christianreader | July Reading List

Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Blacksmith Meg Langslow is working overtime playing maid-of-honor/wedding coordinator for three brides -- her mother, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, and her best friend. As we're introduced to the wacky cast of characters that make up Meg's social circle, a murderer puts a damper on the wedding-planning fun, and Meg adds "amateur detective" to her job description as well.

This is the sort of mystery novel I enjoy: plenty of laughs and not a lot of gore or scary moments. Meg's family is hilarious (my favorite was her dad, a retired doctor who plants poisons in the garden and fancies himself Sherlock Holmes), there's a hint of romance that probably gets fleshed out in the rest of the series, and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Maybe it's not Agatha Christie, but it was fun to read.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Seventeen-year-old Bella Swan exiles herself to Forks, the rainiest city in the continental US, so that her mom can travel with her new husband. Expecting to hate every minute of it, Bella changes her mind when she meets the intriguing Edward Cullen, whose golden eyes draw her in even while he seems to be pushing her away.

Okay, so I meant to re-read Harry Potter this month, but after seeing Eclipse I couldn't get back in a Harry Potter mood. So I gave in and let myself re-read Twilight, instead. And it was just as good as always.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Bella and Edward are happy and in love, and the only thing standing in the way of their happiness is Edward's refusal to change Bella into a vampire so she can be with him forever. Things come to a head on her eighteenth birthday, when a paper cut leads to near-disaster, and the Cullens leave, taking Bella's heart and all her hopes for the future with them. Miserable and depressed, she finds comfort with her friend Jacob Black until he, too, abandons her.

People always think I'm crazy for saying this, but New Moon really is my favorite of the Twilight Saga. It's sad, yes, but I love Jacob and his friends, and the last few chapters when Edward finally, FINALLY comes back.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Bella has finally convinced Edward to make her a vampire, and the date is set for just after graduation. But how is she going to say goodbye to her family and all her other friends? Especially Jacob Black and his friends, werewolves who've sworn to kill the Cullens if they bite a human. Torn between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob, Bella's life is further complicated by an old enemy who still wants revenge.

Bella's wishy-washiness gets annoying in this one, but it has some of the most romantic moments between her and Edward, so I don't mind.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Raised by the awful Dursleys, eleven-year-old Harry Potter thinks he's just an ordinary kid. Then mysterious letters addressed to him start showing up every morning, and a giant named Hagrid tracks him down to tell him the truth: He's a wizard, and in the wizarding world he's famous for being the downfall of an evil wizard named Voldemort. Harry heads off to Hogwarts, a school for young witches and wizards, makes friends, learns to play Quidditch, and finds out that not everyone magical was happy to see Voldemort go.

I've read this one so many times I could recite large portions of it in my sleep. I still love it, but I read it impatiently now, knowing what's coming in later books.

Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

After a whirlwind romance and stormy marriage, Gianetta Brooke is working as a model in London on the eve of the Queen's Coronation. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed she takes her mother's advice and heads to the Isle of Skye for a holiday. Instead of a peaceful vacation, though, she finds murder, mayhem, and her ex-husband, Nicholas, caught up in the middle of it.

Not my favorite Mary Stewart, but a good one.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

After surviving a rather eventful first year at Hogwarts, Harry is back with the Dursleys for the summer and counting down the days until he can go back. Then a house elf named Dobby shows up with a warning, and all Harry's hopes for a normal, peaceful school year are dashed.

Like the first book, this one has become so familiar I almost don't even need to read it anymore. But I do anyway, because it's thoroughly enjoyable.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Going in to his third year at Hogwarts, Harry is feeling optimistic. Sure, he lost his temper and made Aunt Marge blow up like a balloon when she insulted his parents, but he didn't get into any trouble over it, and got away from the Dursleys sooner than he'd expected. But then he finds out that notorious mass-murderer Sirius Black escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban just to kill him. Dangerous, spooky creatures called Dementors have been assigned to guard the school until Black is recaptured, and for some reason Harry is more affected by them than the other students. At least they have a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year...

One of my favorites of the series. Oh, Sirius Black, I do love you! (Sorry, was that a spoiler? Well, I don't feel bad, as you've had plenty of time to read the books for yourselves by now.) ;-)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

In post-war London, writer Juliet Ashton gets a letter from a man on the island of Guernsey, telling her he bought a book that used to belong to her and asking if she could advise him where to find more. This starts a long correspondence between Juliet and several other Guernsey residents, eventually leading her to go to Guernsey herself and meet them all.

The first time I read this, I loved it. This time, I felt like a veil had been ripped away, and all I could see was how manipulative it was. I couldn't get involved with the characters, as I kept imagining the author doing some research and feeling very clever as she incorporated yet another tidbit of World War II trivia into the book. So...meh. I'll probably read it again sometime to see if my opinion has changed back (after all, I was going through a rather stressful week while I read it this time).