I’m not sure when it happened or exactly how it happened, but July proved to be a big month of reading for me! Maybe, it was all the time sitting in airports this month?

I read 10 books (somehow!) and it was quite a mix of titles:

• Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
• The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner
• Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
• The One-Minute Workout by Martin Gibala
• Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm
• Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
• My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
• Tactical Barbell II: Conditioning by K. Black

Let’s get into the reviews!

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

Hazel is the older sister of a very famous influencer, Evie. Evie has essentially been an influencer all of her life after a video of her dancing with her dad went viral. It’s all she’s ever known, but Hazel believes all of the attention and constant judgement of being in the spotlight can’t be good for Evie.

When Evie goes missing, Hazel returns home and is forced to work with her mother and other influencers to help find any leads and figure out what happened. The truth is complicated.

This was definitely a very timely book given the obsession with influencers, but I’ll be honest and say I didn’t quite get the big reveal.

Rating: 7/10

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

This was described to me as a more sci-fi Hunger Games. I can see where they are coming from, but I don’t think I agree.

Darrow lives a miserable life working in the mines, but it’s all he knows. Besides, it’s for the greater good of humanity, right? (Spoiler: It’s not…) When he and his wife get into trouble for trespassing, rather than backing down, his wife sings a forbidden song and is killed for it. Darrow is set to die too, but an organization intervenes on his behalf, in hopes he can save them all.

This a very complicated world with a lot of characters, so be sure to pay attention!

Rating: 7/10

(This is the first in a series of books, but I’m undecided if I will read the rest or not.)

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

This has been on my TBR for so long, and it was worth the wait!

Millie, a convicted felon, is in desperate need of a job. So, when she’s offered a live-in maid position, she readily accepts. But the woman she will be working for, Nina, is a bit off: Sometimes nice, sometimes mean. Despite Nina’s moods, Millie likes the job…. or rather, she likes Nina’s husband. She knows she should just leave their relationship alone, but Millie can’t help herself.

Freida McFadden writes the most twisted and surprising books and I love it! I can’t read to read the sequels.

Rating: 10/10

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner

I love a good plot twist and this book delivers!

Kyra is recovering after a diving accident/head injury on a small, secluded island with her husband, Jacob. She’s lost her memories of the last several years and of the dive itself. However, bits and pieces are slowly coming back to her, and she has this persistent dream that she can’t seem to shake. But are these actual memories or something else entirely? And who can you trust when you can’t even trust yourself?

Rating 9/10

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

The Richardsons are new to Nantucket and have made quite a splash with their lavish, over-the-top parties and their shameless flirting. But when their personal concierge, Coco, disappears during a boat party at the same moment their home catches fire, everyone takes a good hard look at the summer. Who are the Richardsons really?

It was hard to write a small blurb for this one because there are so many characters and so many side plots! I’m always amazed with the way that Elin Hilderbrand can weave so many stories together.

Rating: 7/10

The One-Minute Workout by Martin Gibala

Could working out really be as easy as 1 minute of hard work? That’s the case that Martin Gibala makes in this book. While he dives into the science behind HIIT (high intensity interval training), the meat of this book is really of the workout templates and creative ways to incorporate this concept into your life. And, he says it doesn’t just have to be running. You could apply the concepts to swimming, cycling, and even strength training.

This book really stood out to me and I go into my favorite recommended one-minute workout in this post.

Rating: 8/10

Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm

This book was beautifully written, from the word choice to the creative and unusual descriptions, but the plot itself and the characters were a bit lacking. As someone that tends to read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, I found myself a bit lost with this one. Maybe, I just didn’t get it?

Rafa is one of several girls who arrives at the Olympic Hotel in the village of Strega looking for work. Rafa is a bit strange, but so is everyone else. The hotel is also off somehow. Nothing is really wrong, but also everything is wrong. When guests finally arrive to the hotel, one of the girls goes missing. A search ensues.

Rating: 5/10

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Rufus, the future Earl of Greshambury, has always been in love with his neighbor, Eden. But Eden has never really taken his feelings seriously given their different social standings. Rufus is expected to marry royalty, or at the least, someone very very wealthy. Eden is neither of those things. Can love win out even as Rufus’ mom tries to set him up with other women? Chaos, drama, secrets, and a volcanic eruption follow.

This was a fun, cute tale! If you’re in the mood for luxury and drama, this is a fun read. I do wish it had been shorter, but the ending delivered.

Rating: 7.5/10

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Think you love horror films? Not as much as Jade Daniels. Well, slashers to be specific.

Almost high school graduate (it’s a long story) Jade is absolutely obsessed with all things horror. So, when odd events start happening in her small town, she assumes a slasher storyline is about to play out in real life. But given her reputation, no one believes her. What’s real? What’s not? As a reader, it’s anyone’s guess. Jade likes to ramble and has a big imagination.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Parts were really good, but other parts… kind of fell apart. It was slow for most of the book, until the ending. I would have liked more time spent on the big reveal.

Rating: 7/10

Tactical Barbell II: Conditioning by K. Black

These books definitely have a military/law enforcement focus, but as a civilian, there’s still a lot you can get out of them!

While there are books in the Tactical Barbell series focused on strength, this is focused more on conditioning (aerobic and anaerobic) and muscular endurance. Basically, this book contains a base building block followed by different conditioning templates you can try out, as well as different exercises that you can mix-and-match within the templates. I can’t wait to give it a try. I just need to find some hills!

(Note: This book is very short and to the point, so in terms of pricing, the Kindle version is a better deal in my opinion. But personally, I like having a paper copy so I can reference to the templates easily.)

Rating: 10/10

Want more reviews? Check out what I read in June 2024!

As always, I want to know what YOU are reading. Leave a comment below with some of your recent favorites.