Rinda's Reads: June's Summer Reading Overload

This is list is WAY overdue, but I read so many books in June it has taken me a bit to remember all of them, and of course I am almost finished with my first book for July, which I have loved so much I can't wait to tell you about it. But first, here are my reads for June:

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning
This is one of the better historical novels I've read in a long time. You don't find a whole lot of novels about that period of time leading up to the Revolutionary War, but it is one of the most fascinating eras in history to me. This story follows a young woman (Jane Clarke) who gets more than she bargained for when her father sends her to Boston. I learned a lot more about the Boston Massacre than two college history classes managed to get into my brain...so, there you go. You should read it. If you like history. If not, you might not get very far.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
This is the last of Ms. Allen's published books--I hate that feeling when I find an author I like and then realize I've read everything she has to offer thus far. This one is a good story about sisterhood, and follows Allen's signature magic+food+Southern hospitality formula, including my favorite "magic" tidbit for a character--a woman who has books just show up and follow her around. I liked it. Warning: this book would undoubtedly be rated PG-13. Just FYI.

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly
Looks like I have found a new historical fiction author! I really enjoyed this book, even though I found several flaws in the writing (like too much interior dialogue with the main characters). I always enjoy a squeaky-clean book, however, and this fills that Christian genre that gives me no worries about inappropriate material. I didn't love it, but I liked it.

Gathering Blue; Messenger; Son by Lois Lowry
Have you ever read The Giver? It is easily on my Top 25 favorite books list, so I was ecstatic when I found out a few weeks ago that there were three more books to go with it! The Giver is definitely the best of the four books, and seems to have very little in common with the second and third books, but the fourth book does a great job of tying the stories together. You can read The Giver by itself, but the other three need each other to be a complete story. I like these books because they make me a bit of a philosopher. As a young mother, I especially identified with the last book, Son, which raised the question of how far a mother's love can take you. 

Those are all the books I remember at the moment--there may have been one or two more, but chances are if I don't remember them, they probably weren't worth recommending. If you have a book club meeting coming up and don't know which book to read, The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg has proved fascinating thus far. I will tell you more about it next month!

Kevin's pick of the month is actually three different books, all by the same author--probably better said illustrator, Mary Engelbreit.

    

If you don't recognize her name, I'm sure you recognize her art! I loved these collections because they took us several days to read together and the illustrations were bright and vibrant. They added new life to the stories and nursery tales. Her three collections (Mother Goose, Fairy Tales, and Nursery Tales) of tales are on my list of "Books To Buy When We Have A Little Extra Cash." Check them out at your local library! They would make a beautiful addition to any children's literature collection!