Book Club

What I Read in July 2025

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Do you have a thing with your friends where you’re like “we should do XYZ sometime” but then you never actually make the plans because just daydreaming about it is fun enough? I thought that’s what we were doing when we would say, “We should get a cabin for a weekend and have a reading retreat.”

But early in the summer one person reached out and said she had a friend with a house down at the lake and she’d let us borrow it for a weekend. All we had to do was plan this thing. It was on! Look–having a friend who actually gets the ball rolling is invaluable.

I made plans to bring extra things like games and coloring books because I thought we’d get bored of reading but… we never did. I did take a break from my paperback and popped on my headphones to color while listening to my audiobook but if I’m being honest it was just so that I could justify all the extra crap I brought along. Next time–only books.

I know that “comparison is the thief of joy” or whatever but comparing my reading speed to that of my friends was actually really validating to me. On Saturday S read 1.5 books, J started and finished one whole book, and I… got through the last 40% of mine. I have never, ever in my life started and finished a novel on the same day. I’ve always wondered if I’m just a slow reader or if I’m not as “committed” to reading as other people (there’s got to be a less negative way of saying that since I don’t feel bad about it–just curious). But when we were all reading at the same time, it was fun to see how different we all are! I wonder what it is about our brains that make some of us read so quickly and some much more slowly–I’m sure there are a ton of factors.

Anyway, here’s what my slow-reading ass read this month 😉

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman

It was…. fine. I gave it 3.5 stars. No complains but also nothing that, like, blew me away. But that’s also the nature of a cozy book–that’s how I’d classify this one anyway. It’s entirely possible this book will be someone’s absolute favorite of all time and it just wasn’t for me personally. So I say if there’s any part of you that says, “that sounds good!”, then you should definitely read it and let me know what you think.

Mattie Russell finds herself back in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, after the death of her mother. They’ve been two peas in a pod, living a nomadic life and never really setting down roots their whole life–to the point that even though Mattie is an adult, she’s not really sure what to do now that her compass is gone. So she heads back to the family home to stay with her aunt until she can gain her footing and can receive her inheritance–which comes with some really odd stipulations put in place by her mother years ago.

While she’s there she starts to discover some special things about the Russell home and the Russell women. Like how the house seems to be able to hear your conversations or how Mattie’s mother seemed to know exactly when she would pass away–and set everything in motion.

Again, this wasn’t my most favorite delivery on this premise (but I’m also not sure that you can beat The Unmaking of June Farrow when it comes to witchy themes, coming of age, and complicated mother-daughter dynamics) but I’d love to hear someone else’s take!

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

I know that Abby Jimenez is a beloved author in the romance space but for some reason I’d just never picked her up before and I regret that after reading this book! I really, really liked it!

Here’s how this book came to be in my possession. I was in Red Fern Booksellers in Salina, KS (a stunning, jewel of a shop if you ever get the chance to go). I was browsing around, minding my own business. I heard two customers in the romance section chatting about their favorites and one of them said she’d read everything by Abby Jimenez. So I approached–something I never, ever do by the way because I believe in the sanctity of browsing with your bestie in a book shop. But I did it. I explained that everyone has said I need to read this author but I have no idea where to start. After walking me through every single title they had on the shelf, and confirming that I was okay with a little grit and trauma in my romance–we settled on Just for the Summer. I wish I’d gotten her Instagram or something so I could tell her thank you!

I love the way that certain authors can write romances with heavy themes without losing the humor and heart. I feel like Hannah Bonam-Young does this really well, too. It’s not that the tough stuff permeates every page but it’s there to ground it in reality–which is what I want when I’m reading. I want things to feel believable and in real life tough shit affects us and our relationships. But it’s a fine line.

Also, can someone tell me if this is true in all Abby Jimenez books: the singular sex scene was on one page and I loved that.
Look, I love all romances (that’s actually not true, I’m actually super picky about my romances but for the sake of not having to come up with another way to say it let’s go with it). But sometimes I just am not in the mood to read about every single detail of this couple’s fifth sexual encounter while I’m waiting for my oil change. You know what I mean? Damn. It’s just–it’s a lot sometimes.

Aaaannyway that’s what I read. That’s where I read.

What about you? Would you plan a Bookcation with your friends? Where would you go? What would you read?

What I Might Read in 2020

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I recently told a friend that I’ve never loved reading and books as much as I do right now in this phase of my life. And I was surprised, after I heard myself say it, at how true it was!

