nut free nerd

August has always been one of my favorite months of the year. I love the feeling of transition that it brings, mostly because for the majority of my life it has meant starting an exciting new year of school. This year my academics are starting a little later (I’m coming, Oxford!) but August nevertheless brought a lot of change for me. Here’s what I was up to last month:

In August I read a total of 10 books:

1. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
3. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
4. Dracula by Bram Stoker
5. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
6. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
7. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
8. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
9. Light in August by William Faulkner
10. The Portable Faulkner by William Faulkner, edited by Malcolm Cowley

As per usual, it’s difficult to choose a favorite book of the month because I was fortunate to have read many great ones. This month it’s a tie between Flipped and The Sound and the Fury because I love them both for different reasons.

August mainly consisted of working, reading, and saying goodbye far too often. Many of my friends have left for their study abroad adventures or simply moved back to campus for the semester, which means that I’ve had to say goodbye to them before I leave for Oxford in a few weeks (eek!). Among the many farewells was one to my brother, a freshman at Wheaton this year. It’s so strange to be home while everyone is back at my favorite campus!

Here are some notable posts from my blog this past month:

• “Well, at least you’re reading something…” | Discussion
• What Cats Do | Book Tag
• Is there more to Jane Austen than romance? (YES) | Discussion
• Liebster Award | 5
• An Accidental Book Haul 
• Goodreads Book Tag
• An Appreciation Post 
• A Classic Couple: Great Expectations and A Prayer for Owen Meany

Here are some posts that I loved reading this month (there are so many!!):

• Mikaela shares 10 of her most secretive bookish confessions
• Whispering Gums takes us through 6 degrees of separation from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
• Inside My Library Mind compiled Hermione Granger’s Reading List
• Olivia shares helpful tips for book buying on a budget
• Shanah explains how blogging can be a frustrating but wonderful catch 22
• Shruti lists seven kinds of book bloggers we’ve all come across
• Lauren motivates us to beat procrastination with helpful tips
• Shanti explains how she organizes her shelves on Goodreads
• Maggie discusses how she never reads the synopsis of books 
• Nadette shares her many forms of writing inspiration
• Lacy gives tips on how to read more productively
• Rachel explains the idea of a ratings twin and how she found hers

How was your month of August? What was the best book you read? Did you do anything really fun or exciting? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY