June Reads
Another month has passed, with another full stack flying off my shelf. 📚
It’s finally summer in the northern hemisphere and whew, is it hot right now. I’ve been staying cool indoors, sailing through books and enjoying every last second. At the beginning of the month, I thought I was slowing down and didn’t think I’d read as much as I have in the last few months, but I seriously can’t stop. What a horrible problem to have!
This month I added a WWII story to my nonfiction slate, and in coming months (based on my Libby holds), I’ll be listening to a few more historic nonfiction stories. I’m looking forward to it. Doesn’t mean I won’t miss listening to memoirs, but I am actively seeking your suggestions in that category.
The fiction I read this month was excellent. I even picked two off my physical shelf, can you believe it? Which reminds me, I need more shelves… because I picked up another five books on trips to the bookstore last week. Oops!
Alright, let’s keep this moving. Without further ado, here’s what I read this month. Let me know what you’re enjoying in the comments so we can all add more awesome books to our TBRs! ☺️
FICTION
THE MAIN CHARACTER, by Jaclyn Goldis
After reading The Chateau earlier this year by Goldis, I was excited to give her newest novel a read. Ginerva Ex is a famous author known for writing fiction novels that are inspired by a real-life person, her “main character”. Her latest story centers on Rory. As a luxurious bonus for being the main character, Ginerva books an all-expenses paid train trip through Italy for Rory… and to her surprise when she boards the train, her brother, best friend, and ex-boyfriend. Each stop along the way uncovers another unsuspecting twist to Rory and the others. I enjoyed the journey of this modern homage to Murder on the Orient Express, but not as much as I did for The Chateau, if I’m being honest. Still, this was a solid 3.5 stars from me and if you’re into that kind of story, you’ll probably enjoy it too!
THE LAST ONE, by Will Dean
What. A. Nightmare. !!! I couldn’t put it down. The final reveal? I screamed at the last sentence. This story follows Caz, who is going on a cruise with her boyfriend. They enjoy the first night and are looking forward to the rest of the trip… until Caz wakes up alone on the ship the next morning. I really don’t want to say more than what’s on the book jacket here, because it was such a twisty tale that had me wondering what the hell was going on… and when I thought I knew, some other twist hit me upside the head. Easily one of the top reads this year in the thriller space for me. If you love a “wtf… wait wtf?” kind of tale, this one is for you!
VERITY, by Colleen Hoover
I’ve had this one sitting on my physical shelf for a looooong time and figured it was finally time to knock it out. This is my first Colleen Hoover book, too, but TBD if I read others by Hoover since I typically don’t dip into the romance genre. This was a solid read. We follow Lowen, an author who lands a once-in-a-lifetime type of gig: partner with Verity Crawford, another author who is über-famous, to help finish her upcoming collection of work while she recovers from an accident. What follows is Lowen discovering a deeply disturbing autobiographical manuscript while she sifts through notes on the fiction pieces she’s been hired to help complete. Lots to uncover, lots of tragic truths are uncovered in this fast-pace thriller. I absolutely loved it and devoured it within a day!
WE WERE NEVER HERE, by Andrea Bartz
This one was stellar. It’s another one that has been sitting on my shelf for a bit and I finished it within a day of picking it up. Two friends meet up in random corners of the globe each year to take a fun trip together. This year, Emily and her best friend Kristen meet up in Chile and are having a great time until something horrible happens on their last night… something that is eerily similar to what happened on their trip to Cambodia last year. The girls go back to their lives and stifle their secret but it proves difficult when the friendship is borderline toxic. I really liked this one and will definitely add more novels by Bartz to my shelf!
NONFICTION
THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE, by Erik Larson
Erik Larson is so good at what he does. And what he does is weave a fantastic narrative of an interesting piece of history, making it delightful to consume. I listened to the audiobook version (18 hours long!!) and while it took a while to get through, it was interesting from start to finish. This one was a day-to-day glimpse into the experience of the early days of World War II from the Churchill family perspective — diaries, anecdotal interviews, and historical records of things that happened leading up to and during the Blitz. If you only know the pieces of WWII after the United States joined the war, this one will fill in some gaps and give you a deeper understanding of the earlier events of the war — before the US got involved — that eventually led to the demise of Hitler and his party of facists.
TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN, by Lauren Graham
I made the mistake of starting this one on 1.15x speed and LOL! Lauren Graham is as quick-witted and fast-speaking as her beloved character Lorelai Gilmore from The Gilmore Girls. I slowed it down as soon as I realized the mistake and was thrilled I got a little more time with Graham. Listening to her read this memoir made it that much better. I knew her personality would shine through the written words, but this audiobook really allowed her to shine. Entertaining, funny, heartwarming — this was a lovely memoir and I’m anxiously awaiting to listen to her follow up (Have I Told You This Already?), coming soon my Libby shelf.
BAD VIBES ONLY, by Nora McInerny
I dig Nora McInerny’s writing and when I discovered this was readily available in audiobook format via Libby, I couldn’t hit borrow fast enough. I was delighted by the very honest and relatable stories McInerny shares, from having “big feelings” about almost everything life throws your way to profound loss and parenting mishaps. We’re around the same age, so I felt some of the recollections of her younger years deeply — especially the whole “working entirely too hard as a twenty-something to make your way in the world” bad vibe most of us know all too well. I couldn’t recommend this one enough, especially if you’re a geriatric Millennial who fondly recalls the times you disappeared for literal hours on a hot summer day and not a single adult noticed. This is just one of the gems she writes about and I want to say, Nora — I feel you.
HAVE I TOLD YOU THIS ALREADY?, by Lauren Graham
After enjoying Lauren Graham’s earlier memoir, I was happy this hit my shelf before my next round of holds. A breezy and entertaining listen, Graham shares stories of stories throughout her life. I liked it. Not as much as the one I listened to earlier this month, though, which had more of a memoir vibe. This vibe was more… a sprightly round of essays. Which is good, especially if you’re into that! It was a very quick listen, clocking in at four hours, so I could devour during a solid round of house work. If you like Lauren Graham and her storytelling, you’ll like it just fine.
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All the links for the books reviewed go to Bookshop.org, a wonderful site where you can purchase your books and support your local independent bookstore(s). 📚