What I read in June

Feels like summer! So many of these books were read outside: in the egg chair, on a towel, or on the patio. Looking back, there were so many great reads this month. I loved the Memory of Animals and Yellowface so much I can remember vividly where and when I was reading them.

Blew me out of the water; loved! (5 stars)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell: Set in Renaissance Italy, it’s about a young Italian duchess who gets shipped off to be wed to a duke and is forced to adapt to this unfamiliar court and her duty of bearing children. For a book that tells you the ending at the very beginning, I loved it. I’m not a historical fiction girlie so I went into this one with low expectations, but the writing, storytelling, and character development was stunning. This literary/historical/thriller mash-up worked really well.

The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller: This was unputdownable dystopian lit that reminded me of Hanya Yanigahara's To Paradise. It's not "closed door" but felt intimate taking place in a hospital - after a group of people in a medical trial are abandoned after a pandemic breaks out and they're left to fend for themselves. It's quietly plot-driven, but I loved it. I could totally see this as a limited HBO series.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang: I loved this book! It had the pace of a thriller and was unputdownable. It's a satire about the publishing industry but there are so many layers here. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone.

I liked it! (4 stars)

The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante: A woman's husband leaves her and their kids for a younger woman, and the book chronicles her dealing with the aftermath of that. Could have done without the dog abuse in the book and it dying :(. It features another great interesting and complicated Ferrante character.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sand by Kate Beaton: A graphic novel was such a cool way to tell this story. I didn't know much about life in the oil sands; it was really interesting (and sad) to read about the culture of working in the oil sands (toxic, male-dominated workforce, isolation). Read this all on a Sunday afternoon. Beaton is a great storyteller!

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann: This book was a damn riot. So campy - some strong women try to make their way in Hollywood.

It was good (3 stars)

Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff: A short read that gives you a look into a friendship. Fine to listen to, but ultimately forgettable.

Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks: This was such a rich novel and before reading it had assumed it was more of a contemporary read, but Crooks does an excellent job depicting how the main character deals with her grief and how music is her escape. She was a sympathetic and easy-to-love character to root for.

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri: Vignettes of a woman in Italy, very literary. It's a nice read for summer. I'd recommend it to fans of Ferrante!

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain: I really enjoyed Audrain’s latest. I’m not sure if I’d call this one a thriller, maybe a domestic suspense? After a tragic accident happens to a young boy, the lives of several families in his neighbourhood are pulled even closer together. It’s very readable and I liked the various POVs. Every chapter left you wanting a bit more from that person which made it hard to put down.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune: I think I liked this one more than her first! I'm a sucker for books taking place in the GTA. It's a predictable, but nice, summer romance.

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead: A coming-of-age story about a young, two-spirit Indigiqueer who becomes a cybersex worker in the city trying to find his way. It's ultimately a story about identity. I liked the way he wrote about his relationships with those he loves (his mom and grandma).

The Adult by Bronwyn Fisher: I've read a lot of coming-of-age stories lately and they're all starting to blend together.

Scabby Queen by Kirstin Innes: I picked this book up in London. I think I can say this is my first really niche Scottish lit. It was a bit hard for me to follow all the various POV's and slang. it felt very smart - I just couldn't keep up with it.

Unimpressed (2 stars)

Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead: I'm sorry but this was not good. It was almost like weird Twilight fanfic (that tried to make you think the main guy was a vampire), with a southern religious and culty backdrop. The book was long and all over the place and did not work as a thriller or suspense.