Jana Says

Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street…

Well, not so much in my neighborhood but is a good time to read more books. Which is better than dancing anyway.

Before I get into what I read last month, did anyone else get a kind of shamey email from Goodreads about their book challenge? Because I did and I really didn’t need the reinforcement that I’m behind. It made me feel a little terrible. That kind of pressure is very unnecessary.

Anyway, here’s what I read last month. Somehow it included 4 NetGalley books. Interesting.

The Chateau by Paul Goldberg. Big fat DNF. I hated this book and I felt terrible because it was an ARC from NetGalley but what are you going to do? I wanted to keep reading because he insults trump A LOT but it wasn’t enough to keep me around.

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano. If you are triggered by self-harm, do not read this book or proceed with caution. This is a very good, well-researched supernatural-ish YA thriller. I found myself vested in the characters and what happened in both the past and present but some parts felt rushed and incomplete -specifically the end- but I like her writing and her books are kind of their own genre which is cool. Not the best book but I do recommend. NetGalley ARC read very late.

Not a Crime to be Poor by Peter Edelman. If you want a meticulously researched, dry, statistics-driven, anecdotal book explaining why and how it is expensive and criminal to poor, you will love this book. This is perfect for a classroom setting but as a read for someone who is non-academically interested in this topic, both policy-wise and sociologically, I was hoping for something a little more…human. He discusses success stories and how they can be replicated but it’s all business. If you would like to discuss this topic, though, please let me know. Found this one in a bookstore and got it from the library.

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman. This isn’t necessarily a bad book. Some might even love it. For me, though, it was all over the place, couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. A western? Thriller? Sci-fi? And why was the end more like chick lit? I don’t mind multiple layers but this was a messy, tedious read that didn’t work in some places. Others were great. I would have read a whole book about Smoke or Carol’s mother. He’s not a terrible writer but he’s not for me.I did like it better than Bird Box, though. NetGalley ARC.

Fair Shot by Chris Hughes. Another nonfiction. This book is to guaranteed basic income what Hillbilly Elegy is to understanding 45’s voter base. Well-researched, well-written, but so full of privilege and arrogance that it’s hard to take it seriously as a policy book. It’s a memoir that heavily relies on personal experience to make him “relatable” and explain why he feels and believes the way he does but, save for a few chapters, minimally addresses it. I really didn’t want to hear from him anymore how he has Facebook money (he’s one of the co-founders) and he comes across as kind of a dick. He has some good ideas, though. So there’s that. Bookstore find, requested from library.

The Rules of Half by Jenna Patrick. This is a sad, touching, mildly optimistic book about family, tragedy, secrets, mental illness, small town prejudices and what happens when they all intersect. It’s a well-written book, takes care and honesty when discussing mental illness, and the characters are sympathetic and strong. But it felt like there were plot holes and details that were built up and then left out or glossed over and that was annoying. Good book, though. NetGalley ARC.

TL;DR: Nothing this month was outstanding but The Suffering Tree and Rules of Half were my favorite.

Currently reading Free Fire and Off the Clock.

Don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers joining us. Next one is on August 14.

And now it’s your turn! Link up and Show Us Your Books!

Sigh.

I don’t know that my reading pace is going to pick up at all this year. I give zero shits about my Goodreads goal but there are too many unread books calling my name that I’m not reading. There’s not even a good reason for it. I’m just…not.

Anyway, the good news is that this month I read wonderful books. And like 3 of them were NetGalley books. That I read before their pub date! Who am I? I’m not sure.

Before we get to the reviews, just a quick reminder that my reviews are mostly copied and embellished from Litsy. Also, don’t forget to visit Steph, my co-host and friend, as well as some of the other bloggers joining us. We have an incredible booknerd community so if you’re looking for something new to read, one of these ladies can definitely help you out. And mark your calendars for July 10 for the next one.

Now, my June reads.

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris. This book definitely had the same structure and similar plot to The Breakdown but with a male protagonist instead. It reads like a very standard thriller but then it shifted and went in a direction I did not see coming. Even when I thought I figured it out, it continued twisting. I liked that. Especially the end. I really liked the end. I enjoy her books and will keep reading them but it’d be nice if she strayed from her formula a bit. Shake shit up. ARC from NetGalley.

Ohio by Stephen Markley. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably have already seen me raving about this book. I’m predicting it to be the best book I read all year. It’s crude, vulgar, political, violent, emotional, sad, and so gorgeous I was stunned by what I read. The storytelling is mesmerizing (even if I had to look up what some words meant. He uses REALLY big words sometimes) as well as meandering and time hops and uses multiple POVs, which I generally hate, but he does it in such as way that I actually enjoyed the different yet connected storylines. This book is magnificent and please read it. Although. It’s definitely not for everyone. He touches on addiction, murder, war violence, rape, and other very unpleasant topics. If any of those will trigger you, you might want to avoid. But if they don’t, read this book. ARC from NetGalley.

Puddin’ by Julie Murphy. Oh, how I adore Julie Murphy. She writes characters I wish existed when I was a teenager and it’s refreshing to know they exist now. More diverse, confident girls need to be in novels, loving themselves as-is instead of what other people want them to be. This one gets a little preachier than her others but that’s okay. Maybe we need that now. She is a role model, she writes role models, and I’m looking forward to my daughter being old enough to read her YA books (she has a MG one publishing next year).

Believe Me by JP Delaney. This book is a straight mindfuck. Even when I thought I figured out what happened, I doubted myself. That’s unusual. And they way Boudelaire is woven in reminds me of how Poe was integral to the first season of The Following and that connection is way too coincidental for my liking (although I only learned about it from internet research. I’m not actually that smart). I didn’t love the unreliable narrator trick or the way the dialog was staged like a play but at least it made sense in the plot context instead of being gratuitous. Excellent plane or vacation read. ARC from NetGalley.

Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden. This was a wonderful tribute to his son, and learning exactly why and the thought process behind why he decided not to run for president was interesting. The foreign policy stuff was boring to read (confession: I skimmed a lot of it) but crucial so to understand what he was dealing with alongside Beau’s cancer. The love he feels for his son is palpable, even through the pages of a book. Beau meant a lot to Delaware (I say that as a long-term resident) and I wish he’d touched on that a little more. It would have given an even bigger picture of who he was.

For instance, several years ago, a doctor who’s name I won’t write, was convicted of over 500 counts of child sexual abuse. Beau was our attorney general at the time and it was also around when Joe was picked to run for VP. It was sort of…expected that Beau would fill his dad’s senate seat. He didn’t because he wanted oversee the prosecution of this person. He wanted to see this job to the end, regardless of his own political aspirations. He was heir apparent and he turned it down. That’s not something you see often, especially not in this political climate. I think anecdotes like that would have given a more well-rounded picture. However, in the book he talks about eulogizing people for who they were and not what they did so I sort of understand why those kinds of stories were left out. Anyway, it’s a good book and while it’s not required reading, I do recommend it.

Currently reading The Chateau by Paul Goldberg

TL; DR. All of the books I read this month were excellent and you should add all of them to your TBR. Especially Ohio. That was my favorite.

Now it’s your turn! Link up below and show us your books!