9 books! I read 9 books this month!
Which, unfortunately, is not as high as I was expecting… I usually read more in the summer months, especially kicking off the month with a Read-A-Thon, but some of the books I had lined up were just clunkier than I thought they would be, and I didn’t read nearly as much on vacation as I thought I would.
My biggest disappointment is that I didn’t meet my LGBTQ+ goal this month.. during Pride month, no less! I picked up The Great Believers, but I couldn’t get to it in time. Luckily, my book club chose it as our July read, so I will probably start on it today.
I did have a great reading month, though. I had two 5 star books: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Sadie. Order of the Phoenix got a rating upgrade after this reading because I just really connected to it more, and Sadie is on track to be my favorite YA novel of the year.
I’m hoping to have a good reading month in July… I have nothing planned, other than getting ready for school to start, so I should have plenty of time to enjoy my summer break.
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Monthly Stats
- Total Books Read: 9 Books
- Total Authors Read: 9 Authors
- Total Pages Read: 3,468 Pages
- Total Books Quit: 1 Book
- Average Days Per Book: 3.4 Days per Book
- Average Pages Per Day: 115.6 Pages per Day
Long Story Short…
- If you like true crime podcasts, try Sadie by Courtney Summers.
- If you like Sex and the City or Bridget Jones Diary, check out Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
- If you like reading books before the movie comes out, read Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.
- If you like feeling empowered, go for Brave, Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Premise: When Queenie and her boyfriend Tom go on a “break”, Queenie’s life starts spiraling out of control.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: Wait… did I really just like this book? I started off definitely not so sure about it. Queenie’s character is a bit insufferable, and I felt a bit like her friends who just could not continue taking this bizarre behavior from her. I thought for sure this book would have a 2 star review.
But then! Then! I started to see who Queenie was. She’s strong and independent, but also very vulnerable. She has trauma in her past that makes her react in her present, and she also is very aware of her space in the world (and, honestly, what it means to be black in mostly white spaces). This book felt very fluffy on the surface – girl has a string of awful boyfriends, girl has group text complaining about men and sex and work. But under the fluff, there was a real meat to the story, something that can’t be brushed off. And I LOVED that.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes Bridget Jones’s Diary or Sex in the City. Anyone who likes snarky social commentary. Anyone looking for an “up lit” book.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Premise: Nine individuals want to change their lives, so they sign up for a 10-day wellness retreat in backcountry Australia. Some are there for weight loss, some for marriage counseling, others for just rejuvenation… but none are prepared for what they actually find there.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: I was dreading this one, just a little, because it doesn’t have a great rating on Goodreads. But, I actually really liked it! I love Moriarty for putting random characters in situations that they aren’t comfortable in, then watching them squirm their way out — and this one is no different. Each of the characters (the nine strangers, plus the three people working at the resort) felt really fleshed out, with their own motivations and backstory, and it was really intriguing to watch how each one handled the situation they were in.
There were a lot of character points of view, and I wish that I would have seen more from some characters (rather than just one or two chapters), but I will say that the characters each had their own distinct voice and I never got confused between characters, despite how many there were. Each one had their own philosophical dilemmas, and it was fascinating to read and think about how I would react in these situations. Plus, this book read FAST, despite the length. I ended up falling into this book headfirst and I only came up for air to eat and sleep.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who is a fan of Liane Moriarty. Anyone who likes psychological books. Anyone who wants to read about big life questions.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Premise: When Janie strolls back into town, the townswomen are flabbergasted. She had been gone for so long that the rumor mill was rushing. But when Janie’s best friend Phoeby checks in on her, Janie tells Phoeby the story of her life.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Thoughts: I do feel a bit guilty about that rating. In my heart, I know it was a good book, and certainly not the worst classic Ive ever read. But… I just really don’t like southern lit. Maybe it’s because I live in this (well, not this book, but southern tradition and customs and dialect), and I just don’t like reading about it? Either way, I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I wanted to.
I will say that the writing was beautiful. There were some profound moments in this book that literally took my breath away. But getting to them was a slog… the dialect was difficult to read and process, and there was so much random storytelling that was just description of a poker game or who said what to who, and I just… the beautiful, profound, moving aspects of the book didn’t quite make up for the struggle it took to get to them. To be fair, I may have enjoyed this book more if I had devoted a bit more time to it or if I had read it with an English class, but it was not pleasurable reading for me, and probably not the best start to summer.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes southern lit. Anyone who wants a deeply moving portrayal of love and abandonment.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Premise: Bee’s mom has vanished. Through a series of emails, letters, faxes, and handwritten notes, Bee pieces together the story of her mother’s life before she went missing, and is determined to figure out where she went.
Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: Oooooof this book. I read it back in 2013, apparently, but I had forgotten the big picture moments of the book, so when I saw it was available as an audiobook, I snatched it up. While this is one that I would probably enjoy more reading it (since it is mostly letters and emails), the narration was awesome and I really got into it.
The characters in this novel are just so well-developed, and it’s really cool because you can see all of these characters in first person through their emails and letters. You can see Audrey Griffin come unglued over the course of the book (without her realizing it), you can watch Bernadette fall into Manjula’s tangle, you can see Soo-Lin prey on Elgin… it all unfolds in a way that is completely unique to books written like this. That, plus the excellent plot line, made this book something so special and unique. I’m almost bummed that they are making it into a movie, because there’s no way it can top the book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes quirky characters and hilarious plot lines. Anyone who enjoys epistolary novels.
