BeckyBookstore

July Reading Stats

Happy Monday Friends! July ended up being a very busy month for me and I did not get a ton of reading in. I finished 11 books in July and 7 of those where audio books. I also DNF’d 2 books which took up some of my time but thats ok. Overall I am still happy with my numbers and will probably be finishing 2 books in the next day or two which puts me in a good spot for August.

My favorite read this month was probably The Guilt Trip, I really enjoyed this one. My least favorite finished book was The Dating Dare, I was pretty underwhelmed with this one. I also DNF’d Dream Girl by Laura Lippman and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

What was your favorite book this month?

Books I read in July

Physical Books – 1 Book
E-Books – 3 Books
Audio – 7 Books
Library Books – 0 Books
ARC’s – 7 Books
DNF’s – 2 Books
Pages Read – 3,419

Genres

Contemporary Romance – 5 Books
Thriller/Mystery – 4 Books
Horror – 2 Books

( I am only putting each book in what I think is the most prominent category )

Year Book Was Published

2020 – 2 Books
2021 – 9 Books

Star Ratings

2 Stars – 1 Book
3 Stars – 2 Books
4 Stars – 6 Books
4.5 Stars – 2 Book

2 Stars

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

3 Stars

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Too Good To Be Real by Melonie Johnson

4 Stars

What If You and Me by Ron Loren

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

Love Next Door by Helena Hunting

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

The Layover by Lucy Walden

4.5 Stars

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

ReCap on my May Challenges

For my Backlist book I read – None this month
For Kayla’s Buzzword – This month the buzzword was LAST and I read The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Goodreads Goal – 104 /125 – 83%

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

S4S – August 1st

Six for Sunday is a weekly meme created by A Little But A Lot and today’s topic is: favorite 2021 reads so far. These are all 5 stars for me and my favorites of the year so far. I am pretty happy that two of them are thrillers and the rest are romance.

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Shipped by Angie Hockman
Float Plan by Trish Dollar
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

What are some of your favorite books so far for 2021?

August (Maybe) TBR

I can’t believe it is August already! It feels like summer just started and yet the kids are going back to school in just a few weeks! I honestly don’t know how much reading I will get done this month but here is what I am hoping to get too.

For my back list books (which is any book I bought prior to January 1st 2021)

Not sure on this one, will have to see where my mood takes me.

Buddy Reads for August

With You Forever by Chloe Liese – ARC
Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn – ARC
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
Hostage by Claire Mackintosh
Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

ARC’s For August that I need to read.

The House on Sunshine Corner by Phoebe Mills – Out 8/24
Uncharted by Adriana Anders – Out 8/31

For Kayla’s Buzzword – This month’s buzzword is a time of day and it just needs to be somewhere in the title. These are just some of the titles I will be pulling from for this prompt.

The Night We Burned by S. F. Kosa – ARC
Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis – ARC
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard – BOTM
Seven Days in June by Tia William

Other Books I would like to try and get too.

Meet Me In Paradise by Libby Hubscher
A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams
Survive The Night by Riley Sager

Again these are all books that I would like to read soon but I know I probably won’t get to most of these. What are you reading this month? Are you participating in any fun reading challenges?

Reading Round Up – July 11th-20th

Hello Friends! I hope everyone is having a great reading month so far. I unfortunately am not, the last couple of weeks I have not read anything really great and also dnf’d 2 books in the same week. I am hoping the last week or so of July really picks up but so far it’s not looking good, I seem to have entered into a reading slump due to the mediocre books I have been reading.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris – 3 Stars The Other Black Girl is the story of Nella who is an editorial assistant for a publishing house. After a couple of years of being the only black girl who works there new hire Hazel starts working there too. Nella is so excited to finally have another black girl working there but the relationship the two share is not what Nella was envisioning. After Hazel has been there a few weeks Nella starts receiving notes telling her to leave her job. This story took some turns and I really enjoyed the first half of this book but I struggled with the ending. I felt there was too much left unanswered and am not sure how to feel about it. I still think it’s a great book that should be read if only so I can discuss it with them! I liked how Zakiya Dalila Harris writes and am excited to try more books from her in the future.

