July Reads

I should probably begin posts with a greeting; I’ve just not figured out what greeting it will be.

Happy New Month, everyone ☀️. I hope August is a step up from the rest of the year!

I can’t say what July was like, but I had some moments of self-reflection (which didn’t lead anywhere special sha), a bit of writing, and some staggered reading.

I completed four books. I know I could have finished more, but, well…

Here they are nonetheless.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

This book was in two parts. One set in the early 1900s, during the first world war, where Sophie Lefevre is trying to keep her family together, while her husband, Edouard is at the war front. The other is in the 21st century, with Liv Halston, a young widow, who has portrait of Sophie (done by Edouard, purchased by her husband) hanging in her room. The worth of the painting is discovered, and a court case begins, and Liv’s world is thrown upside down.

I am conflicted about this book, because I like Jojo Moyes and the writing was brilliant, but the story didn’t really do it for me. The first part was amazing. I stayed up all night reading it (mostly because I was sick and couldn’t sleep though), but the battle for the painting in the present began and I was just really tired of it all. I didn’t care much for Liv’s attachment to the painting and I can’t tell if it’s because I’m an empty shell or something with the writing.

It had a solid end. And I’d definitely recommend it for everyone who’s looking for something light to read.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

A genius work of science fiction/fantasy, though a bit confusing to read through, this had some of the best world building I’ve ever read! You can check out my detailed review here.

Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo

The book was about Yejide and Akin, who met, fell in love and got married, only to find that Yejide cannot get pregnant. The extended family forces a new wife on Akin, and Yejide decides she must have a child. What follows is tragic and devastating.

I keep reading books about marriages and they’re all so difficult. This marriage begins to crumble under the weight of family expectations, and lack of trust and it’s sad to read about.

It was a gripping read, but, I can’t, for the life of me, tell why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I might reread it at a later date, and have a better experience, but for now, it left much to be desired. I also, still, do not know how to feel about the end.

I’d definitely recommend it to everyone, because the story was amazing and the twists it took were unexpected.

Rating: [I really need to do a ten point rating system because of books like this] 3.5 stars 😀

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

The book is about Toru, a college student, who is falling in love with Naoko, his dead best friend’s girl friend (or ex-girlfriend, if you will). They’re both grieving the loss, but Naoko takes it harder and withdraws into herself.

I might have started this book five times previously, not going further than the third page. I don’t have a particular reason why that was, but, I wasn’t much interested. But I saw the book referenced in several places this year, and I had a desire to know more about it. It started off slow and in some ways, reminded me of A Catcher in the Rye, then it took a swift turn and just became weird (for want of a better word).

The writing was amazing. I feel a lot of it was lost in translation, couldn’t be accurately taken from Japanese to English, while maintaining its form, but it was still sooo good to read. The book had a lightness to it in places and got heavy and serious in others. The sex scenes made me feel weird, icky and must have had some sort of significance which I’m unable to grasp at the moment. And lastly, the end, was so suddenly melancholy, I haven’t stopped thinking of it since I ended the book.

You should read it. If you have the patience, you should read it.

Rating: Another 3.5 stars 😀

***

I haven’t completed There Was A Country because I am lazy and I get angry whenever I open it. I will write a review on it when I’m done, though.

What books do I have for the new month? I’m returning to Sanderson, but not The Way of Kings. I will complete the last books of the first era in the Mistborn series. I plan on reading Fahrenheit 451 before I see the movie, so that’s on the list too.

What about you? What was the best thing you read last month? What do you hope to read this month?

Till next time…

Thanks for reading!