Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in July 2022. I shared the first half of the books I read here. My top books of the month can be found here – although I have two more 5 star books to share in this post as well. I will be linking up with Lauren’s new book link up, My Month Is Booked, on Tuesday! 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 Dead Romantics
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/28/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
Florence is a ghostwriter who also can talk to ghosts. She is finding it hard to write love stories since she now believes love is dead. After her new editor won’t give her a deadline extension and she finds out her father has passed away, she heads home to her family and their funeral parlor. The next ghost that appears to Florence isn’t her father, but her new editor! And he’s apparently dead.
“Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead. When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father. For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it. Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is. Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.”
Everyone is loving this one, so I know I’m an outlier when I say I was bored. There were certain things that weren’t explained that I wanted to know more about. My favorite thing was that the town mayor was a dog – but why?? That was never explained either. Oh well.
Title: Wash Day Diaries
Author: Jamila Rowser & Robyn Smith
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 7/5/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This graphic novel is full of beautiful pages about Black women as told through five interconnected comics about four friends, showing us their lives, relationships, mental health, and their hair routines.
“Wash Day Diaries tells the story of four best friends—Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie—through five connected short story comics that follow these young women through the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx. The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair. Each short story uses hair routines as a window into these four characters’ everyday lives and how they care for each other. Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith originally kickstarted their critically acclaimed, award-winning slice of life mini comic, Wash Day, inspired by Rowser’s own wash day ritual and their shared desire to see more comics featuring the daily lived experiences of young Black women. Wash Day Diaries includes an updated, full color version of this original comic—which follows Kim, a 26-year-old woman living in the Bronx—as the book’s first chapter and expands into a graphic novel with short stories about these vibrant and relatable new characters. In expanding the story of Kim and her friends, the authors pay tribute to Black sisterhood through portraits of shared, yet deeply personal experiences of Black hair care. From self-care to spilling the tea at an hours-long salon appointment to healing family rifts, the stories are brought to life through beautifully drawn characters and different color palettes reflecting the mood in each story.”
I was impressed that with so little words we could learn so much about these women and their lives. Their friendships with one another were portrayed wonderfully. The illustrations of the women’s hair styles and routines were wonderful too. This is definitely meant for adults as some mature situations are portrayed. I do want to mention that when I was offered this book I asked if Black own voices reviewers had also been given this opportunity and I was told that they were, but that they were also offering it to readers who amplify diverse books on their platforms. This means a lot to me as I do try to read diversely!
Title: Flying Solo
Author: Linda Holmes
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 6/14/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is a book about Laurie, who remains single at almost 40 and is described as being a size 18. Being older and bigger is just part of the character and not a good or bad thing!
“Smarting from her recently canceled wedding and about to turn forty, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown of Calcasset to handle the estate of her great-aunt Dot, a spirited adventurer who lived to be ninety-three. Alongside boxes of Polaroids and pottery, a mysterious wooden duck shows up at the bottom of a cedar chest. Laurie’s curiosity is piqued, especially after she finds a love letter to the never-married Dot that ends with the line ‘And anyway, if you’re ever desperate, there are always ducks, darling.’ Laurie is told that the duck has no financial value. But after it disappears under suspicious circumstances, she feels compelled to figure out why anyone would steal a wooden duck—and why Dot kept it hidden away in the first place. Suddenly Laurie finds herself swept up in a righteous caper that has her negotiating with antiques dealers and con artists, going on after-hours dates at the local library, and reconnecting with her oldest friend and her first love. Desperate to uncover her great-aunt’s secrets, Laurie must reckon with her own past and her future—and ultimately embrace her own vision of flying solo.”
Laurie has returned to her home town in order to clean out her great-aunt’s house. Dot was also single and had no children, while Laurie was close to her as a child. While cleaning, Laurie finds a pained wooden duck that may give her more insight into Dot’s life. She also reunites with her high school boyfriend, Nick. I enjoyed this story and its unique characters!
Title: Hope Wins
Author: Dr. Rose Brock (editor)
Genre: Middle Grade Short Stories / Essays
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio, 5/10/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sounded good
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book is made up of true essays that tell about times that seemed dark but even so, hope wins. The stories are about overcoming adversities such as bullying, feeling different, loss, etc.
“Where does hope live? In your family? In your community? In your school? In your heart? From a family restaurant to a hot-dog shaped car, from an empty road on a moonlight night to a classroom holiday celebration, this anthology of personal stories from award-winning and bestselling authors, shows that hope can live everywhere, even—or especially—during the darkest of times. No matter what happens: Hope wins.”
I think kids would enjoy this book and they may be familiar with some of the writers who contributed.
