July felt like it went by in a blink while simultaneously being a million years long. Why does that extra day make a month feel so long?? But anyway, it allowed me to read more books than usual! All covers are linked to Goodreads.
Nightfall, by Shannon Messenger
★★★★
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Release Year: 2017
I think this was my favorite Keeper of the Lost Cities book so far. In a lot of ways, the premise of this series reminds me of Harry Potter, but the characters are so much more developed (and MUCH more emotionally intelligent), and I love that Shannon Messenger puts so much effort into creating cultures for the other species as well (goblins, ogres, gnomes, dwarves).
1776, by David McCullough
★★★.5
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Release Year: 2005
This was an excellent and detailed look at the battles and military movements of the American Revolution in 1776. It focused mainly on Washington and not, as I had expected, on Congress and the Declaration of Independence, but I appreciate McCullough's goal, which was to demonstrate to a modern audience how bleak the war looked for the U.S. at the beginning.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King
★★★
Genre: Comic
Release Year: 2025
I did a "Book vs. Screen" post about this one here.
The Shippers, by Katherine Center
★★★★.5
Genre: Romance
Release Year: 2026
This was so fun, and at the same time not lacking in substance! There were so many great lines, too! (My favorites being, "Stop calling her Sock Girl. She has a name. Her name is Bridesmaid Two," and, "There is no universe where you call me for help and I don't come running.")
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body, by Rebekah Taussig
★★★★
Genre: Memoir
Release Year: 2020
I loved the way Dr. Taussig structured each chapter as an essay tackling one topic–romance, healthcare, womanhood, etc–through the lens of her own experience. I truly enjoyed the writing style and valued my time engaging with this book.
Summer at Sunset Acres, by P Kettleburn
★★★.5
Genre: Romance
Release Year: 2025
This was such a sweet book! Closed door romance with a few very satisfying kissing scenes and men who ask for consent! It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I gobbled it up pretty fast.
Burn the Sea, by Mona Tewari
★★★★★
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Release Year: 2026
The perfect fantasy heroine doesn't exi–
Oh wait.
And the best part? SHE WAS BASED ON A REAL PERSON!
I absolutely love the brave, stubborn, feisty, clever, loyal, and loving character that Mona Tewari crafted based on, according to the author's note, "a queen who, in the 1500s, led her nation in a war against would-be colonizers and left her husband when he refused to do the same."
Apart from Abbakka, I loved the lush setting and the plot that kept me guessing at every turn.
I will warn prospective readers, though, that Mona Tewari is NOT afraid of killing off her characters! That's all I'm gonna say. 
The Girl From Greenwich Street: A Novel of Hamilton, Burr, and America's First Murder Trial, by Lauren Willig (Audio)
★★.75
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Year: 2025
I wanted to read this because of the subtitle, to be honest. The narrator wasn't my favorite, so that could have skewed my enjoyment of the book, but I found the story to be a tad slow (my husband agreed). I felt like everything was over-explained, and it was a little difficult at times to keep track of whose POV I was listening to. I did like that the author added Margaret Miller's case to the end of the book to give it a bit more closure, but I was kind of left wondering why I spent all that time listening to that story. It wasn't overly satisfying.
Swimming in a Sea of Stars, by Julie Wright
★★★★
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Year: 2023
I love that this book takes place over the course of one day and has five different POV characters. The main characters are all going through their own stuff, and a main theme is that you never know everything someone is dealing with from the outside, and that community and friendship are essential to mental health. Also, you never know the effect a kind word or act might have, no matter how small. I loved the themes and characters in this book so much!
On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume III, by Timothy Hickson
★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction
Release Year: 2023
Enjoyable to read and helpful in thinking about my stories and characters!
Cast & Crew, by Jenny Langford
★★★
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Year: 2026
I enjoyed the quirky cast of characters and the fun setting (a movie studio in 1915 Boston), although I did think the setting and language could have been more evocative. My main issue, however, was that the POV bounced around a lot, and the scenes were very short. Both of these things made the reading experience feel choppy and disconnected for me.
Reading Goals/Challenges
Goodreads Challenge: 71 / 120
Paper TBR: 10 / 12
Nonfiction: 17 / 12
National Month Challenge: 7 / 12
Cover Lovers Reading Challenge: 27 / 50
New Release Challenge: 13 / 12
Rereads: 5 / 5
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