I read twelve books (again!) in July. It was a mixed bag of fiction and non-fiction. I can’t stop buying books, so my goal is to read books I’ve had longer first and work my way to new releases. That being said, sometimes I’m so excited about a New Release, that I have to read it ASAP. Here’s what I read this month:

• The Light Through the Leaves - Glendy Vanderah

• The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Alix Harrow

• Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare

• The Secret Keeper of Jaipur - Alka Joshi

• Die Empty - Todd Henry

• No Pain, No Gaines - Chip Gaines

• Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

• The Trusted Advisor- David Maister

• Sigil Witchery - Laura Tempest Zakroff

• Contagious: Why Things Catch On - Jonah Berger

• City of Glass (Mortal Instruments) - Cassandra Clare

• One Way Ticket - Tricia O'Malley

Here are my favorite books I read in July and what I look forward to reading in August.

Fiction

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur - Alka Joshi

Why I Liked It: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur follows the same characters from Joshi’s first book, The Henna Artist, but with a new and exciting situation. Joshi does a great job of keeping you engaged and exhilarated without overwhelming the plot or over-fictionalizing the story. I enjoyed this book because it digs into the nuances and motivations of people, which are complex, contradictory, and confusing, but Joshi does a wonderful job of building empathy for each character, even those you love to hate.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Alix E. Harrow

Why I Liked It: I knew nothing of this book when I began reading - and I was surprised. I fell in love with January, our temerarious heroine, who wanders, explores, and doesn’t want to be a “proper young lady” in the early twentieth century. This book makes you believe in the power of words and how careful we must be when wielding them.

One Way Ticket - Tricia O’Malley

Why I Liked It: I read this at the start of July and what a delightfully fun read this was. I’ve officially read everything O’Malley has written. Most books are part of series, but One Way Ticket was a fun, relaxing standalone novel. I liked this because it’s easy to believe somewhere, right now, there is a lovely resort on a small tropical island with a quirky cast of characters and someone finding true love. This was a lovely book to escape the real world for just a little bit.

Non-Fiction

Die Empty: Unleashing Your Best Work Everyday - Todd Henry

Why I Liked It: In Die Empty, Todd Henry doesn’t write platitudes like “follow your passion” or “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” He breaks down the types of tasks needed to deliver your best work and helps you figure out where you are and how to overcome the challenges that often get in your way. I also really liked this book because so often people forget we are fully human and we will die one day. Facing our mortality isn’t a bad thing, it makes us do great work every day knowing our time is finite.

I’m looking forward to reading the following in August.

Fiction

• Well Met - Jen DeLuca

• The Once and Future Witches - Alix Harrow

• The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

Non-Fiction

• Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

• Loonshots - Safi Bahcall

• The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene

• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers - Ben Hororwitz

What are you reading this month?