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What did you read in ~~ June 2022
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Here are my June reads.
The Reading List by Sara Nisha AdamsRate 4/5
I enjoyed this heartwarming debut novel.
The story begins with Mukesh who is elderly and lives in London. He is recently widowed. His life has become sheltered and small.
Then there is Aleisha. She is a teen who has a summer job at the library. She hates the job and reading. Aleisha and her older brother are dealing with their mom who has psychological issues. Aleisha happens upon a book list and at the top of the list it says, ‘In case you need it'. The reading list then connects the characters in the novel. The novel is a tribute to the healing power of books and libraries.
Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: How Daring Dreams and Unyielding Friendship Turned One Man's Blindness into an Extraordinary Vision for Life by Sanford D. GreenbergRate: 3/5
Sandford while he was attending Columbia College lost his vision due to glaucoma. Mr. Greenberg’s roommate at college was Art Garfunkle, of Simon and Garfunkle fame. Art and many others were instrumental in helping Sandford finish college.
To his credit Sandford worked tirelessly day and night to graduate. He then attended Oxford, Harvard Law School and was a White House Fellow. He became a successful businessman and married and had children.
The writing was a bit choppy. I thought the first half of the book was the strongest. It sort of lost it’s way for me in the second half. For Mr. Greenberg's unstinting determination and will power I give him 5 stars. The book though due to the choppy writing and style is 3 stars. Three is good but does not exceed my expectations.
The Trials of Harry S. Truman: The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953 by Jeffrey FrankRate 2/5
If you already are well versed in the Truman administration and now are looking for some inside behind the scenes interaction between the people in his administration and Truman, this book is for you. It seemed to me many of the things that took place during the Truman administration were were poorly explained or quickly glossed over in favor of minutia.
I much preferred The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A.J. Baime . I gave that book 5/5 stars. Unfortunately, The Trials of Harry S. Truman: The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953 I gave 2/5 stars. Did not meet my expectations. Of course, your millage may vary.
The Authenticity Project by Clare PooleyRate 5/5
Audio Book
I really enjoyed this novel. It's the story of a Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian who decides to write in a plain everyday notebook a page about his circumstances. He then leaves the notebook in a cafe where he hopes someone else will pick it up and write a page honestly about themselves. The notebook brings together six strangers and leads to friendship and love.
I also have to say the narrator, Anna Cordell, was excellent and she added a lot to my enjoyment of the book.
Alias, I'm going to look for both The Reading List and The Authenticity Project. Thanks! Too bad Harry Truman was not as expected.
Nice month of reading!
Here are my reads for June:The Unquiet Bones - (3-star) - the first of a series. Like many first books there's a lot of backstory and character introductions, which can slow the story down. However, I really liked the story itself and the main character, Hugh de Simpleton. I hope to find more of this series to continue it. My library does not have the second book and a used copy is pricey. It looks like I'll have to buy the ebook.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ready Player Two - (audio; 4-star) - I enjoyed this story a lot. It is darker than Ready Player One and also told in a humorous manner that made it a fun read. Narrated by Will Wheaton, who is a great narrator.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Katharina Luther: Nun, Rebel, Wife - (3-star) - a warm, kind, story of Katharina's life from early childhood to just after the birth of her first child. It's a changing world she lives in. I found this book told her story in a gentle, kind way. I liked it. I knew nothing of Katharina before reading this book. I think I'd like to read a biography of her life one day.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Good Mother - (5-star) -a wonderful psychological telling of the circumstances of three woman. It shows their fears, flaws and outlooks. Each story held my interest throughout the book. I will look at this author's other books. She's a good author. I'm glad I picked this book up.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Petra wrote: "Narrated by Will Wheaton, who is a great narrator..."Nice month, Petra.
That's cool that Wheaton narrated the book. I know him from The Big Bang Theory. :)
I read a couple of Good Reads. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hiller. Solid 4 star read. I’m also working on a series by Ellery Adams & this month finished The Book of Candlelight. I’m really liking this series and now have my hands on the first in the series. Can’t wait to start. But the winner of the month was Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. 5 stars for me and the leader by far in best of the year! Really fun and funny. And last of June books was The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray. This 1 was fun too! Liked catching up with my favorite characters from Jane Austen’s books.
