It’s time for my first half of July book review post! I am sharing what I read in July so far, although I am skipping any 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: The Joy of Politics
Author: Amy Klobuchar
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 5/9/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This proved to be an interesting book to read over the July 4th weekend. Amy Klobuchar was one of the many democrat candidates for president in 2020, ultimately leaving the race and supporting Joe Biden. This memoir covers that time, as well as her experiences with breast cancer, the pandemic, the insurrection, and much of her work as a United States Senator.
“During the past few years, as our country has faced unprecedented challenges, Senator Klobuchar has been in the room where it happens―on the Senate floor for critical votes during the pandemic, at the debate podium during one of the most critical presidential elections in US history, and in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the building, interrupting the certification of the electoral college. It was well past midnight when Klobuchar stood beside then-Vice President Pence to officially certify President Biden’s victory. In her candid, honest, and at times bitingly funny memoir, the pragmatic senator shares insider stories from these historic moments, while also inviting readers into her personal life. An underdog in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary campaign, she built surprising early momentum–only to suspend her candidacy in order to support Joe Biden. Within weeks of returning to work in the Senate, the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 hit her family directly. Her husband got very sick and spent a week in the hospital on oxygen and a month in isolation. Klobuchar shares her experience facing a cancer diagnosis while watching her beloved father succumb to Alzheimer’s. She recounts the dramatic narrative of January 6 and how close we came to losing our democracy. And, with her signature humor, she reveals what it’s like to work with some of her more…well, interesting…colleagues.”
I found the personal stories and descriptions of various policies to be interesting, while some of the more economic issues were harder to follow. Klobuchar makes a strong argument on abolishing the filibuster in order to pass laws. While there is some repetition and bragging when it comes to accomplishments, I liked the way she chose to find the joy in her work.
Title: The Last Word
Author: Taylor Adams
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow, 4/25/23
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: On my TBR
My Rating: 4 Stars
My May Book of the Month pick was The Last Word by Taylor Adams. I have read both No Exit and Hairpin Bridge and figured I might as well round that out with The Last Word. This one is about Emma, who leaves a 1 star review on a book she reads after her neighbor suggested she read it. In no time at all, Emma finds herself stalked by the author of the 1 star book.
“Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules. One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too? As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?”
There is a book within a book which gives an alternate narrative to Emma’s story and situation. There were twists, some of which I was able to predict ahead of time. There is violence towards Emma’s dog, but she is ok in the end. This was a very quick read.
Title: The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
Author: Matt Cain
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books, 5/24/22
Source: libro.fm
Why I Read It: On my TBR
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had this saved on libro.fm as a book I wanted to listen to, but I don’t think it had been there since it came out last year – if so, I put it off for a long time! This one is about Albert, a postman in an English town. He lives alone with his cat. When he is told to retire at age 65, he starts considering his life.
“Every day, Albert Entwistle makes his way through the streets of his small English town, delivering letters and parcels and returning greetings with a quick wave and a “how do?” Everyone on his route knows Albert, or thinks they do—a man of quiet routines, content to live alone with his cat, Gracie. Three months before his sixty-fifth birthday, Albert receives a letter from the Royal Mail thanking him for decades of service and stating that he is being forced into retirement. At once, Albert’s simple life unravels. Without the work that fills his days, what will he do? He has no friends, family, or hobbies—just a past he never speaks of, and a lost love that fills him with regret. And so, rather than continue his lonely existence, Albert forms a brave plan to start truly living, to be honest about who he is . . . and to find George, the man with whom he spent one perfect spring and summer long ago. One painful yet exhilarating step at a time, Albert begins searching for George and revealing his story to those around him. As he does, something extraordinary happens. Albert finds unlikely allies, new friends, and the courage to help others—even as he seeks the happiness he’s always denied himself.”
Albert decides to find his past love, George, and he begins to find friends and come out as gay for the first time. This book looks back at the history of how gay men were treated in the UK. Another character, Nichole, also gets a viewpoint as she and George get to know each other. I liked this listen and the friends that Albert found on his journey.
