June Reads

Here we are, at the end of June, which means one thing - the fourth of July is right around the corner! I see family, fireworks, salmon burgers and watermelon in my very near future. Yay! 

Carter-bug and I at last year's parade. This picture expresses 
EXACTLY how I feel about the fourth. Pure joy!

It also means it's time for me to share my June reads! [I did my fair share of reading this past month, but to be fair, the first two books I read mostly in May and just happened to finish in June.]

1. Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist

Have I ever mentioned that I love Shauna Niequist? Yes, I believe I have. I, of course, loved every word of this book. And I love her short-essay writing style. It's a book you can leave on your coffee table to read when you have a few minutes and always pick it back up without missing a beat. Her words are beautiful:

"Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop, ever. It's the moment you feel as precious and handmade as every star, when you feel, finally, at home for the very first time."

For me, this book had the right words at the right time and was a breath of fresh air to my weary soul.
5 stars

2. Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
This was a beautiful story of the Civil Rights movement in the south told from the perspective of Glory, an innocent girl about to turn 12. Everything she knows is challenged by people new to her town and she finds herself bravely doing the right thing in the face of persecution by those in her community. I really enjoyed listening to this one.
4 stars

3. The Inner Circle (Culper Ring, #1) by Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer is a master of intertwining the historically real with the tales of fascinating characters. Beecher, an archivist for the U.S. government, finds himself in the middle of a Presidential conspiracy and quickly realizes he doesn't know who he can trust. I first read this book on my honeymoon and loved it. With the new book in the series released this month, I re-read to brush up on the story again. I was caught up all over from the very first word. 
5 stars

4. The Fifth Assassin (Culper Ring, #2) by Brad Meltzer
The second book in the Culper Ring Series is just as fast-paced and gripping as the first. With someone killing local priests by copying presidential assassinations, it quickly becomes clear that an attempt on the life of current President, Orson Wallace, is inevitable. Beecher and the Culper Ring are leading their own investigation to try to catch the killer before it's too late. I actually picked this book up on our honeymoon in the Chicago airport on the way to Florida and read this one before I read the first book in the series. It was nice this time to read the books in order - even better the second time around.
5 stars

5. Unlucky 13 (Women's Murder Club, #13) by James Patterson
I finished the two Culper Ring books sooner than I thought and, while waiting for the third book to arrive in the mail, listened to this book. The series is full of quick and easy reads about four strong, female characters - an investigator, a coroner, a lawyer and a journalist - and I have enjoyed them all. Not particularly intricately written, but a good summer read.
3 stars

6. Gray Mountain by John Grisham
There was a summer in high school when I borrowed every John Grisham book from my local library and devoured them. Reading Gray Mountain reminded me why I love these books so much. This legal thriller about the evils of the mining industry had me on the edge of my seat. And bonus, they mentioned Pikeville, Kentucky a few times - an area near my family's [very] small town of McDowell, Kentucky. I was sad when it was over and plan to read more this summer!
5 stars

7. The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
I don't even remember how I heard about this book, but it's been on my list of books to read for quite some time. The Farm is a tale of a a son caught in between his parents' very different stories and his quest to find the truth. Touching on mental illness and abuse, The Farm keeps you interested until the very last word. 
4 stars

8. The President's Shadow (Culper Ring, #3)  by Brad Meltzer
I love this series and have been excited to read this book for a year and a half; it did not disappoint. When body parts turn up in the gardens at the White House and Camp David, Beecher and the Culper Ring are determined to find the killer and the weakness of the security provided by the Secret Service all while searching for the truth about Beecher's own father. Fantastic read.
5 stars

I'm currently reading Home is Where My People Are by Sophie Hudson and already have July reading plans that include How To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman,  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, along with a few [beautiful] recipe books - Date Night In and Sunday Suppers: Recipes + Gatherings. 

What are you reading this summer?