My July Reads: An Overview

Hello!

July of this year marks my first month entering the world of book blogging (I started on Instagram first) and it was an exhilarating start! I read 10 books in July, and this post is all about telling you if it ought to be in your reading list or not. Read on to know more about the best, worst, and everything in between in my July book list.

(Connect with me on Instagram and Goodreads: @bibliophilerants)

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1. Ordeal By Innocence

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Detective Fiction

My Ratings: 3.5/5★

A crucial witness is unaware of his role as such until two years after a man is found guilty of murder. When he realizes the information he holds, he re-opens the question of who was the murderer two years ago. This novel focuses on the Argyle family and the impacts caused by the revelation.

This was a different Christie experience. She focuses more on the socio-psychological aspects than the actual detection, which may not suit everybody. It is a standalone book (there aren't any familiar characters!) For a detailed review, you can go here.

2. The Pale Horse

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Detective Fiction

My Ratings: 4.5/5★

A dying woman gives her last confession to a Catholic priest, and along with it, a list of names and a terrible secret. Shortly after her death, the priest is killed. As the police begin to investigate, a young man begins to piece together evidence that leads him on a converging path.

I really loved this book! It had a very unique premise, extremely engaging story, and well-written characters (with a few old, already acquainted characters- like Dane Calthrop among others.) This has a puzzling mystery, some action, and lots of bickering. Maybe some black magic. What more do you need? For a detailed review, visit my other post.

3. The Bourne Identity

Author: Robert Ludlum

Genre: Spy Thriller

My Ratings: 4/5★

I decided to read more thrillers, and this was the first book I picked up as a result.

This was a fast fast-paced, highly thrilling, action-packed novel. The story revolves around an amnesiac Bourne with remarkable survival skills and his search for his "born" identity (I especially liked how the author himself included the pun- and the place at which he does so.) He also has shadowy groups of people hunting him for different reasons, and he has no idea why. How he pieces it together forms the rest of the tale.

This was an action-packed, highly thrilling read. Some twists are predictable and others are unexpected. This is the first of a trilogy and sets the perfect base for the series. (I'm still stunned by the cliffhanger ending.) This classic spy thriller is an amazing read that will let you have an adrenaline-fueled adventure from the comfort of your armchair.

4. The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Genre: Psychological Thriller

My Ratings: 4.5/5★

What. A. Book. This is, hands down, one of my best reads of the year.

The story is about a successful painter, who shoots her husband to his death and stops talking after that, and a psychotherapist dedicated to helping her and unraveling the mystery behind her silence. As the book progresses, the therapist is forced to confront his own demons while helping her face her own. What happened that fateful night? The finale had me screaming with its sheer audacity and brilliance. It's hard to believe that this was the author's debut novel- it's too good. The narrative is a little choppy at a few places, but the end makes up for it. The story pans out like a movie in your mind's eye-with the switch between narratives adding to the thrill. I urge you to pick it up and read it immediately!

5. The Guest List

Author: Lucy Foley

Genre: Thriller

My Ratings: 3/5★

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. It's a dream wedding, with the remote location, the lush decorations, select guests and delicious food. But as the champagne keeps pouring, old repressed emotions rise. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn't wish the couple well? And why?

This was an enjoyable read. The narrative switches between the night of the wedding and the days before. Multiple points of views are offered, which might become a little difficult to keep track of. One main attractive feature was that the victim isn't revealed until the end, but by the time it comes, you'd guess who and even the killer. But the story nonetheless was engaging.

6. The Woman In Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Thriller

My Ratings: 2/5★

Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist, is given an assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with select guests. But when she hears a scream and the splash of a body being thrown overboard, she must set out to figure out what happened. Only problem? Everyone in the ship is accounted for and there is no evidence to support her claim, and no one willing to believe her. Was there a woman in the cabin? What happened to her? and what happens to the protagonist forms the rest of the tale.

Honestly, the blurb intrigued me to add this to my reading list. But the book disappointed me. The story becomes very predictable, the protagonist is hardly likable. The story starts with such promise, but by the time the grand reveal arrives, you'd only be surprised at the amount of time the lead takes to figure it out. Overall, a very average read.

7. City of Girls

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Ratings: 4/5★

I picked up this book as a part of a buddy read with a few book bloggers on Instagram (bookstagrammers) and I'm quite happy I did so, for this was a very different read. I went in expecting a period romance and came out experiencing something very different and profound. The book is set in the 1940s (the most part of it atleast) and the protagonist Vivian shatters all notions you might have of how a girl from that era would have been. This is a beautiful, profound life journey chronicling the transformation from a girl to a woman without really bending to society's dictum. For a detailed review, click here.

8. Mexican Gothic

Author: Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Genre: Gothic, Horror

My Ratings: 4.75/5★

This was an amazing, mesmerizing read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This gave me the creeps as the story progressed, and was a perfect horror read. Some characters severely grossed me out in the way these books are supposed to do so. The setting was ideal: alluring, cinematic and haunting. The only issue I felt was that the novel takes a bit too much of a time to get to it. I highly recommend this. To read my detailed review, go to my post.

9. One Step Short To The Moon- IIT VS Love

Author: Pratik Shelke

Genre: Fiction, self-help

My Ratings: 3.5/5★

I read this as a part of a book review contest organized by Literary Society, VSSUT. This story sums the author's personal experiences and is a self-help guide in the form of a story. The language is simple, making it very accessible for all readers. This book focuses on the high school phase and captures the dilemma of every student. For my detailed thoughts, please read my review on Goodreads.

10. The Clocks

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Detective Fiction

My Ratings: 4/5★

I ended my month with another Christie book (if you haven't guessed by now, I'm a huge Christie fan). This book had a very ingenious and unique premise, and the story managed to live upto it somewhat. When a typist comes to her new employer's house, she is greeted by the sight of a well dressed corpse surrounded by 4 clocks pointing to the time 4:13pm and a clock pointing to the correct time. Even strange is the fact that the owner of the house, a blind old lady, had never called her in the first place, nor does she own so many clocks. Colin Lamb, an investigative specialist coincidentally at the scene is set to get to the bottom of the business and feels only one man can successfully unravel it- Hercule Poirot.

This book was an engaging read and filled with interesting characters. Poirot is merely having a side role in this story, though his influence is undoubtedly there (and he is the one unravel the grand mystery.) I managed to guess the side issues correctly and even the main perpetrator to an extent. This isn't one of her best ones, but a damn good work.

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This is my July Wrap-up! I hope this helped you add a few books to your reading list. Please leave your thoughts below in the comment section.

Happy Reading!

Compiled by Kaveri.