Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby. I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book. Here are my reads for July, 2022.

Shirley, by Charlotte Bronte – One of the few Charlotte Bronte novels I’d not yet read, Shirley proved to be a wonderful read. I finally picked it up for The Classics Club Challenge, and only wished I hadn’t waited so long. Fully reviewed here.

A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Emily #1), by T.E. Kinsey – I’d been meaning to try out this new-to-me mystery series starring Lady Emily Hardcastle and her intrepid maid, Flo Armstrong. Lady Hardcastle and Flo have an unusually close relationship, forged in the fires of some sort of swashbuckling espionage work that is hinted but not fully explained in the first book in the series (presumably more of the backstory comes out later – I’ll find out). They decide to retire from danger and enjoy a quiet life in the country – hence the title – but naturally, several dead bodies show up almost immediately to disturb their peace. This was a light, fully and fun read.

A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple #10), by Agatha Christie – I almost regretted my decision to listen to this one on audiobook while looking out over the sparkling blue Caribbean myself (in Roatan, Honduras). Miss Marple’s successful writer nephew, Raymond, has arranged for her to have a relaxing getaway to a Caribbean island, but she’s feeling bored and tepid. At least, she is until a fellow guest confides that he’s seen a real-life murderer – and then he turns up dead the very next day. Now that’s something to introduce some interest into a vacation. This was fun, if a bit alarming to read while on my own Caribbean travel.

Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why, by Alexandra Petri – Just a very quick read on the flight home from Roatan – this was a collection of Alexandra Petri’s current events satire columns for The Washington Post, most of which I read when they were published in the paper. Most date from the previous administration – so they’re a bit dated now – but still funny and sharp.

The Wimsey Papers: The Wartime Letters & Documents of Lord Peter Wimsey, His Family & Friends, by Dorothy L. Sayers – This was a very quick read made up of fictionalized letters and documents between Lord Peter Wimsey’s family members and friends from the mystery series. The letters were published mostly as one-offs in various magazines during World War II and seemed to be mainly an excuse for Sayers to flex her philosophy muscle (check out Square Haunting if you want to know more about that!). I noted a few negative reviews on Goodreads that seemed to be from people who thought this was going to be a mystery novel and were put out by the lack of plot – so reader beware, if you’re looking for a Lord Peter mystery, this is not that. But if you want to spend more time with the characters and in their world, and you’re aware that you’re not getting a mystery, this is a delight.

Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey #2) – After reading The Wimsey Papers in Roatan, I felt like visiting Lord Peter and friends for a full-on novel. I’m gradually reading my way through the series – I’ve read a bunch, but skipped around and missed a number of the novels, especially the ones that don’t feature Harriet Vane. In this second installment in the series, Lord Peter is caught up in investigating a murder with a very personal connection – his brother, the Duke of Denver, is accused of murdering his sister’s fiance. Not my favorite of the Lord Peter mysteries, but still a good read.

The Wren: A Biography, by Stephen Moss – I love Stephen Moss’s writing, and his bird biographies – covering everything from behavior to cultural significance of a particular bird – are great, fun, quick reads. I enjoyed The Wren even more than the first installment, The Robin, mainly because we have wrens here in the U.S. too, so I could look out my window and observe some of the classic wren behavior as I was reading about it. (In case it’s not clear, The Robin – which is wonderful – focuses on the English robin, not the American robin, which is actually a completely unrelated bird and a member of the thrush family.)

Edinburgh: Pictorial Notes, by Robert Louis Stevenson – I wanted a fast read so that I could squeeze in one more book before leaving on a business trip, so I grabbed Edinburgh, the first publication from new indie publisher Manderley Press, from my shelf. I’d loved The Armourer’s House, which was actually Manderley Press’s second publication, but found Stevenson’s writing a bit too dense for the attention level I had at my disposal while reading. I do love the city of Edinburgh, though, so will definitely go back and revisit this one when I’m less tired and better able to concentrate on the text.

Pretty standard month of reading in the summer, here – not too many books, but eight is a decent round number. Visiting with Lord Peter Wimsey was definitely the highlight of the month, but listening to A Caribbean Mystery while looking out over the actual Caribbean was pretty cool, too. (Even if I was very nervous about murders after that.) With more travel coming up in August, followed by back-to-school preparations, I’m sure it will be another short month, although I do have some fun books queued up for late summer reading.

What were your July reading highlights?