WHY AREN’T YOU READING FICTION? | The 6 Books I Read in June

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Hi, booklovers! How was your reading for the first half of the year? Mine was splendid. I did a total of 45 books and most were good reads. In June I read 6 books. I’ll be doing a mini review of them. Let’s go!

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙀𝙁 𝚋𝚢 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚞𝚜 𝚉𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚔 This was my first read of the month, and it was a rollover from last month, when I began listening to the audiobook. It was an enjoyable read — I really liked the characters. What’s better? It’s a book about books!

The Book Thief is a historical fiction novel set in Germany during the Second World War. Our main character is Liesel Meminger, who is more or less an orphan. Her father is dead, her brother is dead, and though we don’t know much about her mother, we can assume she is too, as she never shows up again.

This is a story about how this girl finds solace between the pages of books as she suffers the consequences of war. Despite all the evil going on, she keeps her humanity intact. One unique thing about the book is that it’s told through the narration of Death himself.

𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙇𝙀𝘿 𝙐𝙋 𝙄𝙉 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚗 This is a modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled. It’s a romantic fiction. Ten has lived a sheltered life on a farm with her caring but strict parents. She’s twenty-two and has never been to school — in fact, she’s lived all her life without most modern technology. It was her parents’ decision, and she never had a choice. Even down to a phone — they don’t even have access to a computer in their home.

After convincing her parents to let her go to college, it’s there that she begins to question the golden rules they’ve always had in place and the life they live. One day, a random assignment sets her on a course that upends everything she knows about her life — and love finds her along that journey.

It was a breezy read for me. I picked it up at a time when I needed something light and sweet like that.

𝙁𝙊𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝚋𝚢 𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝙺𝚎𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚗 This is a standalone short story — my first book by Claire Keegan. A young girl is sent to a farm in rural Ireland to live with foster parents for a while, as her mother is pregnant. During that short period, she’s shown such warmth and love — the kind she’s been denied at home — that she forms a deep emotional bond with the couple. When it’s time to return, parting from them feels almost impossible.

There’s beauty in the way Keegan depicts everyday domestic life and the Irish countryside. While it’s a short piece where not much “happens,” if you enjoy slice-of-life stories, you’ll probably love this one. It’s simple yet emotionally charged, with so much beneath the surface.

Honestly, I wanted more.

𝙃𝙐𝘿𝘼 𝙁 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙎 𝙷𝚞𝚍𝚊 𝙵𝚊𝚑𝚖𝚢 I’ve been reading graphic novels lately — at least one most months — and it’s been such a nice experience. Thank God for Libby, because they’re usually hard to get.

The series follows an awkward Muslim teenage girl growing up among four sisters in a Muslim community in America. This is the second book in the series. While the books are all about growing up in a society where you’re different and trying to find yourself, this one, in particular, focuses on bonding with her sisters during a family vacation.

It’s funny and was such a fun read for me. There’s still a third book in the series!

𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙄𝙀 𝙅𝙊𝙃𝙉 𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚌𝚊 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚊𝚒𝚍 Coming-of-age? Check. Short and sharp? Yup — just under 160 pages. This one’s all about mothers and daughters: the closeness, the tension, and that bittersweet shift when growing up starts pulling them apart.

Annie (the daughter) is smart, curious, a little rebellious — the kind of girl who sneaks into funerals after school just because she’s fascinated by death. Her relationship with her mum (also Annie!) slowly unravels as she tries to become her own person.

It’s quietly intense, nostalgic in tone, and super readable. If you want a quick literary dive with heart but no heavy plot, Annie John might be your next pick.

𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙎𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙎 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 Another audiobook — and my introduction to Sally Rooney. She’d been on my to-read list for a long time. The book follows college girls navigating life in their 20s, filled with intellectual conversations among themselves and the older couple they befriend.

I honestly didn’t know what to think when I finished it. While the writing was really good, I didn’t like the characters much. Our main character, Frances, reminds her best friend and ex, Bobbi, that the woman Bobbi is crushing on is married — but then Frances goes on to sleep with that woman’s husband, Nick, and even falls in love with him.

I think she felt justified because he told her his wife had cheated on him twice, and it was obvious their marriage had problems. Still, I didn’t understand her one bit. She’s clearly still in love with Bobbi, but keeps going back to Nick and ends up hurting Bobbi whenever her self-loathing kicks in.

I’m still trying to understand this book, honestly.

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𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦? 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯’𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱?