Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined them chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the second day of the month is "Entertainment."
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This was not my most productive reading month. I read a couple of long books (I'm looking at you A Woman of Substance) and some that I took my time reading because they were just emotionally challenging to get through. All in all, it was an okay reading month, though.
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6/6: I've Got You Babe (Must Love Babies #2) by Lynnette Austin (library, 2019) - Mediocre romance novel with a precocious child. Not high on my recommendation list. 2/5 stars
6/7: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (library audiobook, 2019) - Atmospheric fantasy with cats, stories, and young love. 4.5/5 stars
6/8: Property by Valerie Martin (library, 2003) - Interesting look at a woman in the American South whose husband owns slaves and her relationships. 4.5/5 stars
6/12: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (library, 2021) - A 1970s teenager takes a babysitting job and learns more about herself than she ever thought she would. I loved this book so hard. I recommended it to my SIL who also loved it. 5/5 stars
6/13: A Woman of Substance (Emma Harte Saga #1) by Barbara Taylor Bradford (library, 1979) - 900 pages of a terrible woman. 2/5 stars
6/15: We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez (library, 2020) - Heartbreaking book about three children from Guatemala traveling to the United States for safety. 4.5/5 stars
6/18: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (library, 2023) - Modern twist on Little Women. Great writing, but lots of sports. 3/5 stars
6/22: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (library ebook, 2011) - I did not enjoy this book. I also didn't love Circe, so I think maybe Miller's writing just isn't for me. I liked the premise of the story, but the execution bored me to sleep for more nights than I want to think about. 2/5 stars
6/23: Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey (library, 2007) - Weird book. Not sure how I feel about it, to be honest, but I think about it a lot. 3.5/5 stars
6/26: All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell (library, 2022) - Interesting book about different jobs in the death industry. Fascinating. 4.5/5 stars
Average: 3.55/5 stars
What's the best book you read in June?
June was a very good reading month for me! Circling the Sun, Hello Beautiful (yes I know it hit us differently) and Handmaid's Tale. But since then I haven't found another book to move on to...oh hey Mary Jane is available for checkout on Libby - problem solved!
ReplyDeleteOh, I think you'll love Mary Jane! It might be my new go-to recommendation for women.
DeleteThis made me snort: "Great writing, but lots of sports." Also, I am intrigued by All the Living and the Dead. Have you read Stiff by Mary Roach? Similar-ish subject matter, really fun and funny and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI did read Stiff in my Mary Roach phase a few years back (oddly enough, my Kindle book right now is a Roach book called Fuzz). I feel like Roach is much more lighthearted about the subject than the books I've been reading more recently. It's a style choice and sometimes I find myself a little impatient with her because I can read it at disrespectful, which isn't what she's going for, I don't think. Anyway, YES. I've read it. I like Mary Roach a lot. I think she's funny, she does interesting reporting, and I would recommend Stiff to people interested in this topic, although maybe not to people who are too squeamish.
DeleteMy favorite book of June was Last Night at the Telegraph Club!
ReplyDeleteI'm sooo glad you loved Mary Jane!
I'm evangelical about Mary Jane at this point. Thanks so much for talking about it because I never would have heard of it without you!
DeleteI read Song of Achilles a few years back and hated it. I am not a fan of Greek retellings, partially because I have never read the source material. It was not part of my curriculum where I went to HS and I didn't take many English classes in college since I was a math major. I sometimes wonder if I'd enjoy the retellings if I had read the source materials but I don't care enough to read the source materials to find out!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we're on the same page on this. I don't care for myth retellings or even fairytale retellings most of the time. I did like the Percy Jackson series, though, and maybe your boys will be into it when they get a bit older.
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