July Monthly Recap

It’s time for our monthly recap! Find out which books were favorites, which were duds, and which ones we plan to read the following month. We’ll end our wrap up with a calendar of book-related events/facts from the Month of July and we’ll highlight our upcoming August content. This month, one randomly selected follower (email or wordpress follower) will win a $10 amazon gift card. Scroll down to see if you are the winner. The prize is only awarded if you contact us with your email address so make sure to check these monthly recaps each month to see if you won! We also want to hear from you so let us know what you read in July and what you look forward to reading in August. 

Jen
Well, I emerged unscathed from my reading slump in June since July was my most prolific reading month of the year. I didn’t really read any books that I hated this month although I did read two Becketts and he is most definitely not my favorite author.

Favorite book read in July: Native Son by Richard Wright. Honorable Mentions: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. The new Atwood (The Heart Goes Last) would have made the list but I haven’t quite finished it.

Least favorite book read in July: Malone Dies by Beckett. I struggle with stream of consciousness and while Beckett is a brilliant writer, he is not my cup of tea.

August Goals: I have made a pledge not to purchase any new books until I have cut down my physical TBR. My nightstand has been completely taken over so I bought two new bookshelves (see below – the bottom two shelves are my top tier TBR). I need a serious intervention. So, August will be the month of the physical TBR along with a few library books for my Shelfari group goals. I plan to read: Norwegian Wood by Murakami, The Heart Goes Last by Atwood, and a few of the Man Booker 2015 Longlist books.

Book Worm

Favourite Book read in July: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Philip K Dick. Honorable Mention The Killing Hour Lisa Gardner.

Least Favourite Book read in July: Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee.

Pages for Progress number of pages read: 2076

August Goals: Life After Life Kate Atkinson

And now for a look back at July…well Jen may have escaped her slump but I am now buried in my own. It’s not so much a reading slump as just not having enough hours in the day. I failed to achieve my July goal of reading Life After Life so that has now become my August goal, in defense of myself, my copy of Go Set A Watchman arrived from the library much quicker than expected and as a result all my other reading was temporarily put on the back burner. I only hope I can rediscover my reading mojo in August.

Here’s a look back at literary events in July.

What can you look forward to on our blog in August? In August we will feature our recurring posts: Love it or Hate it, Read Around the World, Featured Author (Salman Rushdie), and Kid’s Corner (Rosie Revere, Engineer). We’ll also feature reviews of several of the Man Booker Longlist books.

For more on upcoming content you can always check out our event calendar — featured on our sidebar.

We want to hear from you. What books did you read in August? Which your favorites? Least favorites? Is there anything you are looking forward to in August?

The winner of our follower appreciation is an email follower: Anita P! Anita has had some luck lately as she has won a few things here. I have your email, but in order to claim the prize you need to email me saying that you want to claim the prize! Congrats, you win a $10 gift card to Amazon!