Books I Read in July 2022

18 books, friends. I read 18 books in July by some act of savagery.

Part of it, I place on doing a 24-hour readathon in the beginning of the month. It wasn't in 24 consecutive hours, but over the span of the long holiday weekend. I got through four books and made decent progress on a few more. The other part was the fact that eight of the 18 were graphic novels and took hardly any time for me to read. There were a few shorter ones thrown in as well, but still an impressive number for me.

I don't foresee that trend continuing.

I had set a goal to read 50 books this year, and am currently sitting at 67, which I'm pretty proud of. I bumped up my GoodReads goal to 75, but I have a good feeling that, unless something crazy happens, I'll be surpassing that number too. Will this be my first 100-book year? If that's the case, a celebration will certainly be in order. And honestly, 100% thanks to TikTok for reawakening my love of reading full-force. I really struggled in and after college and grad school to get back into reading for fun again. Teaching in between also didn't help considering the constant work load and the responsibilities that come with working at a boarding academy. A few years later, and I'm glad I've found it again. It's led to so many great conversations, new friendships, and just a crazy amount of joy that I've missed.

Anyway, here are the books I read in July. There were only two DNFs (did not finishes/chose to stop reading) at the very bottom.

Taproot by Keezy Young

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Fantasy, Graphic Novels

Review: This was cute, but it felt a little overdramatic at times and confusing at times. I'm still left with questions: how did one of the MCs end up as a necromancer? Our two MCs were wearing rings—did they get married? Did Hamal inherit the plant store? Among the many other questions I had once it ended.

I wish the overall plot and plot points would have been expanded upon a bit more. It didn't really go into as much detail as I wanted, but it was a cute concept for a graphic novel.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Fantasy, Modern Literature

Review: I think this book would have a heavier impact on a younger audience because the lessons are pretty plain: let those you know and love know that you love them/appreciate them/care for them, etc., etc. The translation of this book was fine—the writing style was pretty straightforward, not overly descriptive. And the premise of this was interesting, but this book felt like any other that would fall into the message of appreciating your life and those in it. I got emotional for a bit during one story in particular, but I can see how it could be emotional depending on what chapter of your life you read it in.

It didn't feel super original in the larger sense, but a nice little read and reminder to never take life and the people in it for granted.

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Beach Reads, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror-Thriller

Review: This book had a similar peeve that Michael Crichton's book Timeline did for me. There was just so much action in every chapter (though not always every page) that it was just exhausting to read a lot at one time. Was the storyline appealing? Yeah! This was a fun, creepy AF, pirate-laced summer read made for the beach. Not to mention, I think I sort of have the hots for our MC, Jack Shandy/John Chandagnac/Thomas Hobbes 😂

Tim Powers did something better with this book than Timeline did, in my opinion, which was great descriptive writing. He was really good with setting up the scenes and putting you in the places his characters were with really great constructed sentences that were rich with detail and description.

There are a lot of content warnings that should be read before diving into this one. There are also only two female characters, and neither of them we get to know very well. The search for the Fountain of Youth in the middle of the book feels like it drags on in comparison to all the other action happening. But outside of those things, you can certainly see where the Pirates of the Caribbean movies got their inspiration. A zombie crew? Check. Blackbeard and magic? Check. The beauty and atmosphere of an 18th century Caribbean? Check.

Definitely a high stakes adventure novel that I'm glad I finally got around to reading (although it was absolutely bonkers, lol).

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund-Broka

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Shelves: Beach Reads, Chick Lit, Romance

Review: The miscommunication trope will always drive me crazy and it factors heavily into this storyline. Also paired with emotional adultery for one of the characters, this book was a lot and not in a good way.

I enjoyed it more than some of the other books I've read from this genre, but both of the main characters got on my nerves throughout the book (not consistently, but in waves). Nathan lives in a fictional world and doesn't process his emotions properly, in person, in real time. Katrina is paralyzed with the fear of succeeding, hence making any forward momentum impossible. She's also in a lackluster relationship with her agent. At times, both of them acted like children and it drove me crazy. I just wanted to reach through the pages and shake them, sit them down in a room, and force them to talk to each other.

I enjoyed reading this, but I'm also incredibly glad to be done with it. I went in higher expectations than it gave me. Such is life, I guess.

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Beach Reads, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult

Review: A super cute book that explores coming out and living your life fully, even if it's messy. I loved the message of finding your authentic self set in a small town on an island in Canada. It navigates friendships and relationships with family. This was super cute with gorgeous illustrations and a great storyline. I recommend, and can see young people benefitting from this book's overall messages!

