July 2026 reads...

     Below are the books I read in July along with my thoughts on them. I'm not doing any formal reading challenges this year, but I am continuing to read diversely. In July I read books by Canadian authors. I did read as many as I'd planned to, as I was busy working on finishing a story. That's why I only managed one physical book and two audiobooks. I listen to the audiobooks when I walk my dog or when I'm doing chores around the house.
     In August, I'm reading Indigenous authors. In September, it will be time to read the books that I had pre-ordered for the year, as they will all be out by September 1st.

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CITY OF THE LOST by Kelley Armstrong & narrated by Thérèse Plummer

I really enjoy Kelley Armstrong's YA books, but I also enjoy her thrillers. This was such an intense read from start to finish and Thérèse Plummer was amazing as a narrated. 

Casey Duncan went against her family of doctors to become a detective, and she has plenty of secrets and people to hide away from. But she agrees to leave the life she knows behind solely to get her best friend, Diana, away from her abusive and controlling ex. After a series of interviews and cash payments, the two of them head to Rockton, a town up in the Yukon that is not discoverable except by those who run it. Casey arrives after Diana and is immediately thrown into a murder case. The only problem is, most of the people in the town are up there under false names, hiding from what they've done, or from those who want to hurt them, making the town full of victims and criminals. Casey must work with Eric Dalton, the town sheriff, as well as Will, the deputy, to solve the case as well as the new ones that keep happening. She also must confront her own secrets, her toxic friendship, and her growing feelings for the uncultured sheriff. As her investigation unravels, she finds her own life at risk while so many twists and turns keep happening.  This was one of my favourite reads this year, and I can't wait to listen to the next in the series!

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AETHERBOUND by E. K. Johnston

Pendt Harland grows up on her family's ship, getting only the minimum amount of food needed to keep her alive. She doesn't have the abilities her family desires, so they have her work in the kitchens until she is old enough to be sold off to another ship or a space station. A week before her 18th birthday, she escapes from the Harland onto Brannick Station. There she meets the young heirs of the station who show her that her undesirable mutation is something much more powerful and useful.

This story is charming and sweet with a satisfying ending that left me curious about the next book.

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A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE by Kelley Armstrong & narrated by Thérèse Plummer

A Darkness Absolute is another thrilling story by Kelley Armstrong that is set in the city of Rockton. This time, Casey and Will come across a woman trapped in a hole when they are forced to take shelter in a cave during a snowstorm. The woman has been missing for over a year, and her discovery leads to the discovery of the remains of other missing women. Finding out who took them becomes difficult when Casey and Eric must consider suspects from Rockton, nearby settlements, and even hostiles. It takes a lot of digging, but eventually they find the abductor/killer. Or think they do...

I really do love this series by Kelley Armstrong and I think Thérèse Plummer is an amazing narrator. But, as a Canadian, I was thrown off by the pronunciation of toque. It should have the "ew" sound after the t, and not be pronounced as toke. That is something quite different in Canada.