i ain't ju-LYING about these great books.

**Article: July Book Haul & Recommendations by Emma**

Hey everyone! My name is Emma, and today I'm thrilled to share with you the books I purchased in July. This haul is a diverse mix of Young Adult (YA), middle-grade, adult, backlist titles, new releases, and upcoming books—I’m so excited to dive into these!

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### **Crazy Rich Asians Series by Kevin Kwan**

First up is the *Crazy Rich Asian* series by Kevin Kwan. This includes *Crazy Rich Asians*, *China Rich Girlfriend*, and *Rich People Problems*. I initially picked up *Crazy Rich Asians* during a book shopping trip with Monica from @SheMightBeMonica because she loves this series, and the movie adaptation is releasing soon. Little did I know how hooked I’d get! I read it for the biannual Bibliothon and found myself craving more. The story follows Rachel, a Chinese girl visiting Singapore with her boyfriend Nick, who comes from an ultra-wealthy family. The book is packed with drama, scandals, and shenanigans—truly a delightful read!

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### **Nevermore: The Trials of Morgan Crowe by Jessica Townsend**

Next is *Nevermore: The Trials of Morgan Crowe* by Jessica Townsend, another recommendation from Monica. I’m currently five hours into the audiobook and already hooked! Morgan is a girl believed to be cursed in her town, doomed to die on her 11th birthday. When mysterious shadowy hunters chase her, she’s whisked away to the magical city of Nevermore and enters a competition to secure her place in this society. The book has a whimsical, Harry Potter-esque vibe that’s enchanting.

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### **The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken**

I was sent an ARC of *The Darkest Legacy* by Alexandra Bracken, a sequel to the beloved *Darkest Minds* series. Set five years after the original trilogy, it follows Zu, who is again on the run from the government. I’m excited to revisit this world and see what’s in store for Zu. The book has high stakes and promises to be an thrilling continuation of the series.

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### **Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza**

Another find was *Kat and Meg Conquer the World* by Anna Priemaza, which I picked up at Bluestocking Books. Kat suffers from anxiety, while Meg is Black and has ADHD. The two form an unlikely bond over their shared love for a gaming streamer. This YA contemporary is all about friendship, with heartwarming, nerdy goodness. It’s a gem that deserves more attention!

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### **The List by Patricia Ford**

I stumbled upon *The List* by Patricia Ford while book shopping. Set in a city called Arc where residents can only use 500 words, the story follows Letta, an apprentice to the Wordsmith who knows all forbidden words. When the Wordsmith disappears, Letta must take over and faces pressure to limit word usage further. This middle-grade novel has *The Giver* vibes and is a unique exploration of language and power.

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### **Hocus-Pocus: The All-New Sequel by Maryssa Frank**

Next is *Hocus-Pocus and the All-New Sequel*, a book I both bought and was sent by Disney Hyperion. The first part reimagines the beloved movie, while the second introduces a new sequel following Poppy, Max and Alison’s daughter, as the Sanderson sisters return to Salem. Though I have low expectations for this YA novelization, I’m excited to see how it modernizes the story with a fresh perspective.

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### **More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera**

I also picked up the UK paperback of *More Happy Than Not* by Adam Silvera, featuring a shiny cover adorned with smiling and frowning faces. This book follows Aaron, who undergoes the Leitao procedure to remove memories after his father’s suicide. The story is emotionally raw and explores themes of identity and mental health. It’s own-voices for LGBTQ+ Latinx representation and a must-read.

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### **Epic Reads Day Finds**

Earlier this month, I attended Epic Reads Day, where I scored several new books:

1. **What If It's Us by Adam Silvera & Becky Albertalli**: This YA contemporary follows Arthur, a Jewish boy with ADHD, and Ben, whose paths keep crossing in serendipitous ways. The book explores themes of fate and romance.

2. **American Street by Ibi Zoboi**: A National Book Award finalist, this novel tells the story of Fabiola, who moves to America after her mother is detained. It’s a powerful narrative about immigration and identity.

