What to Read in July

What to Read in July 

By Julie Carlson

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

By A.J. Finn

The Woman in the Window is a first-rate psychological thriller from debut author A.J. Finn. The protagonist, Anna Fox, is a former child psychologist who suffers from agoraphobia. She fears leaving her house and going outside. Anna spends most of her time watching film noir and Hitchcock films. Her boredom has led to drinking copious amounts of wine, a pharmaceutical drug addiction, and spying on her neighbors. One night, Anna witnesses the murder of one of them. Readers will be kept on-the-edge-of-their-seats with this fast-paced story. Finn masterfully intertwines film noir into the narrative. Finn came up with the premise for the novel due to his own experiences with anxiety and agoraphobia. This taut, twist-filled read is perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

4 Stars

THE CRUEL PRINCE

By Holly Black

Fantasy author Holly Black returns to writing about the world of the Fae with her latest novel. From the first chapter, readers will be immersed in a dark fantasy with heroines to cheer for and villains to hate. The story centers on Jude and her two sisters after their parents are murdered and they are stolen away to the land of the faeries. Several characters in The Cruel Prince appear in Black’s Modern Tale of Faerie Tales trilogy. However, you don’t have to have read the aforementioned novels to enjoy The Cruel Prince. Stellar world building, unique characters, lush descriptions, a swoon worthy romance, and a suspenseful plot drive this tale. It also focuses on issues of bullying, acceptance, self-esteem, and image. You’ll definitely clamor for the sequel in the trilogy.

5 Stars

THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD

By Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay’s latest novel, The Cabin at the End of the World, touches on religious themes, social issues, the choices we make, and the media. It also delves into apocalyptic and doomsday conspiracy theories. The story is told from the points of view of a young girl named Wen and her two fathers, Eric and Andrew. The family is staying at a remote cabin. While her fathers are out back, Wen is playing in the front yard catching crickets when a group of strangers carrying weapons appear and the terror begins. The Cabin at the End of the World is not a novel for everyone. Readers who gravitate towards psychological horror will be more apt to pick this one up. Warning: the novel has many gruesome and violent scenes.

3 Stars

3 MORE BOOKS TO TRY

Educated: A Memoir

By Tara Westover

A memoir in the vein of The Glass Castle about a girl who, after being kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family, educates herself and eventually goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

By Daniel H. Pink

Drawing on a wealth of research from psychology, biology, and economics, Daniel H. Pink reveals how best to live, work, and succeed based on data rather than intuition and guesswork.

The Gone World

By Tom Sweterlitsch

Inception meets True Detective in this science-fiction thriller. The Gone World follows a special agent into a savage murder case with grave implications for the fate of mankind.