Lori, I have a hold on
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus I'm glad to hear it's a winner !
Sounds like you had really nice June reading month. Thanks for sharing.
Alias, you had a nice month of reading, despite the Truman problem. Well done.
Petra, your June reading sounds rewarding. I liked seeing that the first one has been on your list since 2015. It's encouraging. I've been trying to go back and read some oldies, too. When i like them, i am sorry i didn't get to them sooner! Of course.I added the Cline book. While i enjoyed Player One, i don't often read further into series, as i'm disappointed more often than not. Still, your words carried, so i added it to my TBR.
The Luther book sounds good. I've wondered about her life, so this would be a good intro without being burdened with research, so to speak.
Glad you shared with us.
Lori wrote: "I read a couple of Good Reads. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hiller. Solid 4 star read. I’m also working on a series by Ellery Adams & this month finished The Book of Candlelight. I’m really..."Lori, it's nice to read your favored June books. I read a couple of books by Ellery Adams last summer but my libraries had no more. I read The Secret, Book & Scone Society first, but had to skip the next (The Whispered Word, then read the one you read,
The Book of Candlelight. Were you ready to move into her caboose house? I sure was!
I have liked reading books written in this century which use characters from Austen's books, too. I've added The Murder of Mr. Wickham to my list. Have you read Longbourn--Jo Baker? I liked it quite a bit, although there is a turn to it...but i shan't spoil it. :-)
Thank you for sharing. Your comments on the Garmus novel have me considering it for my 100 Challenge list.
madrano wrote: "Alias, you had a nice month of reading, despite the Truman problem. Well done."Thanks, deb. The book certainly slowed my reading pace to a crawl.
That is why for my next few reads I selected light easy reads.
Hi, readers. It's been a while since I posted. I read this month (approximately) the following:The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold|60674653]. It was really the story of a couple of weird men trying to find a way to make a mark. Will move on to Michael Lewis the same topic. 3 stars
The Palace Papers by Tina Brown Good dish and Tina Brown is a writer, so lots of choice observations, too 5 stars if you're into the royals.
Napoleon: A concise biography prompted by my reading of...
The Compete Brigadier Gerard a treasure by Arthur Conan Doyle. I enjoyed both very thoroughly.
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Definitely worth reading. Let me know who you thought was most familiar.
Now reading Tim Miller's Why We Did It. Hoping he can explain how we got here from there.
Listened to The Man Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone. Now on The Last Train to Istanbul, but don't recommend it.
Always enjoyed finding new books in this space. Thanks for telling us what you're into. I promise to keep better track next time.
Michele
The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold--Sam Knight. For some reason the link you provided didn't appear, although the numbers did. I shared it because the book sounds up my alley. As a teenager i read all i could about such things, but there just wasn't much available in my smallish town. Did Jason Fagone write another book about code smashers or did you mean you read The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies? I read that one & ended up really liking Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Perhaps Fagone wrote another, about her husband who was also deciphered codes?
Thanks for sharing your titles, Michele. Like you, finding new books from this group is a joy. I'm heading for my iPad as soon as i finish posting here. Premonitions!
Yesterday i got online to post my June books but i see i never got around to it. Typical. Here are the highlights. I'm going to change the way i post & allow GR to summarize the book, while i just give my thoughts.The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code--Margalit Fox. Learning about Alice Kober, the US amateur who spent hour upon hour at her kitchen table working on deciphering Linear B was awe-inspiring. I felt Fox did a good job sharing about the different people who worked on the code, as well as shining light on Kober's contribution.
Nutshell--Ian McEwan. While this guy can write, i sometimes wonder at his topic. This in utero main character is totally beyond belief but i kept reading to find out how it all ends. At least it was short.
Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder--Mikita Brottman. A look at what happens after a son kills his parents, this book shared much information about the notion of "getting away with murder" by pleading insanity. Instructive, sad and frustrating story.
Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness--Pete Fromm. Truly unprepared college student writes about his experiences. There were times i wondered how he survived but i liked being an observer of his personal growth.
The Journalist and the Murderer--Janet Malcolm. Read for my 100 Challenge. Frankly, i didn't feel much empathy for either sides of the court case Malcolm covered. A convicted murderer or a lying journalist, out to make his buck? While presenting a balanced case, the author informed readers about some interesting aspects and problems of journalism.
Vivian Maier Developed: The Untold Story of the Photographer Nanny--Ann Marks. While i liked learning more about the "nanny photographer", as she was initially called, Marks delved into the psychological angles too much for my liking. There were a number of instances where i could see (identify?) with something Maier did but questioned the professional analyzer's diagnosis. Yet it was worth it to learn about Maier and see so many of her photos. And i liked that Marks explained how she tracked down some people by using those photographs. Neat.
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting--Clare Pooley. Perfectly fine novel that just bugged me because i finally figured out i don't like this kind of novel. LOL! Or LAS (Laughing At Self)? What i did like was Iona's personal story and love life was almost understated.
The Spy: A Novel of Mata Hari--Paulo Coelho. Short, unsatisfactory novel about how Margaretha Zelle became known as a spy, ostensibly written in the form of three letters. Was she a spy or a woman determined to life a life of luxury? The reader is left to decide.
Crooked Hallelujah--Kelli Jo Ford. While there were major flaws with this novel, i felt the presentation of borderline poverty Cherokee women was worth the problems i had. Fundamental religion is decently portrayed, imo, as well.
Michele wrote: "The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold|60674653]. It was really the story of a couple of weird men trying to find a way to make a mark. Will move on to Michael Lewis the same topic. 3 stars..."I wanted to add a PS. Not only was i able to get a hold on the Knight book but downloaded the one alluded to in Michele's post, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story--Michael Lewis. I'm looking forward to both now!
Michele wrote: "Now reading Tim Miller's Why We Did It. Hoping he can explain how we got here from there..."I listen to Miller on the Bulwark podcast. I'm looking forward to your review.
madrano wrote: "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting--Clare Pooley. Perfectly fine novel that just bugged me because i finally figured out i don't like this kind of novel. LOL! Or LAS (Laughing At Self)? What i did like was Iona's personal story and love life was almost understated. ..."
Sorry to hear this wasn't a winner for you. I do have it on my TBR list as I did enjoy her other book book The Authenticity Project
Nice reading month, deb. A good eclectic mix.
madrano wrote: "but downloaded the one alluded to in Michele's post, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story--Michael Lewis. I'm looking forward to both now!..."I've read and enjoyed other Lewis books. I've also seen him interviewed on the pandemic book. Sounds interesting.
madrano wrote: "The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold--Sam Knight. For some reason the link you provided didn't appear, although the numbers did. I shared it because the book sounds up my alley. As a teenager i read all i could about such things...."I also read about such things as a teenager. I'd grab up any book on the subject, just like you, Madrano.
madrano wrote: "Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder--Mikita Brottman. A look at what happens after a son kills his parents, this book shared much information about the notion of "getting away with murder" by pleading insanity. Instructive, sad and frustrating story...."I enjoy a true crime read occasionally. The details usually make me feel a bit ill about how easily humanity turns brutal, yet learning about what makes people turn into murderers is interesting, in a psychological way.
The story, though, is always sad.
Petra, i wonder what my mother thought of me. My reading consisted mostly of nonfiction books on the paranormal and plays. Yes, like Barefoot in the Park. It even sounds odd to me, now. :-)Re. true crime. I read them on occasion, probably not even twice a year. They can be disturbing, leaving one to marvel at human empathy and our lack of it. And the sadness of the stories.
This was why i thought the story about the institutionalizing would be worthwhile. Ultimately, the author seemed to indicate that the guilty person would be wiser to just admit the crime & pay the prison time because almost always the insane convictions are longer, at least as they play out.
Here are my June reviews - remember that three stars means okay, no regrets...Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism, and Online Dating by Kiera Van Gelder ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year by Robert Michael Pyle ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Memoirs of Hecate County by Edmund Wilson ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
After A Funeral by Diana Athill ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Crossing the Mangrove by Maryse Condé ⭐⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Re: The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism, and Online DatingJohn wrote: " I wasn't much interested in her personal life (boyfriends), which make up a fair amount of the story. What did work had to do with her therapist, and Buddhist practice, getting her to a point where she could detach for rational thinking when she felt her world overwhelming...."
Very nice reading month, John !