Too Good To Be Real by Melonie Johnson – 3 Stars Julia is a writer who works for a website that does reviews for different things. Julia and her two friends decide to go to on a week long rom-com themed vacation and write about it for her work. While there she meets Luke and the two hit it off right away. Both Luke and Julia are keeping secrets from one another but they both grow closer over their week long vacation. Overall this felt very typical for a contemporary romance, there wasn’t anything that really surprised me and me love this one. It is a fun read and I highly recommend picking it up if you are wanting a fun and easy read. I also really enjoyed all the tributes to some of my favorite romantic comedy movies. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review.

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee – 2 Stars This one is hard for me to review, there was nothing wrong with the story but I just felt very blah while reading it. Tara and Seth’s brother and best friend just got married and the two end up playing a game of truth or dare. The dare turns out to be going on 4 dates and not falling in love with the other person. In typical romcom fashion, shenanigans ensue, there is miscommunication or just lack of it in general. This one just felt very predictable to me. I will still try more from this author but this one just wasn’t for me. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy for review.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – DNF – I really tried to like this one but I struggled with so much of it so I decided to dnf it. I am also not sure if this will be one I pick up at another time or not. This story follows two timelines, in the present we are following 4 siblings as they get ready for their annual party in Malibu and the second timeline is in the past and follows the parents of the four siblings. I didn’t mind the story lines for the siblings but I just couldn’t get over a few things with the parents and thats why I stopped reading.

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman – DNF – I thought the premise for this one sounded really good, a writer who after an accident is bed ridden and starts receiving messages from a character in one of his books. I struggled with the writing style of this one and also some of the language that was used. It just turned me off and made me not want to continue with the story. Thank you Faber and Faber and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review.

August New Releases

Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones out 8/3 – 4.5 Stars
So We Meet Again by Suzanne Collins out 8/3
In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead out 8/3
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton out 8/3

Velvet Was The Night by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia out 8/17
The Family Plot by Megan Collins out 8/17
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard out 8/17

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang out 8/31
Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins out 8/31
Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston out 8/31 – 5 Stars
Uncharted by Adriana Anders out 8/31
My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones out 8/31

What new releases are you excited for in August?

WWW Wednesday – 7/28

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Sam on Taking on a World of Words. All you have to do is answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The three Ws are:
What are currently reading?
What have you finished reading?
What will you read next?

What are you currently reading?

Final Girls by Riley Sager – Just started this audio.
The Layover by Lacie Walden – 16%
Survive The Night by Riley Sager – Just started so only about a chapter or so in.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones – 4.5 Stars
Love Next Door by Helena Hunting – 3.5 Stars
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest – 4 Stars

What do you think you’ll read next?

Delia Suits Up by Amanda Aksel
The Therapist by B.A. Paris
A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
It’s Been A Pleasure Nomi Blake

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour: Love Next Door by Helena Hunting

When Dillion Stitch left her hometown, she had no intention of going back. But when her brother gets into trouble, Dillion reluctantly agrees to return home to take her place at the family business. Being back in Pearl Lake after all these years feels familiar, but also brings a few surprises. She’s quick to notice that someone new has shown up at the cottage next door. Dillion gets more than an eyeful when she goes to check out the newcomer and meets Donovan “Van” Firestone—her beloved neighbor’s grandson—in all his unclothed glory. Having gotten off to a rocky start, it’s not long before they begin bickering with each other all over town. All that back and forth inevitably sparks an undeniable attraction. But Dillion’s family has issues, Van’s family resents him, and neither Dillion nor Van feels truly at ease in the small town. For these Pearl Lake exiles, home isn’t just where the heart is—it’s where things get complicated.

