**I pluck an apple from the tree and place it in my basket. The orchard is full and, thankfully, it is not too hot today. I walk the long stretch of trees and continue to look for fruits that call to me. I take a few off the trees they grow from and, once my basket is full, make the walk back home. As I saunter back home, I consider all my recent reads. I take a bite of one of the apples and try to remember each book I read this past month.**

Let’s start by saying that I did not read as much as I had hoped. I started the month off pretty well but then I got stuck in the middle of one of my books on account of getting sick and then just not wanting to read as much. We are definitely picking up the pace now, but let’s discuss the books that I read in June.

• The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Back in 2021, I read Riley Sager’s book Lock Every Door. And I did not really enjoy it. I was bored and the twist felt weird and like it had nothing to do with the story. I think I bought this one at a library book sale for some reason, mostly because I wanted to give the author another chance. Someone told me the ending was a little . . . out there, so I was expecting something a bit odd. I think that knowing this piece of information really helped with my enjoyment of the book. This follows a woman staying at her family’s lake house after some bad publicity, so she spends her days drinking and watching the couple across the lake. She befriends the wife, but one day she disappears and she has to figure out what happened. I actually really enjoyed this one. It was gripping and thrilling and I was not disappointed.

• The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the second and final book in the Fixer series which follows a girl who goes to an elite DC private school where all the kids of important people go. She ends up making a name for herself as the school “fixer,” helping the kids solve problems just like how her older sister does it for their parents. I enjoyed this one more than the first one. I think that the story was more interesting and the stakes got pretty high in the end. It got very investing and I thought this one was pretty good.

• An Heir of Frost by Elise Kova

This is the fourth book in the Trial of Sorcerers series which has elemental magic and trials. I think I liked this one better than books 2 and 3. I liked the trials in book 3, but the story in this one was overall more investing. Plus, Eira has been annoying me for the last two books and she finally got a bit better. I think what I don’t like is her hypocrisy. She gets mad at one of the other characters for something but then does something that is kind of similar. I also feel like she doesn’t really experience character growth. She is getting more powerful, but growing powers does not mean growing of character. She just seems more ruthless which isn’t exactly growth.

• The Wicked King by Holly Black

I read The Cruel Prince a few years ago and wasn’t the biggest fan. I didn’t care for the story, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Jude, and I really didn’t like Cardan. Plus, everyone says this is a romance but it is definitely a fantasy with practically no romance. The first book felt like the start for the rest of the series which is why I wanted to continue. When I started this one, I didn’t really like it. Plus, Cardan is an irredeemable character in my eyes so I wasn’t expecting much. And while I still didn’t love this one, I do think it was a lot better than the first one. I think the story was more engaging and there were less frustrating moments. I still don’t love Jude or Cardan, but Cardan has gotten much better, though I don’t think I’ll ever really like him because of how he acts in book one. I have book three from the library, so I will be giving that a read but I’m glad the series is getting somewhat better.

These are the books that I was able to finish in June. I did start A French Girl in New York by Anna Adams as well, but I DNF’d it at chapter five. I just didn’t connect with the writing style and couldn’t get into it. I’m very excited to see what I can read in July.

xoxo,

Just another reader