Three book spines next to a candle on a gray blanket

Alexis’ June 2024 Wrap Up

Posted on by Anna and Alexis

Alexis: 

I can’t believe it’s already July, but June was a great reading month for me. I went on my summer beach vacation and happily read on the beach. Overall, I read 8 books in June. 

Loved: ⁣

  • A Song to Drown Rivers (ARC) by Ann Liang: See my review for more, but this book destroyed me in the best way. It’s a beautifully written fantasy novel based on the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
  • Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland: See my review for more, but this book was pure fun. It’s a new adult fantasy book where different assassins with unique abilities join together to assassinate the tyrant king.

Really Liked: ⁣

  • Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby: If you’re looking for a thrilling YA sci-fi, this is it. It reminds me a bit of The Darkness Outside Us. It follows 16-year-old Jessica Mathers, who crash-lands on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth. 
  • A Dream of Blood and Magic (ARC)⁣ by Olivia Boothe: If you’re looking for a fun read filled with vampires, witches, a prophecy, and the start of a romance, then this one’s for you. 
  • Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban: Inspired by Semester at Sea, this thrilling new adult thriller and murder mystery had me on the edge of my seat. Set on a ship, it follows Jade as she deals with a mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal. 
  • Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage: This is the second book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series. If you’re looking for a fun cowboy romance series, I really like it! 

Liked: ⁣

  • Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: This was the perfect beach read. It follows Emma, a traveling nurse, as she meets Justin in an unexpected way. This romance book has Jimenez’s usual hard themes mixed in. While I like it and the plot, the romance is lacking a little for me.  
  • Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb: This was my first Robin Hobb read! I know starting with this one is unconventional, but I wanted a pirate read for the beach. I adore the liveships and did like this one, but it’s definitely slow moving and depressing and took me a while to get through. However, I’m looking forward to reading more from Hobb.
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Published by Anna and Alexis

Hello! We're Anna and Alexis, twins from the Richmond, Virginia area. We both studied English and creative writing in college. Anna spent a year after college working in book publishing in New York City. After living outside of D.C., she moved back to the Richmond area. She works in marketing. Her favorite genre to read is literary fiction, especially by female authors, and she also enjoys dystopian novels. Alexis works in marketing and writes novels on the side. She recently finished grad school, where she received her MFA in creative writing. She loves reading fantasy, especially YA, magical realism, and the occasional lyrical fiction and romance. We’ve been reading and writing together as long as we can remember, and we’re excited to share our bookish thoughts with you! Check us out on Instagram @takestwotobookreview.

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