June was a great reading month. I definitely moved out my desire for lighter fiction this month! I finished my typical eleven books, and most of them were quite good. I read six books in print and five in digital format. There were a few real standouts, a few that were solid 4 stars, and a few that were good, but had issues that knocked the star rating down a bit. This post is a long one, so grab a cup of tea or coffee and settle in. Let's see what we have:

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a contender for one of the best books I have read this year. It is an epistolary book, but whereas most books of this type involve correspondence between just two people, in this book, we meet Sybil Van Antwerp, who writes to everyone. Everyday. To people she knows and people she does not know. By the end of the book, we feel as if we know Sybil very completely. She writes to her brother, her best friend, a young man she is mentoring, the president of a university who refuses to let her audit a class, to authors such as Larry McMurtry and Ann Patchett, to a stalker, and one letter that she never sends. Sybil, now in her 70s, has led a full life as a distinguished lawyer, a mother, a wife, and a divorcee. Sybil writes, not just to communicate with others, but to put her life on the page and make sense of it. Sybil has long been set in her ways, but as she writes, we learn of her recent diagnosis and her need to open up to others and ask for help in her future. This book is about forgiving others and, most importantly, forgiving oneself. This book is just about perfect in the way Sybil's character is so thoroughly developed for the reader through her correspondence. Read it. 5 stars

The Entire Sky by Joe Wilkins is American fiction at its best. Set in rural Wyoming, we meet Rene Bouchard, a retired rancher, who is grieving the recent loss of his wife. He and his estranged daughter Lianne are struggling to figure out their strained relationship. Meanwhile, in Seattle, a young man named Justin, in an act of violence, breaks free from years of abuse from his cruel uncle. Justin tries to make it on his own as a runaway and ends up on Rene's sheep ranch in Wyoming. Rene and Lianne take the boy in, and for the first time, fifteen-year-old Justin feels what it is like to have a family. Unfortunately, his past catches up with him, jeopardizing the home he has come to think of as his own. With lyrical prose and vivid Montana landscapes, the novel explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the redemptive power of chosen family. This book left me with tears streaming down my face and my worried husband asking, "Are you ok? Can you talk about it?" It took 24 hours for me to recover, but I have thought of this book constantly and did have a very deep discussion with my husband on the topic of the deterioration of the American family and young men who are the targets of abuse. 5 stars

Stoner by John Williams was published in 1965 to little fanfare, but has come to take its place as an impressive example of American fiction. William Stoner was born at the end of the nineteenth century as the son of a poor Missouri farm family. William does well in school and is offered a scholarship to college. He accepts and enters as a student of agriculture, with the plan being that he will return to his father's farm and run it. However, he discovers a passion for literature and adopts the life of a scholar, abandoning the Ag major. He is hired as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri and begins his career. The novel follows Stoner’s modest academic career and his emotionally restrained personal life, including a loveless marriage, a strained relationship with his daughter, and professional conflicts with colleagues. Despite these hardships, Stoner remains devoted to his work and his principles. The novel offers a profound meditation on the dignity of an unremarkable life, the quiet strength found in perseverance, and the solace literature provides in the face of disappointment. Through spare, elegant prose, Williams captures the inner life of a man whose outward existence may seem ordinary but is marked by deep introspection and quiet resilience. Stoner is a poignant tribute to the value of personal integrity and intellectual passion. This was so much more than a "we live a life of misery and then we die" kind of book. I was frustrated at times with Stoner's seeming passivity, but was moved by his stoicism. This book will provoke discussions on existentialism. 4.75 stars

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb is the long-awaited novel by this best-selling author. Let me say off the bat that the subject matter of this book will not be for everyone. If you are a sensitive reader, you may want to give this book a pass. The setup is that our main character, Colby Ledbetter, is struggling. He is a new dad, has recently lost his job, and is falling under the influence of alcohol and pills. His marriage is in trouble, and then he commits a tragic and possibly unforgivable act that sends his life over the edge. He is sentenced to three years in prison, where he witnesses unthinkable brutality and cruelty, as well as compassion. Colby is fundamentally a decent person, but the question is, can others forgive you if you cannot forgive yourself? The writing is good, and the subject matter is thought-provoking. This book was hard to read and ultimately quite depressing. I am giving it a very conflicted 4 star rating. 

