Books I read in June
Some good stuff this month - fingers crossed the reading slump is over
- Famous Last Words by Gillian McAlister – thrilling and page-turning, a book I actually really looked forward to reading, which was a gift despite the slightly disappointing ending. But that’s Gillian McAllister to me – an incredible premise, well-paced unspooling of the mystery, and then an ending that can’t possibly live up to all that promise.
- Spook Street by Mick Herron – a truly bonkers plot, but well-told
- Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (audio) – what a book to read as LA rose up! I immediately started it again upon finishing, and could’ve listened a third time immediately after that. This is one y’all should read.
- A Way Out of No Way: An Approach to Christian Innovation by Stephen Lewis and Kimberly R. Daniels – short & helpful, with cameos by some folks I know from Foundations of Christian Leadership!
- Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin – one of my favourite authors taking on one of my favourite genres. I hope this is the beginning of a long series.
- Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman – if Superstore (the show, not the Real Canadian) were less silly and a book
- Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera – Did I understand …. any part of this book? I did not. Did I enjoy it? I did. Weird and wild and deeply Sri Lankan in a way not always intelligible to an American-Canadian.
- London Rules by Mick Herron – surely this is not how the security services actually work, but I’m really enjoying this series.
- The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (audio) – I don’t like the YA Discworld books as much, but what a fascinating meditation on the virtue of selfishness. I’ll be pondering that for awhile.
- Collected Poems by W.H. Auden – did not finish. I mean, I was never going to finish 100% of this 900-page tome, but I was surprised how little I liked it, and how little I ended up reading
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin – did not finish. Really complicated world-building, and a pretty bleak world I didn’t want to spend time in.
- The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center – I *loved* this recommendation from my friend Rhiannon enough to tear through it and then immediately place her entire back catalog on hold at the library. Joyful and tragic and lovely. Content warning: horrifically tragically dead parent, related to the recent rockfall at Bow Glacier Falls
- Unspeakable: Preaching and Trauma-Informed Theology by Sarah Travis – slow start, but the last two chapters were GREAT. Especially when she was quoting Brueggemann.
- The Big Melt by Emily Riddle – I just really love Cree poetry, it seems
- The Love Haters by Katherine Center – just as good as The Rom-Commers, but more triggering to me personally. Content warning: horrifically tragically dead parents, body shame, dog in danger (the dog lives)
- Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (audio) – this one was less enjoyable, which honestly surprised me – you’d think this content was specifically for me, with girls disguising themselves as boys and joining the army to take down a misogynist religion and bonus Sam Vimes! But I was just bored, if I’m honest.
- Confessions by Augustine (Ruden trans.) – Confession: I’ve never read it before. This took me a long time to finish, with a pause as I had to return it to the library and then take it out again. Ruden’s blunt clarity matched well with the saint’s poetic raptures about the God he loves so much.
- A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin (audio, re-read) – this one is an old favourite. I love that both partners rescue one another’s siblings, rather than the man alone in the role of rescuer. And the dialogue sparkles. It’s a joy to read or to listen. Can’t wait for her new one, out soon!
- The Marylebone Drop by Mick Herron – well this was a fun, short read that got me excited for the next full book!
What did you read in June?
