Required Reading 2014: July

The first half of the year is gone; time flies so fast, doesn't it? And as I take a look at the books I've read for the first six months of 2014, I realize that while I may not be reading as fast or devouring as many books as my peers, it's completely okay because wow, I've been picking up really, really good titles this year. With the exception of one, that is, but that's for another post.;)

Meanwhile, hello there, July, and welcome to the second half of the year!

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As per usual, before I present my reading list for the new month, here are the books I read the previous month, their respective ratings and one-liner reviews:

• Independent People by Halldor Laxness - An epic tale of sheep, shepherds and their children, and Icelandic proportions. 4/5.

• The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - Repressed memories, forgotten past. 5/5.

• The City & The City by China Mieville - The book club's book of the month. Breach! 5/5.

• The Fault in our Stars by John Green - Teenage love, the Big C, and Tears. 4/5.

I'm so pleased to see those wonderful ratings - four- and five-starrers! I'm especially awed by The Sense of an Ending and The City & The City, even though they're from totally different genres. (Comprehensive notes to follow, heee.) It makes me optimistic that my July reads will be just as awesome.

Speaking of which, here they are:

• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - Buddy read with some good friends from the book club. Finally reading this! Just finished reading Chapter 5 and boy oh boy, this is so far a very engaging and creepy read!

• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - After Mieville's fantastical novel about two cities occupying the same physical space, here's a classic about two more cities. I'm into the first few chapters already, and Dickens, I must say, is the epitome of verbose.

Happy July, everyone! Stay dry! :)