Sunday Salon: July Reading Reflections

July has been my best reading month in at least 5 years in terms of number of books read and it was also a pretty good blogging month as well. I can't tell you why, what it was that was different, other than the fact that my house looks like a bomb has hit it and I really need to do some housework!

This month I read 31 books! 31! And I managed to also write 10 reviews.  Once upon a time I used to review every book that I read but over the last few years I decided that I was making blogging more pressurised for myself because I always felt like I was behind. These days, I always start a post for each book I read with some basic notes, but if I don't get to write the full review...then that is okay. 10 reviews in a month is definitely good for me!

Of those books that I read, four of them were even books that have been on my bookshelf for more than a year, and another 10 were books that I have acquired this year, with the rest of them being library books. That is probably a more even mix than I usually read which is a good thing.

Here are the books that I read this month:

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey 4.5/5

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey 4/5

Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey 4.5/5

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison 3.5/5

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare 4.5/5

Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare 4/5

The Countess Angelique by Sergeanne Golon 3/5

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn 3.5/5

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis 4/5

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James 3/5

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins 4.5/5

The Female Man by Joanna Russ 2/5

The Creed Legacy by Linda Lael Miller 4/5

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis 4/5

A Fountain Filled With Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming 4.5/5

Murder in the Kitchen by Alice B Toklas 4/5

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean 4/5

Meet Grace by Sofie Laguna 4/5

The Girl in a Steel Corset by Kady Cross 3.5/5

Before Versailles by Karleen Koen 4/5

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn 4/5

To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell 4/5

If I Stay by Gayle Forman 4.5/5

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton 4/5

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 4.5/5

A Friend for Grace by Sofie Laguna 4/5

Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard 4.5/5

Sea Witch by Helen Hollick 3.5/5

Charlaine Harris' Grave Sight Vol 1 by Charlaine Harris, Denis Medri and William Harms 3/5

The Last Goodbye by Sarah Mayberry 4/5

One Good Reason Sarah Mayberry by 4.5/5

In terms of challenges, I read three books for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - The Very Thought of You, The Countess Angelique and Before Versailles. I only need to read one more book in order to complete this challenge.

The highlight for me this month was participating in Paris in July, hosted by Karen at Bookbath and Tamara at Thyme for Tea. The following posts were all done as part of this event.

Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard (book review)

Paris Breakfasts (blog spotlight)

Before Versailles by Karleen Koen (book review)

Teaser Tuesday from Before Versailles (meme)

Murder in the Kitchen by Alice B Toklas (book review)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (book review)

Cars2 in Paris (just for fun)

Get on a Train to Paris (just for fun)

I am already thinking about what I might be able to do for next year's Paris in July event...assuming that it is being held again.

In closing, I thought I might start just having a section on each week's Sunday Salon post regardless of what topic I have chosen to post about where I talk about what I am reading and what I am expecting to read next.

Currently reading:

The Heir by Grace Burrowes - when this first came out I wasn't all that enticed by the blurb or the cover, but I have now heard quite a few good things about it so decided to give it a go.

Up next:

My next read will be a choice from The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigulupi, Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman or City of Promise by Beverly Swerling.