Here is what I am planning on reading for June. Please let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought of them!!
NetGalley










Indie Authors/Publishers








Reading Challenges:
















January was a busy reading month for me. Because of that, I could complete all my reading challenges for the month!! Woot!!
It was also a busy month, personally, for me. The highlights of this month are:
BK and I have been watching Game of Thrones (we’re on season 7), and we started watching The Last of Us.
I have been experimenting with new cooking recipes. I made a Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo soup with Miss R last week.
As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.
Books I Read:
Books I got from NetGalley:
Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:
A Paroxysm of Fear by Chad Miller
Giveaway Winners
Books Reviewed:
Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano (review here)
Misfire by Tammy Euliano (review here)
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff (review here)
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman (review coming February 17th)
All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (review here)
The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert (review here)
The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker (review here)
Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry (review here)
Emily Wilde’s Encylopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (review here)
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes (review here)
Shadowed Visions by Reily Garrett (review here)
The Things We do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent (review coming February 27th)
The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy (review here)
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (review coming July 11th)
A Body Washes Ashore by Bradley Pay (review here)
All Hallows by Christopher Golden (review here)
A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan (review here)
One Duke Down by Anna Bennett (review here)
Murder Up to Bat by Elizabeth McKenna (review here)
Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire (review here)
Reading Challenges
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (for Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023—a bird)—Finished 1-1-2023
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (for The StoryGraph Onboarding Challenge—-Read a book with more pages than the longest book you read in 2022)—Finished 1-17-2023
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (for The StoryGraph Read the World—Argentina)—Finished 1-17-2023
The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill (for The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge—a contemporary or literary fiction novel with disability rep)—Finished 1-24-2023
The Reader by M.K. Harkins (for Beat the Backlist 2023—a backlist book)—Finished 1-24-2023
The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga (for Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge—Read the most recently added book to your TBR)—Finished 1-3-2023
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (for Scavenger Hunt—a book written by a woman using a male perspective)—Finished 1-19-2023
The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert (for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023—a book you meant to read in 2022)—Finished 1-5-2023
Lost Soul by Adam J. Wright (for 2023 TBR Toppler—a TBR vet)—Finished 1-3-2023
In Our Blood by William J. Goyette (for 2023 Monthly Themes—books that make you feel cold)—Finished 1-10-2023
Before the Coffee Get Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (for 2023 Reading challenge—a translated work)—Finished 1-11-2023
All Hallows by Christopher Golden (for 2023 ABC Challenge—A)—Finished 1-19-2023
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman (for Romanceopoly 2023!—read a thriller or mystery where one of the main characters are a detective or private investigator)—Finished 1-3-2023
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (for 2023 TBR Prompts—a 5-star prediction)—Finished 1-16-23
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal:
So, I still have that flipping bladder infection. Cue in long, frustrated scream. If this new round of antibiotics don’t work, then off I go to a specialist. I am not very happy and very frustrated.
My garden is doing well. Nothing has sprouted yet (knock on wood). My bird feeders, though, are a whole different story. I am getting a ton of birds….and squirrels. I ended up getting a squirrels feeder, hoping that it would keep them out of my feeders. Nope. Instead, I have a heavily pregnant squirrel using my deck feeder as her personal buffet. I have named her Mama and can’t wait to see the babies!! I also have an opossum visiting. I caught it on camera sitting on my back deck. I think it was debating on going after the suet feeder….lol. I don’t mind them. They keep the ticks and bugs down in the yard. Plus, they eat mice and rats, which make them my best friends (I have a mice/rat phobia).
I made the decision last week to send Miss R back to school 4 days a week. I had noticed that she wasn’t as into her virtual lessons as she was. Plus, it seemed that she was missing out when there was a substitute. So, after talking with BK, I decided to send her back after Easter break. After getting the OK from the teacher/principal, I told her. It was like someone flipped a switch. She has been so excited to do her schoolwork and all she talks about is going back to school.
I made the non refundable deposit for Miss B’s driving school. It took me and the instructor about a week of going back and forth before we finally connected. So, for a week in July, she will be going to driving school, 9-5. Then she will start driving (6 hours on the road). She is super nervous but also excited.
I am still watching The Magicians. I was a little iffy about it for the first couple of episodes but I have gotten into it. Unfortunately, Miss B has decided to watch Criminal Minds by herself. She says its because she wants to “absorb the episodes.” Don’t ask me to translate….lol. BK and I have started watching The Irregulars. I really like it even though I got freaked out by the first episode.
I made Slow-Cooker Sesame Chicken with Cashews this past week. It was alright. The kids weren’t crazy about it. It tasted fine but the chicken was dry. So, I will not be making this again.
