As I shared a few weeks ago, I’m taking a break from the Saturday Weekend Read book reviews. The main reason is I’m not making time to write the individual reviews, and I would start stacking up books to write reviews over, dread it, and then not write anything at all (even other posts) because I would see this stack of books waiting to be reviewed.

This is not the only reason I haven’t been writing recently, but it’s one of my many excuses. Email me for a list of my other, just as lame, ones.

So now I’m just writing a post to wrap-up what I read during a given month.

We’ll see how long this lasts.

July was full but relaxing. Is that possible? I got some good reading time in.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Read this book. It’s YA fiction with an unreliable narrator and such a great twist! It started off a little slow, but when it finally got interesting, it got reallly interesting. The main character is a rich high school girl from a Kennedy-esque family on the east coast. Her and her cousins spend a month each summer with their families and grandfather on their own private island near Martha’s Vineyard. One summer something bad happens and Cadence can’t remember exactly what it was or why everything is so different now. That’s all I can say, but read this book and then tell me what you think! (I’m actually using this book as my first book club with students this school year, and I can’t wait to read it again with them.)

Kill You Last by Todd Strasser

This is the summer I tried to stop buying more books and made a pointed effort to work through my to-read list. It had gotten a little out of control and so I started requesting all of them from our local library and just working my way through them all. Kill You Last was on the list and I actually have no idea why. What I’m guessing is a student told me to read it. It’s a YA mystery-thriller book and sorta cheesy. It’s something I would have loved in middle school, but it was just silly as an adult. Give it to a middle level reader–but don’t bother with it yourself.

Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber

Oh, man. This one is good. Really good. It was on my to-read list and I borrowed it from the library, but I liked it so much I want to buy my own copy so I can read it again and write in it. Bolz-Weber is an atypical woman minister in the Lutheran church. Her path to Jesus follower is broken and bumpy but it is so good. She doesn’t shy away from things she doesn’t understand, worries she has about our witness, and loving people the traditional Christian system has said we shouldn’t. I found a whole lotta Jesus and a whole lotta Jesus in this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who struggles with what Christianity looks like or questions what the Church is doing. This book will make you think even if every single thing she writes isn’t something you agree with.

The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch

The majority of the time I read The Chronology of Water, I was afraid to tell anyone. This book is rough and, in a lot of parts, really horrific. Yuknavitch has had a really painful, horrible life that started with a father who sexually abused her and her sister. And from that place of absolute brokenness, she goes on a rampage of self-destruction. At times, I could only read a chapter and then I’d have to let it sit for a few days. What kept me going was Yuknavitch’s AMAZING writing and the hope that she could recover her life. I recommend this book but with caution. It’s hard to read the things she lives through and so many of the choices she makes as a young adult. This book is full of heartbreak and misery–but stick with it. It’s worth it.

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Historical fiction isn’t normally my jam, but I picked this up at a thrift store and it sounded interesting. The Aviator’s Wife is a fictional look at the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her famous husband, Charles Lindbergh. It covers their unconventional marriage, the kidnapping of their first baby, their children, their adventures, and their struggles. The Aviator’s Wife is such an interesting book. The shadow Anne had to live in, the distant Charles who was never around, and the secrets revealed as his life nears its end are engaging and compelling. Reading this book makes you want to go get a biography of Charles and read more about Anne. Their story probably isn’t what you think it is. (If you like historical fiction, I’d also recommend The Paris Wife by Paula McLain about Hemingway’s first wife Hadley; these books felt similar to me.)

Read any good books in July? What are you currently reading?

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DISCLOSURE: AFFILIATE LINKS USED

This is, for now, the end. I’ve felt it for a minute, but couldn’t figure out how to actually do it. The end of the weekend read book reviews. For a while, I’ve felt it was a chore to write the reviews. I would stack finished books on my desk but never get around to writing about them. I’d forget to take a book picture before returning a borrowed book to the library. I’d start to write a review and then never come back to it. I dreaded having to write a post about a book I read. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize I don’t have to write them. This is my blog! I can do whatever I want! I don’t have to write book reviews! No one is the boss of me here! *leprechaun kick* For now, I’ll still be sharing books I read on my book Instagram account. What I imagine happening is maybe a monthly rundown of what I’ve read with just a short blurb about a book as opposed to a whole dedicated Saturday post. Who knows if that will actually happen or not. But for now, it’s goodbye weekend reads. Will they be back later? Will this go to the remember when? section like outfits posts and how-tos? No. One. Knows. 

