July 2023 Reads
Here we are at the end of another month in 2023! And you know what that means: What books were read in July? Some of the reviews have posted and others will be coming! Kim did not get any books read in July, so she won’t be taking part this month.
I read 6 books in total for July: 5 on audio and one on kindle. This month I had two top reads that I listened to on audio, but I enjoyed them so much that I had to buy physical copies of them! It’s fine that I had two top reads because it’s a two-book series as of now, with the author working on book three! I can’t wait for it!
The books are listed in the order I finished them:
Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke – 4 stars
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone- 4 stars
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden- 5 stars
The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden- 5 stars
The Sacrifice by Indrajit Garai- 3 stars
Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti- 4 stars
My favorite reads were The Housemaid and The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden. They were great and I really enjoyed the audio performance!
I always hate to say this, but my ‘least favorite’ which was based on the number of stars given was The Sacrifice by Indrajit Garai. This was a shorter book made of three short stories.
What did YOU read in July?
Cover Reveal: The Bridesmaid’s Brother by Olivia Lockhart
Today I am helping in the cover reveal for the upcoming novel The Bridesmaid’s Brother by Olivia Lockhart. She writes romance in a few genres. This one comes out September 19th!
Book Description:
For Penny Archer, dating after forty has proved to be less ‘silver foxes and romantic dinners’, and more ‘last chance bargain bin’. She’s met every liar and cheater in the dating pool, and after one heartbreak too many, she is officially sworn off men.
A strong, single mum, she doesn’t need a partner, and besides, the family planner is crammed with work commitments, school meetings, puppy classes, chores for her ageing parents and, of course, her beloved book club. Although a cuddle now and then wouldn’t go amiss…
Penny jumps at the chance to let her hair down at a friend’s wedding, blissfully unaware that she’s about to crash into a stranger’s life in the most mortifying manner.
Can something that begins in disaster ever end in happiness, or is it all too good to be true? Will Penny ever turn the pages of her own book towards that happy ever after?
Now….. What does the cover look like?????? Keep scrolling to find out!!
Almost there!!!
Here it is:
Pre-order the book here.
About the Author:
Olivia Lockhart (Livvie to her friends) is an English author who can’t quite decide if she wants to write contemporary romance or paranormal romance. Either way, it HAS to be romance.
She loves to write about the underdog, the one who got away, the bits of love stories we can all relate to.
When not writing she can be found drinking wine, cuddling her beloved pooch or with her head buried in a book.
Contact Olivia:
Twitter @livvieharts
Instagram @bubblybookstagram
Tiktok @livviehartsauthor
Medium @booksbylivvie
Goodreads
Book Review: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs
**Please note that this is Cristina’s last review with us. She was only temporarily with us, and we have enjoyed having her! She brought more children’s /middle grades books to our attention! Many thanks for sharing your reviews with Jessica’s Reading Room Cristina!**
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks
Series: Fun Jungle #6
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Published: April 7, 2020
336 Pages
Reviewed By: Cristina
Book Description:
In the latest novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve his most improbable mystery yet—with a victim that’s 65 million years old.
Teddy was all set for a campout at his friend Sage’s family ranch—but then Sage gets terrible news: The skull of a rare dinosaur that was being excavated on his property has mysteriously vanished overnight in the middle of a rainstorm, even though it weighed 500 pounds. Not a single footprint has been left behind. Since the dinosaur was top secret, the police don’t believe anyone outside the dig could have stolen it.
A T-rex skull can sell for millions of dollars, and everyone is a suspect—including J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle.
Meanwhile, Teddy’s old foes, the Barksdale twins, have gotten into trouble with an illegally purchased anaconda, and Teddy’s girlfriend Summer wants to find out who’s behind the local trade in black market reptiles. The two cases will drag Teddy into more danger and chaos than ever before, in this mystery that’s stranger than fiction.
Cristina’s Review:
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs is the 6th book in the Funjungle novel series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Teddy Fitzroy is a pretty average 12 year old guy–except for the fact that he lives in a Zoo/Amusement Park that his parents work at, and he solves mysteries that pop up around the park. The latest problem? A T-Rex skull on his buddy Sage’s ranch has disappeared, and his girlfriend’s father (and owner of Funjungle) is a suspect. Oh, and the local bullies have managed to buy an illegal anaconda. And alligator. Where are these black market reptiles coming from? It’s up to Teddy to figure out what really happened to the T-Rex skull and catch an illegal animal dealer in the act. What could possibly go wrong?
Stuart Gibbs has found an ingenious way to teach readers about serious topics like the illegal animal trade and the ethics involved in dino-digs in this book. His entire Funjungle series deals with being environmentally aware, but it doesn’t feel like a lecture. The humor and mystery elements are well done and keep the informational pieces . My only hard thing to swallow is that Teddy and his friends feel older than 12 in their interactions–but that’s a minor thing. I recommend this book for readers especially between 5th-8th grade, but if you have an advanced 3rd grade reader, it’s appropriate for them too, as long as they can handle some hand holding and a kiss on the cheek. Enjoy reading this one. I was laughing out loud at the anaconda in the truck scene. I think you will too.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK