June Wrap-Up

June 2018 Wrap-Up 

Thanks to The Book Date for hosting Month in Review!

June went by so quickly.  Summer has been relaxing.  I am hoping July is a bit more productive but still just as enjoyable.  Here is a summary of what I read and posts I have this month.  It looks like I have only 3 books completed in June for a 2018 total of 29 books read.  I still am on track to get 50 this year!

COMPLETED BOOKS- All books this month were 4 or 5 stars

One of Us is Lying by (my review)

The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clementine Wamariya

 (my 5 star review) 

There is Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman (my review)

Currently Reading-  

 

The Subway Girls is fantastic historical fiction. It releases on July 10th (thank you, Netgalley) and I can't stop listening to Eleanor Oliphant on Audiobook.  Her insights and observations about daily life are spot on and hysterical.

Challenge Updates-

Audiobook Challenge- 2 in June for a total of 15 out of 15 read this year. (I'll have an update post about this soon and my updated goal, yay for Audiobooks!)

Nonfiction Challenge- 1 read in June 2018 total=5  (year goal 9)

Book Bingo Challenge-  1 squares completed (a book that made me angry, I learned so much from the Girl Who Smiled Beads and I was angry at times with the struggles so many in the world face)

TBR Pile Challenge- 0 read this month, I'm way behind in this challenge!

Other June Posts-  I was a bit behind, so I used June to catch up on mini reviews from April and May. Here are the 4 most visited ones.

May Wrap-Up

Top Ten Tuesday June 26th

Tangerine and The Broken Girls

How to Walk Away

Top Ten Tuesday- June 26th

Top Ten Tuesday-  The Book Series Edition

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosing TTT

Book Series I currently LOVE -

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley- A bookclub I am in has read the 4 already published books.  There is an underlying mystery with who is PaSalt, but the characters, setting and stories are just beautiful.  I have enjoyed listening to all of these books as audiobooks and can't wait for the next few books in the series.  Book #1 is my favorite, but I have enjoyed them all!

The Shadow Sister #3 (review here)

The Pearl Sister #4 (review here)

No Publication date yet set for Book #5 in the USA.

Dr. Schwartzman Series by Danielle Girard

I think I got the first book in this series from the Amazon First program for Prime Members.  I loved the 2nd book just as much and can't wait to read the 3rd book that comes out next month.  This follows a medical examiner as she lives life while being followed by her ex-husband.  It is the perfect amount of mystery and medical info during autopsies.  4 star books!

 My Review of Excise

Publication date- July 24th 2018 (I can't wait!!)












Sydney Rose Parnell-By Barbara Nickless

These books are about a railroad police special agent and her K9 partner Clyde. These books are heavy on the mystery and can be a bit graphic with the crime descriptions but I love the main character and her struggles and successes.  Another great series I found with Amazon First Books.
Book # 3 Ambush will be out in 2019

Book Series I USED to Like (but won't read future books)

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale-  (My review here)
I really enjoyed reading this book and it was well received at book club too!  I did not like the epilogue of the book (which was a chapter from the 2nd book in the series).  I should have known not to read Book #2, but I read it anyways and it just made me done with the whole series.  I know that book #3 comes out soon.  I wish this author the best of luck, but I liked the first book as a standalone only!

Good Hope Series by Cindy Kirk
I read books 1-4 and enjoyed them (3-4 star books), but I feel like I have overstayed my welcome in the town of Good Hope.  I like that this book has characters with upstanding values and that make good choices, but I am not interested in reading about the sisters (all named after flowers) anymore!

A few other series that I started but won't finish-

The Gibson Vaughn Series by Matthew Fitzsimmons- I really enjoyed The Short Drop, but Poisonfeather didn't do it for me.  I don't think I have the energy for book #3 (which has ok reviews or #4 when it comes out this fall)

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series)-  I enjoyed books 1-3 and while I respect that David Lagercrantz took over books #4 from the original author's (Steig Larsson) notes, I respectfully bow out.  I know that Book #5 is coming out soon, but I will pass!



I am excited to Blog Hop and see what others have picked. I am sure there are many I will think..... "Oh I should have put that on my list!"  I didn't include any YA or Children's books but there are many series that I LOVE  (Piggie and Elephant by Mo Willems anyone??!!?)

Something in the Water

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

This book had me hooked right away! From the beginning I was curious what had happened leading up to her activity in the first chapter. The flashback to the events leading up were important character building, and then about 30% in the book picked up and didn't stop. I like how all of the different plot lines played a big role, the documentary subjects, the honeymoon, Mark's job etc. This book was a perfect mix of mystery, character development, and a great adventure. I listened to this as an Audiobook and I loved hearing the author read the book she wrote and it read just as she intended the voices to be. Reese Witherspoon picked this book for her June bookclub and although I don't tend to follow all celebrity book picks, this was a great recommendation!4.5 Stars

The Girl Who Smiled Beads- Nonfiction Friday

The Girl Who Smiled Beads 

by Clemantine Wamariya

This book is an important read. It is heartbreaking at times, but I learned so much through Clemantine's eyes. I like how she alternated between more recent times and her past as she and her sister struggled to find their way in Africa after leaving Rwanda. Her struggles of adapting to life in the US are especially important to remember when working with ELL students.  The perseverance shown by both Clementine and Claire was amazing. I also appreciated the rawness of the story and that this wasn't a perfect read tied up with a bow. While her story is her own, I know that this book can teach others about the struggles of refugees from war torn countries all over the world. I highly recommend this book to those that are open to listening and learning. I know this book will stick with me for awhile.  

