August has ended and it is my birthday month! Which is also like super complicated because I don’t really celebrate it anymore and instead wallow in regret and disappointment, so yeah, it is tough. I do like looking back and being assured that there are some things I am still doing well: like my reading and blogging. While I wasn’t entirely sticking to my posting schedule in August, and took a couple of days off when I was stressed, I think I had a good enough month. And I was especially pleased to find out that I set a new view stats record with August, and also that this year’s cumulative view stats has already surpassed the entirety of last year! Whoo! Anyway, getting back to the main business of reading,
I read a total of 33 books this month – 25 full-length novels, 1 verse novel, 2 short stories and 5 graphic novels/manga. There were so many 5 (and nearly 5) star books this month!
Ah-mazing!
Pretty good
Try it out, maybe?
And now, onto the yearly challenges:
Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
Progress: 71/100 books
I finished some long overdue books on my TBR, like the ones from the Hollows series.
Status: slightly ahead
Contemporary Romance reading challenge
Progress: 35/21+ books (Grand Slam)
The romance keeps on going…
Status: challenge complete!
AtoZ reading challenge
Progress: 22/26 books
V 
X Y Z
Nothing this month
Status: quite ahead
Cloak and Dagger challenge
Progress: 27/35 books
Status: ahead
New Release challenge
Progress: 125/200 books
Status: a bit behind
Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading challenge
Progress: 164/100 galleys
Status: Challenge complete!
2019 Debut author challenge
Progress: 16/24 debuts
Status: on track
Audiobook challenge
Progress: 24/50 audiobooks
Status: quite behind
Monthly Keyword Challenge
Progress: 6/12 keywords
– Dress – Bride – Fire
Dystopia Reading Challenge
Progress: 23/16 books
The Hollows series is set in an alternate timeline dystopia where supernatural beings called Inderlanders live alongside humans, and The Silver Queen is set in a futuristic world where vampires rule the living humans.
Status: Challenge complete!
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Progress: 30/25 books (Ancient History)
A Dress for the Wicked is set in Victorian-ish setting, Sea Witch Rising is in pre-WWI Europe, The Ghost Bride is 1890s Malaya.
Status: challenge complete!
Retellings Reading Challenge
Progress: 20/25 retellings (Fairest of them All)
– modern retelling of Thelma & Louise – modern retelling of Greek/Roman mythology 
– fantasy retellings of modern Chinese history – retelling of The Little Mermaid – futuristic space opera retelling of The Mahabharatha – modern Indian retelling of Emma – modern meta retellings of Sherlock Holmes – retelling of Odysseus and other Greek myths
Space Time Reading Challenge
Progress: 8/20 books
Series to Finish Challenge
Progress: 12/24 series (2/12 new + 10/12 old)
– old
– old
Status: quite behind!
Year of the Asian Reading Challenge
Progress: 29/51 books
The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic and Mooncakes were written by Chinese diaspora authors, A House of Rage and Sorrow and Polite Society were by Indian diaspora authors, and The Ghost Bride was translated by a Chinese-Malaysian diaspora author.
Status: quite behind
Besides these year-long challenges, I also had three reading challenges.
Avid August (Aug 1-31)
I had planned to read any 5 books from my prior TBR lists, and I barely made it
Bout of Books (Aug 19-25)
Planned to read 7 books, and while I didn’t read my original TBR, I did read 7 books.
Dewey’s 24 Hour Reverse Readathon (Aug 2-3)
I read 3 books in 24 hours
ICYMI
TTT: Book Characters I’d Love to be Besties With
TTT: Favorite Tropes
TTT: Books I’ve Read that I’d like in my Personal Library
Diversity Spotlight Thursday #59: Biracial rep
Diversity Spotlight Thursday #60: Neurodiversity rep
Diversity Spotlight Thursday #61: Queer rep in contemporary fiction
Diversity Spotlight Thursday #62: Sapphic Graphic Novels
Book Blogger Hop: Aug 2-8
book bloggerBook Blogger Hop: Aug 9-15
Book Blogger Hop: Aug 16-22
Book Blogger Hop: Aug 23-29
Book Blogger Hop: Aug 30- Sep 5
Stacking the Shelves #71
Stacking the Shelves #72
Stacking the Shelves #73
Stacking the Shelves #74
On the Pod this week #39
On the Pod this week #40
On the Pod this week #41
Other news
- I am hosting a readathon this month called 5 star Love Readathon! Go check my Readathoning in September post for deets
- I made some fanart for A House of Rage and Sorrow this month – you can see it with the book’s review, or, if you don’t want to be spoiled, you can still see it on my Fanart page.
- As always – please help support my blog and my art with contributions through Ko-Fi (every small donation helps!), and by buying my designs on Society6 or TeePublic. You could also help out for free, too – by using my affiliate links (see sidebar) when you are about to purcahse a book, or by using my Scribd share code to get a free 60-day trial of the service (come on guys, free books for 2 months is a no-brainer!)
- This month also has my birthday, so if you like my content and stuff, and would like to give me a gift, please click on my Scribd link! Most of my audiobook reading comes through it!
How was your August?
YA on my Mind 