June Wrap Up & July TBR (2024)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my June Wrap Up & July TBR (which I know is super late, but when you've been on holiday and tired from 17,000 steps- daily- you tend to forget some things). 

But I'm back and I'm writing this, and I very much hope you enjoy it. 

~June Wrap Up~

I read a total of 4 books in June, which I am very happy about, especially since three of them were pretty large. So still averaging about a book a week. Good progress. 

1. The Midnight Rose, by Lucinda Riley 

As you'll know by now, if you've been following this blog for any time since the past year, Lucinda Riley's books span over multiple generations, and they're about how events in the past can impact future generations. They especially centre around families. The Midnight Rose is no different. 

However, for the first time, after reading the blurb, I found I wasn't super excited to pick it up, like most of her books. 

Because of this, I picked it up immediately, knowing I was going to have to get to this eventually, and that this feeling was just going to get worse if I didn't. 

And oddly, my feelings were correct. 

Now, before you jump in with a comment, I will say that, of course I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I don't regret reading it. Far from it. I just found myself enjoying particular parts a lot more, wanting to stay with certain characters a lot more, instead of jumping timelines and losing track. 

I felt some parts dragged, and others felt a tad far-fetched to be completely believeable. 

That said, I loved the writing, and once again, Lucinda Riley's story unfolded wonderfully. 

2. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell 

One of my new favourites! Katherine Rundell's most recent novel was vast, interesting and detailed, filled with lovable characters and epic chapters that made me not want to put the book down! I thought it was a series, but I actually don't think it is, unfortunately. 

(To be fair, the book ended perfectly anyway, so I'm happy with that.) 

I always enjoy Katherine Rundell's books whenever I pick them up, but I think this one was the best of the lot. It's won two book awards, but even if it hadn't, I'd still be telling you to go and pick it up if you haven't. 

3. The Italian Girl, by Lucinda Riley 

After reading about this (as well as some of the other Lucinda Riley books I'd been given), I knew straightaway that I'd enjoy this one. But as you'll know when reading through this post, I decided to read the book I was less interested in first. 

You can imagine my excitement when I got to this one, and loved it just as much as I thought I would. Being a choir kid, and musical theatre lover, this book was right up my alley, what with The Italian Girl being about performing, the opera, and of course all the love affairs going on being the scenes. 

Wonderful spin of a story, with fully-fleshed out characters, a story that pans generations, that I never want to put down. 

4. The Angel Tree, by Lucinda Riley 

Looking at Goodreads, there are severely mixed reviews, but as always, I'm rating it on the higher end of the spectrum. I wish some things had ended differently, but that's part of what I loved about this book- that people never seemed to get closure, or work things out- it was the frustration. 

It was, again, a story that panned over three generations within a family- that really, couldn't be more different. 

I gave it 4.5 stars. Riveting novel. 

~July TBR (2024)~

Like the last few months, I will be prioritising Lucinda Riley books, because of course, they're not mine, and I don't like to keep someone waiting for them to be returned. 

1. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak 

A favourite I've been wanting to read for the longest time- that I'm finally getting to! I'm just under halfway through at the moment, and I wish I was picking it up more, but I'm slowly making progress with it. 

The Book Thief is narrated by death, during the time of WWII, and follows a girl called Liesel as she tries to make sense of the world around her, as she's dropped at a german couples house- and falls in love with the power of words. I won't tell anymore about this book (to be fair, if you haven't read this book yet, I don't know what you're doing with your life), because you should read it for yourself. 

2. The Butterfly Room, by Lucinda Riley 

The Butterfly Room follows Posy Montague, owner of Admiral House, approaching seventy years of age, facing an important decision. Despite growing up in Admiral House, with memories of catching butterflies with her father, bringing up her children here, she can see her childhood home crumbling to pieces- she knows the time has come to sell it. With each day comes more decisions that need to be made, Posy feels more and more overwhelmed. Until one day, out of the blue, her past love-Freddie, shows up, as well as her son Nick, after ten years in Australia. Posy is hesitant to believe in Freddie's renewed affection with her, and unbeknown to Posy, Freddie- and Admiral have a devastating secret to reveal. 

3. The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman

Another re-read that I've been looking forward to for ages. It's one of those grey area situations that test your morals. I love reading books like this, being presented with decisions that force you to question what you would do. 

 The Light Between Oceans tells the story of Tom and Isabel, a married couple that look after the isle they live on, tending to the lighthouse- completely isolated and alone from the rest of the world. Tom and Isabel have suffered a lot in their life, with Tom returning home from Australia, after four years fighting on the Western Front, and then with Isabel suffering from several miscarriages. Then, purely by chance, a boat appears, with a dead man and a very alive-baby. 

What would you do? 

4. The Olive Tree, by Lucinda Riley 

Story aside, I love this cover. The tree and the landscape is enough to make me excited about picking it up. It's also based in Cyprus, a place I've always longed to visit. 

The Olive Tree is about Helen who, after being left 'Pandora' (a house) by her Godfather, travells back to Cyprus, where she hasn't been for twenty- four years- and fell in love for the first time. 

Yet as soon as she arrives in Cyprus, she knows that Pandora masks a web of lies and secrets that she has kept from her husband William, and her thirteen-year-old son Alex. Alex is torn between protecting his mum, and growing up- as well as finding out who his real father is. 

Then, as if by chance, Helena meets her childhood sweetheart- and this sets of a chain of events that will threaten to make her past memories and present collide. Both Helena and Alex know that life will never be the same, once Pandora's secrets have been revealed...

So that was my June Wrap Up & July TBR (2024)! I know it's a long one, and I know it's late, but at last it's done! I hope you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments what you're planning on reading this month, and we can talk about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx