How do I choose my best books each month? The list of the best books of June was really hard to create. I read some real yucky things this month. Well, to be honest, I did not finish the truly awful books. But the ones I did finish were engaging and I loved them.
Let me also mention this! When I give up on a book (sometimes after one page) doesn’t this wreak havoc on my book budget? NO! I have so many ways I get books and a lot of them are free or a subscription fee. I have a whole blog post about how I get books and I will link it at the end of these reviews!
In the meantime, here are my choices for the best books of June!
In this post, for your convenience, you may find Amazon Affiliate links to resources. This means that Amazon will pass on small percentages to me with your purchase of items. This will not create extra costs for you at all! It will help me keep this blog running!
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”
So begins this really amazing book. It’s the story of a very young woman employed as a companion to a wealthy, overbearing, elderly lady. As they sit dining (in Monte Carlo) the older woman mentions Maxim de Winter who is seated nearby. Thus begins the nameless narrator’s journey.
The narrator of the book is never named, only merely called Mrs. de Winter as she soon becomes after the chance meeting with Maxim. As they honeymoon in France Mrs. de Winter learns that Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, disappeared while sailing. Her body was recovered months later.
Mrs. de Winter and Maxim return to his homeplace, Manderley. She meets the servants and finds it difficult to find her place in this new home. She especially finds Mrs. Danvers, the woman in charge of the household, hard to deal with and sets about her days writing notes, reading, and walking.
Mind you, at some point, early in the book I wondered if I could read the whole thing There are definitely parts that become boring, filled with conversation and not much happening. About midway I found myself gasping at a turn of events that changed everything.
I will also tell you that the book opened with present-day events and I advise you to go back and re-read the first few chapters when you finish the book. It ends abruptly and I turned the page to realize it was the END. The afterword explains a lot of what happened and re-reading the beginning made this a 5-star book.
The writing style is interesting and can be a little disconcerting, but I eventually found that I liked it. Descriptions and passages were beautifully written, just a little too much talking for me. I still say 5 stars. Read this classic!
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Greta James is a rock singer with an interesting story– one that plays out on stage one night when she breaks down and cannot finish her set.
So, what happened to Greta?
The book opens with Greta’s brother trying to convince her to go on an Alaskan cruise with their father. Their mother has recently died and this is a trip she wanted to take. Gret will go with her dad in remembrance of her mother, but also to reconcile her relationship with him.
Greta decides to go and they are joined by neighbors that have been friends since her childhood. And then the drama begins.
Greta’s life is not nearly as stable as she thought, she and her dad bicker constantly, there are romance problems in her recent past, and now she’s on a boat in a cold climate.
Enter Ben. Ben is a man with 2 kids that is separated from his wife and… well, I will not tell you how this works out with Greta. Lest you think this is purely a chick-lit novel let me tell you it is more than that. I enjoyed the book. It is well written and engaging and just what I needed in this weird month of June.
I give it 4-4.5 stars because I did like it and did finish the book and would definitely read more from this author!
Last Summer Boys by Bill Rivers
My favorite of this month! I loved this book.
It’s a coming-of-age story set in Pennsylvania in 1968. The narrator is Jack (age 13) who lives on a farm with his parents and brothers, Will and Pete,
Jack begins his story with the determination to keep his oldest brother, Pete, from being drafted. Jack overhears men in a barbershop talking about ways to keep from being drafted. One idea is that if you are a famous person you don’t have to go. Jack decides to find a way to make Pete famous.
Jack’s idea is to recover a fighter jet that had crashed nearby many years before. This would make Pete famous! He is helped by his brothers (who do not know about the plan) and a visiting relative, Frankie. The 4 boys set off on a grand adventure.
Throw some local drama into the story- wildfires, a possible reservoir flooding their homes, a court battle over the reservoir, and a local bully named Caleb and you have a book that will keep you turning the pages quickly!
I listened to this book and loved the narrator! If you do not use Audible, I can highly recommend that you try it. I listen to books all the time! Try this 5-star book first!
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free AudiobooksI also read these books this month and you might enjoy them!
My rating system: 5 stars- perfection, the book was written well, held my attention, and I did not want it to end. 4 stars- the book was really good, but I had questions or concerns about parts of it. This might include the way it ended. 3 stars- the book was okay, but I just didn’t like it much. 2 stars- I skimmed most of it. 1 star- I could not finish it.
You might also like these reviews:
- Easy Ways to Grab More Books
- February’s Best Books (2022)
- March’s Best Books (2022)
- April’s Best Books (2022)
- May’s Best Books (2022)
