OrderOfBooks July 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to July!
One thing I always enjoy is conversing with subscribers of this newsletter. Discussing books is always fun, and sometimes leads me to my next read.
This happened in June with my “Do you binge a series?” question. I had one reader mention that they often rely on the library, and they bought the first book in the Prey series by John Sandford at a library book sale. That got them started on the series, but it took them years to read as they had to wait for the books at the library.
That’s a series I’ve never read, but always wanted to. And I liked the library idea. I use the library exclusively for audiobooks and usually only listen to standalone novels or non-fiction books. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be neat to start the Prey series via audiobook, and rely on the library like that reader? I wonder how the narrator is”.
Then I clicked the very next email, where they happened to mention that they read the Prey series, listened to it years later, and much preferred listening to it. So I dropped everything and borrowed Rules of Prey from the library!
It was a superb first entry into the series. Very well written, you can’t help but love Lucas Davenport from the get-go. I was very happy with it. It is one of those audiobooks that I found myself going out for extra walks just to listen to more.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the follow-up, Shadow Prey. I felt this one started very poorly and never really salvaged itself. It was highly confusing as multiple characters were introduced within the opening few chapters, many of whom were promptly killed off in the next chapter. The story jumped to different states, and really, it just all came off like a convoluted mess.
At the 35% mark, things weren’t any better, so I did something I rarely do: crank the narrator speed up to 1.5x just to get through it. I’ll give the next book a try, and hopefully, it will return to the formula that made me enjoy Rules of Prey.
I listened to the new release by Peter Swanson, Kill Your Darlings. Ugh. I’m a BIG Peter Swanson fan, but this one felt like it was only written because he had a quota to fill. A woman wants to murder her husband, and then the story is told backwards to lead up to that point.
But there were no twists, no surprises. It was just excruciatingly dull and ended without any real big conclusion. The characters were unlikable, and the details were monotonous. Hopefully, Peter returns to form in his next novel because, as I said, I’m a big fan of his work and have read everything by him so far.
I’m currently listening to None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. I’m surprised I haven’t read more by Lisa – she’s such a big-name author, and the only book I’ve read by her is “Then She Was Gone” – which I loved. I’m halfway through this one and also loving it – I think you’re going to see me reading or listening to a lot more Lisa Jewell books over the next couple of months!
I read most of the novellas in the Alibis Collection. This is a multi-author short story collection, all standalone, featuring stories by Freida McFadden, Wanda M. Morris, David Lagercrantz, Sally Hepworth, Chad Zunker and Chris Bohjalian.
My favourites were Death Row by Freida McFadden and False Note by David Lagercrantz. Still to read a couple of them.
One thing I love reading every year is the Bulwer-Lytton Ficton Contest winners and nominees. The goal of the contest is slightly different than most awards; the goal is to write the WORST opening line of any book.
There’s a great article on it here where they are’t just posted, but the author dissects them all. I think my favourite was this one:
“You must be the stupidest boy in Texas,” said my mate Callum, peeking at my maths O level results.
Which is a commentary on books set in the UK using Americanisms, and vice-versa. I loved the analysis of that and something I whole-heartedly agree with; It’s one of those things I occasionally notice and it takes me right out of a book.
We went to New York City in early June. That was the first time I had ever been there. We all had our reasons for going there. My wife and son were there for the big Pokemon Go Festival. My wife and daughter were there for the Governor’s Ball music festival.
I was there to visit the Mysterious Bookshop. It’s just the coolest bookshop, and I had a great chat with the owners. It’s a wonderful place, and if you’re ever in NYC, be sure to check it out.
As we were visiting New York City, it was a great opportunity to read From Time to Time, the sequel to Time and Again by Jack Finney. Stephen King referred to the first one as “THE great time-travel story”. I had enjoyed the first one, but I got a bit tired of the detailed descriptions of New York City, as well-written as they were.
I had mixed opinions on this one. Having now visited NYC, I enjoyed that aspect of things a lot more. However, I thought the story was all over the place and really lost its purpose for large parts of it. It was salvaged by a really cool final act involving the Titanic. Those are two books that I think you need to visit New York City to really get the most enjoyment out of, as silly as that sounds.
I next read The Best Lies by David Ellis. It’s hard even to describe this book, as it is a whirlwind – it starts with a lawyer waiting to see if it’s the FBI or local police who are coming to arrest him for a murder he apparently committed. Then the plot flies all over the place from the past to the present, with different characters, etc.
There was also an odd humour to it that, having read multiple Ellis books in the past, I wasn’t expecting. All of this wasn’t sitting right with me for maybe the first 15% of the book, but then it all clicked, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Leo Balanoff, the protagonist, is a great character, and this book is well worth reading.
We recorded the second episode of the I Care About Books Podcast. We discussed the book The Women by Kristin Hannah, which was picked thanks to this newsletter – it was the overwhelming “best book of 2024” by OOB newsletter readers.
I really enjoyed it. I think Kristin is a great writer. She knows how to get you to root for a character. What I liked was that three chapters in, I could tell I was hooked and would enjoy the book.
I also really enjoyed the female empowerment aspect of it – and because of that, I wasn’t too happy with how the book ended. I had a few other criticisms, but overall a thoroughly enjoyable read, and why I made the Vietnam Women’s Memorial one of our charities of the month last month.
So thanks to everyone who recommended it! I’ll certainly read more by Kristin, and visit the Book Notification Podcast page, where you can get links to listen to it via your favourite podcast app, or watch on YouTube. You can also see what the next book club book is!
A note that I may be slow replying to emails over the next little bit. My mum, sister, and nephews are all visiting from Scotland for the next couple of weeks, and things are a bit hectic. And while it’s lovely to see them again for the first time in over a year, I was much more excited to see the plain loaf and tattie scones my mum had brought me!
As always, be sure to check out my new project, Book Notification. We just added a series search and the ability to add author notes. We now have over 20,000 series descriptions with more being added every day, which I know many OOB readers were clamoring for. As always:
– You can import your existing reading list from G,oodreads, Libby & More
– You get a weekly email notifying you of new books by your favourite authors
– We have a top-notch customizable printing option for all author lists
– Your own personalized book release calendar
– Track your reading, TBR and see “What’s next” in series you are reading.
– Over 80,000 authors listed and audited by humans.
And so much more – sign up today at BookNotification.com. And of course, it’s free!
Each month we give away 5 $25 Amazon gift certificates to random subscribers.
To win all you have to do is be a subscriber. Nothing more! When we go to hit “Publish” we take a list of all of our subscribers, throw them into a random draw and those are the winners.
Our winners this month are:
Colleen M. from Victor, NY
Michelle C. from Hampton, VA
Jeremy Pe. from Louisville, KY
Laura S. from Fayeteville, GA
Elinor G. from Sarasota, FL
All of you have been e-mailed. If you don’t see anything, check your junk folder or contact me.
Graeme
OrderOfBooks.com
Jokes of the Month
Why don’t rabbits like sad books?
They prefer ones with hoppy endings.
What do you do when a famous author shows up at your house?
Roll out the read carpet.
For my nephew’s birthday, I bought him a huge compendium of every story Dahl ever wrote. They’re all Roald into one.
How many mystery writers does it to take to screw into a lightbulb?
Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and the second to give it an incredible twist at the end.
I got a brand new thesaurus for Christmas but actually it’s nothing to write house about.
I regret buying that joke book for my Kindle now. It cracked it up.
(Jokes from The Book of Book Jokes by Alex Johnson)
Book Recommendations
In this section, I give 3-5 random book recommendations from readers of the newsletter. They can be old books, they can be new. Feel free to e-mail suggestions to me. Just hit reply. If you wish to add a description for the book around the same size as the ones below that’d be great too!
The Snares by Rav Grewal-Kök: Keith wrote in to recommend this novel by a new author, just released in April of this year. Here’s what Keith wrote:
My nomination for Audiobook of the Month is an April 2025 release by a new author, Rav Grewal-Kök, read by Neil Shah. A Punjabi American former naval aviator is entering middle age as a low-level attorney working for the Government during the George Bush administration. One day, he gets a call from a senior member of the Intelligence Community. “Are you happy where you are? Toiling in the trenches of the Justice Department?”
Thus begins Neel Chima’s seduction into the upper reaches of power. Soon, Neel is named Deputy Director of a new (post 9-11) agency that collates material from multiple sources and then recommends targets for everything from surveillance to the burgeoning new field of assassination by drone. Problematically, for Neel, many of the targets look just like his Sikh relatives.
Also, Neel is often the only non-white face in meetings, and he remains vulnerable to the prejudice he has faced since childhood. Neel’s ambitions and his moral qualms mount, even as his reputation and influence grow. Then, he makes a critical mistake, and other players seek to co-opt his power to mount ever more radical counterterrorism missions. If Neel agrees, the world of power will open even wider. If he doesn’t…
The Able Archers Series by Brian J. Morra: Ed wrote in to recommend this series. Here’s what he wrote:
“The two-book series by Brian J. Morra, titled *The Able Archers* and *The Righteous Arrows*, is a fictional adaptation of actual events that occurred in 1983. That year, NATO and the United States planned a joint military exercise called Able Archer 83. Soviet intelligence operatives mistakenly believed that nuclear warheads were being prepared for a surprise attack under the guise of this war game. The novels follow two characters: a junior Air Force Intelligence officer and a Russian Intelligence officer. Under intense pressure, they work together to prevent a global nuclear war.”
“I enjoyed the books for several reasons. The author has one character express his thoughts about a situation. And then, the other character tells his side of the problem. The characters’ backgrounds and experiences are realistically portrayed, allowing readers to connect with and empathize with their situations. Although the story is fictional, it is based on a genuine threat the Soviets took very seriously in 1983.”
“The second book, *The Righteous Arrows*, continues the story of the two officers, this time in Afghanistan. It explores Russia’s challenging war with the Mujahideen and the U.S. effort to support the rebels with weaponry. The dialogue is authentic, and the actions of both characters feel genuine and grounded in experience. Overall, these two books are entertaining and illuminate a dangerous situation as tricky as the Cuban Missile Crisis. I recommend them for their interesting review of the perceived global threat and the novel approach to telling the story.”
Nina Guerrera Series by Isabella Maldonado: Star Marie wrote in after reading the second novel in this series, A Different Dawn, saying that it was a great read, and one that they couldn’t put down.
This current 3-book series starts with The Cipher. It features FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, who 11 years prior at 16 escaped a serial killer’s trap. She has just been attacked in a park but fights the attacker off, and the footage of the clip goes viral. The man who abducted her all those years ago is watching……and determined to finish what he started with her. He commits a brutal murder just to pull her into the investigation – and turns it into a game with coded riddles which make him a depraved social media superstar.
The plot sounds really interesting and the first book is on Kindle Unlimited. I’ve picked it up and am looking forward to it!
Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn: A great series that I am sure I have recommended before, but am happy to do so again. Christina wrote in to recommend this fun series.
“I’m absolutely LOVING the Bernie and Chet series of books by Spencer Quinn. Chet, the dog, narrates these mysteries–and I adore him. The world today seems so complicated and so mean and so . . . unmanageable. When I enter into Chet’s world, though, everything becomes “tip-top” and uncomplicated. It takes so little for Chet to be happy, and I know that his voice and point of view lowers my blood pressure with every page. He’s my favorite fictional character of all time right now.
“I read two or three . . . or four and then go to something else because I’m afraid I’ll run out of books before I stop NEEDING them and hope Quinn writes quickly!! Read this series (in order, please) if you like mysteries, if you like dogs, if you’re stressed, whatever. Just read them.”
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister: I chatted to a few people over the last month about the new Peter Swanson novel, Kill Your Darlings. They felt that the concept of a book telling you the “ending” at the beginning and then telling the story backward never works.