3. **Pride by Ibi Zoboi**: A retelling of *Pride and Prejudice* set in Brooklyn, featuring Afro-Latinx characters. The story follows Zuri as she navigates love and culture clashes with the Darcy family.

4. **Queens of Fenbirn by Kendare Blake**: Part of the *Three Dark Crowns* series, these novellas explore the Young Queens and an Oracle Queen. I’m eager to revisit this dark fantasy world.

5. **Seawitch by Sara Henning**: A retelling of *The Little Mermaid*, this story follows Evie after her best friend Anna drowns. Evie spots a girl who looks like Anna and sets out to uncover the truth.

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I hope you found something exciting in this July haul! Whether it’s a new release, a series to dive into, or a hidden gem, there’s something here for everyone. Happy reading!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey, what's up? Hello, my name is EmmaAnd today I'm going to be sharing with you guys the books that I bought in the month of JulyI have another well-rounded haul for you guys todayI have some YA, some middle grade, some adult, some backlist titles, some new books, some upcoming books,and I'm just really, really excitedadditionally a handful of these books are ones that I actually have read in the past, ones that I recently finished, or ones that I'mcurrently reading so I get to talk a little bit about my thoughts, toowhich is really great. Firstly, I bought a full series, which I have not done in a really long timebut it is the Crazy Rich Asian series by Kevin Kwan which includes Crazy Rich Asians,China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Initially, I just bought CrazyRich Asians when I was out book shopping with Monica from @SheMightBeMonica because I know she lovesthis series and the movie is coming out really soon, so I've been very, very interested in picking it upI did read it for the biannual bibliothonthis past month and when I was about halfway through I was like I just I need the whole seriesI have to read it.I originally went into this book thinking like I would just be cool with justreading the first installment and watching the movie and like moving on with my lifebut it's definitely something I am intent on completing,so I have the full series now. If you have not seen the glitzy glamorous trailers for the movie adaptation of CrazyRich Asians, it follows a Chinese girl named Rachel who is travelling to Singapore with her boyfriend named Nick for the summer.What Rachel does not know is that Nick's family is one of the most wealthy families in all of Singapore. They areextremely rich they have so many different family members and Rachel is totally not prepared.So it basically follows Rachel as well as some other members of Nick's familythroughout this summer in Singapore where Rachel is going to getting accustomedto the life that Nick grew up in, and it is just full ofdrama, and shenanigans, and scandals, and it was really really funI had an absolute blast reading the first book in this seriesI will be talking more about it in my wrap-up, but I definitely plan on picking up the next two books in this seriesreally soon because I really want to hold on to the interest I have in it.The next book that I bought in the month of July was another recommendation from Monica, andI did actually buy it while we were book shopping, we were in a Barnes & Noble and they didn't have itso I just sat on the floor and ordered it off of Amazon,but it is Nevermore: The Trials of Morgan Crowe by Jessica Townsend. I'm actually currently reading this bookI am like five hours into the audiobook. I'm almost halfway done and I started it like yesterday, which iswild, but I am loving in this book, oh my goodness!This book has also been recommended to me, time and time again by Sara from @SaraWithoutAnH, her and Monicajust love this series and Ifive hours in can say I absolutely love it too!Nevermore is a middle grade fantasy series that follows a girl named Morgan who has lived her life believing she is cursed,she's blamed for all the misfortunes in her town and she is said to die on her 11th birthday,but before she can meet her predicted fate she is chased byShadowy hunters not Shadowhunters, shadowy hunters and is whisked away by a man named Jupiter who takes her to a magical city calledNevermore and she is basically placed in this competition to receive a placement in the wondrous societywhich is like a really big deal in Nevermore and she essentially has to complete four dangerous really difficult trialsor she has to leave the city forever and confront her fate back home. I am loving this book so farIt is extremely whimsical and magical and just makes me happy to read it is the first book in so longProbably ever that has given me honest true Harry Potter vibesso I'm really excited to keep reading and I will definitely let you guys know what I think when I finish. The first book thatwas sent to me