I’ve always gone through phases where I’m really into movies and not into tv. Or I’m really into music and can’t be bothered to read anything. For a long time it was podcasts but I’ve even cut down on those quite a bit–only still subscribed to my number one favorites (My Favorite Murder and What Should I Read Next for those who must know). Right now I’m reading. All the time. I’m loving it. Audiobooks have filled in the space left behind by all those podcasts. The only new music I know about is Harry Styles’ most recent album (which I’m in love with). I’m loving this phase!

It’s a good phase to be in, too, because in addition to the local Project Lit meetings that I attend each month, I’m also taking on a new role as a virtual book club leader as a part of my second job. I’m excited to be joining my two great loves (books and personal empowerment) to lead this group in conversations about both!

In addition to all of the reading for those two things, I also have some personal reading goals. I hope to exceed my Goodreads reading goal of 30 books (which may sound like a whole lot to some people and hardly any at all to others–I have a friend whose goal is 100!!), and I’d really like to follow Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2020 reading challenge!

I thought it would be fun to make a list of the books that I might be reading in order to meet all these criteria and what better way to take note of it than right here?
Important note: I don’t do well with assigned reading. There’s no quicker way to get me uninterested in a book than to assign it, so I’m not holding myself to this list by any means. 

Also, I’ll provide links to all the books that I’m able. I’m linking them toTwice Told Tales’ shop on Libro.fm. It’s an audiobook service that works to support individual, independent bookstores instead of Amazon.

Here’s a look at the categories for the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge:

71f6DRbcrsLA book published in the decade you were born:
Wild Seed by Octavia Butler or maybe The Color Purple by Alice Walker which I can not believe I’ve never read, before.

A debut novel:
I have no doubt that this one will be easy since I love me a debut novel. I’ve already got my hands on Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey and also Remembrance by Rita Woods.
But then I also just learned about Djin Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara and now I really, really want to read that.

A book recommended by a source you trust:
A1+-unICxaLMy good friend Annie has been telling me to read A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel for years, now. I trust her judgement implicitly. I will read this book.
I have another delightfully bookish friend, Dawn, who recommended Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski and I would really like to get my hands on that one. The sooner the better tbh.

A book by a local author:
I’ve decided to define “local” as an author who is–or was, a fellow Kansan. I’ve always loved Langston Hughes and we have a copy of his debut novel, Not Without Laughter here at the store. I’ve always wanted to dig into it–perhaps this will be our year.

A book outside your (genre) comfort zone:
9781534467491_p0_v2_s550x406I know exactly what I’ll be reading for this one. Neal Shusterman’s Scythe. YA in general isn’t my favorite genre but being a part of the Project Lit community is easing me away from that. But Science Fiction or… whatever you can call this… is not my general cup of tea. I also hate reading books in a series–even though I totally understand that is not a genre, it’s still a strike against it. This is the February book selection for Project Lit Mac and so I know I’ll be reading this one. Who knows! Maybe I’ll love it! I hope I do.
Another genre that I’ve never, ever explored is westerns. And we sell so many at my store! If I read a Don Coldsmith book, it’ll tick off a box in this category as well as the Local Author category as well (he’s from Iola)! Two birds. One stone. I don’t know if it works that way though.

A book in translation:
81ijZfOrYlLI think I might try my hand at Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. I read Beartown a few years ago–actually, exactly at the same time as the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and there was just so much of that book that echoed exactly what was going on during that real-life mess. I was sucked into it but I have GOT to tell you, I had to put that story down for a long while.
I’ve also heard a lot about The Time In Between from the What Should I Read Next podcast. It’s got everything! The Spanish Civil War, fashion, romance, espionage.

A book nominated for an award in 2020:
Know My Name by Chanel Miller has been on my radar for a few weeks, now. I was so pissed off by the Brock Turner case that I’m excited to learn more about Chanel, instead.
Also, The Topeka School by Ben Lerner is on my phone right now, just waiting to be read. Both of these titles were nominated for the National Book Critic’s Circle Award.

A re-read:
9780671003753_p0_v2_s1200x630I never re-read. I have never re-read any book ever before. There are so many books! Why re-read?! That being said, I’d love to revisit She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb to see if I love it as much as I did when I was 25. I remember feeling like Wally Lamb wrote women beautifully and somehow he really understood what it was like to be a fat woman in particular. I’m curious to see if I still feel the same way with my newer perspectives.

A classic you didn’t read in school: So. Many. So very many. For the record, I have a tendency to really hate classics.
I kind of want to see what A Christmas Carol is all about.
I’ve also never read anything by Madeline L’Engele. Isn’t that wild? I think I’d love to explore her stuff.

