Hey, everyone! I hope that June was a good month for you. It seemed very stressful and at times hopeless for me, but I am pushing through and fixing my eyes on that which brings me peace. I hope you are able to cope with these hard times and if you are not, I want you to know that it is okay to struggle. It's been rough, but I've spent most of June educating myself on a ton of topics that are important to me as an educator and as someone who pursues ministry. I did a lot of reading in the month and I'm hoping July is as productive.
THE BOOKS:
Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King- 4.5 stars (reread) This was originally my favorite story in the Four Past Midnight collection, but after rereading I think it drags quite a bit and could've been trimmed down some. However, at its core the story of Mort Ranney slowly losing his mind after being confronted by Shooter for plagiarizing a story is memorable and horrifying. The movie ending is better though and I will always stand by that.
Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry- 2 stars DNF @ page 66 I really wanted to get into this collection of Greek myths, but I found it so boring. I just didn't care and I wasn't interested in forcing myself to finish reading it. Check out my review here. (Received for review)
The Selection by Kierra Cass- 3.5 stars You know what, this book is not high literature and it doesn't evoke any emotions besides me wanting to eat popcorn and see the drama unfold. I am very against America's treason with Aspen because Prince Maxon deserves better. Yes, I will be continuing the trilogy.
Women of the Bible Speak Out: Stories of Betrayal, Abuse, Healing, & Hope by Marlo Schalesky- 5 stars I loved this book. I thought it was a brilliant take on women in the Bible and looking at their perspectives. It was beautifully written, Biblically grounded, and hopeful. I really encourage you to check this one out if you are feeling like you have been betrayed or have been abused by men. (Received for review)
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates- 5 stars This was a profound novel to listen to. It was very tough to wrap my head around the entirety of it. So I want to reread it at some point to help with further reflection, but I was so heartbroken by Black people being just a body. It was so honest and it portrays exactly where our society dehumanizes Black people to overpower and take control from them. The story Coates talks about when he took his son to a movie theater and a white woman pushes his son and when Coates spoke out, he was seen as the Black villain wanting to harm the white woman. So sad and a great example of how white people (myself included) need to do better.
In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire- 5 stars This was my absolute favorite book of the month. This story was beautiful and harrowing. We follow the story of Lundy as she finds a tree that takes her to the Goblin Market. So beautiful and it doesn't have a happy ending. Bargains never end well and the Goblin Market cannot be deceived. I won't say more because it's so short, but I can't recommend it enough and you don't have to read the previous books in the series to read this one (but you should).
DEV1AT3 by Jay Kristoff- 3.5 stars This is the sequel to LIFEL1K3 which shook me to my core and I was so excited about because I thought it was setting up a sequel where we would follow Eve as a villain, but nope. We follow Lemon Fresh, Ezekiel, Cricket, and the Pastor (is that his name I can't remember) and while I like all the characters, I was not interested or always invested in the story. I do plan to read the last book in the series and I've started it, but I'm not far into it yet. (Received for review)
The Library Policeman by Stephen King- 5 stars (reread) This is my new favorite novella in the Four Past Midnight collection. It was so dark and I loved the monster story. I am always interested in a good monster story and this one was horrifying.
The Anti-Virginity Pact by Katie Wismer- 4 stars This was a lot of fun, but it also tackled some series topics. I love Katie's BookTube channel and I'm super proud of her for releasing her first novel. This book focuses on a preacher's daughter who is an atheist and signs an anti-virginity pact with her best friend. The story follows her first relationship, her family dynamics, her pact being exposed and the aftermath, bullying, rape, slut shaming, and many other topics. This novel is light in a lot of areas, but important and serious when it needed to be. (Received for review)
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal- 4.5 stars This was a profound novel about two girls (one black & one white) who are trapped in a school when a fight breaks out at football game and there night of trying survive as they escape from the school and stumble into the streets where riots are taking place. It is intense and I love the commentary that is introduced, but I wanted some of the racial conversations to go deeper and I feel like there were times when it was going there, but then the authors pulled back.
The Sun Dog by Stephen King- 4.5 stars (reread) I enjoyed this story. I would say that I enjoyed it less this time around because it takes some time to speed up out of the middle, but I love Castle Rock. This was fun to read after reading Needful Things. The concept of a camera that takes pictures of a monster dog ready to attack with each photo is so interesting and unsettling.
Four Past Midnight by Stephen King- 4.75 stars (reread) This collection contains The Langoliers, Secret Window, Secret Garden, The Library Policeman, and The Sun Dog. My favorite upon reread was The Library Policeman. This is a strong collection of novellas and I didn't rate anyone lower than 4.5 stars. I personally enjoyed and loved all of the stories.
Shepherd by Catherine Jinks- 1.5 stars I was so excited about this story and I ended up practically hating it. I'm still debating lower my rating and since I haven't written my review I haven't made up my mind. I was so excited about this book because I thought it was a YA horror novel, but it's a historical fiction novel set in Australia and it's so racist to the aboriginal people who are native to Australia. Not a fan. (Received for review)
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky- 1 star I finally finished this book and I absolutely hated it. I thought I would like it, but as the story dredged on it became worse and worse. I hated this book with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I'm glad it's over.
The Brothers Grimm: Illuminated Fairy Tales Volume 1- 4 stars This experience was awesome. I've never read an ebook with moving images and it was amazing. I am familiar with a couple of these stories, but it was nice to read a couple of stories I didn't know.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas- 5 stars Dare I say it... I loved this one more than The Hate U Give. I know people are shocked, but as an educator I loved the commentary on police and police brutality in schools. That was one of the most impactful aspects of this novel, but I was also moved by the characters, the family dynamics, and the discussion of poverty. I loved the rapping and Bri had mad skills (so it was cool to listen to and experience).
Beach Nightmare by Steve Foxe and Alan Brown- 3 stars This is a horror graphic novel for kids. It is definitely for a younger audience, but I liked the art and the story was Goosebumps level creepy. Good for its targeted age range. (Received for review)
In Want + Plenty: Waking Up to God's Provision in a Land of Longing by Meredith McDaniel- 3.5 stars The writing for this one was a hit or miss. I was irked by McDaniel's constantly referring to everything as manna (which is theologically inaccurate). I liked the concept and the message did hit home every now and then, but I don't think this is one I will find myself always recommending to Christians looking for a good new read. (Received for review)
Stories Jesus Told: Looking for the Lost Sheep by Tim Ladwig- 5 stars This somehow really hit me. I love the parable of the lost sheep, but paired with the illustrations it became a powerful little illustrated book. (Received for review)
The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele- 3 stars I was excited about being invited to the blog tour because it's a post-apocalyptic novel set after all the power goes out in the US. I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite. I haven't written a review for it yet, but you can check out my blog post in which I talk about the importance of the post-apocalyptic genre and how this book fits into it.
Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart: Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal- 2 stars (maybe) Y'all this was...not it. I agreed with some of what they said especially about pornography because I'm a hardcore advocate against it because of what the industry promotes and encourages viewers to watch. However, I am not a fan of the presentation of topics. Overall, this book will gloss over Scripture and then tell you their interpretation of it. I don't agree with them or their videos, but I wasn't aware of their videos until I was already reading the book.
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris- 3.5 stars I preferred this book to The Tattooist of Auschwitz because I loved Cilka's character, but this was so hard to get into at first. It didn't pick up for me until about 20% in which will already have a book dropped a couple of stars for me because that is too much build up and struggle through for a short novel.
The Sun Dog by Stephen King- 4.5 stars (reread) I enjoyed this story. I would say that I enjoyed it less this time around because it takes some time to speed up out of the middle, but I love Castle Rock. This was fun to read after reading Needful Things. The concept of a camera that takes pictures of a monster dog ready to attack with each photo is so interesting and unsettling.
Four Past Midnight by Stephen King- 4.75 stars (reread) This collection contains The Langoliers, Secret Window, Secret Garden, The Library Policeman, and The Sun Dog. My favorite upon reread was The Library Policeman. This is a strong collection of novellas and I didn't rate anyone lower than 4.5 stars. I personally enjoyed and loved all of the stories.
Shepherd by Catherine Jinks- 1.5 stars I was so excited about this story and I ended up practically hating it. I'm still debating lower my rating and since I haven't written my review I haven't made up my mind. I was so excited about this book because I thought it was a YA horror novel, but it's a historical fiction novel set in Australia and it's so racist to the aboriginal people who are native to Australia. Not a fan. (Received for review)
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky- 1 star I finally finished this book and I absolutely hated it. I thought I would like it, but as the story dredged on it became worse and worse. I hated this book with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I'm glad it's over.
The Brothers Grimm: Illuminated Fairy Tales Volume 1- 4 stars This experience was awesome. I've never read an ebook with moving images and it was amazing. I am familiar with a couple of these stories, but it was nice to read a couple of stories I didn't know.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas- 5 stars Dare I say it... I loved this one more than The Hate U Give. I know people are shocked, but as an educator I loved the commentary on police and police brutality in schools. That was one of the most impactful aspects of this novel, but I was also moved by the characters, the family dynamics, and the discussion of poverty. I loved the rapping and Bri had mad skills (so it was cool to listen to and experience).
Beach Nightmare by Steve Foxe and Alan Brown- 3 stars This is a horror graphic novel for kids. It is definitely for a younger audience, but I liked the art and the story was Goosebumps level creepy. Good for its targeted age range. (Received for review)
In Want + Plenty: Waking Up to God's Provision in a Land of Longing by Meredith McDaniel- 3.5 stars The writing for this one was a hit or miss. I was irked by McDaniel's constantly referring to everything as manna (which is theologically inaccurate). I liked the concept and the message did hit home every now and then, but I don't think this is one I will find myself always recommending to Christians looking for a good new read. (Received for review)
Stories Jesus Told: Looking for the Lost Sheep by Tim Ladwig- 5 stars This somehow really hit me. I love the parable of the lost sheep, but paired with the illustrations it became a powerful little illustrated book. (Received for review)
The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele- 3 stars I was excited about being invited to the blog tour because it's a post-apocalyptic novel set after all the power goes out in the US. I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite. I haven't written a review for it yet, but you can check out my blog post in which I talk about the importance of the post-apocalyptic genre and how this book fits into it.
Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart: Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality by Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal- 2 stars (maybe) Y'all this was...not it. I agreed with some of what they said especially about pornography because I'm a hardcore advocate against it because of what the industry promotes and encourages viewers to watch. However, I am not a fan of the presentation of topics. Overall, this book will gloss over Scripture and then tell you their interpretation of it. I don't agree with them or their videos, but I wasn't aware of their videos until I was already reading the book.
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris- 3.5 stars I preferred this book to The Tattooist of Auschwitz because I loved Cilka's character, but this was so hard to get into at first. It didn't pick up for me until about 20% in which will already have a book dropped a couple of stars for me because that is too much build up and struggle through for a short novel.
Overall Thoughts: I read 22 books in June! I only had one DNF. For the first half of 2020, I've read over 100 books already which is so WILD to me. I never thought I would ever read that many books in a year and we aren't even in December yet. I did a horrible job at writing reviews in June though, so I want to be more productive in July. Here are my 5-star reads:
1. In An Absent Dream
2. Women of the Bible Speak Out
3. On the Come Up
4. The Library Policeman
5. Between the World and Me
6. Stories Jesus Told: Looking for the Lost Sheep
1. In An Absent Dream
2. Women of the Bible Speak Out
3. On the Come Up
4. The Library Policeman
5. Between the World and Me
6. Stories Jesus Told: Looking for the Lost Sheep
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Challenge Tracker:
*2020 52 Owned Books TBR:
5/5 A Lineage of Grace books
Binti: Home
The Most Important Women of the Bible
Hidden Bodies
Bonhoeffer Abridged
Four Past Midnight
Binti: Home
The Most Important Women of the Bible
Hidden Bodies
Bonhoeffer Abridged
Four Past Midnight
6/52
*Audiobook TBR:
We Are All Good People Here
Uglies
none this month!
2/20
Uglies
none this month!
2/20
*5-star Predictions Tracking Progress:
Stop Calling Me Beautiful: 5 stars (reread)
The Wives: 1.5 stars
The Return: 4.5 stars
none this month!
The Return: 4.5 stars
none this month!
