I felt like I didn't read much in June and July until I looked at my list. Not bad!
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it's absolutely worth reading for her first-hand account about what it's like to have a stroke. If you have a family history of stroke (which I do) or if a friend or loved one has experienced one I'd check this out. (Though perhaps not on audio.)
The Hotel on Place Vendome: Life, Death, and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris by Tilar J. Masseo. Overall it didn't go as deep into details as I wished it had. I spent some time after reading it looking at Robert Capa's photography online, particularly those of the liberation of Paris in 1944.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I'd been meaning to read this novel for ages but decided to wait and listen to the audiobook. It took awhile for my library hold to come in but it was totally worth the wait. Wil Wheaton is the perfect person to have narrated this one. Even if you are not big sci-fi fan, but spend a lot of time on the internet, I think you'll find something to enjoy about this. It makes you think a lot about society and our relationship to the internet and video games. If you grew up on Atari games like I did I think you'll enjoy it a lot.
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan. I was underwhelmed. It felt like there was too little content for the book so it was stretched out by adding a bunch of aside and tangents and I often got a bored by them. I possibly would not have finished this one before it was due back at the library had there not been a power outage that gave me two extra hours of reading time when I'd normally have been working.
unSweetined by Jodie Sweetin. With Fuller House on the horizon I decided to dip into some of the books the cast of Full House has written. Remember the rumour that Sweetin was dead? Nope, not dead. She is, however, an addict. I really wish that this memoir had left me feeling hopeful that all her troubles are behind her, but I'm sadly not convinced of that. I think she still has some roads to travel before she gets to that point.
Balancing it All by Candace Cameron Bure. I remember seeing a lot of press about this when it first came out. There wasn't a whole lot in the book for me. I think I might find her earlier book, Reshaping It All a bit more interesting.
Royal Wedding (Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot. I've missed Mia. It was nice to visit with her once again.
Let the Elephants Run: Unlock Your Creativity and Change Everything by David Usher. It's beautiful book and I'm sure I'd enjoy a TED Talk or something by him, but this book was the right creativity book for me. It sure was pretty though.
It's In His Kiss, He's So Fine, and One in a Million (Lucky Harbor Books 10-12) by Jill Shalvis. I've been reading the Lucky Harbor series since the first books came out and they are a summer reading staple for me. That said, I'm glad this series is over. (At least, I think it's over. It feels like it's over.) The three friends falling for three friends thing got tired. What bothered me more, and one of my pet-peeves of what seems like an increasing number of contemporary romances, is that couples go from cute-meet to HEA in less than a month. You know, once or twice I could believe it but it happens with an alarming number of couples in this series and I'm just over it. Books are still cute and fun and I'll still continue to read Shalvis.
Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldow. Cute gift/novelty book.
Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building and Living Well in Less than 400 Square Feet by Ryan Mitchell. Tiny houses intrigue me. I've lived in some small apartments, and they were not for me. I've often wondered if I had a small space designed just for me if I could do it. This book wasn't great for me. It was rather repetitive and a little bit preachy. I'll try a few others.
I'll Have What She's Having: My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting by Rebecca Harrington. Not great. It could have made a great blog. It was a bit to shallow for a book. Yes, I realize that I'm saying a book about celebrity dieting is too shallow. Mostly I felt like Harrington is a much better writer than this book displays. But hey, all hail Queen Gwyneth of Goopiness. Her cookbook really IS good. (No really. I have it. It's good!)