What I Read in July

Trees, the undead, and classic middle grade...

Need a book? This is what I read and enjoyed in the month of July:

1. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben: An incredible non-fiction account of trees and how they feel, think, and behave in social networks. Groundbreaking, astonishing stuff. I only read it for book research, and ended up loving it. I’d also love the graphic novel version.

2. Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary: What would you do if your rowdy mouse cousins wouldn’t keep their paws off of your beloved motorcycle? Go to school with a third grader! It’s been decade since I read this and it was delightful.

3. Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume: As a kid, I thought Sheila the Great was a brat, but my perspective is now more appreciative. Judy Blume gets kids and I love everything she writes.

4. The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman: Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest - not quite dead, but not quite alive. As he hovers between life and death, he ushers wandering souls into the Afterlife. It’s profound, ghostly, and marvelously told!

Currently: rereading We Were Liars and marking the story structure, and The Covenant of Water which is remarkable and wonderful.

What are you reading? I always love to hear…

Amy 💖

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The Last Part:

Re-Watched: The Devil Wears Prada. What a classic. Much of the original cast (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci!) is returning for the sequel twenty years later (releasing May 2026). I’m always fascinated by books inspired by real life. In this case, Lauren Weisberger (the author of the novel) actually did work for a demanding fashion magazine boss (Anna Wintour)…and then turned her story into a massive bestseller. You go, girl. The film earned the queen (Meryl Streep!), and Anne Hathaway their highest-grossing films to that point. Streep also earned a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination as Miranda. Juicy good.

Driving: To Vermont to talk to camp kids about books. It was so fun! We talked about how books are like friends and then everyone picked two books to take home. Thanks to the CLIF program for making this happen.

Eating: All the blueberries everywhere. Summer produce <3

Biking: Lots of bike rides with Gregor. I really really love my bike. What a good sport to go into my later years with…

And FINALLY:

Waiting: For baby! Cope (my daughter) is now five days overdue…exciting and come on, baby!!!

The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair is part-mystery, part understanding of the human heart 💖

Ten Thousand Tries is Golden’s quest to save his dad and the soccer team ⚽

The McNifficents is one summer with six rambunctious kids and their miniature-schnauzer nanny 🐕 New Hampshire’s 2024 Great Reads for Kids selection!