You know what they say about buses.
You wait and wait and then three come along at once. This month, the same has happened with incredible books. June wasn’t lacking in great reads. I mean I read Daisy Jones & The Six and An American Marriage! But I haven’t had a five star read in quite some time, and July delivered not one, but two! I was completely blown away by Dark Matter and it is now one of my favourite books I have ever read. Then, the last book I read in July, The Heavens, came along and blew my mind all over again. I’m about to start the first book of August (Recursion) and so fingers crossed for a hat trick!
Here’s the wrap-up of all the books I read in July:
Lanny
by Max Porter
Lanny is a weird book and so here it is with an equally weird background! But no seriously it was so out of my comfort zone, to begin with, I considered DNF’ing it, but as it is so short (less than 200 pages!) I kept at it and I am glad I did.
The first half is super strange and as literary fiction, as you can get. It was hard to get what the plot was trying to be. In the second half things came together and it actually became quite emotional. Lanny is a strange little boy living in a curious little village who meets an old artist he finds a connection with.
*slight spoiler* Lanny then disappears, and his parents, the village and the artist deal with the aftermath and struggle of finding him.
The narrative darts about between characters, it is laid out almost like poetry and feels very intimate and visceral. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind for Lanny: open, curious, and appreciative of literary prose. But if you give it a go, you’ll likely find it leaves a lasting impression.
City of Girls
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Going in cold, other than with the reassurances of Bookstagram that this was a book worth reading, I began reading City of Girls on the 2nd of July. A whirlwind 3 days later and I turned the last page, knowing what I had read had been something truly special.
A Thousand Ships
by Natalie Haynes
Greek mythology as you’ve never read it before. A Thousand Ships tells the story of the Trojan War through the eyes of the women affected by it. From queens to sisters to princesses to wives, each woman has their own story to tell.
After devouring Circe and The Song of Achilles earlier in the year, I was getting another geek mythology craving! It was between A Thousand Ships and The Silence of the Girls, and after some bookstagram research I settled on the former.
What If It’s Us
by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
I quite liked this book, it was a fun and easy read, with a cute couple at the centre. Set in the summer in NYC, this book really is made for summer reading! It follows two guys serendipitously meeting at the post office and immediately feeling a spark. They forget to exchange details and so the first third of the book goes back and forth between them trying to find each other again.
Their friends and family are really well fleshed out and by the time the two of them find each other, you feel a strong connection with each of them and have a deeper understanding of their lives. As teenagers, one a New York native, one from the mid-west just there for the summer, the longevity of the relationship is put into question and the will-they-won’t-they tension keeps the story going, underlying the sweetness with a sense of doom.
The reality of love is not always sunshine and rainbows and this book captures that feeling perfectly.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You
by Cal Newport
I had many job interviews this month, and so was in need of a boost in motivation. I am a big fan of Cal Newport’s books and this one was similarly brilliant.
Full review coming soon.
The Bride Test
By Helen Hoang
A charming romance, with an unusual premise and characters, it was hard not to enjoy The Bride Test.
Dark Matter
by Blake Crouch
This. Book. Blew. My. Mind.
I had just gotten Recursion out from the library when I started seeing Dark Matter all over Instagram. As Dark Matter was Crouch’s earlier novel, I decided to see what it was about before starting with the one I had in front of me. I saw it was available to borrow as an ebook, and so I started reading the first few pages. Two days later, I have finished a book that may have just changed my life.
An intense sci-fi story that develops into something truly extraordinary, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is one of my favourite reads of the year.
American Royals
by Katherine McGee
A world where instead of becoming President, George Washington was made king. How would present day America look with a royal family? And how do the family cope with all that royalty has to offer them? American Royals explores this fun premise with the predictably you expect, but still retains its sense of fun. Gossip Girl meets The Crown, American Royals would make for a perfect teen TV drama one day.
Full review coming soon.
The Paper & Hearts Society
by Lucy Powrie
A heart-warming YA story made for book lovers, The Paper & Hearts Society is an effortlessly fun read.
Full review coming soon.
The Heavens
by Sandra Newman
I wasn’t expecting to like this so much. Certainly not after already having been blown away by Dark Matter, but I fell head over heels again. I wasn’t sure at first, but as the book went on I became more and more engrossed in the story. Anything with time travel is a win for me, but this takes the concept and does something completely original with it. A breathtaking experience, The Heavens is like reading a dream.
Full review coming soon.
