June reads and mid year check in

[minzy]

What did you read in June? Any standouts?

We’re halfway through 2020 now... how are you doing on your reading goals (number, genre, author characteristics, etc.)? What do you want or plan to cover for the second half of 2020? Some of us listed 2020 goals here: pandce.proboards.com/thread/616033/friday-1-3-20-reading

If it has, how has the pandemic altered your reading?
What’s been the best thing you’ve read so far in 2020?

[charlatti]

Pretty much all I did in June was read. School is out and none of my usual summer activities are happening, so lots of reading.

2*
Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen
Master Class by Christina Dalcher

3*
Independent Study and The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Providence by Max Barry
Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

4*
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
The Bear by Andrew Krivak
The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

4.5 and 5*
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Mercy House by Alena Dillon
Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum


Best of the year so far: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

[rainbowchip]

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 3*
Un-Trumping America by Dan Pfeiffer 5*
Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi 4*
A Black Women's History of The United States by Diana Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross 4*
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi 3*

I'm at 37/52 books for the year. 12 books ahead. So I'm doing great!

Looking at my numbers, it appears that the pandemic is causing me to read so much more but I don't FEEL like I am reading that much more. I feel like I am spending more time watching mindless TV and movies.
And, the biggest thing upping my book count was audiobooks at the end of last year/beginning of this year and I've been doing way less audiobooks since the pandemic for a variety of reasons.

Looking through my 1st half of the year I have a lot of "meh" books so I hope the second half has some more books that I love.


The two books that have really stuck with me this year so far are The River by Peter Heller and Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld.

[meowmaps]

The Splendid and the Vile 5*
Pretty Things 4*
Hidden Valley Road 4*
The World That We Knew 5*
Missed Translations 4*
An Unwanted Guest 4*
A Long Petal of the Sea 3.5*
A Stranger in the House 3*
The Mountains Sing 4*
Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience 3*
The Hate U Give 5*

My reading has definitely increased in response to the pandemic. I escape into TV a little bit (reality garbage) but mostly I'm drawn toward books. My reading goal was 80 which I then upped to 100, but now I'm on track to hit 120 or more. My goals for the rest of the year are to read more books by POC and non-fiction/memoirs. So far I've read more fiction and I was hoping to keep fiction and non-fiction even in my standings.

Some of my favorites so far have been:

The Hate U Give
The World That We Knew
The Distance Between Us
The Sun Does Shine
Wild Game
Last Boat Out of Shanghai
American Spy

[abs]

I only finished two books this month.

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand-4*
Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins-3*

I also read a few books with DD. She's reading The Babysitter's Club and The Cupcake Diaries so I read a few of those at her request.

What I started and did not finish--
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfield
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I'm having a hard time with books this year. I can't get in to anything and they aren't providing much of an escape.

[minzy]

June was a better month for me after a slower spring. I finished ten books. I’m at 30 on the year so far and always aim for at least 52, so am now ahead of pace. I tend to read about half fiction and half non-fiction, that is still true. 24 were written by women (though 7 have been by the same woman). I try to read from diverse authors but can always do better. At least 3 have been written by or about POC, another two were written by LGBTQ authors, and one more was written by an author who is both. I’m doing a summer bingo challenge and will try to fill the whole card. I have already read some stuff I wouldn’t otherwise have picked up. I will try a little harder to do some of our book club reads, I have been slacking on those. Quarantining with kids 24/7 has done a number on my ability to concentrate.

As for mid-year favorites, I don’t have any five stars yet, but gave 4.5 to these and would recommend them all (all nonfiction except for Weather):
Secondhand - Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter
Good Talk - A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacobs
Eating the Sun - Small Musings on a Vast Universe by Ella Frances Sanders
Rust - A Memoir of Steel and Grit by Eliese Colette Goldbach
Weather by Jenny Offill
Calypso by David Sedaris
Somebody’s Gotta Do It - Why Cursing at the News Won’t Save the Nation, but Your Name on a Local Ballot Can by Adrienne Martini
Gulp - Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
The Lost Daughters of China - Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past by Karin Evans

[rootbeerfloat]

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson -3.5*
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow - 4*
Children of Virtue of Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi - 2.5*
The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha Rai - 3*
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes - 4*

I also started Open Book by Jessica Simpson, but prioritized finishing the others.

I'm at 30/40 for the year. My holds are coming through faster than usual (due to the pandemic, I'm guessing).

Favorites this year:
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
The Water Dancer by Ta-nehisi Coates
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

[tacokick]

Over Her Dead Body by Kate White

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Lethally Blond by Kate White

So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White

Even If It Kills Her by Kate White

Bad Trust by Michael A. Kahn

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman

Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery by Rosalie Knecht (very good!!)

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

The Lady's Handbook For Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey (very bad!!)

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones

Have You Seen Me? by Kate White

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillroy

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

I feel like my reading has been about the same. I did read a lot of “easy” books this month. I’ve stopped getting physical library books so I’m more limited with what I can read.

