Nicole Jarvis

Monthly Wrap-Up: August Reading 2025

It’s later than I wanted to, but I’m finally posting my reading wrap-up from last month. Things were unfortunately a bit busy during the beginning of this month, so everything has been pushed back a little bit. Anyway, here it is: my reading wrap-up for August 2025!

So August’s reading was kind of terrible, similar to several months of this year preceding it. I don’t think it was the worst of the year, but it was definitely bad.

Anyway, let’s just start talking about my StoryGraph statistics from last month!

August Reading 2025

I read 1 book and 810 pages

😐 MOODS: I had three Moods in August, which is the same as the month before. The Moods from this past month were also the same as the month before: Adventurous, Lighthearted and Funny.

👢 PACE: The book I read last month was medium-paced.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: The graphic novel I read last month was 656 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction. As usual.

🎭 GENRES: There were two Genres on the graph this month. They were Fantasy and Manga.

📄 FORMAT: This pie chart was once again correct. Five months in a row. Yay.

⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 4.0, which makes sense as I only read one book and that was the rating I gave it.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: My reading during August, as I’ve mentioned before, was not great. I read a little bit earlier in the month on the 9th and the 10th, but I really got my reading done closer to the end of the month, on the 21st, 22nd she 23rd.

The Books I Read in August

☆ • did not finish • ☆

★★★★☆

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, my reading once again sucked last month. Ugh, this year annoys me so much, in regards to reading novels and stuff. It’s also the worst slump I’ve ever had, by far, as it’s lasted several months. I just want it to end and to get back into books again. I guess hoping that September turns out better is all I can really hope for. Oh well.

For this current month, I’m definitely gonna finish the One Piece arc that I started last month. Primarily because it’s short – it’s only two volumes and I’ve already read one of them. I’m also hoping to read at least a couple of other books as well. We’ll see what happens.

Anyway, as always, thank you for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my August reading in 2025. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

First Line Friday: 6/13

So it’s been like three weeks, but I’m back again participating in First Line Fridays!

First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.

What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?

If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:

📚 Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page
📝 Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
📙 Finally… reveal the book!

Here’s the first line:

Dawn crested cool and gray the day the witch from the mountains knocked on Nora Jo’s door.

Any guesses yet? If not, here’s another hint or two (or three)…

Still don’t know? Here’s some pretty pictures of books to admire while you consider it a little bit more…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis!!

(Did you guess it?)

A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis

A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis

LENGTH: 480 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Titan Books

RELEASE DATE: 6 May 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In this sumptuous, atmospheric historical fantasy set in post-World War One Appalachia, three outcasts with misunderstood magical gifts search for their place in the world while battling the dark forces circling their community.

Perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Susanna Clarke.

Kate has always been troubled by visions of the future. No matter what she does, her disturbing premonitions are always realized—often with terrible consequences. But Kate has a secret: swirling, romantic dreams of a strange boy, and a chance meeting in the woods.

Oliver returned from the Great War disabled, disillusioned, and able to see the dead. Haunted by the death of his best friend and his traumatic memories of the trenches, Oliver realizes that his ability to communicate with spirits may offer the chance of closure he desperately seeks.

Nora Jo’s mother and grandmother were witches, but she has never nurtured her own power. Always an outsider, she has made a place for herself in the town as Chatuga’s schoolteacher, clinging to the independence the job affords her. But when her unorthodox ideas lead to her dismissal, salvation comes in the form of a witch from the mountains who offers her a magical apprenticeship.

Rumours of a dark force stalking the town only push Kate, Oliver, and Nora Jo onwards in their quest to determine their own destinies. But there are powers in the world stronger and stranger than their own, and not all magic is used for good…

What books have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR that you’re currently the most excited about?

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar