Best Books of July

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from July.

Chosen Family (Madeleine Gray): I’ll start by saying that I related to this book A LOT. It dredged up a lot of feelings, in a good way. There is catharsis, but if I have a complaint about the book, it’s that she takes you past the point where you need the catharsis. Which means you read a big section of the book feeling unease instead of release. And when you get to the moment of catharsis, you take with you feelings that I don’t think she intended you to have about the characters. I am glad I read this book. I am glad I own this book and can read it again. But I wish it had been less “hurt people hurt people” and more cycle breaking.

The Shampoo Effect (Jenny Jackson): 4.5 stars rounded up. The writing is great, and I wanted to spend time with all the characters. There is not really a plot. But maybe look at it as hanging out with friends at the beach more than a cohesive story. Totally enjoyable, whether you’re reading it at home or on a beach yourself.

The Artful Anna Harris (Tracy Maton): The first half was a nice thriller but I didn’t get the big deal. People were raving about this book, but it felt pretty standard. And then the switch. The second half was a wild ride, and I totally understood the praise. Very well done.

Ungodly Rich (Katharine McGee): Fun and fluffy with all the usual Katharine McGee characters — it was Thousandth Floor or American Royals but with Greek gods. It ends with a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping there’s another book in the future. It’s a good vacation read, fast-moving and easy to keep the pantheon in your head.

Pagans (James Alistair Henry): What a great story and world. I am so bummed that it will be a year until book two, but this one was so good that I’ll pre-order it. The world took work to sort out in my brain, but I enjoyed doing that work. Entertaining, educating, and thought provoking.

Alan Opts Out (Courtney Maum): This was a joyful ride, and the ending was superb. (Lenny, obviously, but I’m talking about those last few lines.) My heart hurt sometimes for Vivian, but I loved how she grew and changed AND stayed the same. Great story.

What did you read last month?