June 2018 Wrap Up!

June has been an incredible reading month for us both! Summer has really started off with a reading bang -- both of us succeeded in reading into the double digits! It's great to get back into the groove of reading more often than not, especially since college likes to take away that pleasure. But without further ado, here is what we dug into this month!

Annalise:

This month I read a total of 18 books! It was my birthday at the beginning of June, so I was given many new books, but this month I also allowed myself to indulge in rereading books that I knew I loved in the past. I also found myself digging into contemporary a ton this month, which was great since it has been a long while since I've been craving a contemporary read! Not to mention, I made my way through two trilogies! The titles I read this month were: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, We Are Okay by Nina Lacour, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Allbertalli, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum, P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han, Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Geekerella by Ashley Poston, A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, and A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab.

The Language of Thorns: I was taken with this short story collection written by one of my all-time favorite authors. Centered around the idea that these are children's stories Bardugo's characters may have heard growing up, each was lush and fantastical, and utterly fascinating to read. Not to mention the stunning illustrations that flow up the sides during page turns. I think that this collection really showed off Bardugo's ability to write. I have loved Six of Crows since reading it last February, and enjoyed (albeit less than SoC) the Shadow and Bone trilogy this most recent February, and I think that this was ultimately a more poetic approach to her craft. It was dark and twisted and fantastical, and it showed off Bardugo's best features when it comes to her writing. If you have ever loved any of her books, please pick this up. Even without reading her Grisha novels, these stories are based on Russian folklore and can conjure delight in any reader. I gave this a 4.75/5 stars.

We Are Okay: I had been eyeing this book ever since it came out a couple of years ago. While it was the cover that drew my attention, not the synopsis, I still was excited to give it a try. This was easily the most emotionally harrowing journey for me this month. I think that I read it at the right time in my life as I could really empathize with the main character, Marin. I went into this book knowing nothing, and I believe that it exceeded my nonexistent expectations with flying colors. I immediately implored Ellie to read it, but saying with caution that it might have had the emotional (and I mean emotional - this is the most I've cried while reading a book in a loooong while) impact on me because of personal recent events. However, when she read it, she said she loved it as well - you can read more of her thoughts below! Ultimately, the novel is one that I found solace in and will treasure for a long time. I highly suggest giving it a read, especially if you lost a loved one recently and want to know someone else feel similarly. I gave this book a 5/5 stars.

Leah on the Offbeat: I wasn't blown away by Simon as most people were (though I did really enjoy it and loved Simon as a character), but I found The Upside of Unrequited to be amazing -Leah was a happy middle for me. I really loved Leah as a character - she was a strong female role model, but she was human and her emotions and actions fluctuated in way that read as natural. Albertalli has a really keen sense for writing real characters. Not only was this book funny, it deliberated over some themes that were a bit more hard hitting, especially the ideals surrounding growing up and friendship. It was a nice read, quick and fun that had all the lovely stuff that Albertalli usually crafts into her books. I gave this book a 3.75/5.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy: I read this trilogy after receiving the first book from Ellie for my birthday (thanks!). Not only was I motivated by the upcoming movie, but also the books themselves were everything I could've asked for in a contemporary novel. I loved the strong family element, and the Song Sisters really wove their way into my heart (although, Mr. Covey did also!). It followed an interesting storyline, one where you knew the ending, but you still felt that emotion and drama. It wasn't too teenager-y, and the love interest was perfectly swoony and a real teenage boy, never did this novel seem out of place or too fictionalized. While the second novel was the least favorite for me - it felt immature and I kind of wanted to slap Lara Jean in the face sometimes - the last one was much more grown up and wrapped up the story nicely. However, the first one is still my favorite. I gave To All the Boys I've Before 5/5 stars, P.S. I Still Love you 4.5-4.75/5 stars, and Always and Forever, Lara Jean 5/5 stars.

