LazyDayLit's JULY 2022 Reading WrapUp & Challenge Progress

GOODBYE JULY!!!

Hello readers! 

July was another month filled with graphic novels & audiobooks and I ended up reading 20 books in all for the second month in a row! 

We had a lot of excess heat and lightning storms in July which kept us inside reading or playing family games most days but it was also a really good month with a camping trip, a beach day, and lots of swimming. 
  
We've also been prepping for our third year of homeschooling and I'm looking forward to all the new stories and nonfiction resources we will use. I may attempt to keep a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly update on our homeschool and KidLit reads here on the blog but that really depends on how much time I set aside! Blogging has taken the backburner this year but I'm still sharing our reads over on instagram! 

Did you get any extra reads in over the summer?


GRAPHIC NOVELS I READ IN JULY

BOOKS I FINISHED IN JULY

AUDIOBOOKS LISTENED TO IN JULY

Started But Haven't Finished

CHALLENGE PROGRESS

ABC CHALLENGE

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

20 / 26

JAN: +7

C, E, G, H, L, N, V

FEB: +5

A, B, M, P, R

MAR: +2
F, W

APR: +1
T

MAY: +2
O, S

JUNE: +1
D,

JULY: +2
I, U

It's In His Kiss
Ugly Love

BookRiot's READ HARDER Challenge

JAN: 1/24
FEB: 4/24
MAR: 4/24
APR: 4/24
MAY: 5/24

JUNE: 6/24

JULY: + 3

7. Read a romance where the protagonist is over 40:
Lore Olympus Vol 2 (Hades is 2000+ yrs old)

16. Recommended by a friend with different reading tastes:
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

21. A queer retelling of a classic in the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth:
The Girl From the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

The52BookClub Reading Challenge

18 / 52

JAN: +5
FEB: +3
MAR: +1
APR: +2
MAY: +2
JUNE: +2

JULY: +3

2. Featuring a library or bookstore:
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

17. Picked based on the spine:
On A Sunbeam

21. Published by Simon & Schuster:
Ugly Love


PopSugar Reading Challenge

Jan: 4 / 40
Feb: 7 / 40
Mar: +1 = 8/40
Apr: +0 = 8 / 40
May: +2 = 10/40
JUNE: +5 = 15/40




NEW TO ME AUTHORS

JULY:
Jillian Tamaki
Mariko Tamaki
T. Kingfisher
Peng Shepherd
Molly Knox Ostertag
L.M. Elliott
Rio Youers
Colleen Hoover
Thi Bui
Gwenda Bond
Hester Fox
Tillie Walden


And that's about it for stats!

Happy reading! 

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Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (Middle Grade Fantasy Book Review)

Amari and the Night Brothers
(Supernatural Investigations #1)
by B.B. Alston
Published by Balzer & Bray
on January 19, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Ages: 9+ years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, thirteen-year-old Amari Peters, can't understand why it's not a bigger deal. Why isn't his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?

Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother's old closet. Meant for her eyes only. He's left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding her missing brother lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, and magicians all being real things, something she has to instantly confront when she is given a weredragon as a roommate. 

Amari must compete against some of the nation's wealthiest kids who've known about the supernatural world their whole lives and with an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn't pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton. 


My Thoughts:

Amari Peters desperately misses her brilliant older brother, Quinton, who had gone off to pursue a confidential career and mysteriously disappeared in the process. Things at her school aren't going so well thanks to bullies so when she gets an acceptance letter to a special summer camp that her brother had preemptively nominated her for, she jumps at the chance, knowing that it's her best chance at finding out what happened to her brother. 

Thanks to her brother's nomination, Amari becomes an initiate at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and is introduced to the secret world of the supernatural. Determined to become a Junior Agent like her brother before her, Amari prepares and competes for a career at the Bureau while also trying to solve the mystery of her missing brother. 

This is a really fun read filled with magic, mystery, supernatural beings and creatures such as were-dragons, trolls, phoenixes, and more. 
There's an underlying mystery that motivates the main character throughout the book. Great character development.

I can't wait for the sequel! 

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LazyDayLit's JULY 2022 TBR & Reading Goals

Hello July!

I read twenty books in June thanks to a new library card & too much rain/heat to spend much time outdoors. I'm hoping for a similar month but also need to catch up on reviews and stuff so I may take it easy, depending on my mood and how much of an escape I need, I suppose.

