This was a good month - better than the previous ones at least. Amidst a sea of three stars, I managed to find a couple of gems and complete a buddy read for the first time in forever. While I was secretly hoping for some exuberant wrap up of ten to fifteen books, six is fine too.

      

the kingdom by jess rothenberg - (★★★) - read a library book
A futuristic Disneyland with bioengineered zoo animals and robotic princesses that fall in love
The Kingdom is a book that steps slightly outside my comfort zone and into the realm of realistic science fiction. It addresses the question of humanity's core nature and the weight of our desire to be in control of our world.

caraval by stephanie garber - (★★★) - read a library book
Win a ticket to possible but freedom but the price is a game of cat-and-mouse with your sister as the prize
Caraval has been on my TBR for ages now so to finally pick it up and see what the hype was all about was definitely exciting. While I did love the whimsical nature of Caraval's world, I had more trouble with the overall character portrayal and development.

the raven's tale by cat winters - (★★★)  - read a library book
Edgar Allan Poe has a muse and she's quite macabre
The Raven's Tale would be perfect for the Halloween season where the Gothic aesthetic shines the brightest. This wasn't as chill-inducing as I had hoped but a creative take on the inspiration behind Poe's famous raven.

      

spin the dawn by elizabeth lim - (★★★★) - read a book by an asian author
Magic scissors, dresses made from mythology, and the best tailor in the empire
Spin the Dawn has to be my personal favorite read this month and it comes out in just a couple of days. This novel ticked off all my requirements (character, world, writing) and I was able to actually enjoy the entire reading experience.

the crown's fate by evelyn skye - (★★★)  - read a book by an asian author // read a sequel
A fight for the throne of Russia and Nikolai's soul
The Crown's Fate was a struggle to read - I had very little motivation to finish the series after feeling underwhelmed by the first book. Thank the heavens for the audiobook because it got me through the first half of the story because I was honestly only interested in the ending...

strange the dreamer by laini taylor - (★★★★) - buddy read a book 
Blue-skinned godspawn and a strange dreamer
Strange the Dreamer was buddy read with Kristina (@oregraphie) and it was a rollercoaster ride. Laini Taylor's writing is so evocative and beautiful that no matter what she writes there will always be a tinge of mystery and magic.

Admittedly, I am still in a bit of a slump and feel like everything I read is not quite grabbing my attention. However, we have a very full month of readathons in July so here is hoping they'll throw some good reads at me.