July Books

Another month is gone, and today I am sharing the books I read in July.

As a reminder, here are my reading goals for 2021:
1. Read 221 books. This includes the books I read to the kids, audiobooks, and anything I read for myself.
2. Read at least one (new to me) classic. DONE!
3. Read at least four self-help/education books. 3 DONE

This month I had an audacious goal. My family was out of town for a few days, and I decided to read a book from my Netgalley list each day they were gone. It was a great way to start off the month. It’s amazing how much reading you can get done when no one is around.

And, I got back into my favorite podcast-Read Aloud Revival. If you haven’t checked this one out, it’s a wonderful podcast about books. I DID forget that my holds list at the library gets pretty long after listening to a few episodes (and all of their recommendations), so I read quite a few picture books to myself this month, and then passed off the best of them to the kids. I bought a couple too.

The biggest takeaway from the podcast was being introduced to Barbara Lehman books. I had never heard of this author, and she has a bunch of really great wordless picture books. They are so fun, and really do a great job of sparking conversation with your kiddos as you go through them. Very cool.

A few more of the recommended books I enjoyed-Owl Moon, A Long Road on a Short Day, Headstrong Hallie, and The Enchanted Hour.

Here is what I read in July:
1. Marty by E.W. Choate-I didn’t like this one, and it was tough to even want to finish for the review.
2. The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson-very good-intriguing mystery, and fun storyline
3. To Marry an Earl by Karen Thornell-loved this one-interesting plot and a sweet love story
4. Gelli Arts Printing Guide by Suzanne McNeill-very cool and inspirational
5. Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy Gray-pretty good, but more of a one-time read
6. Red Sled by Lita Judge-what a cute picture book! Loved it!
7. Hello, Rain by Kyo Maclear-great book about kids and rain, very fun
8. The Red Book by Barbara Lehman-so fun and imaginative
9. Red Again by Barbara Lehman-great continuation of the story, very cute
10. Noisy Night by Mac Barnett-great book for littles-colorful art, and silly story
11. Goodwin the Goat by Don Freeman-not bad, but not a favorite-I wouldn’t read it again
12. Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman-another fun and imaginative one!
13. Train Stop by Barbara Lehman-I liked it
14. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen-really beautiful, the words are so descriptive and wonderful
15. The Skunk by Mac Barnett-very good-I bought it
16. Flo by Kyo Maclear-didn’t care for it
17. The Wolf The Duck & The Mouse by Mac Barnett-wonderful! I loved this one, and I bought it!
18-19. The Wolf The Duck & The Mouse by Mac Barnett (had to read it to the kids!)
20-21. The Skunk by Mac Barnett (read it to the kids)
22. Noisy Night by Mac Barnett (read it to the kids)
23. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett-got on a tangent and read another of our favorites to the kids by Mac Barnett 🙂
24. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett-this one is our very favorite
25. The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper D. Basham-good!
26. Brides & Brothers by Anneka R. Walker-did not like this one
27. The Last Olympian: Percy Jackson Book 5 (audio) by Rick Riordan-very good!
28. How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett-loved it-funny enough I laughed out loud
29. A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary D. Schmidt-really liked it
30. The Fog by Kyo Maclear-didn’t really care for it
31. Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise-just OK, loved the rich palette in the illustrations
32. Headstrong Hallie! by Aimee Bissonette-very interesting and based on a true story-I liked it
33. Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke-good book, love the illustrations in this series
34. Julia’s House Goes Home by Ben Hatke-very good
35. Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman-good
36. Story Boat by Kyo Maclear-didn’t care for it
37. Julia’s House Goes Home by Ben Hatke (read to The Boy)-very good-I really need to buy the series!
38. The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha-fascinating, and based on a true story
39. Itzhak A Boy Who Loved the Violin by Tracy Newman-interesting, and fun illustrations
40. The Enchanted Hour (audio) by Meghan Cox Gurdon-so informative, and a great book about reading aloud
41. The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla-I liked it, but I felt like it didn’t really have an ending

I read eight books to the kids, and I read (or listened to) ten books just for me. I also read twenty-three picture books to myself for review.

For the year, I have now read sixty-three books to the kids and sixty-nine books just for me. I’ve also read (or listened to) forty-six picture books to myself for review. That’s 178 books so far, and I am at 80% of my goal, so I am well on my way to finishing!

For a favorite this month……

Mac Barnett has some fabulous books, and when he teams up with Jon Klassen, it can be pretty magical. I love this book, and it’s now in our collection!

Well, that’s it for this month. I will have another book post the first Tuesday in September!