Alas another month has quickly come to an end. It seemed like a fast month, for me anyways. We had lots of sunshine here in NB Canada which means that our little family got in plenty of hiking,swimming, and bonfires! And between all that somehow I had time to finish a whole bundle of great reads and I’m excited to share them all with you guys! I have developed a new love for historical novels that have to do with the tragic stories of Auschwitz. I find the stories so awe inspiring and mesmerizing and had no clue about the realities of how horrible life honestly was in the concentration camps. I am eating these novels up recently. I’ve also found myself reading more fairytale retellings as well. Mostly Peter Pan but I’ve also picked up Neon Gods so I’m moving on I suppose. So without further ado here are the books that have kept me occupied in my spare time this July in no particular order.
First on the reading wrap up is Auschwitz Lullaby written by Mario Escobar was a wonderful story of love in a time of great loss and turmoil. This powerful story of family, survival and remembrance is truly brought to life within these pages! This book is wonderfully written and I was hooked from page one. This was my first book pertaining to World War II ever and I find myself now searching out ALL the books that tell the stories of these amazing people and what they endured. This book sparked my interest in history books and for that I will forever remember this incredible story. This book was an easy 5 out of 5 stars for me! If you want to see for yourself you can purchase a copy below ⬇️⬇️
Next up I chose a YA Peter Pan retelling titled Lost Girl Book 1 in the NeverWood Chronicles written by Chanda Hahn. I enjoyed this fairytale retelling told from Wendy Darling’s POV. The Red Skulls are an evil group of Drs and scientists who run an institution that performs experiments on children hence Wendy’s flaky memories, little is she aware. She sees shadows and has dreams that feel more like flashbacks that she can’t quite understand leading her to believe she is crazy. Wendy runs away afraid of being thrown back into the institution staying on the streets. Wendy then meets up with a group of street kids, Peter and Tink and the Lost Boys, and they take her under their wing bringing her to stay with them. Peter gets her a job at the local bookstore working for an older man who also has trouble remembering and his old dog Nana. Wendy battles shadows on top of her own mind and heart with her feelings for Peter. There is plenty of magic realism and adventure in this first in a best selling trilogy! I enjoyed this retelling and have put the next book Lost Boy that is told from Peters point of view I’m assuming. I gave this 3 out of 5 stars! I’m excited to dig in to the rest of this fun fantasy series and see what becomes of Wendy and the crew but I do have a few more on my TBR to read before I reach it and feel like I can wait. If you want to enjoy a great retelling of Peter Pan be sure to pick this one up! Links below ⬇️⬇️
Next on my list is The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. This is a true tale of a powerful love and heroic survival during one of the worlds most tragic of times. This inspiring love story gripped me right from the first chapter and I kept picking it back up as soon as I got a free second! I felt all the emotions right along beside the characters and hoped and wished for a happy ending yet still never wanting it to be finished. This book took me on an eye opening journey of the real Auschwitz and what the prisoners there actually went through to survive and what one couple went through for love. I can’t believe I wasn’t aware of these events but now that I am I find myself wanting to learn more and more about them. It is a heart gripping novel that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions right from page one and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical retellings with a genuine love story. I cried and sobbed my whole way through this book so grab some tissues! I wish there was a part 2 to their story as I will forever be attached to these characters but was satisfied and surprised by the ending wholeheartedly! I definitely give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and the audiobook was awesome as well! Purchase below 🔽🔽
Next up I really got into Opium Skies Book 1 in the In Vein Series by C M Radcliff and I’m so glad I did. It does have trigger warnings so make sure to read those before you pick this book up! It is the first book in a series and follows Hadley and Ander and what it’s like to be in love with an addict. Ander is a party boy and a drug addict who doesn’t think he has a problem. Hadley is a smart girl and a good girl who meets Ander through her new, not so friendly, roommate. They quickly fall in love and she realizes Ander is keeping something from her. Their love is intense and quickly becomes Anders new addiction. Balancing both of these addictions proves impossible and he is left with a choice. Hadley’s new addiction is Ander and she will do anything to keep him safe as she quickly falls deeper into this rabbit hole. This was the first romance book that addressed drug addiction that I have ever picked up and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was happily surprised to find myself getting pulled into this fast burn love story. I can’t wait to start book 2 in this series and have already loaded it up on my Kindle Unlimited. Book 2 is called Black Clouds of Cotton and I’m hoping that it still features Hadley and Ander but I’m not positive yet. I give Opium Skies a 4 out of 5 stars and recommend this for anyone looking for a book that touches on the realities of loving someone who’s using drugs yet still gives a hot as fire love story. Purchase links below 🔽🔽
I read the novel If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. It has some trigger warnings so make sure to look before you read!! This was a story about two sisters who were kidnapped by their drug fueled and mentally unstable mother and kept in a trailer deep in the forest far away from humanity. Their’s is a tale of a families love and survival told through the eyes of Carrie, the oldest sister. She cares for her little sister Janessa while her mother goes on benders leaving them for months with only canned beans to eat and the very bare necessities for survival in the cold wilderness. When their mother does return sometimes she is high and beats the girls and other times she brings strange men making the girls “pay their dues” with them. Joelle eventually turns the girls into CPS and their biological father, tearing them from the only existence they know. They learn to adjust to a loving environment and a new school and make bonds with their new family soon spilling all the secrets their mother made them keep. I enjoyed this quick read and will think of these girls every time I see a camper trailer. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who likes a quick yet gripping thriller. Purchase links below 🔽🔽
And the last book on my July Reading wrap up was Her Secret Bad Influence Book 1 by the super talented Ivy Fox. It’s a RH friends to enemies to lovers romance with some scorching hot brothers next door and a girl who loves them all. Freya is the girl next door and has to spend the summer with her neighbors while their parents go on vacation. She has loved each of these boys for as long as she can remember and had cut them off years before for fear of being judged. As their summers are combined all her dreams come true and all the secrets and revelations come to light making their bond even stronger. I gave this an easy 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy hot bros, summer love, and all the spice than this RH is for you! Purchase button below 🔽🔽
So there you have it. These are all of the books I actually finished this month. Both of the Auschwitz novels gave me the biggest book hangovers. The emotions were real with those books! I’ve also started a handful of books this month that I haven’t quite finished yet. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll make a current reads post so you can see how much I’m really reading at once! I will see you guys soon with some more great book recs! Be sure to follow along with OnePageAtATime so you don’t miss the next post! And feel free to hit my linktree and the send me a coffee button and help support a starving blogger 💖 And if you have read any of these please tell me what you thought in the comments! Have a lovely week!
💖 🦋 Sunshine Wishes And Butterfly Kisses 💖🦋
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I love seeing what other people are reading and get some recommendations. There is another book in The Tattooist of Auschwitz series. It’s not a part 2. But it’s the woman’s story. I believe it’s called Cilka’s Journey. The Huntress by Kate Quinn is also a phenomenal read. It’s a post World War 2 story.
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Oh thank you! I’ve got it added to my tbr! I absolutely loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and can not wait to get into Cilkas story! Heather is an amazing author and I can’t seem to get enough of her lately ❤️
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