Sunday, June 30, 2019

Goodbye June - Mid Year Reading Progress


June was a very good reading month for me, probably because it was hot, I had some cranky days and I mostly felt like staying indoors with the AC on. I found myself venturing out in the early mornings for yoga, groceries etc and some lunches and/dinners out.  I was able to hook up with (3) high school friends for dinner (we do this a few times a year) and it was so much fun. The hub and I headed to Cape Cod for a weekend, it was an okay getaway but, super windy while we were there. 

 School is out and this past week I got to see Toy Story 4 with 2 of the granddaughters which was fun.; the sisters are headed to grade K and Grade 2.  The youngest granddaughter graduated from pre-school and will also be in full-time K in September.


A few Pics from June













Books - I read (17)  books in June and, I posted short reviews for most of them.  (82 books YTD).

  In June my armchair travels kept me mostly here in the USA with the exception of a brief stint in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Australia and the UK. The US states visited were:  Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, Florida, New York and West VA.

I enjoyed most of my June picks a few were just okay.  These (3) were favorites.


What I Read
  1. The Secretary; Renee Knight - 4/5 (ARC-June)
  2. The Night Visitors; Carol Goodman - 4/5 (print/library-June)
  3. The Ditch; Herman Koch - 3/5 (eGalley-June)
  4. Dopesick; Beth Macy - (NF) - 5/5 (audio/library-June)
  5. Mama's Last Hug; Frans de Waal  (NF) - 4.5/5 (print/library-June)
  6. The Mother-in-Law; Sally Hepworth - 4/5 (audio/library-June)
  7. Captivated; Jeffrey Deaver (short story - audio) - (3/5 - June)
  8. Stone Mothers; Erin Kelly - 3.5/5 (ARC-June)
  9. Memories of Another Day; Harold Robbins - 3.5/5 - (audio-June)
  10. No Exit; Taylor Adams - 4/5 (eGalley-June)
  11. Restoration Heights; Wil Medearis - 3.5/5 (ARC-June)
  12. Evvie Drake Starts Over; Linda Holmes - 4/5 - (audio/ARC combo - June)
  13. Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls (memoir); T. Kira Madden - 5/5 - (NF-June)
  14. What Alice Forgot; Liane Moriarty - 4/5 (print/book group-June)
  15. The Better Sister; A. Burke 3.5/5 (ARC-June)
  16. Sunset Beach; Mary Kay Andrews 4/5 (print/audio/combo/library-June)
  17. As We Are Now; May Sarton - 4.5/5 (print/library-June)
Breakdown

Fiction - 14  NF - 3  - YTD - 82

Audios - 6
eBooks - 2
print     - 5
ARCS/Review Books - 5
audio/eBook Combos - 2
Borrowed from Library - 7
Off my Shelves - 6
July Plans
(so far)


  • The Last Resort; Marissa Stapley - The Harmony Resort promises hope for struggling marriages. Run by celebrity power couple Drs. Miles and Grace Markell, the “last resort” offers a chance for partners to repair their relationships in a luxurious setting on the gorgeous Mayan Riviera.
  • The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted; Robert Hillman - A tender and wise novel about love, family, and forgiveness in 1960s Australia, in which a lonely farmer finds his world turned upside down by a vibrant woman determined to open the first bookstore his town has ever seen--and to leave her haunting memories of the Holocaust far behind.
  • If She Wakes; Michael Koryta - Two women fight for their lives against an enigmatic killer in this electrifying novel from a New York Times bestselling author and "master" of thriller writing (Stephen King).
  • Women Rowing North: Navigating  Life's Currents & Flourishing As We Age; M. Pipher - Women growing older contend with ageism, misogyny, and loss. Yet as Mary Pipher shows, most older women are deeply happy and filled with gratitude for the gifts of life. Their struggles help them grow into the authentic, empathetic, and wise people they have always wanted to be.
  • Ask Again, Yes; Mary Beth Keane - A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
    • Hope everyone had a great month!

    Posted by at
    Labels:

    10 comments:

    1. Brian's Home BlogJune 30, 2019 at 7:08 PM

      Such an impressive and fun reading list!

      ReplyDelete
    2. bermudaonionJune 30, 2019 at 7:39 PM

      How can the year be half over already? You had a great reading month!

      ReplyDelete
    3. fredamansJuly 1, 2019 at 10:05 AM

      You had a great month for reading, I guess hot weather is a good and bad thing. You get to stay in and read at least. :-) Happy July!

      ReplyDelete
    4. JoAnnJuly 1, 2019 at 12:37 PM

      June was a great reading month here, too... thanks to the mostly dreary weather. I thought Dopesick and A We Are Now were both excellent. Will have to try your third top choice!Hope you love Ask Again, Yes. It was a 5-star read for me.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Helen's Book BlogJuly 1, 2019 at 3:25 PM

      June sounds like a good month and how great that you now get to spend time with your grandkids. I leave on vacation on Thursday so I'll miss reading blogs, but am excited to really step away from work.

      ReplyDelete
    6. stacybuckeyeJuly 2, 2019 at 8:13 PM

      That's an impressive number of books!

      ReplyDelete
    7. Les in OregonJuly 3, 2019 at 1:37 PM

      Darling picture of the two granddaughters! You had a very good month of reading, didn't you? I've added your three favorites to my TBR list. I also plan to read Ask Again, Yes and Women Rowing North (Pipher lives in Lincoln, where I used to live).

      ReplyDelete
    8. Judy KruegerJuly 5, 2019 at 11:44 AM

      Oh my, I am really behind on reading everyone's posts. I got busy with the 4th of July preps for a gathering at my house. I am going to read Long Live this month.

      ReplyDelete
    9. thecuecardJuly 6, 2019 at 8:57 PM

      I'll have to put Dopesick on my TBR list. A lot of people seem to be liking Ask Again, Yes so I'll be curious to see what you think. Cheers.

      ReplyDelete
    10. TiJuly 12, 2019 at 1:14 PM

      The grand kids are adorable! I hope they enjoyed the movie.
      You are a reading machine. Me? Not lately. Too darn busy to pretend I am, either. I am not having a great summer time wise but it's just beautiful here.

      ReplyDelete

    Thanks for taking the time to visit and double thanks for any comments. If you ask a question in your comments, I will try to reply to it here, or by email if your settings allow me to do so. Thanks again for visiting.


    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)