What has been your favorite book to escape into so far this year?



MY JULY HOPEFULS


For Review
 

 Many thanks to Katherine Tegan Books, Little Brown Books, & William Morrow for these review reads! 



Borrowed Books

Graphic Novels:

What are you most looking forward to reading this month?

You can keep up with what I end up reading over on Bookstagram @LazyDayLit! 

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LazyDayLit's JUNE 2022 Wrap Up & Challenge Progress

Goodbye JUNE!

Hello, readers! 

How was your month?

It was hot and rainy here but we fit in a few hikes, trips to springs, and a camping trip but mostly we hung out in the garden or in the a/c because the garden is starting to wither in the 100+ (F) temps w've had.

I had a great reading month and finished TWENTY books!
Twenty is a lot for me at any time, but about half of those were graphic novels or audiobooks. I was able to get a neighboring county library card which opened up the world of available books and quite nearly three times as many hold and loans than I'm used to. I have to say, it is quite nice to be able to read what I want, when I want, without having to wait more than a week. My local library holds go on for months and months with one purchase suggestion per month. The difference is obvious! 



Books I Read in June:

     

Audiobooks Listened To:

Started But Haven't Finished:

Read to my kiddo:

and more! 

CHALLENGE PROGRESS

ABC CHALLENGE

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

17 / 26

JAN: +7

C, E, G, H, L, N, V

FEB: +5

A, B, M, P, R

MAR: +2
F, W

APR: +1
T

MAY: +2
O, S

JUNE: +
D,

Damnation Spring

BookRiot's READ HARDER Challenge

JAN: 1/24
FEB: 4/24
MAR: 4/24
APR: 4/24
MAY: 5/24

JUNE: +1

17. Read a memoir by someone who is trans or nonbinary:
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabi

The52BookClub Reading Challenge

11 / 52

JAN: +5
FEB: +3
MAR: +1
APR: +2
MAY: +2

JUNE: +2

23. Author with X, Y, or Z in name:
Nizrana Farook (The Boy Who Met A Whale)

24. Addresses a specific topic:
Notes On A Nervous Planet (anxiety)


PopSugar Reading Challenge

Jan: 4 / 40
Feb: 7 / 40
Mar: +1 = 8/40
Apr: +0 = 8 / 40
May: +2 = 10/40

JUNE: +5

5. A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid:
White Bird

9. A book about a found family:
A History of Wild Places

20. A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read:
My previous read was White Bird, Challenge prompt read was Damnation Spring

37. A book about gender identity:
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabi

25. A book about a secret:
Amari and the Night Brothers


NEW TO ME AUTHORS

JUNE:
Kay/Katie O'Neill
Ash Davidson
Nizrana Farook
Steve Rinella
Cliff Sowers
BB Alston
Alice Oseman
Maia Kobabi
Stephanie Land



And that's about it for stats!

Happy reading! 

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A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw (Adult Fiction Book Review)

A History of Wild Places
by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Atria Books
on December 7, 2021
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 368 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James--a well-known author of dark, macabre children's books--he's led to a place many believed to be only a legend. 

Called "Pastoral," this reclusive community was  founded in the 1970's by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn't exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it... he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James. 

Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis's abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there's a risk of bringing a disease--rot--into Pastoral.
Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove perfect, isolated world isn't as safe as they believed. 



My Thoughts:

Travis Wren has the special ability to see a person's life and history when touching an object that belongs to them. With this ability, he is able to help find missing persons from time to time, which is how he ended up on the case of Maggie St. James, a missing children's book author that disappeared. Armed with only a few clues of where she was last seen before disappearing, Travis Wren sets off to find Maggie, dead or alive. 

And then the story switches to the isolated, secret community of Pastoral nestled deep in the wilderness, where the people believe the outside world is infected with 'rot' so no one ever leaves. One community member, Theo, who has been defying the leaders' rule about not traveling down the 'road' that would take him out of Pastoral, finds Travis Wren's truck and clues that he was headed for their community, which prompts Theo and his wife, Calla, to question the communities existence altogether. 

A History of Wild Places is a darkly mysterious read with lots of plot twists that I definitely did not see coming. The community of Pastoral is very cult-like, with a leader that promotes the threat of a terrible sickness if anyone leaves. 

