My Favorite Reads: July Edition

Photo courtesy of inkcrush.blogspot.com

Since I received such a great response from my readers on my last list of book suggestions (My Top Five Favorite Reads), I’ve decided to make it a monthly fixture here on my blog. Some month’s lists will be longer than others, I presume, but I’ll do my best with providing the crème de la crème of literary works in my expansive library, a.k.a my book journal.

As I mentioned before, historical fiction novels are my favorite to read, however, there are many great books outside the realm of Ancient Rome and Medieval Europe. I’ll try to expand my suggestions to encompass all types of books I’ve read. Romance, mystery, self-help, you name it I’ve read ’em. I’m even in the process of reading a medieval fantasy series called A Game of Thrones. I haven’t finished reading it so I’m not going to suggest it just yet, but so far so good. I’m sure many of you have heard of the HBO TV series, Game of Thrones. The series is based on the book, however, I’ve heard from several people who say that the books are better than the show. That’s typically the case with most made-for-film/tv shows, but I have to test that opinion for myself.

Anyways, back to the good stuff. Here are my top five suggestions for July:

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. This book actually made me scared while I was reading it. At times, I’d have to put the book down because I would find myself getting afraid to go to bed at night. That’s when you know a book is good. The Historian, a historical thriller novel, is about a young grad student who finds himself on a desperate search-and-rescue mission for his mentor who mysteriously went missing after revealing to him his suspicions that Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, was still alive. Forget Twilight, this is the true vampire story.
   

   Photo courtesy of goodreads.com

2. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. For a time, I was hooked on World War II novels. I was fascinated with the love stories and extraordinary tales of hardships and loss that people a few generations ago endured under the reign of the ultimate tyrant, Adolf Hitler. This story follows the life of a young Russian girl and a soldier in the Red Army during the blitzkrieg of Leningrad. It’s a epic tale of romance, loss and hope. It’s pretty sad so read with tissues in hand.
3. Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons. If you read The Bronze Horseman then you have to read the sequel. There’s more love, more loss and a lot of twists and turns. ‘Nough said.
4. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This story follows the life of Dinah, the biblical character briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Her father is Jacob and she has twelve other brothers. The Red Tent breathes life into this otherwise unknown woman, and describes in vivid detail what ancient womanhood was all about. Love this book. I’m not sure if it’s won an award, but if it hasn’t it should.

These four books, I assure you, are guaranteed to get you through the “dog days of summer“. I hope y’all enjoy. And don’t forget, you can always suggest your own favorites in my comments section. I’m always looking for a great read.

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