Books of July 2022
In the midst of a month just as busy as always, I took a great outdoorsy vacation, which, of course, made everything just that much crazier when I got home. Fortunately, it was a great vacation, and I managed to get a good amount of reading done, including one day when I got through two whole books from start to finish. Most days were a bit slower, but I still got through 13 books this month.
Chasing Harry Winston - 3 Stars. Since I had just finished, Everyone Worth Knowing, I figured I should stick with Lauren Weisberger. This book, however, was another one that wasn’t my favorite. The characters were annoying, and the plot really didn’t go anywhere. I appreciated that the ending wasn’t entirely predictable, but its unpredictability was almost predictable, and the ending was more than a little cliche.
Eight Perfect Murders - 3 Stars. I was hopeful about this book since I had enjoyed Nine Lives so much, but it was not nearly as good. I could certainly see how one could preclude the other, as certain parts were highly reminiscent of each other. The twists in this book were not particularly twist-y, and the main character was totally unlikeable at points. All in all, I was curious to see where the book would go but didn’t particularly like where it ended up or how it got there.
Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders - 3 Stars. Although the lead-in to this book felt a bit clunky and reminiscent of The Girl in the Leaves, Kathryn Miles wove a truly compelling narrative as the book went on. At times, I felt a bit distracted by peripheral issues, but they were warranted given this case and the subject matter. I was also reminded of The Most Dangerous Animal of All: Searching for My Father . . . and Finding the Zodiac Killer, since the book left things somewhat unresolved, but with a highly believable case pointing clearly in one direction. I will be curious to see if or how things develop in the future to see if this case can be settled for good.
The Hard Way - 3 Stars. I’d been wanting to jump into another Jack Reacher book, and for a long road trip, I picked up the first one I found available. However, it wasn’t quite as good as the last one I read, so I was a bit disappointed. It was a good story and, of course, had a solid central character, however, it didn’t feel like there was really that much of a story for how long the book was. There were also a few parts that shocked me more than I expected, but that did not deter me from the series and, as you will see, I jumped into another before too long.
The Mutual Friend - 3 Stars. I have been watching How I Met Your Mother with my own mother, and this book caught my eye because it was written by one of the creators of that show. If I hadn’t known that, I likely wouldn’t have made the connection, but since I was aware of it, this book felt like reading an extremely long episode. The characters were remarkably less likable, even totally frustrating at points, and the fact that a computer was a character and central to the story wasn’t particularly enjoyable either. However, I was inclined to stick it out to the end despite the constant perspective, character, and time changes that drove me crazy.
The House Across the Lake - 2 Stars. Ah, my first 2-star book of the year. I had been doing so good avoiding them, and I had heard such great things about this book, I was excited to get started. Unfortunately, like The Book of Cold Cases, this one was more of a horror book than a thriller, with the most ridiculous plot I’ve come across in a very long time. Between that and the stock female thriller character, I was disappointed and underwhelmed, earning this book a sub-par score.
The Swimmers - 3 Stars. I was skeptical about this book since I actually bothered to read the description, but if I’m honest, the cover pulled me in, and I could not ignore the book. Unsurprisingly, the first part of the book is about swimming, which I really enjoyed. The rhythm, the pacing, and the simple, straightforward content definitely made me want to jump into the deep end. The rest of the book, which moved continually into peripheral topics, was of less interest. However, the style remained unique and interested and kept me engaged until the end.
Reckless Girls - 3 Stars. Since I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs I was ready to read another book by Rachel Hawkins. Just like that one, this one conveys marginal ethical messages, but these ones are even more disturbing. However, the setting was fun and perfect for summer, and the characters were well-written. I didn’t appreciate all the jumping back and forth between perspectives, or the personality of any of the characters (they were literally described in the title as “reckless,” so I don’t quite know what I was expecting). But it definitely makes me want to jet off to the nearest white sandy beach with a similar book to enjoy.
Bad Luck and Trouble - 4 Stars. I picked this Jack Reacher book because I heard it was the one that Amazon has chosen to make into the next season of their TV series. After reading the book, I am even more excited about it and think that it is a great choice. This book had much more of a team dynamic than most of the others in the series and developed some fantastic supporting characters. It even had some twists, something that came as a bit of a surprise, given that many of the books don’t actually have that big of a surprise. I also felt like compared with some of the other books, there was a clearer and better intention driving some of the action. On the whole, I enjoyed this book, and it propelled me further into the series.
Always Only You - 2 Stars. Something I saw on bookstagram compelled me to read this book, and unfortunately, I did not like it as much as I had hoped. I found the story cheesy and forced, and some aspects of it much too explicit for my taste. It did cover some important issues, particularly related to physical and social functioning, but it felt a bit awkward and clunky most of the time. Several times I considered giving up on the book entirely, especially since I’m trying to focus on reading books I like more, and 2-star books don’t exactly fit that bill. The only reason I saw this one through to the end was the hockey setting, and as you may know, I’ve been more than a bit obsessed with the sport of late. But that alone was not enough to earn the book a higher rating.
Nothing To Lose - 3 Stars. I decided to continue on with whatever Jack Reacher books I could get my hands on. This story I found notably less compelling, and I didn’t enjoy the trajectory or the peripheral characters as much. It felt a bit less believable as well (not that any of the others are particularly strong in that department either), but it did have a few great scenes. The ending was also a bit slow, while also being particularly explosive (literally), and I found my mind drifting during some of the action scenes more than usual. But I got through it and did decide to continue on with the series anyway.
Worth Dying For - 4 Stars. This Jack Reacher book was definitely a better story than the last one and had a much better core premise. It was also one that was much more disturbing, but that made the story and the action feel considerably more important. Also, in a series that clings pretty tightly to some patterns, this book broke the model in several noticeable, if small, ways. I hadn’t read the book right before this one (I’m not exactly reading them in order), which doesn't always matter, but in this case, there were a few loose ends that I was left wondering if they correlated back with the last book. I guess I will have to read it and find out.
The Affair - 4 Stars. Another Jack Reacher book - I mean, why stop when I’m on such a roll! I really liked this one, too, because it was another that broke the pattern, at least, in a way that showed why the pattern was established. Despite being placed so late in the series, it was actually a prequel and set up so many of the tropes that come later. It also leads into the first book in the series very naturally, and almost makes me want to go read Killing Floor all over again. It was fascinating to see what made Jack Reacher who he was, as well as getting to see some other returning characters in their earlier years. This book seemed set up for a twist, that ended up un-twisting, leaving me a bit disappointed with the simple and very foreseeable outcome. But I understand why the story ended that way. This book was also more explicit than most of the others, which felt a bit odd, particularly since I am so used to Lee Child’s style by now. But on the whole, I enjoyed this different (and earlier) perspective on a famous character.
So while I read the worst book so far this year this month, I also read some good ones too. Inspired by last month’s idea, I’ve decided to spend August focused purely on fiction. I’m excited to dive in, and since I have had so little interest in nonfiction lately (which I credit to both the fact that it’s summer and all the reading I have to do for school), we’ll see how I feel in September after a month of fiction.
So here’s to novels and leaving nonfiction to the fall.
Until next time,