Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in June 2024. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. I actually do have two more 5 star reads to share here as well! The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Love Letters To A Serial Killer
Author: Tasha Coryell
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Berkley, 6/25/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book is about Hannah, whose obsession with an accused serial killer goes a little too far. Hannah begins corresponding with William, who was arrested for killing 4 women. Through their letters, they decide they are in love. But then William is acquitted and Hannah isn’t sure she actually wants that. They move in together and she feels like she is waiting for him to kill her.
“Recently ghosted and sick of watching her friends fade into the suburbs, thirty-something Hannah finds community in a true-crime forum that’s on a mission to solve the murders of four women in Atlanta. After William, a handsome lawyer, is arrested for the killings, Hannah begins writing him letters. It’s the perfect outlet for her pent-up frustration and rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first. Until William writes back. Hannah’s interest in the case goes from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. After she loses her job, she heads to Georgia to attend the trial and befriends other true-crime junkies like herself. When a fifth woman is discovered murdered, the jury has no choice but to find William not guilty, and Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release. The two of them quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss. Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…”
I thought this book was a little like Notes From An Execution as it looked at the type of people who get obsessed with true crime and even admire accused killers. It seemed a bit satirical and had a lighter tone than that one though. There were some surprises and some things I could guess. Overall this was different from what I would have expected based on the cover and entertaining enough to keep me reading.
Title: The Twilight Garden
Author: Sara Nisha Adams
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow, 4/9/24
Source: Bibliolifestyle
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was very excited for this book as I loved The Reading List by the same author. This book is about how a community garden brings together a neighborhood, including feuding neighbors Bernice and Winston. We also get to know Maya, one of the original garden growers, in a past time line.
“In a small pocket of London, between the houses of No.77 and No.79 Eastbourne Road, lies a neglected community garden. It was a beautiful thing once, a little oasis in a bustling city for neighbors by day and the local foxes at twilight. Now it’s overgrown and neglected, an empty patch of greenery lost to time. Once a sanctuary, the garden’s gate is now firmly closed. And that’s exactly how Winston at No.79 likes it – anything to avoid Bernice, who has moved in next door with her young son. Their houses may share the garden, but they’re not exactly neighborly. But then a mysterious parcel drops on Winston’s doormat. It contains no note, only a bundle of photographs of the garden in bloom many years ago—vibrant with flowers, filled with people from every corner of the community. Is someone trying to tell them something? The seed of an idea is planted…Somewhere out there, a secret gardener made a decades-old promise to keep the community’s spirit alive. Now it’s time for The Twilight Garden to come out of hibernation.”
There are various characters who appear in one or both timelines and it was fun to see how the neighbors knew each other. This did take me some time to get through and I didn’t love it as much as The Reading List. This book includes the death of a parent / husband, dementia, and racism.
Title: All Roads Lead To Rome
Author: Sabrina Fedel
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Delacorte, 6/18/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
All Roads Lead To Rome was a cute YA book about Story, who falls into a fake dating scheme with Luca, who is rich and famous for his proximity to other famous people. He is dating a pop star whose ex is in rehab, so the pair wants to hide their relationship. Since Story’s father died from an overdose, she gets Luca to agree to funding a scholarship in his name in exchange for pretending to date him.
“Introverted, slightly anxious Astoria ‘Story’ Herriot knows everything about Rome—her mom’s an attorney here and the two of them are living la dolce vita… at least until Story’s off to college in the fall. But when Story is in the wrong gelato shop at the right time, she’s swept up in a fake dating scheme with Scottish heartthrob, Luca Kinnaird, to protect his relationship with a pop princess. There’s something in it for her, too—Luca promises to help fund a scholarship in her dad’s memory. Soon she’s showing Luca the best cafés, sightseeing at the Mouth of Truth, and picnicking at the ruins of the Abbey of Santa Maria del Piano. Story’s travel guide skills are 10/10, but what she knows about being a celebrity—or having feelings for one? Zero. Pretending to be Luca’s guide—then his girlfriend—gets the paparazzi’s attention . . . and what’s true and what’s fake gets blurry as their different worlds crash together. Sophisticated, hot, rich, and with the most charming accent ever, Luca is full of surprises. And maybe, too, is Story’s perfectly planned future. It’s a fairy-tale romance in the Eternal City…will it have a fairy tale ending?”
Story and Luca tour Rome and of course end up liking each other. The tabloids are involved and Story’s integrity comes into question. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to and thought it was cute and fun!
Title: The First Winter
Author: 12 Young Women
Genre: Non Fiction, Essays, Poetry
Publisher: Two Shrews Press, 7/1/19
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Backlist Book Prompt
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was sent this book in 2021 and somehow never picked it up. I read it this month for the Backlist Challenge prompt of a novella or short story, as this is made up of short essays and poems about being refugees, moving to America, and their journeys from Somalia.
“The Somali community in Green Bay, Wisconsin is a quiet, hidden, and often misunderstood part of a predominantly white population. But a small group of Somali teenage girls is trying to change that. They call themselves the United ReSisters and these are their stories, in a trailblazing collection of reflections, conversations, letters, lists, and poems about their experiences as refugees and journeys to the United States. Exploring ambition, loss, their Muslim faith, a mother’s devotion, the power of sisterhood, the awkwardness of being a teenager, and other ‘annoying, painful, and amazing’ experiences, these pieces shed new light on topics both veiled and universal. The First Winter is a celebration of homelands old and new: where these girls come from, where they are, where they’re going, and everywhere the power of family and friendship to make the unbearable bearable, meaningful, and even joyful.”
This was an interesting read focusing on the feelings that go along with being different, moving to a new country, and finding oneself. It seemed that the pieces included were prompts written by each young woman, and it was interesting to see how their experiences were both unique and similar to one another.
Title: Seasick
Author: Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte, 6/11/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Seasick was a fun locked cruise thriller. Naya and Yana are former best friends who are included in a group of rich and smart students who win a scholarship and a cruise trip along with others from their high school. There are many secrets and possible scandals among the group, making all suspects of the deaths that begin to occur.
“Ex–best friends Naya Morgan and Yana Bunpraserit have always felt like outsiders in their small Oklahoma town. But this year, everything changes when they’re inducted into an exclusive society of Yatesville High’s top recent graduates. Unimaginable opportunities await them, starting with a celebratory yacht trip to Bermuda. Despite the likely onslaught of microaggressions and backhanded compliments from their peers—in addition to their own rocky past—Yana and Naya are ready for an epic voyage. Then one of their classmates is brutally murdered, leaving them stuck at sea with a killer. Yana and Naya may have avoided each other for years, yet as the body count rises, rekindling their friendship might be the only way they’ll both survive.”
I thought this was a fun story that held my attention and kept me guessing. It is always fun to try to figure out which one of a group has the most motive for murder!
Title: The Murder At The Vicarage
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: HarperAudio, 10/1930 (original)
Source: Publisher (print version, Library (audio version)
Why I Read It: Backlist Book Prompt
My Rating: 3 Stars
I chose this book for the Backlist Challenge prompt of a book that became a movie. I had the print version on my shelf and decided to listen to the audio. The version I chose was narrated by Joan Hickson, and the narrator of the story is a man, the Vicar, and this felt confusing to me. The story is about a man called Protheroe who was killed in the Vicar’s office. The mystery is who killed him.
“Miss Marple encounters a compelling murder mystery in St. Mary Mead, where under the seemingly peaceful exterior of an English country village lurks intrigue, guilt, deception, and death. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner is the most detested man in the village. Everyone—even in the vicar—wishes he were dead. And very soon he is—shot in the head in the vicar’s own study. Faced with a surfeit of suspects, only the inscrutable Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues that will lead to the unmasking of the killer.”
This was the first Miss Marple mystery. I had a hard time following the story, which may have been due to the audio version. It wasn’t very long but it took me forever to get through!
Title: Seven Summer Weekends
Author: Jane L. Rosen
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/4/2024
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This sweet book is about Addison, who loses her job and inherits a home on Fire Island when her estranged aunt dies. On the island, she meets Ben, the author of “On Fire Island,” which is actually Jane Rosen’s previous book! I have not read that one, but it focused on Ben’s deceased wife.
“When a Zoom disaster upends Addison Irwin’s decade-long career at a posh Manhattan advertising agency, things look bleak for the thirty-something mid-western transplant. But an unexpected inheritance from an aunt she barely remembers—a property on Fire Island, complete with guest house and artist’s studio—changes everything. While debating whether to stay or sell, Addison learns that she’s also inherited her aunt’s list of eclectic guests, tying her to the island for seven summer weekends. Eager to convince Addison to keep the house rather than let a new buyer build a monstrosity in its place, the neighbors welcome her to their laid-back community. Well, all except the moody guy next door, who seems intent on glowering his way through life. Steadfast in her path since college, Addison is determined not to let this detour on Fire Island throw her off track. But soon, between the revolving door of weekend visitors and the up-and-down relationship with her neighbor (and his adorable dog), she finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Should she try to pick up where she left off—or embrace entirely new possibilities?”