in the month of July, is from Disney Hyperionso thank you so much to Disney Hyperion for sending me a copy of The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra BrackenYou may have heard of the darkest minds before which is one of my all-time favorite dystopian seriesAnd the darkest legacy is a sequel that takes place five years after the conclusion of the original trilogy,because it is a sequelI am NOT going to talk too much about the plot of this storyBut it follows one of my favorite characters named Suzume or Zu and she's basically on the run from the government againAnd it just so awesome. I really miss the world of The Darkest MindsI'm excited because the movie is coming out soon, but you know here on booktubeWe always prefer books and so i'm very excited for this follow-up sequeli'm, really interested to see what I think because there's been a lot ofold-school YA series that have gotten sequels recently and that a lot of people have been fans of but Ihave so much faith in Alexandra Bracken and this world and I can't wait to see what I think.So, the next book I purchased in the month of Julywas also from a book shopping trip with Monica from @SheMightBeMonicawe went like a week after the first time and it is Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna PriemazaI actually picked this up at a secondhand bookshop called BluestockingI believe it was, it was my first time there and it was a really nice bookstorebut basically we went to their very small YA section and I saw this book for five dollars and I was likeI'm never going to find this book for a smaller amount and I don't have a final copyso I really wanted to get it and it was a very good decision. Essentially a year or two agoI was sent an ARC of Kat and Meg Conquer the Worldto review but I never picked up a final copy despite really enjoying the story, so I'm super happyI have one now.This is a great underrated YA contemporary story it follows two girls named Kat and Meg, Kat has anxietyand panic attacks and Meg is black and has ADHD and basically these two girlsseemingly have nothing in common,they are put together to work on a year-longscience project and they end up bonding over the fact that they watch the same online gaming streamerthis is a really adorable story just focused on a girl friendshipit is so healthy and heartwarming and nerdy and geeky it has all of the great things I love to read about, in happyYA contemporariesI feel like I've seen almost no one read Kat and Meg Conquer the World but myselfbut it's a really, really great storyif you're looking for something upbeat that will make you smile and laugh and just make you feel all fuzzy insideKat and Meg Conquer the World is a really great choice. The next book that I bought inThe month of July is one that I stumbled across while book shopping with Monicabut I ended up not buying until a week or so later because it just really stuck with me and I felt like I neededto have it and that is The List by a Patrica Fordyou may have seen this in one of myBibliothon vlogs when I went to Barnes & Noble, and I finally picked it up. This is a middle-grade story thatjust had a synopsis that really struck meit's been quite a long time since I have just strolled into a bookstore looked at a synopsis and really wanted to read itI get most of my recommendations online from this communityso, I just felt like it was a sign and I just needed to have it. The List takes place in a city calledArc where humans are able to survive by only using 500 wordsI don't know if y'all know how big languages are, but they are much,much more than 500 wordsBut the exception to this law is our main character named Letta who is the apprentice to the Wordsmithwho is aperson who knows all of the forbidden words and is teaching them to Letta.One day the Wordsmith disappears and Letta is forced to take on the role ofWordsmith and the leaders of Arc are pressuring her to limit the list even more so there are less words that people can speak andShe runs into a boy who happens to know some forbidden words that he shouldn't and it just sounds so amazing!Immediately when I think of this book I get some The Giver vibes, which was a bookI really enjoyed when I read it so I just felt like this would be a really great pick for me, especiallyconsidering I've been so into middle grades recentlyI'm particularly interested to see how the authoraccomplishes having a vocabulary of only 500 words for the majority of the characters in the story to use and probably Letta'snarration in the beginning at least, so it just sounds really unique and interesting and I cannot wait to read it.The next book on this haul is Hocus-Pocus and the All-New Sequel, funny storyI actually bought this book at the same time as The List and then the next day it was sent to me by DisneyHyperion so thank you so much to Disney Hyperion for sending me a bookI already owned and was already interested in. So