All the amazing Books I read in June 2022

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June was most definitely a better month in terms of my reading. I read 6 books one of which was an audiobook. That makes around 1650 pages, which is great because that averages to about 50 pages a day, which I think is a good number – reading-wise.

Also, the books I read you will notice were mostly rated 4 or 5 stars by me, so quality-wise as well I think I hit the jackpot this month.

Third, I also covered a variety of genres from mystery my favorite, so 3 in the genre, one Rom-com, one Indian history/autobiography, and a personal development book.

So let’s get started with what I loved and recommend this month.

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Recent Reads June 2022

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

We are at the Boston Public Library’s reading room. Our heroine Freddie is admiring the ornate ceiling and then the silence is shattered by a woman’s scream. The guards in the library take over and ask everyone to wait until there’s an all-clear.

Meanwhile, Freddie is sitting at the table wondering about the cause of the scream with four other strangers. They strike up a conversation and a deep friendship between the four follows. But what none of them realize is that the next day a woman’s body will be found at the library and one of the four is the murderer.

The unusual format of this story is captivating. You will be reading a fictional story, inside a fictional story (in the form of letters between the story’s writer Hannah and her beta reader Leo). It sounds like Christopher Nolanish doesn’t it?

The twisty plot of this novel only emphasizes my love for mysteries and why I always pick a mystery to get out of a reading slump.

Falling by T.J.Newman

You are boarding a flight to New York with more than a hundred other people. But what you don’t know is that your pilot’s family has been kidnapped and either they survive or the passengers survive. Now, have a safe flight.

Quite a nail-biting story for the first three-quarters of the book. And then it got a little predictable for me. But obviously, that was to be expected right? I appreciate that the captain made some very practical and logical decisions, so it felt like a rational story, especially with his decision to talk to the crew about what was happening. I won’t say more or I might give away some spoilers.

Overall quite a unique thriller in terms of the plot, because I never read an airplane tragedy/mystery before.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

We are in Paris at a beautiful but old apartment block. Our heroine Jess has just arrived here to stay with her brother Ben who lives in apartment three in the building. But Ben has mysteriously disappeared and Jess begins a desperate search for her only family left.

Told in the signature Lucy Foley style with chapters dedicated to every character in the novel in the first person we are taken through an Agatha Christie-like plotting and edge-of-the-seat thrills and twists. The Guest List was great but The Paris Apartment is even better.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I’ve read Beach Read by Emily Henry which is similarly themed as a contemporary romantic comedy, but I’ll say I loved the chemistry between Nora Stephens and Charlie Lastra so much better.

So both of them are New Yorkers thriving in its publishing industry, Nora an agent and Charlie an editor. At the beginning of the book we see them meet for a brief assignment and it is clear they hate each other. Nora is no sweetheart, in fact for most she is a shark of the industry, cold-hearted and cut and throat. But she loves someone beyond her job and her ambitions, her little sister Libby.

Libby wants to go on a month-long vacation with Nora to Sunshine Falls in North Carolina before she is due for her third kid. And because she can’t say no to her little sis, she agrees to whatever her sister has planned for her in the small town. But then she accidentally bumps into Charlie Lastra and soon realizes that she cannot avoid him in the small town since he is a local there.

What do you think might happen? Lovely story but I must say I enjoyed it better because of the side story between the two sisters. Added some great content to the story and added a lot of depth to the characters. 

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

When he was only 20 Hal was hit by a speeding drunk driver. It was a head-on collision in which Hal suffered permanent brain damage, broke a dozen bones, was told by his doctors that he would likely never walk again, and was DEAD for a complete 6 minutes.

Despite this setback and a later complete bankruptcy and a loan of $425,000, the author became

• a Hall of Fame business achiever,
• ultra marathon runner,
• #1 best-selling author multiple times,
• husband,
• father and
• An internationally top-rated keynote speaker and motivational coach.

How did he do this?

As human beings we are born with the innate desire to improve and grow ourselves, says the author. So in whatever life stage, we are right now, whether we are wealthy and successful or struggling and desperate to make ends meet we want to get better.

So this is most definitely one personal development book all of us need to read. And why not if it’s going to take only minutes off our morning routine each day, every day?

The book is only 180 pages but is packed with very doable, practical techniques to improve our lives drastically. But if you don’t have time for the 180+ pages either here’s my summary of the book using quotes by the author and some of my understanding of this revolutionary guide.

Taproot by Keezy Young

Blue has been living as a ghost for a year when he meets Hamal, a beautiful and sweet gardener who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Together, their friendship develops into something more, but being a ghost, Blue can never truly be connected with Hamal.

When Blue realizes Hamal’s strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him--even if it means leaving him.

A very sweet queer love story of a necromancer gardener and ghost. The artworks are especially beautiful and I enjoyed seeing a glimpse of the tremendous work and talent that goes into making a graphic novel. Also loved that the story had a moral.

Why I am an Atheist and other works by Bhagat Singh

This book is a collection of 18 writings by Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh who was executed at the tender age of 23 during India’s struggle for freedom. He wrote these letters/memorandums/thoughts while in jail.

But despite being behind bars and knowing his soon-to-be ending destiny his firm resolve to continue fighting, his passion for justice and freedom for his fellow Indians, and his brave and bold thinking shine through brilliantly like a beacon during India’s darkest times. 

The primary (titular) text of the book, why I am an atheist, was written after a discussion with his friend. Despite being very young in age, his thinking remained crystal clear, and he puts some critical arguments and questions supporting his beliefs.

There are numerous other letters in the book, like the one to his father, where he says very openly that he is disappointed and upset with his father for appealing to the court to prove Bhagat Singh’s innocence. In yet another one, he is seen dissuading his dear friend and comrade Sukhdev from committing suicide.

Anyone who reads these texts can feel the fiery resolve and captivating power of his words. You cannot feel anything other than a deep-seated sadness that India lost a great visionary too early.

Books on my July TBR

 I have two 2022 releases lined up for review in July both of which are mystery/thrillers. I also look forward to reading some more non-fiction and probably some Indian releases next month.  Hope I can read like June or better still. Meanwhile, stay tuned for my recommendations so you can keep reading the best books. Happy reading!!