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June 2016 Wrap Up!

Happy Canada Day To All My Fellow Canadians :)

How's everyone enjoying the long weekend? Neil and I have both been working, and will be working straight through, so unfortunately we don't have any really exciting plans. That's okay too though, as it means I've had more time to work on my TBR pile.

I literally cannot believe that it's already July. I feel like June always seems to be a month that goes by quickly, and that was definitely the case for me again this year.

Today I wanted to go ahead and do my June 2016 Wrap Up Post. I discovered some amazing books this month, some really good books, and some books I wasn't unfortunately too crazy for, and I'm excited to tell you guys all about it. :)




One Star Books:

Thankfully this month I once again had no one star books!!

Two Star Books:


These are the books that I found at least one quality I liked about it, but I didn't overall enjoy, and would not recommend to anyone else, or ever reread in the future.


One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin: This is my second attempt at reading a C.K. Kelly Martin book, and I'm sorry to say but I've just discovered that this author is just not for me. I always find her characters lackluster, and honestly kind of weird, and I've discovered I really don't care for her writing style. However, I seem to be the odd one out here, as most people I know that have read her books love them, so by all means give them a chance, they are just not for me personally. 

Holiday Princess by Meg Cabot: I didn't quite know what I was expecting going into reading this book. as I thought it was going to be more of a novella of Mia celebrating the holidays, and it's more of a guidebook explaining holiday traditions throughout the world by the characters from The Princess Diaries books. It was cute for what it was, but I wouldn't pick it up again, and I would love to see an actual novella about the holidays in Mia's world in the future. 

One Day by David Nicholls:  I have such mixed feelings on this one. The premise of two friends who were almost lovers in College, and then continuing on with a friendship that spans almost twenty years, immediately intrigued me, and I couldn't wait to dive in and read this book. and then watch the movie thereafter. Unfortunately, I really didn't like either Emma or Dexter's characters. Emma, because I felt she spent the entire book whining and pining after Dexter, and Dexter because he was basically nothing but an alcoholic playboy. However, I suffered through the book because I really wanted to see how it ends. Unfortunately, the ending did not mesh with anything I was expecting, and I felt that I ended up reading a completely different genre than what I was expecting this book to be. I literally ended up wishing I hadn't wasted the time, and just DNF'd on this book after the first couple of chapters. 

Ex-Mas by Kate Brian: I haven't been a huge fan of the previous books I've picked up by Kate Brian, and unfortunately this one didn't change my mind. While I'm generally a sucker for all Christmas type stories, I found this one really juvenile, and I had no sympathy whatsoever for the obnoxious main character who basically took the whole book to discover there's more to life than her social status. I think this book would probably be great for the middle grade age range, but I just found it a tad too juvenile for my liking. 

Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins: I was unfortunately one of the few people who didn't love the last short story collection edited by Stephanie Perkins, My True Love Gave To Me, but there were enough stories in that collection that I did love including ones by Jenny Han, Ally Carter, and Rainbow Rowell that I decided to go ahead and give this one a try as well. While I did love Stephanie's story, Leigh Bardugo's, Jennifer E Smith's and Jon Skovron's, I unfortunately really really disliked all the other stories contained in this book, and was honestly having to force myself to even finish this. I don't personally recommend this collection, but if you do decide to pick it up, those are the four stories I felt personally were worth the time to read, while the others not so much. 



Three Star Books:

These are books that I honestly really liked, but that lacked a couple of qualities to give it a four or five star rating


All Is Calm by Colleen Coble: I was a huge fan of the LoneStar series by Colleen Coble, and I was looking forward to returning to it in this novella. However, while I did think it was a good story overall, I felt the mystery this time felt rushed, and wasn't up to par with what the actual novels in the series had been. As well, I was disappointed that the reader didn't get a glimpse into more of the character's lives from the previous book, but it was a still an enjoyable read as far as novellas go.

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner: This book was honestly a tad on the strange side. I was expecting a sweet novel about two friends reuniting after years spent apart, and while I partly got that, it also went into a weird mystery angle that had me slightly confused at times. While I still did overall enjoy this one, it just wasn't what I was expecting, and I didn't think the two genres meshed really well together. I'd like to try more of Jennifer Weiner's books in the future however, cause I've heard many good things about them before.


