As I mentioned in my June TBR, this month I took part in Whateverathon as part of team Shelf Slayers! I managed to read 16 books and I am super happy with both the amount I read and the quality of what I read. I had a few 2 stars but the majority of my reads were 4 or 5 stars and I've found a few new favourites. Since it was Pride Month in June, I also tried to read as many LGBTQ+ books as I could. Thankfully, the majority of books I own seem to have at least some rep in so it wasn't too hard to have quite a lot of them on my TBR. I think there's only a couple books in this list without LGBTQ+ rep so I succeeded there!
Here is everything I read in June and some short, spoiler-free thoughts about the books!
June Wrap-Up
1. The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal ★★★★★
Can you tell I've been stressed with work? I decided to pick this up on a recommendation from someone else in the industry I work in and I'm so glad I did. This is a non-fiction, self-help book about learning to live with stress. I'm not going to lie, I was super sceptical going into this book because I was so sure stress is exclusively bad for you and I was determined to not believe what the book was telling me. However, this book was a lot more about mindfulness and how the way you think about certain stresses in your life can affect your mental and physical health. Personally I found this book incredibly helpful and I would definitely recommend it to anyone living with a lot of stress and who is open to mindfulness techniques. Definitely a book I'll be referring back to for years to come.
2. The Fever King by Victoria Lee ★★★.5
I decided to pick this up for Whateverthon because it was a host favourite and I remember Maddie raving about this duology last year. This is a dystopian book set in the former United States. Sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defence and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia. However, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks - refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear. I found this book to be really refreshing for a YA dystopian as it didn't have many of the tropes of the more 'typical' YA dystopian books from 2012. It's also really good seeing LGBTQ+ and racial representation in these books. It wasn't the most compelling of stories and I wanted more from the worldbuilding, which is why it only got 4 stars, however, I was invested in the characters and I especially loved the twist towards the end (even though I saw it coming). The characters were all very complex and realistically, morally grey. If you're looking for a new dystopian book, then I recommend picking this up!
3. Jade City by Fonda Lee ★★★★★
This book. This book is absolutely amazing and I can't believe I waited so long to read this, so this review might be a bit longer than my usual reviews.
I bought Jade City in 2018 when it first came out but I just never got around to it (despite it being on about 20 TBRs), but it's safe to say it's now one of my favourite books of all time. This trilogy is an urban fantasy, gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kung-fu. Jade City follows the Kaul family, who are one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities. The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion, but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection. When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine.
Firstly, Lee's worldbuilding is absolutely incredible. I really thought this world and the amount of characters would be difficult to understand or keep track of, but within 40 pages, I felt like I understood exactly what was going on. That shows some incredible writing skill in fantasy books in my opinion. I also loved every character in this book (but I especially loved Lan and Shae); even the villains were done so well. One thing this book did exceptionally well is that it felt so Game of Thrones-esque, in that no character felt safe and anything vicious could happen at any time. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. And then THAT happened halfway through the book and left me a wreck. Lee also explores women's places in this society and culture in such a well done way. I 100% recommend this to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy/gangster-type films or books. Lee is easily one of my new favourite authors and she made me want to pick up the next book immediately.
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay ★★★★
I was given this book for Christmas by my brother and I hadn't actually heard of it before then. This is a classic mystery set in the year nineteen hundred. Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of Hanging Rock. Further, higher, till at last they disappeared. They never returned.
So this book was very compelling and it mostly explored the repercussions of the missing women rather than the mystery itself. I ended up reading it in one sitting because it was so short. The main thing I loved about this book was the atmosphere - I'm not sure how to describe it but the atmosphere perfectly encapsulated the time period through a haunting lens. Overall, this book got 3.5 stars, but what pushed it up to 4 stars was that I read the final chapter of the book that had been edited out before publication which actually solves the mystery. I highly recommend doing this. Personally, I loved the final chapter and the idea behind it - it made so much more sense and was so much creepier than I expected. If you've read this book and found it disappointing because of the ending, or if you plan on reading this, then I definitely recommend doing that!
5. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ★★★★.5
This YA contemporary book has been recommended to me so many times so I finally decided to pick it up. Felix Ever After follow Felix Love who, ironically enough, has never been in love. Felix is a queer, trans, black teenager living in Brooklyn and trying to get into college. However, when an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages and publicly posts his deadname and pictures of him pre-transition, Felix comes up with a plan for revenge.
