Every month I read some books and at the end of every month, I then pop on here and write out a short intro (that’s what you’re reading now) and then the list of books along with the summaries from my reviews of them.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product.
I read seven books this month, which I think is a pretty good showing. One of the books I read was fantastic and another few were brilliant too – as, I feel, is the case with most months to be fair.
I read a mix of historical fiction and thriller. In fact, four books of the four I put down in the historical fiction genre under my review and three others were down in the thriller genre, so it was a very two-genre-specific month this month.
As always, what I’ve done is list these below along with a link to my full review as well as a link to the book on Amazon if you fancy picking it up.
But anyway, without further ado, let’s get into the seven books I read in June…
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
“I think it was really brave of Nugent to write a main character like Sally. To constantly have to think outside of your own comfort zones to consider what somebody else’s physical and personal boundaries might be when writing a character must have been a real challenge, but she’s executed it wonderfully. Sally is a joy to read and makes the whole book worth reading. However, a story that never quite reached the heights I was expecting it to and an ending that sort of just petered out was a little disappointing for a book that a lot of people sung much praise about.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
“Lonesome Dove was a book that, I’ll admit, at first, I didn’t really get. I thought it was a generic cowboy story about a bunch of men talking, shooting and expressing misogynistic views over women. However, about halfway through something absolutely changed that for me. The characters started having transformative moments, I started to understand the deeper and higher stories and lessons McMurtry was trying to tell here. I began to fall in love with the characters and never really wanted it to end in the end. The more I think about Lonesome Dove, the more I want to read the sequel.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
No One Saw A Thing by Andrew Mara
Somehow I’ve managed to miss writing a review for No One Saw A Thing this month so if you’re reading this early on, this is what you’ll be reading. However, it was a good enough book, not the best thriller I’ve ever read but still solid enough and enjoyable, if not a tad predictable.
Review coming soon… | Buy a copy from Amazon
The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden
“The Housemaid is Watching is both a book you could love because you loved the previous two and also a book you could despise. If you enjoy Millie and want to see where life has taken her ten years later and how this affects how she deals with things, you’ll love this book. But if you’re someone who’s seeking that clever twist and constant crashing plot points, you may find yourself disappointed. Is The Housemaid is Watching the best in the series? No. But it still felt great to pick up with Millie in what definitely felt like the continuation of a series this time instead of a possible standalone.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
Demon Copperhead By Barbara Kingsolver
“Demon Copperhead was either going to be a sink or swim for me based on the feedback I received before reading it. I can confidently say it swims. Demon Copperhead features a dark and often at times depressing story but one laced with moments of lightness and humour and a fantastically nonchalant writing style from Kingsolver that makes it very enjoyable. A wealth of great characters and a main protagonist in Demon whose depth is properly explored rather than serving as a placeholder to guide you through the story. Give Demon Copperhead a chance. Yes, it may not be the most uplifting book, but by the end of it, I guarantee you’ll absolutely love it.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
“The Rose Code is a great historical fiction novel by Kate Quinn. Her combination of engaging writing, enjoyable and colourful characters and an engaging enough story made this a real joy to read! I knew from a very early stage that I was really going to enjoy the book as the characters drew me to their strong personalities. It then continued to build on itself with some great personal moments, heart-wrenching shocks and an intriguing overarching story! Kate Quinn is most certainly an author I will be checking out more from!”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
“I can sit here and appreciate why people enjoy The Marriage Portrait and I have a lot of respect for the concept and for O’Farrell’s writing. Additionally, the characters were well-defined enough to keep you intrigued throughout and help immerse you into the world and time period. However, I just didn’t enjoy the story that much and found myself wanting more in a bad way at the end. The plot never really picked up enough for me, it felt quite monotonous and mundane and it’s not particularly a subject I’m interested in. This might be a great book for many, but unfortunately, The Marriage Portrait just wasn’t my cup of tea.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy from Amazon
So in summary…
As you can see, it was a thriller and historical fiction extravaganza of books in June and some absolutely banging ones t that. Lonesome Dove was one of the best books I’ve read all year and could well feature in my list at the very end of the year.
if you’re reading these reviews and wondering how my rating system makes any sense – it doesn’t really. Sometimes I’ll rate a book a 4.5 and say it’s not one of my favourites of the year and another I’ll say it could well feature in my list of books at the end of the year list. It’s my blog – I decided!
Demon Copperhead was another banger from this month. It was depressing as anything but also featured a layer of humour that I had a lot of time for and which made the whole book really enjoyable to read!
What books did you read this month? Have you read any of the books I read above? Let me know in the comments below or via my social media channels.
