Books I Read in July

Before I get to today's post I just wanted to mention that I finally updated my Bloglovin' account with my new blog! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Oh I found so many wonderful books to read this month!  Between the beautiful sunny days outside on the patio and a couple of long car rides I was able to read another 10 books this month.



1. Whisper's Edge by LuAnn McLane- Savannah loves her job working as social director in the retirement community of Whisper's Edge.  Tristan buys the community from his grandfather and had planned to use the waterfront property as a quick profit turn around but never expected to fall for Savannah. A very cute and quick read; if somewhat predictable from the get go.  The quirky characters made this a fun story.



2.  28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand-- Mallory and Jake carry on a "Same Time, Next Year" affair on Nantucket for 28 Summers.  This one weekend a year romance complicates their lives in so many ways but neither one wants to let the other go.  Very much a typical Elin Hilderbrand - Nantucket novel that was quite enjoyable if you could immerse yourself in the story and forget that these two people were carrying on a very long side fling/affair that was bound to be hurting others.


3. Hideaway from Nora Roberts-- Cate was kidnapped as a child and the book spans through many years of her life--  how she tried to put the past behind her despite someone with a vendetta against all involved that night.  I really enjoyed this one!  I can't say much more without giving away major plot points.



4.  The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel-- Spanning 4 generations of women from just before the Great Depression, into WWII, to the 60's, and into today's silicon valley fortunes this book connects each of these generations with a treasured wedding dress designed by one of the biggest design houses in France in the 1920's.  A quick and easy read that jumped forward through time here and there to keep the story going with the next generation.



5.  The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes-- A wonderful historical fiction novel about the packhorse librarians of Kentucky.  Set in an old mining town in the late 1930's the lives of several women are changed when a packhorse library is started up.  Women who take books on horseback up into the rural mountain homes of Appalachia to shoe people who otherwise would not have access to any reading material.  This is one I can see myself recommending to everyone.  It was so good!



6.   The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware-- A fast paced mystery novel.  When Lo Blacklock gets to take her bosses place on a small, 10 cabin, luxury cruise's maiden voyage she's hoping to write an impressive piece for their travel magazine that will ensure her promotion.  But when Lo thinks she hears a woman thrown overboard she starts unraveling a mystery that puts her life in danger.



7. Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews-- I love reading memoirs and I have always loved Julie Andrews! Everything from her iconic roles in Mary Poppins to Maria Von Trapp to her musical performances and children's books is included in this memoir.  But I didn't love this book. I thought it was good but it didn't always hold my interest and took me a few weeks of reading here and there to get through; mostly because I didn't know so many of the movies, contemporaries, and people mentioned.



8.  Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner-- When Daphne, a plus sized social media influencer is approached by an old frenemy to be in her wedding her first instinct is to decline.  But Drue is quite persuasive and convinces Daphne that she has changed, that she misses their friendship, and that she NEEDS her to help.  Daphne agree and by the time the big day is approaching the two seem to have patched things up but everything in Drue's life is not as it seems and when she's found floating in the hot tub on the morning of the nuptials Daphne has a real life murder mystery on her hands.  I really enjoyed this book so much; even the glimpses of what it must be like to be a social media influencer.



9.  On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah-- I loved this story!  When Annie drops her daughter off at the airport for a semester abroad she was so worried about how she was going to fill her time and her days.  Only to arrive home and have her husband tell her that he's leaving her and is in love with someone else.  Annie decides to go back to her hometown and heal with the help of her father.  She is reunited with an old college friend who is in need of help for both himself and his daughter who are drowning in grief.  The three spend the season relying on one another, healing, and learning to be happy again.  When Annie's life is turned upside down once again she must make a very difficult choice.  A heart wrenching Kristin Hannah novel I had not heard of before a fellow blogger reviewed it on her blog.



10. The Lies that Bind by Emily Griffin-- Another great read!!  Cecily meets Grant just after a difficult breakup with her long- term boyfriend Matthew.  Cecily and Grant forge an unlikely bond and spend a whirlwind summer together before Grant disappears in the aftermath of 9/11.  Cecily begins uncovering how little she really knew about Grant and reconnects with Matthew.  With lots of secrets and lies on all fronts this was an irresistible novel.



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Comments

  1. I really enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10. You have a great list! I'm adding some of these to my list to read.

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    1. I liked the twists and turns that I wasn't expecting! Sometimes those types of books are just so predictable but I had lots of surprises as I was reading.

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  2. Wow! I'm amazed at the number of books you read for July! I love reading books during the summer. I am such a slow reader and I can only seem to manage reading one chapter a day. It takes me a long time to read a book but I figure at least I'm reading! I'm a classic right now called A Room with a View and like it. I will ad these books to my list.

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    1. I am a very fast reader; always have been too but I definitely think it's more important to just read and not worry about how fast or how many books you get through.

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  3. Ten books...way to go! I want to look for that Kristen hannah book. Have a great week!

