July & August Reads

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
This has been on my TBR for quite some time so I was really excited to dive right in.  I was not disappointed.  I don't even want to say too much because I think it's so much better walking in not knowing what to expect.

Modern Lovers
by Emma Straub
Modern Lovers was a book donated to my church's festival and I snagged it out of curiosity.  I'm a "judge a book by it's cover" kinda girl. And I judged correctly.  This was a fun read, not completely light in it's material, but I loved the multi-narrative approach.

The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
by Miguel Ruiz
I struggled to make it through this one.  I picked it up and put it down A LOT.  I read Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements and enjoyed the experience and took to heart a lot of his advice, but I guess the skeptical in me couldn't accept The Voice of Knowledge.  *insert girl emoji shrugging*

Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White
I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO READ CHARLOTTE'S WEB!! Sure, I saw the cartoon version as a kid, but as we all know - the book is always better than the movie.  When I was returning it to the library, a man stopped me and said, "Hey! I read that as a kid!!"

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
by Jenny Lawson
She is such a goddess.  I sat on the plane to Utah (both ways) and laughed so hard I cried in front of perfect strangers.  I love you Jenny Lawson.

Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher
No, I have not watched the Netflix series, and I probably won't after chatting about it with my friend Ashley who indicated it differs greatly from the book.  It was a gripping read and reminded me how every action you make can affect someone - make sure it's a positive one.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Oh. My. God.  This book blew my mind and broke my heart.  I tossed Henrietta aside a few times to stop up the tears rising in my throat. The story of Henrietta, her family, and the HeLa cells feels like it belongs in the world of sci-fi--but it doesn't.  It's real and so many of us are here because of Henrietta's death.

Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
I'm sorry you guys but...I hated this book.  It was so long winded and there was just too much philosophy from the author.  I enjoy those types of books too, but this one felt incredibly self-righteous.  Not enough plot, too much thought. (IDK IT RHYMES).

Catcher
by Kalyn Nicholson
Kalyn Nicholson inspires the crap out of me.  I knew I wanted to support her first novel in any way I could.  I did enjoy Catcher, and I'm excited that it's a series because I really want to know what happens to Carson and Grey.  This definitely has a debut novel feel, and I think she's headed in the right direction.

The Last Black Unicorn
by Tiffany Haddish
Um. Yes. The world needs more Tiffany Haddish.  I finished this book in less than 24 hours.  I actually ended up late to a friend's birthday party because I couldn't put it down.