Summer Reading: All The Books I Read in July

This month’s reading journal is both a week late and (sort of) incomplete. It’s summer! I took last week off from publishing (which was a very big deal for me, but I am sure you hardly noticed). I thought the extra week would give me enough time to review the massive book that took up half of my July, but I was mistaken. You will get some of my thoughts below, but the book has demanded a dedicated newsletter.

My delay wasn’t totally due to the difficulty of the last review. I spent the week before last sourcing vintage and antiques all over western New York and this past week in the mountains of Wyoming visiting family. Both of which were incredibly invigorating (in different ways) but neither of which left much time for writing…. But let’s get into it:

July started in the shadowy depths of a reading slump, which is always a bummer, but especially so in the summer when I ask so much more of my TBR! The delights of summer are so elusive…so fleeting that I rely on my reading diet (among other habits) to help me cling to all that magic. It’s through reading stories that truly feel like summer that I’m able to experience the seasons in all their very specific glory. So being in a slump really pissed me off. Summer is far too brief, and the ocean of extraordinary books far too vast to waste precious hours on anything less than spectacular (ok, maybe that is a bit dramatic, so let’s say at least a 7/10 and above)

A Whimsical World Summer Reading List

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Jun 13

​The community here has grown substantially over the last few months, mostly thanks to my Big List of Whimsical Artists. So I thought today, I would start off by introducing myself for those of you who are new here!

I set a goal in 2026 to write a review for every book I finish (and DNF, I guess). To capture what it feels like to live in a story, what worked, what didn’t, and why. Despite the instinct to just quickly move on from the books I don’t like, writing about them helps me hone my understanding of what makes the great ones so extraordinary. And while I sort of hate writing a bad review for a book, I do find them wonderfully revealing to read. They help you suss out a reviewer’s taste, what they’re seeking in a story, and whether you can trust their recommendations. I hope it does the same for you.

Luckily, midway through, the tide turned. First, with the most whimsical read of the year thus far, and next with a classic of such legendary renown that I couldn’t help but fall under its spell (the aforementioned book that took up half of July). Here’s hoping it’s all 7/10’s and above until September!

This series is technically for my paid subscribers, but because I truly believe books are the best thing in the world and sharing my love of reading with everyone is important, I leave these free for a week!