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  4. So glad to read your book reviews. Hadn't heard about the Julie Andrews book. She is a favorite star of mine. Might check it out to see what I think. I like Kristen Hannah but hadn't heard of this title. I keep bumping into Big Summer on different blogs so I think that is a sign I need to read it!

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    1. Julie Andrews also has a book called Home she wrote that is all about her childhood that I think I might try to get around to reading at some point too. I picked up Big Summer for that exact reason and I thought it was such a cute story.

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  5. I will NOT read the Moyes book. I just finished reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and I can see that Moyes STOLE from this book for hers.

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  6. Wow, 10 books! I am so envious of your reading time. I'm finally making progress catching up on my podcasts but I haven't made time for books yet. I think you have inspired me to find that time!

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    1. I read ALL the time! I read while cooking, while folding laundry, while brushing my teeth or blow drying my hair... I pretty much always have a book on me.

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  7. I love to find new reads! I just started 28 Summers last night. I tried starting the Tattoo Artist book earlier this weekend and know I will continue but switched to something a little lighter. Thanks for sharing your reads.

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    1. I too find I need fun and lighter books when reading something dark and heavy. I still have not read the Tattoo Artists yet but it is definitely on my list.

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  8. I want to read The Lies That Bind! I reead 28 Summers this month and had a lot of feelings. I also loved Big Summer!

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    1. I bet you would really enjoy Lies that Bind!

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  9. I can't believe you were able to read 10 books! That's awesome. Thanks for sharing. I got some great ideas on what to read from this post. Hope you are doing well!

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    1. In the summer I can read about 10 books a month but that slows way down in the fall once school starts.

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  10. I LOVED The Lies That Bind. I keep hearing that 28 Summers is fantastic, so I'm hoping my hold at the library will be available soon!

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    1. I knew you would! I think you'll enjoy 28 Summers too.

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  11. I was interested in the lukewarm response to Julie Andrew's book. Like you, I enjoy memoirs and appreciate Julie Andrews.

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    1. I think she's a great writer and I was frankly floored by how she managed to juggle so much and so many schedules all the time. It made me exhausted to read it but I really struggled to keep up at times now knowing what leading man or role she was talking about having seen so few of her movies.

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  12. This is such a good roundup! The Giver of Stars is on my list to get to before the end of the year (hopefully) and I keep meaning to read something else by Elin Hilderbrand-- I read part of the Christmas series a few years ago.

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    1. I just love Elin's books in the summer; they are light and fun and remind me of my one trip to Nantucket.

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  13. I really enjoyed Big Summer. The Woman in Cabin 10 was my favorite of Ware's books....after this one they all seemed to disappoint and I stopped reading her stuff. I've heard such good things about The Give of Stars which is on my to read list.

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    1. I don't think I have ever read anything else by Ware.

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  14. I listened to the Ruth Ware book on Audible and enjoyed it - I've seen the Elin Hildebrand and the Giver of Stars on a couple of lists lately with good reviews so will add!

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    1. They are both so good but such polar opposites as far as content goes.

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  15. I haven't read anything by Emily Giffen in a long time, but this one sounds like I should start again!

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    1. I've only just started reading her books recently but I do like them.

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  16. Love this round up. Big summer sounds so interesting.

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    1. It was definitely different but I did like it.

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  17. You've got a good group of books this month! It's been a while but I liked Mystic Lake!

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  18. I enjoyed Giver of Stars. I am fascinated with the history of the Pack Horse Librarians! Another new-ish book on the same topic if a favorite of mine: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

    Here are my July reads, if interested: https://elle-alice.blogspot.com/2020/07/july-book-reviews.html

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    1. I wanted to read Troublesome Creek soon as I have heard a lot of controversy between the two books and possible plagiarism.

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  19. I absolutely HATED The Woman in Cabin 10. So much rage! 28 Summers is on my TBR and I'm looking forward to reading it. Her beach reads are the best!

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    1. I totally agree that her beach reads are the best!

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  20. You had a great reading month!! I’ve got the Giver of Stars on my list for the next few months. Have a super day!

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    1. I sure did! So far August is shaping up to be a great month too!

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  21. Yay for a great reading month. I have Big Summer and hope to read it soon. I really loved The Woman in Cabin 10. I want to read more of her books.

    -lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I think I'd like to try more of her books too!

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  22. I really liked The Giver of Stars, too. Big Summer was just OK for me.

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  23. The Giver of Stars sounds so interesting! Thanks for sharing - sounds like you've enjoyed some good reads lately :)

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    1. I really have been finding lots of great books.

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  24. 28 Summers is on my list, I've not read anything by her so I am intrigued.

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    1. Oh wow! I've read so many of her books. They are light and fun summer reads.

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  25. I really enjoyed 28 Summers too and loved The Giver of Stars. I'm intrigued by Big Summer and now feels like the right time of year to read it, lol.

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    1. Definitely! I wasn't going to read Big Summer at all but I felt like if I was going to it had to be during summer.

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