This month was a mixed bag of reads, two I loved and two that were fine, but not necessarily good. I had planned on reading more while on vacation, but we packed in so much fun, I was struggling to stay awake at the end of the day! I didn’t help that two of the books didn’t grab me like I hoped they would. The two I loved, The Henna Artist and Kitchens of the Great Midwest, have additional books I’ll be digging into. The Henna Artist is part of a series and I’ve already scooped up, the next one is The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. And J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest, has a few other books also set in Midwest with similar genre that I’ll be reading when looking for comforts of home in MN.

Here are the books I read in July.

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Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield

Sally Minz is a writer for The Night Owls (TNO), a late night comedy show (basically SNL). She’s given up on love after a few bad runs and is cynical when it comes to relationships. When her coworker Danny (average looking, nothing to write home about) starts dating a gorgeous, top actress, Sally writes a skit for the show called The Danny Horst Rule about how average men can date models and gorgeous actors, but it’s never women doing the same. At the same time, Noah Brewster (hot musician) is tapped to host the show and be the musical guest and when Sally meets him, sparks fly. Or do they. The book follows what happens up to and after the show. I enjoyed the book, but after a while, I started to get mad at Sally. She continues to make the same mistakes and lacks the confidence in herself even though she’s extremely successful. But it was still entertaining and I loved the details of how the show was pitched and written each week.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

I loved this book! Lakshmi has built a career for herself in Jaipur as the top henna artist after escaping an abusive marriage at the age of 17. She’s built confidences with all of Jaipur’s elite and knows all their secrets. Her goal, being independent and having a home of her own. She’s almost there when her sister, who she didn’t know existed, shows up with no place to go. Lakshmi takes her in, risking all she has built. Juggling her work and trying to rein in her sister proves to be a 24 hour role and she’s doing her best. But will it cost her everything? I couldn’t put this book down. I was enthralled from the beginning with the imagery, the people, the customs, and how Lakshmi has learned to straddle the line between old and new worlds in India in the ‘50s.

I have something to tell you by Susan Lewis

Another just ‘OK’ book this month. What started out strong, thinking it was going to be a good thriller, turned into a book really only about lies and deceit. Jessica Wells (Jay) is a successful lawyer married with a seemingly perfect marriage and family. She takes on a case defending Edward Blake, who’s wife was murdered while he was watching TV, or so he claims. As Jay immerses herself in the case (and believes Blake is innocent) her lifer around her starts to fall apart. Her husband had an affair (they are working through it) and now it come out that he may have a child with said mistress. That’s not the only secret, the child is only a few months old (But the affair supposedly ended two years ago!). As Jay deals with infidelity of her husband, the case, and her feelings for Blake (which she has started to develop), things spiral out of control. The book dragged on for longer than it needed and at points I was annoyed with each of the characters. The only reason I finished was I wanted to know what would happen… and I didn’t love it.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

After two books this month that were only Ok, this was the palate cleanser I needed! I LOVED this book. Meet Eva Thorvald, star chef of the midwest. We are introduced to Eva and learn about who she will become from her father, Lars Thorvald, a chef in Minneapolis. The rest of the book is told from the perspective of others in Eva’s life. Each chapter represents a pivotal moment for Eva and we watch her grow up through the eyes of others. From cousins to first loves, a jealous rival to her birth mother who abandoned her, life is brought to Eva and we learn who she really is. The final chapter culminates at one of her famous pop up dinners. The imagery, storytelling, and emotion in this book are wonderful. Setting the book in MN and neighboring states, it was like stepping back in time and being home again. To top things off, there are also recipes scattered throughout the book that are truly “Midwest” and I can’t wait to make them.

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More books I’ve read