Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for June
2025 were.

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Here are my June reads. All in all a very nice reading month.

A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory -Jagadish Shukla
Non fiction
Format eBook
Rating 3/5 - Good
Dr. Jagasish Shukla was born in 1944 in Bali, India. His main field of study is meteorology. His focus is monsoons. He also works on climate change. This book is a blend of science and memoir.

I enjoyed learning about Indian culture and I wish this part was a greater portion of the book. The the last section very interesting as he reveals how the big oil companies went after him for stating that there is global warming and our burning of fossil fuels a cause. It reminded me of how the tobacco companies fought for years saying their product wasn't harmful.

Sherlock Holmes: The Yatsley Case, The Blue Carbuncle Jewelby Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio Book
Rating 2/5- Did not meet expectations
The audio was well done by Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. It sounded like what I would imagine old timey radio programs sounded like. I enjoyed that.

I found the plot to be a bit silly but harmless holiday tale. In the Yatsley case Sherlock Holmes investigates the theft of a valuable jewel, a "Blue Carbuncle," which ends up being swallowed by a Christmas goose.

If you are a Sherlock Homes fan I am sure you will enjoy this audio

The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
Genre: Non Fiction
Format: Audio and eBook
Rating 3 plus
This was a re-read for me. I first read this book on July 2021.

This go round I did an immersive read. I read the eBook and followed along with the audio book. The audio was expertly done by Fred Sanders. Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, did a lengthy intro and closing. Meacham, also has a very pleasant voice.

Jon Meacham reminds us that during our histories dark times, Abraham Lincoln's “better angels of our nature” have repeatedly won out. Meacham gives us a tour of history from Lincoln onward to prove this point. He is a bit more optimistic then I am.

I found the long intro by Meacham and the first half of the book a bit hard to get through. Mainly because he bombards the reader with quote after quote. The quotations are from various people in history and not always from the period he is discussing. So this made for jumpy reading for me.

The second half was very good as he seems to settle down a bit with the quotes. His discussion on the SenatorJoseph McCarthy era and Lyndon Johnson and civil rights period were very good.

I had a ton of highlights and notes for this book. It has a lot of good information. If Meacham shortened his intro and had less quotes and more analysis by him, I would have given it a 4/5 rating.


The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Genre: Non Fiction
Format: eBook
Rating: 4/5 Very good
This is a short quick read. Kimmerer is a botanist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation, which is one of the Anishinaabe peoples of the Great Lakes region.

Serviceberries are berries usually consumed by wildlife and picked by humans for uses in baked goods. They are not sold in stores as they are very delicate and have a short shelf life.

Kimmerer advocates for the "gift" economy. This is where people barter and don't overconsume. It all about doing your best to recycle, reuse and reduce. Much like the serviceberry. The animals eat it for free, that gets digested and recycled into the soil where other organisms eat that. A circle of life. The premise is there is enough for all if we share.

The inequality of wealth has substantially increased in the United States. In the United States, the top 10% of households control roughly two-thirds of the nation's total wealth. The bottom 50% own around 2.5%.

It's a thought provoking book.

City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim
Genre: fiction
Format: eBook and Audio Book
Rating: 2/5 Did not meet expectations
The plot revolves around Russian prima ballerina Natalia Leonova. She has had some sort of accident and was unable to dance for two years. During that period she turns to drugs and alcohol. She is attempting a comeback. We also follow her love life and the dance careers of some of the other characters. Even though the book is around 300 pages, I found it dragged. There really isn't a lot to the plot. It's some of the basic stuff you see in most ballet movies. The physical pain, the competition, etc.

My main issue was the time jumps. Without any warning, and I mean none, we go back and forth in time.

I enjoy ballet and should have gone with the non fiction book.

My June reads are as follows:

The Heirloom by Graham Masterton (for some reason the add author link isn't working) - 5 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Blood and Ghosts: Paranormal Forensics Investigators by Katherine Ramsland - 1 star.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Silver Dagger by Alistair Cross - 5 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

House of Decay by Boris Bacic - 4 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Blood, Death and Fears: The Haunting of Old South Pittsburg Hospital by Richard Estep - 4 stars
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

All the Fiends of Hell by Adam L.G. Nevill - 4 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Neighbors by Ania Ahlborn
- 2 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

All in all not a bad month - I had two clunkers though - with a dnf which I generously gave it 1 star (normally I don't rate dnf books) and the other book was a huge disappointment so I had to give it 2 stars. The 2 star book I felt like I wasted my time and energy on that book and I probably should have gave it a dnf too but I thought it would get better.

My absolute favorite of the month was The Heirloom book by Masterton - his books even though they are horror always put me in a good mood (lol) - I love his books and I haven't read a book by him yet that I didn't like. Gosh *knock on wood* - lol - I hope I don't read a clunker by him as that will make my good mood go sour. lol :)

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my June reads. All in all a very nice reading month.

[book:A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Ch..."

I need to read Sherlock Holmes at some point - I bought a omnibus set of his works last year for my kindle that I need to read yet. :)

Hello everyone! I read four books in June.

First was Lei and The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea. I wrote a whole review on it and you can read it here.

After her disbelief in the Hawaiian mythology leads to her invoking the wrath of Pele, the titular fire goddess, a girl named Anna (a.k.a Lei) has to embark on a quest to save her best friend Kaipo and her grandma's village.

One of this book's greatest strengths is Anna herself. She's resourceful, her motivation for not believing in the Hawaiian mythology (as well her character arc of coming to accept the realness of the Hawaiian mythology and embracing the role of family storyteller like her grandmother), was quite believable, and because she doesn't have a lot of other genuine friends, there's some real weight to her desire to rescue Kaipo and whatnot. One moment where Anna's character really shines is when she's telling the mo'o a story in order to get one of its scales. It's here that Anna really starts embracing the storyteller role and flexes her creative muscles to create a well-told story that leads to her question whether or not she still wants to impress this mean girl named Hennley.

Also, one thing that really surprised me about this book was that it basically has this message about how both science and myth have value. For a book like this, it would've been very easy to heavily favor one or the other. But I'm glad that this book decided to go in a more nuanced direction, not only because there's a lot of truth to it, but also because it shows a sense of respect for the reader's intelligence.

On the subject of things that surprised me about this book, I was shocked by how it actually committed to its smaller scale premise rather than trying to bog it down with a "Save the World" plot or a million different other things.

Now, at the beginning of each chapter, there are some really cool illustrations that are simple, but really suit the Hawaiian setting. However, the book just recycles the same few illustrations over and over again. Like, why? It just feels really cheap and lazy. Now, I don't need illustrations to enjoy a book, but for me, if they are going to be included, they should be given the same amount of thought and effort as everything else in the book.

Some of the twists were rather predictable too, ranging anywhere from those moments where one character believes another character is dead only to find out that the other character is actually alive to twists that give the reader so many clues, there's no possible way that they aren't able to predict what the twist is gonna be.

Rating: A-

Another book I read for June was Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon. Full review here.

Yeah, if you couldn't tell from the title, this is basically a parody of the first Twilight book.

Now, you would think that this is some half-assed cash grab made to capitalize on the success of Twilight, but it's actually really good. Okay, hear me out.

Even though Belle and Edwart are supposed to be a parody of Bella and Edward, the way that Belle and Edwart are characterized is so fun and unique, that they take on a life of their own and their chemistry is written in a way that makes them a genuinely adorable couple.

One thing that I can't believe I forgot to mention in my actual review is that I love how this book knows it's goofy and over the top and embraces it. I also think (in addition to some clever build up and whatnot), it makes its more effective jokes (like how Belle's clumsiness leads her to trip over a toddler, fly into a keychain stand, fall down the escalator, and soar over some luggage) that much more effective.

The one problem I do have with it, though, is that it is kind of dated in a way that screams "This came out in the 2000's!"

Rating: A

Third up was The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Go here if you want to know my full thoughts on it.

So this professor lady named Phoebe goes to this fancy hotel in Newport, tries to kill herself, fails, and ends up falling in with a wedding party.

Yeah, I didn't care for this one. Now, to be fair, there were some things I did actually enjoy about it. For example, when it comes to side characters like the Cornwall Inn staff, this book really knows how to make them feel like realistic and likable people. I also thought Phoebe's arc of really working to claw herself out of rock bottom was pretty well executed and, for the most part, the setting felt well researched and well utilized.

However, part of what soured the experience for me was that there were quite a few elements in which it's clear that the author didn't really take the time to double check to see if they were accurate and how the book couldn't seem to make up its mind on whether Phoebe had a speech or not. Oh and for some reason (at least in the version I read), there are no clear chapter labels in the actual text and I cannot for the life of me understand what the omission of such a ubiquitous feature is supposed to add.

