What I Read in July
This summer has flown by - I can’t believe it’s almost August. While most people love summer, this season is an emotionally harder time for me - a few grief dates and birthdays that just feel more bittersweet as time goes on. Reading is always a welcome distraction, but I try to throw in a self-help book or two so I don’t feel like I’m running from my problems, per se. As a result, July’s roundup is a nice mix of thrillers, personal development, and a historical non-fiction book that’s been on my shelf for a while. I’m still not sure what I’m going to read next month, so if you have any recommendations, let me know!
what i read in july
night road by kristin hannah
5/5 stars
You may know author Kristin Hannah from her popular books The Nightingale or The Women, but Night Road is underrated and one of the best books available with Kindle Unlimited.
This had me engrossed from start to finish; I was fully emotionally invested and couldn’t finish it fast enough. The author tells the full story, and I loved how it captured different stages of everyone’s lives; it could have easily felt rushed, but this was methodically planned out.
Some of the themes are heavy, and it’s a slow burn, but the author captures the kaleidoscope of grief and the layers of complicated relationships so beautifully that you can’t help but lose yourself in the story. It’s a tearjerker in the best way, one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, and I can’t rave about it enough.
Favorite quotes:
“The only real answer lay in the courage to see a thing clearly and try to do better. Be better.” (p. 266)
“People think love is an act of faith… Sometimes it's an act of will.” (p. 352)
“In the sea of grief, there were islands of grace, moments in time when one could remember what was left rather than all that had been lost.” (p. 384)
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
mr. whisper by andrew mayne
2.5/5 stars
I honestly think this book was too smart for me, and it’s probably the first series I won’t finish. I’ve heard the author has brought characters with his other novels into this one, and I think reading them would have probably added a lot of valuable context.
I love an intricate plot, but this almost had too much going on. There were lots of characters with unique backstories, and shifting timelines. The hand signals between two characters also seemed like such a reach that took me out of the book.
I did appreciate how the author incorporated sci-fi/ tech elements to make this a more unique thriller, and would recommend it if you enjoy those genres.. but maybe read summaries of the author’s other books, first.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
family money by chad zunker
3/5 stars
This author is my go-to when I want a quick, action-packed read (a palette-cleanser, if you will); they’re typically around 200 pages and take me just under 2 hours to finish, which helps me avoid reading burnout. I loved his book Not Our Daughter last month and saw lots of rave reviews about Family Money.
Truth be told, I didn’t like it as much as some of his other books. The plot just didn’t connect with me like others have, and I had an idea of where things were going. I think the book would’ve been better if it was a little longer and more detailed, but that’s not his signature.
It was nice to read about a family-centered domestic thriller, as so many are about marriages or relationships, and I appreciated the way he utilized the lying theme without being cheesy or preachy. I also like that Zunker’s books are more masculine and rely on action rather than “gotcha” twists. They read like an old-school, action-packed Tom Cruise movie, but this one unfortunately told more than it showed.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
countdown bin laden: the untold story of the 247-day hunt to bring the mastermind of 9/11 to justice by chris wallace
5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this. I haven’t read anything by Chris Wallace before, but the countdown formatting made this one of the more engaging historical non-fiction books I’ve read.
There are a few new tidbits, but if you know the story, you won’t learn much here. I saw the new Netflix documentary on bin Laden last month, and that helped me put faces to names and made things easier to follow when it came time to read this book.
It was pretty fair and neutral for the most part; there are a few hints towards the 2020 election that can be seen as Wallace injecting his opinion, but not so much that I couldn’t enjoy the book.
Read it here.
all they ask is everything by hadley leggett
4.5/5 stars
What a debut novel, I absolutely loved this. It’s true contemporary fiction and explores a lot of difficult subjects without feeling too heavy. I loved how the author showed how family looks different for everyone, and the beauty in embracing imperfectness and forgiveness.
Themes of pride, resiliency, community, and unconditional love make this a great book-club pick, as there’s lots you’d be able to discuss.
Not many books are able to explore the complications and grey are of real life in a believable way, but this one hits it out of the park. It reminded me that what’s best isn’t always what’s easy, and I really, really loved this. A true Kindle Unlimited gem.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
men we reaped: a memoir by jesmyn ward
5/5 stars
This has been on my reading list for a while, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. This explores the intersection of poverty and racism, and because it’s a memoir, it’s more impactful than simply reading statistics or a history summary.
The author’s writing is art. It’s blunt yet beautiful and expressive, and I can see why this has won awards and made so many short lists - I hope to read more from her in the future.
This illustrates how grief reverberates through a community and never really ends; it’s emotional and palpable, and fully held my attention from start to finish.
Favorite quotes:
“Men's bodies litter my family history. The pain of the women they left behind pulls them from the beyond, makes them appear as ghosts. In death, they transcend the circumstances of this place that I love and hate all at once and become supernatural.” (p. 14)
“Both of us on the cusp of adulthood, and this is how my brother and I understood what it meant to be a woman: working, dour, full of worry. What it meant to be a man: resentful, angry, wanting life to be everything but what it was.” (p. 162)
“We all think we could have done something to save them. Something to pull them from death's maw, to have said: I love you. You are mine. We dream of speaking when we lack the gift of oratory, when we lack the vision to see the stage, the lights, the audience, the endless rigging and ropes and set pieces behind us, manipulated by many hands.” (p. 180)
Read it here.
effortless: make it easier to do what matters most by greg mckeown
4/5 stars
This is a must-read for perfectionists and go-getters, as well as the dreamers who come up with a life-overhaul plan every couple of months. I will say that I liked Essentialism a little more, but this was still really good. His writing is simple and straightforward; you can finish it in a few hours, and I appreciate that there are engaging examples but no fluff.
