July was full of travel, which often means more reading time. But not this go-around. Our trip to Boston was jam-packed from morning to night. And the vacation with our family was one of people not really relaxation. Still, I hit my new normal of nine books completed this month. (There was one more that I didn’t finish. It was our book club pick. At more than 40% through the book, essentially nothing had happened. Everything was still being set up. I don’t have time for that!)
Overall, there were some great reads in July. This month, I’ll group by format. Let’s start with audio.
The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham
This is book two of the Freddie and Grace mysteries series. They are such delightful characters to follow into historical mysteries, this one set in Egypt. But I also love that despite the main characters being married, she throws in some romances happening to other characters along the way. Very fun story. Looking forward to listening to book three soon!
Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green
Book two of the Windy City Saga and oh, how good it was! I loved this mix of quiet romance and startling mystery surrounding the World’s Fair in Chicago. And so happy for Sylvie to have her own adventure. Book three queued up in my Audible app!
One physical book this month:
The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Wow. I closed this book in awe of how she can write a story that isn’t about faith and yet it is completely a picture of life in Christ. Not sure if she plans and crafts that or if what’s inside her just comes out on the page, but her stories always keep me thinking long after the reading ends.
A slew of ebooks, of course, because they are easiest on my eyes and easiest to carry with me:
One Last Promise by Susan May Warren
When she gets on a roll in a series, I read each book faster than the last! So much going on with the Alaska Air Rescue crew, and the ending of this one was a jaw-dropping humdinger! Already frantic for the final book in the series! Note: this one isn’t available on Amazon until Tuesday. If you need it earlier, get it here! 🙂
A Noble Scheme by Roseanna White
I can’t believe how many series I’m currently reading! This is book two of The Imposters. Again, a great cast of characters to go back to time and again. This one was especially poignant. I love how Roseanna weaves in deep spiritual truths without them feeling added on. I love her books so much.
Firestorm by Lisa Phillips
Chasing Fire: Montana book three did not disappoint. In fact, it was a race from start to finish! I loved all the characters whose lives suddenly collided. And boy did it set up the next book. So much so that when I finished this one, I immediately bought book four!
Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin
I’ve only read a couple of Charles Martin books, but I’m such a fan of him as a writer and a person after hearing him speak last year. His books never fail to bring me to tears. They are real and raw and hard and yet hope-filled. I need to read more of them.
The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon
This was Ariel’s first published book back in 2014—and after reading it I am now caught up on her backlist! A fascinating though dark and seedy story set in New York in the 2930s. She always weaves a good tale out of history, though this one is probably my least favorite all of hers that I’ve read. That’s probably influenced by the fact that I loved her latest The Frozen River so very much. (There is language in this one if you need to know that.)
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
A friend of mine has been telling more for a few years that I need to read this children’s books by the author of Where the Red Ferm Grows. Such a sweet and funny story set in ealry 20th century Oklahoma and with a boy as the main character (for you boy mom’s out there always looking for books to cqtch their interest!). I wish I known about it when my sons were young!
That’s it, but I’m already well into several books for my August list!
Happy reading!