June 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hi, everyone!

Well, June was only four books, but who is counting???

I have listened to my first audiobook that I was interested in reading for the first time in a long time. I hope that many more audiobooks are in my future!

June's overall scores improved over May with a score of 4.5-starred books. Yes, I did have a 5.0-starred book – it was an excellent audiobook!

 

2^nd ANNUAL “booksbydorothea” BEST BOOKS OF 2024:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) 5 stars

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (February) 5 stars

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) 5 stars

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood (April) 5 stars

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) 4.5 stars

The Friday Afternoon Club (June) 5.0 stars (audiobook)

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

For 2024, my goal will be 100 from the very start!!! As of 06/30/2024, I have read 46 books, or 46% of my goal.

 

JUNE 2024 STATISTICS:

4 total books

3 e-books; 1 audiobook; 0 physical books

1 book was an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

3 books were library books

0 books were purchased

0 books were an Amazon First Reads

0 books were a Book Club Girl

 

Audio listening time in June:  12 hours, 19 minutes

Pages read in June:  912 pages

Average review rating: 4.50 stars

 

JUNE BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star book (1)

The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (audiobook) LINK

 

4.5-star books (2)

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelley (ebook) LINK

The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan (ebook) LINK

4.0-star book (1)

The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan (ebook) LINK

  

3.5-star book (0)

 

3.0-star book (0)

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each ebook or audiobook next to the book title and author. Click on the specific book link to get to that book review!! 

 

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For more information about my book ratings, you can find out more at this LINK.

 

 

My next audiobook is...

 The Most Human by Adam Nimoy (audiobook)

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜

DNF - Just Add Water (audiobook)

 Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky (audiobook)

I will not be finishing this book. I have listened to 26%, and it isn't that interesting. 

If you are into swimming statistics and are a big fan of USA swimming, this book is for you. 

This memoir didn't work for me which doesn't mean it won't work for you! 

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 

Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Friday Afternoon Club (audiobook)

 The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

I remember hearing the horrific story of the murder of Dominique Dunne when I was a senior in college. During the late 70s/80s, Los Angeles was "crime central" so I was concerned about what had happened. I was shocked to learn that Dominique was murdered by her boyfriend. I felt so sad for her and her family. 

Griffin Dunne, Dominique's older brother, tells the story of the Dunne family before/after Dominique's death. It is a real, raw story of a dysfunctional American family. 

One caveat, this is a real and raw story with lots of sexual scenes, drinking to excess, drug usage, and murder details. If that bothers you, please do not read this book. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Griffin writes beautifully. He is a strong writer who wrote about personal and intimate events in his family. He writes with "Irish dark humor", but handles the murder of his beloved sister with grace and love. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was wonderful. Griffin has a nice voice for narration and tells the story of his family with the perfect amount of inflection, feeling, and emotion. 

Character Arc: 5.0 stars

The audiobook is basically told chronologically in two parts - before/after the murder of Dominique Dunne. As someone whose paternal grandmother was murdered in 1939, I could viscerally understand the horror that the Dunne family lived through, unfortunately.

Griffin writes about the good, bad, and ugly in his family. There was mental illness, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, sexual issues, and the murder of a daughter/sister. But, there was the beauty of a family that rallied around a mother with MS, supported a sister after her death during the trial of her murderer, and loved each other deeply. This was a tortured family who survived it all with love.  

Memorable:  5.0 stars

Griffin struggled with dyslexia which was not fully understood in the 60s and 70s. It made me understand my own struggles with depression and how children are sometimes not diagnosed properly. 

The large Dunne family loved one another deeply but had their own issues. They all reconciled in the end which is my hope for my dysfunctional family. It gave me hope!

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

It was so entertaining! I love the friendship with Carrie Fisher stories and the "Santa Claus" story.  

Book cover: 5.0 stars

A perfect family portrait.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

On point! 

STRONG recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne

Penguin Audio

12 hours, 19 minutes

Release date of 6/11/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Griffin Dunne

My Goodreads review

Penguin Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Lost Kingdom by Julia Flynn Siler (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Marriage Sabbatical (ebook)

 The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the fifth novel by Lian Dolan that I have read. I enjoy her books because they are just so escapist and light!! This novel is about a couple taking a "marriage sabbatical" in separate places for about a year.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The author writes in an accessible and easy-to-read style. I like her writing because it is descriptive without being heavy-handed. 

Character development: 4.0 stars

The two main characters are Nicole and Jason, a married couple with adult children. 

The secondary characters are the friends they meet on their "marriage sabbatical", friends from home, coworkers, and family.  

The tertiary character is the "marriage sabbatical" itself. It is a HUGE part of the storyline. 

Storyline:  4.0 stars

The storyline begins with Jason taking a year-long sabbatical from work. Jason goes to Argentina and Nicole goes to Santa Fe. They agree to a "marriage sabbatical" allowing them to have relationships with other partners during Jason's sabbatical. I didn't find the storyline to be believable, especially the ending. It just didn't work for me. 

The main locations were Portland, Oregon; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Patagonia, Argentina.  

Memorable/Informative:  4.0 stars

I enjoyed learning about what makes Portland and Santa Fe tick as cities! 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Nice.

Book title: 4.0 stars 

Appropriate.  

DEFINITE recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (ebook)

The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan 

288 pages 

William Morrow

Release date of 4/2/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lian Dolan

My Goodreads review

William Morrow

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Bookshop Ladies (ebook)

 

The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan

OVERVIEW

This is the fourth book by Faith Hogan that I have read and the fourth book in the Ballycove series. The Ballycover series are books about a fictional village in coastal western Ireland. 

Reading Faith's books has made me put Ireland higher on my bucket list! I know that Ballycover doesn't exist, but there are similar towns to visit!

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Faith writes so beautifully that I overlook the time flying by. I actually inhaled this lovely book. It was just what I needed after a few weeks of personal drama. The author's writing is so easy and yet so descriptive. I love her writing so very much!

The descriptions of Ireland, the people, and the community make the Ballycove books so brilliant! 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Fern, Robyn, and Joy. Fern is Robyn's mom, Robyn is the owner of a small bookshop, and Joy is the widow of Robyn's biological father. Yes, it is a complicated story, but it is what real life is like!! It is messy!!

The secondary characters are the relatives and friends who mainly live in the village of Ballycove. 

The tertiary character is Ballycove. The novel would not work anywhere else in the world, but Ballycove.  

Storyline:  4.5 stars

This book is simple. A husband makes a deathbed confession about a secret daughter to his wife and leaves a valuable painting to the daughter in his will. The widow decides to deliver it personally which sets off the chain of events that create this sweet novel.

The main location was primarily the fictional Ballycove, Ireland. 

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

I love learning about Ireland from the Irish language to the rich culture and the amazing people. 

One of the characters says (paraphrasing), "All Americans have a little Irish in them". This is true as I am 11% Irish!!

Book cover: 4.5 stars

So beautiful.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Lovely.  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

LAPL library borrow (ebook)

The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan

304 pages 

Aria

Release date of 6/20/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Faith Hogan

My Goodreads review

Aria

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan

 

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