For 2021, I set monthly categories to read from, in an effort to feel less constrained by reading challenges that I’d participated in previously, while continuing to work through the massive collection of books that I already own or have borrowed from friends and family. Each month I’ll include the books that I finished within the month’s category reading, books finished outside of the category reading, books in progress, and books abandoned. And I’ll tell you where the book was sourced from. For July 2021, my reading list is from the category of whatever strikes my fancy!

Books Finished:

The Great Pretenders by Laural Kalpakian

New physical book.

Set in Hollywood in the 1950s, this book has glamour, the fight against McCarthyism, the fight for civil rights, all centered around a strong and interesting female protagonist. I enjoyed how the elements of the story were woven together, and how invested I was in the story.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Borrowed Kindle e-book from library using Libby app.

Oh, Taylor Jenkins-Reid, you just never disappoint. I learned before reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that Jenkins-Reid weaves characters from her books into the other books, meaning that they are all in the same universe. I love that! It makes it feel sort of like a victory when you find those little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. This book is also set in glamorous Hollywood, with beautiful people and their secrets, as well as in the present day when a young writer is interviewing Evelyn Hugo about her life story.

The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa

Borrowed Kindle e-book from library using Libby app.

A thriller, this novel starts with a husband discovering that his wife is gone, and has left her wedding ring behind. But his wife had secrets. And the husband wants to uncover those secrets and find his wife, to try to understand what has happened. But, of course, things are not as they seem. This book was very good.

The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne

New Kindle e-book.

A novella in the Iron Druid Chronicles, this one features a story about Atticus’s involvement in the quest for the Holy Grail, and is not a typical grail story. Short and just as entertaining as all of the other entries in the chronicles.

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

New physical book.

If you’ve never read Jenny Colgan, what are you waiting for? Her books are perfect for making you feel happy, as they tell a fun romantic coming of age type story that always ends up best for the people involved, even if not how you quite expect things to turn out. The Cafe by the Sea actually comes before The Endless Beach which I read earlier this year. It is set on a remote island far north in Scotland. The characters are quirky and delightful.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Borrowed Kindle e-book from library using Libby app.

This is the newest book by Taylor Jenkins-Reid. The entire novel takes place within a 24-hour span, with flashbacks to explain why the events of that period are significant. The 24-hour span covers the annual Riva siblings’ beach party. But although the siblings are the son of a famous musician, their lives and problems are anything but what you might expect.

Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal

New physical book.

Also set entirely within a 24-hour span, this book also involves a teenage surfer. I didn’t even realize how much this book had in common with Malibu Rising until just now. But in this situation, there is a terrible accident, and the teenager ends up in the hospital. The story is told from various perspectives, the teens, the parents, the doctors, the nurses, and beautifully illustrates how much there is to each of us and how complex we all are. This book is heart wrenching, and thought provoking, and just fantastic. If you can find a copy, I would suggest this book. But it appears to be out of print and difficult to find.

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

Previously owned physical book.

C.S. Lewis is a master of taking difficult to understand concepts and breaking them down in ways that are easy to understand. In this book, he writes about pain–how we can have it in a world with a God, how good things can come out of painful circumstances, etc. It is excellent, particularly if you’re working through grief, like I am.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Borrowed Kindle e-book from library using Libby app.

Guys. Brene Brown is brilliant. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, it’s time. Brene is a shame, fear, and resilience researcher. But she doesn’t write about the topics in a dry way that would be boring. Instead, she tells stories that make the concepts come alive and completely applicable to your life. In this book, she continues writing about vulnerability, and how/why it’s so necessary for us to be vulnerable if we want to live wholehearted lives (and yes, we ultimately do want to live wholeheartedly).

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

New Kindle e-book.

I’m quoting from the book’s description because I just don’t know that I can say it any better: “Walking into our stories of hurt can feel dangerous. But the process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. Our stories of struggle can be big ones, like the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, or smaller ones, like a conflict with a friend or colleague. Regardless of magnitude or circumstance, the rising strong process is the same: We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are.” This year has been incredibly hard for me. I’ve had struggles like no other time in my life, and more emotion than I’d honestly care to. This book has helped so, so much. One of the very best books I’ve read in a long, long time.

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown

New Kindle e-book.

And continuing my deep dive into everything written by Brene Brown, I read The Gifts of Imperfection, one of her earlier books. This book is about cultivating a sense of being enough, in spite of and even because of our imperfections. Such wonderful concepts.

Either Way, We’ll Be All Right: An Honest Exploration of God in Our Grief by Eric Tonjes

New physical book.

In this book, part memoir, part Christian lessons on grief, the author copes with the terminal illness and death of his wife, while exploring what the Bible and God have to teach us about navigating pain and grief. This book was so helpful to me in trying to navigate what biblical truths of death and loss really are.

Books in Progress:

Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study by Barb Ravelin (Already owned Kindle e-book.) My bible study is working through this book.

Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill (Already owned physical book.)

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin (New physical book.)

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Books Abandoned:

Sprinting Through No Man’s Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France by Adin Dobkin (New Kindle e-book through Kindle First.)

The Mixtape by Brittany Cherry (New Kindle e-book through Kindle First.)