Hi friends!!! I can hardly believe that July is over and today is the first day of AUGUST!!!
You all know that I love reading and I have really been enjoying sharing some book reviews with you. In addition to book reviews, I’m going to start doing monthly reading wrap-up posts. I’m just going to begin with this month.
I set a goal at the beginning of the summer to read a book a week. I’ve kept pretty close to that, but I didn’t read as much as I thought I would in July. One reason for that is our vacation to South Carolina during two weeks of July. It was a three day drive that I did very little reading during. And I just enjoyed time with my family so much that I didn’t have as much reading time. No complaints on that at all! 🙂
Here are the FOUR books I read in July:
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
I started this book right before leaving for our trip to SC. It was also one of the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club selections.
I was super interested in this book because I heard it described in one of the What Should I Read Next podcast episodes and it sounded like such an interesting premise. It’s the story of the first female lawyer in Bombay in the 1920’s, Perveen Mistry. While handling the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy mill owner who has left three widows behind, she becomes involved in solving the murder mystery of the household manager.
This was a very well done historical mystery novel that I enjoyed reading so much!
Rating: 3/5 Stars
The High Season by Judy Blundell
I picked this book up from Barnes and Nobel on a date right before leaving for our vacation. I was looking forward to reading it after reading another book by Judy Blundell.
This story centers around Ruthie Beamish, a year-round resident of the Hamptons who has to rent out her home during the summer season in order to survive financially. This summer she has rented it out to Adeline Clay, the widow of a famous artist that Ruthie used to work for. When an eccentric billionaire, his wayward daughter, a coterie of social climbers, and Ruthie’s old flame are thrown into the mix, the entire town finds itself on the verge of tumultuous change. But as Ruthie loses her grasp on her job, her home, and her family, she discovers a new talent for pushing back. By the end of one unhinged, unforgettable summer, nothing will be the same–least of all Ruthie.
In the end I honestly didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. It was a bit pointless and I think I was just over the extravagance and loose morals portrayed in the book.
Rating: 2/5 stars
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
This was one of my July Book of the Month selections and it was a fun mystery/thriller read!
The story centers around Emma and her return to a summer camp that she visited when she was a teenager. This summer camp experience didn’t go so well for Emma as it ended with her three cabin mates disappearing. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from the camp director and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp’s twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present.
There are lots of things in this book that are just not very believable, but sometimes you have to suspend belief and enjoy a fun read!
Rating: 4/5 stars
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
I typically listen to one book each month on audible and this was my audio book for July.
A Place for Us is the first novel by Fatima Farheen Mirza and I am so looking forward to reading more of her writing!
This novel unfolds the lives of an Indian-American Muslim family, gathered together in their Californian hometown to celebrate the eldest daughter, Hadia’s, wedding. It is here, on this momentous day, that Amar, the youngest of the siblings, reunites with his family for the first time in three years. In a narrative that spans decades and sees family life through the eyes of each member, A Place For Us charts the crucial moments in the family’s past, from the bonds that bring them together to the differences that pull them apart.
A Place for Us was a truly moving book and one that I would love to read again to take in all that I may have missed through listening rather than reading. Sometimes I just want to soak up the beautiful words and this is a book that makes me want to do just that.
This book had many elements in it that I just love…family drama/conflict, culture, complex timeline, and thought-provoking writing.
Rating: 5/5 stars
August Book of the Month Selections
I thought it would be fun on these monthly wrap-up posts to give you a glimpse of my Book of the Month selections for the next month. The selections are released on the fist of each month and I look forward to selecting my Book of the Month pick and add-ons each month!
Here are the books I selected for August:
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris
If you’re interested in joining Book of the Month, it’s not too late to get in on the August selections!
Happy reading!!