July Reading

[artichokie]

Jul 14, 2024 14:31:39 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Just finished The Unraveling. 4.5 ⭐️

Stalkery, tense, dramatic, cringey and spicy. Was a fun summer read. The twist at the very end surprised me and I hadn’t figured that.

This looks good!

[luckystar2]

I finished The Rom-Commers which was cute.

I’m now reading The Haters. It’s okay. It’s interesting given the recent post about 1 star reviews. The book is about a school counselor who writes a book and how somebody posts a 1 star review criticizing her for stealing ideas from the lives of the HSstudents she works with. She starts getting a bunch of 1 star reviews piling on and then starts getting harassed in her personal life.

[krystee]

I have read lots of good books so far this month (but I also think I am an easier judge than many!):
-God of the Woods
-All the Colors of the Dark (first 60 pages were boring, and then I was sucked in. It’s overly dramatic and unlikely in parts, but I loved most of it anyway).
-Assassins Anonymous (almost posted a review on IG this morning and then realized the timing would be awful given national events)
-One Star Romance
-Same Bright Stars

[mcppalmbeach]

Man, I just finished Fourth Wing and I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to get Iron Flame although I know everyone says it’s not as good.

[mcppalmbeach]

Also I accidentally reserved the large print edition and it’s so much easier for me to read, which pretty much kills me inside.

[tacokick]

Jul 14, 2024 19:09:31 GMT -5 luckystar2 said:

I’m now reading The Haters. It’s okay. It’s interesting given the recent post about 1 star reviews. The book is about a school counselor who writes a book and how somebody posts a 1 star review criticizing her for stealing ideas from the lives of the HSstudents she works with. She starts getting a bunch of 1 star reviews piling on and then starts getting harassed in her personal life.

I could not figure out why so many people were strange to her in that book—her friends/ex/her own child weren’t very nice to her even before the review/harassment and she seemed basically fine.

I mean, obviously she was supposed to have one “hater” but if I was her, I’d leave that town and never speak to anyone again. Everyone surrounding her was so obnoxious which was not necessary for the plot imo

[ssmjlm]

I always want more books where the female lead is the successful one. And I was looking forward to a recent release with this trope.

Except, the female lead is a total B. Also, she drives a Tesla, but there is no mention of her having to charge the car, despite a 6 hour drive to this small town she keeps shitting on. I am giving the book one more night before I DNF. I know I'm going to hyper focus on charging the damn car because I can tell this book needs way more editing.

[eb777888]

Jul 14, 2024 14:31:39 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Just finished The Unraveling. 4.5 ⭐️

Stalkery, tense, dramatic, cringey and spicy. Was a fun summer read. The twist at the very end surprised me and I hadn’t figured that.

Thank you very much for the book I am now reading. I know I've told you this before but I always love your highly rated books!

[dancingirl21]

I just finished Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams and really loved it. It’s a historical romance with alternating timelines/characters.

[ksun]

Just finished Fist Lie Wins and absolutely loved it, but psych thrillers are my favorite.

[hermione]

I thoroughly enjoyed Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life and The Five Year Lie.

[gerberdaisy]

Add me to the list of reading less this year. Took a couple weeks off but am starting to get back in the groove.

Read The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz. I've read a couple of his mysteries and have enjoyed them. They're a little different as he is a character in the book.

Finished The Women yesterday. Had been putting this one off thinking it would take some work to get through. Have to give it to Kristin Hannah though, as much as I know I'm going to get bored for 100 pages in the middle of the book, her books always pull me in immediately. Loved it and am glad I read it (its our book club book and meeting is tomorrow).

Starting Sandwich by Catherine Newman today. Reviews have been good

[rupertpenny]

I decided to DNF The End of Drum-Time and then read Bear by Julia Phillips. Bear was weird and sad, but good. I didn't like it quite as much as her debut, Disappearing Earth, though.

I wanted to find an older detective series to read while I'm waiting for newer releases and started Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series. The first book was published in 1988 and WOW some of it is very dated, but it was it was interesting enough. I'm on the second book.

My holds for Long Island Compromise and God of the Woods just came through and I am very excited about both of these.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Since July is my vacation month, I have 3 books to go through: 

A Well Behaved Woman - a biography of Alva Smith Vanderbilt
I'm Not Really a Waitress - again a biography, this time the co-founder of OPI nail lacquer 
The Magnificent Life of Marjorie Post - see a theme   

A Well Behaved Woman was really interesting ... most know her only bc of what she did to her daughter (forced her to marry a penniless Brit in exchange for $$ and a title) but she was far more complex than that. 

[bbdoll]

I just started The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez.  It's good so far.  I'm interested to see how it plays out.

