June was an amazing reading month for me. Despite everything I was involved in throughout the month of June, I managed to read a total of nine books. Four of those books were read for Kelsi’s Killer Corn Readathon which I wrote about in a separate post. Three books were for book clubs, one was for my Year of Christie project, and one was just for fun. Many of these books counted for the Summer Book Bingo Readathon that I am participating in for the very first time, and I earned my first bingo. Exciting!
COZY COTTAGE BOOK CLUB
A Princess of Wind and Wave by Melanie Cellier is a young adult, fairy tale retelling of The Little Mermaid. Isla is a mermaid princess, who feels stifled by her father’s strict rules. She longs to leave the underwater kingdom to live on the surface where her people once lived, especially after a chance encounter with a boy she once saved from drowning. Her desire to leave Merrita becomes a reality when her home is threatened by a dangerous opposition.
Even though A Princess of Wind and Wave started off a bit slow, it turned out to be an enjoyable read. Michelle Cellier does a fine job with creating likable characters and a formidable foe. There are twists and turns as well as some unexpected surprises. It is the sixth book in the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series; however, it worked well as a stand-alone for the Cozy Cottage Book Club. I enjoyed it enough that I want to read the other books in the series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
MIDDLE GRADE MARCH BOOK CLUB
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson is a middle-grade historical fiction novel with an intriguing mystery at the center of it. Candace is staying at her late grandmother’s house for the summer with her mother and discovers a letter addressed to her grandmother while exploring the attic. The letter holds the clues to
an unsolved mystery leading to a substantial hidden treasure. With the help of her new friend Brandon, they decide to solve the mystery which could help the town of Lambert and clear her grandmother’s name.
The Parker Inheritance is fast-paced, moves through dual timelines from multiple characters’ perspectives, and tackles tough topics relating to history and social justic issues. The novel is well-written with well-developed characters. I enjoyed the terrific friendship between Candace and Brandon, the references to middle-grade books, and the mystery. This novel is not only thought-provoking and heart-felt, but it is also clever and entertaining. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FOMO BOOK CLUB
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave was the May/June book club selection for the FOMO Book Club. It is a compelling historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the mystifying dance plague that seized the city of Strasbourg in the early 16th century. At the heart of the novel, pregnant Lisbet lives a quiet life on the outskirts of the city with her husband and mother-in-law where she takes care of bees on a modest piece of land. Living conditions are hard for many of the people and the church makes unreasonable demands upon them. When
Lisbet’s sister-in-law Agnethe returns after a long absence, life becomes more complicated and secrets are revealed, leading to heartache and dire consequences.
The Dance Tree is a beautifully written novel, and Hargrave does a wonderful job of taking a grim period in history and intertwining it with a story of forbidden love, loss, and the struggles women had to face in so many aspects of their lives. Despite its melancholy tone, it is a story of strong female connections, abiding love, and women exerting a level of control for themselves and finding self-worth in the midst of horrible circumstances. This was not an easy read; however, Hargrave does end the novel on a hopeful note which lifted the heaviness I felt throughout much of the novel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
YEAR OF CHRISTIE
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie is the exciting debut of Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian private detective extraordinaire. Detective Poirot is invited to Styles, an Essex country manor to assist in solving the mysterious death of Emily Inglethorpe. Even though the evidence points to her new
husband, there are plenty of other members of the household who could benefit from Mrs. Inglethorpe’s demise.
I loved the introduction of Hercule Poirot, and his intelligent assessment of Emily Inglethorpe’s crime scene. He is patient, good-humored, and dresses impeccably. I enjoyed his friendly banter with Mr. Hastings, who is the narrator of this mystery and tries his hand at amateur sleuthing. This novel has plenty of sudden twists and turns with a surprise ending that I did not see coming. Unfortunately, I was unable to guess the murderer. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
One of the squares for Summer Book Bingo is to read a book outside of your comfort zone. Well, in my case that would be romance. I have become friends with the British romance author, Emma Bennet. When I asked her which of her novels I should read first, she suggested her cozy contemporary romance, Her Perfect Hero. What an excellent choice!
Bronte, a romance writer, lives with her cat Mr. Darcy in a comfy cottage in a charming village outside of London. After a bad break-up, she is determined to
find her “perfect” hero like the ones she writes about in her books. Bronte finds herself in a dilemma when the handsome Ryan Murphy moves into the cottage next door, and she is rescued by the dashing Sebastian Fairfax. Both have appealing qualities, but who will prove to be “her perfect hero?”
Her Perfect Hero is the perfect summer read! It is a well-written, lighthearted romance with an awesome setting, interesting characters (including a clever cat), humorous scenes, and witty dialogue. I enjoyed that it was a sweet romance that left out the steaminess which is more my speed, especially since I rarely pick up this genre. At times, I felt like I was reading a romantic comedy. I will definitely be checking out more of Emma Bennet’s work in the future. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in June, please check out my June wrap up video.
I am so late with this post that July literally ends tomorrow. My personal life has been a bit out of sorts lately, so my reading during July and creating content has been put on the back burner. It seems like I will be carrying over some books I am currently reading plus some books on my July TBR over to my August TBR, and that will just have to be okay. It is definitely not the end of the world, dear reader. Hee Hee! Instead of lamenting on the books that I did not get to in July, I will celebrate the ones that I did read. Hopefully, my July wrap up post will be more timely. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ~ Joyce Carol Oates
The Kat Files 