July Favorites

To me, the end of July marks the end of summer’s heart. In 2026, I learned to love summertime again, despite spending the rest of the year longing for autumn.

This may or may not be the final edition of my monthly favorites in this format. I absolutely adore compiling these lists, so they’re not coming to an end…I’ll just be incorporating them into something new. I’m dreaming big about Stellify as a digital magazine, so stay tuned!

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo:
It took me years to get to the sequel of Six of Crows (I’m just a slow reader with way too many books on my TBR list), and now I know I should’ve picked it up immediately after finishing SoC. I’m only about halfway through so far, but I’m hooked. The action-packed plot is matched by an equally dynamic cast of characters, just as I remembered them.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
Sarah J. Maas may be the queen of romantasy, but I never thought her books would be for me. To my surprise, Throne of Glass was an intriguing start to a series with an incredibly witty main character, and I’m interested to eventually continue reading!

Divine Discontent by Sixpence None the Richer:
I was so sad to read about the tragic loss of Sixpence’s bassist, Justin Cary, who passed away this June. They’ve cancelled the rest of their tour this year, so instead of going to their concert this month, I listened to this CD in my car a few times and thought of them. “A Million Parachutes” is one of my favorites.

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic by The Sundays:
The Sundays is my favorite band of all time, so I’ve listened to this album a thousand times, but I’ll listen to it a thousand more before I even start to get tired of it. I feel like this one has perfect summer-to-fall transition songs. I can’t wait to pop in more of The Sundays’ and Sixpence None the Richer’s CDs this autumn.

Hadestown:
I’d been looking forward to the pro-shot of my favorite musical for so long, and it did not disappoint! This recording is so immersive—I felt like I was there in the middle of the audience watching the stage in real time. There’s so much to love about this story that I don’t even know what to mention in such a small space…let me just say that it’s the epitome of bittersweetness.

Lady Bird:
Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actresses, and Lady Bird is probably her best role (you know it’s good if I’m saying this about the woman who portrays my beloved Jo March!). I love stories that aren’t really about anything in particular, because storytelling has the power to capture and preserve the feelings of fleeting moments, and it makes the ordinary feel extraordinary.

Nana:
I only have a few episodes left of this anime about two young women both named Nana, and it’s absolutely blown me away. The way music and fashion are woven throughout this story is stunning, and the darker emotional tone complements the art so perfectly.

I’m going to keep writing about Nana for a minute, because the role that fashion plays in the series inspires me. The characters’ personal styles create an emotional language—you know things about the characters based on what they’re wearing before you really get to know them. Ai Yazawa (Nana’s writer) went to fashion school, and the way she tells stories through the lens of fashion is just brilliant.

In my own wardrobe, I’ve been expressing myself with more confidence by wearing more “out there” prints (I just got a new deer print top!) and experimenting with silhouettes and accessories. With autumn approaching, my color scheme is going to become more muted, so I’m taking advantage of the last bit of summertime with all the bright shades and patterns.

What’s something that made your July magical? Let me know what you’ve been loving lately in a comment below!

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