Blog
I changed my theme for the blog. I had Rosalie originally but changed to Independent Publisher 2. I am liking this theme a whole lot better than the Rosalie one. There were a lot more options for customization.
I started going through my posts again. I am slowly, but surely, updating links/covers/blurbs or just taking posts down for books that aren’t even on Goodreads/Amazon anymore. Its tedious, but needs to be done.
I am not sure if I like the new changes that WordPress pushed through earlier this week. I am used to having the admin page open up to a different window, not having it all on one page. But, I will get used to it. I don’t have a choice.
Reading
I didn’t do so great reading since last week’s WWW. I think I read 2 books between Thursday and yesterday? I was stuck on a book that I got from the library. I thought that I was going to love it. Instead, I was “eh” about it and it took me 3 days to finish. So disappointing when that happens.
What I Recently Finished Reading:
I was so disappointed by this book. I had seen a couple of reviews by people that had loved it and thought to myself “Well, this seems like something I would like to read.” It is a favorite genre with a twist. Plus, having a POC as a main character for that era was brilliant. Then I read the book and cringed. I couldn’t get into the romance between Patience and Busick. The plotline bored me. I called the ending. It was a relief when the book ended.
What I am currently reading:
Words can’t begin to describe how much I am enjoying this book. Olive McCormick (aka Olive Shines) is unusual for the era that book is set in. She is a strong woman who is living her life the way she wants. I am about 20% into the book and so much has happened. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the book will be like!!
What books I think I’ll read next:
I was pretty set with the books I had on the list for next week. It was going to be a repeat of last week’s books. Then, last night, a library book came off hold, unexpectedly. So, I had to tweak things a little bit. The library book is first and then the books from my TBR.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.
What I am Reading Now:
I am about halfway through A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby and I am not sure about how I feel about. I am loving the story but the characters, I am “eh” about. The romance I am a little “eh” about too. I am hoping that the second half of the book makes me settle on if I like it or dislike it. I don’t like being up in the air about a genre that I usually love.
What I plan on reading this week:
On last week’s WWW, I made an ambitious goal to read five books by next Wednesday. Well, it didn’t quite happen. Without getting into it, my weekend was very full. Plus, we had some severe thunderstorms come through the area (at night). Miss R is terrified of them and ended sleeping in my bed Saturday and Sunday night. And since I read at night, it didn’t happen. I am hoping to read at least three of these books this week.
So here are my books that I am reading/plan on reading this week. Have you read any of these books? Let me know!!!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal
My bladder infection still isn’t going away. It has been better (I feel 100% better than I did last week) but it hasn’t gone away. I do have a Drs appointment tomorrow and I will be letting her know then.
I do have news other than my health. I got my Covid shot on Saturday. Shots for people in group 4 (high risk medical, people in group homes/jails, and other public servants) opened up on Wednesday. Since I have an autoimmune disease and I am obese, I qualified (the only time being fat worked for me….lol). I started trying Wednesday and kept missing the appointment window. I ended up lucking out on Friday and got my shot on Saturday. My arm hurt like heck on Sunday and I was super tired. But, by Monday, I was back to myself.
I started planting on Sunday (fun thing to do with a sore arm). BK built me a raised planter box on Saturday. I was thrilled about that because now I don’t have to worry about groundhogs or rabbits getting into my vegetables. I do have to worry about the stray cat we are trying to adopt using it as a litter box (so far, he’s been avoiding it). I planted in that 2 types of peppers and 2 types of lettuce. On our deck, in planters, we went nuts. We planted two types of tomatoes (beefsteak and grape), catnip (we plant every year), cat grass (2 containers), chives, dill, sage, cilantro, rosemary, basil, parsely, two types of blueberry bushes (they are made for planters), a starter kit for jumbo water melons, jalapenos, and sweet peas (Miss R wanted them). I also have sunflowers to grow on the fence in the backyard. Keeping my fingers crossed for no frost or colder weather.
The school district has decided to let grades 6-12 go back to school 4 days a week. I was emailed and called by both the middle and high school (plus the district itself). Miss B is super excited because she’s going all the time. Mr. Z has opted to stay home and finish out the year (he is going back in the fall). Miss R is jealous because she wants to go back full time (I opted to keep her home and finish out the school year. It ends the end of May).
Miss R is starting Drivers Ed in July. I am still in shock that she will be driving soon. BK and I are discussing what type of car to get her. He wants a beater and I want something that is a little more reliable. We’ll see what the compromise is….lol.
BK started traveling for work again. He has flights booked out unto the end of April. This week was the first time he has been away from home in a year. Put it this way, he came home from NYC right before they shut it down and he hasn’t been out since. I do have mixed emotions about it. But I figure we are both halfway protected (he got his first shot when Group 3 opened up).
Since BK has started traveling, I have started watching shows that I like. I am still watching Expedition Unknown (I am fascinated with it). I also have started watching The Magicians and resumed watching Bridgerton on Netflix. On top of that, Miss B and I are watching Criminal Minds together. Since she wants to be in law enforcement (she is leaning towards being a federal agent), I felt that Criminal Minds would be a great show for her to watch. She is fascinated with what they do. If I knew it wouldn’t be too much for her, I would have her watch Mindhunters too. But it is too much for even me to watch at some points.
I made 5 Ingredient Slow-Cooker Balsamic Chicken for supper on Monday. It was freaking delicious. The kids were iffy about it (of course). I had to serve the chicken next to the pasta and then had to put the tomatoes on the side too. They also didn’t want anything to do with the Balsamic Vinaigrette. But, they ate it!! That’s all I can ask for….lol.
Blog
I posted 2 reviews last week!! I couldn’t even believe it when I posted them…lol. I haven’t been working on updating my old posts either. I am hoping to start doing that maybe by the end of this week.
Reading:
Well, I have offically gotten over my reading slump. I have read 5 books since last week’s WWW. Yay me!!!!
I have fallen way behind in all of my reading challenges. So, I am working to catch up.
I am in the middle of going through my Goodreads shelves and adding any books that are in series to my Want to Read shelf. I won’t lie, it is a huge undertaking but I am chipping away at it.
I won’t lie and say that this was one of my favorite books to read (it wasn’t). But it did have an appeal. It was gritty. It wasn’t a pretty book to read. There were a couple of twists that took me by surprise and the end wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.
What I am currently reading:
I am pretty excited to read The Show Girl. I have read books by Nicola Harrison before and have enjoyed them. I didn’t get that far into The Show Girl….just the first couple of pages. So far, I like it.
What books I think I’ll read next:
I am pretty excited to read all of these books. They have all been on my TBR since 2018 and have just sat there for 3 long years. The book I am most excited to read is You Won’t Find Him. I am hoping to get to all of these books this week.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.
What I am Reading Now:
I started The Last City of America last night and are about 18-20% into it. I am not sure how I feel about it. It goes between 1st person and 3rd person and the chapters are from the viewpoint of different characters in the book. The beginning was slow to start and it is still slow going right now. Hopefully it will pick up.
What I plan on reading this week:
This was a book that came off hold from the library. I am pretty excited to read it (any Regency/Victorian era romances are my jam) and hope to start reading within a couple of days.
I love Donna Grant and was super excited when SMP reached out to me with a review request for this book!! I can’t wait to read it.
Again, another SMP request (they are good to me!!). I was drawn in by the cover and the blurb cemented my decision. I grew up hearing about Ziegfeld Follies (my grandmother was a huge fan of their radio program). I am hoping that this book lives up to my expectations!!
These next 3 books are a “I might read if I get through the first book in record time” (its 627 pages). If I don’t get to them this week, I will next week.
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal:
I have been sick and it stinks. It isn’t the Rona, instead I stupidly decided to let a simple UTI go for too long and it turned into a bladder infection….sigh (sorry if TMI). I got a lecture from my Dr and a script for a strong antibiotic. Now, I am feeling better from the infection but the antibiotic side effects are kicking my ass :(. Teaches me to put something off for months (yes, about 3 1/2 months).
Miss R is going to her first horse show in a week!! Her trainer/instructor told me that she thinks she’s ready to start showing. They are going to enroll her in a part of the show where they judge on how the kids sit and how they control the horse. She is super excited and to be honest, I am too.
Mr. Z is plugging away at his Black History Month project. He’s almost completed it, just needs to film the video. He is stressed out about it. He has 2 more social studies project, an introduction to office management (a required class here) and 2 science projects due by the end of next week. That’s too much, if you ask me.
Miss B is still walking to the beat of her own drummer. She does her own thing. She has a ton of projects too but they are spaced out. The funnest one that she’s doing: She is making a clay model of the Colosseum for her World History class. All she has to do is add detail and she’s done.
I haven’t watched a ton of TV this past week. I have been watching Jeopardy regularly. At night, we’ve been watching shows from Discovery +. We are going between Bizarre Foods and Expedition Unknown. BK has been watching Babylon 5 on HBOmax.
Blog:
Nothing too much going on with my blog. So this is going to be a small section.
Reading:
I read next to nothing from Thursday to Tuesday of this week. I am hoping to knock some of my books off my currently reading stack. I am currently 8 books behind on my Goodreads challenge. Hopefully I can catch up!!
