July was another really solid month of reading. There are a few books that I think will end up on my “Best Books of 2024” list, and a great mix across genres, too. Some of the books really ended up surprising me (in a good way!) with how much I loved them even though they’re not my typical genres, and I had some continuations of favorite series, which is always just so fun when you get to return to a favorite fictional world. Here’s everything I read in July.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
(I got an early copy of this through Libro.fm, but it’s out now.) The description of this book isn’t exactly uplifting, so bear with me, because it was one of my favorites for the month, and probably the year. Phoebe arrives to check in at a luxe hotel in Rhode Island only to find that her reservation has been accepted mistakenly – the rest of the hotel has been booked out for guests of a wedding happening that weekend. Phoebe is determined to stay anyway, though – her stay here was supposed to be a celebratory, fun stay with her husband, but is now a solo stay where’s planned to have one decadent stay before committing suicide. The book is both poignant and surprisingly funny, too – it’s an investigation of sorts into the decisions that we make and how our lives unfold. It’s really heartwarming and I absolutely recommend it, though I’d warn you to check if reading about attempted suicide or infertility may impact you.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
This is a really diverse, YA fantasy with Mexican-inspired mythology. Every year, the Sunbearer Trials are held, where the Golds – the children of Gods – compete in a trial where the loser gives their life for the continued safety of their world, and the winner brings light to each of the temples to keep the darkness (and the things sealed in the darkness) at bay. But this year, two Jades – children of lesser Gods – are included for the first time, one of whom is Teo. Teo finally gets a glimpse into the world he’s long wanted to be a part of… and finds out things might not be as golden as he imaged. I loved the world, and Teo’s journey of acceptance as a trans boy is really beautiful, as is the rest of the diversity in the book (including Deaf representation). There were points in the book where I wanted a little bit more world-building, but I’m hoping that more of that happens in the sequel.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Science-fiction is not typically one of my favorite genres – I am more of a fantasy fan – but I really loved this story. In what seems to be the near future, a few British civil servants are secretly tasked with being “bridges;” basically acting as liaisons to people the British government has brought back from the past to the current time through a door that acts as a time portal. Commander Gore, who the main character is a bridge for, is thought to have died on a failed exhibition to the Arctic, and is very confused to find himself living in modern times, and devastated to learn that his crew did not survive. There are the expected learning bumps between Gore and modern times, but his bridge finds herself increasingly drawn to him… and finds that there’s a lot more going on that the bridges weren’t told about. It’s a really beautiful story, and covers a lot – racial microaggressions, feminism, global warming – in a way that doesn’t feel preachy. It’s a bit slow at first, and is definitely more character-driven at the start, but I loved how it came together.
Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage and Emily Amick
(I got an early copy of this through Netgalley, but it’s out now.) This is a great book to read right now!! Part civics book, part how-to for getting politically involved, and part workbook, it’s a really accessible and approachable look into the political climate right now and what we can do as individuals. It’s an answer to the hopelessness so many of us often feel about modern-day politics, and a roadmap into getting involved. There are quizzes and reflection questions to help you figure out what your personal passions and skills are, anecdotes from real people who did successfully get involved and make changes, and explainers about how political change really does happen and the different steps it takes. I really, really recommend this, and really recommend it now, as the election is approaching.
The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord
(I got an early copy of this through Netgalley, and it will be out on 8/13.) This is an extremely fun rom-com that I had so much fun reading. June and Levi are childhood friends who went through a falling out and haven’t spoken for years, but they have one new thing in common – they’ve both gone through incredibly public break-ups. The two run into each other at a tea shop June is the new owner of, taken over from her sister after she passed away, and a photo of June and Levi together goes viral as the Internet thinks that the two are now together. June and Levi decide to go with it, and use their new popularity to fake-date their way into what they went – June, to get back at her ex, and Levi, to get back with his ex. But as always, fake dating can end up with extremely real feelings! The story is so cute, but tackles deeper issues like death and grief and growing up really well, too.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
If you’ve ever wished that you could live inside the world of your favorite book, you must read this! Eileen has had a rough year, which is why she’s decided to go on her annual book club’s retreat alone, after the rest of the members aren’t able to make it. When her car breaks down on the way, she thinks it’s just one more in her string of bad luck, until she wakes up the next morning and realizes the tiny town she’s found herself in is, inexplicably, the town from her favorite romance series… but in a frozen, unchanging version of it, where the same thing happens every day. And with an extremely cute bookstore owner who was never once mentioned in the series, too. This book was so perfectly cute that I just didn’t want to stop reading it! And I loved how it handled growth and moving on after setbacks, and believing in yourself, too. I just loved reading this.
