What's Coming in July?

With July, the summer temperatures are definitely rising...although I'm hoping for some cooler, rainy periods, too. If nothing else, it's time to head outdoors and hit the water directly (if it doesn't come to me, I'll go to it). Which should leave me with plenty of time to read, too.

A glance at my July's reading pile shows a larger array of middle grade reads with mostly nonfiction and fantasy piling up. So, I guess it will be both sides of the genre extremes on that front. There are some horror reads in the YA direction as well as tendencies to fun spooky ones on the picture book arena. Many of the spooks are first nods to Halloween (the publishing world always has to start a few months early for obvious reasons). Other than that, my reading pile is all over the place and will hold several surprises. 

Anyway, here's a peek at several books on my schedule for this month!

FROM EARTH TO ERIS

This read should reach for the stars with adventure and exploration. I'm not sure if it holds some information goodness or not, but it should be quite the imaginative ride with aliens and a boy on an unexpected cruise through space. Find out more with me on the 2nd.

Picture Book

THE ART OF EXILE

Since I've been rather light, this year, on the young adult front, I wanted to start this month off on a good foot in that direction. This is the 1st in a brand new series, Academy of Muses. It's sold as Legendborn meets The Da Vinci Code. And that's all I know for now...but I love the cover, and I loved both of the tales this one is compared to. So, I'm hoping for the best and will expose everything on the 3rd.

Young Adult Fantasy

THE AI INCIDENT

This read hit upon a theme, which has been flying all over the media world as AI is, obviously, becoming more important. But it does it with adventure and a tad bit of ridiculousness? Or so it seems? There's a rogue robot involved, middle school, foster kids, biases, and so much more. So, I'm not really sure what to expect. I'll be discovering more about this one and sharing it on the 7th.

Middle Grade Science Fiction

THE ATLAS OF LANGUAGES

This read is supposed to filled with illustrations, maps, and tons of information surrounding word origins and more. It doesn't appear to be a dry look at the world languages, but instead, should explore questions such as which languages are considered beautiful or rare? Or where does the word banana come from? I'm hoping there is tons of knowledge fun and will be able to say more on the 9th.

Middle Grade Nonfiction

GROUCHO THE GROUCH GROUNDHOG

It was the idea of having a groundhog that's grumpy, which caught my attention on this one. And the bunnies surrounding him. The appear to pack a bit of nervousness, hesitation, and expectation. Is this a villain tale? Honestly, I have no clue. I assume there will be a message about being grumpy...or maybe not. We'll see what this graphic novel holds on the 10th.

Middle Grade Humor   /   Graphic Novel

OH NO THEY AREN'T: SCIENCE

I'm always on the lookout for fun, nonfiction reads, and this one caught my attention. It's part of a series, but I haven't had a chance to read any of them yet. I believe I've hit some other reads from this author, though (if memory serves me correctly). I also seem to remember the author being very good at delivering facts in a fun way. See if I'm right or my memory is failing me on the 13th.

Children's Nonfiction

AT LAST SHE STOOD

To balance out the nonsense on my list, I decided to add this one to the mix. It takes us into the nonfiction realm and exposes the brave tale of Josefina Guerrero, who was a guerilla fighter, honored with medals, survived leprosy, became a teacher, and worked for peace. She was a spy for the allies during WWII in the Japanese area. And that's all I know so far. I'm really looking forward to her tale and will be letting you know more about it on the 21st.

Middle Grade Nonfiction

BLOOD ON THE BOARDWALK

This is the first in an upcoming horror series and should include vampires, mystery, and more. I haven't read a vampire tale in awhile and thought this would be a fun change-up. Plus, horror always seems to find a big audience. It's said to be inspired by The Lost Boys and horror from the 90's. So, we'll see what that means on the 23rd.

Young Adult Horror

TRANCE

Orca publishers have a series of books, which specializes in short reads for teens, who aren't necessarily reading gurus. I enjoy taking a dive into these, so when I saw this upcoming psycho-thriller, wanted to give it a go. It involves a girl in a trance and should take on some paranormal aspects...or so I'm lead to believe. I'll find out more and share my thoughts with you on the 26th.

Young Adult Thriller

 

FLUFFLE BUNNIES: BIG CITY BUNS

This is the second in a graphic novel series for beginning readers...and nope, I haven't read the first one. I just loved the title and found the cover intriguing. Is it going to be mysterious? Maybe, adventurous? Or funny? I have no clue, but I'm excited to find out on the 29th.

Chapter Book   /   Graphic Novel

Like many reading fans, my book pile...piles are pretty high, and while I would love to read every single tale each month, there simply isn't enough time. But my schedule is always shifting, too, thanks to publishing changes, books not reaching me as they should, or simply other unexpected occurrences. So, I almost always can weave an extra book or two into my schedule. This month's joker read is....

THE GHOSTS OF PANDORA PICKWICK

I've been waiting to get my fingers on this book...and it suddenly arrived! Since I didn't have it in my schedule, yet, because of the shipping delay, I'm going to have to squeeze it in somehow this month. I'm not sure when, though, since my schedule is fuller than full. But there's no way I'm going to wait much longer, either.

So, let's see when I get to it.

Middle Grade Mystery   /   Paranormal