Title: From The Jump
Author: Lacie Waldon
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: GP Putnam’s Sons, 7/19/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Loved her previous book
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
While I loved the author’s previous book last summer, I wasn’t as much of a fan of this one. It is about a group of college friends, including the main character Liv. The cover seems to imply a vacation setting, but while the group goes to South Africa, they are only there for a short time in the book.
“Liv Bakersfield is used to living her life in ‘shoulds.’ Be fit. Be financially responsible. Be your best self. An overworked graphic designer, she’s stretched so thin that she’s about to miss yet another vacation with her beloved group of college friends. But when Liv finally decides to start saying no, it feels good…good enough to leap straight into quitting her job and hopping on a plane to join them in South Africa. Amid the exotic landscape and unforgettable sights, Liv expects sun and safari animals and an easy time with her best friends. But such close proximity makes everything more complicated, especially with the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. Their friendship is the only thing in her life that’s still solid, and she vows to do anything she can to keep the group together. But once they get back to LA, Liv discovers that her leap of faith has become a freefall, sending her crashing into Deiss’s arms. With the trust of the people she loves most on the line, Liv must decide between doing what she should … and risking everything for what she shouldn’t want.”
I guess I just didn’t like Liv or the rest of the friend group and I didn’t feel that they were as close of friends even when we were told they were. I feel badly that I didn’t like this one more.
Title: A Trip of One’s Own
Author: Kate Wills
Genre: Travel Memoir
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 5/3/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I received this book randomly but it sounded interesting so I read it. It covers a history of solo women travelers and what the author learned from them as far as her own solo travels.
“Travel journalist Kate Wills wasn’t expecting to be divorced after less than a year of marriage, or to be forced to restart a life that had seemed so stable for so long. Luckily, her job as a writer offered her the perfect opportunity to escape from it all. But this time, with no deadlines to hit or all-expenses-paid trips to absorb in a few days before churning out copy for a travel magazine, her jet-setting felt different. There were no photographers working alongside her or assistants booking her flights. For the first time ever, Kate was traveling alone. Feeling unexpectedly out of her element, Kate began to scour history for stories of female travelers to inspire her. From a 4th-century nun to a globe-circling cyclist, Kate discovered that there have always been astonishing women who have broken free from society’s expectations, clearing the path for many of us to do the same.”
The first traveler that the author followed was a nun, Egeria, who herself was following the path of Jesus. This took the author to Israel, but she understandably did not focus on the Jewish areas of the land. However, it seems like quite a miss on her part that she was in Israel on the Purim holiday and reduced it to being the “Jewish Halloween” – it isn’t at all. The book provides tips for solo traveling as well as the author’s own divorce, break up, and reunion with her ex. It does address the privilege needed to be a traveler. The author is a fan of Eat, Pray, Love, and although I liked this book much more than that one, you can see some similarities in the journeys.
Title: Lessons In Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio, 4/5/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sounded good
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book has been everywhere and I was very curious about it! It is about Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the 1960s who becomes a feminist icon for her time.
“Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (‘combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride’) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.”
I really enjoyed Elizabeth’s daughter Mad and her dog Six-Thirty, as well as Elizabeth herself, as she was quite a quirky character. I saw someone mention that the book should have been called “Sexism in Chemistry” and it was definitely that. Elizabeth had to deal with quite a lot of it. Overall I liked the book but I wasn’t sure how realistic some of Elizabeth’s words were for the time period she lived in.
Title: A Shoe Story
Author: Jane L. Rosen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Berkley, 6/28/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
Esme is a young woman who put her life on hold after her parents were in a car accident. Now, she heads to New York City to try to pick up where she left off. She spends 28 days dog sitting in a fancy apartment where she has her pick of the most expensive and fancy shoes to wear out on the town.
“Esme Nash is eager to leave her small town and begin her carefully planned post-grad life: a move to New York City, an apartment with her loving college boyfriend, and a fancy job at an art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, instead of heading to Manhattan, she returns home to care for her ailing father, leaving every bit of her dream behind. Seven trying years later, Esme is offered a dog-sitting job in Greenwich Village by a mysterious stranger, giving her access to all of her long-buried hopes and dreams—as well as to an epic collection of designer shoes. Esme jumps at a second chance to step into the future she’s sure was meant to be hers. As she retraces her steps, one pair of borrowed shoes at a time, making new friends and reconnecting with her old love, Esme tries on versions of herself she didn’t know existed. But the hazy August days and warm summer nights pass too quickly, and Esme must decide how much of the life she imagined still fits, and what—and who—is on the road ahead of her.”
I thought this was a good story about the writing was a little drab. There is a second chance love story for a Yiddish speaking WWII veteran who embodies the (stereo)typical old Jewish man, as well as a love triangle for Esme to navigate – although both the men she considers are taken by others. Fans of fancy shoes will appreciate how the shoe closet saw Esme through her time in NYC.
Title: The Last To Vanish
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books, 7/26/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
Abby works at the inn near a hiking area on the Appalachian Trail. The town where it is located is the last known location for six different visitors who disappeared while in the area. Another visitor disappears and then his brother comes to find out what happens. Abby gets involved in the mystery.
“Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself. Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.”
Things this had going for it:
– Atmospheric
– Small town with many people to suspect
– Some surprises
Things that didn’t work for me:
– Too slow to get to the suspense
– Too much left unexplained
– The ending didn’t give me a payoff.
Title: She’s Up To No Good
Author: Sara Goodman Confino
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Lake Union, 8/1/22
Source: PR for author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Fans of Sara Goodman Confino’s For The Love Of Friends will be thrilled that She’s Up To No Good features the hilarious grandma, Evelyn!
“Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped. When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life. She insists the return to her hometown isn’t about that at all―no matter how much she talks about Tony, her unforgettable and forbidden first love. Upon arrival, Jenna meets Tony’s attentive great-nephew Joe. The new friendship and fresh ocean air give her the confidence and distance she needs to begin putting the pain of a broken marriage behind her. As the secrets and truths of Evelyn’s past unfold, Jenna discovers a new side of her grandmother, and of herself, that she never knew existed―and learns that the possibilities for healing can come at the most unexpected times in a woman’s life.”
When Jenna’s husband checks out of their marriage, she moves back in with her parents. And when her grandma suggests she plans to drive herself back to her home town on mysterious personal business, Jenna offers to take her. We, along with Jenna, learn about Evelyn’s life in the coastal town of Hereford, growing up in a Jewish family in the 1950s. In the present, Evelyn introduces Jenna to Joe, who shows her around the area. With these dual timelines, we come to know both of these wonderful women.
Title: Love Times Infinity
Author: Lane Clarke
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 7/26/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sounded good
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
This book is about Michie, a high schooler who is trying to write her college essays. She lives with her grandmother and they don’t have a lot of money, but she attends a high school in a wealthy area.
“High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie’s been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky. Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be. When Michie’s mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she’ll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she’s starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.”
Michie’s mom was raped, resulting in her pregnancy with Michie. Michie feels badly when rape is used as a reason for women to have an abortion. This could be seen as a pro-life argument, but an essay by the author explains that she actually thinks that there don’t need to be stipulations on when a woman should or should not have an abortion. In Michie’s case, she obviously struggles with whether her mother did the right thing, as although she had her child, she isn’t in her life. Michie goes to therapy and has supportive friends, as well as her grandmother, which is the true love story in this book.
Title: Mr. Perfect on Paper
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Mira, 8/9/22
Source: TLC Book Tours
Why I Read It: Jewish representation
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book is about Dara (yes, she shares my name!), a young entrepreneur who created the app J-Mate and J-eography for Jewish dating. She has an idea of who her perfect match will be and her grandmother outs her checklist on TV, which leads to a search for the perfect man for Dara.
“As the creator and CEO of the popular Jewish dating app J-Mate, matchmaker Dara Rabinowitz knows the formula for lasting love—at least, for everyone else. When it comes to her own love life, she’s been idling indefinitely. Until her beloved bubbe shares Dara’s checklist for ‘The Perfect Jewish Husband’ on national television and charming news anchor Chris Steadfast proposes they turn Dara’s search into must-see TV. As a non-Jewish single dad, Chris doesn’t check any of Dara’s boxes. But her hunt for Mr. Perfect is the ratings boost his show desperately needs. If only Chris could ignore his own pesky attraction to Dara—a task much easier said than done when Dara starts questioning if ‘perfect on paper’ can compete with how hard she’s falling for Chris…”
I tend to be critical of books with Jewish story lines, as not every Jewish person is the same and a book can’t speak for all of us. However, this book does a great job introducing the reader to the fall holidays as Dara is set up on dates in honor of each – each of which have hilarious results. While Dara is traditional and wants to marry someone Jewish, she acknowledges that even a Jewish match may not have the same beliefs and practices that she does. What makes finding a match harder for her is her anxiety. She seems to be unable to trust her own feelings as she feels that most everything is just due to her anxiety and not real concerns that she should have. The love story with Chris is a little less covered, while some parts of the book were repetitive and could have been shortened. Overall, this is a good book to pick up this fall!
