July Wrap Up (2023)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my July Wrap Up (2023)!

I think I did slightly better this month in terms of finishing books. I read a total of 4 books and they all took round about the same amount of time- there isn't a book that took 14 days at all! 

Slowly getting there. 

Here's what I read. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Little Girls Tell Tales, by Rachel Bennett

I'm trying to actually read some books that people have mentioned to me recently, and this was one of them, from my mother. Little Girls Tell Tales follows Rosalie, a girl trying her best to stay on her feet after her wife passed away, when her brother and a girl knocks on her door. The girl claims that the skeleton Rosalie found in the marsh when she was a young girl (which noboby believed her about) might have been her sister. 

Rosalie, along with Dallin and Cora, start to scour the marsh for clues, or anything the town folk can give that might stear them in the right direction. But the further they delve into the marsh, the more strange happenings occur. Who doesn't want them looking for Cora's sister? And what's hidden in the depths of the marsh?

This was a very easy book to get into, and every time I picked it up again, I was always able to remember exactly I'd got up to previously. Well written characters, compelling plot. I'm starting to think I should give the crime/ thriller genre more of a chance than I have been. 

Not an absolute masterpiece but I'm very glad I followed through and picked Little Girls Tell Tales up. 

2. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman 

I've recently posted a review of this book so if you want to read some of my most in-depth thoughts, you can click the link in the title. 

All my thoughts rolled into one paragraph: I loved this book. Less than 300 pages long, but it sure packs a punch. I laugh, I smiled, I nearly cried on a train, I went through a range of emotions because of this book and I would do so again. The film is decent too, so after sobbing your heart out on this book, go and watch that. This is my favourite book of the year before and I challenge every other book to make me feel even a tiny amount of what I feel when reading this book. I dare you. 

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

As soon as I post this and my August TBR, I'll be back with my review of THIS. That's right, I'm posting another review! To be fair, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo very much needs one, because I have thoughts. And I'm thinking I'll fit in as many as I can, providing I have thoughts and I'm in the mood. 

This has been my third Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and even though the two other books I've read by her, Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy Jones and the Six have subject matters that I care about a bit more, I found this just as amazing. Maybe even more actually- every time I put this down, I was almost anxious to find out what was going to happen next. 

I so very much want to say more but I should probably hold off until writing this review I've promised myself I'll write- otherwise I might just end up posting it now. 

4. Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1), by B.B. Alston 

I finally got to this! Enjoyed it just as much the second time around- and am currently reading Amari and the Great Game and thoroughly enjoying what I've read so far! 

Amari and the Night Brothers follows Amari who, after being expelled from school, is nominated to a  summer camp by her brother Quinton- who has been missing for several months- which turns out to be a magical summer camp! Amari's only goal is to find out what happened to her brother, but after finding out what her own magical power is, must contend with all sorts of challenges- not least her only classmates- but the question is- will she ever find out what happened to her brother?

It's difficult not to see the similarities this book shares with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- but I really do love this- great start to the trilogy (I think it's a trilogy)- very excited to see where this series is headed! 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in the month of July! I'm hoping I'll get to heaps more in August, but of course, I'll be taking it steady so as not to fall into a reading slump. 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx