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Best Books of June 2024
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The Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson (eBook): Remarkable use of geometry in magic! I'm disappointed that a second volume in this planned series hasn't yet been published. ★★★★★Listen for the Lie, Amy Tintera (Print): Mystery/Thrillers aren't always my cup of tea, but this one kept my interest all the way through! I loved the use of a podcast. (ATY Summer #9b - a book with red on the cover) ★★★★★
All Our Wrong Todays, Elan Mastai (eBook): This was a re-read, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time I read it. It's got an interesting twist on the time travel novel. ★★★★★
This was so good, weird and funny in a very dark way.
The prompt was
4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
(I see trees of green...)
- Title Legends & Lattes- Author: Travis Baldree
- Rating: 4 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
- Brief reason why it was the best: It seems to answer the question of what happens when your D&D characters have been adventuring too long and want to retire. Plus I loved the inversion of how Orcs, gnomes, magic, and mythical creatures are normal everyday things, but no one has ever heard of a cinnamon bun.
- Title: A Death at the Party
- Author Amy Stuart
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book with a botanical cover
- Brief reason why it was the best: It was tight, didn't drag, had enough people who could be the titular death, and the ending made sense.
-Disturbing the Dead-Kelley Armstrong
-★★★★★ and ❤
-Audio
-I used this book for "a cozy mystery."
-This is the 3rd book in the series. This time slip series only gets better with each released novel.
I had 2 five star books this month!The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns. I used it for 6+ words in the title.
I love duel timelines. The events in the story were loosely inspired by the author's father, but then many of the plot points in Japan were also based on real events. I enjoyed the writing and the struggles of the MC had me in tears by the end of the book.
Proxy by Alex London. I used it for 1 word title.
It started off slow, but once the conspiracy was revealed, things took off. I couldn't wait to get back to this book, and that hasn't happened for me in a long time. I enjoyed that all the characters weren't motivated by the same things. Often, in dystopian novels, bringing down the system is everyone's goal, but these are just teenagers. Knox just wants to piss off his dad! Lol, love it!
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Elizabeth O'Connor
Audio added a lot, the Welsh accent and words were beautiful. A small story with large implications and a wonderful sense of place.
Not sure what prompt it will be for.
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Largely by default in a thin month ( I didn’t use it for the challenge)"
Going through potty training huh? Did you / your kiddo(s) find this helpful?
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- Title: The Great Alone- Author: Kristin Hannah
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 41, chilling atmosphere (Alaska, also a volatile family member who can get violent at any time)
- Brief reason why it was the best: the descriptions of Alaska, and just the writing kept me turning pages.
Jackie wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Cloth Bum Super-HeroesLargely by default in a thin month ( I didn’t use it for the challenge)"
Going through potty training huh? Did you / your kiddo(s) find this h..."
No I just read it because i have a friend who is a passionate advocate of cloth nappies so I was curious
- Title: The Art of Losing- Author: Alice Zeniter
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list: A book involving Immigration, migration or relocation to another country
- Brief reason why it was the best: a translated work this is another piece of history hidden for many years of the colonialism of Algeria by France, the subsequent war for independence, the murdering of Algerians by their new government because they "worked" for the French government by fighting for them in the world wars, and the treatment of these folks after fleeing to France (as French citizens).
Title: The Last Murder at the End of the WorldAuthor: Stuart Turton
Rating: 5 Stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 51. A book published in 24
Brief reason why it was the best: I always love books where you have to figure out what's going on and how the world you're reading about works.
- Title: The Hero of Ages
- Author: Brandon Sanderson
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Physical book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): None
- Brief reason why it was the best: A very satisfying finale of the first Mistborn trilogy, which really tied everything together
-Title: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
-Author: Kathleen Rooney
-Rating: 5 *
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt: NA (Actually, used for Summer Challenge: Pagination #7)
-Why Best: Has some terrific lines, elderly character, and was based on a real woman who attacked a 1930s glass ceiling with such bravura.
Title - JackAuthor - Marilynne Robinson
Rating - 5 stars
Format - Print
ATY Prompt - Summer Challenge, book in a series
A slow, thoughtful read about white, ne’er-do-well Jack and respectable, black Della and their struggle to form a committed relationship in post-war, segregated St Louis. It’s the fourth book in the Gilead series but works as a stand-alone.
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- Title: Fifteen Dogs- Author: André Alexis
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Format: Audio but I checked out the print book to get quotes from the end and read the poems, listening for the hidden dog names (you hear the name as a combination of sounds from sequential words, but the name is not written). This poetry style is noted on the last page of the book.
- ATY Prompt: #44- Book with a touch of magic. Also works for Canadian author and Raining cats and dogs.
Summer prompt: June 4C (7 in page count)
- Brief reason why it was the best: It was entertaining (and short) and an interesting concept - exploration of human consciousness experienced through dogs (who are given this gift by 2 of the Greek gods). I thoroughly enjoyed it and found the audiobook, which was narrated by the author, to be very good. I really liked the narrator's voice of the dogs speaking. Those were some laugh-out loud moments for me.
For me, June was a great month of reading...all my favorites except 1 were from authors I hadn't read before...Yeah!I've mostly finished ATY, but included the prompts these books work for
The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossell Dickey
★★★★, audio
Prompt 1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y - A, T and Y
A story about Simone and the trials around her MS diagnosis. Learned more about MS and Simone became one of my favorite book heroines!
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
★★★★, audio
Prompt 12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year
I love this author. The book had been on my tbr for 3 years and I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Turning over a new leaf/Adventure-ish romance. Enjoyed the banter and the storyline.
The Girls with No Names by Serena Burdick
★★★★, audio
Prompt 10. A history or historical fiction book
Sisters, gypsies and a home for girls. Historical Fiction and I learned about a part of our history...always a good combo.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
★★★★, audio
Prompt 17. A book involving intelligence,
Really good adventure story about Lucy and her love for a boy and reading and how she ultimately learns to let others help. Easy read with happy ending.
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
★★★★, audio
Prompt: 51. A book published in 2024
A mild psychological thriller about best friends that become 'not so' best friends and how a baby plays a role in friendship...told on different timelines. Quite a few 'edge of my seat' moments.
Title Tidal CreaturesAuthor Seanan McGuire
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format Ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) I used it for a rejected prompt - "A book related to Sailor Moon"
Brief reason why it was the best This is book 3 in the series and it's the best one yet.
Title Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza
Author Mosab Abu Toha
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A book with a secondary colour on the cover.
Brief reason why it was the best The poetry was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Title:One Two Three Author: Laurie Frankel
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Kindle
ATY Prompt you used it for: 32. A book with a number in the title.
Brief reason why it was the best:
The main characters are triplets, and Laurie Frankel does an excellent job of making each on of them very distinct from the other. The book is told from each of their points of view — each one taking turns by chapter. The dialogue is amazing, some really great thoughts here. And the ending! No spoilers, but you have to consider how she wrote the ending to truly appreciate what she's saying about these girls. This is my second Laurie Frankel book (the other was a Best Book of the Month too), and I can't wait for my next!
Tracy wrote: "Title:One Two Three Author: Laurie Frankel
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Kindle
ATY Prompt you used it for: 32. A book with a number in the title.
Brief reason why it was the best:
The m..."
I absolutely agree Tracy! I read Family Family earlier this year, and also loved that one.
Lizzy wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Title:One Two Three ... I absolutely agree Tracy! I read Family Family earlier this year, and also loved that one.
..."
I'm glad to hear that Lizzy, as Family Family will be my next. I read This Is How It Always Is first, and it was great too! I don't know why I never hear about her.
- Title: My Friends- Author: Hisham Matar
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Didn't use for a prompt
- Brief reason why it was the best: A reflective and moving novel about how friends can help one overcome traumas related to political persecution and displacement. I can see this being a contender for the Booker Prize this year.
- Title: Funny Story
- Author: Emily Henry
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Didn't use for prompt
- Brief reason why it was the best: Another hit romance from Emily Henry! Loved the emotional connection between the two leads!
The Painter of Battles Arturo Pérez-Reverte
5*
Format: ebook/audio
Brief reason:
This book examines the responsibility of artists to their subjects. It is also a story of war’s impact and the seeming inability of humankind to avoid it. The historic and artistic details are realistic. It almost seems like the “painter of battles” is being besieged by his conscience through his interactions with the visitor. There are many references to artwork and the 1990s War in Bosnia-Serbia-Croatia. The ending leaves room for multiple interpretations, which always appeals to me. This book is a thought-provoking combination of art, ethics, chance, war, and philosophy. I think it is a masterpiece.
