Top June Reads!

June has come and gone, and with it, another month of reading. Many consider it to be the beginning of some summer reading fun, but who wants only one genre of reading for an entire season? Here are some of our favorite reads from across genres to enjoy over the summer. Lighthearted romance, dark post-apocalypse vibes, nonfiction interest pieces, and everything in-between!

Face Off by Chelsea Curto - Maggie

4.25 / 5 stars

The D.C. Stars books have been on my radar for a while, and knowing I will be reading Chelsea Curto's storm chasing romance in a few weeks I wanted to see her writing style in something else.

As a hockey romance, I really enjoyed it. I liked having the main female character also being a professional hockey player and a teammate to the person pursuing her. I also liked being able to see Maverick change throughout the book, and figure out more about himself and how he handles feeling left behind.

Overall, this is still a spicy rivals to lovers hockey romance where they first hook up to 'help the team'. I really enjoyed it and am excited to reading In Stormy Weather and the over D.C. Stars books throughout the year.

Atomic Habits by James Clear - Allison

5/5 Stars

This is one of those books that got so much hype that I was very hesitant to read it. I'm usually not the hater type, but literally everyone was talking about it like it was the bee's knees' second coming of sliced bread. But I try to read a self-help-type book at the beginning of the year and over the summer months- mostly to check in with my ADHD brain and see what reminders I need about regulation for the upcoming half-a-year. And this book was hinted at by husband, whose judgement I tend to trust. ;)

This read was incredibly simple in a way that was very refreshing, if not always easy to do. It reinforced a lot of ideas from therapists over the years- systems help the ADHD brain stay focused, avoid all-or-nothing thinking by starting small, and remember that when you inevitably fall off the bandwagon, it is important to not be overly self-critical and simply get right back on the train. These tips can help other neurospicy friends and neurotypical friends alike. The straightforward approach to creating good habits and breaking bad ones felt approachable, and since it was a quick read, I anticipate revisiting this book whenever I need the refresher.

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - Maggie

3.5 / 5 stars

I am always a fan of Ashley Poston's book and this one is no different. Following Sophie Drear as she tries to work through the grief of losing her best friend while also taking a job at the garden they fell in love with together in college. What Sophie doesn't imagine is finding one of the owner's nephews stuck within a secret garden and also apparently a time loop. Now she has to figure out what the garden is trying to tell them while also preparing the grounds for the bi-centennial celebration where the owner is going to pass the property to someone else.

With two characters working through grief there are definitely some intense moments and feelings throughout the book, but I really enjoyed seeing two different types of grief play out on page and how those two characters worked to help each other. I also just really love how Ashley Poston does magical realism.

The Power by Naomi Alderman - Allison

5/5 Stars

This book has been on my TBR for ages, rising again to my attention when the TV series came out. It always fell to the wayside, though, becasue of newer reselases. I am glad I finally took the time to read it, even if the book was... a lot.

This book is pretty dark, but honestly, it's dark in the exact same way that some classic books or award-winning movies written by dudes are dark. Some of the darker scenes showcased internal struggle, and those felt fitting, but the visceral nature of many of the external struggles felt gratuitous at times- and I think that was Alderman's point. Women have so frequently been sacrified in horrific ways to further the storylines of male characters, and in this book, Alderman decided it was time for men to be brutalized for the furthering of female characters. Similarly, none of the women were particularly "likable," though I did like all of them in their own way. This decision led to a rich tapestry of different kinds of evil- warranted, unwarranted, and everything in-between. These characters really need that famous spider man quote in their lives- "With great power comes great responsibility." Another quote comes to mind for this book- "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Within all of that darkness, however, it felt pretty darn satisfying to hear/read about the role reversal of history/the future of men. The condescension was mwah *chef’s kiss.* But wooooof. Make sure that you are in the mood to read something like this and that you have read all the warnings. It's worth it, but you have to be in the right mindset.

What did all of you read this past month? Are there any books you are looking forward to for July?