July was a crazy month for me, but I did manage to read four bookish books. Not too bad. I didn't love any of them, but I enjoyed all of them for the most part. Here's what I read:

Rabbit, Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon—This middle-grade book is about two cousins who barely know each other because their mothers have been estranged for years. When the girls are brought together for their grandparents' anniversary celebration, they become quick friends. Together, they vow to get to solve the mystery of why their mothers can't stand each other. 

Bee is a voracious reader. Her cousin, Alice, isn't so hot on books, but her parents encourage their children to read by having a weekly family readathon. The girls talk books and swap their favorite reads.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark—This mystery/thriller stars ghostwriter Olivia Dumont, whose been blacklisted after accusing a colleague of misogyny. Unable to get work, she reluctantly agrees to take a job working for a famous horror writer who happens to be her estranged father. The ailing man is finally ready to write a tell all about the mysterious deaths of two of his children decades earlier. He needs Olivia's help. For professional and personal reasons, she can't refuse.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego—In this And Then There Were None-ish mystery, a group of writers are invited to attend a themed house party on a remote island owned by a famous author, whose identity has remained hidden for decades. The writers are challenged with puzzles and games that quickly become sinister in nature. When guests begin dying, it becomes clear that there's much, much more to this party than meets the eye.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack—The second volume in an entertaining murder mystery series, this book also features a group of authors gathering for a special event—a wedding on California's Catalina Island. Things start going awry from the get-go and only get worse as a storm descends, trapping everyone on an island with a killer.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt—Set in 1967-1968, this middle-grade historical novel is about a seventh grader who is convinced that his English teacher hates him. While all the other kids get to leave school for religious school, he is stuck with a woman who makes him do classroom chores and, even worse, read Shakespeare. To his surprise, Holling takes a shine to the Bard. As he finds wisdom in the poet's words, he also learns valuable lessons as he faces all the challenges of middle school and life in a turbulent time in history.

I'm not sure what I'm going to read in August, but I'm considering these:

The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. Bell (available January 13, 2026)—In turn-of-the-century Oxford, Lily Delaney is frustrated by her stunted life. She's bound to her father's failing bookshop while not being able to progress in a male-dominated field. When she discovers a 50-year-old letter hidden in the binding of a burned book, her curiosity is piqued by its contents, which tell a tale of love and murder. As Lily looks for more letters, she finds herself embroiled in what soon becomes a very risky search for some dangerous answers.

I just received an ARC of The Bookbinder's Secret from the publisher and I'm eager to dig in!

The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse (available September 18, 2025)—This upcoming cozy series debut sounds fun. It's about an Englishwoman who decides to open a bookstore in a village in the South of France. She's settling into her new town when a dead body is discovered in the local church. As a stranger and the last person to see the deceased alive, the Englishwoman becomes the prime suspect in the victim's murder. She didn't do it. Who did?