What I Read in July

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I was able to get so much reading done in July! I’m still a little bit behind on my goal of reading 52 books this year, but I’m definitely catching up. Here’s what I thought of everything I read.

The Art of Showing Up by Rachel Wilkerson Miller

I loved this book. I can’t recommend it enough. It just came out in May, and it’s all about how to show up for yourself and for your friends. It was so relevant, even though it was written before the pandemic hit.

There are tips in here that I started using right away, and I honestly feel like a much better friend. So if you’re looking to show up for yourself and those around you, I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

This was another awesome book from a totally different genre. It’s a romance novel about a recently divorced mom who takes her daughter to a meet and greet with her favorite boy band, and then starts a secret relationship with one of the guys in the band.

It’s definitely Harry Styles fan fic and I’m here for it. I didn’t want the book to end.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

I wasn’t the biggest Jessica Simpson fan growing up (not that I actively disliked her, she just wasn’t my favorite), but I was really interested to read her memoir. It was a little preachy for me, but it was very eye-opening. I have a lot more respect for her now than I did before reading this book!

Rating: 4/5 stars

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

I hated this book. I’m very interested in personal finance and shifting mindsets when it comes to money, so I had high hopes for this one. I’d heard Ramit on two podcasts I listen to, Happier and A Beautiful Mess, and I really liked his approach—it’s not about how much money you have, it’s about how you prioritize your spending.

But in the end, Ramit is just an asshole. He’s super patronizing, and his tone was just… unapproachable. He literally calls the reader an idiot several times. Not here for it.

Rating: 1/5 stars

Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid

I continued the Winston Brothers series this month and loved both of the next two books! Grin and Beard It is the second in the series, and it follows the oldest brother, Jethro, who falls in love with America’s Sweetheart, Sienna Diaz (I imagined her like a hispanic Jennifer Lawrence) without realizing who she is.

With everything that’s going on in the world, the Winston Brothers are exactly what I need right now.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Beard Science by Penny Reid

The final book of the month was the third book in the series, about the “odd’ brother Cletus. I was apprehensive about Cletus’s book, because his character in the first two books was… strange. But in the end I totally loved it.

The Banana Cake Queen, Jennifer Sylvester, who makes small appearances in the first two books, stumbles into a situation where she can blackmail Cletus Winston into helping her. So her request? Help her fund a husband. She hates the brand her mother has made her into, and sees marriage as a way out. But before he can help her find a husband, Cletus has to help Jenn discover herself. It’s charming, light, and helped me take my mind off the dumpster fire that is 2020.

Rating: 5/5 stars

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