July 2026

I don’t always feel like writing a full review for everything. I was inspired by Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit posts and decided to do something similar as a way to briefly discuss the books I read in a month but don’t write full reviews for.

I am very late getting to my July reads, so I’m just going to jump right in:

Bookshop Cats: A Beautifully Illustrated Photography Book of Cozy Bookstore Moggies, Daphne Du Meowier (purchased) – 5⭐

This was a really beautiful, sweet book! The write ups were prepared by people from each bookstore, and I liked that the stories were therefore personalized to each store and cat.

(Mostly) Human Resources, Grace Viall (e-ARC) – 3.5⭐

I really liked the premise of this one, and thought it was a fun read. I’d like to read more in this world and am keeping an eye out for book two.

The Anniversary, Alex Finlay (e-ARC) – 3.5⭐

This was a pretty good thriller, and I read it in a day! It follows a couple of characters over several years of their lives, and was a good tense read.

My Grandfather, the Master Detective, Masateru Konishi, Louise Heal Kawai (transl.) (purchased) – 4⭐

This gave me cozy vibes, and I really enjoyed it. The pacing was a bit slow but it really picked up for me in the end. I’m really hoping the second in the series will get translated so I can continue reading about Kaede and her grandfather!

Helpless, Jessica Knoll (purchased) – 3.5⭐

This started off strong for me, and I was enjoying it and how unpredictable it seemed. Like Yesteryear and Dissection of a Murder, though, this is one that did not stick the landing, which diminished my enjoyment.

Scary Movie Night, Miranda Smith (library) – 3.5⭐

This thriller didn’t totally work for me, but I liked the sort of locked-room-mystery element and the costume party setting.

The Sofa, Sam Munson (purchased) – 4⭐

This was a delightfully strange story! I don’t think I can quite say what happened, but I liked it!

When Things Get Dark, Ellen Datlow (ed.)(library) – 4⭐

This short story collection was full of great entries, all written in tribute to Shirley Jackson. Short story collections aren’t always my kind of read, but I really enjoyed this one. There were several standout stories for me:

• Funeral Birds, M. Rickert
• For Sale by Owner, Elizabeth Hand
• Money of the Dead, Karen Heuler
• Hag, Benjamin Percy
• Refinery Road, Stephen Graham Jones
• Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home, Genevieve Valentine
• Skinder’s Veil, Kelly Link

Buyer Beware, Catherine Ryan Howard (purchased) – 3.5⭐

Catherine Ryan Howard is an auto-buy author for me, and I was so excited for this one! I liked this, but it wasn’t her strongest book in my opinion. But if you are a CRH fan or are looking for a good, recent mystery, I’d say check it out.