3/20
*Series I Want to Read:
Binti: Home
Beneath the Sugar Sky
Binti: Home
Beneath the Sugar Sky
Binti: The Night Masquerade
Hidden Bodies
DEV1AT3
In An Absent Dream
6/10
Hidden Bodies
DEV1AT3
In An Absent Dream
6/10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Currently Reading / Hoping to Finish in July:
Already Finished: Burn Our Bodies Down, Hood Feminism, RWBY, Carrie, Dangerous Prayers, Rocks Tell the Story of Christmas
Netgalley eARCs: Bun Our Bodies Down, RWBY, Mexican Gothic, This is My America, TRUEL1F3, 7 Feasts, Until the Mountains Fall, Women of the Patriarchal World, Jesus of the East, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat, Colossians Bible Study, God Sees Her, Kingdom Come
Sent by Publisher: Becoming a Next Level Prophet, The Art of Friendship, Warfare Prayers for Women, For All Who Wander Journey Guide
Audiobooks: Pretties, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, Children of Vice and Virtue
Ebook: Bind, Torture, Kill (BTK), The Good Nurse
Books I Bought / Gifted: Parable of the Talents, The Stranger Beside Me, Biblical Healing and Deliverance, The Insanity of Sacrifice, Celebration of Discipline, The Harp of Kings, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace
On Hold (AKA Will eventually pick up again someday LOL): Celebration of Discipline, The Harp of Kings, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Good Nurse, Children of Vice & Virtue, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace
Netgalley eARCs: Bun Our Bodies Down, RWBY, Mexican Gothic, This is My America, TRUEL1F3, 7 Feasts, Until the Mountains Fall, Women of the Patriarchal World, Jesus of the East, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat, Colossians Bible Study, God Sees Her, Kingdom Come
Sent by Publisher: Becoming a Next Level Prophet, The Art of Friendship, Warfare Prayers for Women, For All Who Wander Journey Guide
Audiobooks: Pretties, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, Children of Vice and Virtue
Ebook: Bind, Torture, Kill (BTK), The Good Nurse
Books I Bought / Gifted: Parable of the Talents, The Stranger Beside Me, Biblical Healing and Deliverance, The Insanity of Sacrifice, Celebration of Discipline, The Harp of Kings, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace
On Hold (AKA Will eventually pick up again someday LOL): Celebration of Discipline, The Harp of Kings, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Good Nurse, Children of Vice & Virtue, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace
ARCs That Come Out in July:
The Only Good Indians: Horror
Mayhem: YA Magical Realism
Hell in Heartland: True Crime
While You Slept: Mystery Thriller
Vampire State Building: Horror Graphic Novel
Trouble the Saints: Mystery Fantasy
Shielded: YA Fantasy
Or What You Will: Fantasy
Savage Legion: Fantasy
Getting Naked Later: Christian Nonfiction
The House on Widows Hill: Horror (haunted house)
Speak the Ocean: Mermaid Scifi!!
The Cold Vanish: True Crime
Eye of the Storm: Christian Nonfiction
PEW: General (Literary) Fiction
A Talent to Deceive: True Crime
Cut to the Bone: Mystery Thriller
Taking Time: Scifi
She Died Famous: Mystery Thriller
Playing Nice: Mystery Thriller
The Only Good Indians: Horror
Mayhem: YA Magical Realism
Hell in Heartland: True Crime
While You Slept: Mystery Thriller
Vampire State Building: Horror Graphic Novel
Trouble the Saints: Mystery Fantasy
Shielded: YA Fantasy
Or What You Will: Fantasy
Savage Legion: Fantasy
Getting Naked Later: Christian Nonfiction
The House on Widows Hill: Horror (haunted house)
Speak the Ocean: Mermaid Scifi!!
The Cold Vanish: True Crime
Eye of the Storm: Christian Nonfiction
PEW: General (Literary) Fiction
A Talent to Deceive: True Crime
Cut to the Bone: Mystery Thriller
Taking Time: Scifi
She Died Famous: Mystery Thriller
Playing Nice: Mystery Thriller
The Courage Factor: Christian Nonfiction
Longing to Belong: Christian Nonfiction
The Golden Cage: Mystery Thriller
Perfectly Famous: Mystery Thriller
Girl with Three Eyes:YA Fantasy
Hard Wired: YA Scifi
The Crow Rider: YA Fantasy (sequel)
Craiglist Confessional: Memoir
Longing to Belong: Christian Nonfiction
The Golden Cage: Mystery Thriller
Perfectly Famous: Mystery Thriller
Girl with Three Eyes:YA Fantasy
Hard Wired: YA Scifi
The Crow Rider: YA Fantasy (sequel)
Craiglist Confessional: Memoir
Audiobooks:
Ebook:
These are some ebooks I have on my radar that I may pick because of my mood.
Books I Own:
These are the books I own that I really want to pick up this month!
Have you read any of these books? How was your reading in June? Let me know down below in the comments!
These are the books I own that I really want to pick up this month!
Have you read any of these books? How was your reading in June? Let me know down below in the comments!
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