🌻 June Reviews 🏖️
June 1st-30th
Another incredible month of reading. I cannot believe the amount of great books I have found this year so far. During June, I read 15 books with a total of 3649 pages.
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Book 88: Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology #1)
By Emily Tesh
Read June 1st
Pages: 112
Release Year: 2019
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Such an interesting fantasy world. I’m very glad that there is another book in this duology because this definitely needs more. I love how this feels like a fairy tale. Tobias and Henry’s story had me hooked the entire time, I only wish it was a full book.
Book 89: Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments
By Sappho
Read June 3rd
Pages: 95
Release Year: -550
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It’s sad that we only have fragments of Sappho’s poetry. Makes me wonder how much has been lost to time. Even though these are only fragments of the pieces, they still show a mastery of expression. Sappho’s poems were stunning and so influential. Along with her poetry, this book also gives historical context and information on each piece and history about Sappho’s life.
Book 90: Love and Other Poems
By Alex Dimitrov
Read June 3rd
Pages: 128
Release Year: 2021
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There were a few poems I enjoyed here but most were just okay for me. I like the idea of the list poem called “Love” which is a poem Alex Dimitrov continued more of on Twitter. But so many of the poems feel like they drag on longer than they need to be. This poetry collection is only about a 100 pages but it felt much longer than that.
Book 91: Murder by Memory (Dorothy Gentleman #1)
By Olivia Waite
Read June 5th
Pages: 103
Release Year: 2025
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I love how this is a blend of science fiction and cozy mysteries. What an interesting premise for a story, that I have never read before. Murder by Memory is a short novella which was the perfect length. It set up the world while also getting you invested with the characters and mystery. I will definitely read the next book in this series, because I need to see more. Dorothy was a joy to read about. The idea of the library that holds everyone's memories is intriguing and I love the idea of being shelved together.
Book 92: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi #1)
By Shannon Chakraborty
Read June 7th-9th
Pages: 496
Release Year: 2023
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I loved the beginning of this book, particularly the way this story is being told. Amina is dictating her adventures to a scribe who she directly talks to during her tales. It was great following the adventures of an aged female pirate who is going on one final quest. As the story went on though it lost the momentum for me that it had and I didn’t enjoy the second half as much as the first. I don’t think I will continue on with the series but I’m not sure yet.
Book 93: The Land of Unfinished Dreams
By Marco Ventura
Read June 10th
Pages: 160
Release Year: 2025
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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel that is geared towards younger readers, though I will say older readers can also get so much from this wonderful story.
It follows an older man named Ned who has been having problems with his memory. He is a retired literature teacher who lacks excitement in his life other than when his grandchildren come to visit. Each night he loves to tell them bedtime stories, but they always fall asleep before he can finish them. On the night of the story, he goes to sleep and wakes up in his own fantasy world. Adventures ensue.
The illustrations are stunning and bring this imaginative story to life. Ned reminded me quite a bit of Carl from Up. This is as story filled with a lot of emotions and I love how they are reflected in the fantasy world Ned has created. Really shows how an author can reflect so much of what they are feeling in their writing. I love how it shows the importance of imagination and how adults can keep the joys of it in their lives. Such a beautiful message for younger and older readers alike.
I highly recommend this book.
*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
It follows an older man named Ned who has been having problems with his memory. He is a retired literature teacher who lacks excitement in his life other than when his grandchildren come to visit. Each night he loves to tell them bedtime stories, but they always fall asleep before he can finish them. On the night of the story, he goes to sleep and wakes up in his own fantasy world. Adventures ensue.
The illustrations are stunning and bring this imaginative story to life. Ned reminded me quite a bit of Carl from Up. This is as story filled with a lot of emotions and I love how they are reflected in the fantasy world Ned has created. Really shows how an author can reflect so much of what they are feeling in their writing. I love how it shows the importance of imagination and how adults can keep the joys of it in their lives. Such a beautiful message for younger and older readers alike.
I highly recommend this book.
*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 94: If Tomorrow Never Comes
By Allison Ashley
Read June 10th-11th
Pages: 314
Release Year: 2025
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I loved how this both had the heavy emotional scenes along with the romance and humor. This book had me laughing out loud in so many parts. I adored the romance between Elliott and Jamie. They were so sweet together. I especially loved their adorable meet-cute. I will definitely pick up more of Allison’s romances in the future. If Tomorrow Never Comes became a new favorite in the genre for me. It was just that great. I adored every second of reading this sweet story with two main characters I couldn’t get enough of.
Book 95: The River has Roots
By Amal El-Mohtar
Read June 12th
Pages: 133
Release Year: 2025
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Amal El-Mohtar has a dreamlike quality to her writing which drew me in instantly with its fairytale-like qualities. The River Has Roots is a story about the bond between two sisters. I love how Amal described the magic called grammar.
I highly recommend the audiobook which has music performed by Amal and her sister, Dounya El-Mohtar and the words sung by the narrator. The audiobook is one of the best I've listened to in a long time. It is just so special to have two sisters help narrating a story that is all about a sisterly bond. Beautiful!
This tale was the perfect length. I am looking forward to reading more of Amal's writing.
I highly recommend the audiobook which has music performed by Amal and her sister, Dounya El-Mohtar and the words sung by the narrator. The audiobook is one of the best I've listened to in a long time. It is just so special to have two sisters help narrating a story that is all about a sisterly bond. Beautiful!
This tale was the perfect length. I am looking forward to reading more of Amal's writing.
Book 96: Hekate: The Witch (Goddesses of the Underworld #1)
By Nikita Gill
Read June 14th-15th
Pages: 384
Release Year: 2025
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Nikita Gill is my favorite poet and I was looking forward to picking this up ever since I first heard about it. Greek Mythology retellings are some of my favorite stories to read.
Hekate is a character that I enjoy quite a bit from mythology since she is the Goddess of Witches among many other things. I did not know much of her backstory before she becomes the formidable Goddess I have come to love in stories. Nikita uses her beautiful lines of verse and prose to tell Hekate’s story.
We see Hekate from a young girl and see her coming of age story in this book. It was interesting to read another book about a daughter of Titans from their own perspective, there aren’t many of them. Many Greek Myth stories focus on the Olympians. Hekate’s story includes many famous events we have come to know from Greek Mythology, such as: the Titanomachy (the war between the Titans and the Gods), among so many others. I enjoyed reading about these from Hekate’s perspective as she comes into her powers.
This is a wonderful book for fans of Greek Mythology, novels written in verse, and powerful female stories. There were so many quotes I highlighted in my eARC of this book. Nikita’s writing shines. I will definitely be adding Hekate to my collection when it comes out and look forward to the rest of the series.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Hekate is a character that I enjoy quite a bit from mythology since she is the Goddess of Witches among many other things. I did not know much of her backstory before she becomes the formidable Goddess I have come to love in stories. Nikita uses her beautiful lines of verse and prose to tell Hekate’s story.
We see Hekate from a young girl and see her coming of age story in this book. It was interesting to read another book about a daughter of Titans from their own perspective, there aren’t many of them. Many Greek Myth stories focus on the Olympians. Hekate’s story includes many famous events we have come to know from Greek Mythology, such as: the Titanomachy (the war between the Titans and the Gods), among so many others. I enjoyed reading about these from Hekate’s perspective as she comes into her powers.
This is a wonderful book for fans of Greek Mythology, novels written in verse, and powerful female stories. There were so many quotes I highlighted in my eARC of this book. Nikita’s writing shines. I will definitely be adding Hekate to my collection when it comes out and look forward to the rest of the series.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 97: The Herbwitch's Apprentice
By Ireen Chau
Read June 16th-18th
Pages: 424
Release Year: 2021
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Such a great cozy fantasy book that was exactly what I needed. I loved the story in this and all of the characters. It was great to see the budding romance between Amarante and Prince Ash grow throughout the book. They were very cute. The witchy aspects were perfect along with the fantastical version of the Regency time period. This was an absolute delight to read and I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel very soon. I also love Ireen’s illustrations. Stunning.
Book 98: Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil
By Oliver Darkshire
Read June 19th
Pages: 256
Release Year: 2025
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I enjoyed Oliver Darkshire's narration of his story for the most part, but the voice he did for the pot of basil was not my favorite. It got grating and I eventually got the ebook from the library to finish it. I also did not enjoy reading from the perspective of Mr. Nagg in the slightest. I'm not a fan of reading about men hating their wives so vehemently. He was just terrible to read about.
This story made me think of a Terry Pratchett book in the way it was written, though it was never as funny as his books are. I would rather reread a Discworld book.
The story kept me invested and wanting to know what would happen with Isabella and I quite liked the world-building. The book entries were a clever way of giving various information. My favorite part of this book was the grimalkin. When I saw there was a talking cat-like creature in this book, I knew I had to read it.
This story made me think of a Terry Pratchett book in the way it was written, though it was never as funny as his books are. I would rather reread a Discworld book.
The story kept me invested and wanting to know what would happen with Isabella and I quite liked the world-building. The book entries were a clever way of giving various information. My favorite part of this book was the grimalkin. When I saw there was a talking cat-like creature in this book, I knew I had to read it.
Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil had an interesting premise which drew me in. Isabella is a protagonist who kept me invested in her story throughout the entire book, along with her grimalkin companion. I just wish it would have solely focused on her learning magic instead of the goblin side plot.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 99: Judgement Day (The Science of the Discworld #4)
By Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen
Read June 20th-22nd
Pages: 368
Release Year: 2013
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Sadly, didn't enjoy this as much as I would have liked to. There weren't enough of the Discworld parts in this book. Too often, I would get into those scenes, and then it would go to another science chapter for over 20 pages.
Book 100: Hemlock & Silver
By T. Kingfisher
Read June 23rd-25th
Pages: 368
Release Year: 2025
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T. Kingfisher's wit always draws me into her books from the very first line. I love when a book literally has me hooked from an opening page and she does it every single time. Anja is another of her great female protagonists. Her sardonic sense of humor is just a joy to read. Her narration was everything I wanted. It was a joy to follow her, Grayling (a narcissistic talking-cat), and Javier (her guard) as she tries to figure out what is going on with the king's daughter, Snow.
I enjoyed reading about the mirror world and learning about it along with Anja. The mystery of what was going on with Snow was intriguing and I love where T. Kingfisher took this tale. Such an interesting twist! She always has such interesting twists on classic tales and I look forward to reading even more of her books.
There was a great amount of mystery, some darker elements, and a cute romance. It was utterly perfect and I cannot recommend it enough.
*Thank you very much to the publisher, T. Kingfisher, Goodreads, and NetGalley for my physical and eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
I enjoyed reading about the mirror world and learning about it along with Anja. The mystery of what was going on with Snow was intriguing and I love where T. Kingfisher took this tale. Such an interesting twist! She always has such interesting twists on classic tales and I look forward to reading even more of her books.
There was a great amount of mystery, some darker elements, and a cute romance. It was utterly perfect and I cannot recommend it enough.
*Thank you very much to the publisher, T. Kingfisher, Goodreads, and NetGalley for my physical and eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 101: Dear Future Boyfriend
By Cristin O'Keefe Aptowiz
Read June 26th
Pages: 102
Release Year: 2011
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June 2025 reread:
This is my third time reading this book. The first was about thirteen years ago. I had just started college and related to so many of the poems. Over a decade later, I find myself connecting to it on a different level.
My life is very different. I've dealt with heartbreak in ways I could have never imagined at eighteen. It's always interesting to pick up a book you loved years before and see how you feel about it now. See how the experiences you have had affect your enjoyment of it.
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz has many poems in this collection which made me laugh and one that made me tear up. I love the stories she is able to tell in her lines of verse. The emotions she is able to express in such a small amount of space.
It is not my favorite poetry collection anymore as it was when I was eighteen, but it brings me back to that moment in time. There are so many poems which stand out in this collection, which all show a range of emotions and topics. Ones about her parents, love, friendship, and even someone stealing the family lawn gnome (a personal favorite of mine).
It was a great experience coming back to this collection again.
September 2017 reread:
This was a re-read for me of this poetry collection. When I read it again, it made me remember how much I enjoyed reading it over five years ago. It was in my first year of college and the topics she wrote about were very relatable for me. I connected with Cristin then and I continue to connect with her now. There are many poems in this collection that I have read multiple times over the years since I had first read it: "Mother," "Father," "Lit; Or to the Scientist Whom I’m Not Speaking to Anymore", "Science," and especially "Ode to the Person Who Stole My Family's Lawn Gnome".
I have read plenty of poetry collections, whether that be through a college class or in my own free time but I have not connected to a poet like I have this. I adore poetry, writing and reading it and this is a collection that I know I will get something out of everytime I read it.
Cristin writes about love, heartbreak, family, and even about someone who stole something very important to her. The poems are funny and also heartbreakingly sad.
As a poet myself, I enjoy analyzing poems for their content and as a reader, I love the stories that she can create.
I will be picking up more of Cristin's poetry collections, hopefully soon.
This is my third time reading this book. The first was about thirteen years ago. I had just started college and related to so many of the poems. Over a decade later, I find myself connecting to it on a different level.
My life is very different. I've dealt with heartbreak in ways I could have never imagined at eighteen. It's always interesting to pick up a book you loved years before and see how you feel about it now. See how the experiences you have had affect your enjoyment of it.
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz has many poems in this collection which made me laugh and one that made me tear up. I love the stories she is able to tell in her lines of verse. The emotions she is able to express in such a small amount of space.
It is not my favorite poetry collection anymore as it was when I was eighteen, but it brings me back to that moment in time. There are so many poems which stand out in this collection, which all show a range of emotions and topics. Ones about her parents, love, friendship, and even someone stealing the family lawn gnome (a personal favorite of mine).
It was a great experience coming back to this collection again.
September 2017 reread:
This was a re-read for me of this poetry collection. When I read it again, it made me remember how much I enjoyed reading it over five years ago. It was in my first year of college and the topics she wrote about were very relatable for me. I connected with Cristin then and I continue to connect with her now. There are many poems in this collection that I have read multiple times over the years since I had first read it: "Mother," "Father," "Lit; Or to the Scientist Whom I’m Not Speaking to Anymore", "Science," and especially "Ode to the Person Who Stole My Family's Lawn Gnome".
I have read plenty of poetry collections, whether that be through a college class or in my own free time but I have not connected to a poet like I have this. I adore poetry, writing and reading it and this is a collection that I know I will get something out of everytime I read it.
Cristin writes about love, heartbreak, family, and even about someone who stole something very important to her. The poems are funny and also heartbreakingly sad.
As a poet myself, I enjoy analyzing poems for their content and as a reader, I love the stories that she can create.
I will be picking up more of Cristin's poetry collections, hopefully soon.
Book 102: The Rainfall Market
By You Yeong-Gwang
Read June 28th-29th
Pages: 206
Release Year: 2023
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An interesting little story. I enjoyed the elements of Korean mythology that were in this book and would like to check out other Korean books to learn more.
