July 2024 Reads
A busy month!
I read a lot this month, and there were some big wins, but some that fell a bit flat. My most anticipated release of the month was the new Liz Tomforde “Play Along” and it did not disappoint. A sleeper hit for me was Real Americans by Rachel Khong,
raved about it, which encouraged me to put the hold on Libby, and I loved it.I also realized I should clarify my reading rating scale.
If you’re a BOTM Member, or used to be, they now offer audiobooks! I re-joined when I realized Audio was an option - and right now I’m listening to Wedding People.
If you have Spotify Premium - you get 15 hours of audiobooks free per month! Definitely put that to use! I didn’t in July, need to this month!
Lastly, I track my reads on Storygraph, so if you want to see what I’m reading, you can check on there, and also, shout out to Storygraph for releasing some new monthly images to make putting these roundups together even easier.
Five Star Reads:
Real Americans (Libby) - I loved this book as it followed Lily, her mother, and her son through their different timelines, focusing on family, motherhood, identity, and inheritance. It starts right at the beginning of Y2K, where Lily meets Matthew, and through towards mid-COVID. This book kept me hooked in trying to figure out how it would all come together. I don’t want to give away too much, and it would make a great book club book!
Play Along (KU) - What Liz Tomforde writes, I will read. I LOVE this series of Chicago athletes finding love in unexpected places, the stories are nuanced and the characters are lovingly flawed. In this book, Isaiah, a short-stop, has been very interested in Kennedy, the team’s trainer, for a long time, and after one night in Vegas, they end up married. They have to carry on the ruse for the risk of losing their jobs. I love a fake relationship trope, and this one did not disappoint.
The Women (LibroFM) - I re-listened to this with my husband on car rides, and it was fun to listen with him (at a normal human speed) and discuss. Originally read this in April.
Other Reads
Big Swiss (Libby) - This was a surprise for me, but I loved it. It’s so quirky and follows Gretchen a transcriptionist for a sex therapist who becomes obsessed with one of the patients, Big Swiss, and then has a relationship with her. There are so many weird little details in the book (like the bees) and I really enjoyed reading it.
Guncle Abroad (Libby) - I loved Guncle, and this one was just as delightful. Gup takes the kids on a European adventure before their dad gets remarried, and there are so many charming witticisms. I found myself laughing out loud at a few separate moments. If you haven’t read Guncle, I’d start there. Both books cover topics of loss and grief without feeling morose or sad.
One Star Romance (Libby) - This book focuses on the best friends of a couple from their first meeting at an engagement party through the present day. Natalie and Rob don’t have a ton in common, and when she discovers he gave her debut novel a one-star review, she is livid. I loved watching these two come together for the big milestones in their friends’ lives, and I loved how the friendships in the book are portrayed.
First Lie Wins (Libby) - I’m not a thriller girl, and I had this one on my shelf, so ended up reserving it on Libby because I am trying to clear my shelf. I enjoyed this one and didn’t see some of the big twists coming.
Summer of ‘69 (Libby) - This was a fun one to read at the same time as The Women, because a lot happened historically that year. This book follows a family through the summer of ‘69 on Nantucket, as big things such as the war, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the moon landing. It was a delight as all of Elin’s books are.
I Wish You Were Mine (KU) - This is the second in the Bald Head Island series, and this lived up to it’s spanky predecesor. Tuck, a single dad, hires Marin, a former cheerleader/grad student, to nanny his daughter. Unsurprisingly, chemistry ensues, and after one night, they end up pregnant. I don’t usually love pregnancy in my romance novels, but I enjoyed this one.
I Wish We Had Forever (KU) - As soon as I finished I Wish You Were Mine, I downloaded the third book from KU, and it was a good one. Abel, Tuck’s best friend, and Jen, his sister, have had a thing for each other for a while, and they decide to pretend to be engaged for her father’s sake - told you I love a fake relationship trope. This series is a good one if you’re looking for one.
A Novel Love Story (Libby) - I wanted to love this more, but I still really enjoyed it. Elsy is disappointed her friends won’t be joining her on her annual “read romance novels in the woods” weekend, so she decides to go alone, and gets lost, falling right into Quixotic Falls - the fictional town where her favorite romance novels take place. I love how Ashley Poston does magical realism, and this is such a fun premise.
Forget Me Not (Libby) - I am really excited to read Julie Soto’s newest book, Not Another Love Song, because Nora raved about it. So I decided to read this one and as she said, this was a solid 3-star. I enjoyed it. Ama is an ambitious wedding planner, who lands a huge celebrity wedding but has to work with her ex-boyfriend florist, Elliot. Shockingly, sparks fly (again).
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