I have a confession to make…I didn’t finish all the books on my Books to Read in May list. In fact, I only read one of the five books. I put way too many books on my library reserve list and they ALL came in at the same time. So of course, I had to read those first, right.
Anyway, for my Books to Read in June, I’m going to have to finish my May list AND a whole list of books to read in June. That’ll be NINE books. How am I going to read all of those books in one month???
I’ll Have to Cheat A Little on My Books to Read in June
Translation: Audiobooks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s not reading in the traditional sense, but it’s the only way I’m going to get through a massive amount of books in the month of June. Plus, we have a few road trips planned for this month, so what better way to pass the time in the car than by listening to an audiobook?
The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell
In the early hours of an April morning, Maya stumbles into the path of an oncoming bus. A tragic accident? Or suicide? Her grief-stricken husband, Adrian, is determined to find out.
Maya had a job she enjoyed; she had friends. They’d been in love. She even got on with his two previous wives and their children. In fact, they’d all been one big happy family. But before long Adrian starts to identify the dark cracks in his perfect life. Because everyone has secrets. And secrets have consequences. Some of which can be devastating.
I’ve actually already started listening to this book…in fact, I’m almost done. I chose this book by Lisa Jewell to listen to because all of her books are amazing, the characters rich and fleshed out. It’s been interesting listening to this one, read by a man with a British accent. He does a really great job at doing all the voices—by the end of the book I could pretty much pick out who was speaking without hearing he said, she said.
Always Eat Left-Handed by Rohit Bhargava
Most advice is obvious, and often delivered by people who are hopelessly romantic about the power of their own mistakes. For example, here are the four most commonly shared themes that define dozens of the world’s most popular and widely shared commencement speeches: Make mistakes. Do what you love. Take risks. Never give up.
Sure, it’s all pretty good advice – but what would you do differently tomorrow after you heard it? For anyone who has ever been frustrated with obvious or broad advice and wants something a little more … useful – this book will help.
I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books lately. This one sounds like the anti-thesis of a self-help book and may be amusing. And perhaps I can glean a few nuggets of advice from it…advice that hasn’t been drilled into my head ad nauseam from all the other self help gurus. Anyway, it’s worth a listen—I can always tune it out if I don’t enjoy it.
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Andrea Oliver’s mother, Laura, is the perfect small-town mum. Laura lives a quiet but happy life in sleepy beachside Belle Isle. She’s a pillar of the community: a speech therapist, business owner and everybody’s friend. And she’s never kept a secret from anyone. Or so Andrea thinks.
When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall, Laura intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It’s like Laura is a completely different person – and that’s because she was. Thirty years ago. Before Andrea. Before Belle Isle.
Laura is hailed as a hero for her actions at the mall but 24 hours later she is in hospital, shot by an intruder, who’s spent decades trying to track her down.What is Andrea’s mother trying to hide?
I have yet to read a Karin Slaughter book that I don’t like. The Good Daughter was one of my favorite books in recent years. I think my only qualm about listening to this book will be the same as my initial problems with listening to The Third Wife. The dialogue will be tricky and what if I don’t like the narrator’s voice?
When I read, I admit, I do skip a lot of descriptive paragraphs—it seems like more often than not, descriptions are just authors writing filler. It’s REALLY hard to do that when listening to an audiobook. You have to listen to each and every word. That’s going to be a challenge for a speed reader like me.
The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman
Since 1992, Gary Chapman’s bestselling book “The Five Love Languages” has helped more than 300,00 couples develop stronger, more fulfilling relationships by teaching them to speak one another’s love language. Now Chapman teams with Ross Campbell, author of best-seller “How to Really Love Your Child,” to help parents speak their child’s love language.
I listened to the audiobook The Five Love Languages by Dr. Chapman a few weeks ago. While his narrating got on my nerves a little, and the book also seemed a bit vanilla and innocent in its assumptions of marriage and relationships (I realize it was written over 25 years ago, so that probably has a lot to do with it…), I think Dr. Chapman had a lot of valid points that can be applied to any relationship.
I am currently living with two teens. While they are generally easy going kids, sometimes I feel like they’re speaking a whole different language. Sometimes I feel like a bad mom—like I am not loving them the way they need to be loved. That’s why I chose this book to listen to for my books to read in June. Maybe I can crack the code to the language my kids need me to speak to them.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.
I first heard about this book after the tragic death of Michelle McNamara, wife of Patton Oswalt. (Her death, by the way, had nothing to do with the search for the killer.) It was said that her doggedness to uncovering the truth had resulted in the killer being brought to justice and that fascinated me.
I do feel that this book will be terrifying…made even more frightening being read by someone to me on audiobook. This will probably be the last one I listen to in order to complete my books to read in June list.