What I Read in July!

Hello all! I hope you’re all well and keeping safe. I’m back with another what I read this month post! Throughout July, I read a grand total of 7 books. It seems that my typical average books for a month are around 5-7 books so I think this month has been good. I have a lot of thoughts I want to share on the books I read in July, so I’m going to do mini reviews for a couple, mention others and declare my love for a couple. Here is what I read in July!

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO DEAR MARTIN SO SPOILERS IN THIS SHORT SECTION! SKIP TO THE NEXT BOOK TO MISS SPOILERS

“Vernell LaQuan Banks and Justyce McAllister grew up a block apart in the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Wynwood Heights. Years later, Justyce walks the illustrious halls of Yale University . . . and Quan sits behind bars at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center.

Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, Quan’s story takes form. Troubles at home and misunderstandings at school give rise to police encounters and tough decisions. But then there’s a dead cop and a weapon with Quan’s prints on it. What leads a bright kid down a road to a murder charge? Not even Quan is sure…”

I read this one in a matter of days and my goodness this is such an important book. Everyone needs to read this book as well as the first in the series. This entire series is so stunningly written and eye-opening. I will be reviewing this one in full very soon.

★★★★★

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Snapshot Books!

Here is a quick snapshot at 4 of the books I read and the ratings I gave them. I enjoyed them all a lot. They are all books that I will be recommending a lot in the future!

• Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller – ★★★★
• Pet by Akwaeke Emezi – ★★★★
• This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura– ★★★★
• My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkn Braithwaite – ★★★★

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Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

“Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills.

On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he’s forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read.

When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.

But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.”

This book is part of the Once Upon a Con series and let me tell you, it is easily my favourite of the lot. The characters are wonderful, the setting is spectacular and the overall story is so comforting and warm. Ashley Poston has yet again written a beautiful novel that I couldn’t put down. I will be posting a full review of this one very soon, so keep your eyes out for that!

★★★★★

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The Rules by Tracy Darnton

“Amber’s an expert when it comes to staying hidden – she’s been trained her whole life for it. But what happens when the person you’re hiding from taught you everything you know?

When a letter from her dad arrives, Amber knows she’s got to move – and fast. He’s managed to find her and she knows he’ll stop at nothing to draw her back into the extreme survivalist way of life he believes in.

All of a sudden the Rules she’s spent so long trying to escape are the ones keeping her safe. But for how long?”

This is such a suspenseful and fast-paced YA thriller that I couldn’t stop reading. It felt like this book was written for the global pandemic at the minute when it in fact wasn’t. Tracy Darnton has created such an intriguing story full of well-rounded characters and brings up a lot of interesting points of discussion. I have written a full review of this which I posted a couple of days ago so, be sure to check that out!

★★★★

There you have it, everything I read in July! What have you read in July and what are you looking forward to reading in August? Let me know in the comments!