My Thoughts

If you have read any of Helena Huntings other books that you know you are probably going to get another great summer read! This one was so cute and fun. I did find it at times a little slow and was often frustrated with the characters. The story is following Dillion who reluctantly returns home after her brother is in an accident to help her family with their renovation business. Dillion couldn’t wait to leave town after graduation and was hoping to only ever come back for visits. Along the way she realizes maybe it wasn’t the town she was trying to escape but her circumstances. Van is in town to finally put his grandmother’s property into probate and hopefully start clearing out the home. His first day at the cabin Van learns he has been accused of stealing 3 million dollars from the family’s non-profit that was set up in honor of his mother. He also then looses his job as well. Dillion and Van seem to butt heads a lot at first but then realize that their first impressions may not have been correct. At times while reading it felt a little more YA than Adult with the conversations and interactions between Dillion and Van, this really only seemed to be an issue in the beginning and by the end it was flowing a lot better for me.

Overall I enjoyed this one as I do almost all of her books. I believe this is also the first in a new series and I am excited to read more about the characters that were introduced in this book. I am especially interested in Dillion’s brother Billy who was going through a tough time in this book. I also liked Dillion and Billy’s childhood friend Aaron, it was briefly mentioned that he disappeared for awhile and then came back to town and no one knows where he was and that really has me intrigued. Thank you Montlake and Social Butterfly PR for gifting me a copy for review.

Grab your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oFVab6

Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/LoveNextDoorHH

Add Love Next Door to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MbXVTP

About Helena Hunting

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Connect with Helena

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2kN5wdZ

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2mloUim
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/Zt1xm5
Facebook Fan group: http://bit.ly/2kN5yCD
Website: http://www.helenahunting.com/

Never miss an update! Subscribe to Helena’s mailing list:
http://bit.ly/2MlRKq6

Release Blitz: Love Next Door by Helena Hunting

Love Next Door, an all new addictive small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is now live!

When Dillion Stitch left her hometown, she had no intention of going back. But when her brother gets into trouble, Dillion reluctantly agrees to return home to take her place at the family business.

Being back in Pearl Lake after all these years feels familiar, but also brings a few surprises. She’s quick to notice that someone new has shown up at the cottage next door. Dillion gets more than an eyeful when she goes to check out the newcomer and meets Donovan “Van” Firestone—her beloved neighbor’s grandson—in all his unclothed glory.

Having gotten off to a rocky start, it’s not long before they begin bickering with each other all over town. All that back and forth inevitably sparks an undeniable attraction. But Dillion’s family has issues, Van’s family resents him, and neither Dillion nor Van feels truly at ease in the small town. For these Pearl Lake exiles, home isn’t just where the heart is—it’s where things get complicated.

Grab your copy today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oFVab6

Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/LoveNextDoorHH

Amazon Audible: https://amzn.to/3x0qMvG

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3iMn8R3

Add Love Next Door to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MbXVTP

About Helena Hunting

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Connect with Helena

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2kN5wdZ

Top 5 Tuesday: July 27th

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Shanah @the Bionic Bookworm and is now being hosted by Meeghan @Meeghan Reads. This week’s topic is Top 5 hyped books I didn’t like.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – DNF – I got close to 30% of this one and just didn’t care enough to finish. I didn’t mind the part from the kids perspectives but I REALLY did not like the past with the parents.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalia Harris – 3 Stars – While I liked this one it just wasn’t that best book I read. I was left so confused and needing more answers.
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary – 3 Stars – Again this one was ok but so far neither of her other books holds up to The Flatshare for me.
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson – 2 Stars – Really did not like much about this one at all.
People We Meet On Vacation – 3 Stars – Everyone was raving how this one was better than Beach Read so I had my hopes up but alas it was not for me. I didn’t really either character and I don’t like switching timelines for every chapter.

What are some hyped up books that you did not love?

S4S – June 25th

Six for Sunday is a weekly meme created by A Little But A Lot and today’s topic is: sun in the title/on the cover. I broke this one up into two groups, one is for books I read and the second is books I want to read.

Books I have read with Sun in the title