Gulp. This book is super creepy.

The Spider and the Fly by Claudia Rowe is a true-crime story of a serial killer and the reporter who tries to figure him out. I need to start with saying, I’ve been listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast and apparently I have a morbid curiosity with murders. Do with that what you will.

So when I came across The Spider and the Fly at my local library, I added it to my stack without hesitation. The night I started reading it, I woke up at 3 AM absolutely terrified, sure someone was in my house getting ready to kill me.

Now I remember why I don’t read scary stories.

But still, this book memorized me. Rowe explores serial killer Kendall Francios’ life, reasons, and history to try and figure out what leads a man to become a serial killer. But Rowe doesn’t keep her distance from the story, she makes it personal, crossing lines reporters are told not to, and the story becomes about her redemption as well as Francios’ unraveling.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. It’s creepy and chilling and horrible. The Spider and the Fly by Claudia Rowe asks whether serial killers are truly human and relateable to all of us and the answers she finds will scare you. Read this one, but only with the lights on in the middle of the day. Okay, thanks.

Purchase a copy of The Spider and the Fly by Claudia Rowe here.

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Oh my goodness, this book is so twisted and dark.

Sometimes when I go to find audio books on our public library’s site, I get frustrated because all the books I want have a waitlist, and I don’t like to wait for things. It annoys me that all the books I want to read are also wanted by other people. LAME. So I put my name on a million lists and then just start clicking other titles they recommend out of fear of never getting an audio book checked out…and that’s how I ended up with My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry. (Side note: without fail 3-5 books I’ve been waiting for FOREVER will all show up within a few days of each other and then I have to hold marathon listening sessions not from joy of reading, but fear of losing the book and going to the bottom of the list again.)

ANYWAY. Back to My Husband’s Wife. Gah, this book is dark, dark, dark. If you like psychological thrillers with twisted endings, this book is for you. (And the audio book is read by a woman with a British accent which makes the story that much better, truthfully.)

The story centers on Lily, a self-conscious, unhappy woman who meets and marries a man within a few months. There are problems from the beginning, but you think they’re her issues and not his. As the story switches from present-day (someone is covered in blood and dying–we don’t know who) and the past (Lily’s life as a criminal lawyer), the reader begins to understand the choices that have led Lily to unknowingly make moral choices that will affect her life and those around her forever. By the end of the story, one person is dead and two are in jail. Goodness, this book is messed up.

I loved it and it was highly engaging. This would make a great vacation read, you’ll be hooked and won’t want to do anything else until you get to the end so leave room for lots of reading when you start this one. My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry is enjoyable and chilling.

Buy a copy of My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry here.

LOVE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS? ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO READ? WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING? FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DEDICATED TO ALL THINGS BOOK-RELATED: @THEMARYGRAHAMREADS.

I came across You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson while we were in New York City last fall. I love visiting independent bookstores in places we visit and try to buy at least one book every place we visit. Since I’m on a budget, I often can’t buy every book I find so I end up taking pictures of them with my phone and then adding them to my to-read list when I have a minute.

I ended up getting You Can’t Touch My Hair for Christmas. I love Robinson’s no-nonsense style of writing and truth-telling. She’s funny, smart, and thoughtful. Her recall of pop culture events from her childhood is shockingly accurate. I seriously can’t understand how she remembers that much about her youth.

Beside the humor, You Can’t Touch My Hair is also thought-provoking and socially conscious. Robinson makes good points about living as a black woman in America, women’s issues, and struggles to still have the same rights as other sexes and races. I enjoyed reading this book even if some of her views differ from my own. But hearing from someone whose life experiences are different than mine is always helpful and important so I’m going to keep reading books that push me and make me think. I highly recommend you do the same thing and You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson is a great place to start.

Buy a copy of You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson here.