Return To The Isle Of The Lost by Melissa de la Cruz: Melissa de la Cruz' Descendants novels have always been right up my alley, as on top of being a huge booknerd, ['m also a big Disney fan. I knew going into the first novel that it may be a tad juvenile as it was of course middle grade, but I still found myself enjoying it. While I did still enjoy this one, especially getting more glimpses into some of the other fairy tale characters like King Ben himself, I just felt it was lacking a bit of the adventurous element that was so pronounced throughout the first novel. I am really looking forward to her new series with these characters though, and I will be anxiously awaiting the release of that. 

Clara Claus by Alexandra Lanc: This novel intrigued me, as, for one thing, it's about Christmas, but more so for the fact that it's about Jack Frost. I don't think I've ever personally read a book that had Jack Frost as a main character, and I enjoyed this sweet, adorable contemporary that centers around him. I found it to be a tad on the predictable side, which is the the reason I gave it three stars instead of four, but I'm still looking forward to continuing on with this series. 

Me, My Elf, and I by Heather Swain: I'm not going to say too much about this one since I did post a full review on it, but I did enjoy this somewhat predictable story about an elf learning to find her place in a vastly different society from what's shes accustomed to.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka: I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one, but it was on a reading list that I'm currently trying to complete, and is about a girl who decides to try and set her boyfriend up with someone else, so that he can happily fall for someone else, and they won't be forced to break up when they both leave for school. Of course, the main character ends up realizing that she never truly wanted to let him go in the first place, and I found myself pleasantly surprised by this adorable story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys silly YA contemporaries, especially holiday ones. 

Death of a Bacon Heiress by Lee Hollis: Throughout the last couple of years, I've really come to love the Hayley Powell Food and Mystery series, but I did find this one to be a tad bit of a let down when compared to it's predecessors. One of my favorite aspects of the previous novels has always been Hayley and Randy's shenanigans, and I felt there wasn't hardly any of those hilarious encounters included this time. Also, I'm starting to see a familiar trend between this series and The Domestic Diva series by Krista Davis in that I wish the authors would just pick a guy for the main character and leave it be. However, I did still think this was an enjoyable story, and the mystery stayed right on track with what I've come to know and love from these books. 

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, 1932 by Kathryn Lasky: Growing up I remember loving these historical "diaries" from many different time periods, and after seeing this one in the library, I felt a little whimsical and decided to give it a go. It's definitely a cute story, but I think it would have been much more enjoyable to my younger self as it was a tad more juvenile than I remember these books being. I did really enjoy the fact that the author based so much of this book on her own family's history though, and I highly recommend it to anybody who has adventurous booknerds in the middle grade age range. 

Fogged Inn by Barbara Ross: I've really been enjoying the Maine Clambake Series, and while I did still enjoy this one, I didn't love it quite as much as the first three. Mainly this was due to the fact that I didn't find the mystery to be as interesting or intriguing as the previous ones had been, and also because I didn't like the absence of so many of the minor characters I've really enjoyed in the previous books. It was a still a decent read however, and I'm looking forward to the release of the next one. 

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume: I read a lot of Judy Blume books when I was younger, but this is one that I hadn't. I decided to give it a try, and I overall enjoyed this coming of age story about a girl who witnesses her father's murder, and must come to terms with not only that, but also her family's temporary relocation to New Mexico. 








Four Star Books:

The Cell Phone Swap by Lindsay Summers: I've never been too familiar with Wattpad before, having only used it a couple of times. While meeting Ali Novak at RT Booklovers, who's series was first written on Wattpad, she mentioned Lindsay Summers to me, who's a good friend of hers. I decided to give her novel a try, and I can honestly tell you I loved it. Such a sweet, but sassy story about a high school girl who ends up swapping phones with who she believes is an egotistical, slightly perverted high school senior from a neighboring school. It was really well written, and I loved the romance element, and honestly, I look forward to it's publication next year as Textrovert. I highly recommend checking this one out, and I can't wait to discover more from Wattpad in the future. 

The Sweetest Thing by Lilian Darcy: This was a particularly enjoyable contemporary novel with extremely likable main characters, but what made it four stars for me was the added depth of the family secrets that come to light, and made this book a definite win in my opinion. 

Dating, Dining, and Desperation by Melody Carlson: I've honestly found myself loving the Dear Daphne series, and I think this one is my favorite so far. It's such a funny, sweet contemporary, and I love how everyone's trying to get involved in setting Daphne up with her Mr. Right. 

Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews: I honest to goodness love Mary Kay Andrews novels, and this one was definitely not an exception. I was expecting a sweet contemporary about a broken engagement, and a new love interest, and while both of those are definitely included, there's also the added element of a family mystery that's remained unsolved for years, and I definitely wasn't expecting that element when I first picked up this book. 

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross: I always find myself loving the mystery with recipes type of series, and I'm excited to say that I've discovered another amazing one this month, and that is The Main Clambake Series by Barbara Ross. I've really enjoyed this whole series so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Julia and Chris in the future.

The Grand Opening by Ava Miles: I did not care for French Roast, which was the first book I read in the Dare Valley series by Ava Miles, but I'm so glad I decided to continue on with this series anyways, because I've fallen head over heels in love with this quaint little town, and its quirky cast of characters. I loved getting to read Peggy and Mac's story, and I found myself really enjoying the glimpses into character's lives from the previous novels as well. 

Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel by Melody Carlson:  The first book in the Dear Daphne series, Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel, is a sweet story about strange inheritances, and learning to take chances and live life to the fullest. I can't wait to finish this series!

Veiled Threats by Deborah Donnelly: I saw the TV movie Wedding Planner Mystery a couple of weeks ago, and decided to give the book it was based on a try. I loved this novel as I've never read a mystery series that centered around weddings before, and I really enjoy Carnegie as a main character, and the fact that the mystery itself isn't usually too predictable. 

Home, Hearth and Holidays by Melody Carlson: While I didn't love this one as much as I did the first two novels in the Dear Daphne series, I did still enjoy it, especially since it takes place during the holidays. I also enjoyed the addition of Daniel (Mabel's uncle), and the added tension it adds to Daphne's budding relationship with Jake. I'm looking forward to finishing this series hopefully soon. 

Boiled Over by Barbara Ross: This is my personal favorite of this series so far, as I loved how Julia was willing to go to bat for the sake of her young employee, and how she was able to prove to the police force that she does know what she's talking about. 

Musseled Out by Barbara Ross: Another fun mystery in the Maine Clambake Series, and I really loved the recipes included with this one. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: This book honestly gave me such feels, but I kept it at four stars instead of five because I'm not sure how I felt about the ending. It was written beautifully, and I loved Will and Lou's relationship and their characters, although not so much Lou's family, but it is an extremely controversial topic, and I'm just not sure how I feel about the way it was handled. I definitely recommend it though, and I suggest you stock up on Kleenex before reading it. 

Mother Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Frederick: I have such bittersweet feelings after finishing this novel. I can't believe my beloved Mother Daughter Book Club series has finally come to an end, and all the sweet middle school girls introduced in the first book are now on their way to college. I think choosing a summer camp as the setting for the final book was awesome, and I loved getting one last look into these characters that have come to mean so much to me over the last year. The only thing keeping this from a five star rating for me was that I wasn't happy with how Emma's story ended up, but overall I loved this book, and I honestly cannot stress enough how much I recommend this entire series to everyone. 









Five Star Books:

Nora Roberts Land by Ava Miles: I had such low expectations for this novel, after accidentally reading the second in the series first and being extremely disappointed in it, but this novel completely blew me away. I loved Ava Miles reason for calling it Nora Roberts Land, as I think the sensation of needing to lose yourself in your favorite author's land is something every booknerd can relate to, and I honestly completely adored  Meredith and Tanner's relationship. Their was passion, heat, angst, love, and everything else that I love reading in my romance novels, and I can't stress enough how much I recommend this novel. 

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson: I'm not going to say to much about this one since I just did post a full review on it, but I will say that once again Morgan Matson has created an amazing story, and this is a highly recommended read from me. 


Lovestruck In London by Rachel Schurig: I downloaded this novel as a free book through Ibooks a few months ago, but just got around to reading it this month. I'm always a sucker for famous person falling for regular person type of settings, but this is definitely one of my favorite novels like that I've ever read. Lizzie is one of my all time favorite female characters, and her and Thomas' relationship was so sweet and adorable, and I found myself really taking my time to finish this one, as I wanted to properly savor each chapter. I will definitely be purchasing the rest of the books in this series soon, and I honestly can't wait to continue on with Lizzie and Thomas' story. If you're looking for a cute contemporary read, I highly recommend checking this one, especially since I believe the first one is still free.


And that's it for the books that I read in June 2016! Have you guys read any of these books? If so, I'd love to hear you're opinions.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your weekend!


This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 






Comments

  1. I loved Me Before You so much. Have you seen the movie?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually haven't seen it yet :( As embarrassing as this is to admit, I'm scared I'll end up bawling throughout the whole thing, and I'm not sure I want to see it in the theatre for that reason. Have you seen it? Did they do a good job of adapting the book?

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