June 2018 Wrap-Up

So today is supposed to be a Diversity Spotlight Thursday post day (say that five times), but it’s been a stupefyingly busy week, what with Canada Day weekend and work stuff, which led to me completely losing track of time.

Confession time: I write the majority of my posts the day before they’re to be published, sometimes just hours before (*cough* like this one). So if I just happen to forget that tomorrow is a Wednesday and not a Monday or a Tuesday, then my entire weekly “schedule” is going to be out of wack–which is exactly what happened. This past week I was living in my own universe where I had my own days of the week and 5 PM was a perfectly fine bedtime, so things have been just a tad discombobulating.

So don’t do what I do, kids. Plan your week. It’ll save you heaps of future agony.

Right, enough of my mess of a brain. Onto today’s post! June was a slumpy month but I did somehow manage to knock off 9 books:

➽ Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton: (9.0/10)
A speculative-contemporary YA that came out of nowhere and blew me away. Heartwarming and hilarious, it’s a story about overcoming grief and finding your footing in a confusing, often-times hostile, world. I called it a “love letter to life and humanity” in my review and I can’t reiterate that enough. Review here.

➽ The Book of M by Peng Shepherd: (8.5/10)
A post-apocalyptic fantasy story that sketches out a world where people are losing their shadows, and with the loss of their shadows, they also lose their memories. It’s poignant, magical, and the worldbuilding is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a post-apocalypse story. I’ll never look at my shadow the same way ever again. Review here.

➽ Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: (7.0/10)
A fun urban fantasy also set in a post-apocalyptic world, but with worldbuilding that revolves around Native American lore. I loved the main character but had issues with the villain and the plotting. Review here.

➽ Annex by Rich Larson:
This book was not at all what I was expecting, but it turned out to be pretty enjoyable in the end. Think Independence Day but featuring children and trans rep. Review to come.

➽  A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelly York and Rowan Altwood: (7.5/10)
A historical paranormal story set in an all-boy’s school where the teachers harbour secrets and spirits of dead students walk the halls at night. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and creepy and the romance between the two main characters was rather quite sweet.

➽  Curved Horizon by Taylor Brooke: (8.0/10)
Sequel to Brooke’s Fortitude Smashed, Curved Horizon is a F/F scifi that’s got some of best portrayals of mental illness I’ve read in a romance novel. It’s angsty, it’s sweet, and while the scifi aspect gets pushed back in favour of character interactions, I can’t complain because the latter is done so well.

➽  Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones: (8.0/10)
A F/F historical fantasy story filled with court intrigue, mysteries, and complex worldbuilding. It’s like a Jane Austen story but more queer and fantastical–highly enjoyable stuff.

➽  Death of a Clone by Alex Thomson: (6.5/10)
An Agatha Christie-esque whodunit set in space featuring clones. It’s nothing mindblowing and is somewhat lacking in the worldbuilding and character department, but it’s not a half-bad mystery and I quite liked the narrative voice. Review here.

➽  The Wonderling by Mira Bartok: (5.0/10)
A middle-grade book about a young humanoid fox who escapes an orphanage to discover the world beyond. The illustrations are lovely but I found the main character very passive and two-dimensional. Also, there are scenes of young animals getting beaten by the headmistress of the orphanage, which was distressing even to me, so I’m not sure how appropriate it is for children.

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY

➽ Books You Want to Read Before the End of the Year
➽ LGBTQ+ Books (Sans Cis M/M Relationships)
➽ Summer Reads

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY

➽ Royalty 👑
➽ Pirates ☠️
➽ Historical Fiction

INTERVIEWS

➽ Interview with K.D. Edwards, Author of The Last Sun, Plus an Infomercial

TAGS/AWARDS

➽ The Mystery Blogger Award

ANNOUNCEMENTS

➽ Discworld Readathon 🐢🧙‍♀️✨

A reminder that Nicole and I are starting our Discworld Readathon THIS MONTH with The Colour of Magic! For those who are joining in, reviews are to be posted on July 23rd. For those who wish to join in, leave a comment below and we’ll add you to our list! (And by “we” I mean Nicole, because as I’ve heartily explained above, I shouldn’t be trusted with keeping track of anything more taxing than which socks I’ll be wearing the next morning.)

Happy reading! And feel free to tell me how your month went!