My list from June changed quite a bit after I discovered that my new place of employment, a public library, was running a summer reading bingo challenge and have a staff version going. Thus, I’ve been reading more than usual to try and fill every one of those twenty-five bingo squares! The challenge ends on August 1st, so a lot of my reading this month is geared toward bingo requirements. Check it out!
Title: Nothing is Okay by Rachel Riley.
Genre: poetry
Key Descriptors: fatness, queerness, feminism
Why I’m Reading It: this fulfills my bingo square “read a poetry collection” and my goes toward my “reading fat women” mission!
Title: Storm Warning by Mercedes Lacky
Genre: fantasy
Key Descriptors: sequel, mage, science
Why I’m Reading It: this is book #11 in the #ReadingValdemar 2019 readalong!
Title: Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Genre: suspense
Key Descriptors: Cornwall, mystery, historical romance
Why I’m Reading It: fulfills my bingo square for “a book made into a movie.” Plus, you can go wrong with the author of Rebecca, right?
Title: The Poison Squad: One Chemist’s Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah Blum
Genre: journalism
Key Descriptors: food inspectors, safety regulations, chemistry
Why I’m Reading It: fulfills my bingo square for “book recommended by a co-worker.” Jennifer the librarian said she never reads nonfiction, but she loved this book.
Title: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, read by Simon Vance
Genre: paranormal/audio book
Key Descriptors: erotic, confessional, love
Why I’m Reading It: fulfills the bingo square “a book made into a movie.” Not sure why book-to-movie is in two squares.
Title: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Genre: paranormal
Key Descriptors: history, rock stardom, ancient vampires
Why I’m Read It: Conveniently, this book fulfills the bingo square “read a book published the year you were born.”
Title: Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
Genre: paranormal
Key Descriptors: genocide, multilayered, erotic
Why I’m Reading It: Doubly convenient is the bingo square “read a book you once started but never finished.” I got over half-way through this novel when I dropped it in high school.
Title: Venus on Mars by Jan Millsapps (who was one of 705 potential “Marstronauts”)
Genre: historical fiction
Key Descriptors: Jet Propulsion Lab, space, rocket scientists
Why I’m Reading It: fulfills my bingo requirement for “book about space.”
Title: Man-eaters, Vol. 1 by Chelsea Cain
Genre: young adult comic book
Key Descriptors: menstruation, fake advertising, satire
Why I’m Reading It: my husband saw this title in his news feed and thought it sounded like something I’d read. Premise: What if a mutated version of Toxoplasmosis caused certain women to turn into violent cats when they menstruate?
Grab the Lapels 
I started Storm Warning last night and I am already halfway through it. I had forgotten how much I liked Karal, that main character of the trilogy.
LikeLike
That’s so exciting to me! I struggled with Winds of Fury and would like to see some fresh characters. I’m completely worn out on Skif, Nyara, Falconsbane, and Ancar.
LikeLike
We don’t see any of them here, at least that I recall. It’s Karal mostly, and An’desha, along with a couple of others as POV characters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I read Jamaica Inn years ago when I was reading a lot of Daphne du Maurier but I really can’t remember it! She’s such a great writer though.
LikeLike
I’m struggling because my library only has the e-book, and I get worn out on reading digital books pretty fast. I found a hard copy of My Cousin Rachel and am wondering if I should make the switch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I absolutely loved My Cousin Rachel. It was great– eerie and unsettling and atmospheric. I used to get burnt out on ebooks too but I’ve switched primarily to them because of convenience and moves that I know are in my future. It makes me so happy every time I read a physical book now though, so I know the feeling!
LikeLike
I think I just need to get a tablet. Currently, I’m using my phone, which is fairly small, or my old Nook glow worm, which doesn’t quite function how I want it to (it’s hard to highlight and take notes, for example).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I can’t even imagine attempting it on the phone. A good e-reader makes a big difference, and I like reading on the iPad too. Mine is ancient and a little too big to take anywhere but it’s still good for taking
notes, highlighting, etc. That def helps!
LikeLike
I went out tonight and bought an 8-inch android tablet and downloaded all the reading apps I used! I’m movin’ on up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay!!! That sounds perfect! It’s gonna make such a difference.
LikeLike
Thanks for convincing me! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, I love du Maurier but haven’t read Jamaica Inn yet. Hope you like it! 😊
LikeLike
I can’t find a hard copy, which is driving me bonkers! I just finished an e-book and am worn out a bit on it. However, I found a hard copy of My Cousin Rachel and am wondering if I should just change titles. Both were made into movies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoo boy, that last one is a doozy! 🙂
LikeLike
Laila. I love that you remember my “woo boy/ boy howdy” comment. It makes me heart happy ❤ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This looks like a great list! I’ll be especially interested in your thoughts on the du Maurier and Anne Rice! Vampires are so hit-or-miss for me, but even so I’m always drawn to them. I put down Interview with the Vampire a while back, but maybe you’ll convince me to pick it back up. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve read Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat before, though it was YEARS ago. I remember really loving Lestat’s book. Queen of the Damned got complicated and I put it down, as I mention, but I hope having about 15 years of reading behind me will make me a more observant and careful reader.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OH MY GOD THE ANGRY CAT MENSTRUATION BOOK
LikeLike
🤣 I know, right? The author is pretty famous for writing humor and thriller novels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] and a holiday (in the United States), Grab the Lapels had two extra posts. On Monday, I shared what I will be reading in July. Tuesday was a review of The Snow Queen, an award-winning science fiction novel published in 1980 […]
LikeLike
Confession: I’ve never read Rebecca or any of Daphne du Maurier’s works. I’ve been told by so many people that I’d love Rebecca because I’m a huge Jane Eyre fan, but I’ve never given it a go… How many of Daphne du Maurier’s books have you read? Which is your favorite?
Happy reading for the rest of July 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve read Rebecca (and see the Hitchcock movie about 100 times) and now Jamaica Inn. That’s it. I love both but think I now prefer Jamaica Inn. The author is also supposed to be the master of short stories, so you could check out one or two before you plunge into a novel.
LikeLiked by 1 person