Yesterday we talked about the new books we added to our shelves in July, so it’s time to talk about what we read today. Did we have a good reading month? Or find any new favorites? Keep on reading our July wrap up to find out!

Candyce

In July I read 29 books (8 paperbacks, 7 ARCs, 5 audiobooks, 4 eBooks, 3 manga, and 2 hardcovers). I’m actually surprised I still got so close to 30 books in July, because I was sick for a week last month. My average rating was a 3.9, and that’s not too bad. Out of the books that weren’t only listened to, I read 11 of them while listening along with the audiobook. I stand by the fact this is really helping my reading. Let’s talk about what I read!

The Serpent King – Jeff Zentner

Jeff Zentner is an author I’ve been wanting to read something from for quite some time. I even owned three books by him before picking up The Serpent King. When I was reading this book I had a feeling something horrific was going to happen, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. Unfortunately, I was right and this book really hit me in all the feels. I really should’ve picked this book up sooner and I will be reading the other two books by Jeff Zentner on my shelves really soon.

Cat + Gamer Vol. 5 – Wataru Nadatani

The next volume of one of my favorite manga series released this month and I had to have it! As soon as I got it, I sat down and read it. Cat + Gamer Vol. 5 was another cozy edition that had me smiling while I was reading. The last sentence has me a bit worried for vol. 6 though.

Mile High – Liz Tomforde

This sports romance has been on my shelf for so long and I’ve been excited to read it. I finally did and this is a case of why didn’t I read this book sooner? Zanders and Stevie start off a bit as enemies to lovers, but there’s more to both of these characters than meets the eye. Mile High had me smiling quite a bit and I even shed a tear or two. I’ll be continuing this series soon.

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

Another book that’s been on my shelves for way to long, but I finally read The Midnight Library. This book has a really interesting concept. Our main character finds herself in the library between life and death and gets to visit lives where she made different choices. It really makes you think about choices you make and how things would’ve gone if you chose differently. It also shows you, that even if something may seem better, it also has its downsides.

A Tempest of Tea – Hafsah Faizal

It took me a bit to read this one, because I was buddy reading it, but my friend ended up not being able to continue at the moment. I didn’t want to wait too long, because I was afraid I’d forget what happened in the first half of the book. A Tempest of Tea was an interesting fantasy book with a heist. I will say the ending is what bumped this one to four stars. There were some twists I wasn’t expecting.

Traitor – Hattie Jude

The covers for this series is really what caught my attention and when I read the synopsis I was intrigued. I’m conflicted about this one though. While Lennon’s story was interesting and I did want to know what had happened in her past, I just never really connected with this book. For me I think it was mostly a writing issue. The style and it being repetitive at times had me struggling a bit. I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with this one yet or not.

A Sign of Affection Vol. 9 – Suu Morishita

My favorite manga finally had another volume release and I read it the same day it arrived. Another amazing volume and it has me smiling most of the time I’m reading. A Sign of Affection definitely has left me with some unanswered questions, but I get the next volume in October. So I’ll be counting down the days!

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet – Becky Chambers

I’ve had The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet on my shelves for quite some time. I know Isabelle really enjoyed this one and this was actually chosen for the book club I’m in as our July read. Science fiction isn’t something I read often, but this one was a cozy and kind of slice of life story. There is a plot, but it’s mostly character driven. I’ll definitely continue this series.

A Thousand Miles – Bridget Morrissey

After loving That Summer Feeling last year, I wanted to read more by this author. A Thousand Miles is about two best friends who haven’t spoken in 10 years that go on a road trip together. Dee and Ben have history and that’s clear when he shows up at her doorstep after they haven’t talked for years. They made a promise to each other and that’s what has them taking a road trip. I loved that they really communicated along the way and found themselves back to all the feelings they thought they had processed. Abe the cat was definitely the highlight for me, haha.

A Condition Called Love Vol. 5 – Megumi Morino

A Condition Called Love Vol. 5 was another fun volume with these characters. I love that we’re getting to know the characters better and more about their past. I have to say I’m a bit afraid we’re heading to a bit of a love triangle and I really hope that’s not the case.

