Sydney Reads and Reads: June

With travel re-entering the picture (not to mention recovering from travel), my reading life really slowed down in June. I'll be honest and say sometimes this causes me to panic, thinking about the record-breaking pace I kept earlier in the year and all the books I'm missing out on. But I'm trying to use this time to restructure my reading routine to fit this season of life I'm in now, and if that means fewer books, at least I can enjoy and savor those I'm able to pick up. 

I've had Metropolitan Stories, by Christine Coulson, on a stack by my desk since last December, but as soon as I booked my flights to New York, it shot right to the top of my TBR.

Coulson uses her years working at The Met as inspiration for a collection of interconnected short stories depicting life behind the scenes at one of the world's most renowned museums. What if there were underground passageways that allowed you to travel across space and time to visit the Met's infamous Egyptian dig in real-time? Or, what happens when two Met guards form a romantic relationship? Coulson clues us into all of this and more.

The first half of this book was tough for me to get through. The stories didn't seem connected, and it was hard to find my rhythm. But as soon as the pieces started to fall into place, the second half flew by!

 

Not only did I get to take my copy of Metropolitan Stories to enjoy while outside the museum, but I also got to make a stop at The Drama Bookshop on its grand re-opening weekend! 

While my jaw was on the floor, I managed to pick up a copy of A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqir and Aunt Jack by PLAYWRIGHT. They're both still sitting on the TBR, but I think I'm going to pick up A Little Devin in America in August.

Anna K: Away, by Jenny Lee, much like its predecessor, is charming, fun, and a breath of fresh air to read. I enjoyed seeing Anna in South Korea, meeting new friends, and experiencing anonymous internet celebrity. While Stephen stayed in New York, Lolly was off at Interlochen, and Bea shared her first true love. The culmination of everyone in the Hamptons over Labor Day brought an air of the mystery/thriller genre that was unexpected and satisfying.

On another note, Anna K: Away was also the first book I'd sat reading in a waiting room since probably 2019, and that felt worth documenting.

My Virgin River binge continued in June, taking me through Redwood Bend, Sunrise Point, and My Kind of Christmas. All that's left now is Return to Virgin River, and I will be left in an audiobook void. HELP!

What did you all read in June? Did anyone pick up any fun or informative titles for Pride? Let me know! - xo Sydney