Title: Will They or Won’t They
Author: Ava Wilder
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dell, 6/27/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This lovers to enemies to second chance lovers rom com is set in Hollywood and reminded me of my days of “shipping” not only a show’s main couple but the actors who played them. Shane and Lilah co-star on a supernatural TV show and have hated each other since they broke up and Lilah left the show. Now she’s back for the final season and they have a lot to work out between them.
“Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love—at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, Lilah and Shane spent years pining for each other onscreen . . . until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a movie star. With no such luck, she’s back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which Lilah and Shane’s characters will get together at last. But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of season one, the two of them have despised each other. Now reunited on set for the first time in years—with the world’s eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line—they’ll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they’re not careful, they might just get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.”
I liked how therapy was encouraged and helped Lilah and Shane, but thought there could have been more time spent working through the issues that caused their break up in the first place. I didn’t find that I liked Lilah very much as she seemed vindictive and there wasn’t really a later explanation of her behavior. The book was made longer by a strange last minute flashback towards the end that didn’t seem to be necessary. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite celebrity rom com but I am glad I read it.
Title: My Week With Him
Author: Joya Goffney
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: HarperTeen, 7/11/23
Source: Storygram Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
While this was a quick read, it also felt long, which doesn’t really make sense. It is a YA friends to more with best friends Nikki and Malachai ending up together for most of this book (there is very little where they are only friends, but it is referred back to).
“Nikki can’t wait to leave Texas and follow her dreams of a music career. After a painful betrayal by her sister and a heated argument with their mother, Nikki is kicked out and finds herself homeless. She decides to go to California to pursue her singing career. When her best friend, Malachai, discovers her plan to flee Texas, he begs her to spend the remainder of spring break with him. He believes that over the course of a week, he can convince her to stay in Texas, or to at least graduate high school. But their plans are interrupted when Nikki’s little sister Vae goes missing. Nikki is forced to work alongside her difficult mother as they set off in search of Vae, with Malachai’s support. Will Nikki find a reason to stay in Texas, or will this spring break be the last time she sees them? Through her emotional journey, Nikki ultimately finds the love she’s always been missing and discovers the power of her own voice.”
While the book should be about Nikki and her mother, as their relationship is central to Nikki’s story, it tends to lean towards the romance and less on the family issues. There was a lot of driving out of town and then coming back involved. I really loved a previous book by this author and I’m sorry this one wasn’t as great for me.
Title: All The Things We Don’t Talk About
Author: Amy Feltman
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 5/24/22
Source: Library Audio and Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on Shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was on my read soon shelf for a year. Oops. I received it from the publisher and meant to read it, finally getting around to listening to the audio version, which I think was a smart decision. This is a story about Morgan, a non-binary teen, their neurodivergent father, and their alcoholic mother.
“Morgan Flowers just wants to hide. Raised by their neurodivergent father, Morgan has grown up haunted by the absence of their mysterious mother Zoe, especially now, as they navigate their gender identity and the turmoil of first love. Their father Julian has raised Morgan with care, but he can’t quite fill the gap left by the dazzling and destructive Zoe, who fled to Europe on Morgan’s first birthday. And when Zoe is dumped by her girlfriend Brigid, she suddenly comes crashing back into Morgan and Julian’s lives, poised to disrupt the fragile peace they have so carefully cultivated. Through it all, Julian and Brigid have become unlikely pen-pals and friends, united by the knowledge of what it’s like to love and lose Zoe; they both know that she hasn’t changed. Despite the red flags, Morgan is swiftly drawn into Zoe’s glittering orbit and into a series of harmful missteps, and Brigid may be the only link that can pull them back from the edge.”
This is a character driven, literary story, in which not much happens. And when things do happen, including an attempted school shooting at the beginning, nothing really comes from them. Morgan is suffering from trauma and while they develop relationships with various people, nothing seems to go right for them. I think I would have liked a bit more plot to thoroughly enjoy this one, although I did like the audio narrator, Sagan Chen.
This post includes 6 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 4 were print and 2 were audio. 5 were adult books and 1 was YA. Genres included memoir, thriller, contemporary, rom com, and literary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?