June Book Review 2020

You guys, I can’t believe how many books I finished this month. This is truly all in part to Audible. I feel like I’m a walking advertisement for the program. I’m OBSESSED and not sponsored lol!

Truly though, I listened to so many books this month.

I didn’t have a ton of downtime just sitting and reading, but I did have a lot of moving around the house, running on the treadmill, driving back and forth to swim lessons and when I’m doing those things I try to get a little book listening in if possible and wow, I finished 7 books this month! I’m so proud of myself!

So as usual I will rate my books with this little rating system and give a fun little review! Are you ready?! If you are saying to yourself I’d rather binge some Netflix, I totally understand! Please tell me what to watch next in the comments, we need some new shows. But if you’re all about the books let’s jump in! YAY!

• I’m going to let you know if I read it on my kindle, paperback, audible, or kindle and audible.
• I am going to rate it with a G, PG, PG-13, or R for scenes of sexual conduct and brutality like how graphic was it because I like to know as a reader what I’m getting myself into.
• And I’m going to define the book by a category of

• chick-lit (fun, easy read, romance)
• personal growth (inspirational, non-fiction)
• religious (about faith and growing in your faith)
• novel (lending itself to anything that is not one of the three above lol)

The first book I read this month was How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. This book was one of those that was a good read and opened my eyes to some thoughts and things I haven’t thought of before.

I listened to the book on Audible so it was fun to hear his voice speaking, I can still hear it as I write this review.

I didn’t agree with everything he said as he wrote a lot about policy and how policies affect people’s social status and well being but I did enjoy learning about another culture. How he as a black man feels and how moments that would be totally normal for me as a white woman are completely different for him as a black man.

Overall this was a good read, eye-opening, worth the read but you need to go into reading it with an open mind of listening. Also, if you read it don’t feel like you have to agree with everything he says. That is not the point of the book. I’m sure Ibram would want you to form your own opinions and take time to listen to his.

• Audible
• G
• Personal Growth/Informational

The next book I listened to was Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner. I thought this book looked fun and a super-easy fast read. Well, it was all of those but it was a little scandalous at one point and I personally hate when that happens and it feels like it comes out of nowhere.

What I did really like about this book was that it was a fun romance novel turned mystery in the turn of a page! It was so exciting and made the book totally worth the read!

Weiner writes about a girl who is reunited with her old best friend who in my opinion was never truly a best friend. The old bff asks the main character to be the maid of honor at her wedding and the wedding weekend turns into somewhat of a who done it mystery! It was exciting and fun and totally unpredictable.

• Audible
• R for like one chapter
• chick-lit turned a little mystery fun

I love to read what other people are reading and I love to see Shay’s Book Review from Mix and Match Mama and this month she was doing somewhat of a book club thing so I decided to read one of the books she had chosen for this. So I chose Beach Read.

I have to say it wasn’t one of my favorite books. It kept me interested but was the typical fall in love fun book. The characters were cute and kinda quirky at times which I liked. If you’re looking for an easy beach read/Hallmark type of movie book this is your book.

In Beach Read, Emily Henry writes about two authors who are living next door to each other on a Lake in Michigan both having writer’s block and both having gone through big personal problems and of course, they fall for each other. There are some twists and turns to their relationship which is fun.

This book was good but not one I’d be recommending if someone walked up to me and asked me to give them my top 5 favorite books.

• Audible
• R for one or two chapters
• Chick-Lit

After reading Beach Read I realized that I really really liked the fun mystery romance of Big Summer and I wanted something like that again without all the R rated scenes. And you guys I found The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton!!!

Several things sold me on this book right away, the cover it just looks so Florida glamorous, the fact that Reese Whiterspoon picked it for her Book Club, it has the word Key West in the title, and the summary.

I LOVED this book! If you liked Jane the Virigin you will LOVE this book! Cleeton writes about 3 women in the year 1935 who all end up in the Keys during one of the worst Hurricanes to hit Florida (true story about the hurricane). One woman is from Key West, one is from Cuba, and one is from New York. Cleeton does an amazing job of twisting their lives together and takes some very unexpected turns throughout the story.

I fell in love with Cleeton’s writing and hope her other books are just as good because I’m planning to read more!

• Audible
• PG-13- YAY
• Novel with romance and mystery woven throughout

After reading so many fiction books I thought I’d throw in a non-fiction and this was so good!

The Five Second Rule by Mel Robbins is a great read! It is so inspiring and you can actually use the 5 second rule in real life! I’ve been using it a ton!

Grab this one for a quick inspiring pretty life changing read!

Worth every second lol!

• Audible
• G
• Personal Growth

The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin is such a good read! It was on my list of must reads as soon as I read the summary! Seriously so good!

Giffin writes about a girl who falls in love with a man pretty much at first sight. Then 9-11 happens and she believes he died in one of the towers. As she searches for him she finds so many things out about his life that she didn’t know before. The Lies That Bind is worth every minute of reading. It’s so good and I love that she doesn’t leave you hanging in the end. There are twists and turns and unexpected happenings. I found myself thinking I had it all figured out but I sure didn’t. I love it when an author does that.

So go grab this book it’s totally worth it!

• Audible
• PG/PG-13 at times
• Novel- romantic mystery

My mom bought me the hard copy of Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush at the end of last month and I started reading it in June. I loved this book so much! For starters, I’m obsessed with Jenna Bush Hager! I love watching her and Hoda and I have to say I pretty much cry every episode. And this book was very similar. I cried almost every time I picked up the book and read.

Jenna and Barbara take you along some great stories from their childhood into adulthood. If you think you know the Bush family you don’t until you hear the twin’s perspective. It’s truly a heartwarming read. It made me love them even more!

• Hard Copy
• G
• Non-Fiction- Memoir

All of these were great reads but my top 2 from the month were The Last Train to Key West and The Five Second Rule. So so good!

I hope you enjoyed this fun review! Let me know if you have read any of these and what you think or if you have any recommendations!

I always love a good read!

WELCOME TO THE WEDNESDAY LINK PARTY! MEET YOUR HOSTS:

Jaclyn from Coffee, Pancakes, and Dreams

Brittany from Dreams and Coffee

Mary Leigh from Live Well Play Together

Tiffany from Lake Life State of Mind

Lindsay from Lindsay’s Sweet World

Keri from Cultivate an Intentional Life

Holley from Simply Holley Marie