The month of June has been filled with many books. In the past year I started listening to books on Audible while running. On top of listening to books, I’ve also been spending a lot more time reading. I used to read a lot, but life gets busy and reading was one thing that was pushed to the side.
In the past few months, I’ve made reading a priority and have really enjoyed the quiet time to myself.
Moving forward, I’m going to start sharing all the books I’ve read within the month at the end of each month. It’s the end of June, so it’s the perfect time to start. This month has been filled with a lot of psychological thrillers with a few romance (Colleen Hoover) mixed in.
Let’s get started with my top 5 books of June:
1. The Island by Adrian McKinty
A family is on vacation in Australia and decides to visit a remote island, despite warnings against it. They end up encountering an unusual family. After an accident occurs, the family is on a mission to escape the island.
While I felt the story line was very unrealistic, the author was able to keep me intrigued and constantly wanting to read “just one more chapter.”
2. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Millie is looking for a job, any job. She is offered a job as a live-in maid in a fancy home with a seemingly perfect couple. Millie soon realizes things aren’t always as great as they seem. The door to her room only locks from the outside and the woman of the home starts to act bizarre.
Wow! This book is phenomenal. There were new twists and surprises in each chapter and the ending was completely unexpected. It was a quick read and I never wanted to stop reading it.
3. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (listened on Audible)
After always being homeschooled, Sky starts attending a public school for the first time in 12th grade. She meets a boy named Dean, who has a very rough past with a less than positive reputation around school. Sky tries to stay away, but a relationship forms. Sky soon learns that Dean is keeping secrets from Sky, secrets that will change Sky forever.
I’m a sucker for all Colleen Hoover books. This book had the usual sweet romance, but also had a bigger story unfolding. The secret Dean was keeping took me by surprise and changed the “happy go lucky” feeling of the book. There are two books that come after this one: Losing Hope and Finding Cinderella. I read Losing Hope, which is a similar story told from Dean’s point of view, but haven’t read Finding Cinderella yet.
4. The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
When Nora was a young girl she always wondered what her father was doing in their locked basement. She had no idea he was killing women. Years later Nora is working as a surgeon, using a different name to hide her identity, and her father is serving many life sentences in prison for his crimes. One day a police detective comes to talk to her at work. He informs her that one of her previous female patients was killed in the exact way her father used to murder women. The police suspect Nora is involved, but Nora is determined to figure out who knows her true identity and is trying to frame her for the murders.
I don’t typically like books that alternate timelines for each chapter, but this one was written perfectly. Each time I thought I had figured out who was framing Nora, a twist came and proved I was wrong. I recently discovered Freida McFadden and can’t wait to read more of her books.
5. The Chain by Adrian McKinity
A simple phone call changes everything. A woman calls Rachel and informs her that her son has been kidnapped. There is only one way she can get her son back. She must pay a ransom and kidnap another child. The caller needs Rachel to follow the directions, because her son has also been kidnapped. The caller’s son will be killed if Rachel doesn’t follow the directions.
I had mixed feelings about this book, but I’m still putting it in my top 5. The storyline seemed very realistic to me, but also terrifying as a mom. The author did a fantastic job maintaining suspense throughout the book. I read this one in less than 24 hours and despite the ominous storyline, I highly recommend it.
Other books read in June:
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover (listened on Audible)
- Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins (listened on Audible)
- The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope
- Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeny
