2023 - 06 - found-family - What did you read?

[PAS, Moderator AC]

June Shelf is found-family

What did you read and how did you like this 'family'?

[Meg]

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This story was charming and easy to read. Once I got my head around the concepts and characters it was very engaging. A few tears were definitely shed (especially the second story). It involves time travel but there's no sci fi or history, it's more about missed connections. It worked well for found family.

Read for seriously serial + 15/15
I nominate past-and-present

[Marina]

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro - 4 stars

(view spoiler)[Have I just read a darker version of Harry Potter? With a pinch of Lord of the Rings for good measure? Possibly. (hide spoiler)] But I still enjoyed the book immensely and looking forward to book 2, which apparently won't be out until next year.

It's a very dark novel, with quite a lot of gore, too, so if you don't like this, you should probably steer clear of it. Definitely fantasy though, not horror. A little too action-packed at times, especially in the end – it seemed over the top. It was a solid 5 stars in the first part, then the similarities with the books I mentioned in the spoiler bothered me too much. I was even thinking 3 stars by the end, but I gave it 4 because it was very entertaining. It didn't feel like a 600+ pages chunkster at all.

Read for 15 for 15 prompt 6.
I nominate parody.

[Meg]

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
4 stars

This is the third book in the The Thursday Murder Club series. If you like this series, you will like this book. The characters are delightful and the mystery kept me intrigued throughout. The four main characters make a great found family, and in this installment their family grows to add a couple of interesting new characters.

Read for 15/15 and seriously serial
I nominate thriller

[Beverly]

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 4 stars


This book has been on my TBR forever. I really just wanted to see why it was so popular, and I'm still not sure. I enjoyed the book, but was not blown away. This genre is not exactly my first choice, but I did really enjoy the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

[Joanna]

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey
5 stars

I loved this book. The characters are wonderful. We so rarely get female politicians who are powerful, openly ambitious, and self-reflective about their machinations. We also get another fabulous female character, the big and touch Bobbi Draper. I hope that these are characters who continue to have presence in the rest of the series. I enjoyed the first book of this series; I adored this one. I'm excited to read more books in this universe. Maybe I'll even watch the tv show.

The narrator for the audiobook is excellent. The book is gripping in audio format. I hope they stick to the same narrator for the rest of the series because he made this book so fun to listen to.

Used for Seriously Serial, By the Month, 15/15
I nominate microhistory.

[Susan]

I read two books this month, neither of which I'd known about before. Both were wonderful, and definitely fit the category.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a fantasy book appropriate for all ages from juvenile up. It could be fun to read together with a child who quickly tires of reading, though the chapters are very short to help that a lot.

In the Lives of Puppets is one I would offer to a mature teenager, but probably to no-one younger. I think the author may have been aiming for an adult audience. (It includes queer romance and references to sex, though no overtly sexual acts. ) It has a bit of science fiction and a bit of fantasy.

But mostly, what both books have are unique characters who are considered misfits by their societies (and probably by ours), but who are nevertheless wonderful to get to know, people I'd love to have as friends.

[Kristina Simon]

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune 4 stars

T.J. Klune writes some seriously good found family stories. I was first introduced to him though The House in the Cerulean Sea and I very quickly picked up Under the Whispering Door. Loved them both.

Wolfsong was good, too. Great characters. Wonderful found family vibes and I will continue reading the rest of the series. A word of warning though - this isn't like his later books. It was originally published by an indie publisher that specializes in M/M romances. It's a lot more graphic during the sexy times. Fine, if you know that's coming and don't mind (which I did and I don't), but it's not for everyone. And it is most definitely for adults.

I'm looking forward to reading In the Lives of Puppets as soon as I can get my hands on it. The library wait list is crazy long.....

PAS Challenge(s) used for: By the Month... (2023); Fifteen for Fifteen (2023) - prompt 12; and Seriously Serial (2023)

I nominate: Queer

[Rosemary]

I forgot to post, but I did finish The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo before the end of June.

I'm not sure how it finds "found family", but I loved it and couldn't put it down!

[Bea]

I read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I gave this book 4*. It was definitely a "found family" of misfits. I really enjoyed this book, so much that (much as I might cover my eyes during a suspenseful movie) I kept putting it down when one of my favorites was in trouble only to come immediately back to see if they survived!