July was a prolific reading month for me! I started and completed 11 (!!!) books in the month, and most of them were excellent reads. Thanks to summer reading for the English class I’m teaching this year, I got the chance to read some really good YA fiction, and the couple of adult fiction that I did read this month blew me away.
I started July by binging the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I think I needed some easy reading at that point in the summer, and this series really delivered. I reviewed the ones I read all as one, because trying to write a review for the fourth in a series is really difficult without spoilers. I also finished my year-long reread of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, following along with the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast.
It’s hard to pick a favorite of the month, because everything I read was so diverse and so good. The two books that will stick with me, for sure, are Challenger Deep and The Virgin Suicides. Both of those books had a surreal quality to them that really transported me.
School is starting up again this week, which means I have very low expectations for my reading in August. Hopefully I get to read a few quality books (even if my quantity will be a bit low)!
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
The Mortal Instruments series: City of Bones, City of Glass, City of Ashes, and City of Fallen Angels
Premise: When Clary’s mother is kidnapped, her entire world turns upside down. With the help of some new acquaintances, she learns the truth about her past and her heritage, and she must come to terms with her differences.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I’ll be honest. I read these four books between July 2nd and July 6th. That’s a book a day. I absolutely flew through them, despite it being Fourth of July and having a stacked social calendar. I can’t believe I put it off this long!
That being said, I would have been perfectly happy if this were a trilogy. The last book that I read (City of Fallen Angels) ended terribly, and I just refused to carry on with the series. So READ THIS. But feel free to stop after book three.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves YA fiction. Anyone who wants a thrilling love story. Anyone who likes supernatural characters.
Challenger Deep by Neal Schusterman
Premise: Caden is a kid in high school. Caden is also aboard a ship heading for the Marina Trench. Caden loves to draw and has friends. Caden also is bound for a dive into Challenger Deep. Both of these worlds are very real to Caden, and he must figure out how he wants to live his life.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: When a friend asked if I liked the book, I said no. This wasn’t an enjoyable, leisurely read. This book was TOUGH. Caden’s mental illness is very real and present and well-described. At one point, the book switches to second-person point of view, and suddenly, you are the person feeling this real fear of paranoia and delusions. I’ve never experienced schizophrenia, but I feel like I have a very real understanding of what people with this disease go through after reading this novel.
That being said, this novel is *not* a work of fiction. Not really. Neal Schusterman collaborated with his son to write this novel, and his son experienced this schizophrenia while a teenager. In fact, all of the drawings in the novel were drawn by the author’s son during his darkest episodes. It’s a tough read, and I know this book isn’t for everyone, but I feel like everyone SHOULD read it.
Who Should Read It: Anyone wanting to learn more about mental illness. Anyone interested in nonlinear stories and illustrations. Anyone looking for a stretch in their connection to the world.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Premise: When Harry’s name is pulled from the Goblet of Fire mysteriously, he must face the Triwizard tournament and deal with the consequences that follow.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: It doesn’t really feel fair to be marking this as read for July 2018 because I started reading it in January. I’ve been following along with Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, which has been transformative in the way I see these books.
Also, after 13 rereads of this novel, it still makes me cry.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who hasn’t read the books before. Anyone who has read the books before.
Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos
Premise: When Jared finds out that he has a brain tumor, it’s already well on its way to consuming his memories and reasoning skills. After unsuccessfully putting his life on eBay to raise money for his family, he signs a deal with TV exec Ethan to create a reality show following his decline. Not everyone in the family, however, is excited about Life and Death.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I hated the first 100 pages of this book. In fact, if this wasn’t a summer reading book for me, I probably would have put this in my Did Not Finish pile and moved on with my life. The characters were shallow, the events in the book seemed implausible, and I hated reading from Glio (the brain tumor)’s point of view.
That being said, Jackie is one of the most kick-ass female characters I’ve seen in a YA novel. She’s also the only character in the novel that seems to have any real personality, arc, or true conflict. I tore through the last two thirds of the book, and I actually really enjoyed the resolution. So… it wasn’t all bad, and I would even say it was good (if you can make it through the first part).
