July is always a busy month because we return to school at the end of the month. That means teachers start heading back in to set-up classrooms mid-July so we don’t get too overwhelmed the first few weeks. Surprisingly, I still managed to read quite a few books this month. Score!

“I followed his finger to the spot where they squirmed and twisted in the organic muck of Varner’s violated torso: three maggots performing a sinuous ballet in the infected meat, their black heads shining like polished beads.” ~The Monstrumologist

I have entered into the world of the Monstrumologist and I love it! This is a four part series, and I’m half way through the journey. So far, I’ve read The Monstrumologist and The Curse of the Wendigo. The first one, by far, is my favorite. Rick Yancey writes with such delicate prose, that it’s almost poetic, about the adventures of a young apprentice working with a monstrumologist. The next two in the series are The Isle of Blood and The Final Descent, and I hope to finish those sometime in September. Afterward, I’ll dive into his next series, the first of which is The 5th Wave.

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” ~To Kill a Mockingbird

Finally, in my thirties, I can say that I have read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I won’t lie…it was because of the hype from Go Set a Watchman that I finally decided that I needed to read this book. Like many, I devoured each and every word of this book. It took me a couple of days to get through because I was determined not to miss one word. Beautiful. Each and every word was beautiful. I have no desire to read anything else by Harper Lee. This was enough.

The other gem that I finished in July was Goddesses Never Age. Without a doubt this book should be required reading for all women. This book has changed my life. I’m a work in progress and this book has helped me to see what I need to improve upon and how to do it. It has motivated me to continue to change my outlook and to be more proactive in my life. I’m not an audience member. This is it. I get one shot at this thing called Life and I need to make it my own.

I actually listened to the audio version of this book, which I highly recommend. Anytime you can listen to the actual author read his or her own work, it adds so much life to the book. After finishing it, I broke down and got the hardback so I can refer back to it. I’ll also need it to help me stay on track for the 14 day ageless goddess program at the back. I hate using the word “program” so I’m going to change it to rejuvenation, because that’s what I think it is. It’s not anything magical or prescriptive. It’s simply good things all women should be doing on a daily basis to recharge and appreciate ourselves.

Mary Kubica…wow! I’ve had The Good Girl on my Kindle for quite some time. It was a Kindle Daily Deal a few weeks ago and I thought ‘hmm, I should probably read this’. I’m so glad that I did! Throughout the book I thought I had an idea of what was going on. Then I really wanted what I thought to be the truth. Then I read the second to last chapter and was so bummed that I was wrong and that it didn’t end the way I had hoped. And then…well, thank you, Ms. Mary. What a thrilling story!

I did read another novel by Blake Crouch, Run. This was a fast paced, quick read on a lazy afternoon. Not as awesome at Wayward Pines but I still recommend Blake Crouch as a fantastic author.

I read a lot of John Saul growing up. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was too young to be reading such twisted stories, but what can I say…I like a good thriller. Shadows popped up as a recommendation on my Kindle and I can’t resist some old school John Saul. Another quick thriller on a lazy summer day.

August is proving to be even more busy than July, but I am reading some good books. I signed up for NetGalley so now my TBR pile has grown even more. Did I mention that I went to a Scholastic Warehouse book sale? So, yeah, my TBR pile is taking over my bedroom.

What book has really captured your interest lately?

Happy reading, friends!