What I Read On My Summer Vacation

What a whirlwind July was! There was a lot of good, some bad, and some outright chaos. I’ve never taken two vacations in one month before, but I’m really glad I had that time away to temper real life which was honestly kind of like running in a hamster wheel.

And reading, there was a lot of reading! I read 22 books in July. Considering I also drove about 2000 miles, spent time with both sides of the family, and worked more hours than ever I’m happy with that! Thank goodness for long summer nights and audiobooks right?

Here are the highlights:

5 Star Reads:

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah -- It’s been a long time since I’ve loved a book like I’ve loved this one. Jo is recovering from the death of her mother and her own illness while doing grad work in rural Illinois. It all seems simple until a little girl claiming to be an alien shows up. (Note: This is free with Kindle Unlimited at the time of this writing.)

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley -- Great on audio. The main character is a teenager who is flawed, but cares deeply about her community. I really loved that about this book.

Four Stars:

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster -- Yes another classic that I thought would be boring but was actually really entertaining.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H -- This memoir was great. It was such a unique take on life and faith. I highly recommend it.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang -- Another book that really made me think. It was perfect for the Litsy reading group I discussed it with. Bonus points for being a book set in DC that wasn’t about politics. (People live here!)

Breathless by Amy McCulloch -- This book about a woman hiking in the Himalayas while a killer is on the loose was a great way to pass the time.

Looking Up by Matthew Cappucci -- Enjoyed this quick read about storm chasing (although I have mixed feelings about storm chasing as a hobby.)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell -- Whew. What a ride! I loved it. Great ending.

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This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.

Show Us Your Books July (What!?)

Meet Daisy. Brother Oliver is too fast to get a good picture yet.

Two good things happened since we last met up. One, my library opened for curbside pick up! Two, we adopted two kittens who are adorable and love to lay around with me while I read. We also took a very socially distant trip out of town to go hiking, and that meant audiobooks in the car. So, a good month for reading.

(Note, I was worried to leave my city which is filled with pretty serious social distancing mask wearers to go someplace that didn’t have as good of a reputation, but it was fine. No confrontations I’m happy to say.)

And how is it mid-July already?

The Best Book I Read Last Month

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - I read this a long time ago, and picked it back up again early last month. So much good stuff here. You need to read it if you haven’t.

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

— The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Food For Thought

A $500 House in Detroit - I thought I was getting a HGTV style makeover book, but what I got was a really interesting look at race and class in Detroit around 2008.

Parable of the Sower - I read this for a reading challenge not knowing that a dystopian novel set in the year 2025 would seem so believable based on the year 2020. This is the second book I’ve read by Octavia Butler, and I will be reading more. (The other book, Kindred, was also really good.)

Ten Days In A Mad House - In 1887 journalist Nellie Bly had herself committed to a “mad house” so that she could report on the conditions. Once you read about the conditions and the ease of commitment in those days you will be amazed by how brave she was.

Chicago

I weirdly ended up reading three books set in Chicago last month.

Rodham - A book about what might have happened to Hillary if she hadn’t married Bill. I thought this book was super clever, and have recommended it to a bunch of people (including you!)

Becoming - I loved the behind the scenes looks at the White House, and the very real struggles the Obamas had raising two kids with two working parents. This might have been bad timing though, because to me a lot of the things we worried about in 2008-2016 just seem so quaint.

A Raisin In The Sun - I love this play, and read it often. This was the first “grown up” book I read when my mom took me to see it in Boston as a high schooler. The struggles in this play just poke my heart.

Just For Fun

Mary Anne Saves The Day - Yup, I’m 42 years old and read a Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel in preparation for watching the Netflix series. So sue me.

Anne of Windy Poplars - Still reading through Anne’s books. I enjoy them, but they’re feeling more and more like filler that LMM’s publisher talked her into writing.

Twisted Twenty-Six - These books are always the same, and I always enjoy them. This was the first one I’ve ever done as an audiobook, and I liked the narrator.

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