Another month of this crazy year is behind us! I hope everyone is hanging in there as we wait to see what will happen at the start of a new school year. With how hot it has been in my area, it still feels like summer is in full swing!
My reading life in July continues to take a small dip in the total numbers. I read 8 books, a few less than June. All were pretty good reads though. Two of them were even set in summer, one around the Fourth of July which made for a festive reading experience!
Again everything was read on my kindle and most came from a mix of the library’s online catalog or Kindle Unlimited. I’m not tracking it this year but I did manage to read two ebooks that I already own. It’s always nice to make that list a little shorter.
Magnificent Ms. Marvel Vol 1: Destined by Saladin Ahmed
I discussed this first comic in the new Ms. Marvel series in my Quick Lit: July post too. This was one of the comics I was excited to check out via Kindle Unlimited. I love the original series and this follow up, Magnificent Ms. Marvel, may be even better. I’m still confused by all the crossovers and different versions or series that feature the same characters. I do try to read things in chronological order but that seems nearly impossible when it comes to comic books and the universe of superheros. If you haven’t read all of the first series, like me, there are a few spoilers but I don’t think it affected my enjoyment of either series.
Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
I read the last of the All Soul’s trilogy in May after slowly making my way through the series. As I’ve mentioned before, the third book didn’t really give an ending to this story. So I was happy to pick up this continuation novel and see what answers it held.
Most of this book takes place in the past giving Marcus’s backstory. While it was interesting to learn more about his character and revisit some favorites from history, a lot of the book dragged for me. I found the chapters that showed Phoebe’s transformation and followed the next adventures of Matthew and Diana to be the most interesting.
The book wasn’t amazing but it was a fun if slow read. I’m fairly certain there will be more continuation books to come and I will probably read them.
Lumberjanes: Campfire Songs created by Shannon Watters
I’m running out of Lumberjane volumes to check out from my library or Kindle Unlimited. This collection featured a few unconnected short stories or one shots. Most of them didn’t seem relevant to the series but they were still a fun escape into the magical adventures of the Lumberjanes. It was a cute one to check out but it didn’t do much to further the story line or characters.
Supernova by Marissa Meyer
I finished Marissa Meyer’s Renegade series with Supernova, the third book in the trilogy. Maybe it’s because I love the Lunar Chronicles so much, but this series just wasn’t as good for me. I cared about Nova and Adrian, the two main characters but I thought there was so much opportunity for a larger cast or to delve into the layer of this future world. I wanted to know more about the Rejects.
While there was a great action scene two thirds of the way through this book, most of it didn’t hold my attention. The ending also irritated me. I guessed that twist already and kept waiting for the reveal. It came too late to be effective in my opinion. Unless the series is continuing. I’m not a fan of series that don’t actually conclude when it’s marketed as the final book. I seem to have read a few of those lately.
Saga Vols 1 & 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
I discussed the first volume of Saga in my Quick Lit: July post. Saga Vol. 2 was just as engrossing. We get more back story on Marko and also how he and Alanna met. I love Hazel’s snarky humor as the narrator. A new character is introduced. A very uncomfortable storyline from the first volume seems to be resolved in this one. So many people have raved about this series, I’m seriously considering investing in the Compendium edition. Easy access to all the volumes.
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
Meg Medina’s Burn Baby Burn has been waiting to be read within my Kindle for a couple years. I heard this book recommended a lot on Book Riot when it was published in 2016. It was my suggestion for book club this month and it got picked.
Burn Baby Burn is a coming of age story set in New York in the volatile summer of 1977. Tensions are high enough with a serial killer on the loose, arson fires popping up all over the city, and then a blackout. Nora Lopez is about to turn 18 as she navigates explosions in her home life, a new crush, and tries to figure out her next step. After an emotionally rough beginning, I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, the historical setting was fascinating, and I came to truly care about the characters.
How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn
This book sat in my nonfiction collection on my kindle for a few years. I bought it as a kindle daily deal because it looked really funny as well as informative. Lately I have been gathering parenting and marriage resources so it seemed appropriate to read something I already owned on those topics.
Jancee Dunn’s How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids is hilarious as well as bravely honest. She bares her flaws and faults along with her husband’s for all her readers to see and learn from. When her daughter turns six, Dunn realizes there has been a slow shift in the family roles since her daughter was born. Over time, Dunn has taken over most of the parenting and household managing roles while her husband lives a mostly carefree lifestyle and she’s becoming more angry and resentful of it. As a journalist she turns to research and then marital counseling to try to get their relationship and family back on track. I took my time reading this book over the entire month. I was captivated by Dunn’s story and feel both more knowledgable and empowered by her findings.
What did you read in July?
