Beat The Backlist 2024 - July Update

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I'm sharing my seventh update for my July progress on the year long Beat The Backlist 2024 reading challenge, hosted by Austine Decker.  You can see my original tbr here.  In July, I completed 6 books for a total of 39 books completed out of 52 books on my tbr.  I've only got 13 books to go!  Without further ado, keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I read in July:

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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe (Sal and Gabi #1) by Carlos Hernandez was really fun.  The characters and the sense of humor are what really makes the story work.  I also appreciated that it also tackles some tough subject matter as well.  I honestly don't read MG enough and I should read more.  I'm can't wait to continue this series!  I think it could become a favorite.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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The Mummy Congress: Science, Obsession, and the Everlasting Dead by Heather Pringle was fascinating and a bit different than what I was expecting.  It covers more ground and cultures and I would like to know what more research has been done since this was released 23 years ago.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin is a solid YA fantasy romance stand alone, but I wouldn't call it a favorite.  While I really enjoyed the world-building and style, I wasn't as interested or invested in the characters or the romance as I feel like I should have been.  I don't know about you, but this reminds me of would feel right at home among the YA released around 15 or so years ago.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox is a fascinating and very readable piece of nonfiction.  I wasn't at all familiar with the story before picking up this book, but I was hooked.  I recommend this if you're interested in Conan Doyle and this author's style - I also recently read The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss from her which was really intriguing.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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DNF'd @ p. 46

Wow. I didn't only made it to the beginning of chapter 3. I tried but Seduced by Crimson (Crimson City #5) by Jade Lee just wasn't for me at all. Plus, from other reviews I've read I'm glad I stopped where I did!

My review is also on Goodreads.

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I like noir well enough, but unfortunately Skin Deep, Blood Red (Wesley Farrell #1) by Robert Skinnerdidn't end up catching my attention nearly as much as I was hoping it would.  I definitely won't be back to continue the series.

My review is also on Goodreads.

Have you read any of these books?  Are you participating in this challenge?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!