[lust2hart]

July so far:

Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley - 5
You Were Always Mine, by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza - 3.5
The Sicilian Inheritance, by Jo Piazza - 3.5

Until making this post I had no idea I was simultaneously listening to 2 books by the same author! Which is hilarious because 1.) I started TSI after YWAM, and I thought, "Huh, another book where the chapters alternate between characters"; 2.) I noted that they were both a little slow to start for me (lots of character development vs. action) and then 3.) I finished TSI first, and thought it ended really abruptly, and then I thought the same thing about YWAM! LOL.

I have Just Mercy checked out in my Libby app but just can't bring myself to listen to something so heavy right now, so I started Charm City Rocks, by Matthew Norman. It's about a single dad whose son sort of by accident, sort of on purpose, arranges for him to meet the woman he had a crush on back in the day - a drummer from a broken-up all-girl rock band from the early 2000s. So far I like it!

[wise_rita]

Just finished The Beekeeper of Aleppo, which was sad of course (about Syrian refugees) but could have been much, much worse. It was hard to keep track in audio with the various time and location changes.

ETA: changes in time, not tone

[So_Fetch]

Just finished Just for the Summer by Abby Jiminez. I loved it. I needed some fluff/romance.

Starting Good Morning Monster for book club.

[brooke77]

I picked up A Court of Thorn and Roses in the airport and am nearly finished. Why is this series so popular? It’s difficult for me to see how there are a whole series of these. But I still do have maybe 15% of the book left, so maybe I will understand when I finish.

[underwaterrhymes]

Jul 16, 2024 14:17:39 GMT -5 brooke77 said:

I picked up A Court of Thorn and Roses in the airport and am nearly finished. Why is this series so popular? It’s difficult for me to see how there are a whole series of these. But I still do have maybe 15% of the book left, so maybe I will understand when I finish.

I do not get the Sarah Maas hype. At all.

[estrellita]

Jul 16, 2024 14:17:39 GMT -5 brooke77 said:

I picked up A Court of Thorn and Roses in the airport and am nearly finished. Why is this series so popular? It’s difficult for me to see how there are a whole series of these. But I still do have maybe 15% of the book left, so maybe I will understand when I finish.

I got it after reading the second book. The first one was ok, but I LOVED the second one.

I also say this all the time about her.. I think she tells a great story, but the writing itself is just ok.

[wkatie]

I’m reading Real Americans by Rachel Khong and really loving it.

Other July reads:
One Perfect Couple - Ruth Ware 3 ⭐️
Swan Song - 4 ⭐️
She’s not Sorry - Mary Kubrica - round up to 4 ⭐️
Just for the Summer - 4 ⭐️
Bright Young Women - 4 ⭐️

[countthestars]

I'm currently listening to the Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. I like it, but nothing is happening? I think I am too used to reading thrillers! I'm also reading One of Us Is Lying and it's fun and easy.

[mel]

Do you have to read the Abby Jimenez "Part of Your World" (the one that contains Just for the Summer) series in order? I've seen that book EVERYWHERE and want to read it, but it's book 3 in the series.

[luckystar2]

Jul 17, 2024 8:54:24 GMT -5 mel said:

Do you have to read the Abby Jimenez "Part of Your World" (the one that contains Just for the Summer) series in order? I've seen that book EVERYWHERE and want to read it, but it's book 3 in the series.

They are separate stories but I guess there are some cameos of characters that might spoil an earlier book. I read Just for the Summer, but I haven’t read the other 2. I guess something might be a little spoiled for me if I read the earlier ones but I wasn’t too concerned. I’m not sure I’ll ever read the other 2. But I didn’t need to read the others to know anything for the 3rd. It is its own story.

[dontlook]

Just finished The Women: 4 stars
I didn’t mind the love story aspect as much as some seemed too. What I did mind was how the book ended. That last part was so unnecessary. I know it was meant to leave us on a high-note and make us hopeful for her, but it was just…unnecessary.

[underwaterrhymes]

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh - 3.5* rounded up to 4*

[RoxMonster]

The Paris Widow by Kimberley Belle - 3.5 ⭐️

[pixy0stix]

I've been speed running through the Mercy Thompson series and am currently on book 12. It's been interesting seeing the plot develop this way. The first books are a bit disjointed, but they really pick up and become a cohesive story line at book 6ish.

[estrellita]

Jul 17, 2024 8:54:24 GMT -5 mel said:

Do you have to read the Abby Jimenez "Part of Your World" (the one that contains Just for the Summer) series in order? I've seen that book EVERYWHERE and want to read it, but it's book 3 in the series.

You could read them separately. JFTS honestly is less related to the other two, but there would be some spoilers regarding the relationships and some of the decisions made by the characters in the other books. The biggest spoilers are toward the end, directly related to the POYW characters.