lately with lila july 2025 | saying goodbye sucks

Hi, friends. I hope you are all well, and if you aren’t then I hope brighter days head your way soon. I’m sorry for being so late in posting this wrap up, but the end of July and beginning of August have been a really difficult period for me, as my family had to put one of our cats to sleep. I have a difficult time processing grief due to past events in my life, so I’ve been taking some intentional time to try to grieve in a healthy manner. That said, I’m back now, and I do owe y’all a recap of my July, so let’s get to it!

I finally finished up You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh and ahhhhhhhh!!! It was such a cute read! In the past few years, I’ve rarely picked up a YA contemporary romance (or even an Adult contemporary romance, for that matter), so color me as surprised as you that I picked up this audiobook. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a stellar decision! You Started It gave me all the feels and more!! I loved every moment of it, and I loved all of the nods to the diasporic Arab experience, as well as the discussion of what it means to be a mixed-race Arab. I felt so seen by these themes, and, to top it off, it was wrapped up in a fun, fluffy love story. The only downside about You Started It was that the ending was a bit drawn out, which lead me to dock half a star. Nevertheless, this book is definitely a new favorite, and it’s got me wanting to branch out from my typical fantasy fare to read even more contemporary romance!

Rating: what i’m currently reading

I don’t know why, but for some reason I’ve been feeling rather autumnal lately, which is why I picked up A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney. I’ve made it through about 80% of the book, and so far I’m really enjoying it! It has that cozy autumn vibe I was craving, and the story is super fun.

Aside from finishing up my current read, I’m leaning into my inner autumnal urges and have decided to read m0re cozy books about witches. I just got ahold of a library audiobook copy of A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, and I’m hoping to read it before it gets returned. In addition, I’m also planning on reading Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, which I purchased a physical copy of and also have access to an audiobook copy of.

I saw the hype, and fell headfirst into it. And you know what? It was actually a good decision this time! What am I talking about? I’m talking about how I came to watch Netflix’s new animated family film, K-Pop Demon Hunters! Everything about this film was so wonderful—from the characters to the story to the animation to the music—everything!!! And this is coming from someone who isn’t a certified K-pop stan: K-Pop Demon Hunters fully won my heart! I also can’t get the songs out of my head and have been singing them ever since watching. After loving this and loving XO, Kitty as well, I’m thinking I should give actual Korean media a chance (even if it means needing subtitles, lol)!

Rating:

I was in the mood for a good, cheesy romcom and I found the perfect one in Anyone But You! This fun, flirty retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing was exactly what I needed!! I honestly don’t understand why I’ve come across so many people who don’t like this film? It’s cute, romantic, and pretty darn funny, if you ask me. I also love the small nods to the original play that the story retells (especially since the first play I ever performed in was Much Ado About Nothing). And Ben and Bea’s chemistry and banter? Off the charts! I just really enjoyed this film for what it was. Was it Groundbreaking Cinema™? Um. No. Obviously not. But it was a fun, fluffy, and light new romcom (which is a genre we haven’t seen much of on the big screen since the 2010s) which I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed!

Rating: what i listened to

for readers

• Madeline listed books for Disability Pride Month (2025 edition)
• Caro recommended books about grief
• Life of Morag also shouted out books for Disability Pride Month
• Author Dahlia Adler highlighted queer books with disability representation
• Alli gave her thoughts on Dramione fanfiction in publishing
• Sammie recommended 12 must-read webcomic series from Webtoon and highlighted bookish worlds they’re dying to visit
• Briana talked about five books adults recommended to her as a child that didn’t resonate with her and also discussed who she reviews books for
• Abi shared another reading diary
• Jillian highlighted books to read if you have “mommy issues”
• Lou gave her thoughts on Shakespeare and recommended books with unusual portrayals of masculinity
• Courtney showed off uplifting summer reads to brighten your mood
• The Booked Shelf spotlighted YA fantasy books featuring an enemies-to-lovers romance
• Rebecca shared her bookish red flags and why she won’t change them and also talked about reading as self care
• Kat read and ranked all of Emily Henry’s Adult romance novels and gabbed about books she wishes she could read for the first time again
• The Booked Shelf shared how pre-orders help support diverse authors and three ways you can help as a reader
• Emma guided us through a bookish tour of Aberystwyth, Wales
• Maria presented us with her bookish hot takes about fantasy
• T.K. hypothesized about how her cats would run a book club
• Yesha showed off how she annotates books
• Maxx tipped us off as to ways to get back into reading
• Beth talked about how “spicy” books are smarter than you think (Video)
• Elliot discussed why we need flawed characters and books that challenge us (Video)
• Roisin argued that reading won’t make you more empathetic (Video)
• Courtney wondered “what is Goodreads trying to sell us?” (Video)
• Jess pondered over the art of adaptation (Video)
• Leonie talked performative readers, “book girlies,” and the aesthetification of books (Video)
• Gabby recommended 10 books that feel like a warm hug (Video)

for fun

• Olivia recommended movies to watch when men are the worst
• Sophia analyzed how her blogging style has changed since 2012
• Willow in Winter documented their first time growing food in their garden
• Sumedha documented her experience with The Artist’s Way weeks 1 – 4

I have a very “unusual” hip to waist to bust ratio in that my waist is unusually tiny considering the size of my bust and hips. This is what has always made clothes shopping difficult for me, because most standard sizes either don’t fit me or don’t sit right on my figure. But I recently discovered an online shop called Shiny by Nature, which makes clothes for “curvy” women and I decided to order a few tops, plus two skirts, a pair of shorts, and a pair of jeans. I was so shocked to find that they fit perfectly on me and sit correctly on my frame! And they’re really cute to boot! I definitely will be singing this small business’s praises from here on out!!

I also purchased a blue floral workout dress (that I will be wearing regardless of whether or not I’m working out) and some chunky, white “fashion sneakers,” both from Target, and oh my god they pair so well together and look sooooo cute!!! I’ve been trying to find some nice new pairs of shoes for eons, considering I don’t have many that really make me feel cute—so the sneakers were a nice addition to my now growing collection! The dress is also so incredibly flattering and beautiful, despite technically being intended for working out in! I’m definitely gonna be wearing both of these items a lot this summer!!

I also recently purchased two of Kulfi Beauty‘s “Lassi Lips” moisturizing lip stains in the colors “Rose” and “First Sari” and I adore them both so much! True to Kulfi Beauty‘s promise, these lip products do indeed both stain your lips with a lovely, rich color and moisturize your lips. “Rose” is a rosy tinted “your-lips-but-better” shade and “First Sari” is a berry shade, and both colors grow deeper and richer as you wear them. The formula is also really light to wear, so it doesn’t feel like anything is clumping to your lips. The only downside I can mention is that the product is pretty pricey at over $25. That said, I think it’s definitely worth it if you can get your hands on it!

The last of my miscellaneous favorites is my new duvet from Urban Outfitters! It’s got this look that mirrors Italian tiles, but if you look closer, the imagery is very “coquette aesthetic”. It’s so beautiful and summery and I was desperately in need of new bedding, so I love it so much!

July was a relatively chill month, which I’m definitely not complaining about! The highlight of my month was visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore with my friend. We saw all sorts of sea creatures—and even a sloth and several tropical birds!—but my favorites to see were the puffins and the dolphins! After we finished up at the aquarium, we got root beer floats and enjoyed them while sitting on the waterfront.

Unfortunately, the end of July took a really devastating turn as my mom and I made the difficult decision to put one of our cats, Clementine, to sleep. Clem was diagnosed with severe and advanced kidney disease in mid May, and we could tell she was in a lot of pain to a point that it would be cruel not to put her to sleep. I’m really devastated, and I miss her and her snuggles so much. Clementine was such an angel and a blessing in our lives. She always took care of us and of our other cat, Snoopy, and she loved us so much, just like we love her. I’ll always remember and miss her, even if I feel she’s going to a better place. She’ll always be my Clemenqueen forever ❤️

How was your July of 2025? Did you read anything memorable? What’s on your August 2025 TBR? Is there anything you’re looing forward to coming up in August 2025?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.