What did you read in June?

[ufcasey]

Ratings, recommendations etc.

[Vespasia]

The Girl in Times Square by Paullina Simons - 3.5 stars? This book was so weird. It wasn't good and the plot was sort of ridiculous but I couldn't put it down!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - 4.5 stars. Really, really loved this book and I can't wait for her new one to come out next week!

Baltimore Blues by Laura Lipman - Didn't finish so I can't really rate it. I just couldn't get into this book at all.



I also read parts of the Lonely Planet Guide to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand and Fodor's Peru while trying to pick a vacation destination for next year.

[abs]

Beartown--5*
Us Against You--5*
A Man Called Ove--didn't finish
The Perfect Couple--4*

[minzy]

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 4.5*
An American Family - A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan - 4*
Walking to Listen - 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time by Andrew Forsthoefel - 4*
From Cradle to Stage - Stories from Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars by Virginia Hanlon Grohl - 4*
When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi - 5*
Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer - 4*
I’m Proud of You - My Friendship with Fred Rogers by Tim Madigan - 3.5*
Fierce - How Competing for Myself Changed Everything by Aly Raisman - 4*

40/52 for the year

[rainbowchip]

Having a garage sale and general summer stuff got in the way of my reading this month.

Little Fires Everywhere 3*

Still Me 3* I really wasn't a fan. It had so much stuff that really didn't go anywhere. In other words, it was kind of boring. I did kind of like the ending though.

The Visitors 4* Horrible characters but they were really well written. I was expecting the story to be more about The Visitors but it was mainly about Marion and John.

I am at 27/52 for the year. 2 books ahead.

[travella]

I read some great books last month. I hope the trend continues.

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham 2*

Now that you Mention it by Kristan Higgins 2*

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Jaswal 3*

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskins 5* I think I found a new favorite author! I loved this book, great to the very end!

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon 4.5*

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 4*


25/40

[litskispeciality]

Another bad month, but I'm 10/24 for the year.

We were Liar's 3.5*'s

[ufcasey]

Everless by Sara Holland - 1 star
Menace (#1) by J.M. Darhower - 3 stars
Grievous (#2) by J.M. Darhower - 3 stars
My American Duchess by Eloisa James - 3.5 stars
Imp Forsaken (#5)by  Debra Dunbar - 4 stars
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook - 4 stars
Full Tilt by Emma Scott - 4 stars
Educated: A Memoir byTara Westover - 4 stars
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 4.5 stars (definitely get the audiobook for this one)
Us Against You (#2) by Fredrik Backman - 5 stars (if you liked Beartown, I think you will like this one too)

71/150 for the year

[dorothyinAus]

June was a slow month for me, but I did enjoy what I read.

37. Kilt at the Highland Games by Kaitlynn Dunnett 4****
38. Murder Unleashed by Rita Mae Brown 3***
39. The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell 4****
40. Birthday Sprinkle Murder by Susan Gillard 3***

Murder Unleashed got 3 stars because there was a subplot that really should have been a main plot all of its own, and a few character stories that were a bit unexplained and left hanging. It certainly doesn't feel as though the author meant this to the last one of the series so there a re a few things left unfinished. But it was a good mystery and Rita Mae Brown's books are always fun, especially the scenes where the animals are talking to each other.

[dorothyinAus]

Jul 2, 2018 12:47:01 GMT -5 travella said:

I read some great books last month. I hope the trend continues.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon 4.5*

I've read several books about Anna Anderson and the mystery of Grand Duchess Anastasia, though all were published before the bodies were found and DNA testing was complete.  In fact, a 1986 made-for-tv movie about Anna Anderson was what sparked my interest in the Russian Royal family (and a movie-star crush on Omar Sharif, GAWD he was gorgeous!).

I haven't read anything since the DNA testing, and am not sure I want to. I never really believed she was Grand Duchess Anastasia, but a part of me wanted to believe the fairy tale. I always questioned her motives, though it seems it was not really for the (long-ago stolen) fortune the Czar left behind.

Would you recommend I Was Anastasia to someone who knows a good deal about the subject? Other than the DNA information truly debunking her claims, is there anything really new in this new book?

[travella]

Jul 2, 2018 20:35:13 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

Jul 2, 2018 12:47:01 GMT -5 travella said:

I read some great books last month. I hope the trend continues.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon 4.5*

I've read several books about Anna Anderson and the mystery of Grand Duchess Anastasia, though all were published before the bodies were found and DNA testing was complete.  In fact, a 1986 made-for-tv movie about Anna Anderson was what sparked my interest in the Russian Royal family (and a movie-star crush on Omar Sharif, GAWD he was gorgeous!).

I haven't read anything since the DNA testing, and am not sure I want to. I never really believed she was Grand Duchess Anastasia, but a part of me wanted to believe the fairy tale. I always questioned her motives, though it seems it was not really for the (long-ago stolen) fortune the Czar left behind.

Would you recommend I Was Anastasia to someone who knows a good deal about the subject? Other than the DNA information truly debunking her claims, is there anything really new in this new book?

With your level of knowledge on Anna Anderson, I don't think you would like the book. I knew nothing about Anna Anderson before reading this. The book flipped between Anastasia's last days and Anna's story told in reverse. There were a lot of similarities with The Romanov Sisters, so I'm glad I didn't read these books back to back either.

