I had a lower reading month numbers-wise, but I still quite enjoyed my July reading. I read what I’d say is the best-written book I’ve read all year; an extremely fun romantasy; two enjoyable contemporary romances; and managed to make headway on my Book of the Month reading challenge. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 5

Physical books: 4

BOTM: 2

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang (5 stars) – This was the best-written book I’ve read all year (so far), and also one of my favorites (they’re not always the same thing). It’s sumptuous and grotesque, filled with contrasts between the way a dystopian famine affects the elites versus the rest of the world, with our narrator as a lucky (or unlucky) chef chosen to cook for the uber-wealthy in an enclave out of reach of the cloud cover blanketing and starving the remainder of the population. Zhang is incredibly skillful in the way she describes the book’s creeping horror, mystery, and darkness.

A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette (4 stars) – This was my first read from Tessonja Odette, and I enjoyed the crap out of it. It has a rivals-to-lovers dynamic set during dueling book tours on a fairy island in a Regency-esque time period (only more progressive). I loved the fun banter and chemistry between the two leads, the ode to reading and writing romance, and the compelling side characters. I’d definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re looking for a lighthearted fantasy romance; I’ve also already bought the sequel.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (4 stars) – I enjoyed picking up another dark take on a fairy tale by T. Kingfisher, where two main characters society may cast or believe as weak team up with friends to take down an abusive sorceress. There were times I thought the book could have been shortened or paced better, but I really liked the characters and the ending.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly (4 stars) – A well-done, basketball-centric Sapphic romance that I didn’t previously realize was connected to previous Anita Kelly books Love & Other Disasters (an all-time favorite romance of mine) and Something Wild and Wonderful. I enjoyed seeing past characters as much as I enjoyed the romance between the two leads and the way that both were able to build a bond with the niece that one was fostering and the other coaching.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon (3.75 stars) – This was a literary-themed romance between two poets in an MFA program who have a fraught past and a lot of chemistry in the present. I liked a lot of the elements of this one, like the dynamics within the MFA and the longing between the main characters, but there wasn’t enough of a realistic obstacle for them to actually get together, which made it frustrating at times.