Weekly Mews: My July Wrap Up & It's Time to Vote for My August TBR Read!

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  

Happy August! I am taking this next week off work to spend with my family before Mouse starts school again on the 12th. We pick up Mouse's class schedule on Thursday. 

The painters are almost finished painting the exterior of our house, and my mom has returned from her drive to Seattle, with a long stopover in Sacramento. Mouse was tasked with watering her grandma's plants while she was out of town. There have been fires. Lots of fires, a couple of which we kept a close eye on because they were closer to home than we liked (they never got close enough to us to threaten an evacuation, fortunately). There were a couple of earthquakes. And heat. We had an especially hot week last week, and while it was a little cooler this week, it wasn't by much. I was glad I had my sweater when working in the office though. They have the air conditioner cranked up very high. It's much easier to layer up than to try to find ways to stay cool though, so I cannot complain. Mouse had fun with her Girl Scout troop at Knott's Berry Farm one day this past month. And she has been able to spend time with friends here and there. I think that sums up the last couple weeks or so.  

I have cat pictures for you. For once Nina would not cooperate with my attempt to take a photo of her, and Gracie did not runaway when I captured her picture while reading my book. It felt a bit like Freaky Friday with them changing places. 

If I forget to give the cats their evening treats, they gang up on me, as you can see below.

What have you been up to?

Books Read in July

I read quite a variety in July, both in genre and format. Even so, I spent a lot of time in the past, it would seem. I was able to fit in three audiobooks, which is huge for me given my preference for print and e-books. I listened to the sixth book in J.D. Robb's In Death futuristic mystery series (and enjoyed it) and revisited the third and fourth books in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files urban fantasy series, which I first read in paperback almost twenty years ago. I wasn't quite as enamored with Harry this time around, but I still enjoyed the books.

In July I finished reading the third book in V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic trilogy, A Conjuring of Light, and loved it. It was a strong finish for the trilogy. I look forward to reading Threads of Power, the third in the sequel trilogy--but not quite yet. I also finally read the last book in the Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman, An Untold Story, which I had been putting off. I really didn't want to see the series come to an end. I enjoyed my time with Irene, Kai, and Vale.

This past month I also read The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay which was a fun and gripping read. It sparked a couple of late night conversations with my husband about the history in and around the Cold War. I read the latest in Kate Khavari's Saffron Everleigh historical cozy mystery series, A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets. While it wasn't as intense as the previous books in the series, it was no less compelling. I think it was my favorite yet in the series. Housekeepers by Alex Hay was a good read. I love a heist novel and the addition of a revenge trope made this one all the more intriguing. It took a darker turn than I had expected, but it only made that desire for revenge all the more sweeter. 

I had put off reading the young adult novel Pulp, but I am glad I finally gave it a chance. As often happens with dual time line novels, I found myself more invested in the historical story line, about a young woman trying to come into her own during a time when loving another woman was considered subversive. It made me think of Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which is one of my all time favorite books. Mouse asked me (well, said I had to, is closer to reality) to read the young adult graphic novel duology, Magical Boy, which is her current favorite. The books are about a young trans boy who inherits magical abilities and must fight off a great evil while also facing transphobia both by outsiders and within his own family. The books carry a strong and positive message, even with such serious themes. I thought they were great.

It may have taken me two months to read because I was taking it slowly, but Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is my favorite of all my July reads. I think having read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens so close before it enhanced my reading of it, but it's not at all necessary to read the classic to appreciate Kingsolver's book. Demon Copperhead has it's own distinct voice and story. 

(courtesy of Storygraph)

• A Vengeance in Death (#6) by J.D. Robb, narrated by Susan Eriksen
• A  Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab
• Pulp by Robin Talley
• The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
• A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #3) by Kate Khavari
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 
• The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
• The Untold Story (Invisible Library #8) by Genevieve Cogman
• Magical Boy, Vol. 1 by The Kao
• Magical Boy, Vol. 2 by The Kao
• Grave Peril (Dresden Files #3) by Jim Butcher, narrated by James Marsters
• Summer Knight (Dresden Files #4) by Jim Butcher, narrated by James Marsters

My July 2024 Reading Moods (according to Storygraph)

What was your favorite book read in July? Did you have a good reading month?

I started August off strong with Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person written and narrated by Shonda Rhimes. It was such an inspiring book. I currently am reading the dystopian novel, Parable of the Sower (#1) by Octavia E. Butler. It was an unplanned read, but several people on Threads (where I have been spending too much time as of late) had recommended it; the opening of the novel is set in July 2024 and seems eerily plausible given the current state of affairs in the U.S. Perhaps not the wisest choice for my mental health given the subject matter, but there it is.

 

This coming week, I hope to start the graphic novel Palestine by Joe Sacco, a book I have had on my TBR shelf for many years but have yet to get to. Given current world events, it seems overdue. And because I need something lighter and more escapist, I plan to dive into B.B. Alston's middle grade fantasy novel, Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2) as well. 

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List is hosted by Michelle at Because Reading. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).  

Please help me select my next read! For once I did not struggle over which books to include in this month's TBR poll. You wouldn't think it would a difficult decision given how many books I have on my shelves, but it often turns into quite the ordeal. I do it to myself. I overthink everything. Anyway, I am excited about all three of these and imagine I will be reading them all sooner than later. But, for now, which of them do you think I should read first? 

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

The Sentence asks what we owe to the living, the dead, to the reader and to the book.

A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store's most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Souls' Day, but she simply won't leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading with murderous attention, must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.

The Sentence begins on All Souls' Day 2019 and ends on All Souls' Day 2020. Its mystery and proliferating ghost stories during this one year propel a narrative as rich, emotional, and profound as anything Louise Erdrich has written. [Goodreads Summary]

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.

Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).

Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything. [Goodreads Summary]

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting!

New to my shelves (recent book purchases):

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

Can't I Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea Cozy Fantasy #1) by Rebecca Thorne

Recent gift card purchases: 

Black Bird Oracle (All Souls #5) by Deboarah Harkness

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

Nine Tailed (Realm of Four Kingdoms #1) by Jayci Lee

Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda

Authentically, Izzy (Skymar #1) by Pepper Babsham

Parable of the Sower (#1) by Octavia E. Butler

A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery #1) by Samantha Larsen

The Awakening (Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts

 Bad Girls Bite (Blood Fae Druid #2) by S.L. Choi

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? 

My husband took advantage of a good deal on Peacock's streaming service, which has made it possible for us to watch more of the Olympics than we've been able to in the past. We got to see the opening ceremony live and have enjoyed watching replays of several events so far. 

Mouse introduced me to two of her favorite anime series over the past few weeks. Both are based on manga series, but I believe Mouse is only reading one of them. She wasn't sure how I would take to an anime about skateboarding, but it wasn't hard to get attached to Sk8 the Infinity and its characters. Then she thought I might like Sasaki and Miyano, one of her other favorites. Oh my gosh! It is so cute! The first season (which is all there is so far) is a slow burn and sweet romance between two teen boys. She also had me watch the first couple episodes of Assassination Classroom (not pictured above), which I am still on the fence about. It's about a group of kids, each with their own sad backstories, tasked with assassinating their teacher who plans to destroy the earth. Mostly I am enjoying the extra bonding with my teen who is growing up way too fast! 

What have you been watching?

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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