For the Love of Reading: July 2026

I read eight books in the month of July. Here are my reviews.

Country People by Daniel Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed Country People. Daniel Mason immediately pulls you in with an unconventional narrative choice: for a little bit, none of the characters have names. They’re simply “the wife,” “the husband,” and so on. It creates an intriguing sense of distance before gradually drawing you into their lives and I thought it was uniquely effective.

The writing is exceptional, wonderful prose without ever feeling overwrought, and the humor is perfectly understated. More than once I found myself smirking at an observation that didn’t fully register until a sentence later.

There is also a subtle satirical thread running throughout the novel. A family arrives in Vermont carrying all sorts of assumptions about the people they will encounter there. Some of those expectations prove true, others are exaggerated almost to the point of caricature: the impossibly handsome ski instructor, the homesteading single mother farm blogger, the delightfully eccentric locals, and even a subplot involving rumors of an underground world accessible through caves and tunnels. Rather than satirizing Vermont itself, Mason shines a light on our preconceived notions about places and people. The result is both funny and surprisingly insightful.

This isn’t a fast-paced, plot-driven novel. It’s one to savor for the writing, the observations, and the way it quietly reveals the humor and absurdity of being human. Highly recommended for literary fiction fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Helpless by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jessica Knoll elevates the typical thriller with writing that’s noticeably stronger than the average twist-filled suspense novel. While there are plenty of surprises along the way, the real strength of Helpless is its writing. The protagonist is particularly well developed, making the emotional stakes feel genuine even as the mystery unfolds. Some of the secondary characters felt a bit more like caricatures than fully realized people, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The pacing is excellent—I flew through this book. A couple of the twists genuinely caught me off guard, while I was able to piece together others before they were revealed, which made for a satisfying balance. Knoll keeps the story moving without sacrificing character development or emotional depth.

The ending is ambiguous in a way that mostly worked for me, but I was left wanting a little more clarity about what had actually happened versus what existed only in the protagonist’s mind. Even so, this is an engaging, well-written thriller that stands out in a crowded genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Crash Into Me by Robinne Le
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a provocative, emotionally rich story about marriage, betrayal, art, identity, and the long journey of putting yourself back together after you have been broken. Lee creates a protagonist who is flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human, questioning her role as a wife and mother living in a privileged world that doesn’t treat her as if she belongs. All of this is told through a dual timeline, with the present being in the first person and the past being in the third. This makes for a really interesting presentation of feelings vs facts and I was invested in both timelines. The writing is beautiful, the characters feel real, and the novel’s exploration of race in America is woven seamlessly into the story, adding depth without ever feeling heavy handed. This is a well written novel that is far more literary than I expected. If you enjoy character-driven fiction that asks difficult questions and isn’t afraid of moral complexity, this is well worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Parisian Heist is an engaging read that blends historical fiction with contemporary suspense, following two timelines that are obviously connected and illustrated how the events of the past echo through the present. At its heart is the enduring legacy of Vincent van Gogh, woven together with art history, art theft, forgeries, betrayals, and long-held secrets.

While the historical storyline is compelling, I found myself more invested in the modern-day plot. Piazza does a great job building tension through a cast of morally questionable characters, and I was never quite sure who could be trusted. It’s a fast-paced, entertaining novel that’s easy to sink into and devour quickly. After all the twists and deception, the ending is genuinely satisfying.

Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction, contemporary fiction, or novels set in the art world with plenty of intrigue along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Keeper by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think The Keeper is the strongest novel in Tana French’s Cal Hooper series and a fitting conclusion to life in Ardnakelty.

One of the things I loved most is how completely Cal has become part of the community. He’s no longer an outsider looking in, but neither has he lost the perspective to recognize the town’s flaws. Ardnakelty is fiercely loyal, deeply secretive, and sometimes frustratingly resistant to change, and French captures those contradictions beautifully. It’s a place that feels very real.

The conflict between ordinary townspeople and a wealthy landowner (and bully) gives the novel much of its momentum, but the real story lies in the people. The mystery matters, but the relationships matter more. Watching long standing bonds strain under pressure, and then seeing the possibility of healing and reconciliation, was incredibly satisfying.

I’ll miss this town and the people who call it home, and I highly recommend this entire series.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I expected Margo’s Got Money Troubles to be funny, and it absolutely is. What I didn’t expect was how thoughtful it would be. At its heart, this is a novel about who society chooses to reward for sex work and who it judges and punishes. It asks complicated questions about agency, survival, and morality without ever becoming preachy or losing sight of Margo as a fully realized person rather than a symbol. The cast of characters is terrific. They’re messy, eccentric, lovable, and often downright ridiculous in the best possible way. Their antics bring genuine humor to a story that, underneath it all, is actually pretty sad. I was rooting for Margo from the very beginning. She makes mistakes, but she’s resilient, resourceful, and determined to build a better life for herself and her son. Watching her find her footing and stand up for herself was immensely satisfying. The resolution was hopeful without being too neat or unrealistic. It’s always satisfying when the good guys come out on top, especially after they’ve had to work so hard to get there. While I suspect that I am not the target audience for this book, I enjoyed it immensely and was happy that it was deeper, smarter, and more emotionally resonant than I ever expected it to be.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed A Box Full of Darkness, but for me it didn’t quite reach the level of The Sun Down Motel, even though they’re set in the same town. Ultimately, I was hoping for stronger connections between the two books. However, aside from a few passing references to the motel, the shared setting didn’t add as much as I wanted. It felt like a missed opportunity to further explore the town’s eerie history and mythology. The central story of ghosts, reincarnation, and long-buried secrets, is entertaining and kept me turning the pages, but I found myself wishing it dug a little deeper. There were a few loose ends that I thought deserved more explanation, and some of the supernatural elements felt underdeveloped. That said, Simone St. James is still excellent at creating atmosphere, and I appreciated the satisfying ending and epilogue. I just it all to be a little creepier, a little more unsettling, and a little more compelling. If you’re already a fan of Simone St. James, it’s still well worth picking up. I just don’t think it’s one of her strongest novels.

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think The Amateur is Chris Bohjalian’s best novel since Midwives.

Set in 1978, the novel immerses the reader in a world before cell phones, email, and the internet. It’s nostalgic in all the right ways, but it also reminds us how different life was, particularly for women of all ages. Bohjalian recreates this time with precision and detail yet never romanticizes it. Instead, he explores the casual misogyny and predatory behavior that were so often tolerated or dismissed, adding an important component to the story without being preachy.

The protagonist, Mira, is unforgettable: sharp, sarcastic, wounded, and wonderfully self-aware. Her voice pulled me in from the very first chapter (which is quite a start!), and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.

The book isn’t a mystery or a thriller, but there is an element of suspense and drama that makes it very compelling. I was torn between rushing through it because I couldn’t put it down and savoring it slowly because I didn’t want it to end. It’s ultimately a story about golf and the privileged people who play it, about the arbitrary accidents have in shaping a life, and ultimately about finding a way to heal from things that never should have happened to us.

Bohjalian has always excelled at writing complex, deeply human characters, and this may be his finest work in years. It’s thoughtful, compassionate, and completely absorbing. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

That was a lot of reading, thanks to a camping vacation and several ARC deadlines. I hope you found something to add to your own reading list.