Books I Read in June 2022

June was a good reading month! I feel like June is probably one of my favorite months to pick books, because something about picking up and reading LGBTQIA+ literature makes me happy. Whether that's memoirs or literature with characters from that community, they usually always leave me feeling hopeful and full of love. All 10 books I finished had LGBTQIA+ characters and/or authors, so I'm pretty pleased with that. And only two books that I DNF (did not finish), so that's pretty great too!

Note to Self by Connor Franta

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: LGBTQIA, Memoir-Biography, Poetry, Short Stories

Review: This book was probably not geared toward me but rather a) a younger audience and/or b) fans of his social media presence. It's a quintessentially ✨aesthetic✨ book with photographs, personal essays, and poems that felt lacking of depth in most instances.

It's an incredibly brave thing to put a book like this out into the world, so I commend him. He discusses depression and mental illness, which I think is important, especially for young people. I enjoyed the beautiful photography the most. Everything else was mostly a miss for me personally.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Beach Reads, Fantasy, LGBTQIA

Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea was a whimsical, magical, lovely tale about found family and accepting the largeness within each other. I loved its very clear message of accepting and loving differences in all shapes, forms, and colors. The writing style was fun and bright - I kept waiting for a devastating heartbreak that thankfully never came. This book is wrapped in light.

There was something missing in this book for me that kept it from being 5 stars, and I think that came down to not getting enough interactions within the book to believe the love story portion and also hearing that the inspiration for this book was based on the Native American schools in Canada (I think) in the 1960s. Clearly, the outcome of Native Americans being stripped from their homes and going to live in "orphanage-style" learning facilities had a very different outcome than this story. While I can appreciate TJ Klune wanting to make a happy ending-style story out of a situation like that, it feels a little icky.

I liked the world within this book. I liked its overall message and writing style. This was a beautiful story, for sure, and a great one for Pride Month. Just, I'm not sure how I feel about his inspiration for it.

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Beach Reads, LGBTQIA, Modern Literature

Review: I liked the stories of both of the main characters, but particularly Emilie's story arc. However, I found a lot of the trauma in the beginning of Sara's story felt more shock value-esque than beneficial to the story, which, overall, felt like it was meandering between genres not really sure how to define itself. I liked that it was set in California, that food was a running theme, and that the name of the book tied into this story in multiple ways. I liked the idea of people finding each other again and again at different times/chapters within their lives. It was a sweet concept.

What I wasn't a big fan of mostly comes down to my own preferences. I didn't like snippets of the way it was written with short sentences and with imagery rather than formed sentences (ex. A broken coffee cup. Cracked leather seats.). And, like I said earlier, it felt like the author was trying to fit so much into this while not doing much with all of those plot points. I'm still not sure how to classify this book because of it. A love story? A murder mystery? A story about family dynamics? A work of literary fiction about two people who met a few times in their lives and hooked up? There were a lot of subplots that were never really wrapped up successfully, in my opinion.

You could easily read this book in one sitting. The chapters are long, but there are good breakpoints in each. I think this book had a lot of promise, and I enjoyed reading it overall. I just think it was too ambitious in what it was trying to accomplish and therefore wasn't able to really define itself in what it was. I know this author normally writes children's books, so I commend this first adult novel effort.

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: LGBTQIA, Modern Literature, Metaphysical

Review: I didn't vibe with this writing style/language at all. It was repetitive, sparse, and bizarre. While this book deals heavily with grief and potentially incestuous parent/child relationships, this feels very much geared toward a college-aged audience. Like, College Ashley would have made this book her whole personality because she would have thought it was deep. It had a lot of one-liners and quotables, but it felt like it was trying too hard. That, by saying things simply or in fewer words and prose, it was reaching a bit too far to say something more. It tried to convey complex ideas through restraint as a means of leaving the overall messages open to interpretations that I feel like just come from life experience rather than analyzing or over-analyzing (which is why I think it's geared more toward college-aged people). For example, the main character navigates the death of someone close to them, being in love, questioning life and its purpose, and looking at different people with different life experiences and seeing that they view the world differently based on those experiences.

Like, again, some of these things would have been a big deal to me in high school or the beginning of college. But not now. It talks about existential ideas, but it just didn't hit the mark in how it was executed for me.

I'm sure (and know) that this book will resonate with a lot of people. It just didn't resonate at all with me. When you talk about her father (and the universe) ejaculating its spirit into the MC, and then her literally turning into a leaf on a tree, I have a hard time following that. A short book I probably should have stopped reading, but I got through it within a couple hours.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: All-time Favorites, Beach Reads, LGBTQIA, Modern Literature

Review: I loved this book. At times, it felt a little slow because this is 100% character-driven, but the heart in it far outweighed any pacing for me. The Guncle was delightful, witty, heartwarming, touching, charming. All the things. It discusses fairly heavy topics with very dry humor (especially in the beginning), but then gets to the core of them toward the end of the story.

I laughed a lot while reading this. I also cried. And I absolutely loved the characters. I thought this book did a really great job of showing the multiple ways people can navigate grief, both healthily and unhealthily. I liked its messages involving acceptance and self-love, friendship, and family dynamics. Overall, a book I really enjoyed and would recommend. It won't be for everyone, by far, but if it sounds interesting to you, I say read it.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: Fantasy, Favorites, Young Adult

Review: Honestly, the only thing I wasn't entirely convinced on was the romance subplot. Everything else? Mostly perfection.

