My main takeaway from going through all the July releases is that July is cosy crime month! There were so many fun and quirky mysteries abound (and plenty more that didn't make my list).
July 2027 Book Releases
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn | book review
It's no secret that I'm a great admirer of anything that Kate Quinn writes – and this is certainly no exception. This book was everything I wanted The Midnight Library to be. A magical library set in another realm (an in-between sort of realm) where you can live in your favourite novel and escape reality.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman | book review
This was genuinely awesome. I loved every minute and I really loved the full-blown Irish sass of the main character, Kinch.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow | book review
This is a hard book to describe in detail – it's sat with me for some time since I finished it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. But to put my finger on what exactly made this so good, is difficult. The book has a quiet, complex atmosphere – it's a sophisticated novel of family ties, the plight of women and the scandalousness of witchcraft.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang | book reivew
I think I need to officially take a break (give up on?) reading Kuang books. Everything sounds so promising, and yet everything is overcomplicated and underdone. I am disappointed.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber | book review
This was super duper fabulous right up until the ending, and then things were a little too open-ended for my liking. Which is where the stars have been knocked off – we were full-steam ahead to the five-star rating up until that point.
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington | book review
I loved Lucy Adlington's writing in The Red Ribbon, and while this is non-fiction rather than historical fiction, I loved her writing in this just as much. This is a very poignant and well-researched novel on a group of women who survived Auschwitz in part thanks to their sewing abilities.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte | book review
I really am a big fan of Brusatte at this point. Having read The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us before this one, I knew I would be in for a good time and it didn't disappoint.
Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky | book review
This is turning into a super interesting series, and I'm actually really excited to find out where it goes with book 3. I think I preferred book 2 to the first instalment, though they are really quite different to each other. I found the first book (Dogs of War) to be fascinating and unique, but the structure jumped forward in time rapidly and relentlessly. Whereas this book felt more stable and continuous.
A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin | book review
This is clearly the book where everything gets real. Being part 2 of book 3, things went up a gear in terms of battles, character deaths and general plot progression. I lost count of the number of times I was shocked in this book!
Upside-Down Books 