June Reads (2020 Edition)

psg on July 2, 2020

Oh June. You were quite a decade, sorry for the cliché. I found reading challenging, my focus was all over the place. Despite submitting four NetGalley reviews, I barely moved my review rate., it’s still a dismal 45% (they suggest 80%). I’ve found it very challenging not to look for new books until I’m closer to that magical number. But don’t worry, I’m constantly looking at what new ebooks arrived to the library and adding them to my wish list! June also found me reading to learn more about how we’ve arrived at the current state of affairs. Black Lives Matter. I’m learning.

June Reading List

  1. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (Wastelands #1) by John Joseph Adams (Editor)
  2. Jaran (Jaran #1) ★ by Kate Elliott
  3. An Earthly Crown (Jaran, #2) by Kate Elliott
  4. His Conquering Sword (Jaran, #3) by Kate Elliott
  5. The Law of Becoming (Jaran, #4) by Kate Elliott
  6. A Passage of Stars (Highroad Trilogy #1) by Kate Elliott
  7. Art of the Wasted Day ★ by Patricia Hampl
  8. The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: Achieve More Success with Less Stress by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  9. Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis
  10. Shadow Work: The Unpaid, Unseen Jobs That Fill Your Day ★ by Craig Lambert
  11. Ink & Sigil (Ink & Sigil #1) ★ by Kevin Hearne
  12. American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship by Niambi Michele Carter
  13. The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman
  14. Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells
  15. Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes
  16. The Torture Letters: Reckoning with Police Violence by Laurence Ralph

A ★ indicates I received the title through Netgalley, the FTC wants you to know.

List of Book Covers for titles read in June 2020

NetGalley Review Recommendations

  • Jaran (Jaran #1) by Kate Elliott
    In Jaran, we meet Tess—a young woman who isn’t comfortable as her brother’s heir and isn’t sure how to find a different role. Elliot’s world and character building is deep and rich; while this first book requires patience, the result is worth it. All four books of this series are worth the investment of time. (NetGalley review)
  • Ink & Sigil (Ink & Sigil #1) by Kevin Hearne
    Ink & Sigil builds upon the world Hearne built in the Iron Druid Chronicles and shifts from modern urban mythology to urban fantasy with a mystery twist. Hearne has once again built a rich world, the characters are able to enjoy themselves (even when they’re getting their asses kicked), and the wordplay is rambunctious. I look forward to seeing where this series goes next. (NetGalley review)
  • Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl
    The Art of the Wasted Day is not the book I expected based on the title, it is not creative worksheets to combat busyness. The volume is, however, a lovely meandering ode to solitude and daydreaming. (NetGalley review)

Additional Recommendations

  • The Torture Letters: Reckoning with Police Violence by Laurence Ralph
    Very difficult to read because of the subject manner, but very important. This will have a reread as it has given me much to think about over the course of the book. It’s beautifully written and the organization of the material is helpful for allowing someone not familiar with to understand. I received my ebook copy as a promotion from U Chicago Press.
  • American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship by Niambi Michele Carter
    Again, this has given me much to think about. Because of personal interactions with different immigrant groups, I’ve thought a little about the ways they interpret each other. This also will need a reread.
  • The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman
    It’s a bit scattered, but once you are accustomed to Ackerman’s writing style the breadth of information she shares is massive. I was both amazed and horrified to realize that much of the current research is a variation on the theme: Native peoples have known about xyz for a very long time. However it’s new to researchers as they had previously focused on Western European/North American species.
  • Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes
    I learned about this quick read from Xandy Peters and wrote about it at some thoughts on inclusive design.
  • Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells
    I like this world, I relate to Murderbot. This can be read as a standalone (or a forgot most of the prior series).

Next reads

I’m continuing to go through my NetGalley shelf and work through the 184 titles I need to review. This process is largely dependent on what I can find as ebooks (or audiobooks). At the moment I’m not yet daring enough to attempt curb side pickup at my library branch. I’m also trying to read more widely on history and political science, specifically how it relates to the erasure of history of the marginalized. Is there a book you think I should read? Please let me know.