The Wren in the Holly Library – K.A. Linde

The Wren in the Holly Library is one of the newer fantasy romances I’ve been really curious about. So when a friend suggested reading it together, I couldn’t say no. I loved the world and characters in this one. There were a few plot points that I could’ve done without or wanted explained a bit more, but all in all, I had a great time with this book. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep – Sylvie Cathrall

As a fan of books written through letters and articles, this new, heartwarming fantasy definitely caught my eye. I loved the letters we got and the idea of pen pals is fun and even more so when one is on land and the other under water. On top of family, a heartwarming romance, and friendship, we also get an added mystery. I wasn’t expecting this twist and I have to say I loved it. I will say the pacing is a bit slow and at times the timelines had me confused, but all in all an enjoyable read and the writing is beautiful. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

All I Want for Christmas – Maggie Knox

I couldn’t let July go by without some Christmas in July reading. All I Want for Christmas is an eARC I received before it released and I finally sat down to read it. I love a good fake dating trope and if you add Christmas on top of it, you make me a very happy reader. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up loving this one as much as I thought I would. There’s so much miscommunication that it got frustrating and I expected more of the holiday atmosphere. It was a cute read, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Wedding Season – Michelle Major

Wedding Season was an eARC I actually forgot about (oops!), but I was able to listen to the audiobook on Storytel. It’s the summer time and seemed like the perfect timing for a book like this. Both Mariella and Alex had their own pasts and issues wrapped up in that, but they did seem to be attracted to each other. It was interesting to see their relationship develop and that they were growing themselves, but there was just a bit too much drama and instead of trying to solve things, the main characters really avoided things. Unfortunately, that kind of decreased my enjoyment while reading this one. I definitely wouldn’t mind spending time in that small town though.

Summer Romance – Annabel Monaghan

We’re in the middle of the summer, so it seemed pretty fitting to read Summer Romance this month. I had already heard some amazing things about this story, and I’m so glad I picked this one up. Summer Romance is more than just a romance. It’s about finding yourself again, grieving, moving on, family, and letting yourself love again. I’ll be surprised if this isn’t in my top reads of 2024.

Bad Tourists – Caro Carver

What says summer like a thriller where three friends go to a luxurious island to celebrate one of them getting divorced? I signed right up for that, but unfortunately this one didn’t work out for me. The beginning was interesting, but the pacing was pretty slow. I was bored at times and the ending felt a bit weird? I’m sure there are plenty of people who will love this one, but I wasn’t one of them unfortunately.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year – Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year doesn’t come out until September, but I couldn’t resist reading this one a little early. I’m so glad I did! This book is so much fun and I didn’t want to put it down. I have to say this has the perfect balance between mystery, romance, amazing characters, and some laugh out loud moments. I’ll be posting my full review a bit closer to release day.

Yours Truly – Abby Jimenez

I actually started Yours Truly a few months ago, but got distracted by other books. When I did finally sit down with it again, I read the rest in one sitting. Briana and Jacob’s story was an emotional roller coaster, but worth every minute of it. I definitely understand why so many readers love Abby Jimenez.

Spark of the Everflame – Penn Cole

Spark of the Everflame is a book I’ve been seeing everywhere recently and I decided to finally give it a go. Hyped books tend to scare me, but this one definitely lived up to its hype. The world and magic definitely held my interest, as well as the possible blooming romance. There are some fun twists and turns and the ending definitely left me wanting more. Diem did annoy me at times, but what main character doesn’t every once in awhile?

Love Unwritten – Lauren Asher

After loving Love Redesigned, I had a feeling that Love Unwritten would be another five star read and I was correct. Rafael and Ellie’s story was just what I wanted. There were ups and downs, but when everything came together it was so good. Lauren Asher really knows how to get you invested in her characters. So much so that Love Unwritten didn’t feel like a 600+ page book at all.

If You Hate Me – Helena Hunting

Sports romances tend to be some of my favorites, and I’ve been curious about If You Hate Me. This brother’s best friend/hate to love romance started off really strong for me. Tristan and Rix both have things from the past that make relationships rough, but their chemistry jumped off the page from the start. I loved seeing them get to know each other and start feeling more than just attraction. The third act breakup kind of bugged me though.

Pucked – Helena Hunting

After reading two Helena Hunting books this month, I’m thinking this may not just be the author for me. Don’t get me wrong, the books weren’t bad, but they weren’t my favorite either. Mostly the fact that we kind of get two third act break ups just ends up irritating me. Our main characters were interesting and I did love seeing Alex trying to prove he just wasn’t the typical hockey player that sleeps with anyone.

