Everything I Read in June 2023
Ummmmm…..where did June go?! It was a blur in the best way possible. With the end of the school year, I was finally able to just relax and breathe. This school year was mentally and physically challenging, and I think I needed to decompress more than anything. I have been sleeping in, working out each day, spending time with friends, and traveling. June brought me to NYC to see Six the Musical and to a girls trip in Nantucket. While I thought my abundance in free time would provide me ample reading time, I think I needed the time to decompress the most and break from all of my usual routines. As a result, I only read 3 books this month. I am hopeful to get back to my usual reading speed in July and will be bringing lots of books to Santa Barbara with me. Nevertheless, I am excited to share with you the 3 books I read in June!
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?- Cyrstal Smith Paul
Ok, I am starting with the book that I liked the least this month! I wanted to like this book a lot, and liked the premise of the novel, but I found it to be very slow and too long. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is about a black woman who is forced to pass for a white woman due to the unfair circumstances and treatment of blacks throughout the 20th century. Kitty Karr was born in North Carolina to a black mother, who was raped by the white son of her employers. With light skin, she is able to pass for a white woman, and become a hugely successful actress. Her identity remains secret for decades and long after her death. As I mentioned, I thought the plot was interesting, but it just dragged on, in my opinion!
The Wishing Game- Meg Shaffer
Yes, now on to the books I loved! The Wishing Game was a true gem from Book of the Month, my favorite way to discover books that I probably wouldn’t find otherwise. The premise was so unique that I gave this book a try, and devoured it 2 days! The Wishing Game is about a beloved fantasy book series for children. The author, an eccentric recluse, creates an invite only contest for the rights of his very last book, which creates a media frenzy. The contest is full of twists and turns and the characters are just so well developed that this book was just a fun summer read! I highly recommend this one!
The Five-Star Weekend- Elin Hilderbrand
How could I go to Nantucket and not read the newest Elin Hilderbrand novel?! If you didn’t know, Elin Hilderbrand primarily writes fun, female-centered novels based on the island of Nantucket. The word on ACK is that she uses real life stories from Nantucket residents and creates them into stories for her books. As a result, she is not beloved by the locals. However, her books are the perfect beach reads. In The Five-Star Weekend, Hollis loses her husband unexpectedly and invites 4 friends to spend a fun-filled, distracting weekend at her home in Nantucket as she is grieving and looking to pick up the pieces. While her books always feel predictable, this was the light, fun read that I needed this June, and it was fun to read it in the actual setting!
As always, thanks for following along with my book posts each month. It has been the staple to this blog, even when life gets busy, and your comments make this such an enriching experience. I am almost finished with my first book for July, and will report back next month. Hope you all are having a great start to the summer!
xoxo,
L