July Wrap Up
Somehow it’s already the beginning of August and another summer is wildly flying by. I can’t remember a month where I’ve loved reading as much as I have in July. I loved just about everything I read this month and am riding the high of SO many great books in a row. It also means that anything else I pick up next is held to an even higher standard. Regardless, it’s been a great month of reading and I’m so excited to share what I’ve loved!
I finished a total of six books this month and not pictured above is The Short Drop (already returned to the library). All of the books pictured are ones I loved and would absolutely recommend reading (or pre-ordering!)
THE SHORT DROP - So while I didn’t love this book as a whole, I absolutely loved the process of reading it and devoured it within a few days. I don’t love thrillers in general but I’ve found a bit of a soft spot when it comes to political thrillers. This one had WAY too many story lines and by the end started to feel completely unbelievable. I wanted a lot more closure than I got which may have wrapped up more in later books (it’s part of a series). That said, I enjoyed the process of devouring it and staying up late to read but I won’t be picking up the next book in the series.
SUCH A FUN AGE (gifted) - I’M USING ALL CAPS BECAUSE I’M YELLING. If you put one book on your to read in 2020 list, let this be it. It is thoughtful and sharp and made me both laugh and cringe. It is so well done and while it doesn’t come out until January, it is one to look forward to. It is the perfect balance of story line and commentary and I absolutely fell in love with this one. Don’t miss it!
WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH - I loved getting a different YA perspective than what most usually contain. It’s from the perspective of a teen mom AFTER she has her baby and what life looks like balancing responsibilities and life and growing as both a teenager and a mother. The foodie plot convinced me and it was even better than I could have hoped.
TELL ME THREE THINGS - So predictable but incredibly sweet and characters to root for. It was deeper than I anticipated and I loved getting to see Jessie process through her grief. As somebody who lost a parent at a young age, this one really resonated.
BEYOND THE POINT - I was initially hesitant to pick this one up because I’d seen SO much buzz on Instagram. I enjoyed the very beginning and then about 200 pages in I just felt a little unsure. It seemed like there was SO much left and I was already looking forward to my next book. Well I’m really glad I stuck with it because I ended up finishing the last 300 pages in about 12 hours. This book was so much more than I thought it would be. I loved seeing the friendships evolve and change as the three women themselves grew together and apart. I ended up falling in love with this book and I’m so glad I stuck with it!
THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA (gifted) - I think J. Ryan Stradal could write a dictionary and I’d read it. He writes about place and people and does so much service to a region in a way I’ve never seen done before. Did I love this one AS MUCH as Kitchens of the Great Midwest? I don’t know. Maybe not. But I loved this story and these characters and it made me laugh and cry and underline passages in my book. What more could you really ask for?
SO many good books this month and I can’t wait to see what August holds. Happy reading!
