Wrap Up: July 2026

Hi everyone

July has flown by, and I can’t believe we’re already halfway through our children’s summer vacation. The last week of July we spent at home, with some small trips, some tinkering around the house and garden, lots of playing, puzzeling and reading. And now we’re on holiday! With both our daughters celebrating their birthdays in August, we have a lot of fun lined up so plenty of reasons to enjoy our time together.

I read a lot in July, so here’s the list of books I finished:

- Stephen Baxter & Alastair Reynolds: The Medusa Chronicles  

- Robin Hobb: Blood of Dragons 

- Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club 

- Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before the Coffee gets Cold  

- Sue Johnson: Hold Me Tight

- James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion 

- Neil Gaiman: Norse Mythology  

- Jen Williams: The Poison Song

- Rivers Solomon: The Deep

And I had to DNF one book: 

- Richard Matheson: Hell House

I’d love to hear from you: How was your July in books? Did you discover a new favorite, or did you struggle to finish anything? Let me know; I’m always excited to hear your recommendations and thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion

Hi everyone

Memory’s Legion is a collection of novellas set in The Expanse universe by James S. A. Corey.

"On Mars, a scientist experiments with a new engine that will one day become the drive that fuels humanity's journey into the stars.
On an asteroid station, a group of prisoners are oblivious to the catastrophe that awaits them.
On a future Earth beset by overpopulation, pollution, and poverty, a crime boss desperately seeks to find a way off planet.
On an alien world, a human family struggles to establish a colony and make a new home.
All these stories and more are featured in this unmissable collection of short fiction set in the hardscrabble world of The Expanse."

This was actually quite a boring collection.
It was wonderful to be back in the world of The Expanse, as I really enjoyed the vast majority of the books in the series, and these stories were a nice addition; but definitely not necessary or required reading. They gave some background to certain events or characters in the series, and I did like what happened in them.

However, the stories were really lacking any sort of tension. The writing felt rather flat and passive to me, and that’s why I had a hard time starting and continuing to read the book in the evening. It lacked the urgency and depth that make The Expanse so gripping. 

Memory’s Legion is a fun extra for fans of the series, but it doesn’t add much to the overall experience. 

Have you read Memory’s Legion? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 Happy reading!
Helena 

Birthday Bookhaul

Hi everyone

January 24th was my birthday! I had a lovely day celebrating with my husband and our two daughters. The weekend after my birthday, we gathered with my parents, my brother, and his wife to continue the festivities. My husband’s birthday was on the 12th of January, and we celebrated with his family the day after his birthday.

The best part? Everyone (except my husband) gave me money for books! They all know how much I love to read, and honestly, it’s the perfect gift for me.

So, I bought myself some very anticipated new books! I ordered all of them from Bol and they arrived over the last couple of days. 
Here's what I got.

- James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion

- Eowyn Ivey: Black Woods Blue Sky 

- Rachel Joyce: Miss Benson's Beetle

- Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before the Coffee gets Cold

- Stephen King: Firestarter

- Stephen King: Needful Things

- H. P. Lovecraft: Cthulhu Mythos Tales

- Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Poetry

- John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley

- Andrea Stewart: The Bone Shard Daughter

- Xiran Jay Zhao: Iron Widow

Have you read any of these? If so, which one should I read first? I’d love to hear your recommendations!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Christmas Bookhaul

Hi everyone

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our extended families, and I was so lucky to receive some wonderful gifts! My in-laws and grandparents gave me money (which, obviously, will go straight to buying more books 😉), my husband and daughters surprised me with a Hedwig Squishmallow (so cute!) and gorgeous earrings, and my parents gifted me a Jan Van Haasteren puzzle (I love their puzzles; they’re so much fun to put together!) and three new books.
It’s clear that everyone knows me well; and I couldn’t be happier! 💛

Here are the books I was gifted:

- James S. A. Corey: The Mercy of Gods

- Robin Hobb: Fool's Assassin

- Ed McDonald: Daughter of Redwinter 

Did you receive any new books over the holidays? Or maybe something else you’d love to share? 

Wishing you all wonderful holidays and plenty of cozy reading time.

Happy reading!
Helena