July’s Reads
Running total books/audiobooks/short stories read in 2026 by month end: 53.
Okay, so I found myself this month tackling things completely differently. The start of the month I read a lot, but then dropped it again for other projects and activities. As last month, I had books started already from last month, and this really does help a lot with focus, especially when dipping in an out of different activities. There is always a book ready for any mood I happen to be in. This month has been a little more uncoordinated I think because I am having one of those months where I just need a break from my favourite genres; Horror and True Crime. I am even finding myself watching more comedies and repeat series on television, so it is definitely time for a palate cleanser, and I am leaning heavily on cosy fantasy that has spent far too long on my TBR, and light romance, along with some regular series instalments.
My first mention this month is going to be a regular series for me. Darksite Dare by Lois McMaster Bujold is the sixteenth instalment in the Penric & Desdemona series. I am mentioning it to explain my three-star review, low for me for one of these novellas. This author is excellent, and any other book I had picked up and read this strong would have at least a four-star review, but for me personally, this instalment has been the weakest in this series, and I wanted to reflect this somehow as I have reviewed several of them at this point. I will still be waiting on the edge of my seat for the next instalment, this one just isn’t my favourite. I did love finally getting a viewpoint from a hedge sorcerer, and thoroughly enjoyed the characters.
Next up, I want to mention Blessop’s Wife by Barbara Gaskell Denvil, for very similar reasons to Darksite Dare. I put this one down again after just two chapters as DNF. I suspect this was just not to my taste this month, as I am having an unsettled month genre-wise, and feel that I just needed a certain type of story right now, so this is no reflection on the book, it just was not for me at the moment. I may go back to this one at a later date, but did not want to leave myself under any pressure to do so when I’m clearly not in the mood, so I am taking it off the list for now.
My third highlight is, obviously, the five-star Japanese Gothic by the truly outstanding Kylie Lee Baker. If you do not appreciate folkloric tales over dual timelines, this one may not be for you, and I found it to be marmite in book group, because people either loved it or hated it. What I did not see in people’s responses to this one was indifference, I’m not sure what statement that makes about it. Do not expect a repeat of Bat Eater, this offering is completely different, but also incredibly strong, and has an ending you’re unlikely to spot. The horror was in the eerie unsettling vibe and occasional detailed event descriptions.
The only other five-star review I gave this month was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, and I am highlighting both the book and the author on this one. I loved this beautiful story so much. I found it approachable, human, comforting, and fun, with some wonderful characters that were very relatable. While this was, for me, the best selection of the reads for the month, I also read another offering by the same author this month, and this was only a slightly less glowing review because of my own personal preference. I would not hesitate to read either of these books again, and this author is now firmly on my watch list. Absolutely brilliant!
As always, thanks for reading along!
These books were all reviewed by me on the My Bookshelf 2026 page, and wherever possible, on my GoodReads and Storygraph accounts; you can follow me and comment on these sites. I sometimes wander across rare, old, or unusual stories that are not listed on these forums, which will appear only on My Bookshelves. Please note that I include audiobooks in my reading record, and absolutely do consider oral forms of storytelling to be a legitimate and inclusive form of reading. The summary of my reading challenge for 2025 can also be found in My Bookshelf 2025 page.
