Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Monthly Rewind: July

July has been a loooong month but I can't believe it's already over! I only have two more weeks of my internship, one more week at home, two weeks of Orientation at Wellesley and then, bam, my second-to-last semester of college is about to begin!! HOW did I get here? *shakes head*

Three Things About My Life This Month

1. I spent 4th of July in the ER. Before everyone begins to panic, let me first say that I am 100% OK. I am staying in a college dorm this summer and the facilities are unfortunately pretty crappy, to the point where my bed was lofted a good six feet off the ground and while trying to get down, I fell, hit my head, lost consciousness, and needed to get a CAT Scan plus some stitches. The good thing, though, is that I got to go home and spend a few days with my family--and my grandmother who is visiting from India!!--so it was rather lovely. 

2. I have had such an incredible month exploring D.C.! Of course, it's been wonderful to catch up with friends--many of whom I haven't seen in more than a year!--but I've mostly enjoyed attending outdoor movies, film festivals, comedy shows, and visiting the different neighborhoods in D.C., of which Columbia Heights is a definite favorite. :) My internship is also going well--most of July has been slow but it's been picking up a lot in the past two weeks and I'm currently working on a project that I'm genuinely excited about. 

3. I'm still in a reading slump...sort of. I ordered Quarterly's YA Book Box this past month since (a) I've been wanting to try out a book box and (b) I really wanted to pick up Aditi Khorana's The Library of Fates and she curated the box. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy her sophomore novel very much at all. I am hopeful that the other two books she picked will be more successful for me, but I've been struggling to get through a lot of novels that I feel should have worked for me. 

Best Books I Read This Month

I have to be honest: I loved We Are the Ants and What to Say Next isn't quite on the same level. I loooved Buxbaum's debut and while this sophomore novel is so very good, it isn't a favorite. But, of the books I failed to finish this month, I did make my way through its entirety and found a lot to recommend. We Are the Ants is just incredible and I loved it, to pieces. I'm sure most readers have already picked it up or heard about it, but it deserves to be bumped up your TBR.

Most Popular Post

I went on a Morgan Matson binge awhile back and though this isn't a favorite of mine, it's still such a perfect summer tale and I love the emphasis on female friendships in this one. Definitely check out Matson if you're in need of a perfect summer romance.

Post I Wish Got a Little More Love

I loved the first book in this series, And I Darken, and while I didn't fall head-over-heels for this sequel like I wanted to, it's still so very good. I love this historical fantasy series with a totally kick-ass heroine at its helm, so if you haven't picked up this series yet, do yourself a favor and start now!

Obsession of the Month

The Kenilworth Gardens! I visited this beautiful nature preserve with my mother and grandmother when they visited me in D.C. for a day and we were all blown away by the beauty of these lilies. A definite hidden gem of D.C., I highly recommend a visit to these gardens if you haven't been. They're fairly out of the way but you can always stop by Columbia Heights on your way back Downtown (and Columbia Heights has some of the best, most diverse cuisine in D.C. so it's a win-win really). 

Top 3 Things I'm Looking Forward to Next Month


1. The friend I consider to be my big sister is coming to visit me in D.C.! She was a senior when I was a first year and we haven't seen each other in two years so I am so, so excited to finally be reunited after such a long time!!! 

2. HOME! I am going to be home for exactly six days but I am really excited to meet up with a friend or two, spend some more time with my grandmother, and just devour all the delicious homemade Indian food that I can. I'm a little stressed that I only have six days to pack all my clothes for both Fall and Spring semester, not to mention hunt down all the college-related goodies that I haven't used in the past year since I've been abroad, but I am looking forward to being back. 

3. Returning to Wellesley...at last!!! I am so, so excited to go back to Wellesley. I am a Student Leader again this year, not to mention a Student Leader Coordinator, so I'll be really busy the moment I get back to campus but I'm so ready to be back. I missed Wellesley a lot last year, not to mention my friends, so I'm really looking forward to an incredible Orientation season to kick-start my final year.