My June 2020 reads

I have been in a row of bad luck lately, it really feels like a domino game of injuries. This is also why I haven’t been writing. My attention was needed in recovering from a fall, which lead to an injured knee which led to a sprained back which led to a pinched nerve. The knee seems rather okay now, but my back and the nerve aren’t there yet. Sitting is not something I am enjoying, so I basically do my things standing or lying down. Luckily the lying down thing is good for reading!

During June I have read 8 books, and they were all pretty good! There was just one I didn’t like a lot, not because it was badly written but only because it just didn’t speak to me. 5 from the 8 books were from the library, they other 3 were for my #Startonyourshelfathon reading challenge. But to be fair, 2 from the library books have been on my to read list for a long time! I just never owned them.

So let’s get to it! What did I read this June?

37. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 2/5 (yellow star)
This was my first Neil Gaiman ever. While Neverwhere is on my #startonyourshelfathon-list, this one I found in bookcrossing zone at the end of last year. Since I was in a traveling reading mode, this seemed like a good idea. It felt like yet another adventure of someone becoming and about accepting offered help when needed, something a lot of people struggle with. Although I didn’t love it, the story was fresh and fun. The surroundings of Faerie-world are relaxing and soothing, even though it’s appearances can be deceptive.

The detailed sex in the beginning of the story was surprising though, these days hardly any writer dares to touch this subject. Weirdly enough it was just two scenes at the beginning and nothing more after that. I don’t mind reading about sex, but for the story itself these details stuck out as other more needed details were missing throughout the book. Maybe it’s because this is YA? I am more of an adult-reader myself, somehow YA always feels like it’s not really touching the subjects it could have.

38. The lost man by Jane Harper 4/5 (green star)
From one far-away story to another. Jane Harper’s books are always nice to read. This story unfolds in a realistic pace, not fast but also not too slow. It keeps you wanting to read on just another page and just another chapter and before you know it, it’s a couple of hours later. I have never been to Australia but the normal day lives in the outback sound plausible, with normal everyday worries under a hot sun. What happened to Cam is something long hidden, and when you finally get to the truth you can’t help to shiver. At least I couldn’t. If this was a real story, I hope the happy ending was longer than just that last page.

39. Bluebird bluebird by Atticka Locke 4/5 (green star)
It took me two parts to get into this story, there was some sort of flow missing at first. The story line took long and there was a lot of distracting side chatter. After that, when the first real clues dropped and background story got into shape, it turned out to be a realistic complicated murder investigation.

Sometimes crime novels seem so easy, clue here, clue there and the investigation is done. With Bluebird that’s not the case. Even when you get through the racist bureaucracy it’s still a complicated story unfolding in a small town where everyone turns out to be tied together in ways they themselves not even dare to say out loud.

The final ending (yes, there are more) was rather a surprise and so open that I now want to know more. This is one where I really want to read the sequel of!

40. They do it with mirrors by Agatha Christie 4/5 (blue star)
Finally! For once I guessed right who the murderer in an Agatha Christies story was! I love reading the Miss Marple mysteries, I still can’t believe they are written so long ago. And often so complicated, with many misdirections. But this time I guessed right, and pretty early too, considering. Very satisfying. This closed-house whodunnit was very entertaining again. 🙂

41. The academy murders by Martin Olczak 4/5 (green star)
Some Nordic Noir! I liked this one. It wasn’t a Carlos Ruiz Zafon story as promised, other than the fact that it was a mystery which involved a antique book store and a secret brotherhood, but it was very entertaining non the less. I do feel the clue about the last victim was given too soon, it took some of the anticipation off and made it rather predictable and also a bit anti-climactic. Still pretty good though.

42. A handful of happiness by Massimo Vacchetta 4/5 (green star)
A very touching and entertaining story about Massimo and his hedgehog sanctuary. Some very personal and some very funny! I read it in just a couple of hours and left me feeling very satisfied.

43. The book of secrets by Tom Harper 4/5 (yellow star)
Another one found in a Bookcrossing zone last year. And it was awesome! This was more of what I was looking for with the Acedemy Murders. A book about books, full of both ancient as modern techniques, mystery and the thrill of the chase. It’s based on history, but still very fictional. I loved it and I think I will want to re-read again so this one will end up at my shelve for a while.

44. The last time I lied by Riley Sager 4/5 (green star)
This is a slow story, a mystery, a summer camp horror. In anticipation of my own summer camp preparations and my love for both horror as mystery I chose to read this book. And I was not disappointed! Even though it is slow it was awesome. You don’t know what really happened until right at the end. And it wasn’t what you thought, any of the times. There are so many plot twists in this story that you end up believing it is all made up, you get paranoid about everything. Can recommend!

And that was it! These were my June 2020 reads. Not bad right? Have you read any of these too? What did you think about them? Do you have a recommendation for something similar? Or is there anything you would like to know? Ask me in the comments!