what I read | 007

July was another great month for reading for me! I had a lull in how much I was reading around the launch of Craft Your Brand, but after that I finally kicked my butt into gear to start reading again. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but as of July I’ve read 43 books this year. I can’t remember the last time I read that many books in one year, if I ever have. I really am truly grateful that I have carved out the time in the evening and on the weekend to dedicate to read more.

A lot of people are amazed that I read so much, but here’s the secret: it’s easier than you think. It’s all about setting aside time that you’d regularly be scrolling through social media and instead just pick up a book! So, instead of looking through social media before bed, I grab my Kindle and read until I get sleepy, which is anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour. I also like to read in the morning sometimes before I start working and on the weekend while D is at school studying. It’s all about making what you want to do a priority.

So anyway! I read six books last month and listened to one audiobook! Here are my thoughts on my three favorite books + the audiobook:

Luckiest Girl Alive

Do you guys ever just grab a book because you’ve heard a lot about it even though you aren’t really sure the plot line? Well, that’s what I did with this one. I remember seeing on the Today show that Reese Witherspoon is producing the movie of this book, and it seemed like right after that came out this book literally blew up. I finally managed to get a copy from Overdrive, and I read it over just a few days. I had no idea about the story, but I went into it with an open mind. Overall, I really enjoyed it. As I mentioned in my review on Goodreads, a lot of people are up in arms about the similarity to Gillian Flynn’s work, and if you’ve read more than just Gone Girl by her, you’ll see it. This book is dark just like Flynn’s novels. I’m very interested to see who’ll be in the movie and how it turns out.

Note: If you’re sensitive to sexual violence, or just violence in general, please be aware that those things are talked about in detail in this book. It certainly caught me off guard, and I don’t want anyone uncomfortable with reading those things to be mad that I didn’t mention this if you read based on my review. So please, consider how you react to those sorts of things before picking this book up if you’re at all sensitive to those topics!

Backlash

I saw this book on the shelves at Barnes and Noble probably a month back and borrowed it on Overdrive as soon as I saw it available. This story is about a teen that’s bullied online and the consequences of being the victim. I think it’s really upsetting to hear that online bullying is such a big deal, and I truly think this is a book that should be on schools’ reading lists so that more young people understand why that sort of bullying is so bad. Each chapter of this book is told from different perspectives of the few main characters, so you see how each person is affected. There are notes on Goodreads that this is based on a real life story, and for that I’m not entirely sure, but it’s a very good story for young adult readers.

Down The Rabbit Hole

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book, but after seeing Holly on the Wendy Williams Show (what can I say? It comes on when I’m starting dinner, and it’s a guilty pleasure!) I decided to read through it. I knew that she was outing her personal experience of being a Playboy gal, but going into it I wasn’t really sure what to expect. She hadn’t given away a lot about what direction the book would take on Wendy, but I got the feeling it was overall a negative experience. Holly said that one of the main things that inspired her to write this book, other than to get her side of the story out there, was to help encourage women who are in bad relationships – to let them know that you can get out and can go on to do great things and be happy. After reading through this, I can absolutely see how that would relate. Some of the parts in this book are graphic and probably as frustrating to read as it was for Holly to look back and write, but it was a good read overall.

Spirit Junkie

Last year I signed up for a trial with Audible so I would have some books to listen to while driving over here to SC to visit D. It was a 10 hour drive, so I grabbed two books and this was one of them. I never got around to listening to it last year, so I decided I’d listen while walking with Zoey throughout the month. I’ve got to say, I didn’t love it. Although I wasn’t putting any of the action tips to work for myself, overall I just wasn’t impressed. Gabrielle was very flat while reading the book, even on things she was trying to emphasize. I liked the book overall for the fact that it walks you through her story and how she got to be where she is now, but it’s essentially just her version of the course she took, A Course In Miracles, that she’s reworked to be better understood by young people. If you’re trying to get your life on track after going through several rough years, this is probably a great read (or listen) for you!

Other books I read last month:
The Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen
The Revenge Playbook by Rachel Allen
Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan

What have y’all been reading lately? Anything you’d like to recommend?

P.s. If you’re interested in seeing my ratings / reviews of the other books I read last month or be up to date with what I’m currently reading, you can check out my Goodreads profile.