this is a very interesting bookEssentially the first third of it is a young adult novel ization of the iconic movie Hocus-Pocuswhich we all know and love, and then the last two thirds of this book is a completely new YAnovel sequel to the original story of Hocus-PocusIt follows Max and Alison's daughter named Poppy as the Sanderson sisters have once again returnedSalem and Poppy is caught in the middle of it. I did hear online that this book does feature a relationship between two girlsso I am all about diversifying stories from a childhood that we have loved, I have to say I don't have super highexpectations for this storyI'm trying to go into it with like very, very low hopes because I just feel like a YAnovelization of a story that came out like 20 years ago, It's just like a reallybizarre choice.Despite that, I'm still super interested. I 100% plan on reading it very soon or like moving into the fall seasonand it's time for some Halloween spooky reads.It's July as I'm filming this but I'm excited for Halloweenand I'm excited to read this book and I will definitely be letting you guys knowwhat I think whether, it's not as great as I'm assuming or maybe they'll just blow me awayI'm not sure yet, but I'm excited.Now if you watched my haul from last monthyou might have noticed that I picked up a few UK editions of some books that I love and one of them I actually hadto preorder a wait for it to come out and thenhave it to come in but that book is More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera.This is the new UK paperback and I love it!It has all of these shiny smiley frowning faces all over itand I just think it's a really, really cool cover style.If you have not heard of More Happy Than Not it is a very popular book in the booktube community itfollows a boy named Aaron and it takes place in this sort of near futuristic, New York CityWhere there is this medical procedure called the Leitao procedure that allows you to remove memories.Aaron has had a tough life, his family lives in poverty, he lost his father to suicide a few years agohe's trying to get his life back on track with this girlfriendthat is one of his best friends, but he needs a boy named Thomas who really changes the game for him.This book is own voices for the gay and latinx representation and it is a really, really emotionalheartbreaking story if you have not read it yet, I would highly, highly recommend it.It's one of my faves and I'm very excited to have the UK edition. So earlier this monthI had the really amazing opportunity to attend an event called Epic Reads Daywhich is obviously hosted by the YouTube channel and website Epic Reads they opened up the doors to HarperCollins officethey invited some readers in for panels, and Q&A's, and games, and signings, and free books,and it was just a really amazing day. I've vlogged the whole experience if you want to check it outit was super, super fun and I have a ton of awesome books to show you.I did a quick haul of these books in that vlog and there are a few books that I was given that I am donatingcause I already own them, so I'm not going to include themI'm only going to include the new books that I now have my owncopies of. The first is What if it's Us by Adam Silvera and Becky AlbertalliI actually started this book yesterday and I'm loving it so, so much Oh my gosh, it's amazing!What if it's Us comes out this October and it follows a Jewish boy with ADHDcalled Arthur and a Puerto Rican boy named Benthe two of them meet at the post office when Ben is mailing back his exes things after a recent breakup and then the twosupposedly are off to never see the other again. In a string of unlikely and awkward circumstancesArthur and Ben find their way back to each other and go on a series offailed first dates and it's basically a question of is the universe pushing us together? Or pulling us apart?It has a really wonderful gay romancewhich I'm loving so far and I just think if you are a fan ofAdam's work of Becky's work or if you just like cutesy contemporaries this is definitely oneI'd recommend putting on your list so far. So, the next book that I got on Epic Reads Dayis American Street by Ibi Zoboi.I had never read anything from Ibi Zoboibut seeing her speak at Epic Reads Day really motivated me to read her books and I will definitely be starting with American Street. AllI really know about American Street is it follows a girl named Fabiola who is from Haiti and her mother is detained by USImmigration Services and it's basically just her experience ofbeing with her cousins trying to fend for herself and figuring out what it means for her to be in this country.It was a National Book Award finalist. I have heard nothing but high praise for this book and it's definitely oneI really want to read very soon,and then along with American Street we also got a copy of Ibi Zoboi's most upcoming release and that is Pride which comes outthis