This story is so rich in world building and characterization that I was fully immersed in it the whole time. It's plot-driven. I liked the premise of the story. I liked the ways the story played out. It held my interest the majority of the time, even if the love story bored me somewhat. I thought the characters were written really well with people from literally all cultural backgrounds being represented, and I loved seeing African culture so strongly written here as the center of this world. It truly is a stunning work of storytelling.

For a young adult fantasy fiction, I really liked how nonchalantly sexuality was dealt with in regards to whether a person was heterosexual, bi, gay, asexual, etc. I thought that was healthy and simple, and perfect for allowing a young adult reading this to treat sexuality as just another thing about you like the color of your eyes or hair.

Overall, a huge fan of Raybearer. I will definitely aim to read Redemptor sometime in the near future!

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA

Review: This was a sexy, character-driven historical fiction that was written really well! I enjoyed that it was set in 1940s NYC in the theatre scene. It was salacious, sultry, and twisting. Not graphic in its sexual detail, but sexy. You know? Could I see what was coming? Was it a bit predictable? Sure. Did it feel a bit long? Yeah, especially in the last half. But it was a mostly fun read!

The style of this book is written as a letter to a daughter of a man the main character was somehow involved with. I will say, that was the only letdown. That the person this whole thing is supposed to tie back to has such a small window within this 466-page novel. However, who the person ends up being makes sense (to a degree) why so much background was given. I mean, it's a novel after all.

But I enjoyed the characters and the message on femininity--our MC is a person who is owning her sexuality both with her partners and with the way she dresses. I enjoyed that this book spanned beyond WWII and into NYC in the 50s and 60s as well (although less so). I also liked that this book explored the theme of someone being a good person while still doing bad things/making mistakes.

This was probably my favorite thing from Elizabeth Gilbert that I've read so far! She really is a master of words, even if, at times, this one got a bit long-winded.

The Tea Dragon Society #1 by Kay O'Neill

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: All-time Favorites, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA, Young Adult

Review: I think the only thing I wish was that there was more of it: more backstory on Minette, more story in general about Hesekiel and Erik, more story on Greta and her family. This is the cutest little fantasy graphic novel I think I've ever read. Make sure to not skip out on the handbook pages at the end because they explain the different types of tea dragons.

The Tea Dragon Society discusses so much while being so wholesome. I'm kind of obsessed with it. I read it in a matter of minutes, and adored that it taught everything from acceptance of others to discovering your passions and interests. It had LGBTQIA+ characters/themes, it discussed societal trades and craftsmanship, and talked about caring for each other (and the cute lil tea dragons).

If cottagecore were a book, or a graphic novel more specifically, it would be this one. Beautifully illustrated with a creative world and an equally beautiful message. So stinkin' cute, I can't get it out of my head. I can't wait to read the other two in the series. (Spoilers: I did.)

The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Kay O'Neill

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Shelves: All-time Favorites, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA, Young Adult

Review: I wanted a little bit more background on past characters from the first one and, in a way, I got it. We follow Rinn, who is Erik's "nibling", as they are trying to figure out if they want to apprentice under the village cook. Rinn is talented at foraging and comes across an actual dragon who had fallen asleep over 80 years ago. Together, they forge a touching friendship.

The diversity, the cuteness, the acceptance, and the love that were in the first are all here in the second one. It is still such a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with another wonderful message that pretty much anyone can take something from. This one really focuses on natural talents and gifts surrounding Rinn and their purpose.

It's lovely. I'm sure the third book will be equally beautiful.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) by Kay O'Neill

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: All-time Favorites, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, LGBTQIA, Young Adult

Review: "Everything that happens is part of your wholeness."

The third and final installment of the Tea Dragon series picks up a little over a year after the first book, and it focuses a lot on Minette's journey of finding peace with where she is (physically, emotionally, mentally). There are so many good things about this book. It deals very heavily with purpose--finding it, asking questions when you feel like that might be changing, acceptance of one's place in life--and grief from loss of loved ones to loss of capabilities.

The idea of tea leaves holding memories (from the first book) comes into play a lot here in very special ways. Loving others and letting them have the space they need to heal and grow while also showing them support is another topic it discusses. I mean, for being a children's book, this series really does encompass a lot of tough topics in really beautiful ways. 100% glad that I read this. It'll be a series I won't forget anytime soon.

Did Not Finish

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Rating: N/A

Shelves: Classic Literature, D-N-F

Review: I think trying to read this at the same time as City of Girls was a mistake. Both deal with NYC, only roughly 30 years apart, and both have main characters living life in excess. The difference between them is I actually liked the main character from City of Girls, whereas I didn't care at all about the main character here.

I read the plot on Wikipedia, and while this might be a book I come back to far in the future, it's just not something I'm interested in now. Also, knowing how closely this parallels to Fitzgerald's own crazy life makes this even more of a bummer to read. So, DNF for now. Maybe return to it later in life.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Rating: N/A

Shelves: Book Club, D-N-F

Review: I can't. This was a book club pick, but at pg. 133, I can't continue reading it.

I don't believe any of it, none of it feels authentic. The characters are annoying. Their emotions and actions are too much, and the dialogue is so vapid, it hurts. The same issues with her writing style that I had with It Ends With Us show up in this one too. So, I gave it an honest try, but I just don't like it. And I don't care to see how it ends.