In the month of August I read and completed two books. This summer has been really difficult in terms of reading and finishing books, but I’m trying my best!

The two books I completed this month are:

• “The Heart of Betrayal” by Mary E. Pearson. This book was a great continuation of the first book and it definitely left me wanting to know what happens in the last book. The suspense, the action, the romance, the questions… I need to know! Check out my review here!
• “Magic Bites” by Ilona Andrews. This book was a good start to this urban fantasy series and I’m definitely intrigued to know more about the world as magic ravages across Atlanta. Check out my review here!

I also read several other books this month, but I have yet to complete them for one reason or another (the main reason being I’m stuck in a slump and can’t find my way out), and they are:

• “The Final Empire” and “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson.
• “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling.
• “A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin.
• “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra Clare.
• “A Thousand Pieces of You” by Claudia Gray.
• “Forbidden” by Kimberley Griffiths Little.
• “Days of Blood and Starlight” by Laini Taylor.
• “Attachments” by Rainbow Rowell.

Yeah, I started all of those, but haven’t finished them… I think reading multiple books at once is what’s stopping me from reading, really. It’s difficult to retain everything that’s happening because I don’t want to confuse one plot with another.

So it’s been a productive month for reading, but not a fruitful month, you know? I want to finish what I’m reading and find out what happens!

As well as that, I did some discussions and other things this month:

• Shoutouts (Part 1) – I did some shoutouts to various book people! I think everyone deserves recognition for what they do, and I’m going to do this as much as I can.
• How I Organize My Bookshelves – I talked about how I do my own shelf organization. This will probably change over time, but I think one constant I’ll always have will be my “favorites” shelf.
• Let’s Talk Shadowhunters – The show has a full cast and production is well under way. I talk a bit more about the cast and how excited I am for this show!
• Book Clubs: Yea or Nay? – The pros and cons of book clubs are discussed here. Would you join one?
• Rayna Recommends: High Fantasy – In hindsight, I wish I had done a broader topic of fantasy and then narrowed from there, but here I recommend some high fantasy books and movies!
• Bout of Books 14 Readathon + My Birthday – I participated in Bout of Books 14 and it was also my birthday this past month! It was a fun time and I’m proud of what I accomplished.
• Reading Tastes – I talked about how reading tastes change over time and how you can love one thing one year and completely change your views in the next.

So it’s been a productive month and I’m happy to have had all the talks and whatnot.

But now it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The giveaway winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated and joined in! I’m very happy and I hope to see more of you around in the years to come.

And the winner is…

Bianca @ The Ultimate Fangirl

Congratulations! You’ve already been contacted by email, but I wanted to give a shoutout here, too! Thanks all and look forward to the next giveaway!

Let’s see what the next month has to bring. What did you read this past month? Let me know!