July 2026 Reading Wrap Up

 I read 6   books across 1,813 pages pages listened to 13.52  hours. I started the month with 54 unread owned books Bought 2      . DNF 1  owned books    Read 1 owned books  .  Ended the month with  54Owned TBR . Started with 41 unfinished series. Finished   series   DNF 1  series, and added  1  unfinished series. 41 unfinished series.   DNF 6  books total  40 before 40 started the month with 40 read 4 ended with 36

1. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (audio) (ebook) I liked this one more than I thought I would.  

2. Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn (audio)(ebook)(review)(favorite of the month) 40 before 40

3. Marilyn and Her books: The Literary life of Marilyn Monroe (40 before 40 

4. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton  40 before 40 

5. Chase me if you can by Heather Frances 

6. A Date with Death by Kelly Creagh (second favorite of the month) (review) (owned booked) 40 before 40

Shortbread in the Highlands and A Date with Death were my two favorites of the month. I enjoyed Dungeon Crawler carl more than I thought would. I learned quite a bit from Marilyn and her books. Jurassic park is scarier than the movie

40 books before 40

 Since I turn 40 in less than a year I decided to make a list of 40 books I want to read before I turn 40.

1. Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn

2. A Date with Death by Kelly Creagh 

3. Rebel Season by Katie Bailey 

4. The Saint and the Spy by Laura Frantz 

5. Our Strange Duet by Erin Criag 

6. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 

7. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman 

8. Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar 

9. Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar 

10. Revelle Lyssa Mia Smith 

11. Kilted Lovers by Megan Clawson 

12. Samantha: The Next Chapter by Fiona Davis 

13. Marilyn and Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe by Gail Crowther 

14. Rise of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2009-2018 by Rick Buker 

15. Sidney Crosby: The Rookie Year by Sidney Crosby 

16. Gino the Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick 

17. The Cruelest miles by Gay Salisbury 

18. God, Family, Country by Craig Morgan 

19. Why are All my boyfriends fictional? By Jessica Kate 

20. The Gales of November by John U Bacon 

21. Ghosts of Sicily by Mark Harmon 

22. Catching sight by Deni Elliott

23. By the Fire we carry by Rebecca Nagle 

24. Carrying War by Tanya Allatt Bellehumeur 

25.  Grandma Joy and  Me by Brad  Ryan 

26. Rebel Following Jesus when the world walks the other way by Anne Wilson 

27. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore 

28. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham 

29. Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Recca Romney 

30. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 

31. Marilyn Monroe in her own words by Roger Taylor 

32. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 

33. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo 

34. From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming 

35. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich maria Remarque 

36. Common Sense, The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine 

37. The Old Man and the sea by Ernst Hemingway 

38. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 

39. Travel’s with Charley by John Steibeck 

40. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

June Wrap Up

 I read  11 books across  3,036 pages  listened to 23.1  hours. I started the month with 58 unread owned books .DNF 1  owned books    Read 3 owned books  .  Ended the month with  54 Owned TBR . Started with 41 unfinished series. Finished  2 series   DNF 1  series, and added  1  unfinished series.  39unfinished series.   DNF  9 books total  

1. The Winter Witch by Katherine Arden (owned) (completed series)

2. Love Catch by Laura Langa (ebook) (review)

3. Love Between Innings by Laura Langa (ebook) (review) 

4. The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer 

5. Bad Boy Era by Amy Daws (audio) (completed series) 

6. (audio) 

7. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (owned) 

8. (audio) 

9. What So Proudly We Hail by Marion De Re (review) (ebook) (series started) 

10. The Shippers by Katherine Center (owned)

What So Proudly We Hail by Marion De Re reveiw

 

Not going to lie as an NHL fan and reader of hockey romances and rom coms it took me a bit to get used to the name Baptiste Marchand as the hero. An no it wasn't the first name that gave me pause, it was the last name. But after learning more about the hero on and off the ice I grew the love the hero.  And I'm a sucker for the whole black cat golden retriever. I also loved Harper, especially her relationship with her grandmother. I loved watching him chip away at her walls. And the sharp banter between the two was on fire.  I loved discovering a slight mystery aspect to this one, I'm a sucker for rom com that gives me a mystery.  That to mention this one had a lot of my favorite troupes Golden Retriever vs Black cat. Sharp banter.  A Mystery but most importantly found family. I love it when a hockey rom com gives me found family it makes the story so much sweeter. 

I received a copy of this book from the author as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Love Between Innings by Laura Langa

 

Baseball rom coms haven’t been something I’ve picked up before. I love the sport not a huge fan of real life baseball players. But after reading the authors first baseball romance after meeting Tenny as a secondary character and loving him I knew I needed to read Love Between Innings.  

I loved the banter between Tenny and Alex as well as watching them both fall in love though I think Tenny falls harder. Alex being a woman doing a job in a male dominated field was refreshing to see.  

I loved watching Tenny’s layers get peeled back, because I knew there was more than meets the eye. His outward performance is hiding a heart of gold and painful past. However, Mags was my favorite character I just loved her and the bond her and Alex share. And of course the found family of baseball players. 

I loved how the enemies to lovers and fake dating bended together to give the reader a beautiful romance. Complete with plenty of rom com moments.

I received a copy of this book from the author as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

May Reading Wrap Up

. I started the month with 71 unread owned books  bought 6 one of which I’d already read  which made 77   . DNF 17 owned books    Read  2 owned books  .  Ended the month with 58  Owned TBR . Started with 40 unfinished series. Finished  series 1 DNF  series, and added    1 unfinished series. 41 unfinished series.   DNF  20  books total  

1. The Mountain We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson (review book) 

2. One & Only by Maurene Goo (owned) 

3. Perfectly Pretend by Grace Worthington (review book) 

4. Rival Season by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner (review book) 

5. Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen (audio) 

6. The Girl in the tower by Katherine Arden (owned) 

7. Glove to Hate you by Marion De Re (ebook) (review) 

8. The Rulebreaker by Piper Rayne (audio)

Glove to Hate you by Marion De Re review

What I loved most about Glove to Hate You and all the London Regents FC is the found family aspect. They are more than a Football Club soccer to my fellow Americans. 

I loved the banter between Archie and Kat as well as their growth from neighbors who sort of hate each other to more.  There romance was a slow burn over hurdles but it was worth it. But my favorite part is the true to character ending we get for Kat it was perfect and believable. Because some times that’s the love story plays out. 

 I received a copy of this book from the author as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.