June 2024 Reading Wrap Up
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!
I can't believe we're already halfway through the year of our Lord 2024. I feel like I've accomplished so much, and yet also so little. I know I say every year that "this is the year I'm getting my shit together" but I really wanted that to be true this year. And while I've definitely made significant progress in the grand scheme of things, I feel like I'm still firmly in last place in the metaphorical race that we call life.
Too deep? Too deep. Sorry.
On to lighter topics. In the month of June, I read a grand total of 12 books: 8 novels, 1 novella, 1 poetry collection, and 2 manga volumes. Compared to last month (my best reading month of the year so far, at 19 books) it's quite a step down, but the page count wasn't that different. I read a few really big books this month, and it was also a pretty good month quality wise.
You might notice that I have added another stat to the full breakdown of each book: means of reading. This is to clarify if I read the book physically, audibly, on e-book, or a mix. I figured it would be just one more thing to record, and we all know how much I like to record stats. I'm also adding up total hours spent listening to audiobooks (though this will be highly skewed, as I always listen to audiobooks either at 1.5 or 2x speed, and when I'm doing an immersion read there are times where I don't listen to the audiobook at all, but rather just read physically. I'm simply adding up the total time of the entire audiobook).
Okay, let's get into the wrap up!
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Novels
Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4 out of 5 stars/7.32 CAWPILE
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 588 pages
Day(s) read: 6.01 - 6.07
Final thoughts: This book was heckin' weird, but in a good way. Well, also in just a weird way. Does that make sense? I'm not entirely sure what this book was trying to say, if it was trying to say anything in particular at all. I know Mariana Enriquez sometimes just likes to write weird shit for the sake of it. The story was a little dense and slow at times, but overall was very interesting, and I never felt like I was losing the plot while reading. It was also, in true Mariana Enriquez fashion, very disturbing.
Translated from the Spanish by Magda Bodin
Genre: Classics, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 out of 5 stars/5.37 CAWPILE
Means of reading: audiobook
Page count: 497 pages (18hrs 51mins on audio)
Day(s) read: 6.07 - 6.12
Final thoughts: I've heard a lot of people compare this to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's magnus opus, One Hundred Years of Solitude. In any case, reading this has only solidified my desire to pick up that book as well. (I do own a copy, so I'm hoping that I can read it this summer.) This was a very tough book to listen to, full of horrific descriptions and emotional impacts. It actually reminded me a bit of Beauty is a Wound, but way better, since this book made me feel something other than anger and disgust. I read this for Emma's World Tour Book Club on Fable, which was good because I don't think I ever would have picked this up on my own.
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Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 out of 5 stars/5.60 CAWPILE
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 293 pages
Day(s) read: 6.08 - 6.13
Final thoughts: This was not at all what I was expecting when I picked this up. I knew it was about an ancient virus that spreads after some permafrost melts, but that was it. It definitely became more science-fictioney than I thought it would, really leaning into the hard sci-fi rather than just run-of-the-mill dystopian sci-fi. My favorite thing about this is that every POV character was connected in one way or another to each other (this book reads like a short story collection, each chapter following a different person and their lives), so it was easier to feel emotionally connected to them even though we only followed them for a short time. I noticed recurring themes and messages, but the ending still managed to catch me completely off guard.
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Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4.5 out of 5 stars/8.03 CAWPILE
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 352 pages
Day(s) read: 6.12 - 6.21
Final thoughts: I am so happy to be reunited with Laurence and Temeraire! I first read His Majesty's Dragon, book one in this series, three years ago. I read the first three books in 2021, the next three in 2022, but then didn't read any Temeraire in 2023. It feels like I came back to an old friend after a long trip away. I loved the setting of South America and the Incan Empire in this book, it was totally different from anything seen before in the series. We lost some dear characters, and learned a few things about some others. I'm very excited to see what book eight has in store for me!
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4 out of 5 stars/7.78 CAWPILE
Means of reading: e-book
Page count: 864 pages
Day(s) read: 6.14 - 6.23
Final thoughts: This has to be the biggest upset of 2024. I told myself, for years, that I was never going to bother reading this series since it's unlikely to ever be finished. I was fine with having just the show to rely on (minus season eight, of course). But I watched one video of someone reading A Game of Thrones for the first time, and caved the very next day. And yeah, it reeled me in. Unfortunately for me and my sanity, George R.R. Martin is a fantastic writer. I already have book two, A Clash of Kings, out on loan from the library. I'm not sure if I'll be reading it in July, but I wanted the option just in case.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 out of 5 stars/6.82 CAWPILE
Means of reading: mixed media
Page count: 245 pages (9hrs 20mins on audio)
Day(s) read: 6.23 - 6.27
Final thoughts: Kiran Millwood Hargrave's adult debut, The Mercies, is one of my favorite books of all time, so I knew I wanted to read her next novel. I didn't know about the dancing plague of Strasbourg before reading, but now I do! Unfortunately this book just didn't hit the same way that The Mercies did for me. I think a big part of that was because the main character is heavily pregnant throughout this novel, and a lot of the narrative focuses on her pregnancy, which is a topic I tend to dislike in books. If it weren't by this author, I don't think I would have picked this book up on my own. Still, Hargrave has a true talent for historical fiction, and I will continue to read her books.