But what really sullied this book for me was its baffling take on cheating. I go into way more detail about this in my actual review, but in short, this book wants to act like cheating is this painful, destructive thing, but portrays romantic relationships that don't rely on cheating as miserable and/or dysfunctional or cut short by death. It's extremely hypocritical and treats cheating as if it's the only effective way to resolve relationship problems. To me, the book should've either made the characters learn that there's much healthier ways of resolving relationship problems, taken a clearer stance on cheating, or even had one or two already healthy romantic relationships that don't rely on cheating.

Rating: D-

Last but certainly not least was A Man and His Cat Volume Four by Umi Sakurai. I got a whole review on it right here.

The plot of this entry basically involves Kanda-san teaching his self-proclaimed rival, Hibino-san, how to take care of Hibino-san's new cat named Marin.

Whether it's Kanda-san showing just how far he's come as a cat owner while mentoring Hibino-san or Hibino-san getting a hang of this "looking after a cat" thing and (view spoiler)[becoming a genuine friend to Kanda-san (hide spoiler)], this entry absolutely excels at character growth and expanding upon previously established elements. I also love how the gags involving Marin are not only adorable, but also do things like develop character as well.

Rating: A+

Overall, I would say that June was a pretty good reading month for me.

Marie wrote: All in all not a bad month - I had two clunkers though - with a dnf which I generously gave it 1 star (normally I don't rate dnf books) and the other book was a huge disappointment so I had to give it 2 stars. The 2 star book I felt like I wasted my time and energy on that book and I probably should have gave it a dnf too but I thought it would get better.."

Yes, you had a nice reading month, Marie. Any month I have a 5 star read is a great month for me !

Thanks for steering us away from the clunkers.

Hailey wrote:

"Third up was The Wedding People by Alison Espach..."

Yikes ! I have a library hold on this one. :(

It's not the typical book I read. Oh well, I'll give a try.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my June reads. All in all a very nice reading month.

[book:A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Ch..."

Alias, you accomplished plenty of reading variety in June. It’s a shame they couldn’t have been more rewarding, though. Good topics, i must say. Thanks for sharing here.

Marie wrote: "My June reads are as follows:

The Heirloom by Graham Masterton (for some reason the add author link isn't working) - 5 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

Thank you for sharing your reviews of the books you read last month, Marie. You had a story of contrast between the two about “real” paranormal events. It’s a shame Ramsland couldn’t be as strong in preparing her stories, as Estes was. Hers sound more interesting but he delivered.

I like reading your enthusiasm for books you like, such as Masterson’s. They tempt us!

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! I read four books in June.

First was Lei and The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea. I wrote a whole review on it and you can read it here.

After her disbelief in the Hawaiian mytholo..."

The first book sounds wonderful to me. The balance you mentioned makes it a cut above, imo. I wish more fiction allowed for both science and mythology.

Sorry about your low-ranked novels but the others sound worthwhile. Thanks for telling us about them each, Hailey.

A decent month for me!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... by
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... by https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... by https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alias Reader wrote: "

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for June
2025 were.

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would yo..."

Hi!
I read two, well listened to two, I hope that counts!

1st book I read was The Tenant by Freida McFadden
The Tenant

my rating: ⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed the story and I am a fan of Freida McFadden's! But, I think the narrator (for the main character Blake) was miscast, for me, anyway, so it took me a while to get over that to get really invested. Great story, great writing, but the narration is why I gave 3 stars.
Psychological Thriller/Suspense/who-dunnit

2nd book I read was, What Happened To Anabel Taylor
What Happened To Anabel Taylor

my rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
omg, I devoured this book - loved the flow of it, the story, the setting!!, and all the twists and turns - loved the characters - right up my alley! This is from a new indie author, Jennifer Shay Carta and if you like, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Liane Moriarty (others have said Celeste Ng!) you will like her.

Psychological Suspense/Drama/Contemporary - deals with mental crisis in the public eye... So, so SO good, if you like that sort of thing 🤗

~Evie

John wrote: "A decent month for me!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... by
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: ..."

John, i appreciate the three, well rounded reviews. The first sounds most tempting, both from your review, but also the overall topic.

