The Books I Read in June

I thought it might be fun to share the books I have been reading here.

Books bring me a lot of joy, entertainment, information, understanding, comfort, food for thought, etc.

However, unlike a lot of book nerds, I found books in adulthood after a childhood of (some questionable) teachers telling me reading wasn’t my strong suit.

More on that on another day…

But let’s just say, don’t ever let a teacher tell you that sort of rubbish.

I share that little glimpse of my history because I know a lot of times it feels like people are either readers or they are not.

And, no one would guess from my bookshelves that I spent many years being told I was not.

And, if it was not true for me, it might not be true for you either 😉

So I am going to start sharing some of my reading experiences here to maybe inspire some of you to check out something that sounds good to you.

The Books I Read in June

June was a great reading month for me.

Truth be told, I have been trying to get off of social media and books are the only way that keeps me from doom-scrolling through that dumpster fire.

Side note: WHYYYYY is it so hard to get off of social media, when it has become almost completely unenjoyable?

Books I Finished in June

I finished four books in June and all four were 4-5 star reads for me! I typically read a lot of fantasy, but this month was squarely in the science fiction world. With a beautiful stop in a non-fiction book by an artist with a message I REALLY needed to hear. The books I finished this month were:

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Doom and Bloom: The Case for Creativity in a World Hooked on Panic by Campbell Walker
• Starter Villain by John Scalzi
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – 5 Stars

“An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.”

I picked up Project Hail Mary during a time when I just couldn’t find a book I could get into. I liked the movie The Martian and a lot of my favorite book nerds constantly recommend this book. So I decided to give it a try. I LOVED it. Telling you WHY I loved it is a bit difficult without major spoilers. But if you love space stories and humor, this one might just be the one for you. I ended up loving this way more than I like the Martian. I hear they are making a movie out of this one too.

Doom and Bloom: The Case for Creativity in a World Hooked on Panic by Campbell Walker – 5 Stars

​”Blending modern research with ancient philosophy, Campbell’s witty sense of humour, searing intelligence and intense vulnerability will make you laugh, cry and pull you from the depths of darkness.” 

Campbell Walker aka Struthless on YouTube is on of my favorite YouTubers. He is a masterful communicator and artist with a heart of gold. Walker’s books are filled with tons of creative art and metaphors to help his message stick with you. I have gifted his first book Your Head is a Houseboat countless times.

So Doom and Bloom: The Case for Creativity in a World Hooked on Panic was an instant buy for me and it came at the perfect time. Walker speaks plainly about the constant onslaught of doom we all face from our phones and computers on a daily basis while providing comforting context for the relationship between hard times and creativity. Then he skillfully uses the metaphor of a garden to help his readers map their way out of the pit of despair and onto a path of creative abundance.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi – 4.25 Stars

“Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.”

This was a delightful, light-hearted quick read for me. I loved that this book didn’t take itself too seriously while creating an imaginative fun get-away from reality. And, I loved that our main character was just as flabbergasted at the absurdity of this world as we are as we discover it.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton – 4.5 Stars

“An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.”

I realize I am DECADES behind on this one. But with the new movie coming out and another book reminding me of it, I decided to finally read Jurassic Park for the first time. I really enjoyed it and with the exception of the character of Lex, I much prefer the book over the movie. I feel like the popular movie really flattened my favorite character and truth-teller Malcolm into an odd “rock star” version of himself…which I don’t think book Malcolm would have given one iota about.

Books I DNFed (Did Not Finish) in June

I am a “life is too short to keep reading a book you aren’t enjoying” kind of gal. So I DNF books (stop reading them) if they become a slog. I have WAY too many books to read to read the ones I am not connecting with… With that said, I decided to stop the following:

The Lost World by Michael Crichton
“It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park, six years since the extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end—the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, and the island indefinitely closed to the public. There are rumors that something has survived. . . .“

(POSSIBLE SPOILER) I struggled from the onset of this sequel to Jurassic Park. I really enjoyed the stakes and ending of Jurassic Park. So, I find a LOT of the setup of the beginning of this book annoying– centering mainly around the resurrection of a character.

Books I Plan to Read in July

• Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
  “In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.”
  
  I started reading this one in June since I really enjoyed Scalzi’s Starter Villain. It was a fun fantastical adventure that reminded me so much of Jurassic Park, I picked up that book and read it instead. I am definitely going to circle back to this one, especially since I did not enjoy the Jurassic Park sequel.
  
• Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill
  “Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving. Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.”
  
  This retelling of an English Folklore character caught my eye at Barnes and Noble on the cozy fantasy table. I am a long time student of folklore and I have studied Jenny before so I was so delighted to find a story about her out in the wild! I started it immediately (in June) and it was absolutely charming and full of folklore references. This is my kind of book!
  
• The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
  “Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.”
  
  I also picked up The Devils (the distinctly non-cozy fantasy) at Barnes and Noble because I have been wanting to try a Joe Abercrombie book. I have heard he writes really great characters and that his new book was a great way to get introduced to his writing style. It seems like I picked the right one, the cashier told me this one was flying off the shelves.
  
• The Isles of Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson
  I am a supporter of Sanderson’s most recent Secret Project, so I have received an early copy of this one but I know nothing about it other than it is a book in the Cosmere and that makes it a must read for me.
  
• Empire of AI by Karen Hao
  “An astonishing eyewitness view from both up in the command capsule of the new economy and down where the real suffering happens, Empire of AI pierces the veil of the industry defining our era.”
  
  I have seen several interviews with Hao and I have been impressed by the depth of her insight and her understanding of the impact of the world’s new pet project: AI. Truth be told, this won’t be a fun read for me. But as an online business owner, I feel like it is an essential read.
  
• Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price
  “Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world.”
  
  This historical non-fiction book caught my eye because I heard it was a reference book used for a fantasy book series I want to read. It became an instant buy when I found out it wasn’t just a book about Viking history it was also about their customs, lore and beliefs. This one is CHUNKY at 640 pages so I may not get it finished in July.

Whew… I feel like I just about wrote a novel there! If you made it this far, I’d love to hear what you have been reading!