Another Month Closes

It’s August 31st friends!

Can you believe how quickly the month  flew by!

I can’t and I’m not really sure I want to see it go.

It’s been a trying month on my end, so I’m glad to see it go for that reason. But I also hate to think that we’re in the last third of the year now!

Looking back, I have made a lot of strides. I’ve been more forward in putting Pirate Eyes into the world and working diligently at perfecting her to the point of near perfection (because perfection is impossible, right??). I’m prouder of her than I’ve ever been and I feel confident saying that I’ll have her out to the public by 2017. I’m also confident that she won’t be my debut novel. More on that tomorrow 😉

I’ve also taken a lot of time to think about my life this past month. I’m not going to get deep and philosophical with you 😉 All I mean to say is that I’ve been considering who I want to be and what I want to do with my life. I know where my passion lies, I know what I want my purpose to be, but it’s become clear to me that I haven’t been focusing my life around those things. And I want that to change.

It says a lot when the only goal I’ve managed to keep this month is my reading one. I told myself that I had to read at least 5 books. I kind of read 10 ;P Which brings me up to 85 books read! 15 left and I’ll have reached my target!

Here’s a look at them as per my instagram post:

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Well here are my August reads ranked from most enjoyable to least diverting: 1. Jane Eyre: my annual read of the classic proved to be the highlight of the month. Jane & Rochestor are forever my OTP ❤ ️2. Speaker for the Dead was just as profound and gripping (if not more so) as it'd predecessor: Ender's Game. 3. Darker Shade of Magic was my first VE Schwab book that convinced me it also wouldn't be my last. The characters. The worldbuilding. Phenomenal. 4. A Swiftly Tilting Planet is the third in the Time Quintet, a childhood classic I only discovered a few months ago. A unique and whimsical read. 5. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child. Nostalgic. Harry Potter is one of my favorite series and while the play has its flaws I still delighted in returning to Hogwarts. 6. Justice Hall is part of the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series. I haven't enjoyed the last few installments, but this one was rather delightful. 7. Mad Ship was a big read that I had a hard time getting into. The second half was far superior to the first. 8. State of Wonder was my first foray in contemporary lit fic this year and while it was well written I found the Amazon setting a tad unsettling. 9. A Court of Thorns and Roses. Aah, this book. I had such high hopes (being the Beauty and the Beast fan that I am) but I was rather disappointed by certain elements. On the upside, SJM has a lovely writing style. 10. Lastly comes the Birth of Venus, a historical fiction I had hoped to enjoy much more than I did. I just never clicked with the MC. Well, those are the books I read. What about your August reads. Anything that completely wowed you? Anything that left you unsatisfied? #Augustreads #bookworm #bookstagram #amreading #loveofbooks #booksarelife #finishedreading #allthebooks #readingisknowledge #knowledgeispower

A post shared by Faith Rivens (@faith_therivens) on Aug 31, 2016 at 4:00pm PDT

The other thing I realized was that I spent a lot of money on books and funko this month. This was what my haul looks like…

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And here's my #augustbookhaul! As well as my #funkopop purchases. At a glance: Chicago Manual of Style • All the Light We Cannot See • Clockwork Sparrow • Ship of Destiny • Reaper Man • The Sunne in Splendour • Scorpio Races • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child • Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction • Gods of Gotham • Slaughterhouse 5 • Xenocide • Alanna: The First Protectress • Magic Bites • Written in Red • Crocodile on the Sandbank • A Monster Calls • Frenchmen's Creek • Wizards of Earthsea • Stormdancer Phew! What about your book buys this month. Anything you're particularly excited about? Any thoughts on mine 😉? #bookstagram #bookworm #nosuchthingastoomanybooks #bookshelf #tbr #amreading #spendingspree #bookaholic #booksequallife #readingisknowledge #knowledgeispower

A post shared by Faith Rivens (@faith_therivens) on Aug 31, 2016 at 5:41pm PDT

I would feel ashamed, but I can’t hate myself for putting money towards the written word when I hope some day someone will be putting a down payment on mine 🙂

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How was your August? Anything exciting happen? Anything surprising? Share your experiences! See you in September 😉

May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith