Monthly Reading Roundup - July 2024

 

Monthly Reading Roundup - July 2024 - What Books Did I Read in July?

July was one of my busiest reading months of the year. I'm still on my Summer break from college, so my numbers are likely to dwindle a little once August comes around. Not only will I be IN college, but essays will need to be done, assignments completed, and studying hours will be required. Studying is one of the times that I simply can't listen to audiobooks too, my brain will zone in on one or the other, never both! 

I completed 12 books in July (pop over to my reading list and ratings page for links to the full reviews for each of my July reads).

Maestra - L.S Hilton

Murder in the Family - Cara Hunter

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

The Botanist - L.K Hill

You Shouldn't Be Here - Lauren Thoman

In Any Lifetime - Marc Guggenheim

The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R Tolkien

Woman on the Edge of Time - Marge Piercy

Still the Sun - Charlie N. Holmberg

The Fox Was Ever The Hunter - Herta Muller

You Are Fatally Invited - Ande Pliego (RELEASE DATE 13TH FEB 2025)

Satan's Affair - H.D Carlton

Of the 12 books, 4 were physical copies, 6 were digital and 2 were audiobooks. A whopping total of 3081 pages and just under 26 hours of reading. My reading averages were around 99 pages or 50 minutes a day but, as always, some days were better reading days than others! Being off work for a couple of weeks, as well as being off college means I am leaning much more towards reading rather than listening, another thing that will change when I am back at college :)

I also started my YouTube channel this month which is great fun, I am learning so much about video production, sound, and editing, things I didn't realise I would need to know for simple review videos, but given the number of blank stares I give the camera, editing is a must! 

Top Rated Books

I only rated one book 5 stars in July, but paired with a whopping five 4-star reads, it was a month or real high-quality fare. Even a couple of my personal 3 stars were absolutely exceptional in terms of prose and symbolism, they just weren't my personal style. My 5-star read in July was Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter. It was the most unique book I've read since I got back into reading, it was great fun and captured me from the first to the last pages. 

Funniest Book

None of my books were particularly aimed at a comedy audience, however, my recent ARC read of You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego was tongue-in-cheek with moments of great irony and sarcasm. It's not a "funny" book but it certainly casts a light on the thriller genre, with a sardonic twist! 

Most Heartwarming

Still the Sun by Charlie N. Holmberg and In Any Lifetime by Marc Guggenheim were my heart warmers for July. They each had a sense of fulfillment and peace, with elements of joy that made them endearing and easy to read. 

Most Likely to Re-Read

I will definitely go back to The Fox Was Ever The Hunter by Herta Muller. There's more to be unlocked from this story that I just didn't see, or grasp the first time around. I'd also love to read Murder in the Family again, though it had such a unique concept that I wish I could read it for the first time, again! 

Top Five

1) Murder in the Family

2) In Any Lifetime

3) You Are Fatally Invited

4) You Shouldn't Be Here

                                                                5) Satan's Affair (I was so surprised                                                                                                                         at how amazing                                                                                     the plot was, despite the gore and significant spice!)

It was nigh on impossible to pick my top five, aside from my number one pick. The books were all so different and there are a few that I ranked lower in my own personal ratings which are very clearly exceptionally written. 

Next month I'll be adding a "Most Surprising" category, Satan's Affair was filled with really gory horror-esque scenes and incredibly descriptive and non vanilla spice scenes, but the plot was so enthralling that I was genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed it! 

Check out my video roundup below:

If you'd like to stay in the loop with new blog posts and reviews, you can FOLLOW MY BLOG by clicking the link to subscribe :) I also post bookish content on Instagram and YouTube. Happy reading!