everything I read in June
my biggest reading month of the year
I need you to get the word out that we back up.
I read like it was my job in June. (It’s been a few months since I answered my most frequently asked question, so: Reading is not my job. I think I would have to be a better person to deserve that kind of positive karma.)
After several consecutive months that can only be called “bummers,” we are back on track.
Let’s get through my various little itinerary items so we can get to the books.
(This also means if you’re viewing this in your email, it will probably be too long. You may want to smash that “view in browser” button.)
What paid subscribers got
By now, it goes without saying that the major benefit of being a subscriber is achieving favorite status. But I’ll say it anyway.
Outside of that, this month’s paid-only posts were:
The you guys choose what I read project: I asked a while back on Goodreads and Instagram what you would make me read if you could choose any book. Of the 200 answers, only a dozen repeated, and I’d already read one. This is the story of the others.
The what kind of reader are you quiz: I am having way too much fun lately living out my high school dreams of working at Buzzfeed with these quizzes. If you don’t like them, tell me now, because they’re about to become a recurring problem.
My mid-year reading check-in: If you can believe it — and I choose not to out of a general agnosticism on the concept of time — we’re halfway through 2025. This is how my reading is going. (In a word: hatefully.)
And the books that made me cry: There are some books so devastating they instill an emotional response even in me. And there are some books that just have perfect endings, which also get me for some reason. This is a list of both.
Projects
God help me, I am still being haunted by the concept that is YEAR AND PEACE. I’ve been reading a chapter a day of this book since last September, and I will continue to do so until this September. It’s all been war plans for about a month. I fear I’ve devolved into skimming.
The day before yesterday, I completed JUNE THE OBSCURE, in which I read three chapters a day of Jude the Obscure because I kept skipping days. In my defense, it was my fourth Thomas Hardy book and by far the worst.
(I’m also currently reading until I find a five star for a Substack post, so. Watch this space.)
Review copies
On top of whatever bizarre initiative I’m challenging myself to at any given time, I also have to deal with the consequences of my Netgalley addiction by trying desperately to stay on top of review copies.
I really did not do this in May, which meant double work in June: the 5 books leftover, and the 12 coming due.
Luckily, as mentioned, I went and cooked this month. Other than one I finished today and another I’m nearly finished, I read them all.
Please don’t scroll too fast trying to leave your congratulations in the comments below.
The books in question
Now more than ever, having read the most, I want to dilly-dally and make things up so I don’t have to get into all this.
But I also want to brag so:
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
June 1-3 | Source: Library
This was one of the selections for last month’s post in which I asked if you could make me read any book, what it would be. It was weird! I liked it!
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
June 4 | Source: NetGalley
Reading e-ARCs of books I was highly anticipating gives me the same feeling as when a homework assignment is something you enjoy. I was going to do this anyway and now I’m reaping benefits? Sold. (This was good also.)
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
May 28-June 5 | Source: Library
Another book you guys chose for me / forced me to read for last month’s post. This one was on my TBR already (a win) and I also liked it (another win).
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
May 25-June 6 | Source: Library
The final entry in the you-guys-choose-my-reads post. And also among the less successful ones.
Rating: ✯✯✯
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
May 27-June 7 | Source: NetGalley
People always ask me why I keep reading certain authors if I hate everything they’ve ever written. The answer is obviously that sometimes people get better at writing, and then I get to read crazy books like this one. (The other answer is for attention.)
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan
May 27-June 8 | Source: NetGalley
The lesson I learned from this book is that I hope the apocalypse doesn’t come by flooding. Mostly because it would be really, really boring. I read 2 near-future art-related ARCs at the same time and this one was disadvantaged by being obviously not as good.
Rating: ✯✯✯
See: Loss. See Also: Love by Yukiko Tominaga
June 5-9 | Source: Publisher
I don’t want to say anything uncalled for. But I do want to say that I think people at publishing companies who make up synopses for better sales should be fined if not straight up jailed. This is NOT a book about a widow bonding with her mother-in-law!
Rating: ✯✯
The Last Supper by Rachel Cusk
June 10-13 | Source: Bought
I read this book, Rachel Cusk’s travel memoir about her year in Italy, while I was on a business trip to Columbus, Ohio. Of course the level of jealousy was nearly lethal, but it would have been discombobulating at any time, due to just being very good.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Once Upon a Time by Slim Aarons
June 14-16 | Source: Library
I saw this huge photo coffee table art book monstrosity in a very cute store, and presumably because of being hypnotized or otherwise under the influence I nearly spent 75 dollars on it. But then I remembered about libraries. Huge for all involved.
