What I Read: June

I had the great idea that instead of putting random stock photos of the book covers in these posts, I'd take pictures at random times while I'm reading to put in this post. It wasn't until later than it occurred to me that will only work for physical books I read. So I'll stick with stock photos for ebooks and audiobooks. It's officially too hot to read in the hammock anymore!

Books:

• Lore Olympus: Volume Six by Rachel Smythe- I was at the store and saw this book. I was so excited because I didn't even know the newest installment was out yet! I am already looking forward to the next installment in October.

• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera- I devoured this book. I pulled it off a display at the library and started it on my walk home and couldn't stop. The structure with the podcast made me think of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the dark humor a long with the protagonist almost being too creepy to like was very Gillian Flynn. I can't believe this was a debut, it was so good!

I couldn't decide which picture was cuter, so I put both.

• Miss Austen by Gill Hornby- I liked how Hornby took what is known about Jane and Cassandra Austen and filled in the rest with fiction. It was a fun, easy read, but nothing special.

In the hammock with the bubble machine going.

• The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate- I read this aloud with the kids. They said it was a strong 5. They loved getting to see Ivan as a dad. This was my least favorite of the quartet. 

• Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby- I was really excited to read this book after hearing Cosby speak at an author's event. He mentioned multiple times how you can write about topics you care about in a thriller and get away with it because it's not preachy. So I was surprised by how in your face the book was with certain themes. I am for gay marriage and gay rights and I got tired of the main characters going on and on about how they let their sons down when they were alive. I can't imagine it would change the mind of anyone with negative viewpoints on the topic. I kept thinking, we get it, you sucked as parents and realize it now that your kids are dead! I did like how Buddy Lee's character was comic relief to Ike's more intense character. The theme of white privilege and Buddy Lee coming to realize it throughout the book was much more subtle and well done.

• My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite- This book was slow to start, but once I got into it, it was hard to put down. It was frustrating to watch the dynamic between the sisters, but the background on their lives with their father helped explain their unhealthy relationship. I loved the ending and how it left the future up in the air.

• Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond- This book had so many things I love: a dating challenge, astrology tie-ins, a happy ending, and adorable kids with voices that are realistically child-like. I was so excited to read this after going to an author even that I read it even though I was more in the mood for dark and creepy books. That may have contributed to me not liking it as much as her first book. Kind of a right book, wrong time scenario. The way she talked about keeping it a secret who Gray ended up with, I was disappointed with how obvious it was from the get-go. I wanted it to be more of a surprise. It was still cute and fun and a purple spine which my book shelf desperately needs!

• Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne- This was one of those books that was hard to put down and kept you juggling to put all the pieces together. Once I got into it, I couldn't stop reading! I got it as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) because I won a giveaway at Literary Cat Co. in Pittsburg on Independent Bookstore Day. The book I originally wanted was no longer available so I read through descriptions of the ones they had left and narrowed it down to 2. Dad helped me decide on this one and it was a great choice! Thomas picked it up for me and brought it when he came for Mother's Day. So it was a joint effort which made the book even more fun to read!

• And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman- I love Backman so anytime I come across a book of his I don't have, I buy it. I found this one at Goodwill. I am typically not a fan of novellas or short stories because they always leave me wanting more. This was no exception. It felt unfinished when I got to the end, but it was lovely. I had this for a while and hadn't read it because I was never in the mood for a novella. One of the bingo spaces on my Summer Reading Program Bingo for the library was to read a book of short stories or a novella so that was the impetus I needed to finally read this!

• Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle- I've read all of Serle's adult books and this was by far my favorite. She always has these interesting and new twists on a story, but there's always something that just doesn't quite click for me. This one was perfection. I loved the notes she got at the beginning of every relationship and the twist partway through the book caught me totally by surprise. One of my favorite quotes was, "We are all dying. Every day. And at some point it becomes a choice. Which one are you going to do today? Are you living or are you dying?"

• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson- I really liked the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, but this book was in a whole different league. There were so many unexpected twists and turns. Rachel Price reappears after being missing for 16 years. Everyone believes her story about where she's been, everyone except her daughter, Bel, who goes to great lengths to find the truth. She ropes in a goofy camera guy, whose appearance is compared to Harry Styles, to help her along the way. This was an awesome page turning mystery!

Reading my book while the kids read ebooks on their tablets.

eBooks:

• The Little Liar by Mitch Albom- I loved how Albom told this story through the voice of truth. There were details in this book I had never heard before. The plight of Greek Jews during the Holocaust was new to me. I also didn't know what Holocaust meant in Greek and its meaning seems inappropriate, given the nature of what happened.

• Maame by Jessica George- I picked this one because the cover was pretty. Thankfully this book had a happy ending because there were so many sad twists and turns.

• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys- There was so much in this book I had no idea happened. It was eye opening and so sad what Romanians experienced under communist rule.

• Pride by Ibi Zoboi- I always love Jane Austen retellings that are done well. This one was sweet and cute. It was slow to start and it took me a bit to get into it. Once I realized it was young adult, I enjoyed it a lot more because that explained some of the simplicity of the story.

Audiobooks:

• When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn- This is book 6 in the Bridgerton series. After watching the newest season of Bridgerton, I really wanted to hear Francesca's story. It might be because I took such a long break from the series, but I enjoyed this one so much more than the last few I read.

• A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan- This was one of those stories where if it was fictional, it would seem too far fetched. It's unbelievable what white men have and still are getting away with in our country. I was disappointed in the book because the title made me think a woman was going to work behind the scenes to bring the KKK down, while it was her death that led to their demise. It's so frustrating that women's lives very often are only valued once they are gone. It was also sickening how closely the KKK's values and actions mirrored those of Donald Trump. They even discussed building a wall to keep immigrants out of America.

• Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner- This book was so cute and I loved it so much. The characters were fun and loveable. This was the bit of light, fresh air that I needed and a perfect read for Pride Month. I've heard the book is being made into a series!

• The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- I REALLY liked this book and am excited to read the rest of the series. All the twists and turns and trying to figure out the puzzle a long with her was so much fun.

• Foxglove by Adalyn Grace- I randomly bought this book a while back because the cover was so pretty. I started to read it and realized it was a sequel so I got the first book and read it. I ended up getting this as an audiobook so I could get through it as I was reading other books. I really enjoyed the addition of the character, Fate, in this book. The ending left me thinking there would be another book focusing on Blythe so I looked it up and there is and it comes out in August!

Look how pretty this cover is!

• Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo-I was so excited for Acevedo's first adult book and it did not disappoint. The family saga and the magical realism came together beautifully. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters for the first part of the book since I listened to it as an audiobook. I wish I had read it as a physical book so I could have enjoyed it more and gotten more out of it. I spent a lot of time reeling back in my mind to place who each character was as I was listening.