July 2023 Book Reviews and Recommendations

Ugh, I missed June’s post. It turns out having four kids at home all day in summer is a lot and I get very little time to myself . . . ever. This blog is what always takes a hit when I’m busy. The reason I’m so bummed is that I have a great book recommendation this month that would have been perfect to read for Pride month. Luckily, we can read LGTBQIA+ books at any time of the year. See below to read four new book reviews for the month of July.

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The School for Good Mothers

The School for Good Mothers is a total mind fuck. Think of it as somewhat of a combination of The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984. You want to believe the plot could never happen but also realize how our country could totally turn into this. The book is a bit upsetting, not going to lie.

A single mom of a toddler isn’t sleeping well. Her life is all about trying to co-parent with her ex (plus the woman he cheated on her with) and making work deadlines while living in a city where she doesn’t have close friends.

She has a really bad day and leaves her daughter in an exersaucer while running to work to grab some hard copies but ends up being gone a couple of hours. Neighbors call the police and the woman is required to go to court. A brand new experiment is being implemented in the family welfare system by some states. “Schools” are created to train mothers who have harmed their children on how to be better parents.

If a woman is sent to the school she won’t see her child(ren) for a year but if she graduates her parental rights will be reinstated. If a woman quits or does not pass, her parental rights will be terminated and she will be put on a public list of unfit parents.

The school is like a prison, the units and lessons are messed up, and the consequences are severe. The mothers each have a very lifelike electronic doll that represents their child. Everything is recorded.

This book is fascinating and freaky. I felt uncomfortable reading it because it’s not as far-fetched as we would hope. I think it would make a great book club pick leading to excellent discussions.

Tomorrow Will Be Different

Sarah McBride is a transgender woman and in Tomorrow Will Be Different she writes about her experience coming out to her friends and family as well as her work in politics.

Sarah was involved in politics from a young age in her home state of Delaware. When she came out as transgender in college while serving as class president, her family and the politicians she was close with back home (the governor and the Biden family) were all extremely supportive.

After graduation, Sarah started working hard for trans rights. The right to be protected from being fired, housing rights, medical rights, etc. She gave many speeches and worked closely with state representatives to get bills brought to the floor.

Also in her memoir, Sarah discusses how she met and fell in love with her transgender husband. They had an amazing relationship but he developed cancer and she became a caretaker at a very young age.

The highlight of her career at the time of this memoir was getting to be the first transgender woman to speak at the Democratic National Convention. The book ends as Trump gets elected obviously turning back so many of the rights she had been fighting for.

The book is about loss, hope, fear, and perseverance. There is a lovely forward written by our current president. It’s a book that makes me want to get even more involved with politics. I quickly looked Sarah up after reading to see where her career has taken her.

Wrong Place Wrong Time

Wrong Place Wrong Time is a good, slower-pace, not scary at all book. Totally fine to read before bed. It’s a mystery with time travel.

A mother witnesses her teen son murder a stranger in the street. When she wakes up the next day it’s actually the day before the murder. How can she stop the murder? Was it something in her mothering that led her boy astray?

As she continues to jump back in time more clues are revealed that round out the story of who the victim was and how her son became involved.

The reader is able to guess a lot early on but certainly not the entire story. I wish it hadn’t been as predictable as it was though.

The time travel adds a cool element and the husband/wife dynamic is actually one you don’t often read about which I liked. Overall, the story was a bit too slow for me but maybe that’s because I listened to the audio version.

Evvie Drake Starts Over

In Evvie Drake Starts Over, Evvie has finally decided to leave her husband. The beloved town doctor has never physically abused his wife but constantly belittles and gaslights her. As Evvie is packing her car to leave him, she gets the call that he has died in a car accident. Everyone expects her to be the grieving widow, no one knew of her problems.

Meanwhile, a professional baseball pitcher has the yips – an unexplained sudden inability to pitch accurately. He’s tried everything but the public just thinks he’s a head case. He’s looking to take some time away from New York, the press, and fans who have turned against him.

Evvie’s best friend grew up with the ball player and suggests the pitcher rent the apartment in Evvie’s large house. Obviously, there is going to be a love story but I think the book added a lot more depth to the relationship than what you might expect.

I appreciate that it takes time for the two to form a friendship and eventually a romantic relationship. Being older and set in their ways, problems do arise and they both have a lot of baggage from their pasts to work through.

I very much enjoyed the story and the levels it gave throughout. It’s an adult romance with very little spice but I consider it more intellectual and mature than your typical romance novel.

Looking for more book reviews? Check out my May Book Reviews!