mar-see-ah:

What I Read in July

The Secret History by Donna Tarrt
We Were Liars by E. Lockheart
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
California by Edan Lepucki
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
The Well’s End by Seth Fishman
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Friendship by Emily Gould

Sixteen books in July. I was so busy this month, but weirdly with a bunch of downtime - subway rides and hours in coffee shops because I’m early to classes I’m going to teach and suddenly I’m back on track with my reading goal for the year. 

I really enjoyed everything this month - the exception being the final part of Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy. 

But. Donna Tarrt’s Secret History was wonderful, We Were Liars was delightful and unexpected, the 100,000 Kingdom trilogy had a delightful mythology and was full of people of color. Landline was not my favorite Rainbow Rowell, but I still liked it. We Have Always Lived in the Castle was very Grey Gardens and I loved that. California was a creepy, creepy dystopian horror story that shows how something like the Handmaid’s Tale could start, Me Before You was something I resisted for years but was a delight. The Well’s End is a Colorado story that is part Red Dawn, part dystopia, part fancy prep school story and all fantastic. Seanan McGuire’s series about a private detective that passes for human but is half fairy is fun - like a supernatural Stephanie Plum. The Girls from Corona del Mar was so interesting but I think it was trying to push a world view and I don’t really ever appreciate that - even though I’m not quite sure what that worldview is. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant is required reading for anyone who likes food or cooking or food writing. Friendship was not at all what I expected and I devoured it in less than 3 hours. 

Books in 2014: 60. On pace for 103.

I write reviews of all my books on GoodReads! Be my friend there.

Previous:
June
May
April
March
February
January
2013
2012