Category: books

What I Read in June (2026)

Books Read in June: 17
Books Read for the Year:  84/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, by Joshilyn Jackson (audio): This did not turn out like I expected! I love Joshilyn Jackson’s Southern fiction.
Strange New World, by Rachel Vincent (TBR): This was a decent YA duology.
Don’t Forget to Write, by Sara Goodman Confino (TBR): I LOVED this!
The Road Towards Home, by Corinne Demas (TBR): I enjoyed this read, although I found the ending a little too quick and tidy.
Out of the Ashes, by Kara Thomas (TBR): I’m surprised I finished this. The MC was awful.
For Whom the Spell Tolls, by Devon Monk (TBR): This is a cute series.
Desiring God, by John Piper (spiritual): Very deep read.

For Review:

Scandal of the Summer, by Alexandra Vasti. This was a decent romance read.

The Secret Thread, by Eve Chase. I enjoyed this a lot–both timelines. Some mystery, family drama, cool fashion/historical stuff. A very solid read.

Cursed Ever After, by Andy C. Naranjo. This felt a bit like The Princess Bride. It was funny in places, a bit over-the-top, and just generally solid. A storybook type of fantasy.

When Dealing with Dragons, by Dana Swift. I thought the world/culture in this read was very unique. I enjoyed that very much, and I like all the characters. The hidden secret was also very cool.

Witch Season, by Julia Bianco. I finished this, but it felt pretty meh to me.

The River She Became, by Emily Varga. I really enjoyed this read. It felt unique and fresh and I liked the world a lot.

Pretty Dead Things, by Kelsey Cox. Man, pageant culture is real in Texas. And this was a pretty ugly look at the inside of it–with an unexpected (to me, anyway) twist at the end.

Rewrite the Stars, by Lindsay Hameroff. I really enjoyed this! I think the banter between the MC and her best friend was my favorite part, but this was a sweet, lovely read.

Just Because:
Anxious for Nothing, by Max Lucado (Audio): Anything by Max Lucado is good.
I’ll Start Again Monday, by Lysa TerKeurst. I really enjoyed this. Made me think.

Left Unfinished:
Leave and Come Back, by Lavanya Lakshmi. I had to put this down because I was busy, and never felt the urge to pick it back up.
La Vie, According to Rose, by Lauren Parvizi. I absolutely refuse to read about stupid people, and Rose is stupid. How many times can you lose your phone or keys or something else important while in a foreign country? How do you blatantly refuse to see the con man in front of you, when everyone else on the planet can see it? Ugh.
Most Ardently Yours, by Freya Sampson. I can’t believe I DNFed this, but the MC got on every single nerve I have and I couldn’t stand to read more.
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, by Ben Reeves. This started off slow and did not catch my attention. At all.

Book Review: The River She Became, by Emily Varga

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

Title: The River She Became
Author: Emily Varga              
Genre: Fantasy, YA  
Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.

I enjoyed this read. It felt unique and fresh, and I liked the characters and the world. The magic was interesting, too. Several layers of conflict happening at once, plus the enemies-to-lovers trope helped keep me engaged. I never totally understood the different factions and politics of what was going on, but this was still a solid read.

Emily Varga is a bestselling author. The River She Became is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Witch Season, by Julia Bianco     

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Witch Season
Author: Julia Bianco       
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

That is the price of magic – not just the blood, but the pain to bring it out.

Katherine Barnes is an enforcer, charged with upholding the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven. It’s her job to maintain order and bring unsettled witches – people who aren’t aware they have magic until it explodes out of them in a catastrophic burst – into the coven’s fold. As a former unsettled witch, Katherine owes her life to Sylvia Page, coven leader and silver-haired rebel who founded Aestas years ago.

When Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, arrives to take Aestas to task for some of their more unconventional practices, Katherine’s dislike for him reaches blistering levels. She hates his money, his good looks, and his coven’s dangerous attitude towards unsettled witches. She can absolutely overlook that he sets her off in more ways than one.

But a powerful threat is about to rise. Stronger than any one coven. More insidious than the decades-long power struggle that exists in the hidden witch world. One that will pull Katherine and Silas together despite their differences. And one that will lead to an all-out war.

I…didn’t really like these characters—or this world—so it’s kind of surprising I kept reading. It was a quick read, so that helped. Everyone here was morally grey, so that was a problem for me. Katherine was not really a likable person, and I’m still undecided about Silas. That’s my takeaway, and I have no desire to reach more about these people.

Julia Bianco lives in L.A. Witch Season is her debut novel.           

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

       

Sundays are for Writing #377

I only wrote one book review this week, The River She Became, by Emily Varga. I was just too busy for much reading. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review:     When Dealing with Dragons, by Dana Swift  

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Title: When Dealing with Dragons
Author: Dana Swift            
Genre: YA  
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father’s footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse―plus, he’s the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs.

When James strongarms his way into interning at her family’s dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn’t just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She’s hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can’t risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.

This was a cool world/culture. A little dark—the descaling and the class hierarchy—but I really enjoyed the world. The history of the different types of dragons, the way they made metal, the characters, all this combine to make a unique read, and one I really enjoyed. I liked both James and Farren (and Farren’s family) and enjoyed getting to know them more and watching them change. I’d love to read more in this world.

Dana Swift studied English and Advertising. When Dealing with Dragons is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Cursed Ever After, by Andy C. Naranjo   

Image belongs to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

Title: Cursed Ever After
Author: Andy C. Naranjo             
Genre: Fantasy, YA  
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Love is not for cursed girls. Risa is better off without it.