I enjoyed the guests that came to stay in Addison’s guest house who reacquainted her with her aunt. I also liked the descriptions of art that both Addison and her aunt created. The main conflicts between Addison and Ben were in the form of miscommunications, which can be frustrating to read about! This book contains Jewish representation, which I always enjoy as well.
Title: One of Our Kind
Author: Nicola Yoon
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio, 6/11/2024
Source: Publisher, Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
One of Our Kind is Nicola Yoon’s first adult book. It is a speculative thriller about Jasmyn and her husband, who move to a Black utopian neighborhood along with their young son. Everyone who lives there is Black, which is meant to eliminate racist experiences. Jasmyn is active in social justice causes and while she is upset by events that occur outside of the community, no one else seems to care. When Jasmyn does find friends who feel the same way she does, she is confused when they begin to change and adapt to the behavior of their neighbors.
“Jasmyn and King Williams move their family to the planned Black utopia of Liberty, California hoping to find a community of like-minded people, a place where their growing family can thrive. King settles in at once, embracing the Liberty ethos, including the luxe wellness center at the top of the hill, which proves to be the heart of the community. But Jasmyn struggles to find her place. She expected to find liberals and social justice activists striving for racial equality, but Liberty residents seem more focused on booking spa treatments and ignoring the world’s troubles. Jasmyn’s only friends in the community are equally perplexed and frustrated by most residents’ outlook. Then Jasmyn discovers a terrible secret about Liberty and its founders. Frustration turns to dread as their loved ones start embracing the Liberty way of life.”
This book is sort of a retelling of The Stepford Wives, so if you are familiar with that book, you can infer what happens. I was actually spoiled on one of the themes of the book when I saw a negative review calling out the author for being anti-Black. There are a lot of negative reviews coming from own voices reviewers. However, there are positive reviews out there too. I didn’t see the book as the author’s opinion, but rather as a warning on complacency and about our society. This book brings up a lot of matter for discussion!
Title: The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Author: Fiona Davis
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Dutton, 8/4/2020
Source: PR for Author, Waiting on my shelf
Why I Read It: Backlist Challenge
My Rating: 5 Stars
From my 24 in ’24 Backlist Book Challenge, I picked up The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis. I had heard this book was great, and I loved it as well! It is about Laura, whose family lives in the Fifth Avenue New York City Public Library in 1913, and her granddaughter Sadie, who later works in the same building. In Laura’s time line, her husband is the superintendent of the library and Laura is meant to take care of their two children. She has her own goals though, and applies to journalism school. Sadie is in charge of a special collection exhibit. In both timelines, books and documents are stolen.
“It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life—her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she is drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club—a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women’s rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. And when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-averse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage—truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.”
While I found the connection between the stolen items in the two timelines to be a bit of a stretch, it was quite fun to find out what was occurring. I loved the setting of the story and the history combined with mystery. I definitely want to read more by this author! This book includes infidelity, suicide, and the death of a parent.
Title: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 6/11/2024
Source: Purchased
Why I Read It: Favorite author
My Rating: 5 Stars
Katherine Center does not disappoint and I had no qualms about pre-ordering this book. It is about Emma, who is hired to help her favorite screenwriter, Charlie, perfect a rom com screenplay. Emma is the caregiver for her father who has a chronic illness after a tragic accident. Because of what happened to her parents, Emma is always worried about what might happen if she leaves home or does anything for herself. Meanwhile, Charlie has written an awful screenplay because he doesn’t believe in love after his ex wife left him. Emma wants to work with him and agrees to the deal, even though when she meets Charlie he doesn’t quite live up to her expectations.
“Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up. Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less ‘a failed, nobody screenwriter.’ Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme. But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?”
This enemies to lovers story was sad, touching, and moving, as well as hopeful, as all Katherine Center’s books tend to be! I loved the two main characters and the way they helped each other grow. There is a cancer story line involved in this book, as well as the loss of a parent.
There you have it, the rest of my June reading! This post included 10 of the books I read in June. 8 of these books were in print and 2 were audio. Genres included thriller, contemporary, rom com, non fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. 8 were adult reads and 2 were YA.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?