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The Return of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Hi Subscriber First Name! Happy July! As you know, I’m not a fan of summer, but I am a fan of birthday months, aka mine is this month, so YAY! And because it’s my birthday month, I’m going to tell y’all a story of my past. Is this the confession from the subject line?? Nope. That comes later. For now, let me tell you what being a 70s baby was like, cause y’all…
With my birthday so close to the 4th, my parents really wanted a 4th of July baby, so my dad put my hugely pregnant mom in the back of their pick-up truck and drove her around some fields trying to get her to go into labor with me. Lol, WUT. Is this story true? I have no idea, but all of my family swears it is and y’all, people in the 70s were wild, so I do not doubt it.
Now, for the confession…it’s not big and some of y’all already know this about me, but for those that don’t, I’ve started a YouTube channel! It’s almost up to 200 subscribers (!) and I’m beside myself with joy. It’s 99.9% about planners and such, but I’m having so much fun over there so if you’re into that sort of thing, please come say hi! I know, I know. Not much of a confession, but to make it up to you, I have brought back my Bookish Gossip Section, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Thank you for everyone that provided feedback on whether or not to bring it back - most were in favor, so YAY! It’s back in the rotation! And, I’ve also got EIGHT book recs for you this month. :) Let’s start with the news, yeah??
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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
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THE GOOD: Did y’all see Beverly Jenkins’ tweet about her Blessings books FINALLY getting optioned for the screen??? https://x.com/authorMsBev/status/1801024607207453163
I know this doesn’t mean it will really get made, but it’s one step closer!
THE BAD: Have you read the Crave series by Tracy Wolff? I have the first book, but have yet to read it. Well, there are allegations that the entire series was not only ripped off from an author named Lynne Freeman, but “given” to Tracy Wolff by their mutual editor. You can read the full complaint here: Lynne Freeman v. Tracy Wolff Author and former lawyer, Courtney Milan chimed in with her legal thoughts about the complaint. She is my legit go-to when it comes to stuff like this so I was eager to read her take on it: Courtney’s Twitter Thread THE UGLY: Are you a Bridgerton fan? Have you seen the backlash about the Francesca/Michael/Michaela storyline? People are being downright vicious about it. I thought this article from Refinery was excellent: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2024/06/11741501/bridgerton-michaela-stirling-francesca-queer-backlash And here’s Julia Quinn’s Statement on the matter (warning, the comments are rough): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuliaQuinn/posts/pfbid0r1Ttuh7XibM3h6nFfUk3tSmcr1XhNLJ4kB2WbBumgT8xhqSwKPzbkNq2WAXBooeal
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July Releases to Add to Your TBR Pile
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THE UNDERMINING OF TWYLA & FRANK
Megan Bannen
Paranormal Romance
July 2, 2024 The second in the Undertaking Series, this book is being billed as, “a best friends-to-lovers rom com twist--When Harry Met Sally, but with dragons!” I enjoyed the first in the series so I’m down to try this one. Learn More |
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SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN
Dwayne Alexander Smith and Pamela Samuels Young
Contemporary Romance
July 9, 2024 Rival Private Investigators!! And they’ve been hired for the same case! Y’all, the potential for shenanigans and verbal sparring is HIGH. I can’t wait. Learn More |
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THE SPELL SHOP
Sarah Beth Durst
Cozy Fantasy
July 9, 2024 A librarian and her sentient spider plant (!) flee and take refuge in her hometown where she sets up an illegal Spell Shop. I really hope the book is as good as the cover. I NEED this to be as dreamy as it looks. Learn More |
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THE EX VOWS
Jessica Joyce
Contemporary Romance
July 16, 2024 “Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters...”
I’m not usually a fan of second chance romance, but I read one of Jessica’s novellas during my Holiday Novella Challenge and it changed me. I loved it so much. I have HIGH hopes for this one. Learn More |
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NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG
Julie Soto
Contemporary Romance
July 16, 2024 Listen, I was already in when I read that these two were rival musicians in the same orchestra, but y’all, LOOK AT THIS COVER. He’s PLAYING her while she plays and if this scene isn’t in the book, I will burn Utica to the ground. Learn More |
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DO ME A FAVOR
Cathy Yardley
Contemporary Romance
July 23, 2024 “…a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman who find that it’s never too late for a fresh start.” Cathy Yardley is an auto-buy author for me as she writes over 40 romances with so much heart, soul, and humor. I absolutely cannot wait for this one. Learn More |
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A CUP OF FLOUR, A PINCH OF DEATH
Valerie Burns
Cozy Mystery
July 23, 2024 When I say I’m obsessed with this series!! This is Book #3 in the Baker Street Mysteries and this installment has her ex’s new woman showing up dead in her freezer. Hello. I love this series for Maddie, who is badass, her found family, and of course her giant ass dog, Baby, lol. Learn More |
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JEWEL ME TWICE
Charish Reid
Contemporary Romance
July 23, 2024 Everything about this book sounds amazing. Exes. Rival Jewel Thieves. One Last Big Job. All while crisscrossing Europe and trying not to fall in love again. My god, this is going to be so good. Learn More |
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July Social Media Templates
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Y’all, don’t hate me, but I cannot stand Fourth of July decor. As an aforementioned July Baby, any birthday celebration was usually combined with the 4th, so as an adult, I say NO to red, white, and blue fireworks, lol. Instead, I wanted something a bit retro, maybe some midcentury vibes mixed with our old avocado green appliances, but yanno, cozy. Like what it would be to decorate in the style of The Regal Beagle (name that show!). So this month, you get Cozy Summer Plants. Heh.
To use the templates over on IG, just right-click and save. And feel free to tag me! I LOVE seeing these pop up in my stories!
As always, these are all in the free printable library for you to directly download, as well as some other reading trackers/planner pages.
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What about you? Are any of these books on your list? What are some of the books you’re looking forward to reading next year?
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