July was a very decent reading month. None of the books absolutely blew me away, but I enjoyed everything I read. I feel like I'm finally making a little bit of progress with getting my number of unread books down. (Key words: a little bit of progress.)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie. This one was so good! A classically British mystery with a very interesting little twist (that I somehow sort of suspected, though I didn't believe she'd actually do it). If you're only going to read a few of Agatha Christie's novels, this should be one of them. (If you're only going to read one, it should be And Then There Were None.)
The Fairy Tale Girl, by Susan Branch. Not pictured, because it was lent to me and I've already returned it. This is one of two prequels to A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside. I enjoyed it quite a lot...I really like the unusual layout and style of these books. (They're like memoirs in journal format, with photos and watercolor illustrations.) This one was sadder than the other, though. And the other one was about England, so of course I preferred it. :)
Classic Penguin: Cover to Cover, by Paul Buckley. This was a really neat book that I was sent to review. I love beautiful book covers, especially Penguin ones, so this was perfect for me! I did a post about it.
Like Never Before, by Melissa Tagg. I enjoyed this book, as I always enjoy Melissa Tagg's books! I liked the characters, and I love the setting of Maple Valley because it's so Stars Hollow-ish. But honestly, I wasn't really in the mood for a contemporary at the time, which probably kept me from loving it as much as I expected to and hoped to.
Night, by Elie Wiesel. Such a heartbreaking book! It's a memoir about the author's experiences as a Jew in several concentration camps. For such a short book, it will definitely stick with you.
Nooks & Crannies, by Jessica Lawson. I've been let down a lot in the past year or so by mediocre middle grade novels, but this one was so much better than I expected! It was very reminiscent of Roald Dahl. It was charming and funny and had an interesting little mystery aspect (and a very endearing main character). Definitely a pleasant surprise!