July Reading Recap & Recommendations

Another month of 2020 has come and gone and wow I can't believe we are already in August. This past month was a good reading month and I can't wait to share some of the books I enjoyed while at the pool or beach!

Let's dive right in book nerds!

The Woman in Cabin 10 by: Ruth Ware

This book is about a travel journalist who embarks on a small cruise ship when she one night sees someone go overboard. She is sure she heard a scream but following the scary event, nothing is adding up. The people on this trip aren't who she thought they were.

I really like Ruth Ware's writing and have enjoyed several of her books. This one did have a crazy ending but I wasn't a huge fan of the plot. I am not someone who likes story lines involving cruise ships because I just feel claustrophobic reading about it, ha! Overall, a good intense thriller, but not my absolute favorite by her.

Rate: 4/5 Stars

Here's to Us by: Elin Hilderbrand

After world renowned chef Deacon Thorpe passes away, his dying wish is fulfilled when the three very different woman who were married to him, gather at his Nantucket home to spread his ashes. The drama that ensues will either break these very different families apart forever or create a bond no one saw coming. 

I have to be honest, the best part of this book was that it was set in Nantucket. I was LIVING for the dreamy descriptions of Nantucket sights, foods, and places. The positives end there though. The characters of this book were just horrible people and I didn't really like any of them. The story line was interesting enough, but the characters were so horrible and annoying it didn't do much for me. 

Rate: 2/5 Stars

Call It What You Want by: Brigid Kemmerer

This book is about Rob and Meagan, two high achieving and previously popular teenagers who are hiding from secrets and family drama. When they are paired together for a group project, they find that they may have more in common than they originally thought.

This book is one of my favorites of the year! I love Brigid Kemmerer and her previous books have stuck with me. This one is no different. I love these characters and the way she wrote their relationships with others. I highly recommend this one!

Rate: 5/5 Stars



Bring Me Back by: B.A. Paris

Finn and Layla are engaged and on vacation when Layla disappears at a rest stop when they break to use the restroom. Years pass and no one has seen or heard from her, so Finn assumes the worst. Ten years later, Finn is engaged to Layla's sister Ellen, when someone from his past claims to have seen Layla, hiding in plain sight. What ensues is a twisted web of secrets and games. No one is who you think they are.

Paris has done it again with a thriller that will leave you utterly shocked at the end. I didn't love the overall story line of this one as much as her other books, but the ending is so shocking! I love this book and all of Paris' books so far!

Rate: 4/5 Stars



Home Before Dark by: Riley Sager

This book is about Maggie Holt, a restorer of old homes who was too young to remember the haunted nature of Baneberry Hall, the house that made her family famous. When she returns to the Victorian estate in the Vermont woods, she is inundated with questions about the book her father wrote years ago, telling the haunted stories of their two weeks living there. She has grown up with the book following her family, but is ready to put the past behind her. However, as she stays at Baneberry Hall during renovations, she begins to learn that not everything in her fathers book is a lie. 

Y'all this book is FREAKIN CREEPY!!!! There were several times I was pretty regretful that I read it at night, ha! Riley Sager knows how to write skin crawling thrillers that will leave you looking twice around every corner. This whole story is crazy and is one plot twist after another. Highly recommend if you want a good spooky book to read in one night.

Rate: 5/5 Stars!!!!

The One and Only Ivan by: Katherine Applegate

In this bestselling children's chapter book, a gorilla named Ivan tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Stella as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.

This book melted my heart y'all. I love reading children's books so that I can have plenty to recommend to my students. This one is so sweet. I can't wait to see the movie adaptation on Disney Plus August 31st. 

Rate: 5/5 Stars

Those are all of the books I read in July friends. What did you read? If you ever have any good recommendations for me, I would love to hear them in the comments below. I will talk to you soon!

xoxo