Three books by the same author:
I think this might be the year that I want to read a lot, a lot more from Octavia Butler. Reading three books from her in 2020 will actually knock out several of these categories all at once! But also, I sincerely doubt I’ll be able to take on that much science fiction. And this is a category that I would really like to stick to. So, when I think about authors that I want to explore more, here are a few that come to mind:
Jasmine Gillory
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Barbara Kingsolver

Are there any reading lists you’re looking to fill? Any books you’re hoping to add to your “read” list?
If you want to follow me on Goodreads, here’s a link!

-Libby

Virtual Book Club: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links—thank you for supporting businesses that support people like me who are working hard to make their dreams come true.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since the day I finished reading Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You in the spring of 2016. I just happened upon that book randomly at the local library. I’d been in a bit of a dry spell, reading-wise and Everything I Never Told You all at once flipped the switch inside of me and made me hungry for books. I went back to the library to find more books by her but there weren’t any. She hadn’t written any! Until now. *rubs hands together*

I’ve always had a love affair with first works by an author. It’s kind of like a musician’s first album—here’s the piece that’s been living inside of them for ages and they’ve had a lifetime to turn it over and make it perfect. Or, at least, that’s how I imagine it. And when the second book comes around, I’m eager to read it but not often as enchanted as I was that first time. This time was different. Little Fires Everywhere held me just the same.

Ng is a master storyteller. She is exactly what I’m looking for in literature. She can take all these individual strands and move them about in ways that make you eager to follow along, not sure where she’s taking this and then at the end you can see this magnificent braid with just a few fly-aways because she’s not afraid to leave some questions unanswered.

Sometimes I believe in spoilers and sometimes I don’t. For this particular book, I’m not going to tell you much. I don’t want to tell you any of the plot secrets and I don’t want to tell you my interpretation, either. Because I really want to hear how it spoke to you.

But in the first chapter, we more or less open on a house on fire. One of the fire inspectors knew that it was arson because there were “little fires everywhere.” Hearing the title of the book in the very first chapter piqued my interest in the direction of fire. So for the rest of the book I was noting when anything was described with fire language. This set me on a path of seeing what was living at the heart of this story: obedience vs rebellion.

As a girl who’s spent the past few years intentionally following my own arrow (and thusly repeatedly disappointing a certain type of people while also empowering another type of people)—this theme resonated with me in powerful ways. But who knows—it could just be this very thing in my life that saw that theme in the first point. Maybe it’s not there? Maybe it is? Who could know?

I can’t wait to have our book club meeting and find out (I’m writing this early and setting it to post after we’ve had our book club meeting but at the time of this writing, it has as of yet not taken place)! Our book club meetings are always so fun. I’m always in a weird mood and don’t really want to do it but the second we all start talking, it fills my joy-tank all the way up. Nothing fills me up like a book discussion does.

Anyway, go order Little Fires Everywhere. It’s just as good as Everything I Never Told You. Hell, order them both.

For the month of February we’ll be reading Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. I’m really stoked to get into this story. I haven’t seen the movie, yet! I know, I know. But I’m really excited to get into this one.

XOXO, Lib

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul + August’s Book Reveal

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Every single time I sit down to write one of these book reviews (and I’ve written, like, 13 by now?) I think, “Oh, but I don’t know how to do this.” I open up this blank word document and my brain, as it does when faced with any kind of expectation, goes into primate mode. “Book. Did like. Would recommend.” Is that good? Will you take that? Cool. Good talk. Thanks for stopping by, today.

No, but for real, this collection of essays has been such a joy to read through. I liked it so much that half-way through the copy that I got from the library, I returned it, went down to Bluebird Books, and bought my own copy. I did this so that I could underline the parts that felt so right that I couldn’t just leave them alone like they didn’t touch my soul.

One such passage: Nothing bad can happen to you if you’re with your mom. Your mom can stop a bullet from lodging in your heart. She can prop you up when you can’t. Your mom is your blood and bone before your body even knows how to make any.

Just take a moment with that.

She writes about the things you would expect a feminist child of immigrants to write about in 2017. She writes a touching story of visiting India for a cousin’s wedding. She writes about rape culture. Body image. The way we behave on the internet. The usual. But she has a fresh take that’s different from everything that’s been shared all over Facebook. And her writing style is so inviting and funny–it’s damn funny. And musical.

She told a story about when she was in college and how she and her friends lived themselves into a situation where they realized that one of them was likely a very serious alcoholic. She captured the progression so beautifully. The way it starts out so innocent and fun but eventually climaxes in a hard realization and a drunken fight. I love the way that she wraps up that story, too. It’s not about alcoholism or drunk stories. It’s about the way we get off on our own moral superiority. And she’s right, too.

