At the beginning of June, I read a lot while were were traveling to and from Alaska (check out the blog for more details on our trip). Then, I started reading a really long book (Captains and the Kings) and just enjoyed that story for more than a week. Here’s what I read in June:
Brianna Kelly was found on the doorstep as a baby by the headmistress of a girls’ boarding school. She is pretty much raised as a servant at the school. By the time she’s 20, she has no hope for anything else in life. Then, Michael shows up to keep an eye on his wayward niece and sees how Brianna is treated. He can’t help but stand up for her and they end up falling in love. Along the way, the discover secrets the headmistress hoped would always stay hidden in The Maid of Ballymacool.
Rise of the Fourth Reich is the most important book I’ve read in a while. It lays out with very specific cases of how people were wronged by the government’s decisions regarding COVID. From a family who lost their daughter with Down’s Syndrome unnecessarily to a military medical doctor not being able to get a prescription filled, the book is full of heartbreaking details. Justice must be found for these people somehow.
Hippie is a short, autobiographical book about Paulo’s experience during his “hippie” years. It goes over a small period of time where he travels through Europe and experiences the highs of falling in love to the lows of getting arrested for no reason. It shows a glimpse into some lives of some hippies in Europe.
I read a Daniel Silva book a few years ago and it wasn’t that great, in my opinion. A friend said his older books were better, so I decided to give The Kill Artist a chance. It follows Gabriel as he gets recruited back to help Israeli intelligence take down the very man who hurt his family. It was interesting as a thriller intelligence novel. I think it might just not be my favorite genre to read, but those who enjoy this genre would enjoy this book.
I liked the premise of Mothering by the Book, but I don’t feel like it lived up to its promise. The author tells of how certain books helped her through tough patches in her life as a missionary and homeschool mother. However, a lot of what is shared is surface level and she leaves out a lot of details, which would have helped me connect with her better. She goes from talking about her and her husband arguing all the time to being marriage seminar presenters without sharing how things got better. There’s a cohesiveness missing in the book, but could be helpful for someone going through a tough time who loves books.
Surviving Savannah may be one of my top fiction books this year. While, there was some repetitiveness and I could guess the ending, the storyline was unique. The shipwreck of the Pulaski has been found and Everly has been hired to curate a museum exhibit about it. However, in doing so, she has to work with her deceased best friend’s husband. She if fighting her own demons while grieving as she digs through historical documents to find the story of the people who were on the ship. She finds some fascinating stories. It’s a great historical fiction novel.
I laughed so many times listening to Catch-22! It’s a crazy story, possibly based on a true squadron, about air crew who are trying to get out of their missions. However, that just proves that they are sane and should fly. I’m looking forward to watching this brought to the screen. (Book is definitely PG-13/R.)
A friend of mine was reading this book, so I looked to see if I could check out the ebook and read it, too. I didn’t realize how long it was until I was a few chapters in. However, Captains and the Kings kept my attention the entire time. Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh came to America at 13 with just his younger brother and baby sister. His mother died on the boat giving birth and his father died in America while they were at sea. He dedicates his life to giving his siblings a better future, but at what cost? His focus on money and power drive people to fear him. The book is both sad and scary and might be loosely based on JFK, Jr.’s story.
What good books have you read lately? Share in the comments!