Docile by Hyeseung Song
(I got an early copy of this through Netgalley, but it’s out now.) While I did get an early copy of this through Netgalley, I also finished some of it on audio, and the audiobook version is also excellent. This is a really moving memoir, though hard to read at times. Hyeseung grows up in Texas as the child of two immigrants, never really feeling like she fits in. She does her best to excel academically throughout high school, earning spots in the Ivy Leagues. While there, though, she struggles with her mental health and eventually checks herself in to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. After getting a diagnosis and treatment for the first time, Hyeseung has to work to learn what she wants for her life, and what would make her happy, not what her parents want for her. The memoir is a really incredible coming-of-age while dealing with mental health struggles and the “model minority” myth, too.
Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
The Discovery of Witches series is one of my favorites, so when I realized there was not one but two new books out in that world, I was extremely excited. This book follows Marcus, one of the de Clermont’s, with flashbacks to the Revolutionary War as he was turned to a vampire, and Phoebe, who is about to be turned. Phoebe’s new journey makes Marcus think back to his youth, and about his own vampire journey. It wasn’t a super plot-heavy book, but was a nice peek into other members of the de Clermont family, and into what time can heal and how we can move forward and heal old wounds ourselves, too.
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
This is the newest book in the Discovery of Witches world. It goes back to following Diana and Matthew, as their twins, Pip and Rebecca, are starting to develop their own witchy talents, a letter from the Congregation arrives, calling them in for testing. On the same day, a group of ravens also arrives, with a message that calls Diana home to Ravenswood, her ancestral home. While there, she learns more not only about magic, but about her past, too, throwing things that she had thought were immutable truths into new light. Diana has to decide what path she wants her own future to take, all while coming to terms with her family’s past. I really liked this, but was a little bit let down by the ending! I’m hoping there are more stories to come in this world to give me a few more answers.
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
(I got an early copy of this through Netgalley, but it’s out today.) I love how Casey McQuiston writes queer romances in a way that feel sincere and not forced or too trope-y. Theo and Kit were childhood best friends turned lovers who broke up and haven’t spoken to each other in years. Both were supposed to go on a big European tour together, and both got vouchers when they cancelled their trip when it was originally scheduled… and both end up on the trip together, four years later, right before those vouchers expire. Though they haven’t spoken at all in those four years, they strike up a tentative friendship again, and try to prove to each other that they’ve moved on by competing with each other over who can hook up with the most people while they’re on their tour. Now, this couldn’t possibly make either of them jealous, could it? I liked this story, but it felt a little bit long – it switched POVs about halfway through, and that made it feel like it dragged a bit to me.
Pink Glass Houses by Asha Elias
(I got an early copy of this through Libro.fm, but it’s out now.) This book reminded of of Big Little Lies, in that it gives you a peek into the lives of the ultrarich (and those pretending to be!) in Miami Beach. Melody is a new transplant to this world, moving to Miami from Kansas for her husband’s job. She quickly finds herself being sucked more and more into the glossy world of the PTA moms at Sunset Academy, and even decides to run for PTA President against the longtime queen bee of the group. But as always in circles like this, there’s a lot more drama going on just under the surface, including a financial scandal that threatens to turn their bright sunny world upside down. I loved the peek into the lives of the rich and famous, but there are so many POVs in this book that I found myself struggling occasionally to remember who was who.
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