I recently finished reading:
I was a little disappointed with How to Train Your Earl. I didn’t connect with Brina or Zane. There was definite sexual chemistry but that was ruined for me by Brina’s attitude. Her attitude sucked. She jumped to conclusions (mainly at the end) and flipped out.
What I am currently reading:
This is a different type of book for me to read. I am absolutely enjoying this book. It was wonderfully written and the dual plotlines are compelling. Also, I like that it is semi-autobiographical. I am about halfway through reading this book and should finish it up tonight.
What books I think I’ll read next:
I am hoping to read the first 3 books by next week’s WWW Wednesday. The other ones are a maybe.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.
What I am Reading Now:
I am having a really hard time getting through this book. Brina and Zane are not vibing with me. He has been coming across as pushy and somewhat stalkery. She has been coming off as almost too independent for the era (did I just say that!!!). There is sexual chemistry and Brina’s backstory with mental illness is interesting. So, yes, I am disappointed. But I am holding out for the book to become good (is that a thing?).
What I plan on reading this week:
Because of my illness (which started on Thursday), I didn’t read anything last week. I also added a couple of books to the pile that needs to be read this week….sigh. I am hoping to at least get through 2 (and if I’m lucky 3), this week. So, here’s my list. I am doing these books in priority order.
This is outside of books that I usually read. But the author had emailed me with a review request and the blurb caught my attention. So, here’s to hoping that I like it!!
I have pushed this book off so many times that I am starting to feel bad about it. So, I have made a pledge to myself: I will read this book this week. Here’s to hoping that I can keep it…lol.
Again, another book that I keep putting off. I am hoping to get to it at some point this week.
This is that last book that I have put off for a couple of weeks. While I expect to start it this week, I do not think I will finish it. The book is 647 pages long. It is going to take me at least 2 days to get through (and I am a fast reader).
I am a huge Donna Grant fan and when SMP contacted me to review this book, I jumped on it. Now, I might not get to this book this week but I will be reading it as it is an ARC.
This was another review request from SMP that I almost likely will not get to this week. Saying that, I cannot wait to read it. It sounds fantastic!!
4 Stars
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date of publication: June 4th, 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Where you can find Montauk: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Goodreads synopsis:
Montauk, Long Island, 1938.
For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending twelve weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor—a two-hundred room seaside hotel—while Harry pursues other interests in the city.
College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage, she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.
As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future.
Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart…
My review:
Montauk is the story of Beatrice. Beatrice is a country girl who married into wealth. At first happy in her marriage, Bea notices a rift in her marriage. Along with the fracture, Bea has failed to conceive a child, and that drives them further apart. So when Harry tells Bea that they will be taking a summer-long trip to Montauk Manor, she is thrilled. She thinks that they can grow close again and a child will happen. But that isn’t in the cards. Harry decides that he will work in the city while Bea stays at the Manor during the week. He’ll come and visit on the weekend. Feeling out of place, Bea strikes up a friendship with the manor’s laundress. Who in turn introduces her to Thomas, the head lightkeeper. As Bea’s feelings for Thomas grows, she realizes that she must make a choice. What will happen? What will Bea’s decision be? And can she survive the consequences?
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Montauk when I read the blurb. To me, it screamed spoiled rich girl has an affair, and there are consequences. Then I started reading. And let me tell you, this book is anything than what I thought. I was surprised by this book.
I liked Bea even if she did annoy me during parts of the book. I loved her determination to make her marriage work. I liked that she didn’t care what the other women at the Manor thought about her. But, as I mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph, she annoyed me. She overstepped her bounds when it came to Elizabeth and Thomas. She let the other women in the Manor dictate what she should do the first half of the book. And the big thing, she didn’t confront Harry about his affairs until the end of the book.
I did figure out about Harry cheating early in the book. He was in love with Bea, but he was chomping at the bit to get back to Manhattan. When it was validated, I was surprised that Bea didn’t say something to him. But, that was how it was back then. Men could do whatever they wanted with whomever they wanted, and the women took it.
I was surprised when the author chose to have Bea and Thomas start a relationship while married. While two wrongs don’t make a right, I do think that Bea deserved to be happy. And Thomas made her happy. But she was torn between Harry and Thomas. I was on pins and needles about who she was going to choose.
You will need tissues when reading the end of the book. I was surprised at what happened between Harry and Bea. Very surprised. I was also surprised by the news that Bea had. I mentally went “Yikes, how is she going to deal with THAT.” The very end of the book had me sobbing. Let’s say that it was not a happy ending. Which was surprising and refreshing.
I would give Montauk an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is mild language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the death of a sibling, depression, cheating, and rape. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Montauk. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.
I would like to thank the author, the publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Montauk.
All opinions stated in this review of Montauk are mine.