The Russia book sounds heavier than i expected. I’m glad you fleshed it out some.

For my money, the novel sounds too vague. If you cannot account for the morning in some detail, why bother?

Again, we are grateful for sharing your thoughts on these selections.

Evie wrote: "I read two, well listened to two, I hope that counts!

1st book I read was The Tenant by Freida McFadden
The Tenant

my rating: ⭐⭐⭐..."

What good news for you. Anytime a person really likes the books they read in a month, i’m happy for them. No time squandered on so-so reading. Thanks for sharing your happy book experiences, Evie.

Alias Reader wrote: "Marie wrote: All in all not a bad month - I had two clunkers though - with a dnf which I generously gave it 1 star (normally I don't rate dnf books) and the other book was a huge disappointment so ..."

Thank you, Alias. :) And you are welcome about the clunkers. lol :)

madrano wrote: "Marie wrote: "My June reads are as follows:

The Heirloom by Graham Masterton (for some reason the add author link isn't working) - 5 stars.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/rev..."

Thank you Deb. :)

I have read Estep in the past so already knew of his work - his books are easy to read too with how he tells a story about the paranormal experiences. With Ramsland I felt that her book leaned more toward a handbook on what to do and not to do in investigations. Also with Ramsland she has more books out to read too but after that clunker I am hesitant to step into more of her work. lol

I do not blame you, Marie. If Ramsland wanted a handbook, she should have called it that. It would likely sell better, yet she could cover the exact same material.

I haven’t been posting about the books I’ve been reading because it is a hassle when we are on the road. This awful cold has caused its share of problems, as well. So, a short recap.

I believe i shared about this one on my Challenge thread.
Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe—Jane Goodall is the story of Goodall’s years in Tanganyika, which was neat. Along with sharing what she’s learned, she tells how their lives have helped her over some challenges, as well. My sole complaint was that i couldn’t keep the chimpanzee’s names right in my mind, as all family members were given names beginning with the same letter!

The Boxcar Librarian—Brianna Labuskes is a story built around the true boxcar, which was converted into a library in Montana before the Depression. The aim was to arrive on the rails, allowing locals, miners and their families, to check out books of interest. The story revolves around three women, over three different decades, with some overlapping. Frankly, the time issue was more a pain than needed, as the bit wasn’t a very good part of the story, imo. I liked the story and characters, despite the nonsense about decades.

The Grass Is Singing—Doris Lessing. There was plenty to consider in this short novel. We follow the story of a young woman, her early life, expectations, successes and sadness after marrying a farmer in Southern Rhodesia. While her husband’s story is briefly told, she is the focus.

I cannot yet say whether i liked the book or not. It seemed to drag with redundant failures of crops and hopes. Still, the intent and underlying racism in the area, while in the background, served to focus the end toward the tragedy. It unsettled me, i think.

The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories—Carson McCullers. I’ve liked the stories I’ve read from McCullers but these were different. The title story still has the sad characters with unusual characteristics but her descriptions of life shine through.

There were several stories. For the first time, they covered non-south places, although a southern birthplace is usually mentioned. “Wunderkind”, about a young girl realizing she may not be a prodigy, afterall, was well written. Others were softer, yet also welcomed.

John wrote: #11

"A decent month for me!

Liquid Rules by Mark Miodownik

A Journey Into Russia
by Jens .."

You read three very intersting books, John. These two I've put in my TBR notebook. I enjoyed your reviews. You always seem to find these wonderful titles that I've never heard of.

As to Lizzie Borden, I don't read too many crime books. That said, I probably would start with a simple non fiction one as the only thing I know about her is that nursery rhyme.

Congrats on a very nice 4 star month !

Evie wrote: #12
I read two, well listened to two, I hope that counts!
."

Audiobooks certainly do count !

Sorry The Tenant narrator wasn't up to the task. :(
Still, a 3 star book is good.

I'm glad to see that What Happened To Anabel Taylor was 5 star for you.

madrano wrote: "I haven’t been posting about the books I’ve been reading because it is a hassle when we are on the road. This awful cold has caused its share of problems, as well. So, a short recap.

I believe i s..."

The Jane Goodall book about the chimpanzees and the book about the traveling library both look good to me. Great choices. 😊

John wrote: "A decent month for me!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... by
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/rev..."

John, I'd like to suggest you include the titles and book covers. It helps to give a feel for the book.

madrano wrote: #18

The Grass Is Singing—Doris Lessing. There was plenty to consider in this short novel. We follow the story of a young woman, her early life, expectations, successes and sadness after marrying a farmer in Southern Rhodesia. While her husband’s story is briefly told, she is the focus.

I cannot yet say whether i liked the book or not. It seemed to drag with redundant failures of crops and hopes. Still, the intent and underlying racism in the area, while in the background, served to focus the end toward the tragedy. It unsettled me, i think.."

I thought you read this years ago when I read it. Anyway, I enjoyed it more than you did as I gave it 4/5 stars. I recall the writing was so vivid I could feel the African heat off the pages.

Sorry to hear the cold symptoms still linger. Summer colds are so depressing. :( I hope you feel better soon.

John wrote: "A decent month for me!..."

Thanks for the wonderful reviews, John. You have had an interesting month.
I've put Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives onto my library TBR list.

Evie wrote: "Hi!
I read two, well listened to two, I hope that counts!..."

I listen to audio books, too. I can relate to the story losing it's shine if the narrator isn't right.

Nice month of reading, Evie.

Deb, your reading hasn't slowed down on the road. A wonderful selection of books. The Boxcar Librarian sounds interesting. I've put the audio book on my library For Later list.

madrano wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! I read four books in June.

First was Lei and The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea. I wrote a whole review on it and you can read it here.

After her disbelief in the H..."

You're welcome, madrano! That element was quite a welcome surprise for me while reading Lei and The Fire Goddess. There is a sequel to it and I'm really hoping that this element carries over to it because I think it really helps this series stand out from other mythology-related Middle Grade books.

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote:

"Third up was The Wedding People by Alison Espach..."

Yikes ! I have a library hold on this one. :(

It's not the typical book I read. Oh well, I'll give a try."

I think that's a good way to go about it, Alias. Who knows? You may end up having a vastly different opinion on it than I did.

What I read in June:

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (3-star) - I enjoyed this a lot. It was denser than I expected, but so interesting that it didn't matter. There are a lot of mammals mentioned, all with interesting stories.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Waiting (3-star) - a story of people waiting. Every character is waiting for something. Meanwhile, Life continues and doesn't wait for anyone.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sylvia's Lovers (4-star) - I thoroughly enjoyed this story of choices and consquences. I enjoyed every page until the last chapter. But, despite that chapter, this was a solid, enjoyable read.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Seven Empty Houses (3-star) - an intriguing book of 7 short stories. Each story focusses on loss and/or being lost. The writing is really good.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Girl in Landscape (2-star) - this is the third book by Jonathan Lethem that I've read and the first disappointing one.
The first section was really well done. It's interesting and intriguing. A family is going to leave ruined Earth to live on the Planet of the Archbuilders. But once they arrive on the planet, the story slows down and the momentum stops.
Review; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Partridge and the Pelican (2-star) - I found this on my ereader, where it had lived for years, so gave it a try. I should have skipped it.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote:

"Third up was The Wedding People by Alison Espach..."

Yikes ! I have a library hold on this one. :(

It's not the typical book I read. Oh well, I'll give a try."

I read it in May I think and liked it. I’ll try to link my review when I’m on the computer instead of tablet tomorrow

I read 12 books in June, including a 5 star re-read
Daughter of Fire. I didn’t enjoy the predictable romance but I liked learning about the Popol Vuh and some history of Central America

The Wangs vs. the World a comic roadtrip about a formerly wealthy, now bankrupt family. Lost a little credibility at the end when they followed dad to China regarding some land

Death of the Author. I am not a sci-fi fan but I did enjoy this book about a disabled author navigating her family and fans and the robot story she writes

The Frozen River like the book above, I did not think I would enjoy this book but I really enjoyed it. It was a little too long but I loved the writing and the MC, midwife Martha

The Quiet American, Vietnam war set story of the death of an American advisor and the love triangle he initiated before his death

Why Cats Are Assholes, for cat lovers only, for a little levity I read this humorous book about why cats are amazing (and yeah kind of a-holes but they’re so cute about it)

Three Apples Fell from the Sky enjoyable screwball comedy about the inhabitants of an isolated town in Armenia.

