Mid-Month Reading Update: The Pendulum Swings Both Ways

You win some months, you...not-win some months

Hi, book friends.

How are you? I’ve had a very busy first few weeks of June, although all good things. For example, I ran the half-marathon I’ve been training for! This was my fourth half-marathon (which feels wild to say), but my first since my daughter was born two years ago. I was supposed to run one last October, but I got injured two weeks before the race. So this felt like a huge victory, something I’ve been working toward for a long time. (And I’m already gearing up to do it again in a few months!)

I also spent last weekend in Ocean City, MD, with my college pals, celebrating a friend’s bachelorette. We were all RAs together back in the day, and we definitely still have that same vibe, because the theme was “girls gone mild.” 😆 It was the perfect weekend for a pack of low-key gals who like to be cozy: a book swap, board games, crafts, snacks, good meals, chill beach time, a walk on the boardwalk, and even an escape room. Here’s a scene from the bookstore/wine bar we accidentally stumbled into! I bought the Lancelot book because gay Lancelot is ALWAYS the correct answer, and I got the two Divergent books used.

Suffice to say, after a banger of a reading month in May, it’s been a slower few weeks on the books front. I don’t even have any fun links to share with you this month, because all my newsletters are piled up in my inbox, waiting for me to read them! But spending my time doing things I love with people I love was, of course, more than worth it.

What I’ve read so far this month

Fantasy girl June, y’all. Full reviews coming by the end of the month (so help me God!).

• Hollow Kingdom (Hollow Kingdom, #1) by Kira Jane Buxton* 🎧: This was a reread for my office book club, and what a hilarious joy to be back in S.T.’s head. If you need a book that will make you laugh out loud and also cry at the beauty of humanity, look no further. Bonus if you are an animal lover.

• Seek the Traitor’s Son (The Burning Empire, #1) by Veronica Roth*† 🎧: Y’ALLLLLLLLL. This book was SO good, and I’m about to make it my whole personality. Roth hits us with a fascinating dystopian society, great characters who, in my opinion, subtly subverted gender expectations (at least those in FMC hero journey stories) in super interesting ways, and an inciting incident you can’t look away from. Pick it up!!

• Fire & Blood (A Targaryen History, #1) by George R.R. Martin 🎧📖: Okay so technically I reread a handful of chapters in the middle of the book (the ones that have been/will be relevant to House of the Dragon, as S3 premieres this weekend), not the whole book. But that totaled over 250 pages, and I make the rules, so I say it counts!

Currently reading

• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0) by Suzanne Collins 🎧📖: This was my beach book! I’m 4 chapters in and very intrigued about how this is all going to shake out.

• Mad Ship (The Liveship Traders, #2) by Robin Hobb* 🎧: Danielle and I listened to this as we drove 6.5 hours each way to and from the beach, and WOW. So far, every single Robin Hobb book we’ve read has started slowly and methodically. Not this one! SO MUCH HAPPENED! We were GASPING! We are locked in!!

Still on my June TBR

• The South by Tash Aw: This month’s Booker of the Month.

• Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth: Still planning to kick off my reread this month! I’ll probably start it as soon as I finish Songbirds.

*print copy gifted to me by the publisher
†audiobook gifted to me by the publisher

ICYMI

Here are some Instagram posts from the past month that I’m especially proud of.

As always, thanks for sharing your corner of the internet with me! It would mean a lot if you were to take a second to like this post. I’d love to hear how your June reading is going in the comments, too.

Finally, if you like this newsletter, please send a few friends my way.

Until next time!

— Deedi (she/her)