This was a slower month than usual. You might be thinking ‘but there’re 19 books there’. True. Until you realise that seven are children’ books. I seem to have managed to niche myself there 😛

I’ve joined a new reading challenge, #ARCAugust, hosted by Read. Sleep. Repeat.

My Goals

*Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

*Black and White by Nick Wilford

*Crash Land on Kurai by SJ Pajonas

*Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

*The List by Patricia Forde

*The Funeral Flower by Michelle Jester

*Temptation Trials by B Truly

 

Sadly, I only managed about 300 words towards my writing project. In an effort better manage my time, given how easily I exhaust myself these days, I have imposed upon myself a complete blackout on playing my Star Trek Timelines game. I find it easier to play than even to read. This is going to be sooo hard, but I really need to manage my time better.

 

Books Read and Reviewed in July

Ghostly Tales by Various, illustrated by Bill Bragg, 5*

Wicked Bugs: Young Reader’s Edition by Amy Stewart, 4*

Henry and the Hidden Treasure by BCR Fegan, 5* (releases Aug 3rd)

Wind and Oyster Jack by Marcia G. Moore, 5* (releases Nov 28)

I Love a Book by Joe Rhatigan, July 24, 5* (releases Nov 1st)

Lucia Zarate by Cecilia Velastegui, 5*

Tune Up: Secret of Mylin by Joe Klingler, 5*

Rivers, Seas, and Oceans by Max van Gageldonk, 4*

Draw 50 sea Creatures by Lee J Ames & Erin Harvey, 5*

Stillwell by Michael Phillip Cash, 5*

Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith, 4*

Barcelona on a Budget 4 book set by Raul Fattore, 4*

Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick, 5*

Open Your Heart by Ruth Cherry, 5*

Life Bank by Magus Tor, 4*

Sketches of My Soul by TC Booth, 4*

Adrenal7n by Russ Watts, 4*

Asylum of Dr Caligari by James Morrow, 4*

Confessions of an American Doctor by Max Kepler, 4*

 

Best Reads of the Month

Stillwell by Michael Phillip Cash, 5*

I really enjoyed the surprise direction this book took. There’s the mystery of Stillwell and it’s ghosts, but the overarching theme is the psychology of dealing with loss and learning to let go.

 

Tune Up: Secret of Mylin by Joe Klingler, 5*

Ok, I admit… I’m a sucker for a book that features bowed string players. It doesn’t matter if the music is a huge part of the story. In this case, it’s a violist. Mylin is caught up in dangerous circumstances. With help from her new friend Joe, she tries to find safety. In parallel, detectives Qigiq and Dreeson are working a case that begins as a hit and run and turns into so much more, tying into Mylin and Joe’s story.

 

Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick, 5*

This is a sweet story about family, first and foremost, and about change and personal growth second. It is also a poignant tale of forgiveness, a value I hold dear. Benedict must learn to forgive himself, and Charlie needs to learn to forgive his brother. For the sake of marriage, and of a young woman’s life, these two men must find that reconciliation before things go too far.

 

Best Series New to Me

Qigiq and Dreeson Mystery Series by Joe Klingler

I read the second in the series,Tune Up: Secret of Mylin, first and fell in love with it. I snagged the first, Mash Up, and hope to read it soon. That it is set in San Francisco, and talks about neighboring areas such as Pacifica, and Devil’s Slide, makes it all the more attractive to me. I love being able to recognise places in the stories I’m reading. The book was well written. Qigiq, and Dreeson are the perfect team, with Ferdinand as their shadow.