Books I Read and Bought: May & June
Hello!
I realized it’s been a couple months since I’ve updated you on all the books I’ve been reading, so today’s the day. I had great reading months in May and June with a mix of books I loved, a few that were fine, and two endings I hated and am still mad about. Below you’ll find everything I read in May and June, ranked in order of enjoyment, along with my quick thoughts. You can always search for any of my full reviews at itsbooktalk.substack.com.
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel - Give me a hotel setting all day every day especially in my summer reading. I’m so glad I finally read this! My sweet spot with Emily St John Mandel is her literary crime noir. I had no idea about the crime involved in this story so I won’t spoil it for you. The opening scene was gold, I was immediacy pulled in and had to know what happened to get to that place. This is reminiscent of the first book I read by her, The Singer’s Gun which I absolutely loved. If you enjoy globetrotting travel with your crime that’s a great pick. Audio is excellent 🎧
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout - I love her writing style, I loved Artie the main character. I didn’t enjoy the political agenda that took over the story. I’m a reader who reads mostly for escape and entertainment, I don’t want to read any type of heavy handed politics in my fiction. Great on audio 🎧
The Ghost Clause by Howard Norman - This was a highly enjoyable under the radar read I stumbled across and really enjoyed. It’s set in a Vermont village and featured a missing child, a newly married private detective, and a highly relatable ghost. This has more of a feel good vibe and was also great on audio. 🎧
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - I don’t have much to say about this except I thought it was quite bingeable on audio, yet I couldn’t wait to be out of the story. I don’t think this will be a story that stays with me
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel - The sequel to The Glass Hotel was just ok for me. This veered more into dystopian, rather than crime, and for large parts of it I was simply bored. The pacing was slower and the many storylines were often confusing.
The Anniversary by Alex Finley - Although I loved the midwest 90’s setting, I found this to be predictable and another case of somewhere along the way I became bored. A thriller I did love by this author was If Something Happens to Me
Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier - a nostalgic perfect for summer serial killer thriller set in an amusement. Great on audio 🎧
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier - Another fantastic thriller that was so well plotted and paced that I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed the binge worthy ride. Great on audio 🎧
Whistler by Ann Patchett - Eddie Triplett is a character I won’t soon forget. I loved this feel good story. Great on audio 🎧
The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh - Set in Paris, this duel timeline story revolves around the life in 1805 of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, the widow behind the still popular Veuve Clicquot champagne and Natalie who, in present day, runs away to Paris in the summertime. I loved this setting so much and I loved Natalie’s timeline which was filled with twists and turns. While interesting, I found myself racing through the past timeline to get back to Natalie’s. This is excellent on audio 🎧
The Au Pair Teddy Wayne - I loved The Winner and was looking forward to this but the characterization of the women felt cliche and I absolutely hated the ending.
The Guest by Emma Cline - The best thing I can say about this is the setting was perfect for summer. I stayed with this highly unlikable character where not much happened because I expected a certain payoff which didn’t happen because the story ended abruptly. I felt ripped off.
I’m giving Blackwell’s a lot of business!
The End of Everything by M. John Harrison - I bought this after Sarah Jessica Parker () raved about it on her Instagram . Often, the way someone talks about a book is enough for me to want to read it. This doesn’t seem to have a US pub date, I ordered it from Blackwell’s where it’s available now
A slyly satirical and unsettling post-apocalyptic adventure into the limits of human understanding
People in Love by Claire Daverley - This isn’t publishing in the US until Feb 16, 2027, but when I came across it browsing Blackwell’s I loved the premise (I cannot resist a love triangle!) and decided I need to read it asap.
One bright blue day, on a bench by the river, Nora’s partner Robin proposes.
It is unexpected; they’d always agreed that they didn’t need a wedding. But after a decade of in-jokes, dancing in the low-lit kitchen and sharing morning toast in bed, Nora says yes. Why wouldn’t she?
The answer lands on the night of their engagement party, when Bren turns up on her doorstep
Paradiso by Michele Masneri (author), Richard Village (translator) - Italy setting + questionable goings on, yes please
On the hottest day of one of the hottest summers anyone has ever known, young journalist Federico Desideri is sent on an apparently routine assignment; to snatch an interview with Italy’s latest Oscar winning film director. But in Rome. Far from the comforts of his native Milan. When the director turns out to be elusive and as Federico navigates the absurdities, passions, and dangers of this apparent paradise, it starts to look more and more like purgatory, and he begins to question how he can find his way out.
Life. Reclaimed: Find Freedom from Chronic Overperformance by Pippa Grange - I heard the author interviewed on the Eat Sleep Work Repeat podcast and immediately ordered her book
It’s time to stop ignoring your needs to get ahead. In Life. Reclaimed top performance psychologist Pippa Grange draws on her work with elite athletes and executives to liberate you from the pressure of the external scoreboard. Blending real-world stories and the principles of regenerative performance, she arms you with the practical tools to dismantle false goals, reset your priorities and build a foundation for lasting success.
That’s it for me, I would love to hear from you in the comments….
What books have you been enjoying this summer?
Any thrillers you’ve loved lately?
