July ‘25 Reading Roundup
Only 5 books this month, but they were all so unique! I liked them all in completely different ways and had lot’s of great discussions about many of them.
Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh *july book club pick
I did not enjoy reading this book. BUT, it was captivating and well written and I could not stop thinking about it after I finished, which means it is a story deserving of some praise. When we discussed Eileen in our book club meeting, we just kept finding more things to dissect and debate; plot points that came full circle, character behaviors that had deeper meanings, moments that were absolute red flags but we didn’t realize until much later. I don’t think I would recommend this book to anyone, but it was interesting and did what it set out to do.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar *july book club pick
This book is so clearly written by a poet. It is beautiful and thoughtful and robust and heavy- but in a weighted blanket stomach full of ice cream way not a concrete slab on your chest way. It takes incredible talent to write about death and loss and addition in such a way that it does not depress the rest of the story around it. Please read this book.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
A woman comes home from a party to discover a man in her home: her husband. The only problem? She is not married and has no memory of this man despite pictures on her phone and throughout the house. What comes next is a delightful romp that makes us think about what life would be like without consequences, what we prioritize in our lives, what we truly desire in a partner, and if relationships make us more or less like ourselves. This might be the perfect light hearted “get out of a reading slump” book. It is fast paced, low-ish stakes for the reader, funny, and genuine.
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
I love Ann Pacthett’s work and it was interesting to read one of her earlier novels. The premise is interesting and compelling, the characters well rounded, and she writes in such beautiful prose. However, this did leave me wanting a bit more story wise and I felt it could have been taken further.
A Psalm For the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers *august book club pick
A deceptively simple and short novel brimming with questions about what it means to be human and what it means to find purpose in your life. I would love to read more stories that take place in the world this author has created with monks and robots and tea and gods.
Feel free to discuss your July reads in the comments, I’d love to hear what people are reading.
