I didn’t read nearly as much as I wanted to this month but I have been quite busy with real life demands, so I’m trying not to be so hard on myself. I still have so many books left to read and I’m not even halfway through my goal of reading 130 books this year, so I am definitely feeling the pressure.

The Good

I only found two books of the nine to be ‘standout books’ of July.

Find Her Alive by Lisa Regan was as superb as I thought it would be. It’s no secret that Lisa Regan’s Josie Quinn series is one of my all time favourites ever. This was book 8 (I think!) in the series and I am constantly surprised by the growth and change to characters and how they evolve with the series. I’m also a big fan of how each book focuses on a different main character.

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann was also a great book. It was one that lingered long after I had read it and even though I was a little disappointed with the end reveal, I still thought this book was fantastically written and showed a truly dark and chilling story.

The Bad

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware did not do anything for me. In fact, it was a chore to read it to the end. The structure of the story is a theme I’ve read quite a few times. It didn’t help that I have read an absolutely fantastic book already that follows the same structure. I just knew where the book was going which took the fun out of it. I was bitterly disappointed because this book appeared all over insta last year and with rave reviews.

The Impossible Boy by Ben Brooks fell short. It wasn’t my kind of book and my Mum would argue that is because its ‘a children’s book’. I disagree, as I read a lot of children’s books and love them. I just think that something either didn’t click with me or was missing. I couldn’t get on with this book at all. However, I gave it to my nephew and he seems to love it.

Reviews:

1. Gargantis by Thomas Taylor – ★★★★
2. The Vanishing Trick by Jenni Spangler – ★★★★★
3. Find Her Alive by Lisa Regan – ★★★★★
4. The Twits by Roald Dahl – ★★★★★
5. The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl – ★★★★★
6. The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley – ★★★★★
7. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann – ★★★★★
8. The Impossible Boy by Ben Brooks – ★★★
9. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware – ★★★