What I Read in July

July was another really strong reading month for me! I read two new debut authors who I definitely want to read more from in the future. Actually, all but two of the seven books I read were by new to me authors! And didn’t really have any duds!

I’ve mentioned before that my mood has been a bit all over the place during quarantine, so my reading has also been scattered. This wrap up features everything from sci-fi and light fantasy to hard hitting contemporary and fun, steamy romance.

Luster by Raven Leilani
Rating: 5/5
What I liked/disliked: This book is officially out today, and I’m planning to publish a longer review shortly! I thought this book was so excellent. The writing is almost like another character. It’s super funny, whitty and relatable while tackling some pretty serious and dark topics. We follow our main character Edie as she makes her way through career woes, issues with racism, relationships and so much more. I’ve never wanted to hug someone and tell them it will be okay more than Edie. There were so many passages that I underlined to save for later. I think many people will read this book and feel incredibly seen. Content warnings for loss of a child, suicide, and abuse. (This book was sent to me by the publisher)

This Savage Song by VE Schwab
Rating: 4/5
What I liked/disliked: I put off reading this series for a long time. Schwab is one of my favorite authors of all time, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t like her YA books as much as I love her adult books. In the end, I didn’t love this as much as her other adult titles, but I still really liked it! Schwab has a great way to imagining these dark, twisted worlds that are so interesting and complex. Verity is one of those worlds — where the monsters we create come to life. I loved August as a main character, and am interested to see where Kate’s character goes in the second book. I’m glad this is only a duology, because I don’t think I’d like this as a more drawn out series.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Rating: 5/5
What I liked/disliked: I absolutely adored this book! I think it’s the little bit of magic we could all use more of these days. I’ve never read a book where I’ve been rooting for every single character. I definitely did not see the twist coming, despite my guesses! I know this is a book that I’ll come back to and reread, and can’t wait to pass down to my kids! If you loved A Series of Unfortunate Events and Nevermoor, I think you’ll love this one!

Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Rating: 5/5
What I liked/disliked: Talia Hibbert is a romance writing genius! She does a great job of giving us the adorable, steamy love stories we want while also showing great representation of a range of invisible illnesses. I thought this anxiety representation in this book was fantastic, and I love that she wrote Zaf as the anxious one! We need more vulnerable male rep in books. I also loved Dani as a main character and could totally relate to her workahaulic ways! I can’t wait for the next sister’s book.

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
Rating: 3.5/5
What I liked/disliked: This was such a creative concept for a book! I read the entire thing in one sitting. I really enjoy those slice of life, character driven books and this one was well done. It gave me modern day Juno vibes. While I really enjoyed reading the story and following our main character, a pizza delivery girl who becomes obessed with a customer, I sometimes questioned everyone’s motivations. The ending is so intense and extreme, and because the book is so short, I didn’t feel like I had enough buildup. I think this is the kind of book where everytime you reread it, you discover something new. I will definitely give it another read.  (This book was sent to me by the publisher)

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
Rating: 4/5
What I liked/disliked: I still do not have the words to describe how good this book is. The writing, the world building and the characters were unlike anything I’ve ever read. I’m not a big sci-fi reader, and usually reach for YA when I do read the genre. This world was very complex and comprehensive, and I honestly couldn’t get a grasp for all of the elements of it to fully picture it. Still, the larger themes of oppression and corruption are so brilliantly woven in, I know I still got the point of the book. I’m excited to continue the series and read even more Jemisin!

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Rating: 4/5
What I liked/disliked: I’ve never read a romance novel like this! A nerdy scientist as our female main character. African Royalty giving modern day Coming to American vibes. It was seriously wonderful! And so steamy (seriously, those love scenes). I listened to this one on audio, but wish I would have had an e-book or physical copy. Audiobooks where the narrator has an accent is sometimes distracting to me. I will definitely be reading more Alyssa Cole!

What was the best book you read last month? As always, you can shop my recent reads in my bookshop.org shop!