This is such an important book for teens who are questioning their identity and it's so good to see all the different representation this book had, and to show how different people reacted to trans/gay/black characters. It's so important to show that marginalisation is something that's still happening and that we need it to stop. I also really loved Kacen Callender's writing in this book; they really encapsulated the flawed characters so well. There were very few solidly 'good' characters, but neither were many of them completely 'bad' either. Callender did such a good job of writing people realistically, including their flaws. It was hard to read from Felix's perspective at times because you could see them making mistakes, but you also completely understood why these things were happening. All of the friendships that were made were heartwarming and I loved the ending. Overall, a solid 4.5 stars.
6. The Electric Heir by Victoria Lee ★★
Since the first book was pretty good, I decided to read the sequel to The Fever King by Victoria Lee. Unfortunately, I ended up being so bored halfway through this book. The pacing just felt off overall; generally quite slow and not a whole lot happening for the first 50-60%. I was so close to DNFing but I didn't want to DNF the second book in a duology when I was so close to finishing a series. Not only was I bored, but I also hated the way these characters were acting and the ending was so rushed. Everything got very dark, but it felt like I was supposed to sympathise with a certain thing in this book and instead I was just kind of disgusted? It felt really strange. This book also switched to a dual perspective and I struggled to read the different between the two characters' chapters - the voices felt too similar to me. The combination of the above just left me feeling a bit disappointed with the book overall, however, I know a lot of people really enjoyed this so it might just be me.
7. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard ★★
I can't remember where I first heard about this book, but it intrigued me because it was pitched as a thriller set during the first two weeks of the COVID lockdown. This had me interested since it was such an isolating time for so many and I wanted to see how the author used this to create a thriller/mystery. Unfortunately this fell flat for me in multiple ways. The book follows Ciara who meets a man named Oliver and they start dating. However, within the first few weeks of their relationship, the lockdown happens and they decide to move in together. But what can you really know about someone you've only known for a couple of weeks? 56 days later a body is found in the apartment.
Sounds interesting in theory, right? It just didn't work for me though. Firstly, COVID felt like it was just thrown in the book for marketing purposes and not really for much use in the story. We had paragraphs describing empty streets and shopping centres but the main characters didn't seem that worried about COVID overall in the same way. The other issue with using COVID/lockdown as a plot device was that there were so few characters in the book that it meant I was able to guess the plot twist pretty quickly because there was so little room for red herrings. The author's writing style didn't gel with me either. It felt oddly clinical and I constantly felt separate from the characters and their emotions. I understand why this was done but it left me not caring about what happened to anyone in the book. I also didn't like the way the book jumped around and repeated certain scenes but from the other character's perspective without actually telling us anything new. Overall, I was just a bit disappointed with this one; I kept reading with the hope I was wrong but sadly I didn't enjoy it.
8. Jade War by Fonda Lee ★★★★★
This is the second book in the Green Bone Saga and the sequel to Jade City that I talked about above. I can't say much about the plot of this one, but if you want a spoiler-free description of the first book then see the Jade City review above. This book did everything I wanted for the sequel and more. It was actually set over a longer period of time than the first book (around 3-4 years) which I really enjoyed and I never felt like we missed anything. The characters were just as ruthless and I loved seeing how some of them evolved over the course of this book, especially Hilo and Anden. The ending was explosive and I couldn't put it down and I ended up reading this in two sittings because it was so so good. Overall, I highly recommend this trilogy if you enjoy urban fantasy books.
9. Do You Want to Start a Scandal? by Tessa Dare ★★★★
This is the sixth book I've read by Tessa Dare and she's probably one of my favourite historical romance writers. This book follows Charlotte Highwood, a young single woman who is on the brink of scandal. On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a tryst in the library. Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumours to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville - the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace. When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue. But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past. This was an enjoyable book and I really liked the character of Charlotte - she was witty and clever throughout. By now, I know what I'm getting into with a Tessa Dare book; this was just as enjoyable as her other books. If you're interested in historical romances then I do recommend picking up one of her books.
10. Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee ★★★★★
Jade Legacy is the final book in the Green Bone Saga so, again, I can't say too much about this book. However, I will say that I loved it and it's probably one of the best ends to a fantasy series I've ever read. This book took place over a much longer period of time than I expected but the pacing was perfect throughout and it felt like everything got as much detail and emphasis as it needed. Hilo and Shae are both brilliant characters and the character development of everyone was beautifully done throughout these books. I loved everything about this book and I will 100% read anything else Fonda Lee releases.
