July has been slower on the book front. Having covid really knocked me back in terms of work and focus…bring on August!
If you missed last month’s list…click here!
The Books
Independent Authors
Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit from Clean Energy
Brian F. Keane
Genre: Non Fiction
Length: 256 pages
First Published: 2019
Synopsis:
Renewable energy is good for your wallet. Green Is Good is a no-nonsense guide to how you can easily incorporate clean energy and energy efficiency into your daily life all the while saving money, making money, and helping wean your community off fossil fuels. A renewable energy future isn’t just good for the environment; it’s good for the economy, and Green Is Good will show you how—before it’s too late.
Review:
Rating:
The Others
Verity
Colleen Hoover
Genre: Creepy Romance
Length: 336 pages
First Published: 2021
Synopsis:
Colleen Hoover has another creepy romance… “Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.”
Review:
I am not 100% sure how I feel about this book. To quote others, crying, screaming, smiling… this is a book I can describe as “much”
As always I am obsessed with the writing style which is why I could not put it down. I knew what was coming and enjoyed it but still… spoiler time.
The concept of Verity, the esteemed author, being in a coma and needing a literal ghost writer is a great concept. Of course, the husband Jeremy is everything our ghostwriter Lowen is attracted to in a man so 1+1=2 etc. However, however; he is bland, there’s no “oo interesting” quirk he has. And I don’t quite understand the romance between the two. Still enjoyed the book so recommend it to people who are also in a CoHo chokehold.
Rating:
The Cartographers
Peng Shepherd
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Length: 392 pages
First Published: 2022
Synopsis:
Cartography has been Nell’s lifelong passion. Her father, the esteemed Dr Young was her role model and personal hero, until a cheap irrelevant gas station map causes their worlds to separate and ruin her reputation in the academic world of maps. Years have passed, they haven’t spoken, and Dr Young is murdered under mysterious circumstances…The map returns and the mystery of Nell’s past and future is unravelled in a fantastical novel.
Review:
Lately, I have been struggling with finding the raison d’etre for reading. Some call it a slump. This book has been glaring at me from across the room for a few weeks now, and I finally gave in. I am very happy that I did give in as my reading spirit has been rekindled.
The Cartographers is such a cool concept. It’s the kind of imagination I had as a child and reliving that kind of magic but in a more mature way has brightened my summer tenfold.
The characters are so varied and plausible, with intricate personalities and histories. The mc Nell and her love interest are what draws you in, to begin with, their individual paths being. so separate but so intertwined, it’s just a chef’s kiss really in terms of plot.
The many voices that tell this book may seem confusing at first, however it works so well in terms of storytelling and plot building. The twists and turns in the logic and story can be guessed, but when they are revealed it is still an “aha” moment even if you had worked it out.
Rating:
Exciting Times
Naoise Dolan
Genre: Romance
Length: 243 pages
First Published: 2020
Synopsis:
Ava moved to Hong Kong to find happiness, but so far, it isn’t working out. Since she left Dublin, she’s been spending her days teaching English to rich children—she’s been assigned the grammar classes because she lacks warmth—and her nights avoiding petulant roommates in her cramped apartment. When Ava befriends Julian, a witty British banker, he offers a shortcut into a lavish life her meager salary could never allow. Ignoring her feminist leanings and her better instincts, Ava finds herself moving into Julian’s apartment, letting him buy her clothes, and, eventually, striking up a sexual relationship with him. When Julian’s job takes him back to London, she stays put, unsure where their relationship stands. (from goodreads)
Review:
This book fell a little flat with me. I can understand the hype of the book, it’s exciting in the millennial finds herself in an unpredicted romantic situation.
Rating:
4 thought on “My July 2022 In Books”