Books I Read in June

 I read so many fabulous books this month!  I am all about light, fun, summer reading right now and have been forcibly having to make myself balance other aspects of life with my reading time... otherwise full days will pass me by with my nose buried in a book. 



1.  Going Going Ganache by Jen McKinney (A Cupcake Mysteries book)-- When Mel and Angie get into a food fight while trying to shoot a magazine photo they find themselves hosting a cupcake boot camp for the magazine staff.  The staff is not all that great at working together but even so no one expected one of the boot campers to end up dead.  For the sake of her business Mel starts digging around trying to uncover who the murder in their midst might be. 


2. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner--  This was such a fabulous book. I read the whole thing in under 24 hours.  When Sophie responds to an add as a mail order bride she gets more than she bargained for.  Martin seems like the perfect husband but one night before the great San Francisco earthquake & fire of 1906 Sophie's new world comes crashing down.  Part historical fiction part mystery it was a wonderfully woven tale.  


3. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed-- I had gotten this graphic novel for Evan to read and he enjoyed it so much he told me I had to read it too.  I breezed through the book in less than a day and thought it was so well written. Omar and his brother have been living in a refugee camp most of their lives while waiting for war to end in their country.  It is somehow both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming story.  


 4.  Reunion Beach: Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank--  I wanted to love this compilation of stories but I had already read Summer of '79 (Elin's contribution) and I'm not a huge fan of short stories.  I did enjoy the snippets written about Dorothea herself though and thought it was such a sweet gesture from family and friends to honor this one last book title she had planned before her death. Some of the stories did capture my attention but like all short stories I found myself wishing they were longer! All in all though I was glad I had read it.  



5. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor book #3) by Jessica Townsend-- I enjoyed this third book of the series so much that as soon as I was finished I Googled to see if there was a book 4 coming out and there is!  In this third book Morrigan is learning the Wunderous Arts slowly.  However, all of Wunimals in Nevermoor are slowly being infected by a mysterious illness and unless Morrigan and all the other scholars can figure out what is going on panic will continue to spread and ruin the Nevermoor society that Morrigan has come to love so much in the last few years. 



6. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave-- This was such a great story!  It was one of those books that kept me intrigued and guessing and I just did not want to put it down. When Hannah's husband goes missing one day her only clue is a handwritten note asking her to "protect her."  Hannah knows the note refers to her stepdaughter Bailey. At the two are forced to come together and start asking more and more questions they being to unravel the lives they thought they know, question the man they both love, and form a tenuous new friendship. 



7. The View From Here by Hannah McKinnon-- I really enjoyed this story about a family; it didn't hurt that it was set in Connecticut around a lake (I live in Ct on a lake!).  Three grown children Perry, a type A personality married with one child, Phoebe, married with twin boys and trying to navigate a major house renovation, Jake, the playful playboy who is finally ready to settle down with Olivia and her daughter.  Then a freak accident threatens to tear the family apart.  



8. The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton-- When Lily wakes up one morning and finds her husband has just left she's surprised to find she feels mostly relieved... until she discovers that the lease on their house went with his job and she's about to be homeless, without a job, and no husband to rely on.  When she sees an advertisement for a hairdresser at the Safe Harbor retirement community she is thrilled to discover it comes with a place to live.  Unsure of how she'll fit in with the older residence and Rose the cantankerous caretaker, they decide to give it a trial run for the summer while Lily makes a clear plan of what to do about her future. 



9. Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks-- I adored this easy to read story!  Written as a series of lists it was both quick and quirky.  Some of the lists made me laugh out loud and I was surprised at how easy it was to follow the storyline when it was only a series of lists.  An avid list maker and worrier myself I really related to the main character; Daniel's wife wants to have a baby but Daniel quit his job to open a bookstore and the bookstore is not going nearly as well as Daniel has led his wife to believe.  I wanted to be mad at Daniel but mostly I just felt bad for him and thought it was rather endearing to see how he views himself.  


10. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley-- I just fell in love with this book from the first chapter.  A whole cast of cute and quirky characters come together on this tiny island town. When Piper's husband is lost at sea the whole island comes together for his memorial but Piper can not bring herself to attend; holding onto hope that her husband will come back to her.  One day Piper wakes and begins acting like her husband has returned safe and sound.  The town doesn't really know what to do so they play along.  When Anders Caldwell, news reporter, shows up to cover the annual cake walk event he can't believe how much stepping foot on Frick Island is like stepping back in time and when he finally realizes that a whole town is acting like a dead man has returned to life he can't help but investigate further.



11. Before Summer Ends by Susan Mallery- This was such a cute story; very predictable but that's OK.  Nissa has rented out her condo for the summer in preparation for her house sitting job but when the job falls through at the last minute she has to find a new place to live for the summer.  Her brothers suggest that Nissa move in with his best friend Desmond; a rich, handsome CEO that Nissa has had a secret crush on forever.  With no other options Nissa moves in with Desmond. It was a cute little rom-com. 



12. Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland-- another cute story I read in just a couple of days.  Benny and Amos are two best friends that put together a family resort in the Catskills.  Back in it's heyday the resort was beloved by many Jewish families seeking relief from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Presently the hotel is struggling and Amos' son, who has been trying to keep it going, has gotten an offer for a very generous buyout.  Both families converge at the Golden Hotel for a stay to discuss the possibility of selling.  With three generations from two families converging ideas clash, secrets are revealed, and romances bloom.  


13. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay (A cupcake mystery book)--  When Mel and Angie reluctantly agree to provide cupcakes for the local beauty pageant they don't expect to find a dead judge under their cupcake display table.  With one of their friends competing in the contest for the scholarship money, and now a prime suspect in the case, Mel decides to investigate and see if she can determine who the real killer is.  I love these mysteries but the cupcake recipes always make me so hungry!


Linking up with: Spread the Kindness, 








Comments

  1. So many of these books sound like something I'd like too! Adding several of them to my list!

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    1. I bet you'll enjoy them! I was so happy with my reading this month.

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  2. What a great list of books! So many are on my TBR. I'm currently reading and loving the Summer House. Did you enjoy it? I've just started it and I'm giggling at some parts and can tell I'm going to love it. I recently read Glory Road by Denton and it was SO good!

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    1. I really liked The Summer House a lot; it was so cute! I had never read anything by her before so I'll have to check out Glory Road.

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  3. A list with tons of new inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing this!

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  4. Ohhh what an awesome collection-adding a few to my list-thank you!

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  5. You read a lot this month! And several that I have recommended myself. I read 21 Truths About Love last year and liked it a lot. I have to read The Last Thing He Told Me!

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    1. I think you'll really like it when you read it.

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  6. I've been slacking on my reading this month, but your post makes me want to bury my nose in a book all day. I'm hoping to read more in July!

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    1. I'm trying so hard not to bury my nose in a book all day but I kind of do!

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  7. So many of these sound so good! I just added a bunch of them to my reading list!

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  8. You read a lot this month! Several of these are on my TBR list and I can't wait to read them. Thanks for linking up with Hello Monday! Tanya - The Other Side of the Road

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  9. 13 books. Incredible. I have bee waiting for the book the Last Thing He Told Me to arrive.

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    1. I was so surprised I managed so many books myself!

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  10. Some great titles here. I think I might add 21 Truths About Love and The invisible Husband to my TBR

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  11. What a great collection of books. I am not a big reader but do love to sit in the garden in the summer and read a couple of books. x

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    1. I don't know what it is about reading outside but I just love it!

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  12. wow what an interesting mix of books. I couldn't possibly read this many in one month. 'Two perhaps, no more. So interesting to see what sort of books people like to read. Enjoy your week, stay safe and thankyou for visiting my blog last week.

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    1. Thank you! I am a voracious reader and always have a book handy.

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  13. I put a few of these on hold so you'll see them showing up on my blog in the next months! So much good reading!

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  14. Whoo so many books here. I need to start reading more books but I do not have a clue where to start. I would love to start with your collection :)

    Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Mondays :) I hope you can join us today for The Weekend Link-Up? #CreativeMondays

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    1. My pile of books waiting to be read is always so long! I just love reading and often have a hard time focusing on just a few books at a time.

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  15. Joanne, I am always so impressed by how much reading you get in! I am still reading the same book I started about 5 months ago! Haha. That 21 Truths About Love looks like a really fun read! Thanks for sharing and linking with me!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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    1. It was such a fun read; I loved that it was a nice quick read too being all in a list format.

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  16. Some really interesting books here, I really must come and visit your page the next time I'm stuck on what to read next.

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    1. I have been finding lots of great ones lately!

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  17. I loved The Nature of Fragile Things. Totally unexpected. I also loved Frick Island. Neither are my typical books so I was doubly pleased.

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    1. I wasn't so sure about Frick Island when I started it but I really enjoyed it a lot.

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  18. The Nature of Fragile Things is on my to read list. When Stars are Scattered sounds like a good read. I may get it for my son to read. I have to continue the Nevermoor series!

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    1. When Stars are Scattered was such a great read and so eye opening about what those living in refugee camps, most of them for years and years on end, go through.

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  19. The Last Thing He Told Me was good good good. Love love love. I'm adding The Summer House but now I'm afraid I'm running out of summer before I have time to read those good summer books!

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    1. I am feeling the same way! Too many books and too little time to cram them all in.

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  20. I'm looking forward to The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.

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  21. I want to check out The Twenty-One Truths About Love. I really like books told in unique formats. I still need to read Wundersmith, but I'm glad you really liked the third Nevermoor book.

    Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  22. The Summer House sounds intriguing to me :) I really enjoyed The Nature of Fragile Things and The Invisible Husband of Frick Island too. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your month!

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  23. Wow, you have read a lot. When Stars are Scattered is already on my TBR list, but you've certainly given me a few more ideas #BookWormsLinky

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