Books I Read in June

 I read so many great books this month and lots of them gave me great "summer" vibes!  I think a few of these might even make it onto my top picks of the year. 



1.  If For Any Reason by Courtney Walsh-- This was a great start to my reading this month!  In this book Emily is headed back to Nantucket after failing spectacularly in her life.  Armed with a book of letters from her mother she's prepared to face the island once more in order to restore the old family home in hopes of selling it.  She doesn't want to face the memories of the night her mother died when Emily was just a child, or the fact that she's never even known her father, she doesn't even want to think about how she's let her grandparents down and she certainly never expected to find Hollis McGuire, the boy next door, back on the island and reminding Emily of all that is good about summers on Nantucket.  It was a really sweet story and it had lots of great (if predictable) twists and turns. 



2. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon-- I read this adorable book in just under 24 hours.  When Barret Bloom starts college she's hopeful that everything will be different and so much better than high school ever was.  Then she finds herself stuck in a time loop much like the movie Groundhog Day and she's freaking out until she realizes that a guy in her science class is experiencing the same thing! The two reluctantly team up to try and figure out what is going on and how they can break the loop.  Ultimately spending so much time together leads them to developing feelings.  It was such a fun story to read.  


3. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad-- Oh my goodness was this ever a heavy story.  When Suleika is diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia at just 22 she spends the next 4 years of her life battling this aggressive cancer.  Hearing all that this poor woman had to go through at such a young age just broke my heart.   Then when she's released and declared "cured" she finds that she's lost and unsure what to do.  She ends up taking off on a really long road trip, meeting up with many of the people she "met" through correspondence during her treatment.  It was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot but it did get overwhelming at times. 



4. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson-- This second book in the series was just as good as the first one! In this book, despite not wanting anything to do with investigating again, Pip ends up helping one of her friends look for his missing bother.  As the clock runs down the odds of finding Jamie alive diminish severely and Pip is not sure how many town secrets she really wants to dig into.  Pushed to the edge Pip will not give up.  It is definitely a darker book than the first but oh so enjoyable. 


5. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher-- A somewhat weird memoir by Carrie Fisher about her time spent filming Star Wars and how the roll of Princess Leia shaped her life. I listened to this book on CD narrated by Carrie Fisher 40 years after the fact. I would never have gotten through this story in book format as I felt it was kind of all over the place; luckily listening to Carrie she often used different voices and accents so I could follow along but it was like a weird stream of consciousness book with no real point to it.  If I had had any other books on CD in my car I would have added this to the DNF pile for sure. Thankfully it was only 4 disks long. 


6. Is It Any Wonder: A Nantucket Love Story by Courtney Walsh-- Not my favorite book of the month but not bad either.  I did find it was a pretty slow story and wished it had moved along a bit quicker at times.  Louisa is living in Nantucket and runs a concierge business and her whole world turns upside down the moment she discovers that Cody Boggs has moved back to the island.  These two were once young and in love until the drowning of Cody's father ripped their two families apart.  Torn between wanting to be together and discovering the secrets that are keeping their families apart this was a very slow burning love story.  



7. If you must know by Jamie Beck-- Sisters Amanda and Erin have rarely seen eye to eye; both content to live parallel lives in the same town only intersecting for family commitments.  Then one day Amanda's perfect little life begins to crumble and Erin faces some big changes of her own, added to that their mother's sudden forgetfulness and accidents and the two begin to see that they must pull together.  A wonderful story about family, forgiveness, and overcoming challenges. 



8. Summer Love by Nancy Thayer-- Four college kids meet and become friends on the island of Nantucket in the summer of 1995; now 26 later these 4 friends and their families are reunited.  The story was told in two parts-- that summer (1995) and this summer (2020).  That summer dealt with the summer the 4 college kid were working and what happened with them all to get them started on their various life paths.  This summer is the story of three of their offspring that meet at the reunion and hit it off; embarking on finding their own adventure on Nantucket for the summer.  I thought this was a really cute story with likable characters but at the same time I thought there would be a big secret reveal or some catalyst type moment but there wasn't really.  A pleasurable way to pass the time. 


9. Nightwork by Nora Roberts-- I was hooked from the very first page! Harry began stealing when he was just a boy; trying to support both him and his mom while she was fighting cancer.  As he grows and develops more skills the story takes on some pretty interesting dynamics.  I fell in love with this thief, with his morals, and was rooting for him.  When he falls in love with a girl he meets in college he's struggling with keeping his 2 lives separate then an old acquaintance shows up and threatens those he loves.  Harry flees and spends the next several years of his life trying to outrun the demons chasing him while still enjoying the occasional "nightwork."  A fun story with a satisfying ending and lots of little twists and turns and thoroughly enjoyable characters.  



10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover-- Oh this book was frustrating (in the best way!) and heartbreaking to read... I just wanted these two main characters to find love and happiness. When the story opens Tate is moving into her brother's apartment while she finishes up a few last classes to get her next certification in her nursing career.  Miles is broken and hurting and running from something in his past but finds himself attracted to Tate; unable to resist each other they strike up a deal for a no- strings sex relationship that is just bound to end in pain.  Told in alternating storylines-- one in the present day and one starting 6 years ago explaining Miles' story it was a gripping novel that I just loved. It made me cry though so you might want to keep some tissues handy. 


