June in Review

Welcome to the new edition of my months in review! Because May was a busy month, I'm skipping it and heading straight to my June review.

With the Summer Reading Program going on, I kicked my reading up a notch. It helped that I've started listening to audiobooks during my commute and while I do housework. Here's what I read in June.


The Memory Book by Laura Avery

I loved this book, especially because it focuses on Niemann-Pick Disease.

The Mark of Cain by Lindsay Barraclough

I was pretty disappointed in The Mark of Cain. It started out really good, and was pretty creepy, but it quickly turned boring. It was a struggle for me to finish it.

Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody

Boys of Summer was SO. GOOD. I loved it. It was especially refreshing to read a novel that had male narrators instead of female, because there is not enough of that in young adult fiction.

Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs

This was another disappointment. I had heard so many good things about this book, but for me, it just wasn't that good. The writing seemed kind of scattered, and the story just didn't grab me.

Summerlost by Ally Condie

Summerlost is one of the most delightful middle grade novels I've read. I adored every word of it.

Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

This book sounded so cute, but it just wasn't that good.

The Killer in Me by Margot Harrison

I don't know how I feel about The Killer in Me. Parts of it were good, parts of it weren't, and I can't decide if I liked it or not.

Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy

This one started out really good, but dragged on. It definitely felt like it was longer than it needed to be.

Whisper to Me by Nick Lake

Confession: I almost didn't read Whisper to Me. Back in April or May, I read the first ten pages of it, and didn't really like the writing style, so I set it aside. I didn't plan on going back to it, but one day, I thought I'd give it another shot. I'm so glad I did, because this book is beautiful. The writing style takes some getting used to, and the book is a big commitment, since it's over 500 pages. But reading it was so worth it. Also: that cover. I can't get over how much I love it.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

After reading You Know Me Well, I've decided that books by two authors with switching point of views really aren't for me. I'm not completely sure what it is, but something about books that are written this way just doesn't work for me.

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

If you're looking for a quick, fluffy beach, Wanderlost is perfect. It's cute and fun, and I love the cover.

This is all Your Fault, Cassie Parker by Terra Elan McVoy

I almost gave up on this one, because I didn't care for the narrator, but in the end, I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. I didn't like it as much as I liked Drive Me Crazy, but it's a good follow-up, and it gets bonus points for having diverse characters.

Before We Go Extinct by Karen Rivers

For a character who's supposed to be obsessed with sharks, that didn't really come across in this book. Also, I hated the ending.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

This one doesn't live up to the hype.

Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks

This book is fantastic. It's a graphic novel with awesome illustrations, and the information is great. I have a new love for educational graphic novels, and can't wait to read more of them.

The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

A Hamlet retelling set in the 1920s? Yes, please! I love every YA book Cat Winters has written, and this was no exception.

The Uninvited by Cat Winters

But speaking of Cat Winters, I don't love her adult fiction. The Uninvited had some really great moments, but I prefer Winters' young adult novels.

This month, I'm supposed to read my childhood favorites, per the reading themes my sister and I are doing. This means I'll mostly be reading Baby-Sitters Club books, but I might also read My Teacher is an Alien, My Teacher Fried My Brains, My Teacher Glows in the Dark, My Teacher Flunked the Planet, The Ghost in the Third Row, The Ghost Wore Gray, and The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed (all by Bruce Coville).

How is your summer reading going? Let me know in the comments!