This starts out a little slow, but the hopeful tone makes you eager to implement the tips. Each chapter also has a summary that compounds throughout the book, which helps reinforce the lessons being shared.
Favorite quotes and takeaways:
Ask “What if this could be easy?" to reset thinking and simplify the process instead of wondering why something is hard (p. 33)
Prioritize rituals over habits (enjoy the process vs check the box); “Habits explain ‘what’ you do, but rituals are about ‘how’ you do it… Our rituals are habits we have put our thumbprint on. Our rituals are habits with a soul.” (p. 51)
“Being asked to do X isn't a good enough reason to do Y.” (p. 120)
Focus on steady progress over bursts: “Holding back when you still have steam in you might seem like a counterintuitive approach to getting important things done, but in fact, this kind of restraint is key to breakthrough productivity.” (p. 137)
When problems arise, strike at the root, don’t just hack at the branches… “Mistakes are dominoes: they have a cascading effect. When we strike at the root by catching our mistakes before they can do any damage, we don't just prevent that first domino from toppling, we prevent the entire chain reaction.” (p 198, 202)
Read it here.
my good side: a memoir by scheana shay
3/5 stars
This was my first audiobook; I listened for free with Spotify Premium as I thought the hardcover was a little expensive. It’s narrated by Scheana herself, and while I still prefer old-school reading, this was engaging and easy to follow.
It always feels a little strange to rate memoirs, as if I’m judging someone’s life story. This was a breezy, fun read but what stood out to me is that it leaned more towards retelling rather than reflection. What makes memoirs special to me is when the author mixes in their wisdom with the recollection, and I felt like that was missing here.
There were two major themes presented, and I appreciated the contrast shown between people-pleasing and rule-following, as well as the fine line between being liked and being understood. It reminded me that your intentions don’t always land no matter how hard you try, which is where your values (not approval) should guide you.
Read it here.
the chemistry test by georgina franke
4/5 stars
This was one of my Kindle First Reads picks for July, which means it’ll be officially available for everyone to read on August 1st.
It’s a really cute, heartfelt story. I love how the author included disabilities within the narrative, as representation is severely lacking in literature, particularly in the romance genre. The characters felt very realistic, and I like how disabilities were part of their stories, but not their whole story.
The book is set at university, but I think younger adults (maybe age 14 or 15+) could read this as it was quite innocent and sweet.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
This month I also read…
Rolling Toward Clear Skies by Catherine Ryan Hyde - 4/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
My feel-good book of the year; this was so sweet and endearing. This made me appreciate kindness and wish we showed each other more grace. I will say I wish there was a little more push-back or grit from the foster daughters, especially with all they were going through, but I really admired their outlook on life.
Blood Moon by Sandra Brown - 3/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
This had a really interesting premise, and I hope to see more thrillers explore similar themes. This book just wasn’t executed well, though; I wish the author had developed certain storylines more, especially considering how long it was. I felt like the author told more than she showed, I had to suspend disbelief too often, and the romance aspect was unnecessary and cheesy.
You Shouldn’t Have Done That by Liz Alterman - 3/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
An entertaining thriller, but the characters were so unlikeable. It’s twisty and a good reset if you’re feeling book burnout, though.
In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson - 4/5 stars.
Super twisty, and the author does a great job of making you suspenseful of everyone. It was clever, and the ending got me. Highly recommend as it’s just $0.99 right now - definitely a good deal.
The Housewarming by Kristin Offiler - 2.5/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
This is part of Amazon First Reads, so it’ll be available to read on August 1. Unfortunately, I thought this was boring; it telled more than it showed, and there was hardly any suspense. There was a lot of potential with the characters (and it was easy to distinguish who was who), but the ending was predictable, anticlimactic, and too vague.
Lie to Me by Theo Baxter - 2/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
A quick read, but definitely over-the-top. You know who the culprit is pretty much from the get-go, so while there’s lots of drama, the book isn’t suspenseful.
Someone Knows by Vi Keeland - 3.5/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
More of a suspenseful romance than a dark mystery, this started out strong but lost me by the end. It felt like the author knew all of the elements that make a good thriller, but they didn’t come together in a believable, authentic way. I was surprised by a few twists, though, and it’s fast-paced so I think some Freida McFadden fans will enjoy this one.
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda - 3/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
I used to be the biggest fan of Megan Miranda, but stopped buying her books after they became a little predictable, so I was really excited to see this one on Kindle Unlimited. This was good, and it was nice to experience some of her signatures again - mixed timeline, multi-POV - but they were a little confusing to follow this time around. The culprit is also pretty obvious.
She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica - 4/5 stars, free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
This was really good! Some of the twists were surprising, and it kept me entertained from start to finish even though it’s not hard to figure out who the suspect is. I do wish there was less of an open-door ending, though; this would have shined with more resolution.