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a strong female character. Anyone looking for a not-sad cancer book.
You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
Premise: In this collection of ten short stories, Sittenfeld analyzes the modern American marriage, child-rearing, and the way life changes in your thirties and forties.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I read Eligible by Sittenfeld last year, and I really loved it, so when I saw that she had a new book of short stories out, I decided to jump on it. I’m so glad I did! The characters were unexpected, and I’m always amazed at authors who can surprise and provide twists in just a few pages of a story. My favorites of this collection were “Bad Latch”, “Plausible Deniability”, and “The Prairie Wife”. There were some stories with unreliable narrators, some with main characters I just really hated, and some who made me want to just hug them. I’m probably a bit young (and too childless) to really connect with all of the stories, but I loved the collection, and I loved Sittenfeld’s voice throughout all of the stories.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking at a mid-life crisis. Anyone in their thirties or forties with a family. Anyone wanting a quirky, fun read.
Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King
Premise: After witnessing something she shouldn’t and also finding her artwork missing from the art show, Sarah decides that “nothing is new” and school is a waste of time. While she spends her days traveling around Philadelphia, she discovers more about her past and her future than she expected, and her present takes some serious turns.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: I was nervous about this book, because I totally did not enjoy Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King last month. This book, however, was delightful. Don’t get me wrong: there is some messed up stuff in here. But Sarah is so damn optimistic while she is discovering all of these skeletons in her family closet. King does a great job of slowly revealing Sarah’s past, much in the same way that Sarah is remembering it herself.
The different ages of Sarah were a bit weird, and it’s even weirder that everyone else could see these random people, so it does require some suspension of disbelief. I also had a bit of a problem with how they treated Sarah — it felt like her family still thought she was 10 instead of 16. But those were minor problems in an overall good novel.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes amnesia/memory loss books. Anyone who is interested in family dynamics. Anyone looking for a realistic YA fiction book.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
For a full review, see this post.
Premise: Ove appreciates the rules and believes that what’s right is right. He plays by the rules and expects others to do the same. When the new neighbors move in next door, his routine gets thrown off in the most heartwarming ways.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: So maybe I bullied my book club into read this book? This was my second (or third?) time reading A Man Called Ove and I was no less enthralled and delighted this time as I was my first time. Ove is a curmudgeon, and he is snappy and sarcastic and grumpy and adorable. He’s hard to take at first (if you don’t have a grandfather like him, which I do, so I loved Ove immediately), but his story sucks you in. This book just warms my heart so much, and I recommend it to literally every person I meet.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes humorous books. Anyone who loves old grumpy characters. Anyone looking for a heart-touching story.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Premise: Decades after their deaths, the Lisbon sisters and their surprising suicides are still shocking and confusing the neighborhood boys who worshipped them. The story of their inexplicable suicides, and the events surrounding their family, are told from the point of view of these boys, reminiscing about their childhood and the first girls they loved.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: In the first ten pages, I was immediately turned off by this book. The way that Eugenides speaks about the girls really surprised me and disgusted me. From the beginning, the sexualization of these girls is thrown into a harsh light by the author’s casual tone and surprising descriptions. As I continued through the book, however, I came to appreciate the author’s use of these descriptions to truly set a tone for the book and underline the fact that no one truly knew these girls, despite their “love” and fascination of them.
There is nothing pretty about this book — the atmosphere is dark and secretive and dismantling. I regularly did a double take when reading some of the more lurid descriptions. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a surprising take on life in America’s 1970s suburbs and the despondency of teenagers at that time (or, more accurately, teenagers ever). I picked up this book because of a few lists it was on, and I’m so glad I did.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants a dark read. Anyone looking for a surprising novel. Anyone who enjoys well-written books.
What do you think? Did I miss the mark on any of these? Are there some that you are excited to read? Leave a comment below!
