July 2020 – Summer Reading So Far – New Releases, A Classic, Picture Books, and Read Alouds

So what have you been reading this summer? I’ve had a few ho-hum new release experiences so far, but my pursuit for a good summer read this year continues! Help me by telling me what you’ve been reading in the comments! Here are my quick lit reviews for this month. {Hint: Scroll down to see our favorite picture book finds and what we’re reading aloud as a family}

Literature

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The Other Bennet Sister – This was a pleasant trip back into the setting of Pride and Prejudice. I like how this book is totally consistent with the time period and the settings of Austen’s other works. All the characters are believable, and even though Hadlow offers a more complex (and possibly complete) picture of who the characters in Pride and Prejudice truly were, they were not skewed in my mind from who they have always been. I highly recommend this over Longbourn or other Austen-inspired fiction. The only downside for me is the book is a bit too drawn out by the end, but still very readable. 3.75 stars

The Jane Austen Society – Though there were some compelling elements, this book ultimately fell flat. Comparisons to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are simply not fair. I enjoyed the village setting and some of the characters, but the Hollywood side of the plot only added a strange, icky tone to an otherwise pleasant book. 2.75 Stars

The Dutch House – Ooh boy, this was gloomy. The concept it explored was interesting: can you ever see history as it really was? Does who you are and your ever evolving experience and understanding change your perspective too much? And how much does where we live make us who we are? Fascinating ideas, but I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the book. 2.5 stars

The Yearling – An amazing setting and strong, vivid characters plus timeless themes of family and friendship are what makes a classic, and this book is certainly a classic. I wouldn’t put it on my favorite list, but the writing is stunning and the setting will stay with me forever (much like the setting in Where the Crawdads Sing). 4 stars. (I realize it’s not at all a new release, but won a Pulitzer Prize in 1939, but I’m including it in the literature category for simplicity’s sake.)

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I’d Give Anything – Marisa de los Santos is one of my favorite current writers. I always read her newest books and will continue to do so. While the themes in this book were not my favorite, and the affectionate relationships between the characters felt a bit overdone, I liked the book pretty well and its theme of forgiveness and hating what someone has done without hating the whole person is always relevant and thought provoking.

This Tender Land – I’m about halfway through this highly acclaimed novel and I’m pleased to find it really is very good! I love how it’s making so many people want to read books like The Odyssey and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, two books that seem to be combined and retold in a 1930s setting on a river in Minnesota. So far, five stars.

DNF – The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver, Attachments by Rainbow Rowell – Abandoned both about 30% in. Life is too short to read books you don’t like, especially if they’re just for you own enjoyment!

Picture Books

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Chirri and Chirra – My 3-year-old and 5-year-old adored this whimsical story of two little girls and their visits in the forest. The colors are soothing and the animals included are very fetching. Apparently, there’s a whole Chirri and Chirra series, so hurrah! We’ll be checking more of these out. 5 stars.

Home in the Woods – I can hardly describe how much I love this book! From the illustrations to the character qualities it highlights in people who were both optimistic and hardworking, it’s a gem. 10 stars. ; )

Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit – I learned a lot from this book about Beatrix Potter’s conservation efforts in the English countryside, and would like to think I would do the same if I were in her position. I hate seeing the forests I’ve driven by daily for years leveled for housing developments, but it happens frequently these days in my hometown. The story in this book is entertaining and the illustrations so cute. 4 stars.

The Storytelling Princess – This tale about a clever princess was longish, but held even our littlests’ interest. 4 stars.

Read Alouds

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Matilda – Wow, was this book different from the movie I saw as a kid! The English village setting, the smart and kind main character who was not at all snarky, and the hilarious but terrible parents and school principle…plus the lovely Miss Honey…we all loved it. The kids thought the illustrations by Quentin Blake were awful, which made me laugh inside. They are not into impressionistic illustrations of people. But I like Blake’s illustrations every time, and we all loved Matilda! (Note: I did edit out some of the insults Matilda’s parents hurled at her when I read it aloud, which might be something to note if you have a younger audience and are considering an audiobook (remember, I have a 3-year-old in the mix!)). 5 stars.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh – We just finished chapter one of our next read aloud, but so far, so good! This is another book I saw a movie version of as a kid but never read the book for myself.

Swallows & Amazons – Again! Haha, this is the second time my husband has read this one aloud to the kids, but the older two had forgotten most of it and our five-year-old was enthralled for the first time. It’s definitely a favorite book of ours!

That’s it for this Quick Lit update! Head over to Modern Mrs. Darcy to see what other readers are liking (links in comments of main post) and don’t forget to let me know what gems you’ve found this summer!