June seems to have been another long month and a month where I have read very few books. Throughout June, I have read a total of 6 books, which is quite poor for me.
So, I am back with another what I’ve read this month post! I have some thoughts that I wanted to share on the books I read throughout June. Here is a bunch of mini reviews for the books I read in June.
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge.
I bought this after seeing a couple of amazing reviews about it and I wanted to highlight how amazing this book is. It is a collection of short stories all written by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock that intertwine over the course of the book. I flew through it wanting to know how each story connected to the next. The writing is incredible and captivating and I’ll be reading another book by this author very soon. If you haven’t picked this book up yet I cannot recommend it enough!
★★★★
Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin
Derry. Summer 2016. Aidan and Iona, now eighteen, were both born on the day of the Northern Ireland peace deal.
Aidan is Catholic, Irish, and Republican. With his ex-political prisoner father gone and his mother dead, Aidan’s hope is pinned on exam results earning him a one-way ticket out of Derry. To anywhere.
Iona, Protestant and British, has a brother and father in the police. She’s got university ambitions, a strong faith and a fervent belief that boys without one track minds are a myth.
At a post-exam party, Aidan wanders alone across the Peace Bridge and becomes the victim of a brutal sectarian attack. Iona witnessed the attack; picked up Aidan’s phone and filmed what happened, and gets in touch with him to return the phone. When the two meet, alone and on neutral territory, the differences between them seem insurmountable.
I would never have heard of this book if it was not for Sarah from The Little Contemporary Corner and I am so glad that she brought this book to my attention. It is such a hidden gem of a book with such a captivating storyline. Sue Divin is going to be a new auto-buy author for me based on this book alone. It is a beautiful and heart-breaking debut novel that I cannot recommend enough.
★★★★
Snapshot Books!
Here is a little snapshot of 3 of the books that I’ve read this month along with the rating I gave them. I enjoyed them all and definitely recommend them!
- Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar – ★★★★
- XOXO by Axie Oh – ★★★★
- Off the Record by Camryn Garrett – ★★★★
An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down.
She’s too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.
Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart–
It’s broken.
I discovered Tahereh Mafi’s writing through her contemporary book A Very Large Expense of Sea which I read quite a while ago. As I am not a fan of fnatasy books I had never read another of her books. But, the minute I knew she had another contemporary book on the way I pre-ordered it and read it as soon as it arrived. Once again, Tahereh Mafi has written a beautiful book full of quotes that I’ll remember for a long time and one that I would highly recommend.
★★★★
Statistics
Books read this month: 6
Pages read this month: 1,990
Books read this year: 54
Pages read this year: 18,481
There you have it, that is everything I read in June! What have you read in June and what are you looking forward to reading in July? Let me know in the comments!
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