My Reading Month: July

This is about 10 days late, but there has been plenty going on in my life lately! Between visits from family and visits to family and friends my July was fairly light on reading, but I do have some to talk about.

I started a few books this month and struggled to find my groove in any of them. However, I did read some beautiful graphic novels and finish some audio-books. The two reads I want to highlight are Pride of Baghdad and The Winter of the Witch.

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan

This was a beautiful graphic novel based on the true story of a group of lions who escaped the bombed out Baghdad Zoo in 2003 only to be shot by soldiers during the invasion of the city. Vaughan takes this further as he gives these lions each a personality and outlook that reflects an Iraqi perspective on American involvement. A fascinating and sad story, this book does such a wonderful job of outlining the way that Baghdad residents must have felt through beautiful illustrations and storytelling.

Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

This was the third book in the Winternight Trilogy. I listened to it on audio, and loved it! This series is wonderful in that it combines Russian folklore with a wonderful feminist protagonist who stole my heart. I can’t say much about this book without giving plot points away, but I will say that the beuty of language continues and we (finally) get to meet Arden’s version of Baba Yaga!

What I am reading next: I have started a book about serial killers recently that is hard to read but a really interesting look into criminal profiling, and I am also coming back around to Yellowstone books by reading Searching for Yellowstone