June Wrap Up | A Successful Whatever-You-Want-Athon

I have talked about The Storygraph in the past, but the website keeps getting better and better! They have now included more monthly stats, so I thought it would be fun to start sharing those in my wrap ups. Let me know what you think! Also, I used to organize the list in the order that I read them, but I thought it might be more interesting to start with my least favourite book of the month and work my way to my favourite.

I managed to read 14 books in June and over 4500 pages! This has definitely been one of my better readings months. I read quite the mix of books in terms of moods, but it is interesting to see I read more adventurous and mysterious books than I normally do.

Half of what I read in June was YA, and ever YA novel I read this month was incredible! I also read a few romances and a couple thrillers. A real mix of genres!

I read so many amazing books, as you can see by my average rating being 4.11! Only one book was a disappointment, but other than that, I did not rate a book under 3.5 stars, which is pretty unheard of!

The Silent Patient received a lot of attention; however, I never read it! So, I went into The Maidens with no expectations and was still disappointed by it. I had issues with how The Maidens themselves were written and I actually think the story would have been stronger if it was told from their perspective. I had no attachment to the main character and thought a lot of the twists were obvious! It is a fast-paced read, but can’t say I would recommend it…

I am always drawn to Peter Pan retellings! I tend to enjoy them even though I am not the biggest fan of the original story. I just think Peter Pan is such an intriguing character, and I thought what K. Ancrum did with the character was so original and just worked. Please know going into Darling that this is no way a fantasy. It is a contemporary/thriller and it was a pageturner! This book is mislabeled as fantasy on Goodreads, which can lead to readers being disappointed when it is not what they expect. This is not fair to the author or to the story! I had so much fun with this one and it was intense. I also really loved the epilogue. I now want to read explore K. Ancrum’s backlist!

I am so happy that I finally read Ayesha at Last. I have had it on my physical TBR for years! I knew that I would enjoy this and I really did. I appreciated that is had multiple POVs and it had some fun nods to Pride and Prejudice. Don’t go into this one thinking it is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, because it is entirely different, but there are some scenes and quotes that were familiar and made me happy! There are also some important conversations about race and religion in here. This made me really excited to read her newest release, Hana Khan Carries On.

Somebody’s Daughter is Ashley C. Ford’s memoir which largely focuses on her childhood. The synopsis would lead you to believe that it centered around her discovering why her father is in prison, and while that is part of the story, I would say her complicated relationship with her mother is at the forefront. It was interesting to see Ford reflect on her childhood from her adult perspective and for her to now have a different understanding of her mother. It is incredible on audio and I definitely recommend it!

She Drives Me Crazy was my first Kelly Quindlen but it won’t be my last! This is a YA contemporary romance and I thought it was a lot of fun. Our main character, Scottie, can be infuriating, but she has so much growth throughout the story. I love the fake dating trope and thought it was done well and I adored the love interest, Irene. I also loved that the ultimate message is that it is important to grieve a relationship and jumping into a new relationship when you are still not over someone else is not fair to the other person or to yourself. Lots of great side characters in here as well!

I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed The Bone Witch! I would love to read the rest of the series before the end of the year. The Bone Witch follows Tea who raises her brother from the dead and is forced to leave her small village. She is telling her story to a bard who has come to visit her on an island where she has been vanished. There are so many great reveals and it ends on quite a cliffhanger. This first book is an incredible set up for the rest of the books in the series!

I am so happy to report that Sweethand lives up to its cover! The chemistry is off the charts and I loved the banter! Cherisse and Keiran have known each other for years and have never gotten along, but her sister is marrying his best friend, so they are forced to spend time together. Obviously, sparks fly and I adored it! I also loved that it was set in Trinidad and Tobago and that Cherisse is a pastry chef. Also, the cat’s name is Jello!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It was so fun! Few books make me laugh out loud, but this book definitely did! I will say that you have to suspend your disbelief and that Finlay can be frustrating, but I loved every second of it. I am so excited that it is being adapted and that the sequel has just been announced.

Is Malibu Rising my favourite of TJR’s books? I can’t decide! I think what stood out to me were the relationships between all of the siblings. I particularly loved Nina, the oldest, and was actively rooting for her. I also liked that we switched between the present and the past where we explore how their parents met and the sibling’s childhood. Also, I need more books set in Malibu and that involve surfing!

I knew that I would enjoy The Ones We’re Meant to Find, but wow- it blew my mind! I am always drawn to stories about sisters and I was so intrigued by the world. I will say that I was entirely confused for the first half, but that was definitely intentional. It all comes together and was absolutely brilliant. It was one of those books that I think I will appreciate even more if I were to reread it now that I know where the story is going!

Descender: Machine Moon is the second book in the Descender series. This is a graphic novel series and is one of my favourites. I have discovered that I prefer my graphic novels to be Sci-Fi! I think I liked the second volume even more than the first!

I loved the first two books in this series, but I never expected that I would end up giving Pumpkin five stars! It is definitely my favourite book in the series and I loved Waylon and his journey. There are so many incredible characters in her and the romance was really sweet. It was also nice to get closure on some of the characters from the first two books.

I don’t think that I have ever given an anthology five stars, but it comes as no surprise to me that my favourite anthology who have stories from Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, and Ashley Woodfolk- three of my favourite authors! I highly recommend you pick up Blackout, which includes love stories that take place over the course of a Blackout in New York. Each of the stories are loosely connected, which was fun!

What was the best book you read in June?

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