July and August Books

I didn't read a lot at the end of June an into July so I skipped the last Show Us Your Books link up with Steph and Jana, but I wanted to pop in (late) today to share the last couple of months of reads! You can also follow along on my Bookstagram  where I show how many unread books I have on my new shelf and what I'm actually reading in semi real time!

Since there's quite a few this month, I won't go into full details on every single one or you'd be here way too long when you should be reading ;)


Little Girls Sleeping // Jennifer Chase 
NetGalley eARC 

Rating: 3/5

Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Challenge: N/A 

I enjoyed this book! It's definitely more of a police procedural than a thriller but it's well written and I can't wait to find out more about Katie in the coming books! The Swallows // Lisa Lutz  NetGalley eARC Rating: 4/5 Genre: Fiction Challenge: N/A It took me a little bit to get into this book during the story set up, but once I did, I was hooked! The story is a little far fetched in the premise because there are about 5 adults and hundreds of students in a boarding school, but I liked the story being told about the toxic culture that is still pervasive and needs to be stopped. I kept waiting to figure out what the big twist was going to be - I didn't guess it and I thought it was really well done and truly made sense for story being told. I will definitely recommend this book! Once a Liar // A.F. BradyPhysical copy from publisher Rating: 4/5 Genre: Mystery/Fictin  Challenge: N/A  When I first started this book, I was nervous because holy, wow, what a terrible, unlikeable narrator! Typically, if the narrator is super unlikeable, I struggle to enjoy the book but that was NOT the case with this book!A.F. Brady created a great story around Peter Caine, a defense attorney in Manhattan who is just terrible to everyone in his life. Peter is not a great person, but does that mean he's a murderer?! That's the question laid out in Once a Liar. I loved playing "who dunnit" and trying to figure out if Peter was just terrible enough to have murdered his mistress who is also the daughter of his professional rival.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone // JK Rowling 
Duh, I own this. Illustrated version. 
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy
Challenge: Popsugar - a book that makes you nostalgic

I mean, what is there to say? Ha. I am rereading the series right now!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets // JK Rowling 
Duh, I own this. Illustrated version. 
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy
Challenge: Popsugar - a book inspired by myth/legend/folklore 

One Little Secret // Cate Holanan
Physical ARC 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Mystery 
Challenge: N/A 

This was a page turner! I thought the premise was kind of weird -- because who goes on vacation with people you don't really know but it really set up a fun "who dunnit" that I couldn't put down and they ended up knowing each other more than you first realize. There were a few characters that I really hated and just kept hoping they would get what was coming to them and I wasn't disappointed. This is a fast paced, great summer thriller!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine // Gail Honeyman
Own - used book store find 
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Fiction
Challenge: July Book Club

I know this book is so adored and I liked the second half of the book but the first part was so hard for me to get into it. The plot felt so slow at times and I was dragging myself to finish in time for book club and barely finished it! I can see how others really enjoy it so don't let my lukewarm review dissuade  you if its on your list!

The Wedding Party // Jasmine Guillory 
Library 
Rating: 3.5/4
Genre: Contemporary romance
Challenge: N/A

This was my least favorite out of all of Jasmine's books but I still enjoyed it! There were some parts that seemed a little less believable than some of her other books (like, the couple orders more pizza that I've ever seen in my life.. all of which are "specialty" pizzas and definitely not the 7.99 take out deal at Pizza Hut). It was also fun to see events of the other books portrayed through the eyes of what are the main characters here but were side characters in the other books!

Everything, Everything // Nicola Yoon 
Library 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Young Adult
Challenge: August Book Club

Oh, gosh I loved this! I read The Sun is Also a Star earlier this year so when we were picking August's book club I quickly suggested this one! I really liked this one, too, and I kind of guessed the twist but was still shocked when I was right! I really want to watch both of these movies this weekend!

Ask Again, Yes // Mary Beth Keane 
BOTM pick for June 
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Fiction
Challenge: Erin's - a book with a picture of a building

I really did enjoy this book and it's a wonderful look at life and the challenges it brings as you grow up. I liked the way it flipped between perspectives and years but I found some years/perspectives to be a little slower. Maybe if it wasn't so hyped on Instagram, I would have had lower expectations and therefore given it a higher rating! 

Currently Reading: 

The Year I Left //Christine Brae

The Two Lila Bennetts // Liz Fenton 

The Island of Sea Women // Lisa See (when will I throw in the towel on this audio book...) 

Currently Checked Out from the Library: 

Dare to Lead// Brene Brown

Little Lovely Things / / Maureen Joyce Connolly

One True Loves // Taylor Jenkins Reid 

August's Book Club: 

Everything, Everything