder that reading is not a task or job so never pressure yourself to read a certain amount of books but enjoy yourself and make it fun. Don’t make your hobbies a homework. It is okay if you could not spend your month reading, it doesn’t make you any less of a book lover. Always make yourself a priority and dedicate time to all the things you love. I learned this from you guys so never forget it yourself <3

Now back to the post 😉 I will be focusing on my top 5 reads from June & July, though I did read around 12 books in total with both months, but I’ll only be able to share 5 of this so make sure to check out the books in my “Other Books I Read” section too! I hope these books catch your attention and you can add them to your August TBR list ;).

If you want to, you can also check out my Top 5 May Reads !

With nothing more to say, let’s get started…

Top 5 June & July Reads

1. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

This book takes the spot as one of my favorites of the year 😀 I’m so excited to read the sequel this month. The Gilded Wolves is a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change, 1889 and it follows the story of Séverin Montagnet who is being coerced by the Order of Babel to help them retrieve a long lost artifact; and in doing so he will receive a prize beyond imagination: his true inheritance.

Seéverin calls upon a group of unlikely experts to get this job done: an engineer with a debt to pay, a historian banished from his home, a dancer with a sinister past and a brother in arms if not blood. Full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires; The Gilded Wolves will take you in a race against time to unravel long lost mysteries and secrets the Order of babel is hiding…

I promise you this book is a MASTERPEICE. Incredibly well written, characters you can’t help but root, historical and mathematical references, and an amazing storyline full of twists and turns. By the end you won’t even believe it’s over so soon. Definitely recommend!

5/5

2. Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

This book is full of dark, witchy, intriguing vibes and once you begin reading about this strange island, By-The Sea, you won’t be able to stop. For me, Summer of Salt is one of those books you read because of the ingenious and interesting storyline/plot, plus very easy to dive into. The characters lacked a bit of personality but I guess that’s because the book was a bit short, do hope there can be a sequel though; it was very enjoyable!!

We learn about a curious magic passed down through generations, and our main character: Georgina Fernweh, waits with growing impatience for the tingle of magic in her fingers; she’s about to turn 18 and once you do, if no magic has come to you, then you won’t ever be granted a spark of it.

Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity so Georgina fears her gift will never come. This island is full of strange happenings: no one questions the weather, as moody and erratic as a summer storm or the three-hundred-year-old bird who comes to roost on the island every year.

This summer though… tragedy strikes, and what made the Fernweh women special suddenly casts them in suspicion. Over the course of her last summer on the island, a summer of storms, love and salt, Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms. AN INCREDIBLE BOOK, super underrated that I feel needs to be talked about more! Please read this one and tell me how you like it 😀

4/5

3. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Perfect for romance readers and those like me who enjoy a good sci-fi subplot 😉 “Romance & Sci-Fi? Wdym Andrea?” You’ll see what I’m talking about! THIS ONE TAKES THE SPOT AS MY FAV OF THE YEAR. I adored every second of it, the characters were so well written and are so lovable! It was full of everything I enjoy PLUS a found family trope 😉 What else do you need?

One Last Stop is the story of twenty-three-year-old August, who moves to New York City to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone.

On her way to work every morning, August takes the subway and thinks there’s no way it can get more boring to live like this. But one day she meets Jane, a mysterious and charming woman, who saves the day by letting her use her black leather jacket and cover a stain in her shirt. Though after this day something very strange begins to happen… August begins to encounter Jane every single day and always looks the same way… like an old school rock fan from the 70’s. Soon we discover the mystery behind Jane and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help Jane go back to her time :0 

5/5

4. Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

One of the best contemporary books I’ve read and also one that touches very important themes and topics that are rarely discussed. PLEASE READ THIS ONE!! Simone is a black girl and an HIV-positive teen who must learn how to navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love, and lust, for the first time.

She is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different; not like last time when word that she’s HIV-positive got out. She’s making real friends this time, she is director of Rent, and brave enough to make a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple… She finds an anonymous note in her locker: “I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles.” 

Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head on. 10/10 I mean please, this book is so heartwarming, eductional and I feel like everyone needs to read it. Let me know if you do 😀

5/5

5. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

One of my favorites (I know I say this about every single book but I mean it HAHA THIS ONE IS SO GOOD) making Adiba Jaigirdar one of my top authors for sure. Check out her other book because it is also VERY WORTH IT.

The Henna Wars follows Nishat’s story. After her cousin’s wedding, everyone is praising Nishat’s henna art tattoos that her sister showed off online. This gives Nishat the bright idea to use her talents and skills doing henna for her business project and win the competition. Unfortunetly, her once childhood best friend the beautiful and charismtic Flávia has a similar idea… both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture.

Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled together, and Nishat realizes there might be more to her than she realized. I promise you this book will steal your heart; it’s impossible not to fall for this characters and relate to their stories and adventures 🙂

4/5

If you ever decide to pick up one of these, please let me know! I love talking about book we enjoyed reading and you know I’m always open to receive book recs and listen to you rant about your fav reads too <3 I’m hoping you enjoyed this wrap up and that I’ve made your tbr significantly larger 😉 Every time one of you says you’ve read a book I recommended, MY PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE IS DONE 😀

If you’ve read any of these, let me know in the comments down below & tell me which books you’re excited to read. Also, PLEASE tell me about your favorite reads of May, let’s chat!

Thank you to all of you who stay up to date with my posts & have been following me through this journey, I can’t be more grateful and you’re truly the kindest and most amazing people I know. Please stay safe, take care and spread love always dear book lovers! Wishing you all the best this new week.

PS: Check out the other books I read down because I promise you they are all worth it too <3

Happy reading book lovers!

Did you spend the last two months reading? Tell me how it went down below in the comments & which was your favorite read of the month!

OTHER BOOKS I READ