Friday, July 16, 2021

Midway Through July And What I've Read

Well we're midway through July and I thought I would have done a ton of reading by now, especially since the kids were in full day camps last week. However, I haven't. Too many other things have been grabbing my attention lately, which is okay, but let's just say my TBR pile isn't getting smaller. Thus, this weekend, I am doing my own #24in48 -- the readathon where I read for 24 hours out of a 48 hour period. I usually read between eight and twelve books during these weekends so that will help my TBR considerably :) The official #24in48 isn't happening this summer, but I'm doing it anyways!!! Hahaha! #booknerdalert Sam will be joining me for most of it so I guess I technically won't be reading on my own.

All that aside, here is what I've read thus far in July...

With the Fire on High

I've been on an Elizabeth Acevedo kick lately. Her books just suck me in. They are about people overcoming the perceived (and real) odds to learn how to thrive. I love how strong Emoni is and her story of learning to trust herself was so powerful. While Acevedo's other books are written in verse, this one is written in really short chapters so that was different. (And made it easier to say, "just one more chapter" many times while I was reading!!!)

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I have heard about this book for years and just never read it. It is such a powerful story of loss and depression and poverty and beauty and fighting to be who you are. I really didn't expect this book and that made it all the more beautiful. I was crying by the end and rooting for Julia to succeed.

The Poet X

Warning, this book will suck you in and it will be hard to put down. You will stay up way tooooo late reading it because you just want to know what happens next. Xiomara is struggling with faith and how to use her voice so that her parents, especially her mother, will hear her. I was crying during parts of this book because it was heartbreaking. But it was so, so good and I am definitely an Elizabeth Acevedo fan. Read her books. Just make sure you set aside a couple of hours when you start one, because you won't want to stop reading it.

Signs Preceding the End of the World

This is a book which I found out about when looking for some alternatives to American Dirt. I think I didn't understand this short novel. It's written almost as poetry and I think there is a lot going on in the book which I don't get. It's like Shakespeare -- if you can understand all the references, then the story has more meaning. I don't understand all the references and the book is half novel, half myth, so it's hard to tell what is reality and what isn't. I would say of all the books I've read in 2021, this one stretched me the most in terms of how literary, and figurative, it is.

Apprentice in Death (In Death, #43) Echoes in Death (In Death, #44) Secrets in Death (In Death, #45)

After taking a long break from the In Death series, I decided to read the last ten books again. The next book comes out in September so I want to be ready for it! These books really are such easy reads so I read the first three books over a span of about 24 hours.

So that's what I've read thus far in July. Hopefully my readathon goes well this weekend and I'll be back on Monday (or maybe Tuesday) with another book review :) Until then, what are your comfort reads? Which books (or author) do you turn to over and over again? For me, it's definitely Nora Roberts romantic trilogies and her In Death series.

9 comments:

  1. You have read some great books!

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  2. I love how 7 books is low for you for halfway through the month ha. I've only read 4 but had those 4 read by July 5 and then have been in a Lisa Kleypas bubble - rereading the Ravenels. But I'm not counting it toward my total because it's been more of a skim/speedread. I'm reading Internment now and The Lions of 5th Avenue plus also have Untamed (for a work book club) and Crying in H Mart checked out from the e-library and have been slowly (as in months) been reading 1776 about the start of the American Revolution!

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  3. You're off to an awesome start!

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  4. I haven't read any of these. I need to add some of them to my to be read list!

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  5. I just read the latest JD Robb novel; I love that series!!

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  6. Saving the first book to offer to my book club for consideration for our August book of the month. I checked out Not Your Perfect... but had so many books in the works that I didn't get it read before I had to return it. Will recheck it. Thanks for the suggestions.

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  7. Looks like some great reads and those fries are making my mouth water :)

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  8. Adding both the "Poet X" and "Mexican Daughter" - both sound like really good books! Can't wait to read!

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