June Reads

Even though I read 5 books this month, my reading seemed to drag on. Three of the books felt like they took a long time to read and were just so-so, but then I loved two:

The Safe Place, by: Anna Downes

This is an ARC (release date July 14) that I got in a trade. Emily is down and out, but the head of the company where she just got fired sees something in her. He offers her a job that is almost too good to be true - to be a caretaker at his vacation estate where his wife and daughter live. Emily is enjoying life in a paradise like setting, forging a friendship with her employers. But soon she starts to question a few odd rules and interactions - and eventually finds out the shocking truth about their young daughter. I really enjoyed this book!

Swamplandia, by: Karen Russell

I got this book in a trade.This book peaked my interest because I like learning about unique places that I do not already know about. And since I adored Where The Crawdads Sing, I thought I would like this. Swamplandia tells the tale of a family who owns and operates a gator wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. When the Mom - who is also the headliner - gets sick and passes on, the family is left to try to keep the business afloat. Dad leaves the kids on the island to fend for themselves, even though they are too young to do so, and we later find out he's been working a secret job on the mainland to keep up. Each of the 3 kids go off on their own adventures and thankfully the family reconnects again at the end. I couldn't get past the child neglect to really appreciate this book. I will say the setting was intriguing.

Tsarina, by: Ellen Alpsten

I received this advance reader copy from St. Martins Press (thank you) - release date October 13. Having recently binge watched "The Great" on Hulu, I was in the mood for more Russian history. I LOVED "The Great" and I hope they make more seasons. It had a comedic element to it, however this book was very serious. Before Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna who was one of Peter the Greats wives. Born into poverty, and through chance encounters, she becomes Peter's most endeared partner. It was interesting to read about how the people lived in Russia and the countries they were at war with. Everything was so extreme - the weather, the partying, the punishments. It is heartbreaking to know that women would have 12 children only to have 2 of them live to adulthood! All in the quest to have an heir. I'm glad I read this, but it's one of those books that seems to drag on and you really have to be invested in the subject matter to finish it.

Happy And You Know It, by: Laura Hankin

I got this book in a trade. This was a quick read, and I LOVED it! I needed something fluffy after 2 intricate books. Here we have another down and out main character - Claire - whose band shot to stardom after she got kicked out of it. She reluctantly takes a job entertaining wealthy children in a weekly playgroup. Despite their social differences, the Moms welcome Claire into their little circle. She becomes especially close to one Mom and they start hanging out regularly. Soon, Claire starts learning the ugly truths about their perfect lives, marriages, etc..... that sets off a chain of events that blows them all out of the water. What I liked most about this book was the honest statements about motherhood - even if you have all the money in the world and the best resources at your fingertips, there are unpleasant parts of parenting that you just cannot escape.

Olive The Lionheart, by: Brad Ricca
I received this advance reader copy from St. Martins Press (thank you) - release date August 11th. Since I love learning about early exploration, I jumped into this book. This is the true story of Olive MacLeod who traveled to Africa to find out the truth about the death of the man she was to marry. He was a seasoned explorer, but did he get mixed up in something political during his latest journey? Of course the setting was very interesting and I am always astonished at how people traveled this way during the late 1800's, early 1900's. But there were parts that I skimmed over and I kept questioning why Olive felt so inclined to chase after answers when she really did not know her betrothed that well, and was she even in love with him? I was glad to be done with this book and move on.