June 2018: Recap + On My Shelves

June 2018: Recap + On My Shelves

• Jul 6, 2018

Hello, summer! We've had summer temps in Georgia for a while now, but I was excited to officially welcome the season in June. We spent most of the month playing outside, and I expect more of the same in July.

1. Sweet Treats in the Summer Sun – It was hard to choose photos from June because I probably have a hundred of the same thing: playing in the backyard. We spent most of our time digging in the dirt and playing in the pool! But I liked this photo from one of our ice cream dates after visiting the library, a small moment that's still so special.

2. Shopping and Snacking Solo – Nick was traveling a lot in June, so it was extra sweet to have an entire afternoon to myself once he was home. I went shopping, listened to my music extra loud in the car, and got to read my book while treating myself to a little something at a local bakery. I savored every moment!

3. Creating a Happy Planner Instagram – The craziest thing I did in June was create a planner-focused Instagram with Kelly! Our name, @youremyplannerperson, was inspired by our favorite friendship from Grey's Anatomy. It's been fun to participate in that community and find other people who are obsessed with all things Happy Planner. 

4. My First Readathon – I don't think I've ever participated in a readathon before, but I couldn't resist when I saw a number of bookstagrammers talking about #8intwo hosted by @25infive. The goal of the readathon is to read for a total of 8 hours over the span of two days. It took focus, but it was so fun to participate and be successful! 

Read 22 Books | Favorites:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE.
You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night
because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days.
FINE is what you say.”
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

“He’s twelve years old, and this summer he learns that people will always
choose a simple lie over a complicated truth, because the lie has one unbeatable advantage:
 the truth always has to stick to what actually happened,
whereas the lie just has to be easy to believe.”
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

“How did one not obsess over something wonderful?
How did one like something a reasonable amount?”
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

 “If you want a child to know the truth, tell him the truth.
If you want a child to love the truth, tell him a story.”
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

“I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

“We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and,
depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited.”
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

“We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection.
 But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer.
Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to.”
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

June was a slightly slower blogging month for me, but I was still able to meet my goal of 8 posts for the month. My first post was my May 2018 Recap, as is usually the case, and I chatted about nine books in my May 2018 Quick Lit post. Even when I don't have my blogging mojo, I can make those two posts happen!

I shared four longer reviews for books that I absolutely loved: Making Up by Lucy Parker, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, and then Beartown and Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. 

Since we're halfway through the year, I decided to share the ten best books I've read so far this year. It's always been one of my favorite posts to write, especially because it's fun to see how it compares to my final list in December. I can't wait to see what stays on the list and what new favorites steal a spot!

And finally, my favorite post I shared was Check Your Neck: My Thyroid Cancer Story. I was diagnosed two years ago, and I've been meaning to write this post ever since. If you only read one thing I posted in June, I hope it's that one – mostly just because I want you to know it's important to regularly check your neck.

1. Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Travel Books That Aren't Travel Books by Kelly from Belle of the Literati – YAY, KELLY IS BACK! This wasn't her first post in June, but it was my favorite. I love when she chats about books that inspire her to explore the world, especially since she's #travelgoals. I'm ready to pack my bags!

2. 6 Strategies to Get Out of Your Reading Rut by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy – Who hasn't been in a reading rut before?! I've definitely had seasons where I just can't seem to find my reading mojo, though lately I've had the opposite problem and need to step away from the books. Ha! This post had lots of great ideas in it!

3. Why I Love Family Storytelling (+ Why It Matters) by Janssen from Everyday Reading – I'm generally not a fan of sponsored posts, but I was surprised when I realized this was one because it read like a personal discussion. I haven't looked into this app yet, but I saved the post to dig deeper into the idea of family storytelling.

Favorite Song: "2002" by Anne-Marie
I didn't listen to very much music this month because I was too busy catching up on podcasts,
but this song was on repeat for most of the month. It took me back to middle school!

Favorite Audiobook: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
narrated by Elizabeth Evans
Technically, this is the only audiobook I listened to in June. But I loved it, so it still counts!
I thoroughly enjoyed my audio re-read of this series and can't wait for the final book later this year.

Queer Eye, Season 2, starring Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk, and Karamo Brown – It just so happened that my son spent the night at my parents house on the day this season was released, so I got to binge it. I intended to get things done with my alone time, but the Fab 5 took priority. No regrets!

Set It Up (2018) starring Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs – I was so excited for this movie when I first saw the trailer on Netflix, but it still managed to surpass my expectations. This is the romantic comedy I've been craving, and I foresee so many rewatches in my future. Funny, adorable, and perfectly cast!

Ocean's 8 (2018) starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter and Awkwafina – This was a fun heist movie with a great cast, though not a fave. Nick and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't something that I'd watch again. It felt long at times!

Jane the Virgin, Season 4, starring Gina Rodriguez – I got so behind on this season of Jane the Virgin that I decided to wait for it to hit Netflix to catch up. That was such a good decision! I laughed, teared up, and felt my jaw drop. I love this show so much, and I am DYING to see what will happen after that finale. 

The Kissing Booth (2018) starring Joey King, Joel Courtney and Jacob Elordi – This was... not good. I'm a sucker for teen movies, so I kept watching, but yikes. It was so cheesy, the acting wasn't great, and I had major issues with the relationship. Being jealous and controlling isn't attractive and doesn't need to be romanticized. 

Ibiza (2018) starring Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson – This movie was so weird! I laughed at a few scenes/lines, but I didn't really like it overall. It was so raunchy, lacked direction, and felt like it lasted forever. And I don't like seeing a grown woman would act this way for someone she's talked to once.

Irreplaceable You (2018) starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Michael Huisman – The premise of this is basically plot of Before I Go by Colleen Oakley, though the movie isn't based on the book. I didn't like the movie very much because I just had no emotional investment, despite the incredibly sad subject matter. So forgettable. 

Jane Eyre (2011) starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender – I've only seen this once or twice since it came out seven years ago, but it was on my mind after a book I read in June reminded me of Jane Eyre. I chose to cheat and watch the movie instead of reading the book, and I love this adaptation.

Pre-Ordered: Us Against You by Fredrik Backman and Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Audible: My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

For Review: The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting and Marilla of Green Gables  by Sarah McCoy

NetGalley: Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade and The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory