Books Read in June: 22
Books Read for the Year: 129/250
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Scientific Creationism, by Henry M. Morris (spiritual). This was a detailed textbook, but it was fascinating.
A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas (TBR). I really love this series! Although the end of this one almost did me in.
Odd Hours, Dean Koontz (re-read). Still loving these books!
The Rising, by Tim LeHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (re-read).
Bacchanal, by Veronica G. Henry (TBR). This was…not good. Very disjointed and erratic, trying to cram too many different “cool” things into one narrative.
For Review:
The Time for Murder Is Meow, by T. C. LoTempio. This is the first book in a new series. It wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure I’ll read more. The MC, Shell, tended towards the irrational, so I wasn’t a huge fan of her.
Death on the Night of Lost Lizards, by Julia Buckley. I do enjoy this series! I love reading about the Hungarian culture traditions and the tea house, and the mystery is a nice bonus.
The House Guests, by Emilie Richards. This wasn’t what I expected at all, and I enjoyed it very much—especially all the Greek food and culture!
Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous, by Suzanne Park. This was a decent read—although the obsession with social media was a little too much for me. Character growth was on point, though.
The Abduction of Pretty Penny, by Leonard Goldberg. This was solidly in the “meh” category for me.
The Tragedy of Dane Riley, by Kat Spears. This was basically a character study. I liked Dane, but the ending didn’t sit quite right for me.
Rabbits, by Terry Miles. This was…odd. I’m definitely not smart enough to have played the game, and I never had any idea what was going on—truth—but I enjoyed the read. It was like being in the midst of Johnny Depp’s Wonderland.
Down with this Ship, by Katie Kingman. Honestly, I didn’t understand why the MC was so afraid her classmates would find out she writes a super successful blog (own it, girl), and her allowing herself to be blackmailed didn’t make sense, either.
The Keepers, by Jeffrey B. Burton. I really like this series—and its bumbling but likable MC.
A Distant Grave, by Sarah Stewart Taylor. I’ve really enjoyed both books in this series. I love the Ireland ties, and the mystery is well-done and believable.
A Duke in Time, by Janna MacGregor. This was a solid romance read. The MC is likable and unique enough to make the read stand out.
Pup Fiction, by Laurien Berenson. This was just “meh” for me. It felt very low-stakes, and, while I enjoyed reading about the dogs, the real culprit(s) were above reproach until about the 85% mark…without the slightest hint of suspicion (despite all the red herrings for other random characters), then suddenly the bad guys. Very clunky and convenient, not believable at all.
The Temple House Vanishing, by Rachel Donohue (review forthcoming). I wasn’t really a fan of this. I liked the Gothic vibe, but I didn’t like any of the characters—or their pretentiousness.
Pug Actually, by Matt Dunn (review forthcoming). This was a cute read! Told from the dog’s POV—fortunately, as I wasn’t really a fan of the MC.
The Right Side of Reckless, by Whitney D. Grandison (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this quite a bit. I loved the diverse characters and just how different their personalities were—yet they just worked together.
The Widows of Champgane, by Renee Ryan (review forthcoming). I loved this read! I like family sagas, and this had shades of that, along with just three women keeping secrets from each other as they tried to protect each other. I loved the storyline and the writing was excellent as well.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars, by Kristin Harmel (review forthcoming). I thought this was fantastic! A girl is stolen from her parents and raised in the woods. She’s taught how to survive and to avoid people, but during the havoc of World War II she must decide whether to make herself known to others—because they have no idea how to survive.
Left Unfinished:
Murphy’s Slaw, by Elizabeth Logan. I just didn’t feel any connection (or interest) in the characters.
Murder She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond, by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran. I made it about 15% of the way through this, but it just wasn’t for me.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 
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