WOW! How is it August already? This summer absolutely flew by.
I know there’s still a whole month and a half of summer left, but August is typically when I start to get my spooky on, so, if you’ll forgive me …
I did not prioritize blogging this summer (a few personal things came up), so I am lumping my June and July wrap-ups into one! And the plus side is that I will look more impressive.
So, here are the books that I read in June and July.
What I read in June
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
My goodness, what an enraging and poignant book. Kuang is an auto-buy author for me, and I really enjoyed this one. I typically don’t enjoy books where I hate the narrator/protagonist, but I’m growing.
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Her last book was a bit of a miss for me, so I am happy that I enjoyed The IT Girl. I love a good whodunnit, and this one didn’t disappoint. I may have predicted who the culprit was, but I didn’t anticipate some of the twists!
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Perhaps one of the silliest books I’ve ever read in my life. Silly silly silly.
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver
Find me a poem by Mary Oliver that doesn’t make me feel like I’m getting an enormous hug and all my anxiety disappears. I’ll wait.
What I read in July
Look Closer by David Ellis
Look Closer was pretty good! It dragged a bit, but once the pieces started coming together and the twists came along I enjoyed it again. You really cannot trust anyone in this book and it made for a fun reading experience.
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Business or Pleasure was a letdown for me. It was just silly. The premise was funky and unrealistic, and the ending was a bit of an eye-roll. This book was also SUPER steamy (I mean, look at the cover), so that part was entertaining! The Ex Talk remains her best book.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Emily, what happened here? Did you have a ghostwriter do this for you? This wasn’t you!
Happy Place was the most disappointing read of the summer. The silliest book, the most pointless plot, the most annoying characters, the most unconvincing love story. The ending was so stupid. Just…god. Bleh. Also, if you were here for elegant reviews, you won’t find them here.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
OK, this one restored my faith in Riley Sager a little bit. I read it through a less serious lens (strictly for entertainment), and found it interesting and spooky and fun. The ending was a little outlandish, but I think Sager is making fun of outlandish thriller endings? Are his books satire? Still not sure.
The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
This one was just OK. I never heard about the Charles Lindbergh Jr. kidnapping, and while this is of course about the case, it was more about humanizing the nanny, Betty Gow, and telling her story. The actual kidnapping and case was interesting, but that’s way later in the book, so, it was a boring read for me.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
I know this is a bit of an odd genre jump but I needed something whimsical and pretty to read before bed to calm the nerves. The Wind in the Willows has such magical prose and adorable characters and nostalgic, warm feelings throughout. Except Toad’s stories.
What did you read in June and July?
Check out what I’ve read so far in 2023!
Did not finish a book in May, but I read all month long!
KEEPITKASSUAL 
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