Last Month in Review: June 2013

Though my stats aren't bad at all this month (12 books in total), I'm really surprised that it's not higher, considering that part of the month I was on vacation and usually read a LOT more than that.  This year I blogged more and socialized on-island more than usual, so perhaps that's the reason. In chronological order:

1. Manuscript Found in Accra by Paoulo Coelho.  This was an audio book read by Jeremy Irons, so it was great listening.  The story itself, though? Not so much.  Have you read Kahlil Gibran's book, The Prophet? If so, then you've read this book already.  If you're innocent and optimistic of the world like I was in high school, you'd probably like it.  If you're more jaded now, then you probably wouldn't.

2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  I read this for the new YA-for-Adults bookclub my bookstore just started.  It was really good.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling.  I re-read this book (not sure how many times I've read/listened to it in total) for the BEST READALONG IN THE WORLD. I'm still in mourning that it's over.

4. A Marker To Measure Drift by Alexsander Maksik.  This was a helluva fine read and a complicated one: a survivor of the civil war in Liberia makes her way to Santorini. Homeless there, she focuses on two things: day to day survival and maintaining her sanity after what she witnessed. As the book unfolds, the reader gets an intimate portrait of both Jacqueline and the island, the beauty of one acting as a counterpart to the horrors in her mind.  The book is also beautifully written and it's probably one of the best books I've read so far this year.  Keep an eye out for this one, folks.  It's going places.

5. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black.  Very fun romp through vampire lit.  Review here.

6. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. Serious book, very good. Review here.

7. This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila.  An excellent short story collection. Review here.

8. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  The most fun I've had with a book in a LONG time.  Review to come.

9. Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman.  A good story collection, particularly if you like animals, as they play secondary characters in all of the stories.

10. The Rathbones by Janice Clark. Pretty good novel, but ultimately not the best book for me.

11. Headhunters on my Doorstep by J. Maarten Troost.  Let's just say that this wasn't my favorite of his works. Review to come.

12. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Another fantastic and strong novel from one of my favorite authors.  I used to say that I preferred her short story collections, but this novel was so strong that now I'm not so sure. Review to come.