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby is the third book I have read by this author. The thing you need to know about S.A. Cosby is that his books are violent. Very violent. That being said, they are plot-driven, propulsive reads with characters that will stay in your mind. I have read some descriptions of "King of Ashes" where it is described as a Black "Godfather" kind of book. This book is gritty and very, very dark. The book is set against the backdrop of a family-run crematorium. Roman, a successful financial whiz, comes home after his father is in a car accident that may not really be an accident. He discovers his younger brother Dante has gotten into deep trouble with local Black drug lords (horrendous villains) and has put the entire family in jeopardy. Roman steps in to protect his family and infiltrates the drug kingpin's organization as a financial advisor. In order to save his family, he commits morally wrong acts. The novel raises the question, "How far would you go to protect those you love?" The book is dark and stressful to read. I was drained by the end of it. Why did I stick with it? It was a dynamic, gripping story, and I couldn't put it down. This author writes about what pain does to people in the style of a Greek tragedy. 4 stars 

The All of It by Jeanette Haien was written back in 1986 and is only 145 pages long. Set in 1950s Ireland, it is the simple story of a parishioner confiding in her priest. Only the story isn't so simple. Her confession brings up a moral dilemma for the priest as well as the reader. Enda and Father Declan are sitting together, waiting for mourners to arrive at the wake of Enda's lifelong companion, Kevin. The main focus of the book is Enda's confession to Father Declan, which causes him to examine his own inner conflicts. The other half of the story is a monumental salmon fishing drama which takes place the day after the confession, where Father Declan wrestles with his conscience. It is a short story of redemption and forgiveness, and would be an interesting choice for a book club. 4 stars

Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is the second collection of short stories by this author, who, honestly, has been hit or miss for me. I did really enjoy this collection, however. The stories have a connecting theme of identity and self-perception, gender/power dynamics, relationships, and reflection. Many of the stories are very contemporary in that they comment on current events in a satirical manner. The characters are often looking back at the wisdom of their past decisions and paths not taken, a theme that appeals to me. Topics of a few of the stories are "the Mike Pence rule", a woman confronting her high school bully, and a woman disgraced publicly on YouTube when a video of her "Karening" goes viral. 4 stars

Murder at Gull's Nest by Jess Kidd is the first in a new cozy mystery series that many of you are going to love. Set in 1954, in a seaside town in Kent, former nun Nora Breen searches for answers when her pen pal goes missing. Nora has asked to be released from her vows when her friend's letters stop. Nora hides her identity and attempts to make a fresh start in the town while she pries into the lives of her fellow guests at The Gull's Nest hotel. Of course, everyone is keeping secrets in this enjoyable cozy mystery. I will definitely look for the next one in the series. 3.75 stars

The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony examines the Women's Liberation movement in Ireland, which was behind America by a good 50 years. In 1970, contraception was strictly forbidden in Ireland. This had profound effects on women's lives in that, having no control over their reproductive lives, they often had large numbers of children consecutively at a great cost to their health. It was also a financial drain on families to have so many mouths to feed. Complications from repeated pregnancies, miscarriages, or unsafe methods of preventing pregnancy were common. Married women were also denied employment, which prevented them from pursuing education or careers. The ban became a lightning rod for the emerging women’s movement in Ireland. The 1971 “Contraceptive Train” protest—where a group of women traveled to Belfast to openly buy contraceptives and return with them—was a key moment of resistance. It drew public attention to the hypocrisy and hardship caused by the law. This book brings the times to life as we explore the stories of Maura and Bernie, two women who bonded together in their need for societal change. 4 stars

The Compound by Aisling Rawle is set in a near-dystopian future where contestants on a reality show are competing for prizes and to be the last one left on the compound. I thought it was going to be a light and frivolous read, but it soon took on a much darker tone. Think “Love Island” meets “Lord of the Flies”. The contestants are all competing in the show while cameras monitor their every move, and vie against each other for prizes, some of which are personal rewards and others that are necessary for their survival as a group. As relationships deepen, the show’s producers escalate the challenges, forcing contestants through increasingly cruel, even dangerous trials that blur the line between entertainment and survival. The book shows the dark side of reality TV shows, such as unrealistic beauty standards, body image comparisons, lack of diversity, exploitation, overconsumption, and the lengths one will go to for fame and materialistic items. 3.75 stars

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerierri is a book where our main character, Leah, struggles with the life she has vs the life she had planned for. Leah's artistic aspirations have been sidelined by an unexpected pregnancy and marriage to Lucas. As the years go by, Leah finds herself with three children, an overbearing mother-in-law, and increasing resentment over her situation. Out of practical solutions, she turns to drinking with predictable disastrous results. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I found the story derivative of many others like it, and too much emphasis on petty family drama and not enough focus on addiction and recovery. 2.5 stars

I know that was a lot to take in! Please let me know if you have read any of these books and if you agree with my assessments!