It’s that time of the month again! I’m here to review everything I read in July and plot out my reading list for August. I’m doing this from my parent’s kitchen in Marshfield, Ma. This month I quit my job, heavily took advantage of my beach/pool situations, and read A LOT. I also stopped watching Big Brother for the first time in years, which has freed up much of my life. Believe me, it’s on 3 days a week and I dabbled in live feeds. Needless to say, based on my free time, I read 10 books this month. So buckle up.
A * implies it was gifted by Random House.
WHAT I READ IN JULY:
1.) Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – At least once a month I try to read a book that *everyone* has read, but I have not. Eleanor Oliphant was that book in July. It’s the story of a woman with heaps of childhood trauma, and a new friend that changes her life. Some elements of this book wouldn’t be great for abuse survivors, but it’s really good and worth the hype.
Buy Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
2.) Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – Red, White & Royal Blue was the Bad Bitch Book Club book of the month for July. The group wanted something light, fluffy and good for the beach. This is a love story between the Prince of Wales and the FSOTUS + it was absolutely adorable.
3.) The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand – It’s summer, so obviously I’m busy getting my Elin Hilderbrand on. This book takes place on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard; two places I’ve been several times. It’s basically the grown up parent trap– and while it’s totally readable, I’d recommend some of her other books before telling you to buy the Identicals. However, if you’re an Elin stan (like myself), you may as well go for it.
4.) Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – This is the story about a young widow who lives in Maine, who is given a second chance at enjoying her life. It was gifted to me by Random House, and I absolutely LOVED it. IT was described by Roxane Gay as “if a Hallmark movie were a book” and she meant it in the best way possible. So charming!*
5.) Notes to Self by Emilie Pine — This is a short memoir, less than 200 pages, filled with stories on how Emilie’s life relates to political issues in Ireland. She talks about being a child of divorce, before divorce was legal. She speaks on being faced with a child without a heartbeat, before abortion was legal. Emilie speaks on death, healthcare and family. I really liked this book.*
Buy Notes to Self by Emilie Pine
6.) Tell me Everything by Cambria Brockman — This is a book I really wanted to like. It was gifted to me by Random House. The author is from Boston! It’s about a group of college students with ~*secrets*~, but the story fell flat for me. Nothing really happened until the very end. The cover was really pretty and the author is mildly Instagram famous for being a photographer. If you want to support Boston royalty, go for it. But otherwise, I’d maybe wait until it’s available at the library.
7.) The Hating Game by Sally Thorne — I heard the Hating Game was going to become a movie, so I rushed to read the book. It’s been recommended by countless people as a fun book that is easily digestible on vacation. I wasn’t on vacation, I was sick with strep throat, but I decided to read it anyways. Finished in a day. Totally predictable, but utterly adorable and I completely recommend.
8.) The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris — A complete masterpiece. I’ve read a lot of WW2 books; very few of which have any uplifting elements. This is an incredible true story, and a book I’d recommend to absolutely anyone and everyone. GO READ THIS!
Read The Tattooist of Auschwitz
9.) The Bold World by Jodie Patterson — This is a memoir about a mother with five children, one of which is transgender (Penelope.) Up until page 150, the child is barely mentioned. It’s really just a memoir of the writer. She’s a good writer, but not the best storyteller. This book was clearly not written for me. It’s the story of strong black mothers. I cannot relate, so I don’t want to give this book a bad review. However, I’ve read many books that weren’t written for me, but at least they were far better written. I didn’t love this book and probably wouldn’t recommend it. Though I was very impressed with her parenting skills.*
Buy the Bold World by Jodie Patterson
10.) Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett – My general rule is that if I follow you on twitter and like you, i’ll probably buy your book. Kristen Arnett has a twisted imagination. This is the story of a woman whose family owns a taxidermy shop in central Florida. When her dad kills himself, she’s left to clean up the pieces. This is a family drama like nothing I’ve ever read in my entire life– the brother and sister are in love with the same woman. If you’re into VERY weird shit, I recommend this book. I honestly really liked it, but it was incredibly strange.
WHAT I’M READING IN AUGUST:
The Bad Bitch Book Club book of the month is High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins. I’ve already read this book and absolutely loved it. It’s the story of an addict’s double life. I cannot recommend it enough. Anyways, back to what I haven’t read yet.
1.) Wild by Cheryl Strayed – As always, I’m reading at least one book this month that literally everyone, but me has already read. This month it’s about a woman who gets divorced and decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I’m excited to read this book, which I got for free in a book exchange at my apartment a few months ago.
2.) Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand – It’s summer, so obviously I have some Elin books I need to get to. Her latest is a historical fiction book about a family during the summer of ’69 in *you guessed it* Nantucket. I’ve heard great things about Elin’s latest, so much so that I bought it in hardcover. Excited for this one.
3.) City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert – I bought this book from the Target sale last month, and I’ve heard mixed reviews. That said, it’s a love story set in 1940’s NYC so if anyone is going to like it– it’s probably me. Elizabeth Gilbert is famous for writing Eat, Pray, Love– so naturally this book is getting a ton of attention. I’ll let you know what I think.
4.) That’s What Frenemies Are For by Sophie Littlefield – This is the story of a Manhattan socialite that turns her spin instructor into a fitness superstar to impress her friends. Naturally, I plan on reading this on a plane. Books like this are perfect for travel because you’re a.) less likely to cry and b.) just as entertained as you would be by a movie. I was gifted this book by random house, and I’m excited to dive in!
Buy That’s What Frenemies Are For
I’ll probably read more, but that’s all I’m committing myself to for now 🙂 Happy reading!