They Both Die at the End: This book was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it was completely centered on the idea of two boys dying, the friendship that is built up is stunningly complex and whole-hearted that you can't help falling in love. I was really impressed by the formatting of this book also. There were glimpses into other random and minor character's thoughts while we followed Mateo and Rufus. I liked this dynamic and I thought it added a second level to the story. What really threw me was Silvera's ability to keep you hoping, until the very end, that neither of them with die - despite the name, despite the circumstances. It was incredible to me that within the last few chapters of the book, I was picturing a happy ending. This doesn't even count as a spoiler, because the title tells you everything you need to know. Silvera entrances you, keeps you hopeful, and at the last second, rips it all away. This was an astounding novel and I highly recommend it. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

What to Say Next: Ellie and I chose this read as our first BookChats Book Club pick for the months of June and July. We released an entire dialogue on it which you can find here. I read Buxbaum's novel Tell Me Three Things last November and absolutely adored it. While I didn't like this one quite as much, I still really enjoyed it. I liked the character of David a lot, and Buxbaum has a proclivity for adding plot twists to her endings. This novel, however, read a bit too slow for me. It was really character driven more than anything else, and a lot of the time I thought that the car crash plot had fallen into the background. While I loved the family aspects, I wish that there had been more accentuation on Kit and David's relationship. One thing that I did particularly like was that at the end, the conflict that had risen wasn't completely settled. In my mind, if I had been, it would've been too quick. It was a truly realistic ending. I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

The Sun is Also a Star: I really enjoyed Everything, Everything when it came out, and this one I enjoyed as well. While this novel was in many ways a lot heavier and focused on many more aspects than the romance, it was still laden with adorable love (including a well-done 'love at first sight trope'). This book spans a very short amount of time - 24 hours - but then, a very extended period, as well. Yoon also included snapshots of other people, like They Both Die at the End, but also 'histories' and 'backgrounds' of different things - especially cultural things relating to the two main characters. This book is more impactful than Everything, Everything - it packs a bigger punch, but is a very important read especially in light of everything going on in the US right now. I highly recommend it. I gave this book a 4.25/5 stars.

A Darker Shade of Magic Trilogy: I will have a full review up on the blog about these books, but let me just say WOW. It took me a bit to pick up ADSOM, but once I did, I fell head over heel's in to Schwab's incredible writing. And the best part was that the books only progressed from one another. The first book was really exposition-centered, and had a much more character focused conflict. But by the third book, the conflicts had completely expanded, and not only grew but compounded on one another. The journey was enthralling, the characters were amazing, and there was high emotional impact (especially in the last novel, let me tell you). I have loved everything I have read by Schwab and these books go to the top of my list. I gave A Darker Shade of Magic 4/5 stars, A Gathering of Shadows 4.5/5 stars, and a A Conjuring of Light 5/5 stars.

Fangirl & Carry On: I have a general rule of not rereading a book unless I truly love it under the presumption that I have read it once and already don't have enough time for all the books on my TBR. For the longest while, rereading has been like a guilt trip in my book lifestyle, but this is the year I am going to try and amend that. I love Rainbow Rowell and have been dying to reread these books for over two years, but have always pushed it off due to the extensive stacks of unread books I own. I was so glad that I opted to pick these up again. Not only did they propel my reading momentum this month, especially Carry On, but I loved them even more the second round. Fangirl follows Cath, one of the most relatable characters in all YA Lit, who traverses through her first year of college with her twin - who has started to pull away from her - and social anxiety. Her love of Simon Snow (a fictionalized spoof on Harry Potter [I say as if Harry Potter is not fictional]) and her writing of fanfiction adds a whole other side to the story and new characters to read about. Carry On is a continuation of Simon Snow's story and is an fun reminder of Hogwarts. Ultimately both of these novels are adorable and fun and I highly recommend them. You also don't need to read one to read the other! I gave them both 5/5 stars.

Geekerella: This book was a cute read that I have been eyeing for a while. Finally, I loaned it out on Libby and read it in a couple of sittings. While this book is a Cinderella retelling, one that heavily focuses on fandoms, it still felt fresh. The main plot points were the same, but Poston did a really good job at trying to keep everything new but also familiar. The characters were interesting to follow, and there were genuine emotions on my end that made me appreciate Poston's ability to write unlikable characters. While this novel wasn't mindblowing, and had tropes that I found to be written just fine, it was a fun book. After reading it, however, I didn't feel a tug to purchase a copy to keep on my shelves. I gave this book a 3.25/5 stars.

