Books Read in July: 27
Books Read for the Year: 187/200
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Emma, by Jane Austen (classic). Re-read. Better than Sense and Sensibility not as good as P & P.
Upset the World, by Tim Ross (spiritual). I love Pastor Tim, and I thoroughly enjoyed this books. The bit about the carrot cake made me laugh so much. I feel that…
I Am David, by Jimmy Evans (spiritual). Really enjoyed this.
The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer (spiritual/TBR).
Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater (TBR/re-read). I forgot about Stiefvater’s penchant for breaking my heart with her characters.
A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (TBR). Wow. I really enjoyed this! Ove was such a trip.
For Review:
Haze, by Rebecca Crunden. Lots of normalized drug use in this one (like, it was treated as normal behavior), and the paranormal elements didn’t show up until 2/3 of the way through the novel, so it felt like a surprise shift, but solid writing.
The Rightful Queen, by Isabell Steger (review forthcoming). This was not a quick read for me and I hadn’t read the previous book in the series, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Someone’s Listening, by Seraphine Nova Glass (review forthcoming). I did not care for the MC here—she did stupid things all the time and was almost willful in her ridiculous decisions—which means I usually stop reading. I actually finished this one, and it ended up being just an okay read, because of my character dislike.
Lobizona, by Robina Garber (review forthcoming). Thoroughly enjoyed this magic/paranormal tale, although parts of it felt a bit cliched.
The Friendship List, by Susan Mallery (review forthcoming). This book made me laugh so much! I loved the main characters and their adventures and I highly recommend this!
Lies, Lies, Lies, by Adele Park (review forthcoming). I seem to be encountering a lot of characters in the past few months that I just don’t like. Is it me…or is it people? Daisy was the most passive character ever, Simon was a horrible person, and they were just disastrous.
The Hero of Hope Springs, by Maisey Yates (review forthcoming). Again, these characters were not my favorite. Sammy was unbelievably selfish and willfully clueless. Ryder was better, but still had some issues. An okay read.
Here to Stay, by Adriana Herrera (review forthcoming). I have to admit, this book made me hungry! I enjoyed the cultural diversity in this—and the food descriptions—but the main characters were a bit erratic. Especially Rocco, who was most of the time very polite, respectful, nice…and then devolved into this x-rated character at times. It just didn’t make sense for him. The characters were either very professional and businesslike, or they were very casual and vibrant, but the separate parts of their personalities were never meshed, and that seemed off to me as well.
The Dazzling Truth, by Helen Cullen (review forthcoming). This was a very powerful, moving novel, and I’m not sure I can put it into words.
Where Dreams Descend, by Janella Angeles (review forthcoming). I found this dark fantasy captivating from the very beginning.
Child on His Doorstep, by Lee Tobin McClain (review forthcoming). This felt a little rushed and several things were outside the realm of believability for me, but it was a solid read.
The Last Story of Mina Lee, by Nancy Jooyoun Kim (review forthcoming). This had a leisurely pace and the main character (the daughter) wasn’t very likable, but this was a good read.
Some Kind of Animal, by Maria Romasco Moore (review forthcoming). This was…frankly a little too far-fetched to me, and why were all the characters just not-nice people or not smart?
Talland House, by Maggie Humm (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this book, although it was a bit slow-paced.
Just Because:
Slow Dance in Purgatory and Prom Night in Purgatory, by Amy Harmon. Two quick, fun reads that I enjoyed.
Tribulation Force, by Tim LaHaye. Re-read.
American Dream, by Kim Harrison. Because I love this series, and Rachel gets in more trouble merely by breathing than I can even fathom. Also, Jenks.
Nicolae, by Tim LaHaye. Re-read.
Tipping Point: The End is Here, by Jimmy Evans (spiritual). This was a fascinating read.
How to Study the Bible for Yourself, by Tim LaHaye.
Stopped Reading:
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals, by Beckie Mandelbaum. I read about 30% of this before giving up. I had high hopes for this, but every last character was narrow-minded and actively despised/hated anyone with a different opinion than them. Look, people have different opinions. If you despise everyone who disagrees with you, you’re not a nice person. The conditions the animals lived in were horrible and Mona seemed to think that was fine (and she was hateful and condescending), and Ariel was completely selfish and mean.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 
2 thoughts on “What I Read in July (2020)”