June: What I Read

 June was hard to settle into, and I feel like I could have done a much better job of prioritizing my reading. I did learn a Kindle life hack-- if you need more time on a library book, turn your Kindle on airplane mode. The book still gets returned to the library so you aren't messing up anyone's hold, but it also stays on your device. This sounds shady, but I am a fan. I have both Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited, but I underwhelmed with the selection. I think if someone else in my family let me use their library card for Libby, I wouldn’t need anything else, and I could spend the $12 for Kindle Unlimited on a new release I want to read/don’t want to wait for instead. Anyone else do Unlimited? Any gems I should read?

If you can even believe it, July is shaping up to be equally (even more?) bananas, so I have less than high hopes for my summer reading list, but I will keep you posted (LOL of course).

Here’s the TL;DR and my three faves

And one honorable mention:

Please see below for the rest of June, in order from worst to best, with totals at the bottom.

Solid Meh

 The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean: Meh. Fantasy is really not usually my thing. **Audio

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey: Cute but also terrible. **Audio

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook: This was so buzzy, but I just did not love it. **2023

The Last Invitation by Darby Kane: A very meh thriller that had a pretty good twist, but I really didn’t care about the characters. **Audio

Better

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake: I could not get in to this one when I tried to read it, but the audio was extremely entertaining. **Audio

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz: This was just so darn TENSE-- really liked that. I felt uneasy the whole time I was reading. That said, the twist was not super twisty, and there was not a ton to figure out. Still, a good thriller, especially poolside. **Kindle

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones: This is a charming book. **Kindle

The Better Half by Ali Frank and Asha Youmans: Didi you know you that with Prime, you get one free Kindle book a month that's an early release? This was June's book (it is out today), and it was pretty cute. **2023 **Kindle

Even Better

That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey: This was a darling and quick romance. **202023

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach: I must have put this on hold forever ago because by the time it came in, I forgot all about it. Excellent book, though-- very sad. **Audio

Last Circle of Love by Lorna Landvik: She is a national treasure. This book was not as good as Patty Jane's House of Curl or my favorite Your Oasis on Flame Lake, but I really liked it, and she read the audio, which was a real treat. **Audio

The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters: Haunting AND suspenseful-- I liked this one. **2023

You Should Probably Read These

The Anatomy of Anxiety by Ellen Vora: This was FASCINATING but maybe is based on sketchy data? Hard to say. Like I was with her until she said the sun isn't bad for us and sounded VERY VERY natural living Instagram reel-y. I do know that when I am on Whole 30, I feel SO FREAKING GOOD, so I think what she said about the gut/brain connection and eating an anti-inflammatory diet makes intuitive sense. **Audio

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling: Yesssssss to this one. **2023

The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley: This is so good— witty and subversive and also just plain fun to read. **2023

READ THESE!

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan: Fans of Norah Goes Off Script will want to read this adorable little gem ASAP. **2023

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith: A divorce told in poetic vignettes. LOVED it so much. I have a happy marriage and an exceptional partner, but so much of what she wrote about re: care work and flexibility was SO SO SO relatable. **2023

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain: YES YES YES YES-- I liked this as much as The Push. **2023 **Audio

  The Guest by Emma Cline: This is WONDERFUL. Must read. So good. You guys. Do not sleep on this book. **2023

This Month:

19 Books

10 books published in 2023

8 print books, 3 Kindle, and 8 audiobooks

This Year:

111 books

55 books published in 2023

62 print, 5 Kindle, and 44 audio