July reads
Had a good reading month for July! The ironic part? All of the July reads were not on my TBR (to be read) list but was influenced by bookstagram to read them. I found a lot of books that I throughly enjoyed! It’s hard to believe that we have one more month of summer reads!
Bookstagram: instagram accounts focused on book reviews, books, anything to do with books/reading, etc.
LIKED
A very compelling read about a swimming coach at a private high school in Dublin, Ireland abusing his power. He groomed and abused several of his students. That part was not easy to read and that’s why I only rated this book as a “like”. However, I couldn’t believe that this was a debut as the author wrote beautifully. This thriller read is very thought provoking.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
An amazing debut from an Irish author. This book takes place in rural coastal town in County Donegal, Ireland during 1994. The book covered a few women who are trapped in their marriage while divorce was not legal yet in Ireland. Despite it sounding depressing, it was hard to put down this book! The three women’s lives were intertwined and unfolded. The author did an amazing job of writing this book, especially the lyrical description of coastal landscape of Ireland.
NO RATING
A memoir from a woman who left the Hasidic community and went through the process of discovering her identity. I’ve read a few memoirs of people leaving conservative religion lifestyle but this one really kept me engaged. Dr. Sara Glass shared a lot of of her internal struggle with her gayness, the fear of having her kids taken away (which happens often in the Hasidic community particularly with divorces), her divorces (she married twice), her will to earn PhD and more. It is a vulnerable read about her journey.
FAVORITE
A family drama about third-generation oyster farmers struggling after the 2010 BP Oil Spill in Louisiana. I was intrigued with how this book was about oyster farming as there are some in my area (Mystic/Stonington, CT). This book definitely gave a lot insight in oyster farming and I learned a lot! The characters felt very real making me invested into the Pearce family. A gripping read that you must add to your TBR (to be read) list!
LIKED
After reading Emily Giffin’s last novel MEANT TO BE, it was a must to read her latest novel. After a sad tragedy, a group of college friends made a pact to show up for each other when needed. That time has come when one found out something that was life changing. They all got together and decided to travel to three destinations from their bucket list. While this was a good read about friendship, it did fall flat for me at times. There were a few lines in the book that made me cringe. It’s not Emily Giffin’s best but still a quick enjoyable read.
NO RATING
I loved Tom Selleck from his role on one of my favorite TV shows ‘BLUE BLOODs’ as well his appearance as Monica’s boyfriend on ‘FRIENDS’. Tom Selleck wrote a memoir of his life, from upbringing to his acting career. I throughly enjoyed his voice in the book but it was heavily about acting. It got dry at times for me. I was disappointed that he barely mentioned Blue Bloods and didn’t mention FRIENDS at all. Still worth a read if you are more of a fan of his older TV show ‘Magnum, P.I.’ or want to learn about acting.
FAVORITE
This book got a lot of raving on social media! A girl shows up at a hotel in Newport, RI and was mistaken to be a part of the wedding party that was happening there. She turns out to be the only guest at the hotel that isn’t there for the wedding. I LOVED this book! I immediately was sad when it ended, as I got REALLY invested in the characters. I was amazed at how well the author covered heavy topics, also making the whole story relatable and humorous. I laughed several times during the book. I won’t forget this read!
DNF
The synopsis sold me on a book about family, secrets, ghosts and taking place in Maine. It definitely is all of that but also with a lot of side conversations that became lecturing-like. The author incorporated the history of Indigenous people, alcoholism, feminism and dysfunctional family drama. While I have no issues with those topics, I felt that it distracted from the main story. I didn’t see how those topics contributed to the storyline so it felt very disruptive making it hard to follow.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
A perfect summer read for book lovers! A bestselling author finds herself stuck to write her next book. She received a phone call from her old college friend who needs her help to run her family owned bookstore in Provincetown, Cape Cod. She also has to mend some of her friendships that was hurt by her first book. Naturally I had to read this book as it takes place in one of my favorite Cape Cod towns. Also this book had a lot of literary connections (publishing, owning a bookstore, and writing a book). While it focused a lot on friendship, not too much on romance — it was a heartwarming read!
How are the books rated:
Favorite — LOVED the book / Couldn’t put it down!
Highly Recommend — Great book / Enjoyed.
Liked — Good book / Liked it while reading, but will not remember.
DNF — Did Not Finish / Do not recommend.
No Rating — I do not give ratings on sensitive subject/memoirs.