11. Wranglestone by Darren Charlton ★★
I'm pretty sad about this book because I really thought I'd enjoy this book but I ended up disappointed, despite it being a quick read. This is a dystopian, LGBTQ+ YA book and it's set in a post-apocalyptic America, where a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead (aka Zombies) at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Then Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary's secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they've ever known. The premise and idea was good but the execution just wasn't great for me. I didn't gel with the writing style at all. It felt like there were sentences missing from the book that connected ideas and places together which meant some things felt needlessly confusing (like, why is that character suddenly over there when they were here two sentences again). The characters felt underdeveloped and the romance was very much instalove, which I never really like. The only good thing about this book was how quick it was to read - it took me about 2 hours so there wasn't much chance of DNFing. Overall, I found it to be a very meh read, but if you like zombie books then do pick it up and see what you think.
12. The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe ★★★
This is a historical fiction book based on the true story of Dita Kraus. Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious books the prisoners have managed to smuggle past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the secret librarian of Auschwitz, responsible for the safekeeping of the small collection of titles, as well as the ‘living books’ - prisoners of Auschwitz who know certain books so well, they too can be ‘borrowed’ to educate the children in the camp. Obviously this book was extremely hard to read because of the subject matter but the characters were well-written. Overall, this was an interesting and harrowing read, but I think I'm learning that I don't particularly enjoy historical fiction based on a true story because I'm constantly wondering what historical facts have been changed to suit the story. The other issue I had was probably with the translation. The book skipped around perspectives a lot without any paragraph breaks so it was sometimes a bit confusing as to whose point of view we were in. It was an interesting read and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially concerning WWII.
13. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko ★★★★★
I'd heard mixed things about this YA fantasy duology so, honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this one going into it and I definitely didn't expect to give it 5 stars; I'm happy to say that I absolutely loved this book. This book follows Tarisai, who has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?
The magic system and creatures in this book were incredible, and all the different cultures were so fascinating. The pacing was very well done; although I wanted to see more of their childhood, every small time-jump worked beautifully and I never felt like I'd missed anything because Ifueko is so talented at bridging those gaps. I also loved so many of the characters: Tarisai, Dayo, Woo-In, and Kirah were my absolute favourites. They were so well-developed and, even though I struggled with Tarisai's decisions sometimes, they still felt realistic. I also didn't see the twist coming at all and I thought it worked so well. Overall, a fantastic, fast-paced, fantasy that I recommend to anyone.
14. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid ★★★★
I've read a lot of Taylor Jenkins Reid books now and she never fails to disappoint. This wasn't my favourite of hers but I still really enjoyed it. This is an Adult Contemporary book following Emma Blair. Emma married her childhood sweetheart, Jesse. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. But, on their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. And just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is so skilled at writing people and can write about grief and how it affects people so well. She's also really good at writing how people can change over time; both their priorities and how they can feel. This was a hard book to read but it was beautiful and I loved how it ended. My only complaint was that I wanted to see more of her life with Sam prior to Jesse returning, but other than that, I really loved it. I don't want to say much more as it would spoil the book because this was far more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one. If you like Taylor Jenkins Reid or adult contemporaries then I recommend picking this up.
15. Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko ★★★★
Naturally, because I loved Raybearer so much I had to pick up the sequel pretty much immediately. This is the second and final book in this duology. Sadly, I didn't love it as much as the first one, but I did still really enjoy it. I can't say too much without spoiling the first book so I won't talk about the plot here. My biggest issue with this book was the decisions Tarisai made and the use of miscommunication/no communication that caused some conflicts. This was mostly frustrating because it meant we saw less of the found family, which was one of the things I loved the most about the first one. The other issue I had with the book was that it felt like some things happened too easily/quickly, or even conveniently, but it didn't happen too often. Overall, it's still a very strong sequel and I did love this duology a lot.
16. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ★★★★
I don't pick up YA thrillers as much as I used to but I had heard amazing things about this book so I knew I had to give it a try. This is a YA Thriller with both race and LGBTQ+ rep, but check the trigger warnings before going into this because there are a lot. I ended up not loving this as much as I thought I would, but it was still a very good thriller. It's pretty fast paced and the main characters are distinct, interesting, and very realistic. I had a few issues with this book overall. One was that it felt slightly too long - it felt like it could've been 100 pages shorter and still had the same impact. The first 200-300 pages just felt like the same bad things happening over and over again without much movement. I also sadly guessed everyone that was involved in the plot twist so that made it slightly less impactful. However, I really appreciate the social commentary in this book and it definitely needs to be seen more. I think if I had read/watched fewer thrillers, I might have enjoyed this more. It was still a solid 4 star though and I do recommend it to fans of thrillers.
So those are all the books I read this month! Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of them. Fingers crossed I have another good reading month in July.
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