5 STARS

Thanks to Dewey Decimal for hosting Nonfiction Friday

One of Us is Lying

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Overall I liked this book. I enjoyed the relatable characters and the mystery throughout had me curious. There is something about the "solving" of the mystery that I didn't love. This is a book we read for book club so I am curious to see how what others in the group think. I loved that the book was told from 4 different view points with insight into life for HS students. This was one that I didn't want to put down and the short chapters enticed me to read on! Overall a great read. I think I would have loved this book in High School since I don't remember reading good mystery books at that age! 4 Stars!

The Deep Dark Descending

The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens

This is a great book! It came recommended from Goodreads friends and I am so glad I read the books in this series. I was hooked from the beginning and loved experiencing the struggle Max Rupert went through. It had the perfect amount of mystery too. I listened to it as an Audiobook and the author was perfect for the story.  

Books in the Series-

Book # 1- The Life We Bury  (my review here)- I liked it so much more than expected!

Book #2 The Guise of Another -I didn't read this book, it seemed the easiest one (based on reviews) to skip in the series.

Book #3- The Heavens May Fall (my review here)- I specifically read it before book #4, it kept me guessing.

Book #4- The Deep Dark Descending-  If you can only read 2 books had #3 and #4.  I loved #1 though too but it is loosely tied to books #3 and #4 and The Life we Bury can be a stand alone.

I Have Lost My Way

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

I love all three characters in this story. They all had their own problems and challenges and they unexpectedly meet in Central Park. The story takes place over one day as they work together to help each other without realizing how much they are also helping themselves. Their individual struggles and their growth together made this book absolutely perfect. Each character was so different but as the story continued I was rooting for all three characters equally and shared in their changes. While I couldn't directly relate to any of the characters from my life experiences the author did an amazing job of pulling me into the story and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. This book is YA, yet it appeals to readers of many genres and I will be recommending to many. Thanks to BookishFirst and Penguin Random House publishing for the opportunity to read this book.  4 Stars!

The Good Liar

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

 Another great book from Catherine McKenzie! I enjoyed the suspense in this story as I worked to unravel exactly what happened before and after the explosion in Chicago. The three narrators in the story are all well done and short enough chapters that kept me reading "just one more." Cecily is my favorite character and I enjoyed reading about her life as a mom and friend. The stories are all intertwined and the character are relatable but flawed. The title was always on my mind while reading and my theory changed more than once on the significance of the " The Good Liar" thoughout. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this great book. 4.5 Stars!

Every Note Played

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

4.5 Stars! Lisa Genova does it again! I am so impressed with how this book was written in that I felt for the characters but also learned so much at the same time. The challenges experienced by the characters were 100% realistic and the alternating view points of Richard and Karina was so well done. I l0ved hearing about Richard's music career and also I learned so much about ALS that it wasn't forced upon me but was done through his experience as the disease progressed. I listened to the audio version that was well done by both narrators. Highly Recommended!

How To Walk Away

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but with the first chapter I felt like Maggie was my friend. Various aspects of a tragedy are addressed and it all came together beautifully. There was only one storyline towards the end that I thought likely would not have happened (no spoilers.....why did the whole family travel to that event?), but overall the book was well researched and I enjoyed reading it. I think so many families in Maggie's situation would have done the same thing and I can only imagine how much a traumatic injury affects life for all involved.I loved seeing the growth and development for Maggie, Kit, and Ian throughout. Overall a great book that I highly recommend. While it deals with a tragic topic, the book isn't a depressing book and I enjoyed the bits of humor too. Thanks to Bookish First for putting this book on my radar and St.Martin's press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! 5 Stars

May Wrap-up

May Wrap-Up

I am a few days late but wanted to review the books I read this May.  I am hoping June has cooler weather to sit and read on the patio in the afternoons!  I read more Audiobooks in May which is a surprise!

COMPLETED BOOKS- 5 total, 3 Audiobooks

Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosby- 3 stars (Audiobook)This book was funny but not one I would recommend to others!

                                 
 
The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go- by Amy Reichert (Netgalley)-
(my review here)





Tangerine- Christine Mangan (link to my review)  Audiobook

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (link to my review) Audiobook











Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton (link to my 5 Star review)
This was my favorite of the month and well loved by all in my bookclub!










Currently Reading:
I love this book so far!  I am listening to the Audiobook and the narrator is wonderful.  While the story is heartbreaking I am learning so much and I appreciate her perspective from her childhood and refugee experience.

 Up Next:
June Releases!  Both of them are in at the library, so I'll be reading them next!

  

I am a bit behind in blogging but have recommitted to keeping up and will be doing a mid-year review for the challenges coming up soon!


Thanks for visiting and special thanks to the end of the month hosts!

Book Date and Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Tangerine and The Broken Girls

I'm changing it up today and giving you 2 Audiobook mini-reviews.  I give 4 stars to both of these books.  Although very different both books had me engaged and wanting more!

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
I could not stop listening to this book. I was completely hooked on the girls of Idlewild and Fiona! I am not always a fan stories with a ghost, but this one worked so well for me. I am so glad I read so many positive reviews from my Goodreads friends and decided to give this book a try!
















Tangerine by Christine Mangan
I liked this book with the 2 unreliable narrators. The descriptions of life in Tangier made it even more interesting. I liked the suspense-fulness of the book but wish there was more to the ending. The audio narration was well done and made for a good overall read.  This book played mind games with me a bit and was dark, but fascinating!