2019 Reads | June Wrap Up! Pt. 1

WOW! Here we are at the mid point of the year and the end of one of my best reading months this year, if not EVER! I read a total of 18 books just in the month of June bringing my total for the year up to 71, so far. Half of these books were audiobooks and half were print books. Also in the month of June I was able to meet Brigid Kemmerer, Nisha Sharma, and Alex London at an event here in Delaware and I got a bunch of books signed by them!

Eighteen books is a pretty overwhelming number for me so I am going to review them in two parts. I have already reviewed three of the books in my last update at the beginning of June (How to Love, Here We Are Now, and Esperanza Rising). So the June wrap up posts are going to include the other 15 books – the first 8 in this post and the second 7 in another post later this week. Here we go!

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

CW: Suicidal thoughts/attempts, depression. This book was a curious read. Finch and Violet were intriguing enough but I just found the story lacking. It accomplished what it came out to do, I think, but I would much rather read My Heart and Other Black Holes if I am going to read a book about two kids contemplating suicide. It just wasn’t a compelling story for me, I didn’t connect with either of the characters and their actions didn’t make any sense. I feel like opportunities for character development and supportive characters were lost. I feel like I understand why the author made the choices they made but ultimately it didn’t work for me.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was an amazing audio book to read! I loved that they gave distinctive voices to the characters, it really helped with the reading of the story. This was my first TJR book and I am HOOKED! I love the interview style of the story and Hugo’s personality. I really enjoyed how atmospheric the story was, it felt like I was sitting there with Monique listening to Evelyn tell her story and felt all of the shock and excitement and pain as each new bit of Evelyn’s history was revealed. I don’t pay much attention to celebrities IRL but this was so intriguing it made me want to read more of these kinds of books, which lead me to Daisy Jones later this month.

The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks

This was a great closure to a wonderful graphic novel series. I really enjoyed the development of the story and the characters. I can’t talk too much about the plot of this final installment but I can definitely say this trilogy was worth the read. Hicks’ art and story telling is wonderful and I definitely need to get my hands on more of her work. I can’t wait until her Pumpkin Heads project with Rainbow Rowell is out later this year, I have a feeling it will be fantastic.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

This was such a beautiful, inclusive, and feminist graphic novel. I loved the concept of the story, these kick-ass women and NB characters flying around in space, restoring ruins while also getting to know each other and helping Mia reunite with her long lost love. I read it super quickly and just adored the characters and the story to pieces.

A Room Away from the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

** spoiler alert ** CW: abuse, suicide, suicidal ideation. I struggled a little to get used to Nova Ren Suma’s writing style with this one. It was very reminiscent of Leslye Walton’s writing style as they are both very lyrical and metaphorical which can take some adjusting after reading a lot of contemporary and fantasy that aren’t written that way. Once I got used to it I really did enjoy the story and the magical realism that surrounded the main character Bina and the tenants of Catherine House. I feel like this story would have done better to use some other plot device aside from suicide/attempted suicide to revolve around because it seemed unnecessary to me. Some parts of the story still confuse me and gives me like a LOST vibe where I know my questions will never have answers because that is just how it is.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

CW: Suicide, suicidal ideation, grief

I never realized how heavy Gayle Forman’s books can be but this being my third book by her I realized that she does deal with some pretty weighty subjects. I think this is my favorite of Forman’s books that I’ve read because it felt more real than the others. Cody deals with some pretty hefty grief and moving on after her friend Meg commits suicide and there was just a lot going on that I feel like was dealt with pretty well.

Thornhill by Pam Smy

I spotted this on the new books shelf at the library and decided to pick it up because it reminded me of the format of Brian Selznick’s books with the prose and pictures working together to tell the story. I did not realize however that I was signing myself up for heartbreak. This story was super sad and my heart just ached for Mary and Ella, the two main characters. You could feel their loneliness just seep out of the pages and settle into your chest throughout the story. I enjoyed the format of having the parallel timelines and the ghost aspect. Damn that ending though!

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

I really enjoyed the overall story of The Belles. I listened to this on audio so it could be completely the format and my fault, but I sometimes just couldn’t wrap my head around the magic/arcana system. I found the world to be really interesting and it felt vaguely “Uglies”esque with the whole, making people pretty at a price kind of deal but it was still super unique. I am interested in picking up the next book, I may read it this time though so I can pick up on the intricacies of the world a little bit better. I found Camille to be a decently compelling main character but honestly I feel like the overarching plot will hold my attention more than just her involvement in it in the next book. We shall see.

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Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

Keep your eyes out for part 2 later this week!