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June-August Reading Wrap-up and Buzzwordathon Update

  • Writer: haleylynnthomas22
    haleylynnthomas22
  • 9 minutes ago
  • 8 min read

JUNE READS


  1. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano (Adult Cozy Thriller) (305 pages) (4.75⭐️)

This is the fifth installment in the Finlay Donovan series. In this book, Finlay and Vero must figure out who murdered the body found in Mrs. Haggerty’s yard in order to exonerate Finlay's ex-husband Steven. This novel gives Mrs. Haggerty a lot more depth than she’s ever had before, and it actually did the seemingly impossible –it made me like her! I continue to love this series for its lovable characters and the humorous, chaotic situations they find themselves caught up in.

 

  1. The Clinic by Cate Quinn (Adult Thriller) (448 pages) (2.5⭐️)

Meg, who is addicted to pain pills, admits herself to the remote treatment center known as The Clinic. She’s there undercover to find out what really happened to her sister, Haley, who died there. This novel had some of the best atmosphere of any thriller I’ve read. I was unsettled, creeped out, and the Clinic felt haunted. I liked having both Meg and Clinic employee Cara's perspective, though Cara frustrated me with her naivety. The reason I gave this such a low rating is because it went off the rails towards the end.

 

  1. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Adult Romance) (432 page) (4.5⭐️)

Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are in competition to be chosen by heiress and tabloid princess Margaret Ives to write her life story. They may be rivals, but their chemistry is undeniable. I've read every one of Henry's romance releases and they have been very hit or miss for me. This one reminded me of her romance debut, Beach Read, which is probably why it was a hit for me. This is a grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance.


  1. If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (Adult Thriller) (324 pages) (3.75⭐️)

Ryan Richardson was with his girlfriend Ali Lane the night she was taken. He was hit on the head and doesn’t know what happened, but still he’s had to change his name and start over when some believe he killed her. Five years later, Ali’s submerged car is found with a mysterious note. This was my third Finlay book and my second favorite thus far. The plot sucked me in and I devoured the story. The reveal was ultimately disappointing, though.


  1. Our Infinite Fates by Laura Seven (YA Historical Romantasy) (339 pages) (4.25⭐️)

Branwen/Evelyn and Arden have been reincarnated again and again over the past thousand years. In each lifetime they fall in love, and in each lifetime Arden must kill Branwen/Evelyn before her eighteenth birthday - though they won't reveal the reason. This novel takes place over multiple timelines and the big reveal is a unique take on a common trope. Between Branwen/Evelyn and Arden, Arden is the more intriguing character as they aren't an anti-hero, nor an antagonist, and not a hero, either, but fall somewhere in between.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!


JUNE DNFs

 

  1. The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan (Adult Thriller) (read 65 pages)

Nicole and her husband Tom win the lottery and purchase a mansion. Then one day, Tom is found dead in the pool. One of the characters in this book is so obviously nefarious that it didn’t feel like there was going to be a lot of mystery in this book. I did look up the spoilers out of curiosity, and let’s just say I made the right choice in DNFing this book.


  1. Fun for The Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith (Adult Contemporary) (read 100 pages)

This book follows a group of siblings - Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude Endicott. Once close, they have grown apart but come back together at the behest of Jude. I didn't DNF this book because I didn't like it. Rather, I was consuming it via audiobook and realized that wasn't the ideal way for me personally to read it. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, so at some point I intend to pick up a physical copy of this book and read it again starting from the beginning.


JULY READS


  1. A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (YA Fantasy) (376 pages) (5⭐️)

Effy is an architecture student who has read the fairytale book Angharad countless times. She finds comfort and belonging within the book's pages about a young maiden who becomes the wife of the terrible Fairy King. She is chosen to redesign the author of Angharad's seaside manor. There she meets fellow academic and rival to lover Preston. This novel is an ode to storytelling and tackles issues of sexism and misogyny. It's one of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Full Review: Coming Soon to the blog!


  1. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig (Adult Romantasy) (385 pages) (4⭐️)

Sybil/Six is a Diviner who drowns in a magical spring in Aishling Cathedral to read signs from the gods (Omens). When King Benedict Castor arrives at the cathedral with his knights, Sybil/Six and knight Rodrick 'Rory' immediately spar over their conflicting worldviews. When Sibyl/Six's fellow Diviners go missing, she joins the king, Rory, and knight Maude, along with her gargoyle companion on a journey across the hamlets to find them. Gilig's debut duology stands as one of my all time favorite fantasy series, so I was highly anticipating the start of a new series from her. This book definitely lived up to my expectations. It features the same world building and lyrical writing I've come to expect from her. It has lovable characters and an ending that left me itching for the sequel.

Full Review: Coming soon ot the blog!


  1. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez (YA Historical Fantasy) (396 pages) (4.25⭐️)

When her parents go missing in Egypt, Inez travels there from Argentina to find out what happened to them. She joins her Tío Ricardo and his handsome employee Whit as they search for Cleopatra's tomb. I'd say this is a historical adventure story with just a touch of fantasy. Ibañez truly transports the reader to late 1800s Egypt. This was a reread.


