Books I Read in June

 I read so many fabulous books this month!  I am all about light, fun, summer reading right now and have been forcibly having to make myself balance other aspects of life with my reading time... otherwise full days will pass me by with my nose buried in a book. 

1.  Going Going Ganache by Jen McKinney (A Cupcake Mysteries book)-- When Mel and Angie get into a food fight while trying to shoot a magazine photo they find themselves hosting a cupcake boot camp for the magazine staff.  The staff is not all that great at working together but even so no one expected one of the boot campers to end up dead.  For the sake of her business Mel starts digging around trying to uncover who the murder in their midst might be. 

2. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner--  This was such a fabulous book. I read the whole thing in under 24 hours.  When Sophie responds to an add as a mail order bride she gets more than she bargained for.  Martin seems like the perfect husband but one night before the great San Francisco earthquake & fire of 1906 Sophie's new world comes crashing down.  Part historical fiction part mystery it was a wonderfully woven tale.  

3. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed-- I had gotten this graphic novel for Evan to read and he enjoyed it so much he told me I had to read it too.  I breezed through the book in less than a day and thought it was so well written. Omar and his brother have been living in a refugee camp most of their lives while waiting for war to end in their country.  It is somehow both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming story.  

 4.  Reunion Beach: Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank--  I wanted to love this compilation of stories but I had already read Summer of '79 (Elin's contribution) and I'm not a huge fan of short stories.  I did enjoy the snippets written about Dorothea herself though and thought it was such a sweet gesture from family and friends to honor this one last book title she had planned before her death. Some of the stories did capture my attention but like all short stories I found myself wishing they were longer! All in all though I was glad I had read it.  

5. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor book #3) by Jessica Townsend-- I enjoyed this third book of the series so much that as soon as I was finished I Googled to see if there was a book 4 coming out and there is!  In this third book Morrigan is learning the Wunderous Arts slowly.  However, all of Wunimals in Nevermoor are slowly being infected by a mysterious illness and unless Morrigan and all the other scholars can figure out what is going on panic will continue to spread and ruin the Nevermoor society that Morrigan has come to love so much in the last few years. 

6. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave-- This was such a great story!  It was one of those books that kept me intrigued and guessing and I just did not want to put it down. When Hannah's husband goes missing one day her only clue is a handwritten note asking her to "protect her."  Hannah knows the note refers to her stepdaughter Bailey. At the two are forced to come together and start asking more and more questions they being to unravel the lives they thought they know, question the man they both love, and form a tenuous new friendship. 

7. The View From Here by Hannah McKinnon-- I really enjoyed this story about a family; it didn't hurt that it was set in Connecticut around a lake (I live in Ct on a lake!).  Three grown children Perry, a type A personality married with one child, Phoebe, married with twin boys and trying to navigate a major house renovation, Jake, the playful playboy who is finally ready to settle down with Olivia and her daughter.  Then a freak accident threatens to tear the family apart.  

8. The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton-- When Lily wakes up one morning and finds her husband has just left she's surprised to find she feels mostly relieved... until she discovers that the lease on their house went with his job and she's about to be homeless, without a job, and no husband to rely on.  When she sees an advertisement for a hairdresser at the Safe Harbor retirement community she is thrilled to discover it comes with a place to live.  Unsure of how she'll fit in with the older residence and Rose the cantankerous caretaker, they decide to give it a trial run for the summer while Lily makes a clear plan of what to do about her future. 

9. Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks-- I adored this easy to read story!  Written as a series of lists it was both quick and quirky.  Some of the lists made me laugh out loud and I was surprised at how easy it was to follow the storyline when it was only a series of lists.  An avid list maker and worrier myself I really related to the main character; Daniel's wife wants to have a baby but Daniel quit his job to open a bookstore and the bookstore is not going nearly as well as Daniel has led his wife to believe.  I wanted to be mad at Daniel but mostly I just felt bad for him and thought it was rather endearing to see how he views himself.  

10. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley-- I just fell in love with this book from the first chapter.  A whole cast of cute and quirky characters come together on this tiny island town. When Piper's husband is lost at sea the whole island comes together for his memorial but Piper can not bring herself to attend; holding onto hope that her husband will come back to her.  One day Piper wakes and begins acting like her husband has returned safe and sound.  The town doesn't really know what to do so they play along.  When Anders Caldwell, news reporter, shows up to cover the annual cake walk event he can't believe how much stepping foot on Frick Island is like stepping back in time and when he finally realizes that a whole town is acting like a dead man has returned to life he can't help but investigate further.

11. Before Summer Ends by Susan Mallery- This was such a cute story; very predictable but that's OK.  Nissa has rented out her condo for the summer in preparation for her house sitting job but when the job falls through at the last minute she has to find a new place to live for the summer.  Her brothers suggest that Nissa move in with his best friend Desmond; a rich, handsome CEO that Nissa has had a secret crush on forever.  With no other options Nissa moves in with Desmond. It was a cute little rom-com. 

12. Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland-- another cute story I read in just a couple of days.  Benny and Amos are two best friends that put together a family resort in the Catskills.  Back in it's heyday the resort was beloved by many Jewish families seeking relief from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Presently the hotel is struggling and Amos' son, who has been trying to keep it going, has gotten an offer for a very generous buyout.  Both families converge at the Golden Hotel for a stay to discuss the possibility of selling.  With three generations from two families converging ideas clash, secrets are revealed, and romances bloom.  

13. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay (A cupcake mystery book)--  When Mel and Angie reluctantly agree to provide cupcakes for the local beauty pageant they don't expect to find a dead judge under their cupcake display table.  With one of their friends competing in the contest for the scholarship money, and now a prime suspect in the case, Mel decides to investigate and see if she can determine who the real killer is.  I love these mysteries but the cupcake recipes always make me so hungry!

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