July Reads

JULY READS

JULY READSWoot! We’re halfway through the week! And I have another good month of books to share with you.

This month was a binge-reading sort of month. I read almost nothing at the beginning of the month when we moved, then I read a bunch of books last week because I had 4 flights. I’m glad I loaded my kindle with some good ones before I took off for McCall last week!

Enjoy! And as always, let me know what you’ve been reading and loving. If you have any good suggestions, share in the comments below. 🙂


1. Will Write For Food by Dianne Jacob

July Reads

I shared this book in “8 Foodie Books To Read This Summer.” It’s essentially a text book about food writing…..blogging, recipe writing, restaurant reviews, freelancing, making money…the works. I learned a lot from it, and I probably could re-read it year after year and always get something new. It’s comprehensive, meaning lots of it didn’t necessarily apply to me (I’m not ever interesting in publishing a cookbook, for instance.) If you enjoy reading or writing about food, this is a must-read!


2. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

July Reads

I have a book club that meets every few months, and this time it was my turn to pick a book. I chose This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel because I keep hearing about it! It certainly led to some good discussion.

It’s about Claude, the youngest of 5 boys, who is born a boy but shortly later announces that he wants to be a girl when he grows up. I didn’t know this when I started reading it, but Frankel is the mother of a child who was born a boy but now identifies as a girl.

This fictional tale is an important one to be hearing, discussing, and thinking about right now. And beyond its thought-provoking story line, the novel is charming, funny, and un-put-downable.


3. The Dry by Jane Harper

July Reads

This is Jane Harper’s debut novel. It has more than enough stellar reviews, so I picked it up for my plane ride home from Idaho to give it a try.

Hmm…. I’m not so sure about this one. I love a good murder mystery novel, but this one was written a little too clearly. There wasn’t a lot of mystery to it. Everything was either completely hidden (so that’s impossible to use clues to even figure it out), or blurted out completely (she had groups of 10-15 pages when she’d spell out exactly whodunit.) I like a murder mystery that gradually reveals layers, peeling back just enough to make you guess. This one was all-or-nothing.

I did get caught up in it by the last 30% or so and read that pretty quickly. All-in-all, it wasn’t my favorite mystery novel I’ve ever read.


4. Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson

Kaylin recommended this one to me in most recent book post….thanks, lady! I listened to it as an audiobook this month (read by the chef himself) and thorogouhly enjoyed it. I’ve noticed a common thread with celebrity chef memories: they’ve all worked really, really hard to get where they are.

He has a fascinating story, starting with being born in Ethiopia, adopted by a couple in Sweden, and then training in restaurants all over Europe and New York. Whenever I hear chefs talking about their schedule of staying in the kitchen until 2 am, then waking at 5:30 am to do it all again, I’m like “nu-uh!!” Not for me. But I’m thankful for chefs who work so hard to open restaurants for us to enjoy!


5. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Before I read this book, I had never cried while reading….this was literally the first book that made me weep my eyes out. Even if you’re not into animal books (I’m TOTALLY not at all!) READ THIS BOOK!

This was a “stumble upon” book that I found in the airport book store. I immediately started reading it and fell in love. The back cover says “this is the book you’ll recommend to all your friends,” and that’s totally right! It’s sweet, a little funny, endearing, heartbreaking, and totally relatable.

I don’t typically enjoy animal books…but I’m a sucker for marketing, and the front cover is really cute. (Haha – I’m just telling you the truth!) I got pulled in, and now I can’t recommend this one enough. Add it to your book queue!!


This is where I need your help – what should I read next!? Thanks as always for giving book suggestions! Are you reading anything right now that you’re loving?

Talk soon, friends!

Kelsey

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Kaylin@EnticingHealthyEating
6 years ago

Oh yay! I’m so glad you read/listened to and enjoyed Yes, Chef. 🙂 It’s one of my favorite food-related books. I need to read Will Write for Food.

Kristle
6 years ago

I’m reading The Kept Woman right now and it’s so good! I love book posts 🙂

Alyssa
6 years ago

I actually read one of your recommendations last month, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake! Such an easy, light read!