July is over, my reading was as pleasant as the weather was

 This was a pretty solid month. 8 books. 3,165 pages. An average of 102 pages per day. So let’s get into it

How to Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer (224 pages). These two women have a podcast called By the Book, where they live out a self-help book for 2 weeks and then talk about how it went. The book was divided into 13 things that worked (kindness to self and others, decluttering, trying new things), 8 things that didn’t work (diets, meditation) and 8 things they wished books recommended (stop comparing yourself to others, see a therapist, make friend with your body). I feel like I got the readers digest versions of some of the best and worst self-help books out there. And while I’m not a massive believer in self-help books, I certainly saw some areas in my own life that could use a little extra love and attention. To be honest, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Probably in no small part to their writing style. It was fun and funny, they seemed approachable and likable. I finished in 3 days. 

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (465 pages). Ah, historical fiction. My old friend. The novel takes place over 3 times lines. The first begins in 1900 Switzerland. Elfriede von Kleist is convalescing from postpartum depression (for 2 years already) at a sanitarium. A new arrival, Englishman Wilfred Thorpe, catches her interest. And soon her heart. But Elfriede must eventually return to her husband and son, blithe of whom have moved on without her. In the summer of 1941, journalist and recent widow Lulu Randolph is sent down to Nassau to learn more about the intriguing Duke and Duchess of Windsor. After finally making her way into Nassau society, Lulu finds herself enthralled by Benedict Thorpe. She also finds herself in the middle of scandals that surround the Windsor society- a murder, disappearances, etc. In the winter of 1943, Lulu makes her way to London to find whatever news she can of her new husband, who is missing behind enemy lines in Germany. The way the stories all intertwine was just wonderful. It took me a while to get into the book. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down. I finished in 4 days. 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (363 pages). Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are the assistants to the co-CEO’s of Bexley and Gamin publishing house. Coworkers and bitter rivals. In fact, their favorite thing to do is play games with each other- the Staring Game and, most importantly, the Hating Game. But when the opportunity for a promotion is offered to both of them, they take their competition up to a whole other level. And then one moment changes everything. Because the line between hate and love is pretty thin. This was total beach-read, chick lit. Which is just delightful during the summer. I finished in 5 days. 

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (434 pages). Three women during three different time periods, connected by one building- the Paris Ritz. In 1914, Aurelie de Courcelles finds herself torn between her childhood home and legacy, her American heiress mother at the Paris Ritz and a handsome German aide-de-camp, Maximilian Von Sternberg. In 1942, Daisy Villon is married to a horrible man who is a Nazi collaborator. But her free-spirited American grandmother raised her at the Paris Ritz and with a sense of loyalty. She becomes a resistance fighter alongside her spunky grandmere. In 1964, Babs Langford is mourning the death of her husband. And when she is asked to meet American lawyer Drew Bowdoin at the Paris Ritz to learn what they can about elusive French heroine and resistance fighter  La Fleur, Babs jumps at the chance. This woman’s name has long haunted her memories of her husband and she wants answers. The three time periods were so distinct. Yet the connection between the women was so wonderful. I finished in 7 days. 

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (438 pages). The first of eight in the Bridgerton series. And a limited edition box from Once Upon a Book Club (which means gifties are on social!). I absolutely ADORED the Bridgerton series on Netflix. The book was even better. Obviously, I was completely unable to picture the Duke and Daphne as the books described them (the Duke has ice blue eyes in the novel), but other than that, so easy and enjoyable. In case you’ve been under a rock, the book is about Daphne Bridgerton, the fourth of the eight Bridgerton children (and eldest daughter) who is worried she will be a spinster or in an unhappy marriage. When her older brother’s former school chum, the new Duke of Hastings, arrives in the ton, they quickly join forces in a sham courtship. Pursuing Daphne will keep the Ambitious Mamas and their Darling Daughters from plotting for his proposal (which will help Simon) and will make Daphne seem more desirable (which will help Daphne). But sham courtships have a way of becoming the truth. I finished in 4 days. 

The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (451 pages). The second book in the series  focuses on Anthony Bridgerton, eldest child of the Bridgerton family and a viscount. Anthony has finally decided that this will be the year he gets married. It’s high time now that Daphne is married. Of course, he has no plans on doing anything so silly as marrying for love (he has his reasons). So he sets his sights on Edwina Sheffield, the Incomparable of 1814. But to get to Edwina, he must win over her older sister Kate. In Kate, Anthony has finally met his match. When a compromising moment forces a hasty marriage, Anthony realizes that marrying for love might actually be the best thing that ever happened to him. I finished in 4 days. 

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (337 pages). Everyone knows the story of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, and her unsolved murder. This novel focuses on two  policemen involved in the investigation. Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are partners and friends. And they both become obsessed (in their own way) with the case.   After Lee disappears, Bucky takes an even more personal interest in the case. His inability to let the case go results in him finally figuring out who killed the Dahlia. But he is unable to actually arrest the guilty party. So the case remains unsolved. Technically. I finished in 3 days. 

An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (453 pages). The third book in the series focuses on Benedict Bridgerton, the second child of the Bridgerton family. Sophie Beckett is the bastard daughter of an earl. But her life is rather pleasant. She’s treated better than a servant but not as a true born daughter. Then her father marries a truly horrible woman. When the earl dies four years later, Sophie is immediately made into a servant by her stepmother. For seven years, she works as a lady’s maid. Until one night, the housekeeper helps her out in true Cinderella fashion- she gets sent to the masquerade ball. There she meets Benedict. When her stepmother figures out what she did, she kicks her out. While she and Benedict spend the next two years dreaming about each other, they finally reconnect. But Benedict has no idea that Sophie is his mystery woman. And Sophie knows that a gentleman cannot marry a bastard child who is now a servant. I finished in 3 days. 

This month’s favorite was .....All the Ways We Said Goodbye. Although the Bridgerton books were super enjoyable (An Offer from a Gentleman was my favorite)