Let me start this reading roundup by saying that I read a lot more than this post is going to reflect. There was a lot happening in July, and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. When that happens, I have a hard time starting something new, so I spent most of the month re-reading the Gamer Girls series, which I’ve talked about a few times on the blog over the past couple of years. It’s one of my favorite non-fantasy series and exactly what I needed in my life in late July.

That said, I did read four new books in July. Three of the four were fantastic, but I would recommend all four. In fact, one of the books on this list is one of the best books I’ve read all summer and all year.

I'm also pretty excited about what I'm reading for August - Gallows Bridge (the final book of the Harlequin Crew series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti), The Desert of Glass (sequel to The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley), Aria (book 3 of The Happily Never After series by H.P. Mallory), and Book of Black (by Holly Black). I'm also waiting with baited breath for the final book in  Chandelle LaVaun's The Coven: Fae Magic series, The Death Witch, to come out. I'll have to do a quick re-read of the first three books to refresh all those particular details before I dive into that one though.

Alright, here are the four books I read in July 2022.

Author: Colleen Hoover

Sometimes the perfect relationship is only perfect on the outside. This book explores that from several angles but all through the eyes of one woman, Lily. Lily grew up watching her father abuse her mother and vowed she would never find herself in the same situation as her mother. After high school, she heads off to Boston for college, then stays to start her career. Then she meets Ryle, who is everything she's ever wanted, but their idyllic relationship doesn't last, and soon Lily finds herself in her mother's shoes. Plus, her first love re-enters her life unexpectedly, throwing another wrench into her life. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Parts of this were extremely hard to read, but it was very poignant overall. And if it wasn't obvious from what I've already written, there is a very big trigger all throughout this one.

Author: Marie Benedict 

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors of all time. Anyone who is a fan of the mystery writer knows that she went missing for 11 days in the 1920s. No one knows what happened during that time, though many have speculated. This book is an imagined story of what could have happened before, during, and immediately after Mrs. Christie's disappearance. This is not the first book I've read that speculates on those mysterious 11 days, so I had high expectations. Sadly, they weren't met. That's not to say this book was not good, because it was! But it did not stand up to The Woman on the Orient Express, which I enjoyed immensely. The way this book was structured was also a little odd for me, and at times quite frustrating.

Author: Gary D. Schmidt

Holling Hoodhood's teacher hates him. At least, he thinks she does. All because he's the only student in his class who doesn't leave at lunch time on Wednesdays, meaning she doesn't get the afternoon to herself. At first, she's got him cleaning erasers and other chore-type activities but eventually they start studying Shakespeare during their extra time together.

This was the best book I read this summer...and it's for middle school! Seriously, though. This book took me through the full spectrum of emotions. There was one scene that made me laugh so hard, I had to put the book down for a minute. There were a few that made me cry. And throughout it all, you watch this seventh grader grow and take his first steps into manhood. Even though this book is set in the late 1960s and touches on several big events that happened during that time, namely the Vietnam War and Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, it deals with issues that are still relevant in today's world, especially when it comes to relationships. I highly recommend everyone read this book, no matter your age.

Author: Paige Crutcher

Persephone May has never belonged. She's spent her entire life trying to hide her unruly magic and find a place to finally call home. When her magic causes a very public scene, Persephone finally accepts her one friend's invitation to come visit her on the island where she lives. Except Wile Isle isn't an ordinary island. There, Persephone discovers she's not alone in her magic, but she also discovers she's the only hope of breaking a century-long curse.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. However, I thought it was uncommonly dry-witted for a book about magic. It was kind of like A Discovery of Witches meets The Starless Sea for me.