Title: Dog Friendly
Author: Victoria Schade
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/28/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I have had the two previous dog related rom coms by this author on my shelf for awhile, but finally decided to read this one close to its release date and I loved it! I can’t wait to read the other two books now. Morgan is a veterinarian who is overwhelmed by her job. She takes a break as a dog sitter on Nantucket and becomes a foster to a reactive dog. She also meets Nathan, an easy going summer fling.
“Exhausted veterinarian Morgan Pearce is feeling overworked and under-thanked, so when two favorite clients ask her to watch their special needs senior dog in their Nantucket home, she jumps at the chance for a summer break. She hopes her time on the island will be a reset from the stress of her everyday life, but her chill vacation vibe takes a hit when she gets roped into fostering a challenging, anxious dog and helping plan the local rescue group’s glittery annual fundraiser. Her trip starts to feel more like a vacation when Morgan begins falling for Nathan Keating, an irresistible entrepreneur who thinks every problem can be solved on a surfboard. Just as the summer is shaping up to be the magical refresh she needs, thanks to a fling that feels like the beginning of something real and Hudson, the foster dog who reminds her how much she loves her job, a visit from her estranged brother and the discovery of who Nathan really is changes everything. Morgan finds herself at a crossroads, trying to determine if mistakes from the past must define the future, or if she should forgive, forget, and grab hold of a chance to finally rescue herself.”
I loved that this book is about dogs and friendships as well as a love story. The conflict that occurs between Morgan and Nathan felt real and understandable. It checked all of my boxes as a great rom com read.
Title: How To Raise an Antiracist
Author: Ibram X Kendi
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House, 6/14/22
Source: Publisher / Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
As this had been waiting on my shelf for awhile, I decided to listen to it, but I ended up following along in print as well. For a short book, this one is packed with important information and thoughts about raising children to be antiracist.
“The tragedies and reckonings around racism that are rocking the country have created a specific crisis for parents, educators, and other caregivers: How do we talk to our children about racism? How do we teach children to be antiracist? How are kids at different ages experiencing race? How are racist structures impacting children? How can we inspire our children to avoid our mistakes, to be better, to make the world better? These are the questions Ibram X. Kendi found himself avoiding as he anticipated the birth of his first child. Like most parents or parents-to-be, he felt the reflex to not talk to his child about racism, which he feared would stain her innocence and steal away her joy. But research and experience changed his mind, and he realized that raising his child to be antiracist would actually protect his child, and preserve her innocence and joy. He realized that teaching students about the reality of racism and the myth of race provides a protective education in our diverse and unequal world. He realized that building antiracist societies safeguards all children from the harms of racism.”
Similar as in How To Be an Antiracist, Kendi intersperses his own experiences in his life and now his experiences with his baby daughter in his discussion on how to raise an antiracist. I was pleased that he acknowledged antisemitism as an issue in the world as well as racism. His main points are that you should expose your kids to people who are different from yourselves and that you should not deny the existence of racism.
Title: At Least You Have Your Health
Author: Madi Sinha
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Berkley, 4/5/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This book was sitting on my read soon pile for months and I finally picked it up on the last day of July – and finished it on the same day! That took me by surprise, as it’s not a shorter book and I wasn’t even sure if I’d like it!
“Dr. Maya Rao is a gynecologist trying to balance a busy life. With three young children, a career, and a happy marriage, she should be grateful—on paper, she has it all. But after a disastrous encounter with an entitled patient, Maya is forced to walk away from the city hospital where she’s spent her entire career. An opportunity arises when Maya crosses paths with Amelia DeGilles at a school meeting. Amelia is the owner and entrepreneur behind Eunoia Women’s Health, a concierge wellness clinic that specializes in house calls for its clientele of wealthy women for whom no vitamin infusion or healing crystal is too expensive. All Eunoia needs is a gynecologist to join its ranks. Amid visits to her clients’ homes, Maya comes to idolize the beautiful, successful Amelia. But Amelia’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems. When Amelia’s teenaged daughter is struck with a mysterious ailment, Maya must race to uncover the reason before it’s too late. In the process, she risks losing what’s most important to her and bringing to light a secret of her own that she’s been desperately trying to keep hidden.”
I loved Maya as a character and how she wanted to educate children about their bodies in light of what she experienced as a gynecologist seeing patients who had no idea how their reproductive systems worked. The difference between working as a medical doctor and a holistic practitioner was great and both have their downsides. Through this experience, Maya is able to determine what she wants from her career and in her life. I loved her children as well. Maya is Indian and some racism and sexism is described, as well as difficult birth experiences and PTSD.
There you have it, the rest of my July reading! This post included 15 of the books I read this month – 2 of which were 5 star reads and could have been in my July Favorites post! Of these books, 11 were print and 4 were audio books. Genres included rom com, graphic novel, contemporary, historical, non-fiction, and thriller.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