City of Nightmares – Rebecca Schaeffer

City of Nightmares is the start of the next series I’m reading with my series slayers group. I read this book in one sitting and really think it deserves more hype. The idea that you can literally turn into your nightmare is such an interesting concept. There’s also a lot more going on as Nessa starts discovering things some people want to keep hidden.

Love, Off the Record – Samantha Markum

I love rivals to lovers romance and Love, off the Record did this well. Our main character Wyn and Three both want a spot on the school newspaper, and aren’t afraid to compete with each other. What starts as a rivalry slowly turns into teamwork and even a friendship. They end up working together on an important story and as they do the friendship slowly turns into more. On top of that we also get them both dealing with friendships, family, and even their own mental health.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts – Lucy Gilmore

If a book has anything to do with books, it’s something I need to read. The Library of Borrowed Hearts was an emotional and heartwarming story. A woman struggling to take care of her siblings and a hermit of a neighbor have a rocky start, but end up bonding over a book. This book is told through multiple parts and POVs and really all comes together in the end. I loved the found family aspect of this story and I’m glad I picked it up.

The Summer She Went Missing – Chelsea Ichaso

I keep saying I need to read more thrillers, so one morning I decided to listen to The Summer I Went Missing during my commute to work. This is a YA thriller and our main character is trying to figure out what happened to her best friend who has gone missing. I loved that we had multiple timelines and POVs. It definitely kept things interesting.

The Backtrack – Erin La Rosa

The Backtrack caught my eye, because I love a little magical realism in my stories. Also, I’m a big 2000s fan when it comes to music, so I was curious to see how a playlist of familiar songs brought our character to different what if moments. One thing I did really appreciate was the fact that the different reality wasn’t always perfect. The only aspect that bugged me was that I just didn’t connect with the characters’ relationship. I didn’t feel the chemistry.

His and Hers – Alice Feeney

I’ve enjoyed other books by Alice Feeney and decided it was time to read another one of her books. The twist at the ending was one I wasn’t expecting and have to say I was surprised. Other than that this one didn’t pull me in as much as I was hoping it would. All in all, an enjoyable thriller.

The Last Mrs. Parrish – Liv Constantine

I’ve heard quite a few positive reviews about The Last Mrs. Parrish and the synopsis had me intrigued. The story is a bit slow and I wasn’t really enjoying the characters, but when the second part came around with a different POV, I was hoping things would end in a certain way. This wasn’t the case at all and I have to say I didn’t like this one. I won’t be reading the second book.

Isabelle

I’m pretty satisfied with what I ended up reading this month. In the end I finished 6 books and according to Goodreads I’m 40 books ahead of my reading schedule. I also finished 2 series and only reread 1 book so my TBR shrank a little bit as well.

This Is Why We Lied – Karin Slaughter

I love all of Karin Slaughter’s book and it was such a pleasant surprise to see this was released already. It’s the latest installment in the Will Trent series and it was such a quick and thrilling read. I’m already looking forward to the next book!

Throne of Glass – Sarah J. Maas

Again? Yes again haha. I love this series so much and started another reread, I did slow down as a friend of mine started reading it. But he switched to Fourth Wing first and it was taking to long so I did end up finishing Throne of Glass. I will wait for him to catch up before I reread the rest (or at least I think I will haha).

War Storm – Victoria Aveyard

I finally finished this series! To be honest, I wasn’t super interested in it anymore but I did want to finish it. I listened to the audiobook and that was a good decision as I think it would’ve taken me so much longer otherwise. In the end I did enjoy the book but not as much as I probably would have when it was released.

Iron Flame – Rebecca Yarros

I bawled my eyes out, IYKYK. The graphic audio part 2 audiobook released in July and of course I immediately started listening. I finished in no time at all and just had to send a picture of me bawling my eyes out to friends who are also reading the book haha.

Haikyu 45 – Haruichi Furudate

I can’t believe the end is here! This was the final Haikyu volume and it was pretty much perfect. I was literally giggling and kicking my feet the whole time I was reading it. It was so much fun and I loved the callbacks. I will for sure reread these!

Assistant to the Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer

This was so much fun!! I was excited to finally read it and I laughed out loud a lot haha. It is a bit ridiculous at times but that’s also what makes it so much fun. I can’t wait to pick up the sequel!

 

So that’s a wrap for July! Have you read any of these books? Or did you read any amazing books everyone needs to know about? Let us know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.