Harry Potter: Do I even have to say anything? In my efforts to start rereading more books that I love, I picked this beloved series up and hope to finish my reread in the coming months. Harry Potter has always been a home for me to journey to, but it has been a long time since I have travelled back to the books. I wanted to start a fresh trek, and after reading Carry On which put me in the ultimate Harry Potter mood, I opted to start them once more. I gave these books 5/5 stars (obviously).

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Ellie: This month I read 14 books! I am so proud of Annalise & I, and of how much we've read! You'll notice a ton of overlap in our reads this month, which I think proves that it's summertime and we are going book shopping together. When she picked up To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I knew I had to reread that trilogy! And then we had our book club pick, What to Say Next, Language of Thorns, and We Are Okay! So all in all, we've enjoyed a lot of the same books this month. So prepare to hear some repeat information, and see my take on the books I read this month!

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone: I read the ARC copy of this book the first weekend of June, and found myself falling for Stone's intricate, dual-perspective novel. We follow Hannah and Emory-two girls who live next door to each other, who used to be best friends, but who haven't talked in months after a horrible argument where they both said things they couldn't take back. We follow each of them through a major chunk of their senior year, and we get to watch them grow back together after Emory's boyfriend is involved in a horrible accident. This novel was full of twists and turns, and every time each girl thought "36 steps" (the distance between their homes), my heart ached as I would think "just go talk to her!!" All in all, I truly enjoyed this novel! 3.75/5 stars

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Let me start off with this: I had NO idea that this was a Simon-verse novel! When Abby shows up with Nick, I was thrown for a loop! But, besides my shock, I really love that all three of Albertalli's novels are interconnected. We get to follow Molly, who, unlike her twin, has only had crushes, never a boyfriend. She explores the possibilities of love while dealing with her twin, her friends, and preparing for her moms wedding! I fell in love with all of the romance in this novel, and I loved how big of a role family played. If you're a fan of Simon and Leah, Molly and Cassie and all of their adventures will draw you in, I'm sure! I'm taking some points off because I didn't love how abrasive Cassie was, and how homophobic the aunt was. I understand that we're made to not like certain characters, but these two just ground my gears a little too much. But still, 4.25/5 stars

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli: Leah Leah Leah....what a relatable bean. We read about Leah as she deals with the changes in her friend group and with exploring her sexuality. We get inside her head, and see how much love she has for Simon, how both comfortable and uncomfortable she feels in her body, and see just how she truly feels for Abby. There was one moment, when, getting ready for prom, Leah realizes she doesn't have a bra, shoes, or a purse to wear. And in that moment, I knew that Leah was going to be one of my favorite characters of 2018. Leah is relatable, quirky, and so smart about the people in her life and how she interacts with them, and I give Leah a 4.25/5 stars!

