july reading wrap-up

as usual, i read plenty this month. some were fantastic, some were good, and one was unfit for a landfill. get rid of it immediately.

my top 5 of july:

• clean point by meg jones (5/5) - i love tennis, i love romcoms and i love a character like our main girl, scottie, former child prodigy with a difficult family situation turned party girl turned comeback kid. this was so much fun. i ate it right up and finished it in a day. i have an arc of the next book in the series and while i didn’t like that protagonist in this particular book, i’m optimistic that reading her story will change my mind!

• first time caller by b.k. borison (5/5) - i couldn’t for the life of me get into the first lovelight farms book, so i came into this one cautiously even despite the rave reviews. they’re spot-on; this is such a fun take on sleepless in seattle with lovable characters and a relationship you root for! excited to read the rest of this series.

• the poppy fields by nikki erlick (5/5) - nikki erlick feels like the jodi picoult of speculative fiction/vague scifi (in a great way). the measure is a tough act to follow, and this was an incredible sophomore effort. you’ll cry. you’ll think a lot. you’ll wonder what you would do if offered an opportunity to take the “cure” in this book. it’s going to stay with me for a while!

• these summer storms by sarah maclean (5/5) - i saw a lot of comparisons to the conditions of will, which is probably my favorite book of the year so far, so the bar was high. but this delivered! interesting if often unlikable characters with a fascinating dynamic (i love me some family dysfunction), a plot that keeps you guessing and a satisfying ending. all great stuff!

• broken country by clare leslie hall (4.25/5) - at times i wanted to shake the protagonist so hard, and i can’t decide if i found the ending satisfying or not, but god, this is such a propulsive and quick read. equal parts romantic drama and thriller, which is right up my alley. i fully understand the hype and am excited to discuss it during my work book club!

other books i read this month (and whether to read or skip):

• just kids by patti smith (3.75/5) - an interesting memoir that really showcases patti smith’s talent as a writer/poet. i read this via audiobook and felt that her narration added something extra to the story of her friendship with robert mapplethorpe. their dynamic is so interesting, layered and complex, and this is such a cool look at a time period that’s since passed (with perhaps an overabundance of name drops). read if you’re into memoirs and/or a fan of reading about the 60s.

• project hail mary (3.5/5) - really entertaining at times, and an excellent audiobook with a truly talented narrator; i fully recommend reading via that format. there is, however, a shit ton of science that at times gets tedious/boring and i would zone out during those explanations. you also need to be able to suspend your belief, even for scifi, and i found some of the scenes difficult to imagine visually. i think this will be solved with the movie adaptation - it looks great; ryan gosling is perfectly cast and i’ll be tuning in! read if you like scifi and a good audiobook.

• time of your life by jessa hastings (3.5/5) - this was entertaining, but after the conditions of will, i wanted and expected more from the author. it’s a quick and easy read in jessa’s trademark style… but, at the same time, it’s ultimately an oasis fanfic featuring a character who’s just magnolia parks in a different font. it’s a good time, though! read if you’re a huge jessa hastings fan.

• what not to do on vacation by rachel magee (3.5/5) - this one drew me in with the 10 things i hate about you comparison, but ultimately it was kind of forgettable. it was cute, though! there were a few parts i started to lose interest/skim through, but it was still enjoyable and a solid pool read. read if you’re in the market for a vacation-themed romcom.

• still beating by jennifer hartmann (1/5) - i don’t know how to describe this book other than it’s like a 13-year-old trying to be edgy mixed with an attempt at a script for a dark hallmark movie? none of these characters felt like they were actual adults and the plot itself is bonkers, which isn’t always a bad thing, but the combination of the terrible writing and completely nonsensical, unbelievable story made this nearly unreadable. i skimmed through to the end because i bought this years ago and i just wanted to finish it vs. going the route of a dnf. otherwise i would’ve crapped out around the 20% mark. skip, unless you hate yourself?