What I Read In June 2020

SHOP THE OUTFIT: Yellow Gingham Maxi Dress, also found here and here | White Sandals | Gold Monogram Necklace |

Before I share what I read in June, can I just say wow I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve been sharing this! Last year, when I got back to reading, I wasn’t sure how long it would last. But it has been amazing to get back into it. Some months I read more than others, but it does bring me joy! If you are curious about all my book reviews, check out the Books section on the blog.

At first the book I read in June was a little rough. Took me a while to get through it. But after that one, I was so happy with the rest of my books. They were exactly what I was looking for as my Summer reading.

What I Read In June 2020

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Monsieur Perdu owns a bookstore in Paris and likes to call himself a literary apothecary. He prescribes books to his customers based on what is going on in their life. He believes books can heal and mend the soul. The only person he can’t heal is himself. The only person he had ever loved disappeared and he never had the courage to read the letter she left. 21 years later, he gained the courage to read the letter and it led him to want to make peace with himself. He went on a journey that led to meeting new friends and how the literary world could help him.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. I truly believe that books give something positive to the soul. Plus, I wanted a book that would take me to France and it definitely delivered. I could really see the colorful sunsets and feel the heat of the sun.

Unfortunately, overall I didn’t like the book as much as I hoped. It was very intriguing in the beginning. As I kept going though, I was getting bored. I didn’t like how the author would switch from using the first name to last name or nicknames in one scene and I would be so confused if I’m reading about the same person. Luckily, towards the end it got back to being interesting. I did love that at the end of the book, the author gave recipes of traditional south of France cuisine that was mentioned throughout the book.

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin

As soon as Claire was kicked out of a band she’d been part of it, the band became famous and Claire is trying to figure out what to do with her life. So she agreed to be a playgroup’s musician to a bunch of wealthy moms and their infants. Claire was surprised how welcoming this group of moms was. All these moms are into wellness, skincare, barre, and juice cleanses. As Claire gets closer to these women, she discovers their secret. But this secret will ruin all these women. And Claire is contemplating if she should betray them to reveal this awful secret.

This book gave me what I needed. It’s so juicy and gossipy. I finished this book so fast! It’s definitely a quick read. Maybe it is just me, but I love books about wealthy people and their secrets haha. I also found it interesting that one of the moms is a social media influencer and it somewhat matches what may be currently happening to mom influencers. Everything leading up to the end was so good! However, I felt that the end was somewhat a let down to me. While there is a plot twist, I had super high expectations for a really big unexpected twist.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Julian Jessop is a lonely and eccentric elderly man and an artist. He believes that people aren’t really honest with each other. So he wrote in a green journal about truths in his own life that he is afraid to admit. He called this journal The Authenticity Project. He leaves the journal in a coffeeshop, and another person picks it up, reads it, and writes something honest about their lives. The journal gets passed around and every person that finds the journal reads the previous entries and adds their own story. Somehow, everyone in that journal ends up knowing each other in real life and things start to evolve in every single person’s life.

Just by the synopsis of this book, I knew I would enjoy it. I love the concept of the journal and everyone telling something about their life. There were times I was able to relate to every character and there were times I was so annoyed by every character. The best part is that I love how this book pretty much takes a deep dive into the idea that there’s more than what you see. Which I firmly believe is true. Everyone has a story. I found the ending to be a plot twist. But overall, this book was heartfelt and heartwarming. It shows that people can change for the good.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Daphne Berg is a plus-size influencer and six years ago she ended her friendship with her best friend Drue Cavanaugh. Drue came from a wealthy family, lives a glamorous life, and has everything except holding onto friendships. Then one day, Drue comes back into her life with a big favor – to be a maid of honor at the society wedding of the Summer. Daphne knew letting Drue back into her life could be toxic, but eventually caved to Drue’s request. Daphne starts to unravel what is actually happening to Drue’s life since their friendship ended and finds out why she was asked to be back into her ex-best friend’s life.

If you are looking for a Summer read, this is it. It’s funny, witty, and a page turner. It’s different from other Jennifer Weiner books. I find it so interesting that this books taps into what it is like to be an influencer. I would say some parts are fairly accurate. What surprised me the most about this book is in the middle there is a plot twist. I never thought the book would go in this direction. Hence, why it kept me reading and I constantly wanted to find out what is happening. Plus, I’m a sucker for books about wealthy people with secrets haha.

SHOP THE OUTFIT: Yellow Gingham Maxi Dress, also found here and here | White Sandals | Gold Monogram Necklace |

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vignes sisters are twin sisters and they do everything together. They grew up in a small, deep southern black community in the 1950’s and ran away when they were 16 for a better life for themselves. As they became adults, they each lived a different life that shaped who they are and were divided by racial identities. One sister moved back to the town she grew up in. The other sister lives in California and secretly passes as white and tries to pretend her past never existed. While they are living separate lives, somehow their lives are intertwined. Even their daughters’ lives intersect.

Wow, this book was powerful. This was one of the books that I listed in my books by black authors post. Brit Bennet is an incredible writer. This book paints a picture about racial inequality. After the book ended, I was googling nonstop. I wanted to know if the storyline in this book actually has happened in real life. For sure this book gets you thinking. I wanted to understand more about how there’s inequality outside of the black community and within the black community. The ending was kind of sad. I felt incomplete like I need more answers. It makes me wonder if Brit is considering a sequel.

Have you read any of these books?

xo RD