Risa Porto is a Bad Thing born on a Bad Day and cursed with Bad Luck. After years of taking the blame for every calamity, mishap, and minor inconvenience that befalls the townspeople of Barrow, she longs for escape. And on her seventeenth birthday, her wish is granted.

Sort of.

Risa owes a (very annoying) witch a favor, and it comes in the form of a quest: escort Prince Javi―the youngest, handsomest, and least significant prince―through the dark (and deadly) Bosque to his wedding. This measly errand quickly spirals into a struggle against greedy assassins, a murderous cult, a vicious tyrant―and Risa’s own curse.

Most unfortunate of all…

She is not immune to Javi’s charms and has a highly irritating urge to kiss the prince. Though, surviving the darkest corners of the Bosque is only the beginning. If Risa is to hold up her end of a witch’s bargain, she’ll need a lot more than luck on her side to untangle the web of lies threatening the kingdom. Is Risa willing to pay the price of happily ever after? What if the only person she’s meant to save is herself?

This was a fun read! It made me laugh quite a bit, and it felt really over-the-top in some spots—but in a good way. I liked the characters, even the ones that were a bit cliché. This was a cute, fun read with some laughs, and would be perfect for a weekend read. It felt a little bit like watching The Princess Bride, honestly.

Andy C. Naranjo is from New York. Cursed Ever After is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Sundays are for Writing #376

This was an excellent writing week! I wrote four book reviews: The Secret Thread, by Eve Chase, Cursed Ever After, by Andy C. Naranjo, When Dealing with Dragons, by Dana Swift, and Witch Season, by Julia Bianco.

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Secret Thread, by Eve Chase

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Title: The Secret Thread
Author: Eve Chase     
Genre: Mystery/thriller  
Rating: 4 out of 5

Even the darkest secrets unravel in time. . . .

2024: Jo O’Mara, a young writer, lands a job working for Mimi Mott, a wealthy style icon and legendary founder of a decorating empire. Newly widowed and in her seventies, Mimi is preparing to auction off her possessions, through them finally telling the story of her early life. Famously private, Mimi has kept her past shrouded in mystery. Jo doesn’t dare reveal how closely it touches her own.

Tasked with collecting the untold tales behind each auction lot, Jo peels back the layers of Mimi’s origin story and discovers it’s far darker than anyone ever suspected.

1969: Mimi and her sister, Pamela, live in a cramped, musty staff cottage on the grounds of Rushwood, an idyllic English country estate owned by the Caswell family, their demanding new employer. Working alongside their gardener parents, the girls have been raised with their hands in the soil and know only a traditional, simple life—but spirited Mimi hungers for more.

When the Caswells’ adult children, Nancy and Lawrence, arrive at Rushwood for the summer, the sisters are drawn into a privileged, intoxicating world, unsettling their own, and passions spark under the blazing sun—until a shattering death at Rushwood’s high-society party tears Mimi and Pamela apart.

Now time is running out. Jo discovers both a missing auction piece and a missing sister and vows to find them no matter how dark the secret they expose—or the cost to herself.

This was a fascinating read! I loved Miriam’s/Mimi’s POV in the ‘60s, and I also loved Jo’s timeline in the present day. I did not much like younger Pamela, however older Pamela was great. I was pretty much enthralled with this from the very beginning, through its twists and turns, its dark days, the glimmers of hope and sunlight. Everything woven together until the complete pictured merged together in the light of the present.

Eve Chase is a bestselling author. The Secret Thread is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Scandal of the Summer, by Alexandra Vasti

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin.

Title: Scandal of the Summer
Author: Alexandra Vasti             
Genre: Romance  
Rating: 3.8 out of 4

Eccentric heiress Lady Ruby Ballimore has had enough of the Marriage Mart. After offending yet another Very Important Marquess―and imperiling her father’s diplomatic career―Ruby flees London for the holiday house of a glamorous (and better yet, absent) princess. Armed with a forged invitation and accompanied by her like-minded friends, Ruby arrives at the Cornwall estate expecting a summer of blissful freedom.

Instead, she discovers a derelict mansion and the most suspiciously charming man she’s ever met.

Former privateer and current con artist Captain Malcolm Archer has dragged his ramshackle crew into a new life. Posing as staff at a princess’s abandoned estate provides the perfect cover for Archer’s smuggling scheme (not to mention free rent). Everything’s going according to plan―until an unorthodox London heiress crashes the party.

But when Archer and his crew attempt to frighten off their uninvited guests, Ruby’s unfazed by insect invasions and sham sea monsters. Harder to ignore? The scorching heat between the rakish pirate and the debutante who can see right through him. As sparks fly, deceptions run wild―because in this Great Cornish Fake Off, the only thing riskier than telling the truth is falling in love.

This was a decent romance read that delivered exactly what I expect from an Alexandra Vasti novel:  a quirky heroine who’s “different” from everyone and who society judges, a hero who seems cranky/bad but has a heart of gold, solid female friendships…As always, the friendships were my favorite part. This was a quick read that I had no issues with, but that also didn’t deliver any surprises.

Alexandra Vasti lives in New Orleans. Scandal of the Summer is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #375

I only wrote two book reviews this week, Scandal of the Summer, by Alexandra Vasti and The Secret Thread, by Eve Chase. Just…too tired to read much, much less actually write anything.

Happy writing!