Rearview Mirror // June 2022

Hey friends!  It’s November, so that seems like a great time to talk about June!  :-D

Favorite June Read

I actually read a lot of books I really enjoyed in June, so it’s a toss-up.  I think the leading edge probably goes to Book Lovers, though.  It was fun and the banter was fantastic.

Most Disappointing June Read

Probably By Your Side.  I’ve enjoyed several of West’s other books but this one just got on my nerves for some reason.

Other June Reads

• 3*
  • National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
  • The Randolphs by Grace Livingston Hill
•  3.5*
  • The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
  • The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters
  • The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton
  • Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
  • Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
  • Stardust by Neil Gaiman
  • The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher
• 4*
  • The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan
  • Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  • Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
  • Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
  • Lies by T.M. Logan
  • Magic for Marigold by L.M. Montgomery
  • Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman
  • The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
  • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

June Stats

• Total Number of Books Read:  25
• Total Pages Read:  8945
• Average Star Rating for June:  3.71
• Longest Book: Gone With the Wind (959 pages)
• Shortest Book:  The Randolphs (149 pages)
• Oldest Book:  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (published 1848)
• Newest Book: Book Lovers, Something Wilder, The Sweet Life, and The League of Gentlewomen Witches (all published 2022)
• Top Genre: Romance (8 books)
• Top Format: Paperback (14 books)
• Top Source: Library (8 books)

June Challenge Updates

• New states visited: Georgia, North Carolina, and Utah!
• Chunksters read (800+pgs): 1
• Almost-a-chunksters read (450-799pgs): 1
• Classics read: 4
• Nonfiction read: 3

TBR Update

This is current as of today, not the end of June!!

• Standalones:  470 (down ten!)
• Nonfiction:  131 (up one)
• Personal (which includes all books I own (fiction and nonfiction), but lists any series I own as only one entry…):  604 (down seventeen!!! AND I have past the halfway mark – I have more in the “read” column than in the “unread” column!  Because yes, I do own over 1200 books LOL)
• Series (each series counted separately, not each book within a series):  250 (holding steady)
• Mystery Series (each series counted separately, not each book within a series): 111 (holding steady)
• New Arrivals – (I have a lot of books that I have been gifted or that I pick up somewhere and they get put on my “oh I’m so excited about this shiny new book” shelf… and then of course don’t actually get read.): 168 (holding steady)

Current Reads

Right now I am reading –

• Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon – an interesting read, definitely more biographical and less story than I was expecting, but still engaging.  This is a chapter-a-day read for me.
• Dracula by Bram Stoker – I started this one with the #DraculaDaily craziness and even though I’m a bit behind, I am swiftly closing in on the conclusion of this classic.
• The Blythes are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery – This is our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead for November and one that I have somehow never read.  It was published posthumously in the early 2000s and is a collection of poetry and short stories.
• Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts – My current “main” read.

Last Time on “Up Next”

Did I actually read my probable next five reads from last time?

• The Hidden One by Linda Castillo – Yes! Another solid entry for the Kate Burkholder series, which I love.
• The It Girl by Ruth Ware -Yes!  Enjoyable but forgettable.
• His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik – Yes!  This one was rather slow in spots but still interesting enough that I’m planning to read the next in the series.
• Moonlight Cove by Sherryl Woods – Yes! But overall this series just isn’t doing much for me.  I’m undecided whether or not I’m going to continue on.
• Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron – Nope – but I tried.  As I suspected, a fictional story wherein a real-life person is the main character just didn’t click for me.

Up Next

The probable next five(ish) reads –

So for November I’m trying to finish/progress a few series that I’m in the middle of, plus I have a couple of traveling book club books to get through.  I’m mostly busy planning my December TBR of absolute Christmas FLUFF.  SO EXCITED.  But before then I’m hoping to read –

• Full Moon by P.G. Wodehouse – The four of us who created a “happy books” traveling book club group enjoyed it so much that we’re doing another round.  I contributed a Wodehouse last time as well, because I believe he is the ultimate in happy stories!! This one is a Blandings Castle tale – love it!!
• Treason of Thorns by Laura Weymouth – At the last minute I spontaneously joined a second traveling book club group, this one focused on fantasy.  Probably going to be a mixed bag.  I have this one unread on my shelf, so I decided to give it a go.
• The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman – If I’m really lucky, I’ll even read more than one Leaphorn and Chee book!!
• Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik – I’d really love to read the next book or two in this series as well.
• Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater – Although I have a lot of mixed feelings about the Dreamer Trilogy I’m still intrigued to find out how everything comes together in the end.

So that’s (finally) a wrap for JUNE!  Will I finish reviewing July books before the end of November??  Only time will tell!! Thanks for sticking with me!!

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