Rating: ✯✯✯
Idol Burning by Rin Usami
June 16 | Source: Library
Mostly I wanted to read this because of its cover (great) and its insane synopsis ("a twenty-first century Catcher in the Rye that brilliantly explores toxic fandom") but it didn’t get much deeper than either.
Rating: ✯✯
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa
June 4-16 | Source: NetGalley
I mean…the fact that it took me 12 days to finish this 250 page fluffy carefree romp via train through Japan alongside a cast of characters finding their happily ever afters kind of speaks for itself.
Rating: ✯✯✯
Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories
June 16-20 | Source: Library
So what this collection was disappointing and by and large had none of the clarity or magic of Kim Jiyoung Born 1982. I’ve read worse books with worse covers, so you won’t count me disappointed.
Rating: ✯✯✯
Flashlight by Susan Choi
June 11-20 | Source: NetGalley
About this, I said, “If a book is long and character-driven, there's a 90% chance I'll like it.” Someone commented, “You gave Demon Copperhead 4 stars, so that checks.” I just wanted to reassure you all with the fact that despite all evidence to the contrary, there are systems keeping me in check here.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Work Nights by Erica Peplin
June 18-21 | Source: Publisher
This compares itself in its synopsis to The Devil Wears Prada, but I would say it’s more like WORRY and OLD FLAME in that it’s about annoying young people navigating late-stage capitalism and its immense social issues by being horrible. In other words I thought it rocked. Brutal cover though.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith
June 9-21 | Source: NetGalley
I don’t know if I was in my luteal phase (not 100% sure what that means but I’ve noticed people using it as an explanation for being difficult) or what, but the fact that this is probably objectively something I usually wouldn’t like (and would in fact call bad) did not stop me from enjoying myself.
Rating: ✯✯✯
I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki
June 21-23 | Source: Library
Another installment of my lifelong commitment to reading all the Japanese lit fic about cats I can find (which are many). This one was not one of my favorites, although I will say it was rather sprightly for being a bajillion years old.
Rating: ✯✯✯
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
June 23-24 | Source: NetGalley
I believe this is the third time in June that I read something by an author I historically hadn’t liked and enjoyed it anyway. The haters are falling over themselves apologizing, and I am continuing to win. (I love books about breakups.)
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss
June 22-25 | Source: Library
My first attempt at a five star for the aforementioned reading-until-I-find-a-new-favorite forthcoming post. I guess it’s both good that this didn’t succeed in that capacity (would be a very short post) and bad (do I even know myself anymore??) (I’ve never known myself).
Rating: ✯✯✯
The Compound by Aisling Rawle
June 24-26 | Source: NetGalley
Initially I would have recommended this book because it’s like a (life or death) version of Love Island that counts towards your reading challenge, but then I ended up just watching actual Love Island after. So. Wins and losses.
Rating: ✯✯✯
How to Lose Your Mother by Molly Jong-Fast
June 26-27 | Source: Publisher
This started funny because it is so wildly honest about having complex feelings as your mother is dying, but then it didn’t stay funny because it was maybe too awful and also the mother in question is still alive. Plus a bizarro Israel passage.
Rating: ✯✯✯
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
June 13-27 | Source: NetGalley
I wish I was able to get invested in this book more quickly, because it has so much going for it. But for some reason it took me two weeks to get through it, so. Pobody’s nerfect. (Case in point: I just said that. ugh.)
Rating: ✯✯✯
The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns
June 25-28 | Source: Library
Another attempt at a five star read for my upcoming post. Another strikeout. But closer!
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai
June 28-30 | Source: Library
Third time was not the charm! This was still not my five star that would stop the post. Which is good because otherwise I’d be spoiling it here.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
June 3-30 | Source: Library
My fourth and last Thomas Hardy book. No offense to the guy (Tess of the d’Urbervilles hold your ears, this doesn’t apply to you) but good riddance oh my god!
Rating: ✯✯
Summing things up
After a few tough consecutive reading months, it was such a treat to be all the way back in and having so much fun reading and Substacking and Goodreadsing and bookstagramming. The summer…it restores me!
I would also whole-heartedly recommend a whole 10 of them, which is 42%. That is…not great, but it’s better than last month. We’ll take it!
The very best book I read was The Last Supper, and the very worst book I read was Jude the Obscure (oops).
Pie charts below! And I want to know:
Have you read any of these? What were your best and worst reads of June?
Congrats on a big reading month with a fair number of four stars — I will always say that not winter, but rather Summer! Is! For! Books!
Also patiently waiting for you to read The Emperor of Gladness to see if you hit a five star ;)