What I Read in June

Going on summer break from school has been good to me. Although I had a good school year, I had a lot going on and as my last month's blog entry stated, my reading suffered. For June I took the time to rejuvenate by focusing on reading what I felt like when I felt like it as well as writing in my next novella (maybe short novel?? it's turning out longer than I anticipated but I think editing will keep it under 40K).

I finally read the Grisha trilogy (Shadow & Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin & Rising) by Leigh Bardugo. I have seen others gushing about on Instagram for months now! This fantasy series is definitely more young adult than adult, but I wanted to keep reading and plan on reading the other stories in the Grishaverse. I found her system of magic interesting and was invested in the characters. Loved Nikolai! Yes, there was the over-used love triangle (or was it a pyramid at one point?), but it did not overwhelm the other elements. Recommended read for teenagers into fantasy (or adults looking for something that won't take weeks to get through).

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco is another young adult read but not fantasy although she does keep you wondering if there is an element of the supernatural. In this book Audrey and Thomas travel to Eastern Europe and the homeland of the legendary Dracula to continue their mortuary studies. I liked Audrey and Thomas especially their interactions, but there were moments that I found myself thinking these books might be darker than I enjoy when I pick up a young adult book. I plan on eventually reading the next book in the series but am in no rush to pick it up.

Isn't the dress on this cover gorgeous?

True to You by Becky Wade went the opposite direction, falling into contemporary sweet romance. After heartbreak years ago, Nora is content to run her historical village--until she meets former Navy Seal John who comes with his own present-day struggles. It is the first book in a trilogy that is on my list for when I'm looking for an easy, comfortable read. The author mixed her traditional prose with texts, e-mails, and phone calls which added nice touches to the overall story.

Cold Feet, Hot Summer by Emma St. Clair is a quick read, a cute clean romance for an easy summer read. I got my download for free without realizing that there are actually one or two other stories that come before it. If I had read those first, I might have been more invested in the story.  While I enjoyed it, I found it predictable.

This is not a flyer for my book club but one that I came across near a delightful coffee shop in South Carolina.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark. T. Sullivan is a WWII-era book based in Milan, Italy. I read it for book club, and probably would not have picked it on my own. It was interesting to read about the war in this part of the world. Also, the book was from a male perspective but not based on the front lines. It is actually rooted in a true story; the author interviewed the man and did extensive research. Technically it is historical fiction, but Mr. Sullivan worked very hard to preserve authenticity. While I recommend this book for anyone interested in this era, I do not recommend the large print version that I had to use--it was 650 pages and I found myself skipping ahead on a regular basis.


The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn was a more enjoyable read than my last one by her, but still does not make my keep pile. I bought this book at a library book sale and will be donating it back to one. Sarah is a fun lead female and Hugh is unique among the often-physically-perfect male specimens of romance novels, and I enjoyed their banter. However, I found the underlying Big Reason They Cannot Be Together not believable; I felt like it was a problem that could easily be dealt with instead of all the drama. If you are looking for a Regency-era romance, I continue to promote the Bridgerton series.

I listened to Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich as an audiobook during my forty-eight trip to South Carolina (at least eighteen of those hours were spent driving by myself). While I am interested in learning more about the Barrens in New Jersey, I don't think I'm interested in any more adventures dealing with Stephanie and Diesel. This book just wasn't as much fun as Plum Lovin'.

Written by a woman who went to the same high school as me, Ode to Love by Sarah Dickey is a beautiful intertwining of lyrical prose and stunning black-and-white photography. The book is a powerful message of hope and undying love with phrases of encouragement such as "the fluency of your life will encourage others to speak their native tongue" and "you are meant to express, imagine, create, and live the life of your dreams."

Non-fiction reads included a memoir, a writing craft book, and another look at architecture.

My feline recommends this book

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles was a reflection on the record-breaking gold medalist's journey from foster care to the Olympic podium. I loved getting to know the petite but strong athlete through her own words. The inspirational quotations at the beginning of each chapter were perfect. However, if you are looking for a book that goes into details about sporting achievements, this one is not it; most of the gymnastics meets are glossed over.

Reader Magnets: Build Your Author Platform and Sell More Books on Kindle by Nick Stephenson was a free download. In fact it is the perfect example of what the author is trying to teach in the book. He mentions ideas in later books that I would like to know more about. I recommend this book for anyone who is at the very beginning of the self-publishing journey, but those who are already selling might want to look for a book with more meat.

Derek Diedricksen's Micro Living: 40 Innovative Tiny Houses Equipped for Full-Time Living was a better read for me than his book from last month. This one had several pages dedicated to each residence along with floor plans! I think I have a small obsession with floor plans. I appreciated that each snapshot also included some of the basic facts such as the cost and type of heating. If you are curious about this minimalist movement, I would say start with this book for an overview of what it can look like.

Wow, this round-up is my longest one yet! Which book on my list would you like to read?