  1. Parents Weekend by Alex FInlay (Adult Thriller) (312 pages) (2.5⭐️)

Five college students go missing during parents weekend at their university. The novel is told from the perspectives of the parents, FBI agent Keller, and the missing kids themselves. This was my least favorite Finlay book I've read to date due to the reveals being very predictable. Also, there is a triggering suicide attempt scene that didn't play into the larger story, which upset me greatly. It was absolutely not needed.


  1. The Block Party by Jamie Day (Adult Thriller) (384 pages) (5⭐️)

A wealthy neighborhood hosts a block party that turns deadly. The gimmick of this book is that you don't know not only who the victim is but also who the culprit is. This made for a more engaging reading experience. It reminded me of Seraphina Nova Glass's On a Quiet Street, so if you read and liked that book then check this one out!


  1. Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez (YA Historical Fantasy) (371 pages) (4⭐️)

This is the sequel to What the River Knows and follows Inez on her quest for revenge. Whit returns and he's undoubtedly going to be a polarizing character in this book. I liked how we get to explore different parts of Egypt from the first book. This one is more dual perspective than the first, which had only slivers of Whit's perspective. You get a lot more of his POV in this book. I had mixed feelings about the ending as well as the sometimes frustrating choices Inez made.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!


AUGUST READS


  1. Scene of the Grind by Tonya Kappes (Adult Cozy Mystery) (304 pages) (3⭐️)

Roxanne Davis returns to her aunt's hometown of Honey Springs, Kentucky where she opens up a coffee house. Shortly after, her aunt's adversary winds up dead. This is a perfectly adequate, paint by numbers cozy mystery. It doesn't wow by any means and there's nothing really unique about it. I probably won't continue with the series.


  1. Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown (Adult Romance) (336 pages) (2⭐️)

When Emma's fiend Sibyl, who is intended to be married, runs away, she and her longtime crush/ex-friend Finn must travel together to find her. This book was...not so good. The writing is repetitive, and the male love interest is bland and forgettable. Worst of all, though, is the protagonist. A story's beating heart is its protagonist, and Emma was intolerable. I absolutely loathed her. The story also ends on an unfinished, unsatisfactory note.


  1. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (Adult Thriller) (380 page) (5⭐️)

On Halloween night, Jet is attacked. This causes her to develop an aneurysm that is going to burst and kill her in 7 days. Jet teams up with her childhood friend Billy to solve her own murder before it's too late. My previous Holly Jackson experiences come from reading her Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy, and I hated how that series ended. I'm glad I gave Jackson another chance, though, because this is my favorite book of the year so far. Who would have ever thought a thriller would make me cry?

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!


  1. Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire (Adult Cozy Mystery) (319 pages) (4⭐️)

This is the companion sequel to Dead and Gondola. It follows two sisters who run a bookshop in a small, fictional snowy town called Last Word. In this book, Ellie stumbles upon the body of her sister Meg's date. I am sad this is the only other book in the series as I love the sweet characters and the charming setting.


 5. All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian (YA Contemporary) (249 pages) (5⭐️)

A year after her brother's death in his college dorm, Stella's parents send her on a trip to visit college campuses with her ex-friend Alan. This is a coming of age story about grief, family, friendship, and culture. I was provided an ARC of this book to review, but all opinions are my own. This is a deeply moving, wonderfully written story that made me cry. I cannot recommend it enough.


  1. The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C. L. Miller (Adult Mystery) (287 pages) (5⭐️)

When former antique hunter Freya Lockwood's estranged mentor Arthur Crockerford is murdered, she is drawn back into the world of antique hunting by her aunt Carole. Frey and Carole set out to solve Arhtur's murder, but to do so they must put themselves in the killer's sights. Despite me not really having an interest in antiques, I was drawn into the atnique hunting world. I loved Freya and Carole's dynamic, and Freya rediscovering her passion.


STATS:


PAGES READ (JAN-AUG): 15,776 (AVG. Book Length: 3850.58 pages)

AVG. STAR RATING (JAN-AUG: 166/225 ⭐️ (AVG. 3.69 ⭐️)


2025 Buzzwordathon

Youtuber Booksandlala (Kayla) does this annual event in which every month she gives a prompt for either a specific word or concept for you to find in book titles. In order to not stress and have fun completing the challenge, I'm not worrying about doing it in order - just finding them all within 2025.



Buzzwords/Concepts:


  1. Truth and Lies

  2. ✅Water words: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

  3. ✅Thing (words with 'thing' in them): If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

  4. ✅Animals: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

  5. ✅"To"/Guides : The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale

  6. Memory related words

  7. ✅Punctuation: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

  8. With

  9. ✅Events: The Block Party by Jamie Day

  10. ✅Violent words: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

  11. ✅Never: Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown

  12. ✅Alliteration: Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

 
 
 

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