Everything I read in May & June 2020

A lot happened in May and June this year, from wrapping up pandemic “home school” year, to celebrating my birthday. Now we are well into the swing of summer and I’m realizing that I never updated y’all on what I’ve been reading for the last two months.

I was so excited in June to have the opportunity to have the house to myself for several days to declutter and organize, and one of the things I did was make my vintage radio stand into a bookshelf. A friend inspired me to fill it with books that I’d recommend and lend to others. I thought it was such a rad idea, and I love the way it looks and functions. It’s pictured below, with one of the books I read in May!

In the last two months, I have read three books.

How Not to Die Alone

This wasn’t my favorite book. The plot line centers around a rather awkward man who accidentally lied in his job interview about having a wife and kids. The lie eventually catches up to him when he falls for someone at his office. It was a little slow moving for me, and to be honest I was a little put off by him. Usually the main character is endearing to the reader in some way but I found this one unlikeable and irritating, and I found myself wanting to be like “DUDE just tell the damn truth!” many times while I was reading.

The one part of the book I thought was interesting was his job. He was in charge of finding money for funeral expenses from people who have died and have no next of kin or friends. He has to go into peoples’ homes and find hidden money, try and find clues for friends and family who might still be around, etc. in order to pay for a public funeral. I thought his job seemed fascinating.

Other than that small tidbit, it was kind of a dud for me. Oh well, can’t love them all!

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

I absolutely loved this book. It was one of my favorites I think I’ve ever read. It centers around the main character, Lydia, whose fiancé, Freddie, dies before they get married. The sleeping pills her doctor gives her help to transport her into a dream world where Freddie is still alive and still madly in love with her. While she’s awake she is depressed and trying to move forward with her life, and while she’s asleep she is brought to a place where everything is perfect with her dream man.

I loved the character development and how the story unfolded with all of the characters during this read. I absolutely could not put it down the whole time I was reading, and I think I read it in 2-3 sittings. It was so good, and it was a read that I was sad to finish. Do you ever take a few days off after finishing a book, just to think about how special it was and savor it before starting another? That’s exactly what this book was for me.

Me and White Supremacy

I’ve committed to learning more about anti-racism and becoming more involved in my community in being an ally. One of the changes I’ve decided to make is to read a book about racism every month with my online book club. This was June’s selection.

This was a really sobering read for me. As a heterosexual, middle-class white person who has always lived in predominantly white communities, my life has been very privileged. I think this is an important read for anyone who wants to know better and do better in a world that seems to be created for the white person to thrive. I learned so much, and was able to dig deep about the things I need to be doing better while writing out the journal prompts.

For some reason, I had the misconception that anti-racism reads would be really stuffy, but this one is a newer book, and the author is fantastic. I wouldn’t see it was an easy read because it was emotionally heavy, but I got through it in a couple weeks and really learned a lot.

Read all of my book reviews HERE!

Book of the Month Club

I linked everything above to Amazon, which is a rad place to buy books or Kindle books, but another place I love shopping is Book of the Month Club. It’s my favorite splurge!

Every month, I pay for one $14.99 credit which buys me one of their five choices. If I want to skip I do, if not I get a new hardcover book, plus I am able to choose two more for $9.99 each if I would like. There are so many bestsellers, new releases, early releases, etc. you just can’t go wrong! Not even Amazon is this cheap and the selection is incredible!