This past July, I managed to read 12 books! And not only did I read a lot more books than normal, but I also read several five star books. To date, I’ve read ~30 five star books, so this is pretty uncommon for me. Most books are in the 3.5 range for me, so I was thrilled to read so many amazing books this month.
So here’s everything I read in the last month, my ratings, and my thoughts!
Procrastination: The Thief of Time by Sophia Kaankuka
Procrastination: The Thief of Time is a guidebook on how to stop procrastinating. The author highlights just how many causes there are for procrastination, including lesser-realized causes such as fear and self-doubt. This book also provides actionable steps on how to break this habit.
The author reached out to me on Instagram to review this book. This was very helpful! This book loops back into the idea that perfectionists don’t view themselves as perfectionists, and how this leads to unconscious procrastination. There were a few spelling/grammar errors throughout and this did need some editing in general, but nothing that impacted reading comprehension.
You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
You Exist Too Much is a literary fiction novel that follows a queer Palestinian-American woman. The novel takes place between the United States and the Middle East, and how living in-between the two cultures has shaped her identity.
This was a great debut that covered so many topics in relation to identity, including gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. What I particularly liked about this book was how it portrayed recovery as what it really is – difficult, non-linear, long-term, and something that cannot be wrapped up easily.
A Lab of One’s Own by Rita Colwell, PhD and Sharon Bertsch McGrayne
A Lab of One’s Own is Rita Colwell’s memoir and journey in education and science, a recent history of sexism in science, and a call for action all at once. Colwell discusses many experiences and laws, progression, and setbacks for women and minorities in STEMM fields. She also provides advice for those wanting to pursue the field as well as those who want to encourage others.
This was an e-ARC I received from NetGalley. It was incredibly informative and reminiscent of the stories and advice my mentors gave me when entering the CS major and field. I also really liked the advice she provided at the end – it was very inspirational and also helpful for those wanting to encourage others trying to pursue an education or career in the feature (or even promoting STEMM interest from a young age).
Edge of Tempest (Ledgers of a Dark Mage #3) by N.K. Leem
Edge of Tempest is the third book in a fantasy series by N.K. Leem. It has been several months after Thaleon’s return from Taliehin, and exciting times are coming for him. Dawyn is now officially a wehr and he is finally getting a break. But war is brewing on the horizon, and destruction is imminent.
The author reached out to me to review this book, and I have to say, it’s my favorite one so far! There’s so much consistency with the writing and characters, but at the same time, you know to expect so much from each book. I also love the way that the world slowly builds upon itself with small visual details. I’m really looking forward to book 4!
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Normal People follows Connell and Mariane, two seemingly very different people who one day connect more than one would think. Their story continues throughout high school and college and features the complexity and winding nature of their relationship with one another.
I really liked the way Connell and Mariane’s relationship was explored in this book (especially towards the end), but aside from that, I found the writing for this book to be just okay. I understand a lot of the technical choices and see how they fit for the themes of the novel, but I also see why it wasn’t fitting for a lot of people either. Regardless, I would like to see the adaptation for this story compared to the book.
Emma by Jane Austen
This is a classic novel that follows the always-meddling Emma and her tendency to play matchmaker for the people in her village – even if its exactly what gets her into trouble.
This is my second Jane Austen novel and I found that this one just wasn’t for me either! I’m not sure if it’s the writing or if I prefer other genres within the classics. Either way, I’m going to take a break from reading Austen for a little while. I think the next one I will pick up is Northanger Abbey, based on the recommendation of several people based on my current favorites in the classics.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a recently released YA fantasy novel. Based on Persian mythology, this story follows Soraya, a princess who carries a curse – she poisons others with her touch. On the surface, there is a man who is unafraid of her power. And below the surface, there is a demon that may know how to lift her curse. As the day of her brother’s wedding approaches, she must decide whether to step out in the open for the first time – and the choices she makes leads to consequences she would have never imagined.
This book made me realize that I haven’t read a lot of retellings lately…and I want to change that! This story had a very cool combination of retellings, and I definitely want to visit the originals at some point.
