All the Books I Read in June and What I Thought of Them

This month, I read eight books, although I only reviewed four of them on my blog because I am experiencing an inability to have substantial opinions of books. These books varied in quality, length, and the degree to which I had an opinion of them.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read this book, I enjoyed it, and it was a good time. I think it's about death. 

The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman 

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a very poignant book about the Holocaust and trauma. It has mice in it. It is not a book that Tennessee school boards, or really anyone, should be banning.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Sister, the Serial Killer is the best example I have read of a very niche genre that I'd like to read more of: crime sisters doing crime. The other entry into this genre is Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi, although that is a very different type of crime sisters. I love this genre. I support fictional women breaking the law. Extortion is profitable, you know? This was just a very fun book all around.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In my review of this book, I had an explanation for why I liked it, but that was all a lie. I don't know why I love this book, but I do. 

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read Radio Silence because I love Heartstopper! Radio Silence is similar in quality to Heartstopper. I don't normally enjoy books about normal teenagers with normal teenage problems (i.e. I don't care for realistic fiction), but Radio Silence is the exception, I guess. This book was remarkably realistic. It felt like Frances and Aled were real people. It was long, but it didn't feel long. It felt like I was watching two actual teenagers live their actual lives.

Aled's podcast is a very cool concept. I would consider listening to this podcast. The ending of this book was a little rushed and tied things up too nicely. The ending was, however, only about 5% of the book (because it was rushed).

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I did not read this book expecting a literary masterpiece, which is good, because it was not a literary masterpiece. It was fun. I had a good time. It was, however, every trope I dislike thrown together. I didn't care for any character except the protagonist's friend Malcolm, an icon.

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This book is actually a novella and an unrelated short story. I did not realize the short story was a different entity until I was well into it. So that's fun.

I didn't understand the novella at all. I understood, like, the plot. I think I'm missing something. I'm going to read reddit posts about this book and then I'll probably reread it because it's so short. I loved the short story. I am going to reread the short story because I liked it so much.

Women and Power by Mary Beard

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read this book because I love Mary Beard. I follow her on twitter and you should too. Ordinarily I am opposed to lectures printed as books, but I would forgive Mary Beard a great deal, including this. This is a fun short book about how women in ancient Greece and Rome were not allowed to talk, and how public speaking was inextricably tied up with masculinity. It's also about the misogyny women still face in the public sphere. I'm not sure how well Mary Beard connects these two themes, but I don't care because—again—I love Mary Beard.