Books I’ve Read Lately July 2018

August 4, 2018

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen that I’m not much of a summer reader, for some reason all focus goes out the window and I struggle to keep going with my books. I’ve only read two books this last month and I finished both of these in the first week of July. Since then I’ve picked up about four books and haven’t finished them; absolutely no reflection on the books, it’s purely down to my poor attention levels. There have been a few distractions at home and I’ve been busy with other things but I’m currently reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I think it’s going to be the one to break the cycle – more on that next month though! For now, here are the books I’ve read in July.

The One Plus One – Jojo Moyes

This is a book that I absolutely would not have picked up a couple of years ago but since being coerced into reading Me Before You and loving it I’m much more open about what I read. And I’m very glad as this book was a total delight. I’m not sure if it just came along at the right time for me but I enjoyed every minute of it. I needed a light and fluffy read and this was exactly that. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day; I loved the characters, the build up of relationships, the wacky road trip and quirky kids. Ultimately I just loved the romantic story line, I can’t resist a romance and it drew me in. It’s a book that made me feel happy and that is always a good thing. 

Close To Home – Cara Hunter

I’d heard from a few people that really loved this thriller but for some reason it just didn’t work for me. Firstly I didn’t like the layout; there are no chapters only asterisks which I find, maybe unfairly, very distracting. There were also big sections with tweets and newspaper articles which I found myself skimming over. I’m not a huge thriller fan, it isn’t the first thing I’ll look for but there are a few I’ve enjoyed over the years – I loved The Girl On The Train, The Dry and Big Little Lies. I think with a good thriller you really have to connect with the characters, usually the person who tells the story, but I didn’t get that with this one. I didn’t care about any of the characters, but I read it to the end just to find out ‘whodunit’. Even then I found the ending was just too far fetched for me and a little disappointing. I was annoyed that I’d stuck with it! If you like thrillers then I’m sure this would be a great holiday read as it’s easy to get through and does keep you guessing but it wasn’t for me.

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3 Comments

  • Angela Adventures In WebsterlandWebster (@FrugalMrsW)

    I’ve been the same this summer Hayley, I picked a few library books up instead of choosing from my tbr pile and that seems to be working for me. I keep looking at Jojo Moyes books but I’m just not sure they are my cup of tea, I should give one a go really. Close to home is on my list to read, I do like thrillers so will probably give it a go. I have heard good things about Daughter of Smoke & Bone, hope you enjoy it x

    August 6, 2018 at 2:03 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I think Daughter of Smoke and Bone would be just your kind of thing. I felt exactly the same about Jojo Moyes and was very sneery about Me Before You until I actually read it! Do let me know if you ever read it xx

      August 6, 2018 at 3:02 pm Reply
  • welliesontheschoolrun

    I read the One Plus One a couple of years ago Hayley, and really enjoyed it. I love Jojo Moye’s writing, it’s so heartfelt, but also really funny and fresh. I go through stages of enjoying thrillers and then not reading many – I’ve had one in my to read pile for ages but just don’t seem to be in the mood for it. Daughter of Smoke and Bone sounds good! xx

    August 7, 2018 at 7:58 am Reply
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