[tacokick]

I read an unusual amount of books by men or with male main characters this month. Normally I read next to none! 26 books for the month (a little less than May) and 151 for the year!


My Sister, the Serial Killer: A Novel Oyinkan Braithwaite ****

The Dry Jane Harper ****

Force of Nature Jane Harper ****

Fade Out Kayleen Schaefer ***

The List Jade Chang *
Boyfriends of Dorothy Wednesday Martin 1/2

Single Asiatic Male Seeks Ride or Die Chick Eddie Huang *

Everybody Loves Kamau W. Kamau Bell ***1/2

A Killer in the Family Peter Ross Range ***

Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist Franchesca Ramsey ****


Love in a Carry-on Bag Sadeqa Johnson **

Sourdough Robin Sloan ****

Who is Vera Kelly? Rosalie Knecht ***** (not my usual but great!)

No One Tells You This Glynnis MacNicol ****

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century Kirk W. Johnson ***1/2

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore Matthew Sullivan ***1/2


Lying in Wait Liz Nugent 0

Can’t help myself: Lessons & Confessions from a Modern Advice Columnist Meredith Goldstein *** (her life was unexpectedly messy!)

Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression Errol Lincoln Uys ***

Whipping Boy: The 40 Year Search for my 12 Year-Old Bully Allen Kurzweil *** (his bully turned out to be a con artist!)


Once Upon A Time, There Was You Elizabeth Berg **

Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. Rob Delaney **


How to Walk Away Katherine Center **

Savage Season Joe K. Lansdale **1/2

Just the Funny Parts...and a few hard truths about sneaking into the Hollywood’s boys’ club Nell Scovell **** (interesting look into being a woman writer in Hollywood)


The Long and Faraway Gone Lou Berney ***1/2

The High Season Judy Blundell ***(good beach book)

[dorothyinAus]

Jul 2, 2018 21:01:41 GMT -5 travella said:

Jul 2, 2018 20:35:13 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

I've read several books about Anna Anderson and the mystery of Grand Duchess Anastasia, though all were published before the bodies were found and DNA testing was complete.  In fact, a 1986 made-for-tv movie about Anna Anderson was what sparked my interest in the Russian Royal family (and a movie-star crush on Omar Sharif, GAWD he was gorgeous!).

I haven't read anything since the DNA testing, and am not sure I want to. I never really believed she was Grand Duchess Anastasia, but a part of me wanted to believe the fairy tale. I always questioned her motives, though it seems it was not really for the (long-ago stolen) fortune the Czar left behind.

Would you recommend I Was Anastasia to someone who knows a good deal about the subject? Other than the DNA information truly debunking her claims, is there anything really new in this new book?

With your level of knowledge on Anna Anderson, I don't think you would like the book. I knew nothing about Anna Anderson before reading this. The book flipped between Anastasia's last days and Anna's story told in reverse. There were a lot of similarities with The Romanov Sisters, so I'm glad I didn't read these books back to back either.

Thank you. I'll take it off my list of must reads.

[mrspez07]

It was a good month, I got through a lot with a vacation early in the month.

Audio:
Yes Please by Amy Poehler 3*

Paper books:
The Dry by Jane Harper 4*
Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley 3*
Sunburn by Laura Lippman 3*
The Flight Attendant by Chris Bojalian 3.5*
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory 4.5*

[charlatti]

It was a good reading month for me. Lots of books and a lot of 5 star books, which doesn’t usually happen.

5 stars: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
The Chosen Ones by Scarlett Thomas (middle grade, second in a fun trilogy)
Shadow and Bone (re-read) by Leigh Bardugo
Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend (My daughter and I both read and adored this one. Definitely has elements similar to Harry Potter but very much its own wonderful story.)
The Queens of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst
American Street by Ibi Zoboi (4.5 stars)

4 stars
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

3 stars
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
Neverworld Wake by Mariana Pessl
The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman
Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon

2 stars
The Ghost Notebooks by Ben Dolnick

[rootbeerfloat]

Wildflower, Drew Barrymore - 3*
Less, Andrew Paul Greer - 3*
Blood Fury (BDB Legacy #3), JR Ward - 4*
Burn Bright (Alpha and Omega #5), Patricia Briggs - 4*
From Twinkle, With Love, Sandhya Menon - 3*
Warcross, Marie Lu - 3*

26/50 for the year.

[frog]

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman ****
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall ****
The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel ****
The Girl in Times Square by Paulina Simmons ** & 1/2
Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick DeWitt **** (pretty absurd book, but fun to read)
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch ***** (loved this big ol’ fantasy)
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch ****. (Not as good as the first in the series, but still fun)
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones *****

Currently 58/100 for the year.

[AJL]

Beach Colors by Shelley Noble - 3/5*
Kulti by Mariana Zapata - 4/5*
INK by Elizabeth Hunter - 3/5*
The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan - 2/5*
Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson - 4/5*
This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay - 4/5*
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - 5/5*
The Varlet and the Voyeur by L.H. Cosway - 4/5*
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett - 3/5*

Currently 51/96 for the year.

[MrsAxilla]

I don’t believe I’ve ever read this many in a month before!

Littleton Fires Everywhere - 5
Before We Were Yours - 5 ⭐️
A Court of Frost and Starlight - 5 ⭐️
The Paris Wife - 4 ⭐️
Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen - 4 ⭐️
The Girl Who Came Home - 3 ⭐️