Monday, July 7, 2014

June Recap

My oh my, is summer flying by! During June, I read six books:
  1. What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali
  2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
  3. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
  4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  5. Prodigy by Marie Lu
  6. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Best Non-Fiction Book: Orange is the New Black. I’m sure you are alllllll familiar with the Netflix Series by the same name- the series is actually based on the memoir of Piper Kerman, who went to federal prison for fifteen months because of illicit activities she was involved in ten years prior. Matt and I just started watching the series, and I, of course, like the book a little bit better because I felt like she presented herself as more self-aware and less self-pitying. Either way, if you love the show and/or love memoirs, you should definitely check it out. It’s a quick read!

Best Fiction: I’ve already talked about Cinder, but I also thought Out of the Easy was a really interesting historical fiction read this month. Like Orange is the New Black, it was recommended to me by a friend. Josie is an eighteen-year-old who desperately wants to get away from her life in 1950s New Orleans. Her biggest problem is her mother, a prostitute. Although I thought author Ruta Sepetys wrapped up the loose ends a little too neatly and abruptly, this book really hooked me. I don’t always read historical fiction, but I love how Sepetys wove New Orleans culture into the story.

A good variety of books this month: 2 non-fiction, 1 historical fiction, 1 dystopian fiction, 2 fantasy/science-fiction. Hooray! I have some great titles coming up for this month- can't wait!