june’s magical reading progress

With travel and deadlines throughout June I didn’t read a significant amount, however thirteen finished books are still progress. That means that so far this year I’ve completed about 130 titles! This image shows the titles I completed, if you want to see a list of all the books I’ve read this year, I think goodreads is the best place to find it.

rereads

I am happy to report that I finally finished rereading the Harry Potter series. Encountering Umbridge in Order of Phoenix made me cranky and toss my copy across the room more than once. My copy is the hardcover edition so it did make a satisfying thud (and I didn’t break anything). Once I started wishing Peeves on her, it was easier to read and I then zoomed through Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. On each rereading I discover something slightly different in the story that speaks to me. I think that’s why I enjoy rereading so much, there’s always nuance to discover.

new reads

Akata Witch
by Nnedi Okorafor

I picked up this title because Jillian recommended it. This is the first book in a series that will follow American born Sunny as she navigates life in Nigeria. I’m now eagerly anticipating November and the release of the next book, Akata Warrior. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading as much of her other writing as I can get my hands on.

The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World
by Abigail Tucker

Between the cover and the title I thought I needed to read this book. However, Tucker’s stance on the feline “invasive species”, discussion of population control options, and comparisons to other pets left me confused by the author’s goal with this title. Ok, I’m biased toward my feline overlords (Shadow and Buddy know where I sleep) and I volunteer fostering kittens and hope to do more TNR soon. However the blurbs put a different spin on the book than how I read it. Is it a worthwhile read? Yes! However beware it’s not all a happy, cute, fluffy kitten inside.

She Persisted
by Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

I couldn’t resist this title, continuing along with other similar themed books I’ve read this year. Where was this sort of title when I was a child? I’m of mixed emotions: happy it’s written, frustrated that we need it. The illustrations by Alexandar Boiger are adorable. I greatly appreciated the diversity of the girls shown in the pages and in the thirteen women chosen. I’ll confess while I was familiar with most of their stories, there were a few who were previously unknown to me. I recommend this title to all girls young and old.


What are you reading?