Monthly Wrap-Up Double Feature: May and June 2017

With all the craziness of the last couple of months, I wasn’t able to post my usual wrap-up at the end of May, so I’m posting now for both May and June. I’m a bit behind on reviews still, but slowly catching up. I had some unexpected health issues that made it impossible for me to read or be on the computer, so you can imagine that brought this whole book review thing to a screaming halt. I did manage to sneak in a couple of audiobooks, but even that was tricky. I’m doing much better these days, and have some fun news to share!

Meet Gabrielle, Our New Contributing Reviewer

For a long time I’ve hoped to share blogging here with a partner or possibly a team of collaborators, but either the people I’ve approached haven’t been interested or the people who have approached me didn’t seem like a good fit. You need a special kind of trust and common purpose to work together on something like a personal review blog, I think.

At any rate, I pretty much decided if it was going to happen it was going to have to be one of those things where God just brings the right person across my path at the right time. And, surprise! He did.

Beginning in July, The Story Sanctuary will have a new contributing reviewer– Gabrielle! Yay!! I’ll let her introduce herself…

Soli Deo Gloria!

I’m Gabrielle Nadig, an author, homeschool graduate, and voracious reader. I love just about everything creative, and desire to use my gifts and talents to glorify God.

Fun Facts:
1. If I could have a superpower, it would either be breathing underwater, or absorbing stories by touch.
2. I am a redhead. And proud of it.
3. My personality flip-flops between ENTP and ENFP.
4. I adore fairytales.
5. I read nearly constantly. I’ve been known to read the phone book when nothing else was available. No joke.

My favorite books:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Check out my blog for reviews and more!

I’m super excited to have Gabrielle on board. Her first review here at The Story Sanctuary, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber will post next week, so check back to see what she thought of the book!

What You Missed in May 2017

	Time Stoppers: Quest for the Golden Arrow by Carrie Jones Review | Amazon | Goodreads This was a silly book– in a good way– about kids with magical abilities who save the day.
	The Falconer by Elizabeth May Review | Amazon | Goodreads Talk about a book that kept me on the edge of my seat! Gah! I actually have the second one in the series now and cannot wait to read it. The story is sort of Jane Austen plus super scary faeries?
	Racial Profiling: Everyday Inequality by Alison Marie Behnke Review | Amazon | Goodreads With everything happening in our culture at present, I wanted a better baseline for understanding this topic. I felt like this was a great resource– really informative, not preachy about any particular position. Definitely recommended.
	Shadow and Thorn by Kenley Davidson Review | Amazon | Goodreads I. Loved. This. Book. I’ve been a huge Kenley Davidson fan since I first read her debut, Traitor’s Masque, but she seriously outdid herself here. Shadow and Thorn is both a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and an origin story. I loved the way she pulled everything together.
	The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia Review | Amazon | Goodreads I met Kami Garcia at ApollyCon in Orlando in March, and it made me even more eager to read this book. I liked the way she blended some different ideas– how Frankie’s perfect pitch became an asset in an unexpected way, the way her friends’ struggles dovetailed with her own issues.
	The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke Review | Amazon | Goodreads I’d had this book on my To Read list for such a long time, and thanks to an ARC reading challenge, I finally finished it. Yay! It took me back to reading The Face on the Milk Carton in some ways, but it’s a completely different story. I liked the unexpected twists.
	Spark by J. M. Hackman Review | Amazon | Goodreads Once in a while I get a review request in my inbox that totally surprises me. I’d never heard of this publisher before, but Spark sounded pretty intriguing, so I gave it a try– and I’m so glad I did. It reminded me a teeny bit of Unblemished, but the story was a little more straightforward.
	Prom by Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge Review | Amazon | Goodreads This book kind of made me feel like a cheap mom. Haha! It’s hard to imagine spending the kind of money that some people spend on events like this. At the same time, it was really cool to read about the history of Prom and some of the struggles different groups have faced.
	It Started with Goodbye by Christina June Review | Amazon | Goodreads Lately I’m a sucker for a teen with an unusual (for YA literature) interest. This one had me at “graphic designer”. I liked the story, but found some of the family issues a little tough. Read more about it in my review.
	The Devil You Know by Trish Doller Review | Amazon | Goodreads Trish Doller is another author I met at ApollyCon in March. Y’all, she is amazing. We ended up talking for a super long time. I have e-book copies of a couple of her books– and a new hardcover of her most recent release, In a Perfect World, which I’m super excited about reading. The Devil You Know intrigued me most because of its unusual setting for Florida. It’s mostly set in the woods.

What You Missed In June 2017

	Beyond Clueless by Linas Alsenas Review | Amazon | Goodreads I loved the theater elements of this book, but struggled with some of the content.
	One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus Review | Amazon | Goodreads I’d been looking forward to this book since last year when I first heard about it. I LOVE the movie The Breakfast Club, and the similar elements in this book totally hooked me from page one. Add in an unsolved murder, and seriously, just try to put it down.
	Jess, Chunk and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark Review | Amazon | Goodreads Every summer reading list needs a good road trip story, and this summer, this book is mine. I loved the quirky friendship between Jess and Chunk (and I want to adopt their “Black hole!” rule into my own life) and the way Jess grows to understand others through the course of the story.
	The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis Review | Amazon | Goodreads Yeah, this book pretty much had me at “chocolate”. Add in a spunky dragon girl and a wild cast of characters, and you’ve got a sure win. Don’t miss this one, y’all. So much fun!
	The Wonder of Us by Kim Culbertson Review | Amazon | Goodreads There are summer road trips and there are summer trips to Europe (still on my bucket list.) This European vacation tests the friendship between two girls against some awesome settings. Grab this novel and a beach towel and head to the pool for a fabulous afternoon.
	Shadow Magic (Shadow Magic #1) by Joshua Khan Review | Amazon | Goodreads After reading the second book in this series, I had to go back and read this first one. I loved the spunky Thorn and the independent Lily. I’ll be watching for book three.
	Breaking by Danielle Rollins Review | Amazon | Goodreads The writing in this book blew me away. I struggled with the amount of violence in the story, but loved the emotional depth and suspense elements.
	The Baker’s Daughter by D. P. Cornelius Review | Amazon | Goodreads If you know me at all, you know I’m a sucker for World War II stories. I liked that this book features a common German family and their relationship with a Nazi soldier.

What’s Coming Next

Though I’m not accepting new review requests right now, I’ve got a stack of books waiting for me. Gabrielle is accepting review requests for her blog and for the reviews she posts here. You can find more information on how to send her a request on her blog.

Other than that, the summer is flying past. Next on my reading list is The Disappearances by Emily Bain, and I’m SUPER EXCITED to share my review of the third book in the Great Library series, Ash and Quill by Rachel Cain– who will be joining me for an author interview as well! Up next for Gabrielle is Murder, Magic and What We Wore by Kelly Jones.

What are you reading this summer?

Leave a comment below and tell us about a book you’re excited to read or say hey to Gabrielle.