My July Reading List has tons of great suggestions for poolside reading!
I’VE READ SO MANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY!!!!
I love LOVE summer reading by the pool. Or in the pool. Or in the vicinity of the pool. This summer I’ve spent almost every evening on a raft, floating around the pool with a drink and my Kindle. It’s the best way to wind down before bed and the kids get nice and worn out splashing around (not near me! My hair! My Kindle! Don’t get pool water in my wine!) and giving my raft pushes that they call, “turbo boosts.” We all win!
I had trouble choosing which books I wanted to share with you this month (SOOOO MANY GOOD ONES), but decided on two that I recently finished and two that are on my list to read next. That way you get a couple with my stamp of approval, and a couple we can discuss together. Are we friends on Goodreads yet?
If you’re an audiobook type, I recently finished this one and really loved it. Keep in mind that I’m a true crime nerd though, so it was right up my alley. I’m currently on a David Sedaris kick, and I’m in the middle of this one right now. Again.
Here are my choices for this month:
What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross
This is one that I recently finished and really REALLY loved. Not only is it a total page turner due to the suspenseful nature of the plot, but it also presents moral dilemmas that aren’t quite as cut and dry as they seem on the surface. Lots to think about and totally hard to put down.
Via Amazon:
Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.
A List of Cages by Robin Roe
This is one of the books I have not read yet, but have already downloaded to my Kindle and plan to start it very soon. The reviews and description are so incredibly breathtaking that I feel confident I am going to absolutely love it!
Via Amazon:
When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian–the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.
Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.
The Party by Robyn Harding
This book was by no means life-changing, but it was absolutely addictive and entertaining, although a bit fluffy. If you enjoy Meg Abbot or just want a book that will entertain and keep you hooked, this is a great choice, especially for a day at the beach!
Via Amazon:
In this stunning and provocative domestic drama about a sweet sixteen birthday party that goes horribly awry, a wealthy family in San Francisco finds their picture-perfect life unraveling, their darkest secrets revealed, and their friends turned to enemies.
One invitation. A lifetime of regrets.
Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting coming of age, a milestone, and a rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah—a sweet girl with good grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant, indulgent affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, cake, movies, and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?
But things do go wrong, horrifically so. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb suddenly begins to come apart. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are revealed in the Sanders’ marriage, and the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah, is exposed.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I recently read two books by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Forever, Interrupted and One True Loves) and really loved them both! This title sounds like a ever so slight departure from her norm, but totally romantic and intriguing and fun all the same.
Via Amazon:
In this entrancing novel “that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all” (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
I’ve got several other books already queued up on my Kindle and plan on sharing them next month — I’d love to hear what you’ve got on your “to be read” list!
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