Birthdays and Boating and Boxes - Oh, My!
The Liberty Bell.
The American flag.
The bald eagle.
The Statue of Liberty.
Uncle Sam.
Fireworks.
These are all things we associate with July, the month we celebrate our freedom from British rule. The month we celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The month we reflect on our freedom and pay homage to the red, white, and blue.
ALL of the above is what makes July’s Book Box a bit ironic because instead of embracing America's red, white, and blue, instead of giving the good ole U.S.A. a High-5, we're hopping the pond and embracing the UK's version of the red, white, and blue (aka the Union Jack) inside Pretty Literate's newest Book Box.
For kicks and giggles, I thought it would be fun to share a few clues to July's classic for those that are curious and for those that can't resist a good challenge. (If you don't fall into either category, you can skip the fun and go directly to the book to learn more here.)
July’s Book Selection
Clue #1
Travel + humor + friendship are the ingredients July’s thoroughly British author serves up in the classic we’re featuring inside our NEW Book Box.
Think Buddy Books like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Paper Towns, The Canterbury Tales, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Clue #2
July's Book Selection was penned and published in the 1800s, though it definitely does not read dated. It is as fresh and relevant today as it was when it was written.
Contemporary books include Heidi, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, A Study in Scarlet, and Ben Hur.
Clue #3
July's novel is along the vein of a British Travelogue, a fictionalized account of a real-life adventure.
Think Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad, but with a kickin' British accent and unforgettable British humor.
Clue #4
July's author pays homage to everyone who has ever wanted to escape the realities of city life and get back to nature...with a healthy dose of a romanticized view of country life.
Think Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Charles Dickens.
Clue #5
Lastly, July's book is downright, laugh-out-loud funny! A novel that delivers outrageously funny moments based on a Best-Buds Boating Trip the author took with his friends, July's book selection serves up the kind of hilarity you can only have with your besties!
Think the Grossmith Brothers in The Diary of a Nobody. We're not talking about shy smiles, but honest-to-goodness, tears-in-your-eyes belly laughs.
July’s Novel Treasure
The novel treasure inside July's Book Box is one you'll appreciate the next time you find yourself on the water, whether it's -
- at the beach
- by the pool
- on the lake
- floating down a river
And I know it is something the men in this month's adventure could have used (Clue #6).
July's Book Box
Are you ready for a river ride (Clue #7) you won't soon forget?
I'm offering July's destination-themed book box as a "Mystery" Book Box for one week, so if you'd like to see what it's like to be a Monthly Book Club Member and receive one of our themed classic book boxes before the author and title are announced, I invite you to hop aboard July's Book Box here.
July's FREE GIFTS
In celebration of our Monthly Book Club's 2-year birthday this month, I'm including a FREE GIFT inside every book box ordered in July!
Browse the SHOP to find your next awesome adventure and receive a FREE GIFT along with your new favorite classic and an amazing novel treasure.
Join Us in July
In addition to offering a FREE GIFT (see above) as a party favor during our 2-year Monthly Book Club birthday this month, we're also opening our doors to NEW MEMBERS and invite you to come read the classics with us inside our Monthly Book Club.
Find out which level hits your sweet spot right here and start reading with us beginning with July's book pick!
Got Questions?
I'd love to connect with you, so if you've got questions, I've got answers. Feel free to contact me via Pretty Literate's Contact Form or reach out directly to me on any of our social platforms.
I am stumped but oh so very curious now. Curiosity might have killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back. I know my satisfaction will be so happy with the July book box.
Even after reading allllll the clues I still have no clue as to what the book for July is, but it has “whetted” (😉) my curiosity very much more (I borrowed this bit of humor from another buddy series that takes place on the high seas and laughed immoderately at my own wit just as Jack Aubrey would!).