July 31, 2020

July 2020 Reading Wrap Up

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

What Was Your Favorite July Read?

From a numerical standpoint, July was the best reading month I’ve had in a while. I read 15 books (17 if I count the last two I squeaked in at month’s end after I had already written this post…I’ll count them for August). I ended up with two five-star reads (4.5 rounded up) and three four-star reads, nine three-star reads, and one two-star read. I did not have a DNF although I admit to skim-reading my two-star read.

Reading in July looked a bit different for me in that I read quite a few light women’s fiction selections. For some reason, my Pandemic brain craved lighter reads, and then I inadvertently read #4 in a series and I always read series in order, so I needed to go back and read books 1-3! #bookproblems

My favorite fiction read of the month is a tie between The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai and The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel for their page-turning storylines and inspirational characters.

Find all my July reads listed below in order of Star Rating. Keep in mind that I normally recommend five- and four-star reads on the blog; three-star reads receive mixed reviews from me for various reasons; and two-star reads are books I may or may not have finished but they were not for me. One star reads are usually shelved as DNF or perhaps quickly scanned.

Did we read any of the same books?

Under COVID-19 conditions, I hope that you’re all doing well and staying safe!

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Titles are Amazon links and available reviews are linked.

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The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

4.5 Stars (rounded to 5). Historical Fiction, Multigenerational Family Drama. Vietnamese. My full review of The Mountains Sing.

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The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5). Historical Fiction. WW11. Engaging and page-turning. My full review of The Book of Lost Names.

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Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

4 Stars. (ARC: Pub Date: 11/24/2020) Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction/Adventure mashup. Quite a unique read! Review coming soon.

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Wish by Barbara O’Connor

4 Stars. (Middle Grade) Heartwarming. Finding a home. Not reviewed.

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Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

 4 Stars. Light Women’s Fiction. Hedgehog rescue! Not reviewed.

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Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

4 Stars. Middle Grade. Heartwarming friendship. Nor reviewed.

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Beachside Beginnings by Sheila Roberts

3.5 Stars. Light Women’s Fiction (#4 in the series but is a stand-alone….after I read #4 I decided to read the first 3). Not reviewed.

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Moonlight Harbor by Sheila Roberts

3.5 Stars. Light Women’s Fiction (#1 in the series but is a stand-alone). Not reviewed.

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Winter at the Beach by Sheila Roberts

3 Stars. Light Women’s Fiction (#2 in the series but is a stand-alone). Not reviewed

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Summer Retreat by Sheila Roberts

3 Stars. Light Women’s Fiction (#3 in the series but is a stand-alone). Not reviewed.

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The Switch by Beth O’Leary

3 Stars. (ARC: Pub Date: 8/18/2020) Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Romance. Not yet reviewed.

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

3.5 Stars.  Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Romance (some steam). Not reviewed.

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Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson

3 Stars. Nonfiction. Reflection on the reading life (Christian perspective). Not reviewed.

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I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

2.5-3 Stars. Mother/Daughter Drama. Not reviewed.

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Gods in Alabama by Jocelyn Jackson

2 Stars. Adult Fiction. Coming of Age. Honestly, a lot of readers have loved this but it was close to being a DNF for me. I’m finding that Jocelyn Jackson’s themes are not to my taste. It’s one book I wish I could unread. Not reviewed.

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QOTD:

What did you read in July? Did you have a favorite?
Did we read any of the same books?
Which of these books is on your TBR?

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ICYMI

On the Blog in July:

Killers of the Flower Moon #throwbackthursday
Blog Challenge July
Three Year Blogiversary & Giveaway
The Salt Path
The Secret Daughter #throwbackthursday
The Book of Lost Names
Summer’s ONE “Must-Read” Book
Left Neglected #throwbackthursday
What You Wish For
TTT: 10 Books That Make Me Smile
6 in 6 (best of the year so far)
The Mountains Sing
This Must Be the Place #throwbackthursday
TTT: 10 Most-Read Authors
#6Degrees of Separation
The Vanishing Half
Last Christmas in Paris #throwbackthursday

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Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

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