100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines another fun book with trivia about cats who performed various deeds or had famous owners. Good for trivia fans as well as cat lovers

The Berry Pickers inconsistent story about two families connected by a crime. It was just ok

We Need New Names 5 star reread, Darling ages from 10-17 as she tells us the story of living in Zimbabwe under the dictatorship and then her adjustment to living in the US in heartbreaking, beautiful language. Read this book

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return graphic novel follow-up to the original Persepolis, following the author through her time in Austria and return to Iran

The Perks of Being a Wallflower another great book about navigating young adulthood when you don’t quite fit in

Petra wrote: #29

"What I read in June:

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (3-star) - I enjoyed this a lot. It was denser than I expected, but so..."

What a nice mix of books you read in June. It looks like only two disappointed you.

Your first book is intersting as today is the opening of the new Jurassic movie ! :)
🦕🦖🦕

Re The Wedding People

Denise wrote: " #30
I read it in May I think and liked it. I’ll try to link my review when I’m on the computer instead of tablet tomorrow
..."

Yes. When you posted about it I put a library hold on it.

Denise wrote: #31

"I read 12 books in June, including a 5 star re-read
Daughter of Fire. I didn’t enjoy the predictable romance but I liked learning about the Popol Vuh and some history of Central Am..."

Wow ! You had a very nice reading month, Denise !

Petra wrote: "What I read in June:

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (3-star) - I enjoyed this a lot. It was denser than I expected, but so..."

This mammal book looks interesting.😊

21 Barbara wrote: "The Jane Goodall book about the chimpanzees and the book about the traveling library both look good to me. Great choices. 😊..."

I felt they were…not to mention quite the contrast.

Alias Reader wrote: "I thought you read this years ago when I read it. Anyway, I enjoyed it more than you did as I gave it 4/5 stars. I recall the writing was so vivid I could feel the African heat off the pages...."

I remember you read it & i intended to do so but didn’t, for some reason. I found the book depressing, so perhaps i sensed that last time. And, yes, the heat could be felt as i read. It was awful! And living under a tin roof in that sun? Nope.

Petra wrote: "Deb, your reading hasn't slowed down on the road. A wonderful selection of books. The Boxcar Librarian sounds interesting. I've put the audio book on my library For Later list."

Previously i read the same author’s The Librarian of Burned Books, which i thought served her purpose well, too. She seems to be on a roll, Petra.

27 Hailey wrote: "There is a sequel to it and I'm really hoping that this element carries over to it because I think it really helps this series stand out from other mythology-related Middle Grade books..."

I think she’s on to something with that idea, Hailey. I really like myths but also want a fresher look at them, as well.

Petra wrote: "What I read in June:

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (3-star) - I enjoyed this a lot. It was denser than I expected, but so..."

Thanks for the review links, Petra. I meant to read Jin’s novel since it was first published but didn’t. Your comments had me adding it to my TBR.

I am not familiar with that Gaskell, so hope to read that, as well.

As for the final selection, sometimes there are reasons books are found unread, years after acquiring them. This is a perfect example.

Denise wrote: "I read 12 books in June, including a 5 star re-read
Daughter of Fire. I didn’t enjoy the predictable romance but I liked learning about the Popol Vuh and some history of Central Am..."

Good reading month, Denise. I’ve added Daughter of Fire to my TBR because i want a novel which features the Popol Vuh. I read it several years ago & would like to see a connective thread about it, as embraced by locals.

Thanks for sharing here.

Barbara wrote: "John wrote: "A decent month for me!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... by
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been having trouble with posting this stuff from my phone recently. Will try to do better.


Review:
https://www.goodr..."

People Problems: How to Handle the Hard-to-Handle

This was a super good read I read it in just a few days last month. Super inspirational and gave me a different outlook on life.

Mind Power, forgot the author

Penn wrote: "People Problems: How to Handle the Hard-to-Handle

This was a super good read I read it in just a few days last month. Super inspirational and gave me a different outlook on life."

It's the rare book that can have that impact. I'm glad you found one that worked well for you.

Daniel wrote: "Mind Power, forgot the author"

Was this the book and author ?

Mind Power into the 21st Century: Techniques to Harness the Astounding Powers of Thought by John Kehoe

Penn wrote: "People Problems: How to Handle the Hard-to-Handle

This was a super good read I read it in just a few days last month. Super inspirational and gave me a different outlook on life."

Thanks for sharing about it, Penn.

Daniel wrote: "Mind Power, forgot the author"

Interesting topic, Daniel.