My belated June post is here! I focused a lot of my reading on LGBTQIA+ reads for Pride month, listened to several nonfiction reads, and read a pick for my book club. Let’s get into it!
Stats
Total books read: 9
LGBTQIA+ books: 5
#readmyowndamnbooks: 4
Reviews
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (5 stars) – I felt like I learned a lot from this very short and effective audiobook. I think there’s still a lot for me to learn on this topic, but this was informative as well as a call to action, and I’d highly recommend it.
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (4.25 stars) – My YA reads keep knocking it out of the park in 2023! I’ve never read Becky Albertalli before but follow her on Instagram, and so I’ve been eyeing her newest release for so long that I eventually pre-ordered the audiobook. And I’m so glad I did! This book is so sweet and reads so authentic (I do know that Albertalli based some of it on her personal experiences, but within a YA lens), and it’s full of well-developed and interesting side characters that I enjoyed spending time with. The friendships and family relationships are just as important as the central romance, and it’s really a book about Imogen learning about herself and her bisexuality. This bi reader gives it a definite recommendation!
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten (4 stars) – I really enjoyed this macabre fantasy featuring death magic, court politics, spying, mystery, and a love triangle. Its sequel, The Hemlock Queen, will be out next year.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (4 stars) – A dreamlike fabulist short novel told in dual perspectives, one of which created fascinating tension and the other frustratingly stagnant. I enjoyed the book’s conclusion, but I thought it could have been condensed to be more effective.
The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (4 stars) – One of my favorite contemporary romances of the year! In addition to a gorgeous cover, I really enjoyed the fake engagement premise and loved both of our main characters, as well as their dynamic with one another. Alexandria Bellefleur’s writing continues to work really well for me, and I look forward to her next release.
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (4 stars) – This YA contemporary romance featured amnesia, which I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about, but I like the way the story was handled and the dynamic between the two main characters. I’m having great luck with YA in 2023.
In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still On Trial by Mona Chollet (4 stars) – An informative manifesto about the historical mistreatment of women and how it continues in society today. I thought this was very well done, but it did drag for me through the last part.
The Guncle by Steven Rowley (3.5 stars) – I read this one for my book club, and found it at times sweet and at others too saccharine for my taste. It was a fairly entertaining audiobook, but a bit too cute for me to pick up if it hadn’t been a club pick.
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson (3 stars) – I’m very interested in learning more about the scams and scandals of MLMs, particularly after watching the documentary LuLaRich, but this memoir was just OK for me.
beachesandbooks 