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 5 out of 5 stars/9.04 CAWPILE
Means of reading: audiobook
Page count: 301 pages (10hrs 24mins on audio)
Day(s) read: 6.25 - 6.26
Final thoughts: Oh man, this book absolutely bodied me, heart and soul. I had rather high expectations going into this novel, since A Dowry of Blood and An Education in Malice were both so good for me, but I didn't know anything about it and therefore couldn't make a true guess as to whether or not it would end up being a favorite. But it most certainly did! I am infatuated with these characters and their relationship. S.T. Gibson clearly likes writing about polyamorous relationships, but this one was just chef's kiss. The only sad thing is that I have to wait an entire year (or more) until book two comes out.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4.5 out of 5 stars/8.37 CAWPILE
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 372 pages
Day(s) read: 6.25 - 6.30
Final thoughts: Mary Renault is well known in the Greek literature sphere as being a master in historical fiction, so I was very well intrigued by this book (and all of her books, really). I did have a bit of a struggle getting through this book, but not because it's slow or boring or anything. It's just simply a lot of information being thrown at you. This was published in the 1960s but the writing feels more akin to something from the 1800s. I was intrigued the whole way through, but as I was reading it felt like I wasn't making any progress.
Novellas
Translated from the Spanish by Gregory Rabassa
Genre: Literary Fiction, Classics, Mystery, Adult
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 out of 5 stars/5.79 CAWPILE
Means of reading: mixed media
Page count: 120 pages (2hrs 53mins on audio)
Day(s) read: 6.04 - 6.05
Final thoughts: I...don't understand? Why was this written? For what purpose? And why would he make it so short? I feel like it ended before the actual ending. Not even the narrator has answers by the end. It's so frustrating! This is the second novella I've read by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and both have left me wanting so bad. One Hundred Years of Solitude must be like, the greatest novel ever written if it has made so many people fawn over this man's writing.
Poetry
Genre: Poetry, Nature, Philosophy
Star rating/CAWPILE: N/A
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 480 pages
Day(s) read: 6.27 - 6.28
Final thoughts: No words, truly. I love Mary Oliver, I will always love Mary Oliver. I actually have like, three more poetry collections of hers in my cart because this collection made me want everything ever written by her. I also annotated the heck out of this book, and it now has pretty pink tabs and pretty pink highlights all throughout it. For some reason, annotating poetry feels entirely different to me than annotating fiction. It's much easier for me to mark up the pages.
Manga
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Shounen
Star rating/CAWPILE: N/A
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 192 pages
Day(s) read: 6.10 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: Hhhhhhhhhh I can't believe I have to wait for months for volume 42! I did not think I would fully catch up with this series so soon into the year and so I did not account for the waiting. But I'll persevere for my babies! Yona is so badass in this volume, I always love seeing her warrior side. And Hak and Su-Won's interactions lately are giving me hope that they might one day be reconciled. I want that so badly! To think that a year ago I was saying that Su-Won could never be redeemed in my eyes, and here I am eating my words.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Seinen
Star rating/CAWPILE: N/A
Means of reading: physical
Page count: 192 pages
Day(s) read: 6.30 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: Too cute! I am always a sucker for a school festival arc in a high school manga. I haven't seen a takoyaki stand done before (though Fruits Basket did do an onigiri stand, which I guess is close) and now I'm seriously craving takoyaki. Also the chapter with Gojo taking care of sick Marin was too precious. This series really is just a feel good, giggly guilty pleasure for me. There wasn't much about cosplay or costume-making in this volume, since the festival arc will carry into volume eight, but I can deal with that. I have volumes 8-10 on hold from my library, so hopefully I'll get them soon!
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Total page count: 4,496 pages (41hrs 28mins total audio)
Best book of June: Evocation by S.T. Gibson
No DNFs this month
No unfinished books this month
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And that's it for June! What was your favorite book you read this month? Leave a comment below, or DM me on Instagram (link in sidebar under the heading "More Media").
Until next time!
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