It’s that time of the month again! I’m here to review everything I read in June and plan out my reads for July. Overall it was a successful month in reading, I opted out of reading one of the books I initially committed to (too academic), but I finished seven books. Six of which i’d actually recommend! I’m excited for the books I have lined up in July, as I have A LOT of free time and several planned beach days.
WHAT I READ IN JUNE:
1.) A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum – This was the June Bad Bitch Book of The Month. It’s about a modern day arranged marriage that takes place in Brooklyn. It’s told from the perspective of three generations of Palestinian women. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend.
2.) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones – People feel passionately about An American Marriage; they either love it or hate it. Because of this, I’ve put off reading it– despite owning the book. However, I finally read it and now I truly can’t understand the haters. I absolutely loved this book, it ripped my heart out of my chest. It’s one of those books that everyone has read, so maybe you should too.
3.) Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – The “Spring in New York” book club i’m in chose this as the book of the month for June. Wow. What an incredible book. This is the memoir of a therapist and her experience going through therapy. Overall it was absolutely outstanding and I highly recommend it.
Buy Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
4.) Ghosted by Rosie Walsh – I love reading books in a British accent, but this book didn’t do it for me. The first half dragged, it was dreadfully boring. The second half was much better, and ending was solid. Still, it was mediocre. It’s the story of a man and woman that have a week long romance until suddenly he disappears.
5.) Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney – I’m a huge Sally Rooney fan. I absolutely loved her most recent novel Normal People, which led me to buy her first book Conversations with Friends. Not everyone subscribes to the sad-girl content that Rooney creates, but quite frankly it’s very much my jam. I’m not sure if it makes me pretentious or basic, but I suspect it’s a combination of both. If you have a lot of feelings, and you can leave your judgement at the door, I recommend all of her books.
Buy Conversations with Friends
6.) High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins – First of all, this book was gifted to me by my friends at Random House, so thank you guys! Seriously, THANK YOU. This book is an absolute gift. It’s the story of an addict who lives a double life– a devoted girlfriend to her police officer boyfriend, and a junkie on the side. Her lies catch up to her and she ends up in prison, but she overcomes her demons over time. This is a true story that really impacted me emotionally. I’ve had family members die of drug overdoes, and Tiffany had the humor and storytelling style that reminded me very much of one of them. I read this in one sitting, a plane ride, and at the end I had to lock myself in the bathroom to cry. Her story was essentially the trajectory that I wish so deeply that my loved ones could have followed. I bought a copy for my best friend, and sent it to her the next day. Buy this book.
7.) When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger – when I was soliciting book suggestions I asked for two things. One, I need to be able to find it at a Hudson News stand, as I under-packed books for a 24 hour trip. Also, under no circumstance will I be reading a book that will make me cry. When Life Gives You Lululemons is essentially the Real Housewives of Greenwich, CT. It was just the kind of book I was looking for– full of designer name-drops and rich with NYC-specific content. Was it particularly memorable? Not really, but it’s the perfect book to read on the beach with a mojito in the other hand.
Buy When Life Gives You Lululemons
WHAT I’M READING IN JULY:
1.) Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – Every month I try to read at least one book that everyone-but-me has read. This month, I have a few on deck. I’ve heard great things about Eleanor Oliphant. I started it yesterday, and so far i’m intrigued, but not overly invested. Everyone else is excited for me though, I’ve had many DMs.
Buy Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
2.) Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston- This month’s Bad Bitch Book Club selection is about the First-Son of the USA falling in love with the Prince of Wales. Though we typically only read books with female protagonists, in this story the president of the USA is a woman, and the author is also female. Also, I feel guilty we missed out on a pride month selection, so #betterlatethannever
3.) Mostly Dead Things by Kristin Arnett – My general rule is that if I follow you on twitter and like you, i’ll probably buy your book. In Mostly Dead Things, Jessa-Lynn goes to work at the family’s taxidermy shop to find her father has killed himself right there in the store. I’m excited to read this weird story that has been selling out like crazy.
4.) The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand – I love an Elin Hilderbrand novel. Who doesn’t? Her perfectly placed Nantucket love-stories, the cheesy names she selects for her characters. There is nothing better than Hilderbrand by the beach. So, obviously, that is how I plan to spend my summer. This time, about twins at odds–living in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Can’t wait to dive in.
5.) Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – This is the story about a widow who lives in Maine, who is given a second chance at enjoying her life. It was gifted to me by Random House, and I’ve heard great things! I’ll be going to Maine this month, so i’m looking forward to reading it there 🙂
That’s all I’m committing to, but seeing as I’m gone nearly every weekend this month– you’ll probably see a lot more than five reviews in our August book list. Most likely 10. Do we think I can beat my June record?!
