Salutations friends!
I want to start off by wishing you all a very happy PRIDE MONTH before I dive right in to what I’ve been reading this month. It has been a busy few weeks here at B&B but thankfully I’ve managed to devour a few titles amidst all the chaos. I must admit that I wrote this blog then had some technical difficulties and lost half of it so this isn’t going to be as elaborate as I wanted since I am rewritting quickly so I can get it posted ASAP.
Next month will be better.
Probably.
Hopefully.
Anyways….here we go!!
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
This is a masterfully woven tale of imperial deceit, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth—even if it changes her world forever, perfect for fans of Robin Hobb, Samantha Shannon, and readers who want a fresh take on classic fantasy.
-Hachette Book Group
I really enjoyed this audiobook – there were so many twists and turns, and the world building was fantastic. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
Nobody does contemporary romance quite like Abby Jimenez. I love how she tackles tough subjects like dementia and long distance relationships while still building a beautiful love story with great chemistry and characters. It was really refreshing to experience a wholesome MMC instead of a morally gray shadow daddy (not that I’m complaining about those AT ALL).
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry.
-Penguin Random House
I hate to admit this is the first Emily Henry book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last! This story gave me Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes and I loved it. Trying to piece together the twists and turns of this grand life story from two different perspectives kept me intrigued the entire time, and the chemistry was top tier contemporary romance.
The Bookclub for Toublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club . . . or a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb. A humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year.
– Harper Collins
I really enjoyed this historical fiction portrayal of suburban life in the early 1960s. The characters were all so unique and relatable in their own ways. I kept trying to cast a film adaptation in my head as I read. I love the Bettys and I have recommended this to several customers already!
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper
When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures and introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As she unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation. Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
-Harper Collins
I decided to stick with historical fiction after finishing The Book Club for Troublesome Women and I am so glad that I did. Getting the opportunity to examine historical events from a new perspective has always been something I’ve loved, and this novel highlighted several little-known events that transpired during major moments in our past starting in the early 1900s through WWI and WWII into the 50s and 60s. I am fascinated by videos of artists making miniatures and this was a captivating look into the history of the medium and how art reflects the world around it.
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess forced on an impossible quest with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo.
-Hachette Book Group
Rachel Gillig did a great job world building in this first book in her new series. I think my favorite part was the gargoyles – I kept picturing the talking gargoyles from Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame
I struggle with uncompleted series, and I was hesitant to read this because of that, but I enjoyed it enough to reread when the next book(s) are released, but not so much that I was angry about not being able to read the next one NOW (if that makes sense).
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But she knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, she makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.
This is a story about love.
1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. her tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.
This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston. College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why she moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, she throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.
This is a story about life—how it ends, and how it starts.
-Macmillan Publishers
I wanted to love this book, but I feel like I ended up tolerating most of it. I think it would be a great book club read as there are tons of things to talk about. The symbolism of the female characters being monsters who hunger for blood (something life-giving) while also yearning for love (specifically sapphic love), freedom, power, and revenge was brilliant. I think I was left wanting more throughout the story. The narrative covers almost 500 years and so much of that time was just glazed over. This single book could have easily been a series that really gave the reader more of a chance to connect with each of the three narrators, and I really wanted that chance. I love the idea of this story bit the execution left me hungry for more.
That’s it, folks.
I’m still shocked that I managed to read seven whole books this month, but then I remember that I added about seventy to my TBR list and I am instantly humbled. Make sure to check out our updated events calendar (July and August are posted), and keep an eye out for upcoming posts about our book clubs, menu announcement, and some other fun things that I can’t elaborate on just yet!
Here’s to July, and the next chapter,
