Lectito July 31, 2016 Book Lists, For Readers

July in Review

This July, I had a stellar month of reading. I powered through eight-and-a-half books, which is HUGE for me. But I’ve also fallen into my first big blogging slump since starting Lectito a little over a year ago. Which sucks. June was such a great month and I was more gung-ho about blogging than I’ve ever been. And July got off to a promising start, then all of a sudden this miserable winter, work and a bout of homesickness conspired to pitch me into a big ol’ bloggy hole. I’ve been doing a lot of writing, just not blog writing. Or blog reading, for that matter. So I apologise for my silence in everyone’s comments sections and on Instagram too—I’m looking forward to catching up on what everyone’s been reading!

Anyone else been struck down by a case of the winter blogging blues? Or have you got any tips for getting back on track?

July Reviews

	The Girls Emma Cline Genre: Literary fiction Read the review ⇒
	Forgetting Foster Dianne Touchell Genre: Contemporary YA Read the review ⇒
	The Leaving Tara Altebrando Genre: YA thriller Read the review ⇒
	The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware Genre: Thriller Read the review ⇒
	Burning Danielle Rollins Genre: YA thriller Read the review ⇒
	There Will Be Stars Billy Coffey Genre: Speculative fiction Read the review ⇒

Reviews coming soon…


Lions by Bonnie Nadzam	Where the Light Falls by Gretchen Shrim	The Last One by Alexandra Olivia

Mister Memory by Marcus Sedwick	Tell Us Something True by Dana Reinhardt	Black by Fleur Ferris

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23Comments

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1

Resh Susan @ The Book Satchel on July 31, 2016 at 1:15 pm
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You have read some books with great rating this month. I am looking forward to reading The Girls as well.

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  Lectito on July 31, 2016 at 1:15 pm
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  I hope you enjoy it! It’s been one of my favourite reads so far this year.
  
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Nicola | Rust and Stardust on July 31, 2016 at 11:34 pm
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Sorry to hear you are going through a blogging slump. I have had a few in the last year and my advice would be not to force it. If you are not feeling it, take a break and do what excites your spirit at the time. For me those breaks from blogging recharged my batteries and I came back to blogging but with more realistic goals and with less pressure on myself. Oh and another thing that got me over my blogging slump was going for a new theme on WordPress and giving my blog a little makeover 😉 Well done on reading 8 books in a month by the way. I am lucky if I get to read one a month!!! Haha xx

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  Elizabeth Ferguson on August 1, 2016 at 4:15 am
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  I’m currently going through a massive blogging/reading/general life slump and I’m struggling to find the motivation to get going again. I am definitely in need of a break in routine to get a fresher look on things. Sometimes a little you time is what you need to get up and go again. Definitely putting some of these on my to read list and good luck to you!
  
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    Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 10:34 am
    
    Sorry to hear you’re slumping too! But you’re right, stepping back and taking a break is just the ticket.
    
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6

Grab the Lapels on August 1, 2016 at 5:52 am
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Unfortunately, it’s a humid summer in the U.S., which generally makes me pissy. Why are you homesick? Where are you, and why? Typically, summers are really hard to me. I’m not teaching, so I work a minimum wage job that requires me to sit at a desk in case something happens, which provides me with lots of time to read but zero intellectual interactions outside of that. Doing the #20BooksofSummer challenge has helped enormously, because sometimes I get so down during my summer job that I can’t seem to read, which leads to perusing social media, which leads to misery/depression/hopelessness (and general ew). I’m thinking of finding a different summer job next year. Even if it is still minimum wage, I want something that gets me up and moving and thinking. I don’t work for the money, but the requirement to get dressed and go somewhere.

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  Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 11:33 am
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  I’m really sorry to hear that, Melanie! I’m the exact opposite, winter gets me down big time. I’m currently living in Perth, but itching to move home to Adelaide where my family and a lot of my friends live. We’ve been in Perth for a little over a year (we were in Melbourne before that), and until recently it’s been great. The beaches are absolutely incredible and in summer there’s so much going on but this winter has been much colder and rainier than the last and we’ve been staying in a lot more. It’s really a ‘summer city’. I’ve been freelancing full-time since we moved here, which is an absolute dream come true but also means spending a lot of time alone and stuck in my own head. Lately, I’ve probably needed to get out a bit more than I have. A few weeks ago, my mum also sent over some videos taken at family parties when I was little, and that really set off my homesickness–we’re all super close. Usually blogging is a big help, but last month all I wanted to do was stay in bed with a big pile of books. Soon as the weather warms up, I’ll be fine. I’ve realised that if I’m going to keep working solo, I need to make sure I get out and about when I’m not working. I hope you’re okay for the rest of the summer. The stuck-in-your-own-head-with-no-one-to-talk-to feeling is really awful. The reading challenge was a good strategy.
  
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    Grab the Lapels on August 1, 2016 at 12:12 pm
    
    Aww, your mom was sentimental at just the wrong time! Do you have anything over there like meetup.com for finding groups? My husband and I spent years without friends after we moved until I found that website.
    
