No.752: What I Read in June 2023

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#37. WHEN WE BELIEVED IN MERMAIDS by Barbara O’Neal // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “My sister has been dead for nearly fifteen years when I see her on the TV news.”

Well, this was a terribly sad book!  Every horrible thing that could happen seemed to have occurred to the two main characters.  It veered into the unbelievable.  I also didn’t realize there was going to be a strong romance component and there were a few too many open door love scenes for my taste.  Just okay.  (I also read this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#38. VERMILION DRIFT by William Kent Krueger // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop)

First line: “Some nights, Corcoran O’Connor dreams his father’s death.”

Number ten in the Cork O’Connor series and what a page turner!  I flew through this in less than two days.  Fair warning, though: this one had some really dark themes.

#39. A RAISIN IN THE SUN by Lorraine Hansberry // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “The Younger living room would be a comfortable and well-ordered room if it were not for a number of indestructible contradictions to this state of being.”

Changing things up with a play.  I read along while watching this production on Youtube (it’s not a word for word match, but close enough) and it was good!

#40. DEAR MRS. BIRD by AJ Pearce // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “When I first saw the advertisement in the newspaper I thought I might actually burst.”

This is a novel set in London during World War II about a young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist.  Some parts of the book were light and fluffy, some parts showed more of the reality of war.  Good, but a little forgettable.  (I also read this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#41. CAUSE OF OUR JOY: WALKING DAY BY DAY WITH OUR LADY by Mother Mary Francis, PCC // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop)

First line: “The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a most heart-shaking line about Our Lady: ‘In the faith of his humble handmaid, the Gift of God found the acceptance he had awaited from the beginning of time’ (CCC 2617).”

I love Mother Mary Francis’ writings.  This one centered around Mary was beautiful.

#42. AFTER THE FUNERAL by Agatha Christie // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “Old Lanscombe moved totteringly from room to room, pulling up the blinds.”

A solid Agatha Christie mystery.  The reveal at the end was really good (I didn’t guess “whodunit” which is typical for me with AC books) but I was disappointed that Poirot seemed to only have a minor part in the story this time.

#43. NAGASAKI: LIFE AFTER NUCLEAR WAR by Susan Southard // ★★★★★
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “Off the eastern coast of the Asian continent, five hundred miles from Shanghai and less than two hundred miles south of the Korean Peninsula, a long, narrow bay carves deeply into the western coast of Kyushu – Japan’s southernmost main island.”

Whoa.  Everyone who flippantly supports nuclear war should read this book.  Absolutely devastating.  A few related things I discovered along the way:

• this sobering and eye-opening site called Nuke Map
• a documentary on Formed called All That Remains: The Story of Takashi Nagai
• “Appeal for Peace at Hiroshima”, an address from Pope John Paul II in 1981
• more books to read: Hiroshima and The Bells of Nagasaki

(I also read this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#44. THE UNTHINKABLE: WHO SURVIVES WHEN DISASTER STRIKES – AND WHY by Amanda Ripley // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “On February 26, 1993, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center for the first time, Elia Zedeno was in an express elevator carrying a slice of Sbarro’s pizza.”

I really enjoyed this!  If you’ve ever wondered how you might react during a disaster, this book walks you through some of the common behavioral responses with lots of anecdotal stories to illustrate.  You’ve probably heard of fight or flight responses, but did you know how many people actually just freeze?  I found all of it fascinating.  Knowledge is empowering.

#45. MRS. DALLOWAY by Virginia Woolf // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”

Whew!  This one was a rough read.  The story is written as a stream of consciousness (I can’t imagine what my brain would look like all written out, ha!) through the minds of different characters…and it’s a lot.  Proud of myself for powering through!  (This was also my 1925 pick for The 20th Century in Literature Challenge.)

#46. DEATH IN THE CLOUDS by Agatha Christie // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “The September sun beat down hotly on Le Bourget aerodrome as the passengers crossed the ground and climbed into the air liner Prometheus, due to depart for Croydon in a few minutes’ time.”

My 7th grader and I have been on an Agatha Christie kick this summer and he recommended this one to me.  Another interesting mystery where I couldn’t guess the killer.

#47. THE OVERSPENT AMERICAN: WHY WE WANT WHAT WE DON’T NEED by Juliet B. Schor // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “In 1996 a best-selling book entitled The Millionaire Next Door caused a minor sensation.”

This book was written in 1998, so while the examples are a little dated, the concepts still definitely apply.  (Maybe with the invention of social media apply even more!)  Very well researched, but I disagreed with some of her solutions to the problem.  (I also read this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#48. UNNATURAL ENDS by Christopher Huang // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop)

First line: “In the beginning was Linwood Hall, and Linwood Hall was the world.”

Unnatural Ends is a mystery set in 1921 after the death of Sir Lawrence Linwood. When his three adopted children come home for the funeral, they learn that their father was brutally murdered.  And according to his will, the one who can solve the crime will inherit his estate.  Throughout the book, we discover Sir Lawrence Linwood’s dark, manipulative history and how that affects his children.  An interesting premise, but I felt like it was 100 pages too long.  (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.  Unnatural Ends was released on June 20, 2023!)

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MY UNREAD SHELF PROJECT

Unread Books as of January 1, 2023: 207
Books Finished in June: 12
Finished Books Donated/Sold in June: 4
Books Added: +11 (a summertime treat!)
Unread Books Remaining: 193