June Reads
2024
The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris
This is the fourth and last book in the Chocolat series, a new read for me. This may be the best one of all. Simply a beautiful book. I look forward to rereading it and it has a permanent place in my collection. I was sad to end the series.
Afterimage by Helen Humphreys
The Secret Garden by Helen Humphreys
I’ve been familiar with Humphreys for years now. She’s a gentle writer, almost dreamlike. Both of these were bedtime rereads and I’ll keep both.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
A dark, passionate, and powerful new read from a recommendation. I’ll look for more by this author. An intense look at male and religious oppression of women and outsiders. I’m passing this one on. I don’t need to read it again.
Slewfoot by Brom
Another intense new read on the subject of occult and witchcraft. Beautifully illustrated by the author, it kept my attention until the end. I wasn’t sure where he was going to take it. I was worried about a moralistic, misogynistic ending, but that’s not what the author did. It was hard to read in spots – very emotionally loaded. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t need to reread, so passed this one on.
Harpy by Megan Hunter
This new read was extraordinary. Edgy, uncomfortable, and one of the most courageous books I’ve ever read. It lays bare the difficulties of a being a female who loves, yet feels imprisoned by, her husband and her children in cringing detail. The main character has feelings and thoughts I would hardly admit to myself, let alone make public. Somehow, no one talks about the fact that the intensity of our love is matched by the intensity of our rage and pain. I don’t know if I can bear to read it again, but I also didn’t want to let it go. I put it on my shelf. A highly recommended read.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
I picked this book up while volunteering in a used bookstore here in Maine some years ago. It’s a book based on an old story about a childless, lonely couple who build a child out of snow who comes alive. The book is set in Alaska, which is fun, and it’s an enchanting modern-day fairytale. This was a bedtime reread and I kept it.
The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox
A recommendation from somewhere. I found a used copy, intrigued by the blurb, which compared it to the His Dark Materials series by Pullman, one of my lifelong favorites. I haven’t read anything quite like this before and I’m unfamiliar with the author, who has written several books I will now check out. It reminded me of Pullman and also my own work; the author took elements from many different cultures and combined them in a fascinating, complicated read about being human, being not-human, and redemption. I enjoyed it very much and at the same time know I missed a lot of the finer points. I’m already looking forward to rereading it. This one is a keeper.
The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds
This was a recommendation, a new read for me. A lovely book by an experienced gardener with Celtic roots. Right up my alley. It’s beautifully illustrated and a pleasure to read. I’m savoring it. I’ll keep this one in my gardening library.
Substack
Adam Lutzi Rockwell at
is writing a serial called The Unexpected Exorcist. The main character is with the TSA in an airport; a demon appears and chaos ensues. It’s quirky and different and I’m enjoying it. is publishing 3 Lives in Jury. The main characters are three young people, one of whom has cystic fibrosis. As a young woman I worked in an inpatient pediatric unit with CF kids, so this caught my attention. I like kids and I’m enjoying this serial.David McIlroy at
is publishing Imposter Syndrome serially. He’s a published writer; you can also read his debut, The Soulburn Talisman, on his site. Both stories are well worth reading.