LOVE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS? ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO READ? WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING? FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DEDICATED TO ALL THINGS BOOK-RELATED: @THEMARYGRAHAMREADS.

I’m not actually sure how I ended up downloading this audio book from the library. I think all the books I was looking for were wait-listed and this title was suggested. I was desperate. I clicked download.

Stretch by Scott Sonenshein is all about people and companies that do more with less and the idea that most of the time, the more resources, money, time, etc. we have means we accomplish less. When our resources are limited, we’re more likely to think outside the box and be more creative.

I like those claims because I always feel like I don’t have enough time, resources, money, or anything else. I always wish I had more: more hours in the day, more time to sleep, more weekend, more patience, more margin.

Stretch is all about how constraints and challenges actually work in our benefit. It’s chock full of stories of people and companies who were able to stretch when they came up against challenges and how stretching actually led to their success.

If business, growth, creativity, or doing more with less is your thing, I highly recommend you check out Stretch by Scott Sonenshein. It’s an inspiring, interesting read.

Buy a copy of Stretch by Scott Sonenshein here.

LOVE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS? ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO READ? WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING? FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DEDICATED TO ALL THINGS BOOK-RELATED: @THEMARYGRAHAMREADS.

Um, what?

I learned about We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler when someone shared it on Instagram. It is an interesting book. It’s hard to give a good summary without giving away part of the story the reader isn’t told until about halfway through, but I’ll try…

The main character, Rosemary, is missing a sibling. The circumstances are iffy and the narrator’s memory from when she was a small girl is unreliable, but from her point of view, it’s definitely Rosemary’s fault. Her older brother blames her. Her mom’s depression and downward spiral are all her fault.

But no one is talking about what happened. As a reader, you’re often left with questions and stories that don’t seem complete. And then. And then you learn the rest of the story.

It’s definitely a unique book. At times I felt lost as I read the story, but as the missing bits start to come out, you’re left with a family trying to do the right thing even though it hurts and destroys so much. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler would be a good book club read because you’ll need to ask questions and share your thoughts with someone.

Buy a copy of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler here.

LOVE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS? ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO READ? WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING? FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DEDICATED TO ALL THINGS BOOK-RELATED: @THEMARYGRAHAMREADS.

I should have read this book a long time ago.

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is enjoyable, smart, and engaging. Her stories of being an introvert who loves to write by herself to sharing her imagination with millions of TV viewers is interesting and encouraging. I love her writing style and reading this book makes me want to go back and finally watch Gray’s Anatomy (don’t hate, I’ve never seen a single episode of it).

Rhimes writes with humor, self-deprecating clarity, and honesty. I don’t personally agree with every stance and political view she shares, but that didn’t turn me off from her stories at all. I have to read books from people whose opinions differ from me. It keeps me sharp. It makes me think. It’s good to listen. (I hope you’re reading books like that too.)

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is entertaining books about Hollywood, motherhood, writing, and pushing ourselves to be better. Things I really enjoy and I think you will too.

Get a copy of Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes here.

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Oh man, I loved this book.

Actually, I listened to it while at the gym and it made me go to the gym more because I got to listen to it. Audiobooks have a strange effect on me: I either really love the book or I really hate it. There is no in between for me. I seem to be drawn to non-fiction audiobooks, but I also enjoy a good beach-read as an audiobook.

Reading to Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin was so enjoyable. The book is full of stories, observations, and action steps to be better than we were the day before. Not to be the best there ever was, but just small, manageable tweaks and observations that can lead us to better, happier, healthier lives.

Rubin breaks down our personality types in a new way (at least for me) and gives you ideas on how to improve any area of your life based on how you were created. I loved listening to her suggestions and stories. I’m all about that introvert, self-reflection life and this book just hit so many great notes for me.

I will say, after listening to the audiobook from my local library, I do want to buy a copy of this book to keep, re-read, and make notes in. It was that good. Grab a copy of Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin if you can, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

You can purchase a copy of Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin here.

LOVE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS? ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO READ? WANT TO KNOW WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING? FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT DEDICATED TO ALL THINGS BOOK-RELATED: @THEMARYGRAHAMREADS.