September. Pride is actually a retelling of a Pride and PrejudiceI have never personally read Pride and Prejudicebut I am definitely interested in this remix retelling. Our main character's name is Zuri and she is anAfro-latinx girl living in Brooklyn, but things seem to be changingin her beloved town when a rich family called the Darcy's move in across the streetZuri sister Jeanette starts falling for one of the Darcy boysWhich leads Zuri to have to befriend the other Darcy boy namedDarius and it is just the story of the summer of these two people andwhere their initial dislike turns into a beautiful love story. Now while American Street issupposedly very deep and intense Pride is really like a fluffy love story with a heavy influence onBrooklyn culture and so I'm really excited to read it. I think it'll be something that even though I haven't read Pride and PrejudiceI think it'll still be really like attainable for me to understand and to graspIt just seems really great and I'm very, very excited. Also at Epic Reads Daywe got a copy of Queens of Fenbirn which are two novellas from the Three Dark Crown series written byKendara Blake. This one features the Young Queens and the Oracle QueenI believe the first story follows the three main characters of Three Dark Crowns and then the second one follows a previous Queenso it's like a little prequel novella.I read the first two books in the Three Dark Crowns series earlier this year and I really loved them they were such fantasticintricate deep fantasy stories and I cannot wait for book threeso, to hold me over until what is maybe September or October sometime in fallI now have these two novellas that I'm really interested in. And the last book from Epic Reads Day isSeawitch by Sara Henning, which I believe has been described to me as sort of like an Ursula retelling.Our main character's name is Evie and her best friend Annaunfortunately recently drowned so, Evie has been having a difficult time grieving but one day from across the watershe sees a girl who looks exactly like Anna and believes that her friend survived. What I can grasp from the synopsisis that Evie and Anna arereunited, they fall in love with these two princesit seems like their lives are working out but there are some issues with Anna after she has drowned andEvie basically has to find a way to help her and also save her prince. The last line of the synopsissays \"the rise of Hans Christian Andersen's iconic villainous is a heart-wrenching story of friendship betrayal and a girl pushed beyond her limitsto become a monster\"and so, that makes me think that this is not going to be like a redemption story for Ursulabut more of like a prequel origin story, for how she became the villain that we know.Which I'm really excited for it reminds me of Heartless in that respect and I loved Heartlessso I'm very interested in reading this one. We, like, definitely don't get enough like magical sea inspired fantasiesso I'm really interested to see what I think. And the last book in this haul was just sent to me by Simon teenI'm very grateful that they sent it to me because I was getting ready to order it myselfbut it is the movie tie-in edition of To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny HanI read To All the BoysI've Loved Before back in2014 and I just sort of missed the hype for a couple of years and I ended up finishing the series this yearwhich I really enjoyed it's a fun cutesy contemporary story and I would definitely, definitelyrecommend it. If you have not heard of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, it follows a girl named LaraJean Song Covey whois a Korean American girl living with her father and two sisters and throughout her lifeshe has written love letters to boys but always hidden them away and never sent them, but things change when LaraJean's letters areaccidentally sent to the original recipients and all of her past loves come to confront her about what she has written about themand so it is just adrama-filledTension-filled fluffy contemporary story that I really loved I'm super happy that we were getting a film adaptation of this movieI feel like it's gonna be so greatI loved the trailer and I just think it's gonna adapt to film so wellSo definitely don't forget to support this movie if you are interested because it's so, so goodbut thank you to Simon for sending me a copy of this book, I love it and I can't wait for the movie!Alrighty. Well that concludes my July book haulI hope you guys enjoyed I have so many amazing books that I got this monthI can't wait to continue diving into them because I've already read a quite a few and I just I love them so muchDefinitely let me know in the comments belowwhat was your favorite book that you bought or read or received in the month of July?cause I would love to know but that is it for this video.Thank you guys so much for watching and I will see you soon up for a new one. Bye!\n"