June was a pretty good reading month, though some of what I read was a bit mediocre. I managed five books, though to be fair two of them were very short and I was already halfway through East of Eden at the beginning of the month. :) As always, click on the titles to read my Goodreads reviews!
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. This was a book I'd been wanting to read for at least 10 years now, but I'd always found it too intimidating. I'm so glad I finally picked it up! It was depressing and full of unlikable characters, but I was completely drawn in. This is the kind of book that you don't want to put down, and that you constantly think about even when you're not reading it. I can definitely see why it's considered a classic, and I look forward to reading more Steinbeck!
Stella by Starlight, by Sharon M. Draper. I wanted so badly to love this book! But unfortunately I didn't. The story felt dull and the ending was anticlimactic, and it felt like the writing was dumbed down for kids. Very disappointing.
On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. Mixed feelings about this book! It was a good book, in its way, but it was awkward and uncomfortable to read, and ultimately depressing. I did really like the writing style though, and I thought the story was told in an interesting way.
My Father's Daughter, by Tina Sinatra. Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite singers, and while I knew that his personal life had rough patches...wow. This book was so depressing, mostly due to the fact that apparently his last wife was a horrible person. It was a big mess and Tina really dwells on that here, which took away from the book for me.
The Missing Girl, by Shirley Jackson. I'm a fan of Shirley Jackson, but I didn't really feel that the three short stories in this tiny volume are among her best! I guess it would be a decent introduction though, if you'd never read any of her other work (except The Lottery, which most people seem to have read).
{Just realized I used the word "depressing" to describe three of the five books I read this month, ha.}