Busy Summer, Loads of Great Reads!

I apologize to anybody that was looking for recommendations since my May reads. I completely failed in posting recommendations, TBR, and my reviews. In my defense, I was crazy busy. My husband declared this the Modlin Revenge Summer Travel Tour, as in...we spent the summer making up for all of the lost travel opportunities in 2020-2021. From our beautiful home base in Colorado, we journeyed to France & Switzerland, and then to Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. We truly enjoyed every moment. I also managed to read and listen to a good number of books. I'll post them below in order read. As always, if you would like the full review, click on the image and you can see my Goodreads review. I happily completed my June Reaching Challenge (though I did need a bit longer to read ALL of the titles), and I read a good mix of genres. You'll find 19 books below: 3 titles earned 4.5 stars, 1 garnered 4.25 stars, 6 earned 4 stars, 5 rang up 3.5 stars, 1 squeaked out 3.4 stars, 1 earned 3 stars, 1 earned 2 stars, and 1 garnered only 1.5 stars. I'd recommend everything over 3.5 stars. As I sit in my serviced apartment in Manila, ruminating over bureaucracy, red tape, my kids' ongoing trauma, and the ensuing therapy bills...compounded by the looming drop-off of my oldest at university...I decided I have to get this list published so that I can start this School Year fresh. I am not sure how strong a month of reading August will be. Historically is it my lowest volume month and so far I've binge-watched an entire season of Below Deck and binge-listened to the entire 20-episode true crime podcast Shandee's Story, so I'm thinking I probably won't finish a bunch of books. But I do have a bunch of travel looming...so maybe I'll redeem myself???

Here we go! JUNE: 11 Books read

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Connection

by Brené Brown

4 stars, Nonfiction/Self-Help (Audible)

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

4 stars, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Pullitzer Prize Winner 2021 (Netgalley)

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

3.5 stars, Memoir, Biographical Novel (Audible)

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

4.5 stars, Historical Fiction (Audible)

Girls Can Kiss Now: Essays by Jill Gutowitz

1.5 stars, Essays (Audible)

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

4 stars, Historical Fiction, Women's Stories, Series (Audible)

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

4 Stars, Fiction, Women's Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction (Netgalley)

Katerina by James Frey

3.4 stars, Fiction (Audible)

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

3.5 Stars, Contemporary Fiction, Asian-American Fiction, Reese's Book Club (Audible)

Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

3.5 stars, Short Stories, Audible

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

4 Stars, Graphic Novel, YA

JULY: 8 Books read

Verity by Colleen Hoover

4.25 stars, Thriller/Mystery (Audible)

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

4.5 stars, Contemporary Fiction (Netgalley)

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

2 stars, Classics, Banned Books, Fiction (Audible)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

4.5 stars, Fiction, Women's Fiction (Audible)

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

3.5 stars, Contemporary Fiction (Audible)

Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

3.5 stars, Historical Fiction, Asian American Fiction, Women's Stories (Audible)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

3.5 stars, Contemporary Fiction, YA

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

4 stars, Memoir (Audible)

As always, I love engaging about books, ideas, self-help, parenting, being a "trailing spouse" and ideas in general. So please reach out if you choose one of the books above (or not). With love and bookmarks. xx