What I’ve Been Reading in July 2018
July was my joint second best reading month of 2018 and I thought it was about time I did a reading wrap-up.
I read nine books so I’m going to jump right in!
What I’ve Been Reading in July 2018
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg
This was a brilliant book. I haven’t settled on the sofa to simply read a book in ages, but I couldn’t help it with this book. The writing was edgy, the tone slightly bitter but believable. There really was no plot it was a simple look at a thirty-something-year-olds life and it was great. A real look at humanity, relationships, and what it means to love.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
I think this might be one of my least favourite Harry Potter books – I still love it, but it’s one of the weaker ones – I always thought it was the in-between with the rise of Voldemort in The Order of the Phoenix and the big battle in Deathly Hallows. But I still enjoy listening to the Audible version.
101 Awesome Women by Julia Adams
I got this book off of NetGalley and it is great. I didn’t half of the women in this book and the insightful descriptions and images made for a fantastic commute read. If you like Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls you’ll love this book.
Forgive Me Not by Samantha Tonge (published by Canelo)
I’m a bit biased when it comes to this book because my publishing house publishes it. But I can honestly say Wow! A complete U-turn for Samantha Tonge and it’s fantastic. Only £1.99!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
This book still manages to make me cry. Not because of what happens – although Dobby! – but because it signals the end. I desperately need to go see Cursed Child again soon.
Promising Young Woman by Caroline O’Donoghue
I was really looking forward to this book, and after seeing Caroline talk at a Feminist Book Club recently I was looking forward to it even more. I think it is a good book and a brilliant debut but it was lacking in places. The plot seems to lose track halfway through and becomes a bit indecipherable, almost try-hard in its intensity. But the main plot line is good and very relevant to today’s work environment. Worth picking up.
The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon
I thought I would enjoy this book, and in places I did, but I do think it is full of white privilege and a little bit of insensitivity. The author dreaming of getting anorexia to get thin, when she was a size 12, was a little too ‘uhh no’ for me – even when meant tongue-in-cheek. Still a good read if you’re in your twenties and want to know what living in London is like. But if you’re like me and don’t take drugs, don’t sleep with random men, pay your bills on time, and don’t spend your salary on designer items then it isn’t the most relevant.
She Must be Mad by Charly Cox
I haven’t read poetry in a while, and I think being out of practice didn’t help me with this book. It is full of wonderful poems in many different varieties of poetry, but I only clicked with a handful. I think with a bit more focus I could enjoy this a lot more so I’ll probably pick it up again in the future and have another go.
Choose to Matter by Julie Foudy
I actually really enjoyed this book. I was looking for a non-fiction background listen on my BookBeat app and came across this. It is a book of female strength and advice – I’m not going to call it a ‘self-help’ book, although people will, it was inspiring. Well worth a listen if you like hearing from real-life, strong, independent women with stories to tell.
And that’s what I’ve been reading in July. What about you? Let me know in the comments below.
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