Books Read in July: 17

Books Read for the Year: 98/150

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Without Rival, by Lisa Bevere (spiritual book). I didn’t get as much out of this as I’d hoped, but there were some gems.

The Tenth Island, by Diana Marcum (cultural book). I actually really enjoyed this narrative non-fiction about a journalist who visits the Azores and discovers beauty and love. The descriptions of the people, the islands, and the culture were wonderful, and I would now love to visit.

Many Waters, by Madeline L’Engle (classic book). Loved this one! The whole Noah’s Ark world was so interesting.

Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland (from the TBR pile). The Civil War with zombies!!! This was a fantastic read with a great MC. I did not enjoy the racist aspects, but the story was riveting and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

For Review

The Melody, by Jim Crace. To be honest, this book disappointed me. It’s set up to include the main character getting attacked in the night by a strange creature/Neanderthal…and that’s pretty much the end of that plot point. Very slow-paced and lyrical.

The Museum of Us, by Tara Wilson Redd. This was quite an intriguing read. The main character, a teenager, has a friend that she goes on extraordinary adventures with…except he’s imaginary and she knows it. When she’s in a car wreck and ends up in a psych ward, she has to decide which reality to embrace. I thought this was a wonderful book, and I enjoyed it a lot.

All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Griffin. This is about a wealthy couple whose teenage son is accused of taking a compromising picture of a female classmate and putting it on social media without her knowledge. The mother is horrified and reminded of her own experiences, the father just wants to sweep it under the rug, but when the girl’s father lodges a complaint, the entire school gets involved. This was a great book that explores a weighty topic.

Olympian Challenger, by Astrid Arditi. About a girl picked to compete in front if the gods on Mount Olympus. I got really tired of seeing comments that this was similar to The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson. Yes, there are some similarities, but…”There’s nothing new under the sun.” This was a light, enjoyable read. Yes, there are aspects of other books here, but it’s its own book. Please judge it by that, not by how different or similar it is to others.

The Last Cruise, by Kate Christensen. This slow-paced tale of a cruise that goes wrong was languorous, but the low-level dread built with every chapter. Quirky characters made it very intriguing, although I wasn’t a fan of the ending.

Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage. This is about a 7-year-old girl who adores her father, but hates her mother and wants her dead. Like, for real. Hanna is a perfect angel who doesn’t speak in front of her doting father. With her mother, it’s threats, obscenities, and a pretended possession as she schemes on how to get rid of her mother forever, so she can have her father all to herself. This was a little bit disturbing, but engrossing all the same.

Fawkes, by Nadine Brandes. The title caught my attention, and I was vaguely familiar with the history surrounding Guy Fawkes. This is about his son, Thomas, who has the Stone Plague that’s ravaging England and who gets kicked out of the place he’s studying color magic because his father doesn’t show up to give him his mask. So, he goes to London and ends up embroiled in a plot to kill the king with his father. Two different color magic classes are at play, and I thought the concept was very unique.

Cottage by the Sea, by Debbie Macomber. This is maybe the only romance writer I read consistently. It’s just not my favorite genre. I really enjoyed this tale of Annie, who is trying to heal from her grief and moves to the ocean in search of space. I want to move to Oceanside! The secondary characters are fantastic here.

Do Something Beautiful, by R. York Moore. I really enjoyed this read about finding the beautiful things from God in the midst of the everyday.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree, by Ingrid Rojas Contreras This started out a bit slow, but I ended up really enjoying the story, set in 1990s-era Bogota, about two girls and the maid their mother hires. The youngest becomes friends with the maid, who’s hiding secrets amid the dangerous city, plagued by drugs and guerillas.

Darkwater Secrets, by Robin Caroll (review forthcoming). Set in a hotel in New Orleans, so of course I wanted to read the murder mystery that brings a man from her past into Adelaide Fountaine’s present as the police search for a killer.

The Late Bloomer’s Club, by Lousie Miller (review forthcoming). Loved this! Nora is content to work in a diner until she and her sister are named in a neighbor’s will. Now she has to make a decision that affects the entire town. This community was so believable to me, and I really wanted to visit and see the fall leaves…and I don’t even like fall.

The Impossibility of Us, by Katy Upperman (review forthcoming). Upperman is a good author who always brings characters I love and a big obstacle to the table. This is no exception. Elise, whose brother was killed in Afghanistan, meets Mati, who’s from Kabul. She manages to overcome her grief over her brother’s death, but as the two grow closer, both of their families stand in the way.

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for Quick Lit.