Happy July All! Summer (and summer reading!) is in full swing! Let’s get down to business…

June Reads

Holy cow. I read A LOT in June. (To be fair – I listened A LOT. Eight of these eleven reads were, in fact, audiobooks. And honestly – Wil Wheaton’s updated memoir Still Just a Geek should count as two or even three books – it was 24 hours of listening.) And there’s not really a dud in this list, you can’t go wrong with any of them. There’s a little something for everyone this month…

• I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston. 5 Stairs. It’s a mystery, it’s funny, it’s got a little romance. It’s also about acceptance and discovering who you are, especially when you think you already know. This is a great, fun summer read. 
• The No-Show by Beth O’Leary. 5 Stairs. Once I got into the premise of this book, I really didn’t know if I was going to like it. I don’t want to give anything in the story away, so I’ll just say that ultimately I loved this book.
• Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw. 5 Stairs. Framed in Fire is a historical mystery set in 1948, and Ms. Whishaw always tells the story and solves the mystery through several different timelines. The understanding of the past always gives insight to the motivations in the present (1948) mystery.
• Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert. 4.5 Stairs. This is a well paced dark fantasy, and the dual timelines work well together presenting the family history and mystery to the reader. 
• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. 4.5 Stairs. I thought this was cleverly written and I really enjoyed it. Definitely pick this up if you like classic crime or locked room mysteries!
• Still Just a Geek by Will Wheaton. 4.5 Stairs. Highly recommend the audiobook on this one. Listen as Wil revisits his original Just a Geek book 20 years later.
• The Omega Factor by Steve Berry. 4 Stairs. Steve Berry takes a piece of history – in this case the Ghent Alterpiece – and spins a fictional tale around it, full of mystery, deception, and loaded with action. His books are always page turners, and The Omega Factor is no exception. 
• Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian. 4 Stairs. A great start to a new series! Magic, illusions, mystery, and even a family curse come together in this fun read.
• Misrule by Heather Walter. 4 Stairs. This second book explores vengeance, justice, and prejudice – particularly hatred passed down through generations. Of course, the root of this novel is a love story, and plenty of obstacles are put between Alyce and the sleeping Aurora. 
• The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie. Hercule Poirot’s second case. I thought this would be about golf, but it actually was not.
• Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne. 3 Stairs. I definitely enjoyed parts of Wake the Bones, but as a whole I just felt confused when I was done.

Started in June

(It looks like I was on a red cover kick here!)

Instagram Fun

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Final Thoughts

Okay, I’ve started four great books to bring over into the month of July. I’ve got a few others I’m eyeing, but what are you recommendations for summer reading? And be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter – I’m trying to get better about doing reviews over on Insta, as you can see from my pics above. Happy July reading everyone!