Vox by Christina Dalcher
Vox is a dystopian novel that primarily follows Dr. Jean McClellan and her family. In the United States, women are only allowed to speak 100 words a day. After the long-term denial of these changes, Jean must find a way to reclaim her voice and undo the wrongdoings that have been brought upon women across the nation.
I really liked the concept for this story, but the execution fell flat for me. What I liked most about this book was its emphasis on the dangers of keeping silent and not paying attention to what’s happening around you. But the story wasn’t fleshed out as well in both its details and the way the dystopian world was explained, so it sadly didn’t work well for me.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexican Gothic follows Noemí, who is sent a mysterious letter from her newly wed cousin that she is in danger. This letter summons her to High Place, a mysterious and distant house in the Mexican countryside – and Noemí finds herself in an unfamilar place that will be difficult to leave behind.
This is one of my favorites this year! I love Gothic novels and this one did not disappoint for sure! The writing was so atmospheric and contributed to the overall suspense in more ways than one. I originally took this out from the library, but eventually bought it because I knew I wanted to re-read it.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni-Eddo Lodge
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race started as a blog post where the author wrote about her frustrations with the discussion of race in Britain and how it is commonly led by people unaffected by racism. This book provides the reader with information on how to identify and counter racism.
I’ve been bringing this book into conversation since I read it only a couple of weeks ago. It’s been so informative and useful when it comes to educating others and having productive conversations about race. I consider this to be an essential read!
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Rules of Magic follows siblings Franny, Jet, and Vincent during the 1960’s. Their mother has kept much of their family history secret from them, but after visiting their aunt in Massachusetts, they learn the truth about the family curse that’s haunted them for centuries.
This was a good, quick summer read! Eventually I would like to pick up Practical Magic as well. The only thing was that sometimes I did find it difficult to connect to the characters, but the story was good nonetheless.
Daughters of Smoke and Fire by Ava Homa
Daughters of Smoke and Fire is the first novel published in English by a Kurdish writer. This debut novel follows Leila, who dreams of making films to show the stories of the oppressed lives of the Kurds. Her brother Chia becomes an activist as well because of their father’s wrongful imprisonment and torture, but one day this leads to him going missing. Leila sets out to find out what happened to him and where he’s gone, but after posting Chia’s writings, she finds herself in danger too.
This book was incredible. Unfortunately, we don’t see the Kurds getting any attention in any form of media, so when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it, and it’s another instant favorite of mine. Every little detail in this book contributes to the themes and the story as a whole; the writing is amazing. Expect to see this book mentioned in other lists on the blog as well – I probably won’t stop recommending it!
And that’s everything I read this July!
Sadly, The Shadow of the Wind and Forest of Souls did not make it on this list despite them being on my TBR. I ran out of time to read The Shadow of the Wind, so I’ll put this back on my TBR for September. Forest of Souls was a library hold that didn’t come as expected, so I’ll just leave that for August.
How about you? Did you have a good reading month this July? Have you read any of these? Let me know!
-Julie Anna
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I’m so happy to see your five star rating for Mexican Gothic! I really want to read it! Girl, Serpent, Thorn sounds great too. Amazing wrap-up!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it too if you do read it!
It looks like you had an amazing reading month! I’m so excited for Mexican Gothic, which I am hoping to read very soon. I am also interested in Girl, Serpent, Thorn, and The Rules of Magic. I hope you read lots more wonderful books in August!
Thank you so much! I hope you love Mexican Gothic as much as I did!
Looks like you had a good reading month in July! I’ve got several of these books on my TBR, too. Shame your hold for Forest of Souls didn’t come in. I really enjoyed that one! I need to get my hands on Mexican Gothic, because it seems like so many people are loving it and I feel left out. xD I wanna love it tooooo. Hope you have a great August!
Haha I hope you do love Mexican Gothic! And if I am predicting library holds correctly I think Forest of Souls will come this weekend! Can’t wait to read it! And I hope you have a great August too! <3