It’s the beginning of August and that means it’s time to take a look back at what I read in July. It was another month of excellent summer reads . . .

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this novel about time travel that seeks to answer the age old question: what would you change if you could go back and do things differently? The book is not just an ode to pop culture of the 1990s and New York City, it explores a beautiful but flawed relationship between a father and daughter. Suspend your beliefs and read this one, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you’re looking for the perfect beach read, look no further. Full of family drama, secrets, dysfunctional relationships, and a gorgeous Cape Cod setting, this is a great light read. The characters are flawed and relatable, the plot goes back and forth from present day to various points in the past, and the narrator shifts with each chapter, telling the story from all of the characters (including the beach house) points of view. It’s a fun romp of a book and definitely recommended for Jennifer Weiner fans.

Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love to read novels that are set in places I’ve visited and this one, set on the coast of Maine, fits right into that category. The story is entertaining, albeit a tad predictable, the descriptions of the local scenery, restaurants, and shops are accurate, and the characters are realistic and flawed. Recommended for a light summer read.

French Braid by Anne Tyler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“So, this is how it works,” she said. “This is what families do for each other—hide a few uncomfortable truths, allow a few self-deceptions. Little kindnesses.” “And little cruelties,” he said. “And little cruelties,” she agreed, and she swung his hand between them.
Does anyone write better about all the mundane details that make up family life than Anne Tyler? I don’t think so and French Braid is just what you’d expect. A Baltimore family, dysfunctional, responsible, middle-class, and trying (sometimes) to understand one another. It’s really all a lesson on the passage of time and I absolutely adored it.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We are all in lockdown, all the time. We just don’t know it, that’s all. But we do the best we can. Most of us are just trying to get through.
I adore Elizabeth Strout’s books and her style of writing and this one might be my favorite since Olive Kitteridge. While I’ve had zero interest in reading any books set during the pandemic, I knew I could trust Strout to approach the topic with incredible awareness and insight. Lucy experiences so much of what I was feeling at that time, it took me right back to March 2020, capturing the uncertainty and disbelief of those days but with sensitivity and honesty rather than drama and despair. Her stream of consciousness ramblings made me nod my head in agreement, cry over her losses, and smile at the hope she ultimately allows to rise up. Highly recommended.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A YA mystery set in and around the Ojibwe reservation on Sugar Island. The protagonist, Daunis, is caught between her connection to her father’s Anishinaabe family and her mother’s affluent (and not Native American) family and the novel does a great job of establishing the tension not just for Daunis but for the entire community. There is plenty of mystery and drama, a bit of teen angst and romance, and characters who feel real and not stereotyped in the least. I particularly enjoyed the depiction and explanation of Objibwe traditions and the over-arching theme of murdered and missing Indigenous women. Highly recommended.

Fly Girl: A Memoir by Ann Hood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be a flight attendant when air travel was glamourous and special, this is the memoir for you. Ann Hood (who also happens to be a knitter) recounts her years working for TWA, from the celebrity passengers to the mundane chairs and everything in between. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Hood recently at a conference and she is as likable and genuine in person as she is in her writing. Definitely recommended.

And that’s it for my July reading, lots of great summer titles for sure!