June 2020 Wrap Up
[image error]
June 2020 Wrap Up
My reading in June felt slow and honestly, inadequate. I find that when my personal life gets tough my reading takes a hit because it’s hard to focus. I’m used to reading every day and going from one book to the next, so it’s hard when I can’t focus and days go by without being able to read. I like to switch gears when I feel like this and refram my headspace. I start by recognizing that sometimes I need to channel energy into other things and sometimes I need a distraction that is not reading. And that’s ok! I have to advocate for myself when my brain wants to bring me down a bit. Then (of course), when I sat down to compile the books I’ve read, there were more than I thought! On top of that, I had some GREAT reads this month. I read my first Scottoline book (audiobook) and it was fantastic. It’s a mother/daughter duo and I can’t wait to read more of their books. I read a classic that’s been on my tbr for ages, thanks to an Instagram friend (The Great Gatsby), and I read a recommendation from another friend (Words in Deep Blue), which I loved. I also read some translated literature from the Caribbean (Coming Up Hot). I flew through a fantastic memoir (Black Klansman) and read a book that “everyone” was reading (Normal People). So, truly, it was a good month, even though it didn’t feel like it.
I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella (audiobook) ~ 5 stars
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley ~ 5 stars
Book Love by Debbie Tung ~ 5 stars
Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth ~ 5 stars
The Warehouse by Rob Hart (ebook) ~ 4 stars
Lacks Self-Control: True Stories I Waited Until My Parents Died to Tell by Roy Sekoff (audiobook) ~ 4 stars
The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald ~ 4 stars
Edison and the Electric Chair: A Story of Light and Death by Mark Essig ~ 4 stars
Coming Up Hot: Eight New Poets from the Caribbean by Peekash Press (Editor) Featuring poems from Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné, Danielle Jennings, Ruel Johnson, Monica Minott, Debra Providence, Shivanee Ramlochan, Colin Robinson, and Sassy Ross. With a preface by Kwame Dawes. ~ 4 stars
Normal People by Sally Rooney ~ 3 stars
Summing it up: Looking back over the month, I feel really good about what I read and it’s a good reminder that sometimes you need to take a step back and not beat yourself up (and this applies for so much more than ‘not reading enough’). Wishing you all the happiest reading and feeling the best about what you read (no matter your expectations)!
Best, Abbey