I am actually sleeping better than I have in years so that has cut into my reading as I read a lot at night in bed.

I don’t really have goals but I think I am at 117 books read which is pretty average for me.

[Vespasia]

June reads:
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld - 4.5*
Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - 3*
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 3.5*
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight - 4*
SLAY by Brittney Morris - 4.5*

Rodham and SLAY were definitely my favorites!



I am at 32/48 for the year.

I've definitely been reading more. When the weather was nice I would sit on our back porch and read every evening to transition from WFH to just being at home. Unfortunately it's gotten too hot for that the last month or so. I've also been reading lighter books since everything started.

I also noticed that I have been reading a lot of alternate history/time travel type books lately. It wasn't intentional but I can understand why I would be drawn to them now!

Favorites so far this year:
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz (I am glad you liked it charlatti !)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
Rodham

[travella]

5*

What is the Story of Scooby-Doo? by M.D. Payne (My son and I really enjoyed reading this)

4*

Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

The Woods by Harlan Coben

3*

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman

2*

Get To Work Hercules by Katie McMullan (read this with my son)

I've read 38 of the 45 books I hope to finish this year, 84.4% completed.  The pandemic hasn't altered my reading too much.  When it started I couldn't concentrate on reading, but now that I can and have a little more free time I have caught back up.  My favorite book this year would be A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum which was the first book I read this year. 

[tacokick]

Jul 1, 2020 15:08:51 GMT -5 travella said:

5*

What is the Story of Scooby-Doo? by M.D. Payne (My son and I really enjoyed reading this)

4*

Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

The Woods by Harlan Coben

3*

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman

2*

Get To Work Hercules by Katie McMullan (read this with my son)

I've read 38 of the 45 books I hope to finish this year, 84.4% completed.  The pandemic hasn't altered my reading too much.  When it started I couldn't concentrate on reading, but now that I can and have a little more free time I have caught back up.  My favorite book this year would be A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum which was the first book I read this year. 

Did you watch the Woods show on Netflix?

[travella]

Jul 1, 2020 16:09:25 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Jul 1, 2020 15:08:51 GMT -5 travella said:

5*

What is the Story of Scooby-Doo? by M.D. Payne (My son and I really enjoyed reading this)

4*

Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

The Woods by Harlan Coben

3*

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman

2*

Get To Work Hercules by Katie McMullan (read this with my son)

I've read 38 of the 45 books I hope to finish this year, 84.4% completed.  The pandemic hasn't altered my reading too much.  When it started I couldn't concentrate on reading, but now that I can and have a little more free time I have caught back up.  My favorite book this year would be A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum which was the first book I read this year. 

Did you watch the Woods show on Netflix?

No, but I hope to watch it soon!

[tacokick]

Jul 1, 2020 17:51:05 GMT -5 travella said:

Jul 1, 2020 16:09:25 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Did you watch the Woods show on Netflix?

No, but I hope to watch it soon!

It was good! I haven’t read the book so I don’t know how it compares but we enjoyed it.

[mrspez07]

I didn’t think I’ve been reading more, because I feel easily distracted when I do, but I keep checking books off.
Books finished in June:

Audio:
The Starless Sea 2*
We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union 4*
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 5*

Read:
The Ten Thousand Doors of January 5*
Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien 4*
7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 3*

I’m at 33 books so far. I picked 65 last year and 50 this year for a goal, so I’m tracking ahead of my official goal. All the holds at the library came in, so I have 6 physical books to read. How I’ve missed library books!

My favorite book so far this year was Magic For Liars

[litskispeciality]

I read:

The Vast Fields of Oridinary 3*'s
Open Book by Jessica Simpson 4*'s

For the year I'm just at 12/24, which is good, I just wish I was ahead since I always fall off later in the year. I haven't read as much as I like, but am trying to read two books at once, and make sure at least one is electronic so I have it wherever I am (in the house I guess lol).

I'd probably say "Luckiest Girl Alive" and "P.S. I still love you" are the two best so far, at least the two that stand out the most. "A Nearly Normal Family" was pretty good too.

Looking ahead I keep waiting for The Last Mrs. Parish, and now I want to read The Vanishing Half and The Heart's Invisible Furies, but both have super long wait lists. Ghosted looks really good, and I'll probably try for a Colleen Hoover since I usually do one or two of hers a year.

[mie]

Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid 4*
Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai 3*
Lie We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley 3.5*
Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt 3.5*
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 3.5*
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner 3*
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum 3.5*

My favorite so far this year is probably The Unhoneymooners.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I'm at 48/100 books, 3 books behind schedule. I was definitely reading more when the pandemic started, but was having trouble concentrating or appreciating anything that required deep thinking. I was finally getting back to reading quality stuff when we got a puppy, and that's when my reading took a hit.
My favorite from the fluff books I read was The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, and my favorites overall this year have been In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn, City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, and The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christie Lefteri.