What I Read in July

July was a weird month for me. After a very intense June, where I wrote over 100k words in 30 days, I decided to take things slow in July and destress. I did some writing, and was able to do a little bit of reading, but not as much as I'd hoped to.

In July, I read three books.

Marigolds & Murder by A.K. Ikezoe

I loved this historical fiction/fantasy murder mystery novel. It had plenty of intrigue to the main mystery, as well as an interesting exploration of deeper themes such as trauma and prejudice. The characters were clever and complex, and felt authentic to the story being told. The magic system was fresh and unique while remaining easy to follow.

When Your Heart is A Broken Thing by Helen Whistberry

This anthology of short stories blends fantasy, fairytales and science fiction with horror in a beautiful, haunting way. The prose evoked a plethora of feelings as I read, and each story felt so unique from the others. This was my first read by this author, and it won me over easily.

These Unseen Blooms by Avery Carter

This novella was a great follow-up to This Delicate Flame. It has the same cozy feel, but the plot is incredibly compelling and really builds out the world from where that book left off. It was so easy to get drawn into this story, and the ending left me eagerly awaiting the next one.

What did you read in July?

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Magic & Murder in the Holler is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most other retailers.