Heartstopper, Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: All-Time Favorites, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult

Review: Absolutely the cutest. This follows "rugby lad" Nick and "drummer nerd" Charlie as they begin a friendship that turns into potentially something more. Vol. 1 definitely ended on a cliffhanger, so these aren't meant to be standalone volumes at all, but I can't wait to dive in to the other volumes. A heartwarming story, adorable illustrations, and important messages for I think anyone no matter your sexuality about acceptance, friendship, and love.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: All-Time Favorites, Modern Literature

Review: Definitely a new favorite book. It has a few similarities to The Secret History by Donna Tartt, but overall, I enjoyed this story a thousand times more. I enjoyed the characters more. I enjoyed the overall way the story meandered through an Illinois school year. I enjoyed the moments of suspense and tension-building.

The writing was done so well, and there was one scene in particular that I will be thinking about for a long, long time (James, Meredith, and Oliver in Studio Five rehearsals). I liked how the dialogue was written in a play format at times, which really added to the drama of the story, and blurred the lines between the characters and how much they were acting versus how much they were being their authentic selves. Also, I loved that there were more than eight chapters.

The only thing I would change would be the amount of Shakespeare references. Rio could have cut, like, 2/3 of the references and her point still would have been clear. I understand she was trying to, again, show that these characters were living in an unrealistic mindset/world, but it was a lot and right up front in the book. Toward the middle, it cooled some, but the references were back and strong at the end. If you're a bigtime Shakespeare fan, I'm sure each line will bring you an immense amount of joy. As someone who enjoys Shakespeare, it was a bit much.

Overall, just really impressed with this book. It exceeded my expectations, and I'm so glad I read it!

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Classic Literature, Memoir-Biography

Review: This is a masterfully written piece of creative nonfiction. The only things that made this 4⭐️ rather than 5⭐️ for me were: there were times when the book felt a little disengaging (while the writing was beautiful and descriptive, there were slower parts that made focusing hard), and the abrupt ending (because I was unaware it was two parts—even though I see it now in the title on Goodreads).

Maya Angelou narrating the audiobook was a treat because of the inflections she used. You could hear the humor, the confusion, and the personalities of each of the characters and I really enjoyed that.

Truly, such a great memoir. An important piece of literature, and always worth a read.

Heartstopper, Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Favorites, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult

Review: The next installment of the Heartstopper series! This volume explores Nick's conflict in discovering his own sexuality, how to label himself, if he even should, and what to do about it. Charlie, who has always known in some capacity that he was gay, is there to lovingly help Nick through this confusing and emotional chapter.

It's the same level of cuteness from the first volume: all of those first love teenage feels. But again, it shows that this is such a great, wholesome graphic novel for teens, young adults, and even 30-somethings like me for its messages on acceptance and compassion.

Heartstopper, Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: All-Time Favorites, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult

Review: I loved this volume. I thought it did a great job of exploring mental health and illness (for this, particularly eating disorders and self-harm). I loved that it was set in Paris, and that we got to know some side characters better.

Nick and Charlie are so cute, and it was a joy to have them get to know each other better. Oh, to be back in high school on school trips with crushes and/or significant others. The author does such a great job at capturing all of those young love/new love feels.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Classic Literature, Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+

Review: Wow, The Color Purple. This book was extremely heavy from the beginning up until maybe the last quarter or one-third. In addition, the way the book is written, it can be somewhat difficult to understand everything that's happening. So, as an aid, I consulted SparkNotes throughout to make sure concepts, events, and themes were interpreted correctly.

There are themes that discuss God and spirituality (those hit home hard for me in particular), gender roles (which were so interesting to read!), finding one's voice and identity, racism and race overall, and then the roles that violence and suffering play in the shaping of one's life.

I don't know what I was expecting this book to be, but it exceeded what I anticipated. If you choose to read it, it's another one that requires the right mindset to avoid going into dark places while engaging with it. I loved the story that Alice Walker tells. The way she decided to tell it was powerful and beautiful.

Heartstopper, Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: All-Time Favorites, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Young Adult

Review: I am truly so smitten with Charlie and Nick. I think the ways in which mental health and eating disorders were handled were fantastic. They were discussed with compassion and love in such a pure and heartfelt way. I loved the discussion of co-dependency, something that I think so easily consumes high school-aged relationships. I love that we saw each of them grow individually while still allowing their relationship to grow stronger.

Literally obsessed with this series. It is so good, and I just keep thinking back to how I wish my friends and I would have had this series when we were younger. I wish the kids I taught had this series when I was teaching them. It's so full of good things and positive outlooks. I recommend it to everyone! Everyone! I'm very much looking forward to volume five, and following Nick and Charlie as they continue to grow.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Historical Fiction, Horror-Thriller

Review: *SPOILERS AHEAD* The issue that I had with Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Hacienda is compared heavily to it)--which was for being titled "Mexican" Gothic, it wasn't as Mexican as I was hoping--was remedied with this. All the characters are Mexican, and it felt like such a great addition to the horror/thriller genre because of it.

Although this book felt more surface-level when it came to characterization and setting, sitting right at the cusp of being more developed but never really reaching it, I enjoyed the way this book was written overall. I didn't fully believe the chemistry between our two main characters, and sometimes the descriptive writing felt repetitive. But I thought Beatriz was a bad ass, and I loved the idea of the priest being a witch too. So cool.

