Best Books of June
As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at doing this.
So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.
These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from June.
The Last Graduate (Naomi Novik): The second book in a (so far) great series. That ending. You kind of knew that was going to happen, but it’s still a gut punch. What a great story. It can be slow going at times because of the density. Dialogue speeds things along. But it’s still a perfect story.
The Magicians (Lev Grossman): Sometimes I’m in a continuous read of the three Magicians books. Sometimes I’m in a continuous listen. This time, I’m going through the audio books again. I love the narrator. I love how he captures the way Quentin changes (and sometimes stays the same) over time. These are my favourite books.
Acts of Cupidity (E.S. Drake): I adored this book! It has major Good Omens vibes, fantastic world building, lovable characters. The mystery is not much of a mystery, but who cares because the relationships are really the heart of the book. I ordered the second book in the series the moment I finished.
Close to Death (Anthony Horowitz): Mr. Horowitz always writes a fantastic book. This one was super clever, with great character development, to boot. I love that there are Horowitz books in the world, which never disappoint and leave you knowing you spent time with a great story.
What did you read last month?
2 comments
I’m reading Horowitz’s “Marble Hall Murders” right now — you’re right, he’s always a good read!
June was a pretty good reading month for me — I finished 4 books (all reviewed on my blog as well as on Goodreads & StoryGraph):
* “Evvie Drake Starts Over” by Linda Holmes. Entirely predictable, but a pleasant little rom-com, with a few things to say about grief and starting over after things don’t work out the way you’d hoped. (3 out of 5 stars)
* “The Hacienda” by Isabel Canas (the July book for my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club). Not really my kind of book — Mexican Gothic/horror — but it did keep me turning the pages — AND it features a “hot priest”! lol (3 stars)
* “The Mitford Affair” by Marie Benedict. A fictionalized account of the Mitford sisters (the three oldest in particular), in the years leading up to and including WWII. Goes back & forth among the three stories/viewpoints. (4 stars)
* “In Memoriam” by Alice Winn (the August book for my Childless Collective Nomo Book Club), about the romance between two gay British schoolboys, and what happens when WWI begins. This was a re-read, and it still packed an emotional wallop the second time around. Not an easy read, but gorgeously written. 4.5-5 stars.
Still in reading slump. I did read Go Gentle, and I got very irritated by it halfway through. It was just OK for me, but I do like a happy ending.