I too would be interested in the Buddhist practice and not so much her boyfriends. Do you think it's the type of book where I could dip in for the Buddhist aspects and be able to follow it if I didn't read the other parts ?
Alias Reader wrote: "Re: The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism, and Online DatingJohn wrote: " I wasn't much int..."
Sure, I skim less-interesting parts of books all the time.
Thanks ! I didn't know if would make sense if I just looked at the Buddhist parts.
John wrote: "Here are my June reviews - remember that three stars means okay, no regrets......"A neat crop of books explored, John. I've tagged a couple as something i'd like to read, including the Spark. My husband has read and enjoyed Weir's works, but he's quite a fan of this era, all the way through Elizabeth I. I'm glad you shared, John.
My reads were:The Alice trilogy by Christina Henry. It is a slight horror-book that transforms Alice in Wonderland to the modern time: After Alice met the rabbit she is put into a psychiatry and meets Hatcher. They escape and have to fight a big, all-destroying monster. On that way they encompass Mr. Cheshire, a walruss and a centipede (these are humans but are called like that for specific reasons). In the second book, it was a bout the heart queen and the third book was a collection of short stories. I really liked the modern variation of the Alice in Wonderland.
Wonder Beyond Belief: On Christianity: The muslim Navid Kermani writes about christian art and what it makes him think about. IT was interesting as I could learn about art and religion.
How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century: A book about dictators in the 20th century and how the personal cult helped them become one. It showed that once the personal cult declines they lose their might. Nice read.
Star Wars. 100 Seiten: Reclam 100 Seiten. A German book from the "100 pages"-series where a topic is described in 100 pages. I hoped to find a low-level introduction to star wars, the characters, the places and the story, but found a near-movie science discussion of the movies. The book wasn´t bad, it just wasn´t what I expected.
Florian wrote: "My reads were:The Alice trilogy by Christina Henry. It is a slight horror-book that transforms Alice in Wonderland to the modern time: After Alice met the rabbit s..."
The art book seems interesting.
Florian wrote:How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century: A book about dictators in the 20th century and how the personal cult helped them become one. It showed that once the personal cult declines they lose their might. Nice read.
.."
Nice reading month, Florian. How to be a Dictator sounds interesting. It's on my TBR list.
Eclectic reading month, Florian. I agree with John, the book about art sounds worth reading.
For my June reads were just under two handfuls. So here they are as follows:Dracul by Dacre Stoker - 5 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Ritual by Adam Nevill - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lords of the Deep by Tim Meyer - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Family Man by Anna Willett - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wax, Part One by Amy Cross - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Devil's Retribution by Debbie Boek - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wax, Part 2 by Amy Cross - 4 stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
That is my wrap for the month of June. I am continuing on with a series by author, Debbie Boek which consists of five books. The book Devil's Retribution was the second book in a five book series. Planning on reading the other three books soon.
Then I started a new series by author, Amy Cross one of my horror go-to female authors (I have read quite a few books by her) and I am reading that series with some buddies. So planning on finishing the six book series this month. Each book is super short - under 70 pages each so the series makes for a fast read.
Otherwise I feel I knocked some of these books off my tbr which is always an accomplishment. :)
Good month, Marie. Those first two sound great and your enthusiasm is a pleasure to read. I loved the comment about hiking during your review of The Ritual. Such books would have me questioning such an outing! Thanks for sharing with us. I put a couple on my TBR, even though my library doesn't have them.
madrano wrote: "Good month, Marie. Those first two sound great and your enthusiasm is a pleasure to read. I loved the comment about hiking during your review of The Ritual. Such books would have me questioning suc..."Thank you so much, Deb! :) Happy you added a couple of books to your tbr.
The only ones that I know of from my list that would maybe possibly be at the library is The Ritual and Dracul. The Ritual book is kind of well known in horror as it was also made into a movie and that is being shown on Netflix right now. Dracul is written by Dacre Stoker, who is the great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker so that book was at my library.
Always love to share my reviews over here. :)
Marie wrote: "For my June reads were just under two handfuls. So here they are as follows:."Well done tackling your TBR, Marie !
Marie, you called that right. Dracul was the only one i could find at my library & it has a 35 people waiting list. Yikes!
