Reading Roundup, June 2012

Jul 03, 2012 11:04


June wasn’t a very good reading month for me, unfortunately. It seems like I abandoned as many books as I finished! Still, there were some gems in among the ho-hum, and here’s a list of everything I managed to get through, and my (brief) thoughts on each:


Elizabeth Wein, Code Name Verity (4 stars). Intense. Deceiving. Touching. Horrifying. Well worth the read. See my full review on Goodreads here.

Janet Evanovich, One for the Money (3 stars) and Two for the Dough (3 stars). So many people love these books that I figured I should see what all the fuss is about. I…don’t see what all the fuss is about. I appreciate the tone, but find the characters grating and unappealing. I’ll be on the lookout for decent readalikes that have characters who are less annoying.


Rachel Vincent, Shadow Bound (4 stars). The second book in a pretty gritty urban fantasy/paranormal romance series. I enjoyed this, but not quite as much as the first book, Blood Bound.

Courtney Milan, The Governess Affair (4 stars). An ebook novella from Milan, who has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors. This one had lots of depth for a novella, and whetted my appetite for the new series this book is a prequel for.


Lois McMaster Bujold, Curse of Chalion (5 stars, reread). I remembered loving this book when I first read it years ago. I loved it just as much, if not more, this time around. Traditional high fantasy that plays with some genre tropes and makes old tropes new again. Ista is my favorite. <3

Nicola Cornick, Forbidden (3 stars, ARC). In this Regency romance, the hero is a hunter and the heroine is his prey, speaking metaphorically. Cornick writes pretty well, but as a feminist reader, I find myself troubled by her work. If you like your romances steamy and your heroes of the Alpha variety, you might enjoy this anyway.


Cassandra Rose Clarke, The Assassin’s Curse (4 stars, ARC). This book isn’t out until fall, but it’s a fun YA debut from Clarke. Pirates and assassins in a Middle East-inspired world! I had some issues with pacing and an unsatisfying ending, but I’m still excited to see more from this author. See my full review on Goodreads here.

Meg Cabot (as Jenny Carroll), When Lightning Strikes (4 stars), Code Name Cassandra (3 stars), Safe House (3 stars), and Sanctuary (4 stars). These were rereads of an old favorite series. I still enjoyed it, but it’s not quite at the level of a favorite anymore. They felt strangely dated. “Strangely” because the books I read as a teenager aren’t meant to feel dated yet. *cough*

Total books: 12

What have you been reading lately? Anything to recommend?

Originally published at ElenaGleason.com. You can comment here or there.

reviews, reading roundup, books

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