July was one of those months where I felt like I wasn’t reading much, and yet I did manage to get through several books. This month’s reading was a mix of continuing series, finishing series, and learning about two different subjects through some non-fiction books. These put a nice dent in my TBR. Without further ado, here is my July 2025 reading wrap-up, including mini reviews on the books that I read.
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July 2025 Reading Wrap-up
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
This was not an easy read, yet I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book.
From learning about the technique of lip dipping, which was only used in the United States, to seeing the health effects pop up after short and long-term exposure to the radium, and the fight these women had to attempt to get any justice and compensation, Moore covers it all. And of course, a big highlight is how the companies fought tooth and nail to not be held accountable and did whatever they could to avoid paying out anything.
I highly recommend this book for everyone because what these women endured, and the long-term effects of this, which led to a multitude of safety regulations that came too late for them but would save many workers in the future, is something that everyone should know about.
Library Wars: Love & War Vol. 3 by Kiiro Yumi
This was a fantastic continuation of the series. There is plenty of action in this volume, especially when dealing with the Museum of Information History, which ties in well with the flashbacks of previous conflicts over books.
Along the way, we see how much Iku has grown since she began working for the library. However, she is still headstrong and lacks patience, leading her to make some unwise decisions along the way, but she is getting better about following orders – for the most part.
With a heavy theme of protecting books, this series is great to read now, as so much book banning is going on along with threats to libraries and museums. Highly recommend this series.
Urusei Yatsura Vol 2 by Rumiko Takahashi
I don’t even know how to explain this one. It’s chaotic. You never know what is going to happen next because it’s so all over the place, and yet the humor mixed throughout, the characters, it all creates an addictive read. Yes, I spent a lot of my time shaking my head because of everything that is happening, but I enjoy the ride and look forward to continuing the series.
Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast
I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, and several of them have been about the history of various foods, so this one on coffee piqued my interest.
The beginning of the book, covering the discovery of coffee, the spread of coffee plantations, and how the coffee industry began in the US, was the most interesting part. The rest of the book, much of which covered how this person took over from that person in this company and so on, really dragged. I’m sure others may enjoy this one more than I did, especially coffee drinkers who are curious about how this addictive brew came to be everywhere.
The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith
The final book in the Hell’s Library trilogy, and wow, was it fantastic.
It’s difficult to give a mini review of this one without spoiling anything. So, I will say, this is how you end a series. The characters continued to grow throughout this novel, the discoveries along the way, the tough choices that Claire and the gang made along the way, and the world itself made for a phenomenal experience from page one all the way to the end.
This book made me appreciate the previous two books even more, as you realize how well clues were woven into the story that didn’t seem overly important back then but came full circle in this one. This series has easily become a favorite and I will certainly be rereading it at some point. I highly recommend this series.
Month 2025 reading wrap-up stats
- Books read: 5
- Books purchased: 9
- Books unhauled: 0
- Books DNF’d: 1
I hope you enjoyed my July 2025 Reading Wrap-up. What books did you read in July?
I do not read a lot of non-fiction or manga books, so I’m also unaware of a lot of the books you read this month 🙂
I always feel like July is a slow reading month for me but then I end up getting a lot of books read lol!
Thanks for popping by my page!
I’m glad I could introduce you to some books you might not have otherwise heard about. Some months can be funny like that.
I think I might have to read the Hell’s Library Trilogy. They sound amazing. I love books that have clues along the way. Thank you for your reviews!
I hope you do heck out the trilogy, it’s definitely one I would recommend to anyone looking for something to read that addictive and well-written.
Ooh, this is such a great idea for a post especially because I never know what else to read besides non-fiction books about brain and child development! And thanks for not spoiling, “The God of Lost Words” The cover art is super intriguing!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this post and hopefully you can find some books to read and enjoy from them. The cover is amazing, and feels perfect for what the story contains.
Interesting! I’ve never heard of any of these before. You always pick interesting books. These look like great reads.
Thank you. I do try to read a bit of everything to keep it interesting but also because my reading appetite is so varied. I hope you check some of them out.
Good selection. I have The Radium Girls on my TBR.
Thank you. I definitely recommend bumping it up to the top of your TBR. it’s well worth the read.