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July Shelf is coming-of-age

What did you read this month? Did you recognise your own 'coming-of-age' in the story?

I read Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and I give it 5 stars.
I finished it 7/13/21
Review:
I really enjoyed the world that is introduced. Children fall through doors to other worlds and then when they get back to the real world they miss the old world. They are put into a school that is supposed to help them readjust to regular life. Their parents don't know that the head mistress of the school understands them better than they think as she has done the same

Used in: Let's Book It July, Seriously Serial '21
I nominate: Ghosts

I read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
3 stars

My rating of this book is based on me now--had I read this in my early teens I'd have loved this.

This was written in the 1940s, but set in the 1930s--not quite far enough back for me to call this historical fiction.

Cassandra Mortmain, 17, fills three journals in which she tells this story. She is part of a now-poor, eccentric family who live in a run-down castle her father took a 40 year lease on when he was making money from his first, and only, book.

The writing is fine, but I didn't love it or even enjoy it more than three stars.

ETA I nominate /shelf/show/... Historical Fiction

I finished Of Blood and Bone - this is book #2 in Nora Roberts' "Chronicles of the One" series.

Like many of her middle books in a trilogy, it is somewhat slower in pace than the first book. The coming of age elements are very strong though as the main character is in training with a Gandalf-type figure and learns about her powers.

I'm enjoying this series and look forward to the big showdown in the 3rd installment.

I nominate Female Detective

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
3 stars

The characters in this book don't really "come of age" because, spoiler alert, they both die at the end. In this story, everyone receives a phone call on the day they are going to die, giving them a chance to really live their last few hours. Interesting idea, but I didn't find it very believable. The death forecast I can get behind, but I find it strange that people would want to spend their last day hanging out with a complete stranger and doing weird VR stuff. I feel like I would also be a lot more sad and angry about dying as a teenager than these two characters. Still, it wasn't bad, I found myself really caring about these two.

Read for Trim that TBR
I nominate happy

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
4 stars

A lot of people love KH, but I've previously found her novels pretty dull and soppy. This one though, much better! A teenage girl in a small and isolated Alaskan town, with an abusive father. He made me so angry! I guess that means I engaged with the book.

Read for bookopoly
I nominate past-and-present

I read Orpheus Girl and give it 3 stars.

This was a good (but not great) book. I was very disappointed in the mythology metaphors and felt they could have been better. I also can't help but compare this to The Miseducation of Cameron Post which I think had better character development tbh.

I nominate dark academia

I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
5 stars.

This is a great coming-of-age story, as in this book Harry and his friends really start growing up and behave like real teenagers do. Harry's anger and resentment ring especially true. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this book!

I nominate banned books.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
★★★★

Been on my TBR forever and a day. I kept pushing it back because I knew it was going to be good but painful and I was right. I opted for audio because I thought I could speed up through the painful bits and that's what I did.

The Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1) by Brandon Sanderson
★★★�

interesting universe and I'd love to find out what's in store next for Joel.

I read Stardust. ★★★★

I enjoyed this book and felt that the author crammed an awful lot into a short book. I am not sure I see that many parallels to my own Coming of age and this may be because of the fantasy setting. I liked unflinching support Tristan got from his parents whether or not they agreed with what he was doing. I always got that at home

The Saturday Night Ghost Club ★★�
This is bittersweet, reminds me of Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury but is about more than simple coming of age theme


I nominate Tsundoku /shelf/show/...

I read the fifth Harry Potter. for the second time now. its guilty pleasure read. I love rereading especially the Potter series because you pick up things you missed or other moments mean something different than the first. it always feels like you're reading for the first time.

Paige, I love rereading the Harry Potter series too! I lost count how many times I reread it. Especially the earlier books in the series. Before the next book in series was published I'd reread the rest

Paige wrote: "I read the fifth Harry Potter. for the second time now. its guilty pleasure read. I love rereading especially the Potter series because you pick up things you missed or other moments mean something..."

Yes! I've just re-read (for the third time) the fifth book, too. I totally agree with you. And reading them as an adult gives me a different feel - I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience!

I read My Brilliant Friend [28-jul-2021] ★★

I never got into the story. The story didn't seem to go anywhere. It felt repetitive. I was surprised this book ended when the girls were 16. I thought it would be a story from child to adulthood. I won't continue reading the series.

Used for:
Seriously Serial

I'd like to nominate: witches

Late posting my review but for this shelf I read (listened to) The Book Thief. I give it 5 stars. I thought it was really well written and touching/heartbreaking. Added points for the narrator doing an extremely good job of ranting in German. It was definitely a bit of an emotional read since my grandmother actually lived in Germany through the period of time that the book is taking place as one of those not supportive to the Nazi party. I couldn't help but read and wonder what she experienced (she passed before I was born).

I'm late as always!


Book: Pride and Prejudice - 07.16 ★★★★
# Tags: 100

Review:
This is a reread for me - maybe the 2nd time all the way through, though I've done it partially more than that.. No surprises! No changes... still the same. I'm sure I'll come back to it when I need a book to movie or a classic for a challenge.

Challenges: July Let's Book It
Nomination: all-time-favorites

I read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. ★★★★

Oh, my! I guess I never posted this.

I read Girl in Translation. I was a bit disappointed in it. I think it rates about 2.5, but I'm being generous and giving it 3.

I was a bit disappointed in this, though I have trouble explaining exactly why. I guess in part it didn't really seem to me like Kimberly could possibly have managed the things she supposedly did. And because of that, I don't think it really adds much to our understanding of what it means to be an immigrant, because (in spite of the description of the book), it paints too rosy a picture. So many "ordinary" people wouldn't have gotten the breaks she did.

It definitely seems to me to qualify as a coming-of-age book, because it follows the protagonist all the way from childhood to adulthood.