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum: This was our first ever book chats book club pick! I, like Annalise, really liked Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things more than I liked this, but I still fell in love with her writing style and her well-developed characters! You can read our full conversation here, and we hope that you enjoy our new bi-monthly book club! I gave this novel a 3.5/5 stars!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before, PS I Still Love You, and Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han: I read this trilogy for the first time last July, and fell in love with it. So when I knew Annalise was reading it, I decided to reread it with her! It's the perfect summertime contemporary series, and is filled with family, friendship, and of course, romance! You can read my thoughts in full in last years July & August wrap ups! 5/5 stars, again!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan: This book was...strange. It followed Lois, a female engineer who works for a company that creates robot arms. These arms can do just about anything, but they cannot crack an egg without breaking it and getting shells into the bowl. Lois also attends these 'Lois club' meetings, and eats dinner every night from a place that delivers spicy soup and bread. When the two brothers who own the restaurant are forced to move, they deliver their prized possession to Lois: their sourdough starter. For those of you who don't make bread, you can make thousands of loaves with one starter, if you keep it 'alive' by feeding it, and cut out portions to make your daily bread. However, Lois's starter turns out to be special. And not just special because it smells like bananas, but special because it sings, and may or may not have a mind of its' own. We follow Lois as she quits her job and becomes a baker, and as she eventually finds herself, and this plot just made my heart warm, because she was following her dreams and staying true to herself. This book really intrigued me, and I did like it, but science-y fiction is just not the genre for me. 3/5 stars.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour: This novel was the one this month that made me cry. Annalise read it, and immediately told me that I had to pick it up. (We had both recently purchased it because the cover is so beautiful!) Marin, our protagonist, has recently gone through a lot, and she's trying to prove to her best friend, Mabel, that she is truly fine. However, since Mabel is staying in Marin's dorm room over the holidays, she's able to quickly tell that Marin is not as okay as she says she is. This novel is emotional, and really just made my heart feel all of the emotions in the world. I loved this, and I think that anyone who's ever felt betrayal, loss, or reconnection should pick it up! 5/5 stars.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: I picked this up, because I've been dying to ever since I read Fangirl last year. Simon and Baz are two boys that have forever changed my life. This Harry Potter spoof novel is full of tropes and beautiful character development, and plot twists that are expected but still leave you gasping when you read them. I picked this up at just the right time, as Rainbow just announced that she's writing a sequel! (ALSO it's called Wayward Son and that just makes my heart giggle). I am, however; a little confused as to how there is going to be a sequel....Carry On wrapped up so nicely, with a little epilogue of sorts, so I just am excitedly wondering how Rowell will make this work! 4.75/5 stars!

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo: Okay so, as you all know, Six of Crows is one of the best fantasy novels of the last 10 years, and it did take over my life in February! And after I read it, I knew that I wanted to read more by Leigh Bardugo, so when Annalise read this a few weeks ago and loved it, I decided this was the stuff for me! This short story collection was fantastical and mystical and so interesting to read. I love 20-50 page long fantasy stories because of how much they pack into those few pages. However; there were two or three stories that I thought were too predictable or uninteresting. There's something about a predictable fantasy that really bothers me, it's just one of my reading tics. BUT I loved 90% of these stories, and think that they are a great read! 4/5 stars.

This Is Me by Chrissy Metz: OKAY. The show This Is Us is the greatest television show I've ever seen. In just two seasons, my heart has been captured and I've fallen in love with each character and every plot line. One of the characters, whom I love, is named Kate, and she's played by Chrissy Metz. So when I saw her newly released autobiography on Libby, I knew I needed to read it. Chrissy talks about her childhood, her struggles with her weight, her career as an agent, her career as an actress, her interactions with celebrities, and her ways to be truly happy. Her perspective on life is so wonderful and new and very, "I will always be polite to you, even if you're not being polite to me". And that life motto is literally my life so I loved that hahaha. This memoir was so beautiful, though, and I loved it so much. 5/5 stars!

Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Glowing Eye by Carolyn Keene: So every summer, my mom and I reread a bunch of Nancy Drew novels while we do yard work. Our first one this year was the Mystery of the Glowing Eye, which follows Nancy and her band of friends as they try to find Ned and solve the mystery of this glowing eye in a wall in a museum. Nancy Drew novels all sort of read the same, and have the same twists and turns, just with new end goals and characters, but reading them just makes my mom and I the happiest and we love our summer tradition so much. I'm not going to give this a typical rating, because it isn't a novel anyone else in the world wants to be reading lol, so I give this a happy heart, a blossoming sunflower, and a hug from my mom❤️.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I read Carry On this month, so when I finished that, I had the urge to reread Fangirl. I love Cath and Levi, and Wren and Reagan, and the idea that someone who is a little bigger, who wears glasses, and who is a little nerdier than most could go to college, and fall in love. I remember reading this for the first time, and thinking that someone like me could meet someone as good as Levi, and being so excited for the future. I give this novel a 4.5/5 stars, because there were times when I wanted to smack Cath, or Wren, or Nick. But, I also want to give it 100 stars because it made me feel so happy and it made Carry On possible.

Thanks for reading our super long wrap up! I hope that we read as much in July as we did in June!

#MonthlyWrapUp #JuneWrapUp