June was a pretty good reading month for me – I finished ten books and had one DNF. Not only were most of the ten pretty darn good, one bumped my previous #1 of the year down to #2 (We Begin at The End) and took its place. I am referring to the first on the list below – so I will get right to it.
Here are the books that I read in June 2021.
This Tender Land – William Kent Krueger
This Tender Land is now my #1 read of the year. Easily. Thus far anyway. I have had this book on my TBR list since before it’s release since I loved Kreuger’s Ordinary Grace. I should have read it sooner, but I am glad I got to it now to kick off my summer reading with a bang. It is the heart breaking and heart warming tale of orphans Odie O’Banion and his brother Albert as they reside in a “school” in Minnesota that is mostly Native Americans – they are the only white children in the school. Odie gets himself in all kinds of trouble that leads to an escape flee and we follow the O’Banion boys down the river to a new path. Kreuger is a gifted writer and I will now seek out the rest of his books. Easily the best book I have read this year – among some really great titles.
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Falling – T.J. Newman
Falling is a debut novel that is heart pounding, action packed and an absolute page turner. I was apprehensive to read an airplane thriller. As a somewhat nervous flyer, I wasn’t sure how I would respond. I was racked with anxiety during certain parts and I had to keep reading to know what happens one way or another. I also wish to add that I sometimes have a very negative reaction on the way 9/11 is handled in fiction. I felt that the author did approach this topic in a factual type manner as it related to flying and was done as tasteful as possible – if that is even a thing. I tore through Falling in just over two days and look forward to seeing what Ms Newman has up her sleeve next. I am willing to take a big fat guess that Falling will be finding its way to a screen of some sort. I could practically see the cast as I was reading. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for my early release copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Falling will be available on July 6, 2021.
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The Book of Longings – Sue Kidd Monk
This is a hard one. I wanted to love this book. I wanted it to be 5 stars. I overall loved the big picture story line and premise – What if Jesus was married and her (his wife) story has been silenced? That certainly isn’t a new idea, but one that was tackled uniquely. I have been a big Sue Kidd Monk fan (loved The Invention of Wings so much) but overall I got lost in many of the chapters and it was tough to get through. I did enjoy this side of Jesus, as a man – son, friend, husband. But ultimately I can say it didn’t fall into the “OMG I loved this book” category. I did like it though and appreciated the research and imagination that went into it. My favorite part was probably the afterword by the author.
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The Forest of Vanishing Stars – Kristin Harmel
I had taken a bit of a break from WW2 historical fiction after reading so much of it in the past few years. The Forest of Vanishing Stars was the first of this genre in some time. I think the break did me well as I enjoyed this while it ripped my heart out. There are definitely some parts that I had trouble believing could be true. I loved Yona and was cheering for her the entire time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Forest of Vanishing Stars will be available on July 6, 2021.
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People We Meet on Vacation – Emily Henry
Like Henry’s other books, People We Meet on Vacation was a lighter quick read that is perfect for summer beach weather, or any vacation for that matter. We meet Poppy and Alex, who are polar opposites and become besties from the same college that travel together every year. The story is woven with past and current tense until we merge at where things will go. Great summer read.
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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World – Elif Shafak
This was recommended to me and I was hesitant to start it after reading what it was about. Sounded strange and different. But I was in the mood for strange and different so I gave it a go. It was most definitely very different and I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. While the story itself is sad from a broad perspective, the nitty gritty is about friendship, hope and love. We meet Tequila Leila, a prostitue, as she is murdered, thrown in a dumpster and left for dead. While she knows her body is dead, her brain is still very much alive and we hear her stream of consciousness remembering her life. As her brain runs out of oxygen and starts to shut down, the level of details from her memory and senses are what makes this book so memorable. The second half of the book was a bit slower for me than the first, it is focused more on Leila’s five friends as they try to find her. The writing is exquisite and is a great display of the injustices against women all over the world. This would be an excellent book club selection – so much to discuss.
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When We Left Cuba – Chanel Cleeton
This was my 2nd Cleeton book. I love that there are these strong independent women in the Perez family and I so want to love these books. But something fell a little flat for me again. It was a good book and again I learned a lot. I may try the third, not sure yet. I am at least taking a break for a bit. It did feel it was easier with this book (vs Next Year in Havana) to distinguish the fiction from the facts.
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Such a Quiet Place – Megan Miranda
This had a bit of a slow start for me but the second half picked up quite a bit and kept me going. I didn’t particular love any of the characters but still found them interesting. A good look at such a perfect neighborhood is not so perfect and what we see and perceive is not often reality. There is murder, arrest, release and suspicion to the highest degree. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Such a Quiet Place will be available on July 13, 2021.
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Finlay Donovan is Killing It – Elle Cosimano
This one was highly recommended to me by multiple members in an online book group as well as widely posted by readers on Instagram. Ultimately, it was a little too silly for my liking, if that makes sense. I did love the perspective of a mom, Finlay, that can’t keep much together and everything is going wrong – but the path it took from there was too rocky for me to enjoy as much as I expected to. If someone wanted a lighter thriller/mystery – this would likely be a great choice. Cosimano has already signed for sequels.
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Sleeping Dogs Lie: A Novella – Samantha Downing
This was a free offering on Audible and it was quick. I enjoyed the role that dogs played in the story, however far fetched (ha!) it was. It was entertaining enough but won’t likely be one I will remember in the long run.
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DNF – The End of Her – Shari Lapena
Book of the Month: This Tender Land
