It's time to recap the books I read in June! I only managed to read 6 books, primarily due to the fact that--surprise, I'm pregnant!--and I've been pretty sick and not even feeling up to reading. The good news is that I gave all of June's books 4 or 5 stars!
The Assistants // When the administrative assistant to the CEO of a huge corporation chooses not to correct a technical error on her expense report, it quickly snowballs into a full-fledged plan to steal thousands of dollars from the company. I had really low expectations of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised! The plot was different than anything I had read before, it was clever, and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars.
The Kitchen House: A Novel // This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I wanted to re-read it before I read the sequel that came out earlier this year. I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first time, and if you haven't read it, please go get it now! It's about slaves and the South and family and love, and it's so, so good. 5 stars
Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House // As I just mentioned, the prequel to this is The Kitchen House, and I was so excited to read this! The writing is once again impeccable and the story is really captivating. I really loved this book, but still love the first one even more! This duo is definitely worth reading. 4 stars
Far Outside the Ordinary // I heard about this memoir from a podcast that I listen to where the author was being interviewed. I found her really compelling as a person and was interested to read her story. She writes of the heartbreaking months of watching her husband suffer and eventually die from cancer. So many interesting (and bizarre) things happen throughout her story, and I even cried a couple of times. It's a beautiful story and really quite moving. 4 stars
Here's to Us // I've mentioned before that I love Elin Hilderbrand, and this is her new book that came out a couple of weeks ago! All of her stories take place on Nantucket, and they are the perfect summer reads, in my opinion. The writing has perfect pacing, the characters are well-developed, and I really enjoy reading every part of the story - from the description of the setting to the food the characters are cooking and eating to the history that she gives for each of the characters. A fun summer read, for sure! 4 stars
Stepping Heavenward // This was another book that I re-read this month, something that I rarely do! I read this book when I was in college and really enjoyed it, but I enjoyed it even more this time as a mother. It's a journal-like account of a 19th century girl that starts when she is 16. It's so candid that it's refreshing and at times even amusing, but her constant desire throughout the book is to know God and become a godly woman. It's a really great read for any woman! 4 stars