The beginning of this book really drew me in. It starts like a true crime mystery with the possibility of a hint of horror, with Travis Wren and his ability headed deep into the woods following subtle signs that lead the way.
But then it completely switched characters, setting, etc, to give us the story from inside the reclusive community of Pastoral. I lost interest a little bit at that point and had to switch to audio to keep it going but once Theo and his wife start to catch on to the mystery of Travis Wren visiting their community, everything comes together splendidly.
I'm glad I didn't give up on it because that twist ending blew me away! 

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Expedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco & Binglin Hu (Children's Graphic Novel Review)

 We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Expedition Backyard
by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Binglin Hu
Published by Random House Graphic
on June 21, 2022
Genre: Children's, Graphic Novels
Length: 128 pages
Ages: 4 - 8

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Join two best friends--a mole and a vole--on their everyday expeditions to find beautiful plants, meet new animals, and learn more about the world around them in this nonfiction graphic novel. 

Each day, Mole and Vole venture out into the world--never forgetting their nature journal!--to see what they can find in their own backyard. From pigeons and jumping spiders to swamp milkweed and maple trees, these two explorers get to know every part of their local environment. But after an accidental move from the country to the city, Mole and Vole worry that everything will be different. As they explore, they discover plants to look at and animals to meet in their new home as well. 

The story of these two best friends brings to life a nonfiction adventure of finding wonder in nature everywhere--no matter where you live. This book concludes with fun activities for kids to do at home. 

Our  Thoughts:

Two best friends, Mole and Vole, live their best lives going on adventures and expeditions every day. No matter what happens, whether it's a scary predator or even a complete change of scenery, these two friends keep a positive outlook and face the big world head-on.  From the backyard to the city, Mole and Vole make every day a fun and educational adventure! 

Expedition Backyard is a children's nonfiction graphic novel that is perfect for nature and animal lovers! 


This is adorable!
We loved Vole's enthusiasm for adventure and Mole's tendency to nature journal all of their fun expeditions. 
The illustrations are super cute and there is some scientific labeling of flora and fauna thrown in to make it even more educational. 

There's a lot of great content at the end of the book as well, including step-by-step instructions to draw the characters and tips on how to keep a nature journal, join a community garden, learning to compost, and more! 

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Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson (Adult Historical Fiction Book Review)

 

Damnation Spring
by Ash Davidson
Published by Scribner
on August 3, 2021
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Length: 464 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
A stunning novel about love, work, and marriage that asks how far one family and one community will go to protect their future.

Colleen and Rich Gundersen are raising their young son, Chub, on the rugged California coast. It's 1977, and life in this Pacific Northwest logging town isn't what it used to be. For generations, the community has lived and breathed timber; now that way of life is threatened. 

Colleen is an amateur midwife. Rich is a tree-topper. It's a dangerous job that requires him to scale trees hundreds of feet tall. Colleen and Rich want a better life for their son--and they take steps to assure their future. Rich secretly spends their savings on a swath of ancient redwoods. But when Colleen, grieving the loss of a recent pregnancy and desperate to have a second child, challenges the logging company's use of herbicides she believes are responsible for the many miscarriages in the community, Colleen and Rich find themselves on opposite sides of a budding conflict. As tensions in the town rise, they threaten the very thing the Gundersens are trying to protect: their family. 

Told in prose as clear as a spring-fed creek, Damnation Spring is an intimate, compassionate portrait of a family whose bonds are tested and a community clinging to a vanishing way of life. 


My Thoughts:

Damnation Spring is the story of a logging town in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970's that is slowly starting to become aware of the effects of the local logging company's herbicides. 

Rich and Colleen Gunderson are just trying to get by and raise their only son, Chub, after a long string of miscarriages, but when Colleen's old high school sweetheart finds a link between the herbicides and the town's miscarriages and stillbirths, Colleen and Rich must make tougher choices than they've ever made before.


I started this on a whim, going in blind and having only seen one or two random people recommend it, but it was available so I gave it a go. It took me a while to get into the story and I had to switch to audio so my attention wouldn't waver as much. It's a bit slow-paced and not a lot happens beyond some family drama and community hardships. It's much more character-driven and has a heavy focus on politics and the blowback from locals when faced with science and facts that may actually save their lives and end all their woes. 

I recommend if you enjoy environmental reads, familial drama, or historical fiction about logging or the Pacific Northwest. 

Content Warnings 
include
Miscarriage, severe birth defects, death, violence, animal abuse, infidelity

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