One of the latter chapters deals with body image. She talks, specifically, about hair. How the hair on her head is seen as perfect and luxurious whereas the hair on her body is an absolute shame and something that she can’t be expected to reasonably control no matter how much time she devotes to it.
She says, “It’s easier to rebel against hair norms if you’re a woman generally unburdened by them in the first place. … For it to really matter, for your rebellion to extend outside yourself, you have to have been born with hair-baggage–that nagging reminder that what comes out of your body naturally makes you repulsive, or tells people that you’re deserving of a slur, or that your sexuality can exist only in a specific vacuum of kink or generous acceptance.”
As the owner of a fat body, I finally felt like someone out there understands me and the particular brand of self-worth that I go back and forth between celebrating and starving for. The way she is at a constant battle between “fixing” and accepting Her Thing. Me, too, Scaachi.

I’m going to be revisiting this book again and again as time goes on. I know this is one of those books that you read and then pick it up in a year and hear all new things. I feel really grateful to have come across this book right now.

9780399563997Next month, we’re going to be reading Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota. I don’t know much about this book except that all of the reading podcasts that I listen to are talking about it and recommending it. This is one of my favorite ways to approach a book–with little to no knowledge about it, just the understanding that other people are reading it with you and so many people have great things to say about it.

As always, if you want to join our virtual book club just let me know! Shoot me a message on Facebook and I’ll add you to our group. Also don’t forget to head over to Staci’s blog to read her take on One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. I love reading her thoughts after I’ve settled on my own.

Tell me what you’re reading! Are you keeping up with your summer reading list or has it gone out the window with mine?

XOXO, Lib

Three Wishes by Laine Moriarty + July Virtual Book Club Selection

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I’ve had such a limited amount of spare brain space this month that I wondered if I’d even get around to reading this month’s Virtual Book Club selection. So I put it off and put it off and put it off. One day, when I was so tired of packing things into boxes, I just sat down and started to read. It sucked me in and I finished it in two days! Which, long time readers well know, is pretty unusual for me since I’m usually a pretty slow reader. But, man, Liane Moriarty does a great job of serving me up these subjects and characters that I don’t know that I’m going to be so interested in.

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We decided to go for a light summer read for June and I think Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty was the perfect choice. One fun little fact: this story takes place in Sydney, Australia. So, yeah, it does take place in the summer but it’s also mostly centered around Christmas/ New Years time. I had to remind myself that the Southern Hemisphere has a different season calendar than we do here in the states.

So this novel is, at its core, a family drama (my go-to genre). It’s certainly comedic, though. Moriarty injects humor so effortlessly and realistically. She keeps the mood light by putting her characters into perfectly ordinary and relatable circumstances where the drama takes place.

Three Wishes opens with triplets, Cat, Lyn, and Gemma, celebrating their birthday in a restaurant. A huge portion of the beginning is told from the perspective of onlookers—you can almost picture it as a series of talking heads in a documentary style. These talking-head type scenarios play out throughout the book, too. We go with these women through relationships, dealing with personal struggles, and secrets. I think it’s a really engrossing book—just like everything else I’ve read by Moriarty.

If I was to boil down the main theme of this story as it revealed itself to me, it would be the interconnection of people. A few times in the book, other characters complain that the triplets are too connected to each other. Sometimes, maybe it’s true, but sometimes there are instances where you lay down your whole life for someone else. How are we to ever know, in the moment, which is which? I thought that the talking-head style interjections, also, were a really creative way to showcase the way that we affect other people in the world without even really being aware of it.

41nYcChc04L._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_In July we’re going to be reading One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul. It’s a collection of essays and all I know of this book at this point is that it has a beautiful cover and it’s on all the “you HAVE to read this, OMG” lists this summer. I’m debating whether or not I should learn more about it but I think I won’t. I’ll just leave it blind for now. That sounds kind of fun to me.

As always, message me if you’re interested in joining our book club and I’ll add you to our top secret Facebook Group where we talk all about books, reading, what we haven’t read, what we want to read, what we read and hated…
And don’t forget to check out Staci’s site to see what she thought of Three Wishes. One of my favorite parts of this book club is getting to find out what different people thought of the same text. Staci always has new and engaging insights (I especially love it when one of us loved something and the other person didn’t).

Have you read either of these books or anything by either of these authors?
What’s your go-to genre of choice when it comes to books?

XOXO, Lib