June was another great month for reading. A couple of books became new favorites. And I found a couple of authors I look forward to reading more books from soon.
The Tenant by Frieda McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Frieda McFadden is a very accomplished author and this is the first book of hers that I’ve read. It was a lot of fun and a quick read. That’s a real talent as an author — the ability to write well and also clearly so it doesn’t feel like a slog to read. The Tenant has a few big twists and turns and a very climactic ending. I need to be careful to not give away too much, but know that it’s a really fun read you could enjoy in a few days and find yourself reading big chunks at a time due to its gripping nature. I give it 4⭐️/5
The Boomerang by Robert Bailey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Robert Bailey is a full-time attorney and writer and The Boomerang is a wonderful book that combines political and medical fodder making it evident he’s a sharp writer with lots of knowledge of both. As a political science major and self-proclaimed political nerd, this book was lots of fun to read. You get an inside the White House perspective of a major governmental secret people in power will do anything (literally anything) to ensure remains a secret. I give it a full 4.5⭐️/5
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read most of The Ghostwriter while riding with my family on our way through the Florida Keys. A daughter and father are left to repair their relationship after the famous fiction author father hires the daughter, who is an accomplished ghostwriter, to help write his memoir. It’s complicated by the fact that he has a progressive disease and they have to work through some complicated dynamics if the project is to come to fruition. It was a fun book based on complicated familial relationships. I give it a solid 4⭐️/5 rating.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I bought this book while we were in Key West. My wife is hesitant to recommend books to me because we have different tastes in books. But she said to grab this immediately. It is absolutely hysterical in its writing. The premise is bonkers from the get-go, but the ride is so much fun. As the author says in the preface — it’s as if he imagined his mother taking on Dracula and Dracula having the odds stacked against him. I give is a 4.5⭐️/5 rating
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
William Kent Kruger writes the novels I wish I could write. His tone and pacing are tender without being overly drawn out in description or complex in language. The plots unfold beautifully and I come to the end of his books sad that I’m finished. This Tender Land is an epic tale of orphan children who escape an abusive children’s home in 1932 and the journey that follows. I give it a full 5⭐️!
I can’t wait to get into July’s books soon. Katie and I are going to Cape Cod for a couple of days this month, so I hope to really enjoy some good reading in a new place. Thanks for reading along and happy reading to you this summer!