What I Read: July

Number wise, July was a good reading month. I read twice as many books as I did in June. But as far as loving what I read, it was split about half and half.

I went to the library towards the beginning of this month, which got my summer reading a little off schedule. And coincidentally, the library books are the ones that I read this month that I didn't love. I'm just thankful (with two of them in particular) that I got them from the library rather than wasting my money on buying them! :)

{Don't ask me why I kept reading the books that I wasn't enjoying. I'm a little obsessive and stubborn like that, even though I try to remind myself that life is too short to read books that I don't like! But there's also the fact that so far this year, I've actually finished every library book that I've checked out, which has never happened before, and I want to keep up that record. Like I said, stubborn...}

The FitzOsbornes at War, by Michelle Cooper. The last of the Montmaray Journals trilogy, which as a whole, I really enjoyed. This book was very intense, and it was the first book I've read that's actually set in WWII England during the Blitz...I had never before thought about how terrifying that would have been. This was a good conclusion, except for a couple of strange, off-putting family dynamics that are the most prominent in this book.

The Opposite of Loneliness, by Marina Keegan. I had heard such good things about this book, but I was really disappointed. The short stories didn't appeal to me at all...they were depressing and full of profanity and stereotypical college behavior. I do have to say that I liked her writing style at times, and I did enjoy some of the essays quite a bit.

I've Got Your Number, by Sophie Kinsella. After reading the previous book, I was in the mood for some fluffy chick lit. Unfortunately, though some of the crazy situations did make me smile, this was a little too silly for me. And I was really surprised to find that it was full of bad language. (Why am I surprised? I shouldn't be...it seems like every modern adult book that I've picked up this year has been that way.)

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by Sheila Turnage. I liked this one well enough, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, Three Times Lucky. It was good, but I feel like I just wasn't in the mood for it, for some reason.

The Violets of March, by Sarah Jio. I've wanted to read this book since it first came out, when I saw it in Target and thought it sounded intriguing. (Actually, all of her books sound interesting!) Overall, I liked it. It was a bit slow and unrealistic at times, but I'll definitely be reading more of Sarah Jio's books. And bonus: no profanity! :)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling. By this point, I was ready to get rid of the library books and settle into a cozy, familiar reread, so I started the Harry Potter series. I did a post about the book and film here.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. I also posted a review(ish) of this book and film here.

Murder at the Mikado, by Julianna Deering. My favorite of this mystery series so far! :) You can find my review here.