July Books

July was a month of really good reads and not so good reads. Here's what I got through:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
5 stars out of 5

The story of Jacob's daughter, Dinah, and Jacob's four wives, who all served as Dinah's mother at some point in time. Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah all bring their own unique gifts and influences to bear on Dinah's life. As Diamant explores the trials and triumphs of ancient women, she brings a foreign yet beautiful world to life as seen through the emotional filter of Dinah's eyes. This lush, evocative tale transcends time and brings new life to the Old Testament, lending a feminine touch to the mighty word of God.

I loved this. It took me a few chapters to get hooked but when I did, it was all I thought about.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4 stars out of 5

This is book #3 of the Hunger Games. I won't give a plot summary as it will spoil the first 2 books.

I was still really addicted to the final of this trilogy. There were loads of twists and I think some of the character development rubbed me the wrong way which made me like it less than the other 2. Still a really good read though.

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
4 stars out of 5

St. Elizabeth's is a home for unwed mothers in the 1960s. Life there is not unpleasant and for most, it is temporary. Not so for Rose, a beautiful mysterious woman who comes to the lovely ex-hotel pregnant, but not unwed. She plans to give her baby up because she knows she cannot be the mother it needs. But St. Elizabeth's is near a healing spring, and when Rose's time draws near, she cannot go through with her plans, not all of them. And she cannot remain forever untouched by what she has left behind and who she has become in the leaving....

I quite liked this book. I loved how the book was divided into 3 sections, each offering a different main character's perspective.

The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp
5 stars out of 5

I found this book to be extremely helpful. I've already used quite a few of the techniques described in the book and had fantastic results. I only wish I had read it earlier!

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
3 stars out of 5

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

This wasn't nearly as good as her first. It was still very suspenseful but was almost ruined for me by the annoying qualities of the main character. I kind of didn't care what happened to her.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
4 stars out of 5

Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars. Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. When Connie's brother Toby - Meredith's high school boyfriend - arrives, Meredith must reconcile the differences between the life she is leading and the life she could have had.

I loved this. A perfect summer read. I'm a huge Hilderbrand fan, she makes me want to pack everything and move to Nantucket.

Escape by Barbara Delinksy
2 stars out of 5

One day, 32-year-old Emily Aulenbach leaves her New York law office early, drives home, packs her things, and drives nonstop to a seaport town in New Hampshire. On the surface, her spontaneous exit seems to have no single cause. She loves Manhattan, adores her husband James, and knows that most lawyers would beg for her job at the prestigious firm. None of those lures, however, suffice for the almost indefinable something that pulls Emily back to the place where she once broke her heart and ruined her friendship with her closest friend. A soul-tugging romance by a proven master of the craft.

I was really disappointed in this book. I've read others by Delinsky and enjoyed them. This was just boring and I really struggled to push through and finish it.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
4 stars out of 5

The lives of four very different women intertwine in unexpected ways in this new novel by bestselling author Jennifer Weiner (Then Came You; Best Friends Forever). Each woman has a problem: Princeton senior Jules Wildgren needs money to help her dad cure his addiction; Pennsylvania housewife Annie Barrow is gasping to stay financially afloat; India Bishop yearns to have a child, an urge that her stepdaughter Bettina can only regard with deeply skepticism until she finds herself in a most unexpected situation.

Great chick lit. Enjoyed the different characters and how they all played into each others' lives.

Always Something There To Remind Me by Beth Harbison

2 stars out of 5

Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything--dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not forgive and left her to mourn the relationship she could never forget or get over. Today, Erin is contentedly involved with a phenomenal guy, maneuvering a successful and exciting career, and raising a great daughter all on her own. So why would the name “Nate Lawson” be the first thing to enter her mind when her boyfriend asks her to marry him?

This book bored me. It used to be my typical "type" and I don't know if it was my mood that made me dislike it or if it is actually a boring book! Disappointing.

What have you read lately? Anything good to recommend? If you're not a reader, have you seen any good movies lately?