June 2022 Wrap Up and TBR

Can I just say this month has been absolutely crazy?

I got kind of sidetracked for the first half of the month when inspiration hit me hard and the writing juices just kept on flowing. I wrote 40K words for a fun story just for myself in about a week. I haven’t written like that in YEARS and it felt amazing.

That being said, when you’re stuck in a world of your own making with characters you’re living out plots with, it’s kind of hard to go dive into another world. So reading definitely took a little dive (as well as the blogging, whoops) but I’m learning that it is okay.

Repeat it with me, friends. It is OKAY, completely okay to have months where you don’t read that much, where you don’t post that much. Give yourself grace and live a little outside of this community if you need it! This is about doing it because we love it and not because it’s a chore to have to do.

Anyway, that’s my little motivational spiel. I know that’s not what you’re here for. So let’s dig into my month.

What did I read this month?

Fave read: Hands down This Vicious Grace with its remarkable way of bringing out the couple in such heartfelt detail. My poor heart! Plus, for a rather simple plot, it paced very well and made it super hard to put down.

First DNF: I tried my best with The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad but I really couldn’t fathom continuing past the 63% mark. I may write up a review for it soon but maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood to get through it.

Best storytelling: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea has been super quotable (or so bookstagram tells me) and I finally understand why. I loved the Korean folklore it’s based on and the interesting characters we meet in the spirit realm.

Most personal: I anticipated yet didn’t fully expect Portrait of a Thief to hit me so hard, but it was too heavy for many reasons to fully love and appreciate what the author was trying for. I wished I could be less critical but it didn’t sit well with me for a multitude of things.

ARC highlight: Half of my reads this month were ARCs but I loved the physical copy of Our Crooked Hearts so much, and the story inside was just as amazing. A little creepy but filled with more heart than I expected.

Summer mode activated: I typically fall into contemporaries in the summer months so See You Yesterday is getting me hyped for it. Always liked the Groundhog Day trope but with a cute romance in it just made for a great afternoon of reading.

4 Drink Me Potions

• See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
• This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede (review here)
• Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert (review here)

3 Drink Me Potions

• The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (buddy review coming soon!)

1-1.5 Drink Me Potions

• Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (review here)
• The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad by Natasha Deen

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Current Reading List

• Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
• The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
• A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey

TBR List

• The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
• The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
• Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

I hope your June went well! Mine did, minus that little biking accident I had last week, but otherwise, I’m looking forward to some lazy days in the summer and hopefully even some time off work.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe July!