Happy June! It’s hard to believe that we’re now halfway through the year. Before I dive into this month’s reading round-up, I wanted to share a few tips for how I’m able to read more this year:

I switched to a Kindle, which adds a lot of convenience regarding reading on the go, since I don’t have to worry about packing (or forgetting) paperback books. I also have the Kindle app on my phone, which I use as a time filler, like when I’m waiting in line while running errands or need to kill time before/ between appointments.
I use the Down Time feature on my phone to shut down most of my apps at 11pm (even if I’m not tired). Reading has always been part of my nighttime routine, but this helps remove temptation to scroll through social media one more time.
Down Time stays on until 9am the next morning so instead of waking up and scrolling through social media, I can usually get a chapter or two in.
TV time is minimal and typically reserved for sports or the weekends, but I also try to time block my weekends so that I’m honoring my goals, priorities, and the hobbies that make me feel good; TV personally doesn’t so I really do my best to avoid it.

That being said, here is everything I read and loved this month.

what i read in june

darling girls by sally hepworth

4/5 stars
This is a twisty domestic thriller with lots of emotional depth. The foster care aspect was difficult to read about, but very well-written and I appreciate that the author did extensive research before writing about it.
While I hadn’t read anything by Hepworth prior to this, I had heard a lot about how much detail she puts into her characters, and I completely agree. The character development was stellar, really enriched the book, but didn’t take away from the suspenseful pacing. Each sister had distinctive personalities and their own unique flaws, yet you still felt for them and their experiences.
The twists really added to the plot and heart behind everything; they weren’t just thrown in for shock value, which can sometimes happen when the author is trying to balance multiple perspectives, emotional growth, and still keep things suspenseful.
Not spoiling it, but the ending got me good and I need someone to read this so we can discuss it.

Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

home is where the bodies are by jeneva rose

3/5 stars
I saw an Instagram friend post about this book and truthfully had to read it for the cover alone.
While the “dysfunctional family with deep secrets in a small town” plot is a little basic, the twist of finding videotaped evidence of a crime was unique and added a fun twist. It added hints of 90s nostalgia, too.
This author has a very straightforward writing style with shorter chapters and quick pacing; you can finish this in a day, especially since the suspense builds really well.
I loved the premise, and I liked but ultimately didn’t love the ending. I had my suspicions about the resolution (and was right), but kept reading in order to see how everything would connect.
This author is great so I would still recommend this book as a fun summer thriller, but would maybe suggest her other book “The Perfect Marriage” if you only want to read one.

Read it here.

everything and nothing at once: a black man's reimagined soundtrack for the future by joél leon

5/5 stars
I had the privilege of interviewing Joél years ago and I have so much respect for him. This is his major publishing debut and it’s a collection of essays.
These essays are raw, powerful, and emotional; his spirit comes through each page and I truly believe everyone should read this.
Some of my favorite quotes:
- “I am both greeting and grieving myself.”
- “The truth will set us free, but the truth changes as much as we are willing to change along with it.”
- “In a culture where hustle is rewarded by offering up more opportunities to hustle more, boredom gets to be the antihero to the narrative.”
- “The truth will set us free, but the truth changes as much as we are willing to change along with it.”
- “The rapture looks like our ability to let go and surrender any preconceived notions on what we think will get us free, and more time and energy spent as a collective with the ways we can find malleable solutions daily.”

Read it here.

the writer by miranda smith

4/5 stars
This had unique premise i hadn’t seen before in a thriller - main character Becca is an unsuccessful writer who is a part of the Murder Mavens writing group, where other authors get together to discuss their works. Aspects of those drafts start coming true in a very stalker-ish way just as a new girl joins the group, and Becca has to figure out who is targeting her.
While it wasn’t the focus of the book, I really liked reading about a thirty-something who didn’t have her life together, and wish there were more books that explored that experience.
As far as the rest of the book goes, I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting. It kept me guessing until the end, but the suspect reveal was good (not great).
It was a quicker read at just over 300 pages and the author did a great job balancing detail with pacing. While I wish the author elaborated a little more on the black heart aspect, she shined in regards to characterization. The characters were secretive and shady enough to keep things interesting without seeming like the author was writing just for the sake of throwing you off.

Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

the housemaid is watching by frieda mcfadden

2/5 stars
This is the third book of The Housemaid series; the first book was SO good and what led me to subscribing to Kindle Unlimited. I liked the second book, but nothing compares to the first. Sometimes series on Kindle Unlimited can feel like they go on for too long, and Frieda McFadden books in general are hit or miss for me, so I was apprehensive going into this book.
I won’t spoil anything since this is a new release, but I will say it was just ok - not great, not terrible.
The time jump is beneficial and helped move Millie’s story along so it didn’t feel repetitive of the first two books.

This had a moodier tone and was way less suspenseful than I expected. The author spent more time creating doubt amongst characters than she does in her other books, which are typically page-turners that you can’t put down. If it wasn’t for the short chapters, this would have felt very slow.
The ending was a little rushed and left a few plot holes. I understand wanting to capitalize on the success of this series by releasing another title, but I don’t know if I’d read anything after this.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

three drowned girls by emily shiner

3/5 stars
This book had a much slower pace than I’m used to, and I would say it’s more of a police procedural book than a thriller. It reminded me of the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni (which I loved), but the crimes were not as graphic.
I will say that reading about crimes against children was tough; the author repeated the phrase “little girls” quite a bit, and it wore on me as the book continued.
This started a little slow for me, and I think the author pays extra attention to mentioning Freya’s past and developing her relationship with other characters because it’s a series. While the case itself is engaging, this very much felt like an introduction in some ways.
I enjoyed the suspect reveal at the end, but can see how others might be disappointed.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

one liar left by emily shiner

4/5 stars
The second book in this series picks up where the other left off, and I liked the premise of this book a lot more than the first. The crime was engaging and I think the author picked the perfect amount of suspects - there were enough to develop their characters and keep you guessing, but not so many that it got confusing.
Ester’s character became a little annoying in this book; the condition of her health is hinted at in the first one, so I expected more answers in this book, but it felt like a reiteration of everything mentioned already.
I also expected the author to dive into Freya’s backstory with her parents a little more. One detail is discussed once and then never mentioned again. I’d read another book in this series to see if her childhood is discussed, because there’s so much left unsaid about her parents at this point, but I’m hoping this isn’t a 10-part series with super slow, drawn-out reveals.

Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

the perfect child by lucinda berry

4/5 stars
This was very dark and very disturbing; I had to skip over a few scenes. Please read the synopsis and look at any trigger warnings before you read it.
This had tons of potential and drew me in right away, but the last few chapters fell short.
So much of this book feels very real and believable; the characters are well-written and really drive the story forward.
You have an idea of where things are going, but each scene adds to the tension, so in some ways this felt fast paced but in others a little drawn out, especially since it was so dark.
No spoilers here per usual, but I will say that this would be a 5-star book if not for the last few chapters, which fell short.

Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom

5/5 stars
I’ve had this book for years but just now got around to reading it and don’t know why I waited so long. This is a short book and simply written, yet there’s so much to learn from Morrie and the author’s relationship with him. Everyone should read this.
It really made me reflect on how I view life, relationships, my values, and what ultimately matters most to me. Social media has definitely pushed us to compare our lives to others, but this strips away all of the superficial noise and materialism to remind you of what’s most important in life.
Biggest takeaways:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things.” (p.35)
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” (p.43)
“If you’ve found meaning in your life, you don’t want to go back. you want to go forward. You want to see more, do more. You can’t wait until sixty-five.” (p.118)

Read it here.

the winner by c.j. parsons

3/5 stars
The premise of this book was very promising; it’s social media influencer meets “Big Brother” with a little bit of Hunger Games, too. It intrigued me right away and I had high hopes, thinking this would be a fun summer read.
Ultimately, it was not as suspenseful as I expected or as good as I hoped it would be. At 400+ pages, it felt very passive and predictable at times.
I think this book would have been better if there were less characters that were fully developed, especially since social media is so personality-driven. I understand wanting a larger suspect list to keep readers guessing, but all of the characters felt very one-dimensional or flat, particularly the male characters who were supposed to be the biggest suspects.
I do think this would have a lot of success if it was turned into a limited TV series, though.