When Being a Mood Reader Pays Off

My June wrap-up

I’m sitting down on July 4^th to attempt to capture June in some form of posterity before it vanishes upon the tide of these summer months that run together like so many quick-flighted birds. I want these wrap-ups to be more than what I read (hence this introduction and the photo gallery at the end), but the thing is, books, for me, shape a month. Reading by mood as I do, it’s so easy to look at a book and remember the emotion that brought me to it. Whether wishing to be challenged or wishing to escape, the flavor of that call is forever attached to the pages, and therefore the books I read form a time capsule for my life in its entirety. It is a mysterious and beautiful joy.

June was perhaps my best reading month of the year so far, with a total of 8 five-star reads! I won’t keep you guessing about what they are, so here’s the list:

When Among Crows | Veronica Roth

3.5/5

Starting off with a slightly disappointing read, When Among Crows just didn’t do it for me. The world-building was fascinating and unique but occupied too much of the story for a novella. If the pacing had been adjusted, it could have been an excellent little story, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Roth’s future releases.

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms | Charlie N. Holmberg

5/5

I didn’t expect to love this book quite as much as I did, but it swept me away with the cozy vibes and lovable characters! I’m so excited that it’s a currently releasing series and Whimbrel House’s adventures aren’t over yet.

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter | Brandon Sanderson

5/5

My first Sanderson has me seriously doubting whether to pick up any part of his backlist because I fear they won’t match up. It’s a masterclass in storytelling and the characters were so lovely to follow, with enough mystery and stakes to keep me hooked to the very last page.

The Last Murder at the End of the World | Stuart Turton

4/5

This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024! Once again, Turton knocked it out of the park with this intense dystopian tale. It explored human nature with a raw sort of grace, and I would love to reread someday and take in all the details I’m sure I missed the first time.

Heir of Fire & Queen of Shadows | Sarah J. Maas

4/5

One or other of these is everyone’s favorite ToG book, and the fact that I didn’t find either all that alluring solidified the fact that the series won’t ever completely be my cup of tea. It’s a bit meta in the fact that while the characters in this series are always annoyed at Aelin for keeping her plans secret until the last minute, Maas has the same tendency, and I can easily hate her writing style for a full ¾ of a book and then finally begin to enjoy it in the last 100 pages.

The Witchwood Knot | Olivia Atwater

5/5

Exactly what I needed when I picked it up, Atwater’s answer to a gothic Victorian romance was amazing and I need the next book yesterday.

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Stuart Turton

5/5

My fourth re-read for the year and completely worth it. I loved this book when I first read it in 2024 and upon this read it’s been solidified as a forever favorite. The way it plays with genre is witty and audacious, and the reflections upon (again) human nature at the end will forever astound me. My favorite characters are the kind who are good to the core despite their circumstances or surroundings, and Aiden is a good one for sure.

Till We Have Faces | C.S. Lewis

5/5

This one sat on my shelf for years before I picked it up, and I’m glad I waited, since even at 21 I feel like a three-year-old with a Rubik’s cube trying to grasp at everything Lewis was attempting to do with his retelling. It will take multiple revisits to gather all my thoughts on this novel, but I adored it and will think of it often, if the weeks since I finished it are any indication.

The Near Witch | V.E. Schwab

4/5

I’m not sure when we arrived at a place in the book world of thinking of debuts as sub-par. They can certainly be formulaic and less polished than a work that comes after more experience, but most debuts I’ve read are impressive simply in the fact that someone managed to draft, write, and publish a full novel. This felt very similar to other young adult books of its time yet held the threads of what was to come with Schwab’s writing, from Shades of Magic to Gallant to Addie Larue. It felt a bit like a time capsule of one artist’s complete body of work, just the wrong way around, and I enjoyed it a lot, certainly more than Addie.

Blood Over Bright Haven | M.L. Wang

2.5/5

I didn’t enjoy this one beyond decent writing and impressive (kind of?) worldbuilding. I had many problems with the conflicts and resolutions of this story but might be in the minority given the early reviews.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volumes 2-4 | Beth Brower

5/5

When Jane Austen said: “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more”, I felt that. These books are pure, distilled comfort, and I could not love them more.

~books, clouds, and a brand new nephew~

That brings us to the end of June! Comment your favorite read of the month (or, if you’re feeling salty, your least favorite). Much love 🤍