I went off the beaten path this month, and tried a few new things – a mystery, an audio book… I have to say, I really enjoyed the audio book! It was great for car rides and laundry. I’m still working towards my goal of 20 books for the year! The books from July were numbers 13, 14, and 15. To see books 1-12, check out this post and this post.
1. The Last Flight by Julie Clark
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Grade: B
Have you ever wanted to disappear? Two women, both escaping difficult pasts, switch tickets at the last minute at the airport. One plane crashes, which throws the first of many wrenches into their escapes. Thrillers and suspense novels seem to be the genre of choice for so many people. With that in mind, it’s a saturated market…. and, to me, this one didn’t particularly stand out. It was fine, but didn’t blow my mind. For thrillers, that bar is usually set for if I actually have to say “Oh my gosh!” out loud while I’m reading….. definitely didn’t happen with this book. It was a great story! Just nothing out of the ordinary. That being said, it’s truly just my opinion. There have been a TON of people who loved this book and you might too!
2. The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C-
More like “the 7 lifetimes it took for me to finish this book”. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until someone can solve her murder. Aiden lives the same day over and over again, trying to find out who killed her. The twist is that he wakes up every day in a different body, and each of his hosts is connected to her murder in some way. I absolutely loved the premise, and IF YOU ARE A FAN OF DOWNTON ABBEY, AGATHA CHRISTIE, AND SUBTLE MYSTERIES YOU WILL (probably) LOVE THIS BOOK. Unfortunately for me, it just didn’t hold my attention. There were definitely some really exciting parts, but overall I had to keep reminding myself to pick up the book and keep reading. Also, so many of the characters/narrators were NOT likable people. I wasn’t rooting for them to win! It was kind of like, ‘you guys are already gross as human beings, so have fun rotting at Blackheath.’, and that’s always a struggle for me. Overall, I would recommend to you if you’re a fan of a “slow build” and traditional mysteries.
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
Genre: Mythology/Literary Fiction
Grade: B+
My friend Brianne recommended this book to me and it was the first novel I’d ever consumed as an audiobook! It is a retelling (not a reimagining – important difference) of Circe’s story. She is the same Circe of mythological fame that we read about in Odysseus’s story. This is a vividly descriptive book, and Madeline Miller paints beautiful visions of what’s happening as the plot progresses. What I loved most about this story was the intensely independent heroine, who proved again and again that our worth comes from our own opinion – not anyone else’s. I recommend if you have a soft spot for Mythology and love a descriptive novel.
Wildflower Collective 