Reading Wrap Up June 2024

Welcome to my first reading wrap up here on the blog! I know this type of blog post will not interest everyone, but I’m using it more as a way to get my thoughts into words about my reads this month. I’m not a book critic, so these wrap-up posts are not going to be super long or complex. In addition to my June reading, I’m also going to be sharing what my TBR is for the following month! I think this will be a good way to keep me accountable about reading throughout the month, and it’s a fun way to plan out my next reads.

In the month of June, I read a total of three books. While I really had wanted to read one a week, I think I still did a great job considering one of the books was non-fiction. I haven’t read a non-fiction since college required reading. This was a huge accomplishment for me, so I’ll give myself a break for not reading four books.

My June Reads

I’ve been having a hard time lately figuring out what I want to do career/future wise. I have so many different interests, it’s hard to decide what to do in life! This self-help book targeted to millennials showed me I am not alone in my thinking, and there is nothing wrong with having multiple interests you want to explore.

My favorite part of the book was the explanation of climbing a ladder vs. jumping lilly pads. Instead of constantly seeking to climb the career ladder and make vertical moves, it is completely okay to jump from interest to interest in lateral moves. Pivoting may not be looked at in a positive light in today’s society, but everyone has their own path. You shouldn’t stay in a job you are unhappy in, and you definitely shouldn’t forget about other interests when they don’t align with your current job. Overall, this book was very encouraging and actually is part of the reason I started this blog! I knew this is something I’ve been wanting to do, I just needed the encouragement to take the leap of faith and just do it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with their future like I have been. If you go into it with an open mind, then you most likely will get a lot out of it. There are lots of exercises throughout to help you dive deep into your own life and thoughts. The writing is very conversational, and feels like a friend giving you advice.

This is the second book by Rachel Hawkins that I have read. The first book was good (I think I gave it 3 stars, which is solid), but this one really fell short. It is marketed as a thriller/mystery, but it is far from that in my opinion. The story follows some 20-somethings as they go on a trip in a house boat to a deserted island in need of some uninterrupted vacation time. They decide to spend two weeks there. You would think once they arrived the conflict and action would pick up, but it was lacking. The characters hung out drinking, eating, and laying on the beach. A strange man shows up to the island on his own boat, but he barely brings any action worth noting. I was not on the edge of my seat like I like to be when reading a thriller. I wasn’t wondering what was going to happen next, and that’s a huge issue to me.

I’m writing this about two weeks after finishing up this book, and I can barely remember what happened at the end. All I know is that it was weirdly written and anti-climatic. This book was extremely disappointing. I have a 3 book rule about authors: I have to read 3 books by them before coming to a set conclusion about their writing. I will give Rachel Hawkins one more chance to redeem herself before writing her off for good.

This was such a surprise read for me!! It started off slow, to the point where I just didn’t know what to think. I didn’t have a negative opinion, but also not a good one either. I had gotten 150 pages in and STILL felt this way! At some point while reading, things just clicked and it progressed on in a wonderful way.

The world in which this story takes place seems set back in history, during a time when women didn’t have many rights. All of the women are said to have magic, and during their 16th year, they must go live in a gated area away from civilization so they can rid themselves of their powers. One of the things I loved was the main character and her qualities. She is strong, kind, non-judgmental, and a leader. I also loved another character that shows up later on. I won’t say much because I want this to be spoiler-free, but the romance that comes out of this is so sweet. The exploration of female relationships throughout the book was interesting to read about. The ending was quite unexpected. I definitely shed some tears while reading the last 50 pages…it was such an emotionally raw, real ending.

I 100% recommend reading this book, no matter if you are male or female. If you can get through the slow-build start, the story will grab your attention until the very end. I am so glad I decided to read this book, and it was a great ending to my June reading!

July TBR

I just started the Ministry of Time, so that is definitely on my TBR to finish this month. I have heard so many good things about it from the book community. We are going to the beach for a week, so I wanted to include some beach reads on my TBR. Happy Place, Meet Me in Paradise, and The Safe Place are all books I will be taking to the beach. It’s my goal to finish all three when we are there, but we will see if that actually happens. Once we are back, I will most likely check out something from the library if I am done reading these four books from my July TBR. I can’t wait to update y’all at the end of the month with my reviews for my July reads!

If you missed my latest blog post, you can read it here.