In addition to the 7 books below that I read and finished in June I have started several others that I still need to wrap up. So while I read most of them, they will be on July’s list once I finish.
I became a bit busier this month with some home projects so I didn’t quite finish everything I wanted to. It was still a good reading month! I had a few great reads but there were some so-so’s almost border-lining on duds. It is hard to believe that 2020 is half over – and what a year it has been so far. I will also post my stop ten of the first half of the year post soon.
Here is what I read in June.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
This is the true story of Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative – a law firm devoted to justice for all – defending those that most desperate and in need of equal representation. He takes on the case Walter McMillan, a black man wrongly accused of a terrible crime that he is sentenced to die for. Not only to we discover the layers of coverup in Mr. McMillan’s case but we see first hand the racism and inequality that exists towards Mr. Stevenson as well. A must read. After you are done, watch the movie. So powerful.
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Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
I found Oona Out of Order to be a very creative tale of a woman who travels through time, jumping forward and backwards every year on New Years Day, which also is her birthday. I have been gravitating towards some lighter reads this year and found this to be just what I needed at the right time. While “light” it does have some back bone and Oona oozes self discovery. A fun quirky book. There was even a little twist that I didn’t see coming, and we all know how much I love twists.
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Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
I think if I had read Pachinko at another time it could have been a 5* read for me. But during this time when my mind is jumbled and focus is a think of the past, I had trouble staying with the book. I still deeply enjoyed it, but I had to keep rereading certain parts. This is the story that leaps generations as Sunja falls in love and becomes pregnant but the wealthy father can not be with her. She makes a decision that alters the course of lives as she marries an ill traveler on his way to Japan. I loved the strong and fiercely indecent women in this novel and believe I will likely read it again when my mind is more calm and I am able to focus.
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The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin
This is a very hard one to review. Giffin has been one of my favorite – if not the favorite – chic-lit author for me. Until now. This book is well written however I so deeply disliked what she did with the 9/11 story line that it ruined the book for me. I found her choice on where to go with it incredibly disrespectful. I also disliked the ending. I still rated it a 3 – and I feel that to be more than generous, given her choice of storyline.
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Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Daphne is fat. And don’t forget, that Daphne is fat. She is ok being fat and says she is comfortable with her size. But she tells you she is fat. A lot. Often. Over and over and over. This was a hard one for me. Being a bit overweight myself, and yet mostly comfortable in my own skin – it concerned me a bit on how present this was in the book as the overall theme. Because when Daphne describes herself compared to others – it doesn’t sound like she is truly that fat. That makes me think about my own size and weight. Granted she is in her twenties and I am not, so that probably adds a bit to her own feelings about it but still, it was too much, Take that and add to it everything else going on – and there is SO MUCH GOING ON – it was a train wreck for me. 100% unbelievable and awful characters.
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The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
If there is one genre I generally don’t enjoy its witches and magic. Which this was. This was chosen for my bookclub and I had a rough time with it. Throw that together with a weak, cheesy romance and for me it was a hot mess. It started somewhat strong and then quickly went down hill for me.
🍷🍷 1/2
The Metabolism Reset Diet by Alan Christianson
I had high hopes for this one but overall there was no new info within the covers for me. Just another fad based diet that would be mostly unrealistic for most, including me. I did find a few nuggets but not many.
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Book of the Month: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
