Spent lots of time "unplugged" this month (with the exception of the Kindle) and got some good reading in. I think it was in anticipation of school starting in a few weeks, which means my time to read for pleasure is just about over. I'm still moving forward with the project, hoping to read at least 2 non-school books a month. Here's what I read in July, with brief synopsis and star rating.
Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis and Beth Clark (nonfiction)
When 18-year-old Katie goes to Uganda for a mission trip in her senior year of high school, she never imagined that it would hold the keys to her future. A year later, she left her family, friends, boyfriend, and comfortable life in Tennessee to start a new life: doing God's work with the orphans in Uganda's poorest areas. What she thought would be a one-year teaching position turned into a lifetime mission of adoption, redemption, and sharing God's love with the least of these. (4/5 stars)
Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey
After the murder of a not-so-beloved high school football coach, teenage reporter/investigator Millie Ostermeyer sets out to find his killer. She enlists the help of her two close friends, and gets an unexpected ally in a mysterious newcomer to town, Chase Albright. When the main suspect turns out to be someone close to her, Millie is determined to prove their innocence. With the eyes of her father, the local detective, and her nemesis following her every move, will Millie be able to solve this mystery? Or will she get in over her head? (4/5 stars)
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Libby Day was seven years old when her teenaged brother murdered her mother and sisters in cold blood. She narrowly escaped her own murder to be raised by an aunt and distant cousins, after testifying to send her brother to jail for life. Now, 25 years later, she's approached with the possibility that her brother could be innocent. She teams up with a "fan" of the case to try and solve the decades-old murder. Told from the perspectives of Libby in present day and her mother and brother on the day of the mother, a tale more twisted than previously though unfolds, and Libby is forced to face her deepest fears. (5/5 stars)
World Without End by Ken Follet
A follow up to Follet's groundbreaking "Pillars of the Earth", this story takes place in the mid-14th century, when the descendants of the cathedral builders. While not a legitimate sequel, the story takes place in the same town and the descendants deal with the same hardships--relationships, religion, war, famine, poverty, and plagues. (2.5/5 stars)
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Two couples get together for a leisurely summer dinner out in Amsterdam. Over dinner they chat about work, vacations, and home life. Then the discussion turns to their two boys, cousins and best friends, the dinner quickly goes sour. The boys committed an atrocious act together, and are in danger of being identified by authorities, but only the parents know the truth. Conversations surge and the night comes to a climactic halt when both couples realize what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their sons. (3/5 stars)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Book 1 in the Chaos Walking series. The story is set in the future, on a distant planet where humans have recolonized. After a war with the "New World's" local inhabitants, the Spackle, humans are cursed with an infection that causes everyone to hear each other's thoughts (or Noise). The infection is said to have led to the complete demise of the human female, leaving only the males to occupy the New World. Then, a month before his 13th birthday, Todd Hewitt discovers a teenaged female human hiding in the swamps and chaos ensues. Soon, the two are running for their lives, in hopes of finding refuge in a place called Haven. (3.5/5 stars)
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Book 2 of the Chaos Walking series. Todd and Viola are captured and separated in Haven, where the army from old Prentisstown has taken over and dubbed the territory New Prentisstown. Mayor Prentiss has declared himself President and, along with his followers, tries to establish a new order in the New World. But, the women who are quarantined decide to lead a rebellion and Viola follows. Now, she and Todd are fighting on opposite sides for the same goal: freedom. Will they succeed? Or will the New World be destroyed by war? (3.5/5 stars)
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
The 3rd book in the Chaos Walking series. This time, Todd and Viola find themselves working with opposing sides to fight the Spackle, who have waged war against the humans. We see from both perspectives, and from the perspective of a Spackle, what each side has to endure and what can be done to bring about peace in the New World. (3/5 stars)
Things We Set on Fire by Deborah Reed
For 30 years, Vivvie has had a secret, one she thought only she carried. But, when tragedy strikes again, and she gains custody of her grandchildren, Vivvie discovers she's not the only one carrying secrets. And she's not the only one who knows about that fateful night 30 years ago--the one that tore her family apart. Now, she hopes to leave past mistakes behind and build new memories--ones she won't have to hide. (4/5 stars)
Too Far to Say Far Enough by Nancy Rue
The third book in the Reluctant Prophet series. Allison continues with her mission to clean up St. Augustine, Florida by taking in more "working girls" off the street. With the community on board, the only things standing in her way are her arch nemesis, Troy and her adopted son's dangerous, biological father, who is relentlessly pursuing them. She continues to follow her Nudges from God, this time telling her to "Go another mile". Can she keep everything together and keep everyone safe? Or will this new leap of faith be the demise of this reluctant prophet? (3.5/5 stars)
Real Happy Family by Caeli Wolfson Widger
It's about a dysfunctional family in Southern California with all of the clichés you'd expect: crumbling marriages and extramarital affairs; an overbearing mother trying desperately to get her daughter into show business; a prodigal daugher, addicted to meth and trying to sever all family ties; an older brother keeping a safe distant from it all. So, what do they do? They allow all their family drama unravel on TV's newest reality show, Real Happy Family. It's a story about broken dreams and broken relationships and how not to mend them. (3/5 stars)
Gillian Flynn has quickly become one of my favorite writers. I've read all her novels and Dark Places is my favorite of them. And it was my favorite book this month. It was a refreshing break from all the YA I've been reading. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you like suspense and psychological thrillers, it's definitely one to put on your to-read list. For my Christian friends, there is a lot of foul language, violence, and descriptions of sex acts, so read at your discretion. I can't wait until she writes something else!
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