This month I ended up running out of steam with my last book, despite starting off the month reading at a good pace, so ended on my classic number of three books for July. It was a real mixed bag full of highs and lows even with so few books read, but here are the books I read in July:
Tell Me Everything by Laura Kay
Synopsis: Would you entrust your life choices to someone hell-bent on avoiding theirs?
Natasha has everything under control, at least that’s what her clients think. As a therapist, she has all the answers but when it comes to her personal life, she seriously needs to start taking her own advice.
Still living with her ex-girlfriend, Natasha’s messy love life is made up of dates and one-night stands. After all, why would you commit to one person, when there is an endless stream of people waiting for you to swipe right? Besides, people always leave.
But when Margot arrives on the scene, everything changes. Flailing between mending long-broken relationships and starting new ones, Natasha’s walking the line between self-actualisation and self-destruction… With denial no longer an option, it is time for Natasha to take control of her own happiness.
Rating: 4-5 stars
Recommendation: LGBT, queer, romance, contemporary
I’m so glad I read this book. Even though it was a romance, the romantic aspects were not the focus of it. Natasha was not finding herself through her love for someone else. She was finding herself so that she could love the right person, and it was a beautiful process to read. The whole cast of characters was vividly brought to life, each bringing something different to the story and Natasha’s life.
Having Natasha be a therapist, advising others on their lives while struggling with her own, felt like a great choice to me. I liked the uncertainty and hesitation from Natasha, as I felt like it reflected a lot of people’s approaches to their problems. While it’s not all sunshine and roses, if you’re looking for a rather wholesome queer romance, I’d highly recommend this.
It Will All Work Out by Kevin Hart
Synopsis: From beloved comedian and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hart comes an irreverent but inspirational take on what happens when you’re gripping the steering wheel of your life so tight that you’re about to run the whole thing off the road—and how to change into a happier gear. Join Kevin Hart as he identifies and battles one of the biggest obstacles to happiness—what he calls the Control Monster. This fearsome beast loves telling others what to do so that you feel safe and they feel miserable. Other times, the need to stay in control means hiding, avoiding everyone and everything that makes you uncomfortable. This means avoiding love and success too. Kevin looks at how control issues have shown up in his own life and how they might show up in yours. This masterclass homes in on why micromanaging your life and other people can lead to toxic relationships, stress, failure, and just generally being annoying to be around. He shares the secrets to getting your Control Monster under control and learning the life-saving power of trust.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Recommendation: non-fiction, self-help, essays
While I always appreciate a celebrity getting vulnerable, this short essay was not what I expected at all. When I say it was short, I mean it, and because of that, I don’t feel that Kevin Hart had enough time to make a very nuanced point. It was well written, captured his voice very well and balanced humour with a knowledgeable, serious tone that considered the importance of the message. I appreciated the analogy of control being a monster, and the explanation of the various forms anxiety can take because of it, but it was missing something. Everything he said seemed like mainstream information that he redressed. I don’t think it was the right essay for me.
Covet by Tracy Wolff
Synopsis: I may have reached my breaking point. As if trying to graduate from a school for supernaturals isn’t stressful enough, my relationship status has gone from complicated to a straight-up dumpster fire. Oh, and the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on us all… Then again, when has anything at Katmere Academy not been intense?
And the hits just keep coming. Jaxon’s turned colder than an Alaskan winter. The Circle is splintered over my upcoming coronation. As if things couldn’t get worse, now there’s an arrest warrant for Hudson’s and my supposed crimes—which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.
Choices will have to be made…and I fear not everyone will survive.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Recommendation: Young adult, romance, fantasy, paranormal, vampires, shifters
Since this is the third book in a series, I don’t want to go too far into the contents, but I will say that for most of the book, I did not hate it. I read it on Kindle and can decisively say I made it to around 75%, which was about 600 pages in, very easily before changing my mind and no longer having the will to go on. It started to drag. Pacing is crucial for keeping my attention on longer books, especially when I’m not entirely sold on them in the first place and this book lost it towards the end.
At this point, my curiosity and determination are the only things that could drive me to finish this series. Unfortunately, I’m starting to feel the fact that I’m not exactly the target audience, which also makes it harder to judge this book.
That concludes my reading wrap-up for July. I’m super excited about my August TBR, which I asked a friend to pick out, so I’m hoping it will be easier to get through than the books I picked out for myself this month!
Read 'N Riot 