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    Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 12:25 pm
    
    Yeah, she means well! We have Meetup.com here and I’ve used it in other cities but haven’t had much luck with it. BUT I’ve been lucky enough to make some good friends since we moved here. I just need to be a bit more pro-active about organising activities. I’m also thinking about doing a yoga class or similar during the work day once or twice a week to get me out of the house a bit more during the day.
    
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Grab the Lapels on August 1, 2016 at 5:58 am
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Also, I’ve found that when I get in a blogging slump, it’s usually because I get the feeling that no one is reading or paying attention to me, which is actually selfish. I’ve made performer and audience incestuous (I do the song and dance and hope that people love me, but when they don’t I’m the one in the audience feeling sad watching the lonesome performer) — a concept that I learned from comedian Bo Burnham that makes a lot of sense (he also said millennials are the “performance” generation, not the “me” generation). When that happens to me, I don’t take a break. I reassess why I’m doing what I’m doing. Really, I’m not sure I’m capable of reading a book without spewing out what I think about it. If it’s not on Grab the Lapels, it ends up on Goodreads. If it’s not on Goodreads, it’s in my husband’s ear. If it’s not his ear, it’s anyone who sees me reading and asks, “What are you reading?”

I’ve also become more “ruthless” about blogger relationships. It may sound crazy, but I created a spreadsheet of everyone I follow and keep track of their last GTL visit. It’s very simple to do, but I discovered quickly that some people whom I’ve been following for months have never set e-foot in GTL. It’s helped me cut down on my blog reading time (I stopped following those people) and led me to find new blog friends, which has made me happier. I’ve heard many bloggers lament they have TOO many blogs they follow. This system is easy for me and keeps me happy and developing good relationships.

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  Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 11:51 am
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  Okay, first off, yes!!!! A fellow Bo Burnhan fan!!!! I love him! 😀 I haven’t done a spreadsheet or anything like that, although, it’s not a bad idea! I spent yesterday catching up on all the posts I’ve missed and unfollowing a few people that haven’t ever visited my site. It felt so good to start the month knowing I was up to date with everyone, and to make some room to find new bloggers to follow as well (which I’m keen to do this month). It is kind of dispiriting putting a whole lot of effort into reading and responding to someone’s posts when they don’t acknowledge you. You’re right, it’s easy to get into that headspace where you feel like no one’s interested. Cue existential crisis. I think getting rid of some of those blogs from my reading list will help!
  
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    Grab the Lapels on August 1, 2016 at 12:14 pm
    
    For sure! And if you do the spreadsheet in Google drive it’s easy to update from your smartphone. It’s 98% less inconvenient than it sounds. I give everyone a firm timeframe between visits with no show. Then it’s bye bye.
    
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    Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 12:26 pm
    
    I do love me a good spreadsheet! Thanks, Melanie!
    
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14

Yvo on August 1, 2016 at 7:55 am
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Wow you read some really interesting books this month! I will definitely be trying to read a few of these soon (starting with The Leaving since I already have a copy). Happy reading and good luck with the blogging slump!

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  Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 11:51 am
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  Thanks! I’m feeling more positive about August! Enjoy The Leaving. 🙂
  
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16

Lesley Zampatti on August 1, 2016 at 9:42 am
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Eight books a month – two a week … that’s fast! My slow reading has tended to delay my book-blogging launch: I worry I won’t be able to produce enough copy to pique anyone’s interest!
I’m so sorry to read that you’re feeling a bit low, and especially to read that you’re homesick. It’s a terrible thing. Could you whiz home for a long weekend? Do you have enough company through the week?

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  Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 11:58 am
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  Yeah, it was a BIG month of books for me! I’d rather read one thoughtful review than five hasty ones, so don’t let that hold you back from blogging! I’m usually a snail when it comes to reading. As for the homesickness, I’ll be fine. It comes and goes. I’m going home for a wedding at the end of September, so I can hold out until then. I probably do need to get out more. The weather’s been horrid lately, which has turned me into a bit of a recluse over winter. Come spring, I know it’ll be a completely different story.
  
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18

SamanthaWho on August 1, 2016 at 10:07 am
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8 books in a month, that’s some serious reading! I’m sorry to hear that you’re in a be of a blogging slump, but I think that’s understandable, especially after a year! I hope you feel more inspired soon 🙂

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  Lectito on August 1, 2016 at 11:59 am
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  Thank you! Yesterday, I spent a few hours catching up on other people’s reviews, and that’s really helped! I’m feeling much better about August!
  
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    SamanthaWho on August 1, 2016 at 12:28 pm
    
    Good I’m glad! Sometimes a little break is needed 🙂 I’m excited to see what you share next!
    
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21

Cover2CoverMom on August 1, 2016 at 10:13 pm
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Congrats on a great reading month! Sorry you had a slow blogging month, I did as well. Here is to a better blogging month for us both in August!

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22

Call me Cordelia on August 2, 2016 at 2:21 am
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I’m not in a slump so much as I need to devote time elsewhere. My brother also blogs and he’s committed to posting once a week; I’m trying that. I work on “draft” posts and save them for future weeks when inspiration is missing. I hope that’s not considered cheating lol.

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  Lectito on August 2, 2016 at 9:55 am
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  No way! When I’m organised, I try to build up a store of posts. I’ve just been a total slacker of late!
  
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