The author's note took this book from roughly 3.5 stars up to four stars for me. I appreciated that Cañas is a historian first and included a lot of research, commentary on colonialism, the casta system, and race that existed post-Mexican Revolution, and characters that look and speak like her. I will be excited to see what else she puts out into the world, and was glad I read this one! It would be a great read for around Halloween/spooky season, for sure.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Modern Literature

Review: I had high expectations for this one, and unfortunately they just didn't meet them. Nathan Harris's writing is beautiful, but the story felt like it could have benefitted from being shortened by about 60-75 pages. The prose needed tightening up considerably for me.

Also, I had a really hard time feeling involved and invested in this story. Some books, I pick up and I sink immediately into the setting and the story. That wasn't the case for this one. I felt like I was standing outside of this story looking in on what was happening with no real pull for why I should be invested in it. I struggled to really care about most of the characters, and I felt tense and stressed most of the time (that was probably intentional). While a poignant tale, it was one that didn't resonate with me as much as I wanted it to.

Bloom by Kevin Panetta, Savanna Ganucheau (Illustrator)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Beach Reads, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA+, Young Adult

Review: This was a really cute graphic novel that explores pursuing your passions and finding your life's purpose. The character growth really wasn't what I hoped it would be and the plot/pacing felt a bit off. I also thought it was a little too moody/angsty at times, but outside of those things, I really liked it. Baking and a cute summer romance by the beach? Sign me up. I think this could have really benefitted from being broken up into multiple volumes, though, so that we could see more of that character growth. I wanted to root for our MCs, but the way the book was set up felt rushed and didn't really allow us to see the development needed to make it successful for me.

A bonus for this story though is that I'm pretty sure it's set in Maryland (or, at least, some of it takes place in Maryland), which I didn't know going into it. Overall consensus: cute, cute, cute.

Lore Olympus, Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Romance

Review: I went into Lore Olympus with little expectations. Unfortunately, the design and art of this didn't appeal to me. I felt like it made the characters too . . . cartoony? We know the Greek gods act ridiculous—it's their schtick—but reading them in this way just felt a little too over-the-top? Everyone acted like middle schoolers and not a lot happened in this volume. I mean, I rated it three stars because it was fine. I didn't wholly dislike it. I didn't wholly like it. It was just right there in the middle. Not really interested in continuing the series.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Health, Nonfiction, Psychology

Review: This book is a culmination of over 30 years of professional work and research by the author. It is dense with information and very heavy in its content. I cannot stress enough the need to be in a good mental headspace while reading this and to please check the trigger warnings.

I don't think this book is as widely accessible because of those things. It was clearly written to benefit others in the mental health field and probably not targeted exactly for everyday casual readers. At least, if it was, it felt a bit too dense and heavy most of the time.

All of that being said: will you learn something from reading this book? Absolutely. I've definitely learned about avenues for mental health treatments that I didn't know about and it's helped me understand some of my family members who have experienced and/or lived through traumatic events and abuse. But honestly, the content shouldn't be approached as an alternative to therapy and professional help. Which I feel like could easily be the case. Read as a supplement to professional treatment.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Beach Reads, Chick Lit

Review: This book was chaotic and light-hearted, like watching your favorite soap opera or drama tv show (think The Kardashians). If you have a big family, especially full of headstrong women, you will 100% get a kick out of this story about a family of cursed women. I think, even more so, if you're Vietnamese (but you certainly can still enjoy it otherwise).

I liked the premise, but there were a lot of people to keep track of that constantly confused me. There was a family tree in the front of the book that I consulted often but I still found myself mixing up who did what, who their mom was, etc. This ARC was only ~250pgs. With so many characters, some chapters felt like introductions almost 3/4 of the way through the book. There was also a lot of useless dialogue that didn't really push the story forward. I'm sure it was supposed to be comedic, but it felt pointless to me.

If you were a fan of Crazy Rich Asians, the book, I can see you also liking this book. A potentially fun one for a book club or a beach read for sure.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did Not Finish

The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More by Annie Raser-Rowland, Adam Grubb

Review: DNF at about 35%. Nothing particularly groundbreaking that either my husband and I don't already aim to achieve, or that I haven't read elsewhere. This might be a good book for someone with little financial knowledge or who is looking to read materials on saving money for the first time. However, my financial background has required a frugal lifestyle. I was hoping for different information, but was unable to find it. I appreciate what the authors were aiming to do with this book though! A great resource for another audience :)

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Review: DNF around 38%. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Unfortunately, I'm not invested in how this story turns out. Rin is currently taking classes under Jiang, working on meditation, learning about how opium can be used in conjunction with shamanism, etc. I just . . . don't care.

I don't know if it's because this book suffered from being over-hyped and I was expecting to be sucked in right from the beginning, a general "meh" feeling about most of the characters, or what, but I've been trying to read this book since May. It's just not for me at this point in my life. I might re-attempt it at some point in the future, but right now, it's just not holding my interest.