July Reading Goals

Well, unfortunately for my July Reading Goals I’m going to carry over the challenge prompts that I didn’t get to last time. The problem for me and challenges is that I always want to err on the side of making it a Fun To Do List Project rather than a Task I Am Assigning Myself. I also want to note that I have been having a really stressful few weeks and reading “tough” or “sad” or “where bad things happen to children” books is really rough for me, so I am going to try and sprinkle more Rom Coms in there. Some cheerful no stakes nothing books, if you will. Perhaps even….. a cozy mystery! So I’m going to give myself two “categories” of reading this month: one of course will be challenge prompts, but the other will be Specific Books. Now, those specific books may just be Books on my TBR, but they might also be books that I know fulfill other reading challenge prompts that I want to get to. I’m also going to try and finish more of the books on my ‘currently reading’ list.

Okay! Let’s get to the goals.

Challenge Prompts Goals:

1. An omniscient narrator (carry over)
2. Nominated for the Booker Prize (carry over)
3. Cozy fantasy (carry over)
4. Book in translation from a country you’ve never been to (carry over)
5. Comic that has been banned (carry over)
6. Recommended by a librarian (carry over)
7. Bibliosmia
8. Lowercase letters on spine
9. History by BIPOC author
10. Historical fiction by an Indigenous author

Specific Books to read in July

1. Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater

This one is actually the Camp Cozy Fantasy Book Club read of the month, which I keep meaning to do but haven’t yet. If nothing else, it’s a fantastic resource for cozy fantasy books.

2. Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

I’m a fan of Six of Crows, I love heists, I preordered this book and have it in the special indie edition hardcover. I’d really like to read it!

3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

This is so popular and so many people have liked it that I might as well like it a little bit, right???

4. XOXO (XOXO #1)

I have this as a physical ARC and I really should get around to it!

5. The Awakening (Zodiac Academy #1)

I really really really do not expect this to be good and that’s what I’m so excited about.

6. Scones and Slayers by Sierra Cross (Blue Moon Bay Witches #2)

This is basically a cozy mystery, if not in the exactly traditional sense! I’m actually calling this new ‘era’ of cozy urban fantasy books “cozy witch” books, and will possibly retool my entire blog to be exclusively about them. It might get in the way of “reading widely”, but we’ll see.

7. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (Dangerous Damsels #1)

This book comes highly recommended! Skyeler I know you’re reading this. And hopefully soon…. I’ll be reading…. this.

8. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum with Shanna Tan

This genuinely looks so cozy and I’m quite excited for it. I’ve almost started it several times. But if I add it to my July TBR, maybe I will actually read it! We’ll see.

9. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes #1)

Everyone’s read it except me! And this book really kind of kicked off the whole “cozy fantasy” reinvention that we’re seeing today. So I really should read it!

10. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne (Tomes and Tea #1)

I’ve had this book sitting on my couch for the past month, waiting for me to start it. Could this…. could this be the month?

11. A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley (Glimmer Falls #2)

Listen. This book can’t be anything but delightful.

12. Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

I think this was a Newly Nova rec, and honestly, I’m extremely into it. It might even be cozy! The Storygraph moods lists says that it is funny and light-hearted.

13. Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky

I own basically everything by Jessi Zbarsky and I think that I should re-read all of it. Starting with this book!

14. Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement by Ashley Shew

I have an ARC of this and I really should read it. I’m not sure if it will necessarily be cozy, but it’s pretty short and it’ll be good to get a review out.

15. The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

I’ve had this as a physical arc forever. I think it would be great to read finally! It’s apparently “lighthearted”, according to its Storygraph page.

Okay! So those are fifteen somewhat randomly chosen books to try and read this July, as kind of a “menu” of books I want to read from. I also want to get through to the next ‘milestone’ of my Middle Grade Faves, just because they are so satisfying to finish and also because I have been despairing a little about “long” chapters in my Adult Regular Novels. (Fifteen minutes to the end of chapter two? I don’t have that kind of time). Being a grad student is so much, okay.

Wish me luck!