How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
Premise: Andrew works for the city council in an unusual job — he goes into the homes of dead bodies and tries to identify next of kin. But he sees parallels with his own life that leaves him wondering if the wife and kids that he dreams of could one day be in his reach.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: Many people have compared this book to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and I totally see the connection. Both books feature main characters who are slightly quirky and have experienced some trauma in their lives. But, where Eleanor is frustrating and complex and annoying and lovable, Andrew just feels a bit more… one note. And his big trauma is not quite as big of a reveal as Eleanor’s was.
Comparisons aside, I did enjoy the fast pace of this book, and I really liked Peggy’s character — I thought she was nuanced and protective and a really good friend to Andrew. But this book was sad. And Andrew’s character is a bit hard to sympathize with. I know he dealt with some tragedy, but we never really find out what they are, not to the full extent. I liked this story, but I didn’t love it.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Anyone looking for a uplifting read.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Premise: Miryam’s father is a debt collector – but a bad one. So when Miryam begins collecting for him, her father mentions that she can turn silver to gold. Which is all fine and good, except when a winter monster comes searching for her to do just that.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I am amazed and surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t enjoy fantasy books — Harry Potter is about as fantastical as I’m willing to go. But the fantasy in this one was subtle and surprising and intriguing. It played a very real role (winter monsters and changing silver to gold and fire demons, etc.), but the way that the characters interacted with it made me feel more inclined to accept it as reality.
The character points of view multiplied throughout the novel, and they were all written in first person, which could be a challenge at times. I particularly had trouble telling the difference between Miryem and Irina, but that’s likely because they were dealing with similar problems. Other than that, the book read quickly (despite being 450+ pages) and it kept me interested and intrigued. We get so many points of view and stories from the world that I felt really satisfied at the end of the novel.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys fantasy novels. Anyone looking for a world to escape into. Anyone who likes reading from different character perspectives.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Premise: Sadie’s sister was tragically killed just outside of her hometown. But when Sadie disappears as well, their surrogate grandmother steps in and asks a radio journalist to look into the matter. What follows is a combination of podcast and Sadie’s story that is chilling and suspenseful.
Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: I’m writing this review before book club tonight, and, in my bones, this feels like a five star book. I read it all in one day (amazing what procrastination will get you), and I’m not sure I’m off the rollercoaster yet, but I do know that this book will stick with me and haunt me for a long while. The combination of podcast and Sadie’s point of view gives us a chilling rendition of the story, and it’s honestly a struggle to watch West McRay be three steps behind Sadie (and us) the whole book. There were times that I just wanted to shout the answers to his questions.
I said this book was haunting, and I meant it. It was sickening and gut-wrenching and impactful in a way that few books have been when it touches on the subjects this one touched on. I hurt for Sadie, even if I didn’t entirely relate to her, and I rooted for her, even if I didn’t understand why I was cheering her on. She was angry and knew who she was and what she wanted, and… the ending leaves us hanging, but in a way that I can accept. Plus, the setting harkened me back to growing up in a town much like Cold Creek, and I felt that in my bones.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who liked Serial or S-Town or other serialized true-crime podcasts. Anyone who likes uniquely formatted stories. Anyone who is looking for strong female characters.
Brave, Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani
Premise: Reshma Saujani ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2010 against an incumbent – and she lost spectacularly. This book chronicles a bit about how she bounced back from that failure, and gives tips on how to avoid falling into the “perfection” trap in order to be brave.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: As far as self-help books goes, this is definitely one of the better ones. The author gave really clear, actionable tasks that can be done to strengthen the “bravery muscle” and avoid falling into the idea that women must be “perfect” – quiet, demure, polite, self-sacrificing. I particularly liked Part Three in the book, which gave strategies on how to overcome specific obstacles… strategies like “keep your tank full”, “look for your ledge”, “take your own advice”, and “set daily bravery challenges”. There were some things in here that were a bit obvious, but they all provided a good reminder to me.
I know, personally, I am not a risk-taker and I have a fear of failure. Often, the author referenced both Carol Dweck’s Mindset and Angela Duckworth’s Grit (two books I’ve read for summer reading at school). I will be the first to say that I’m not great at the whole growth mindset thing (and one of the author’s strategies is “believe in the power of ‘yet'”), so it was a good kick in the butt to hear some science and some anecdotes of how the growth mindset helps us find happiness. She also touted the idea of asking for feedback and willingly looking for negative feedback — something I avoid like the plague. So… this book did help me and made me a bit more motivated. The only downside was that there was a lottttt of generalizing about women vs. men, and the author really seemed to think that her experiences were the norm for the general population… and while she is a woman of color, she also had a pretty privileged upbringing. I do think, though, that the strategies she presented could be applied across a variety of lifestyles and socioeconomic statuses, which is not something I can say for many self-help type books.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who needs some motivation to try new things. Anyone itching for a life change. Anyone who needs help being brave.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Premise: Harry returns to Hogwarts after the events following the Triwizard Tournament to a school filled with people who either think he’s crazy or worry he’s telling the truth about Voldemort’s return. At school, he encounters Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who propagates the Ministry’s stance that Harry is lying and Voldemort isn’t real.
Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: A year ago, if you had asked me how I ranked the Harry Potter books, I would have put this book last. I hated angsty, shouty, ALL CAPS LOCK Harry, and Umbridge is really just really awful and then one of my favorite characters dies. And that all still holds true, for the most part.
But, in reading this while following along with Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for this book. Looking at Harry as someone suffering greatly from PTSD, his angst and shouting take on a new lens… one I can see through and relate to. Umbridge is still awful, but even seeing her through a view of compassion and understanding makes her just a bit more… tolerable. Overall, highly recommend listening to this podcast on your rereads, if only to like this book a bit more!
Who Should Read It: Well, if you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you start with the first one.