Red Mars
Kim Stanley Robinson
5*
Format: ebook/audio
Brief reason: This is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic Mars Trilogy. It imagines the initial human colonization of Mars, The world-building is vivid, easy to picture. Beyond the scientific principles (which are internally logical and consistent), I am impressed by the emphasis on the importance of human interactions and group dynamics. It is almost overwhelming to imagine all the elements involved in starting from scratch to build a society, and the author does a masterful job. This book is almost sure to please fans of hard science fiction. I loved it!
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Title: The Gift of RainAuthor: Tan Twan Eng
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➕ (four-and-a-half stars)
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): # 16 A book related to the phrase "It's raining cats and dogs"
Brief reason why it was the best: From the first page, I was fully invested in this tale of loyalty to family and country, betrayal, and heartbreaking losses suffered by the Malaysian people under the Japanese occupation during World War II. Lyrical writing, and epic, but brutal tale.
Title: Table for Two
Author: Amor Towles
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➕ (four-and-a-half stars)
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I read it for the Summer Reading Challenge June National Prune Day b. prompt (a book with more than 400 pages)
Brief reason why it was the best: This book of six short stories and a long novella was thoroughly engaging. Unlike many people who will be reading this, I have not read Mr. Towles’s three highly-acclaimed novels (A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway, and Rules of Civility), but they have been on my TBR list for a while. If this book is an indication of the craft he brings to his writing, I will waste no more time in remedying that neglect. While I enjoyed the short stories, I was most intrigued by “Eve in Hollywood,” the novella. It is set in Hollywood during the filming of Gone with the Wind, and Olivia de Havilland is one of the characters. Apparently, it is something of a sequel to Rules of Civility, which made choosing my next Towles book easy. Well done.
A bunch of my 5 stars are already on the listopia so I'll just add this one.- Title: Winter Lost
- Author: Patricia Briggs
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Hardcover
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): n/a
- Brief reason why it was the best:
I love the series and it's spin off. This was book 14 and I still didn't know where the story was going until the end of the book.
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- Title Missing- Author K.L. Slater
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best This story was pretty twisted. As with a lot of Slater's books, you are never quite sure what is going on because there is always another layer.
- Title Parable of the Sower
- Author Octavia E. Butler
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best A fantastic and creative post-apocalyptic tale - I love the characters, I love her take on the end of the world, I love the adventure. I read that she was going to make it a trilogy, but she died before completing book 3. :( I'm still going to read book 2 though and hope it does not end on any kind of a cliffhanger!
- Title Network Effect
- Author Martha Wells
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best This book is Murderbot's first (and I think only) full-size novel. I love the Murderbot Diaries. They have been getting me through a pretty spectacularly awful year. The story is original, Murderbot is awesome and hilarious, ART is a great character. I just really love these stories
Honorable mentions - my other five star reads for the month (not for the Listopia - just because I'm a nerd)
Lightlark by Alex Aster a romantasy book that is pretty good throughout, but the end takes the book to a 5 star level.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells is another Murderbot Diaries novella, and it is fantastic.
Catching the Light by Joy Harjo is a short memoir that is captivating.
The Bedroom Window by K.L. Slater is another thriller. Slater really knows how to write a good thriller.
- Title: Listen for the Lie- Author - Amy Tintera
- Rating - 5 star
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - 42. A book with a sound-related word in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best - I think I was a bit surprised by the main character who was quite funny in a dark way. I enjoy a podcast element and even thought there was nothing that shocking or new it was a decent mystery/thriller.
- Title Tidal Creatures- Author Seanan McGuire
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) none
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is a series I like by my favorite author, this is kinda a given. But it was a really good addition to the series, I liked the first two books but the Lunars are really interesting.
Best read of June for me was James by Percival Everett. I'm done with this year's ATY challenge & don't remember if I used this for a prompt, but obviously it would fit several. I gave it five stars.I was worried that this book was going to be 2024's The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which was also historical fiction that everyone lost their minds over. I read it & I really did not care for it. I found it meandering, maudlin, & sentimental. I knew this was a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi, & I was worried that it was more treacly bullshit to make white people feel good about reading a book with Black characters, Struggling(TM).
