June Reads

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford...I read this book for our library book club and for our first family book club read (I chose it). I absolutely loved it and we had a fabulous discussion at the family book club.

The Graveyard Book  by Neil Gaiman...I've had this one on my shelf to read for quite a while now. I finally decided to pick it up and see if it would be a book to recommend to my students. It is an award winning novel and one that I didn't think I'd like to read about a little boy who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts. However, it was a touching read and had me anxious to see how the plot developed. I will definitely be recommending it to my fifth graders who enjoy this kind of fiction. (This was also a SRTC book)

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers...I borrowed this one for my Kindle from Lendle website. I really loved this book.

The Confession by John Grisham...I had given this book to Jose last Christmas. It's been some time since I've read a Grisham novel. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and think it would make a good movie. (Also a SRTC book)

Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook...A cute read but it was not a favorite read. There were parts I found truly annoying.  I couldn't connect with the character and thought about abandoning it at some point. I plugged along and found the last fourth of the book the best part. Glad it was a library book and nothing I spent money on.

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews...This title was my first book by Andrews. I've heard a lot about her in various circles and book blogs/newsletters. I enjoyed the book, especially the beach setting and friendship among the women. I may have to check out some of her other titles one day.

Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers...this was the sequel to Her Mother's Hope above. I also borrowed this through Lendle for my Kindle. I think I loved this one even more than the first book.

I also abandoned a book this month (which is a rare thing for me). The book club that I joined this summer that is mostly comprised of high school teachers chose Talking to Girls About Duran Duran as our first summer read. I picked it up from the library and thought it might be interesting as it's a memoir about growing up in the 80s. Well, I graduated high school in 1980 so I figured the music would be familiar. I absolutely could NOT get into this book. I gave it to page 60 and then asked the group if I could still come to the meeting if I abandoned the book. This question was not proposed lightly on my part. After all, I hardly knew most of the members of the book club and felt rather out of place asking to abandon their first book choice.They assured me that was fine. In the end, only a couple of the eight women or so enjoyed the book or even finished it!

So overall, I finished 7 books this month! Yeah, with summer vacation in swing now I expect to read quite a few more.

What was the best book YOU read this month?