Alias Reader wrote: "Marie wrote: "For my June reads were just under two handfuls. So here they are as follows:."Well done tackling your TBR, Marie !"
Thank you so much, Alias! :)
madrano wrote: "Marie, you called that right. Dracul was the only one i could find at my library & it has a 35 people waiting list. Yikes!"Wow! That is crazy with a waiting list that long! I have never seen 35 before with my library. I think the most I have seen is 22 people waiting for a book.
The problem with having 35 people waiting - it would be at least a few months before there was no wait as one person usually is able to borrow a book for at least two weeks when it is on a waiting list. Normal time with no one waiting you can get a book out for three weeks.
Now remember though - that is the kindle books with that long of a wait. The physical books are another story. If you wanted to borrow the physical book the wait might not be that long. I would call your local library and ask them if the Dracul book was available and if there was a wait on it. They would be able to tell you if the physical copy was available or not.
Oddly, my library had no physical copies of the book! I wonder if this is a trend? Regardless, it leaves many readers dangling.
Alias, my library sometimes has a wait list of 50 or more. The latest Diana Gabaldon book had over 135 people on the wait list months before the book was published. When there are long wait lists, I add the book to my "For Later" shelf and occasionally check the For Later list to see if the wait list on the book has reduced. That way, I don't forget about the book.
I'll even, occasionally, try to request a book with a shorter wait list. Sometimes people pause their holds, so their place is saved but the book is available to take out.
Petra wrote: "Alias, my library sometimes has a wait list of 50 or more. The latest Diana Gabaldon book had over 135 people on the wait list months before the book was published. When there are long wait lists..."
I think you meant, Marie or Deb. However, I'll chime in on library wait lists. Being in NY, the wait on popular books is often a month or two. That is why I always have 10 (the limit) of books on hold. That way I never have to wait for a book. If one of the 10 comes in and I'm not ready for it, I can give it a date to deliver later. There seems to be no limit on how often I can do this with a book. Once I am at the top of the wait list, when I select, "as soon as possible" I often get it the same day or next as I am put number 1 on the list.
Alias Reader wrote: "There seems to be no limit on how often I can do this with a book. Once I am at the top of the wait list, when I select, "as soon as possible" I often get it the same day or next as I am put number 1 on the list...."It seems you have a strategy for grabbing the books off a wait list. Awesome! Are your wait lists long though up in NY?
I am wondering if the big cities are the ones that seem to have long wait lists compared to small towns. I live in Tampa but sometimes books that I think will be on long wait lists are usually available but then books I would think no one would be waiting for are on a wait list for three or four months.
I will give you all an example of one such book I wanted to read and it took me about a year to get it as though the wait lists were not too long - the book would not be in long before it was out again.
I did not add myself to the wait list though as there are two things I am not crazy about with being on a wait list: (1) you are only able to have the book out for two weeks and (2) you are not allowed to renew the book if someone is waiting.
I was wanting to read Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King and finally after a year I was able to borrow it as it became available. :) I was able to read that book and the second book. Now I am waiting for the third book End of Watch to become available so I can finish the trilogy. It seems everyone wants to read the third book for some reason as a few months ago it was always available but just when I want to read it then the book is unavailable. Figures! LOL
Marie wrote: It seems you have a strategy for grabbing the books off a wait list. Awesome! Are your wait lists long though up in NY?Depends on the book. I don't read many books on the bestseller list, so I usually don't have long waits.
It seems to me, Marie, that it is more a bigger city problem. NYC is in a category of its own but even Portland, OR, has longer waiting lists than Dallas. My sister’s small library almost always has books she wants available, even best sellers.My library has a “Wish List”, which i use like the later list mentioned above. Whenever i learn about a book that sounds appealing, i place it there. As Petra wrote, if the wait is too long i will just add the desired book to the Wait & keep checking.
Book Nook Cafe
Books mentioned in this topic
Dracul (other topics)Lords of the Deep (other topics)
Devil's Retribution (other topics)
The Family Man (other topics)
The Ritual (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Debbie Boek (other topics)Amy Cross (other topics)
Dacre Stoker (other topics)
Anna Willett (other topics)
Adam L.G. Nevill (other topics)
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Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for June 2022 were.
Please provide:
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