It definitely was not that! No thoughts of comforting white people went into the writing of this book! It was fierce & amazing, beautifully written, fast-paced, & the satirical blade was honed to such a sharp edge, I was bleeding out before I even realized I'd been cut. One of my favorite books of all time is Indian Killer by Shearman Alexie, & James brought that book to mind. I can't recommend it enough. If you read one new release in 2024, make it this one.
Title: Ship It- Author: Britta Lundin
- Rating: 4 stars though more accurate is 4.25
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: None
- Brief reason why it was the best: It dealt with fandoms and how a teenage girl deals with that and as someone who is in a lot of fandoms I could just relate to it so much.
Title: Interview with the Vampire
- Author: Anne Rice
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Part of a series
- Brief reason why it was the best: Vampires...I do love a vampire book from time to time. I also started watching the AMC show a few months ago so it was fun to read this and see what got changed and what didn't.
- Title: The Hunt- Author: ZW Taylor
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: (Print, ebook, audio) - Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (is applicable) - 15. A book whose author's name includes one (JQZX)
- Brief reason why it was the best - Werewolves with a Twilight touch! Long awaited second booknofnthe Blood Moon saga.
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- Title: Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love- Author: Brigitte Knightley a.k.a. isthisselfcare
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: free epub from AO3 - uploaded to kindle
- ATY Prompt: 21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
- The first fanfiction I've read, and I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the way the Harry Potter magical world was shown through an adult perspective. The main characters both have successful careers and are on equal footing, which is somewhat rare in romance land. Definitely a fun, light read. It tackled a few heavy themes, but the characters' approach was very wholesome and grown up.
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ebook
prompt: 48 (a bit of a cheat)
A tough read but a really thoughtful deep dive into what we do with art made by people who have done monstrous things - who gets to decide what art is 'acceptable' in the face of atrocious behavior? Is it ever okay to like art made by terrible people? Not necessarily a guide that tells you what to do but a way for us to interrogate our own feelings and thoughts.
The One and Only Dolly Jamieson- Title - The One and Only Dolly Jamieson
- Author - Lisa Ireland
- Rating - 4.5 stars
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - didn't use it
- Brief reason why it was the best - A fun story and heartwarming story about friendship. It was great to have a 78 year old woman as the main character - and Dolly was so much fun!
Title: "If Cats Disappeared from the World"Author: Genki Kawamura
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Format: Print
The reasoning behind my choice - This book is the imaginative story of a young dying man who is given the chance from a devil to extend his life one day at a time in return for removing 'useless' objects from the world everyday. This book evoked emotion in me that nowadays is hard to come by in books. I did not cry, yet I felt a ache in my heart for him. I understand he is somewhat selfish for getting rid of all of these seemly useless things such as phones, movies, clocks, but it is only human to desire to live longer. I understand why he chose to get rid of those objects and I also understand why he chose not to get rid of cats. His deceased mother was directly tied to his cat, and by getting rid of it, removes the last thing that reminds him of her. He probably saw getting rid of the cat like getting rid of his mother. That is why he chose to die instead. It is a bittersweet ending, but a satisfying one nevertheless.
- Title: The Sword Dancer- Author: Jeannie Lin
- Rating: 5/5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 2. A book connected to something you read in 2023
- Brief reason why it was the best: Just a really fun, fast-moving romance that doubled as a great adventure story. An absolutely top-tier beach read.
- Title: The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic- Author: Emma
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: none
- Brief reason why it was the best: interesting take on some cultural/social issues. the first chapter specific to the mental load of women running households should be required reading for every person!
- TitleThe Overstory
- Author
Richard Powers
- Rating
5/5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
#27 A book related to land
- Brief reason why it was the best
This book deserves its Pulitzer prize. It's rich, complex, intricate, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It follows the lives of nine characters from childhood through middle to old age. It's about people who fight for the forest. One of the characters is based on a real person (Suzanne Simard).
- Title The Salt Grows Heavy- Author Cassandra Khaw
- Rating 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - NA
- Brief reason why it was the best - Just the right kind of weird horror for my mood.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Salt Grows Heavy (other topics)The Overstory (other topics)
The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic (other topics)
The Sword Dancer (other topics)
The One and Only Dolly Jamieson (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cassandra Khaw (other topics)Richard Powers (other topics)
Suzanne Simard (other topics)
Emma (other topics)
Lisa Ireland (other topics)
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