I mentioned to them this book as a great example of when it DOES work, and I’d consider this Gillian’s best work.
A mother is waiting for her son to come home late at night. She sees him coming across the street. But then a man approaches him, and next thing you know, there is a murder, and the mother is at the police station, absolutely devastated. She goes home absolutely exhausted and in tears. She wakes up only to discover she is reliving the day before the murder.
The book then continues to go back in time, with the woman trying to learn why the murder happened so she can potentially stop it and save her son.
My wife had been on a non-fiction audiobook kick the past couple of months, and wasn’t really up for a fiction book. But I convinced her to try this one, and had to laugh. She usually only listens to audiobooks when she is actively doing something, but many times I found her just sitting there on the couch, doing nothing BUT sneaking in some listening time.
If you’re an audiobook listener, this one has great narration, and I’d recommend that over reading.
Check out the book which was nominated for numerous awards, such as the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year.
July Book of the Month
The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware: I always find it interesting when an author who primarily writes standalone novels decides to revisit one of them and turn it into a series.
Both Freida McFadden and Linwood Barclay come to mind with that. It’s usually because they have extra motivation or are inspired by those characters, and I typically find the sequel even better due to that.
Hopefully, that is the same with The Woman in Suite 11. Like many, the first Ruth Ware book I read was The Woman in Cabin 10. Nine years later, Ruth is returning with a sequel to the novel that featured Lo Blacklock.
If you haven’t read The Woman in Cabin 10 yet, read it before the sequel releases on July 8th. It’s been a minute since I read it, so I plan on going through it just in time for the sequel. This is why I’m not writing the book description here – my memory of the first book is a bit hazy, and I’m wary of spoilers!
10 More Notable Books Releasing in July
- Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
- The List by Steve Berry
- Dead Line by Marc Cameron
- Rage by Linda Castillo
- One More to Die by Joy Ellis
- The Red Queen by Martha Grimes
- She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena
- The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
- An Inside Job by Daniel Silva
Brought to you by BookNotification.com where you can get updated on all the upcoming books by your favourite authors with your own personalized calendar!
Check out June’s 50 most popular book releases.
July Charities
While I appreciate all offers of donations to show your appreciation for the site and newsletter, I’d much rather you do that by supporting some great causes. Each month I pick a few select charities broken down by our most popular countries or topics that you can support instead. Thanks! Feel free to donate to a similar charity but in your own area.
I rotate this list each month. Feel free to suggest a favourite charity – hit reply.
Pictures of the Month:
Thanks for all those Carla!
Send in your own to site@orderofbooks.com or by replying!
Images, jokes, etc. We’ll take it all!
Your Thoughts!
Last month I asked if you binge a series from start to finish. The answers are later in the newsletter.
This month’s question – let’s go for a nice general one:
Do you ever read outside? What’s your favourite spot? And why?
I read outside all the time. I have a pair of Shokz bone conduction headphones that are practically glued to my head. Whenever I can squeeze in some audiobook listening, such as walking to the grocery store or waiting for food at a restaurant if dining alone, I’ll sneak in some listening.
I used to carry my Kindle with me everywhere to sneak in a chapter whenever I could, but now I’m into audiobook listening as well. I much prefer doing that. Plus, it’s a lot safer than navigating the streets while reading! (which I’ve done on more than one occasion when it’s a book I just can’t put down.)
My favourite spot, however, is in my hot tub. I find I get into a real ‘distraction-free’ mood out there. My wife and I go in it with a couple of drinks, then basically ignore each other for the next couple of hours as we zone out and read our books. It’s heaven!
What about you? Do you ever read outside? What’s your favourite spot? And why?
E-mail us your feedback to site@OrderOfBooks.com or just reply to this e-mail, and we’ll pick the best comments and feature it in next month’s newsletter. Five people will also randomly win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.
Reader Mailbag!
I think I am a winner this month of the $25 gift card to Amazon. Not sure how I get it. Thanks
Yep you are – I had sent you an email but the gift card has now been sent to this email address so check your email to claim it 🙂