Happy Independence Day/Fourth of July to all my U.S. readers! Do you have any fun plans for the day? We usually head to Utah for the holiday, but we decided to stay home this year and chillax. My husband and I already spent a couple hours in our pool. It's been ridiculously hot here in the Phoenix area, so the only time our pool really feels cool is in the early morning. Our high today is supposed to be 113. Needless to say, we're going to be hibernating inside until it's time to watch fireworks on our balcony tonight. It will be a nice, quiet day for us just relaxing at home. That's how I like my holidays. Whatever you have planned for the Fourth, I hope you have a lot of fun and, most importantly, stay safe.

In June, I read a grand total of ONE bookish book. Yikes! (I'm rocking all of my other reading challenges this year, but I'm way behind on this one. What kind of challenge host am I? LOL)

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Ryan's World War II novels. I've read all of them and enjoyed them all, with The Spies of Shilling Lane and The Kitchen Front being my favorites. Because of its subject matter, I thought The Underground Library might beat out the others, but it didn't. I liked it. I didn't love it. 

The story concerns three young women from different circumstances who are brought together because of a library that is set up in a London Tube station during the Blitz. Amidst the fear and destruction of war, books bring comfort, entertainment, and escape to those who find shelter there. The library also creates a friendship between the trio of women that brings them the camaraderie, support, and belonging they all need. 

All of Ryan's books are set during World War II. In spite of that, they're warm, uplifting, hopeful, and even funny. I highly recommend them. Of the five novels Ryan has written, this one would be #4 on my list of favorites. Just sayin'.

You'll be happy to know that I've already read one bookish book in July. Homecoming by Kate Morton isn't overtly bookish, but there are a lot of bookish elements in it that I'll talk about next month. I'm also considering these for July reads:

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon—I've already talked about this middle-grade novel about a girl who discovers a library full of books that are literally portals to different dimensions. Candlewick Press just sent me a copy of this book to review, so hopefully, I can get to it soon.

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé—The reviews on this historical novel are mixed, but I think it sounds interesting. It's about a mixed-race Jamaican woman who was brought to London by her white father when she was a baby. Light enough to pass as white, Florence is schooled in her father's bookbinding trade. When she disgraces him, he throws her out, but she manages to secure a position restoring a lord's collection of rare books. His household is full of puzzles and mysteries, one of which may lead to answers about herself that Florence is desperate to find.

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese—This Christian novel revolves around Ingrid Erikson, a senior acquisitions editor for a San Francisco publisher. When her BFF, bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, dies, it throws Ingrid into a tailspin. Having lost the ability to escape into fiction, she's desperate to find another way to get closure. So, when Cecelia's cousin—who also happens to be the man who once broke Ingrid's heart completely—comes to Ingrid with a request from beyond the grave, she can't say no. 

We'll see what I actually end up reading this month, but I'm hoping one or two of these will be on the list. I'm going on my first cruise in a few weeks. so I'll likely take a couple of these with me to Alaska.