The last time I posted my monthly reading I was 7 books behind schedule on my Goodreads challenge to read 50 books this year. I am happy to report I shaved that down a little bit and I am now only 4 books behind schedule. I’m doing it, Peter! (Shout out to anyone who gets my Hook reference.)

With that, I read A LOT this month. Summer is always great for reading because I find myself on the beach or on long train rides a lot more often than I do in any other season. Ready to know what I read? Here we go.

 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I gave in to cultural pressure and read The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time. After hearing some *gossip* about the TV show I was expecting gratuitous violence. What I got was an intelligent, disturbing read that unfolds with such elegance and poise in its language that I had a hard time putting it down. In a future that seems nearer than ever, I followed Offred in a world where women fill specific, often biological roles, and have no choice over their existence. Powerful. Jarring. I get it now.

 

 

The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

I must have been in a post-apocalyptic mood because right after Handmaid’s I went right into Megan Hunter’s stunning novella about a couple and their newborn surviving the destruction of London. The story is tight, never revealing anything without its emotional impact on the main character and you, the reader. This reminded me of a feminine spin on The Road. 

 

 

The Jaws Log by Carl Gottlieb 

I took myself out of fiction for a breather with The Jaws Log, suggested to me by my Jaws-obsessed boyfriend. I was happily surprised to find I couldn’t put this book down! Written by one of the screenwriters of the film, this book shares all the behind the scenes details of the making of this movie. It is, absolutely, an incredible book to read if you have any interest in movie-making at all.

 

 

Woman Code by Alisa Vitti

An influencer I follow on Instagram suggested this book to her followers and once I looked it up it sounded exactly like what I needed. I know the cover can be intimidating: FERTILITY?! SEX DRIVE?! But honestly, it is an amazing book all about syncing your life to your cycle– how to eat, workout etc. all so you live in harmony with your body instead of against it. I am obsessed and continue to go back to it for reference every day. Can’t wait to use it more!

 

 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Last week when my little brother was staying over he looked at my boyfriend’s bookcase and pointed to this to say, “One of my favorites.” So I picked it out for my next read. It’s fiction but reads very much like a guide to life, meditation, and believing in your own greatness and the greater energy of the world (whether that’s God to you or something else). It’s a lovely tale and I can see myself reading it again when I need a boost spiritually.

 

 Dare Me by Megan Abbott 

I read a review of Megan Abbott’s newest book Give Me Your Hand  in New York Mag last month and I knew I had to read her other books immediately. I am writing a Western that focuses around a girl of about 15. I have a hard time balancing some pretty adult themes with her age. Abbott does this seamlessly. So I picked up Dare Me first and I was BLOWN away by the craft and energy of this book. I just found a new author that I LOVE!

 

There it is! My books from July. Let me know if you’ve read any of these or if you have suggestions for August. I am planning lots of beach time!