11. The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand-- I was a bit trepidatious about starting this novel since I haven't been a big fan of Elin's latest books but this one reminded me a bit of her old writing style and the story pulled me.  The Hotel Nantucket has been recently purchased and remodeled and is looking to open for it's very first season... with rumors of an old ghost circulating about and staff secrets Lizbet has her work cut out for her to turn the hotel into a 5 key resort.  A really cute story that made me wishing I was spending MY summer on Nantucket! I could have done without the ghost in the story but I really liked all the other characters and storylines. 




DNF:
Full by Julia Spiro-- I was so glad this was a free Kindle book because I didn't even make it through the 2nd chapter.  I didn't realize this book was about bulimia and I have such a hard time reading anything having to do with eating disorders (having battled them myself). Nowhere in the short blurb about the book does it mention the content and I found it much too graphic. 


 
Linking up with: Potpourri, 











Comments

  1. Oh what a great collection! Ugly Love was a great one- really enjoy her books and can't wait to dive into Hotel Nantucket next!

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  2. I'm reading If For Any Reason right now and am loving it! I love all of Colleen Hoover's books...and I know I read this one, but I can't remember it, for the life of me. I need to read Elin Hilderbrand's newer books...I skipped both the one from last summer and this one because of another review I read, but your review gives me hope!

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    1. So glad to hear you are loving If For Any Reason! I know just what you mean about Elin's books; I felt like it could really be hit or miss or me since so many of her newer ones weren't hits at all.

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    1. I thought it was so cute! I've already told Alec he needs to get it next after he reads Today, Tonight, Tomorrow (which he has on hold at our library right now).

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  4. Thanks for sharing the books you've read for June. After reading your review of Ugly Love - I think I will read it as my daughter has this book. Thanks for the blog visit and enjoy the rest of the week.

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  5. I love Nancy Thayer's books! I think I discovered her 30 years ago and have loved her ever since. I am on the wait list for the Nantucket Hotel. I actually just reread the Christmas on Nantucket books.

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  6. I have started reading again and I'm enjoying it. What a great selection of books. I love the sound of See You Yesterday.

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    1. It was so cute! Another great one by the same author was Today, Tonight, Tomorrow.

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  7. I’m always so thankful for book reviews, especially in the summer! These sounds so good!

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    1. I feel like I am such a wonderful reading streak lately! I pick a lot of my books based on other bloggers book reviews too.

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  8. Thank you for sharing your reads, Joanne! My favourite book publisher had a huge discount a couple of weeks ago and I bought everything I had on my list. I plan to take them when I go on summer holiday and read my heart out :)

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  9. What a great summer reading list. I'm impressed that you read so much fiction in one month. I enjoy fiction but at this time in my life, I'm reading so much non-fiction that I don't often get to it. Hopefully soon. :)

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    1. I rarely read non-fiction since I spent a large portion of my days reading them with the boys & their schoolwork.

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  10. See You Yesterday sounds like such a fun book. I'll have to look it up! I also want to look up Between Two Kingdoms. Thanks for sharing your list!

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  11. Oh my goodness you read so many books, and I want to add most of them to my reading wish list!! This is such a great batch! My reading list is a million miles long and I'll never get through it, but I'm excited to add some of these to it anyway!

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    1. My reading list is always a million miles long too and I know I'll never get through them all. It feels like for every book I read I find 5 or 6 more to add!

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  12. I am adding Hotel Nantucket and See You Yesterday to my must-read list -- thanks for the reviews/recommendations!

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  13. I always love hearing why you liked/disliked certain books. I haven't had much chance to read much this summer, but now I need to add a couple of those to my list.
    XOOX
    Jodie

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    1. Thank you! I try to give an honest opinion for those looking for something new to read.

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  14. I recently reread Ugly Love and didn't like it as much as the first time. Why were there so many chapters about Rachel?! He seemed way more into her. That last part where he called her Rachel... nope! Every time I got sucked into their story I felt pulled back out with the flashbacks. Hope you enjoyed it more than I did!

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    1. I liked it but I did think she was selling herself short by staying with him when he was so clearly not thinking of her most of the time they were together.

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  15. what a great list! I listened to a good girls guide to murder and barefoot by elin hildebrand. it sounds like we have similar taste in books. stopping by from anything goes link party and pinning your post!

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    1. I'm not sure if I've read Barefoot but I do tend to like most of Elin's books! Thanks so much for the pin!

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  16. Hi Joanne a great collection here and most I haven't read. That's what I love about our #WOYBS link up. Avid readers, sharing what books they have read and their thoughts and recommendations. Thanks for being a valued participant in our monthly What's On Your Bookshelf? challenge and I look forward to you sharing with us next month. x

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    1. I love seeing what others have read and recommend too!

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  17. Hi, Joanne - Thank you for joining us for WOYBS. I love your diverse reads and your candid reviews. You have provided very captivating sumnaries!

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  18. Thanks for joining us on WOYBS - and for bringing with you another eclectic collection. It's what I love best about this link up.

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  19. Wow you have read so many books in a month. I attended an online book event a year ago by Holly Jackson. Great author #BookWormsMonthly

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  20. This is an interesting selection and so many books read in a month! I haven't read any of them. I particularly liked the sound of Between Two Kingdoms.
    Popping over from At Home a Lot.

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    1. Thanks!! I try to read a wide variety of genres each month and I do read a lot.

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  21. I've been seeing a lot of Colleen Hoover in the Facebook reading community but I have yet to have a read anything from her. I'll get around to it :-P. I am very interested in "Between Two Kingdoms" -- that's definitely on my TBR.

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    1. There are some authors I have yet to get around to reading too! I think once you do get around to her, you'll enjoy them.

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