Hello!
I’m currently on my summer break, and I have been attempting to read more and relax before I go back to work.
While I have not read much this past month, the books I have read have interested me in different ways.
From the history of the English dictionary to a somewhat hidden Stephen King novel, I unearthed new information throughout my readings this month.
With that update out of the way, let’s get to the books I read in June!
I hope you find a new read from this list!
Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Summary:
Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their flat, she has to move miles away from everyone, to a sleepy little seaside resort in Cornwall, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.
And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . . And people start to hear about it.
Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.
Review:
I try not to read romance books as they are not ones that I find enjoyable. However, for my reading challenge, I needed to read a book with a sweet on the cover, and I chose this one due to my interest in Jenny Colgan. I have read and enjoyed her books before, and this one was no exception.
While it had a slow start, once she settled on the little island to start anew, I was hooked. I constantly wanted to read it, and I was reluctant to put it down.
The only negative was some of the side characters who were too eccentric at times to fully make their scenes enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary:
The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary — and literary history. The compilation of the OED, begun in 1857, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.
Review:
I never knew all the drama that surrounded the creation of the Oxford Dictionary, but now I do. This was an interesting read that included a lot more death than expected. This is a good read for anyone who wants to learn more about the creation of one of the most complete English dictionaries.
Rating:
Summary:
Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.
Review:
For LGBTQ+ Pride month, I decided to read Elliot Page’s memoir. He starred in a lot of my favorite movies, and I wanted to learn more about him and his journey.
Unfortunately, while I never want to negatively review a memoir on someone’s life, I did not enjoy reading/listening to this book. When it comes to a memoir, I prefer if it’s in chronological order, and this was not. It wasn’t even in thematic order where it focuses on the different stages of his discovery of who he is.
Not only this, while I understand their sexual relationships helped to define what their sexuality was and eventually their gender, I did not appreciate every five minutes hearing a graphic description of their sex life.
I admire Elliot for their bravery in being their authentic self, but I’ll stick to their interviews from now on.
Rating:
Thinner by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Summary:
Billy Halleck commits vehicular homicide when his lack of attention to driving results in the death of an old lady on the street. Overweight Halleck is a lawyer with connections, though, and gets off with a slap on the wrist. After his trial, a gypsy curses him with a single word, “Thinner.” Halleck begins to lose weight uncontrollably and must pursue the band of gypsies who are responsible for his dwindling condition.
Review:
The last book that Stephen King wrote as his pseudonym showed a merging of the books he wrote as Richard Bachman and as King.
This book included some of the classic staples that you would see in a typical King novel (Maine included), and the supernatural elements are weaved into the story in a realistic manner.
While the plot had an interesting concept, there were some things that either seemed unrealistic or slowly paced.
For example, the main character is cursed to lose weight at a drastic rate. This initially seems like a good thing because of how obese and overweight he is described. In my experience, I expected him to weigh at least in the 300s, but he starts off around 250 or lower. By the time he gets to 130 pounds he is seen as nothing but skin and bones.
Overall, I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but it began to slow down toward the middle, and it was hard to re-engage by the end of the book.
Rating:
Luna's Literary Corner 