Bookshelf - June 2019

Hey book buddies! Have you been reading much lately? How do you manage your reading time? I set aside an hour after dinner every night to read, and Saturday afternoons I grab a spot on the couch and snuggle up with a good book. I'd like to say this happens every week but you know, life gets in the way sometimes and that's fine too :)
Last month I read some fantastic books from a few different genres, and I loved them all. Let me share with you what I read during June.


The Boy That Steals Houses - C.G. Drews

This YA novel stole my heart completely - I soooo wanted to bring Sammy and Avery into our family and protect them both. This book respectfully highlights autism, reminding readers that its not a passing illness, nor is it a defect. You can't help but fall in love with Avery - he's not broken, his autism has been misunderstood by ignorant people.
Sammy will do whatever it takes to protect his older brother. He longs for the security of a home but his only option is to steal one, even if its only for a night. The De Lainey's have so much love to give and they open their home and hearts to Sammy, offering him a light in a life of violence, uncertainty, abandonment and homelessness.
C.G. Wells has written a story which touches your heart, makes you cry and clearly illustrates the ugly so you can appreciate the beauty of life.
"You can do monstrous things and not be a monster."
Loved, loved, loved it! :)


The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides

I think this is one of the best thrillers I've read this year - I was hooked from the very first page. The chapters are short and punchy and the twists kept coming as the story unfolded, with an ending that's very, very unexpected! Its fast paced, full of suspense and its written so well that when the big twist hits, you're totally not expecting it.
There are mixed reviews about this book on Goodreads and to be honest I'm a little perplexed...I thought it was brilliant! Definitely one to read if you like a good thriller or if you're looking for something that's intense with a very clever conclusion.
Its a hard book to put down and a story you wont forget!


Gravity Is The Thing - Jaclyn Moriarty

This book was an unexpected gem. Jaclyn is Liane Moriarty's sister (author of Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers etc.) and wow these girls really know how to write relatable characters. I fell in love with Abigail and Oscar, Wilbur and the rest of the Flight School team - I wanted to be part of their Tuesday night flight class so bad. :)
This book explores a plethora of self help books, and tackles all of life's big issues - loss, love, fear, blame, happiness and grief etc. There's no right or wrong way to navigate our way through life and no one has all the answers...we just trust in what we can control and deal with the unexpected as it comes along!
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book but I loved it!  It was heart warming, wonderful and heart breaking all at the same time - just like life really! Great read!



The Huntress - Kate Quinn

This was the first Kate Quinn novel I've read and it wont be the last I assure you - I loved it!
The Huntress (die Jagerin) may have been considered a small time war criminal after WW2 but Ian Graham, an American journalist, is relentless in his search to bring her to justice and atone for her crimes, especially the cold blooded murder of his younger brother - the hunteress becomes the hunted!
Kate takes us on a journey of post war Europe and Boston searching for the woman who vanished once the war was over. She also gives us Nina, the fearless Russian Night Witch pilot who survived a Huntress attack and has her own score to settle, and Jordan who can't shake her suspicions of her new step mother Annaliese.
I adored the characters in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure they took me on. The plot is riveting, at times heart pounding, and there's enough mystery, romance, heartbreak and action to make this a book hard to put down. I loved every single page!!


Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine- Gail Honeyman

This was my favorite read of the month - I loved this book beyond words! Gail's story encompasses loneliness, kindness, relationships and grief, all with a little humor and a whole lot of heart.  You'll love Eleanor so much and since finishing this book, I truly miss her - there will be a movie so I have that to look forward to!
If everyone read this book the world might be a nicer place. We have no idea the struggles of other people yet we make assumptions so quickly based on appearance or social standing. We overlook people who are different and yet we're all the same. We all want to be loved, we crave acceptance and we need social interaction. "These days loneliness is the new cancer..."
You can't help but love Eleanor but Raymond is an incredible character as well - his patience, kindness and his friendship will warm your soul! I loved them both!
Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book. It was an amazing read and I honestly did not want this book to end! Brilliant!

So that's what I read during June and I thoroughly enjoyed every book. It was such a great selection of titles and each story was unique and entertaining. 
What did you read last month? I'd love to hear your favorites so leave a comment and share them with me. I have some great books picked out for July, some I've been very eager to read and a couple that have me suitably curious, so I'm excited. 
Happy reading book buddies :)

4 comments

  1. Hello Rose, Thanks for the picks! I have discovered audio books. Love them! I can do things while listening to someone read to me, such a cooking,driving, sewing and gardening. I have listened to "The Huntress" enjoyed it. Off to the Library to see if I can pick up one or more of these books!

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    1. Hi Heide, I haven't tried audio yet. I do listen to Podcasts and that's not too bad but my mind tends to wander and focus on what I'm doing ;) I hope there's some new titles there for you to read - June was a fantastic reading month for me :)

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  2. Hi - Thank you for the review of books! Kate Quinn - all her books are awesome - The Alice Network I just read! Another sweet read is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson!

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    1. Thanks so much for the recommendations. I've got The Alice Network on my list and I'll try and source the other one. I just looked it up on Goodreads and it sounds great!

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