Monthly Reads: June

July already. Wow; time flies. Here’s to the month of June and its reading, full of sunshine and good books.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Genre: French Literature

Talk about a long book! I loved it, but it took me over a month to listen to it on audiobook. Adventure, romance, questions of justice, vengeance, and mercy. The main character, Edmond Dantes, is worth getting to know.

Blackveil and Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The fourth and fifth novels in the Green Rider series, which I have enjoyed over the last two months. I’m not sure what I think about the fifth and newest installation. The author makes the plot go in an unexpected direction, and the genre of her work becomes steam punk fantasy instead of the traditional fantasy in the rest of the series. The jury is still out—we’ll see what the sixth book brings.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: American Literature

One of my reading rules is that I won’t watch a movie before I’ve read the book. So The Great Gatsby has been on my reading list lately, especially since the recent film. I didn’t read it in high school because I was reading other books (Alexis de Tocqueville, Thomas Aquinas, etc.) I liked it. It’s very classically American, and Fitzgerald makes his readers think.

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

Genre: Historical fiction

This is a retelling of Rahab’s story, the prostitute from Jericho who saves herself and her family by choosing to follow the Hebrew God instead of the idol Baal. I liked Tessa’s book; it’s pretty accurate both to the historical setting, and to the Bible’s account of the events. She tells the story well and makes it entertaining and moving.

Phantastes by George MacDonald

Genre: Fantasy, Literature

I’ve wanted to read some George MacDonald for a while now, because he influenced both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. All three writers share the same philosophy of fairy tales. This book was well worth the time. It’s a fairy tale for grown-ups, and also acts as an allegory for the Christian walk. A very impressive little book.

Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins

Genre: Historical fiction

This book was unique because it’s an American colonial book, but it doesn’t take place where all the Revolutionary action was happening at the time—Boston, Philadelphia, New York, etc. Instead, it takes place on the frontier of Virginia, and the main character is an immigrant from Scotland who has to deal with the hostility of the Native Americans. I enjoyed entering the world of the book.

My favorite book from June? It’s a toss-up between Phantastes and The Count of Monte Cristo. Both contain thought-provoking plots, but are also entertaining as fiction.

Question: Did you finish any books in June? If so, which ones? Leave a comment!