The Waiting List: June 2019 Releases

The Waiting List is a feature hosted by PrintedWordsAnd, where I list some upcoming releases for the month that I'm most excited about!

June 2019 Releases

I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie - June 1st

Five siblings return home after their parents pass away to determine what to do with the Estate. However, before they can make a decision they need to solve the mysterious death of Amanda Holmes 20 years ago.

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian - June 4th

Young Adult, LGBTIQA/Diversity read that deals with not only reconciling with the characters' identity but also with key issues regarding AIDs.

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett - June 4th

This is one of those novels that I didn't think I'd pick up but that's also why I'm really intrigued to read it. Jessa-Lynn Morton finds her dad dead after he suicides. After that she has to step up to support her family as well as trying to balance her relationship between her brother and his wife, who she is in love with as well. 

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong - June 4th

Not only has On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous has received a lot of love so far, it's piqued my interest because of the context behind it. I come from a refugee family, with my dad's family escaping Vietnam during the war. Despite that I haven't read a lot of stories regarding this era and I am really excited to get to this.

The Forgotten Sister by Caroline Bond - June 6th
17-year-old Cassie sets out to find her birth mother, but she might not have been ready to discover what is really the truth behind her adoption.

Storm and Fury (The Harbringer #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - June 11th

Latest series from a well-known author, Storm and Fury is the latest YA paranormal read.

Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner - June 11th

Weiner sets her story in a historical context, following 2 sisters with different dreams and pathways, but ultimately attempting to navigate how to be a women in their era.

One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase - June 18th

June and her fiancé Ollie head to his family lake house 7 years after they visited last time with Ollie's then girlfriend and June's then best friend Leah, who disappeared. I'm sorry what?! Did she steal her best friend's boyfriend, what is going on? Yeah that was legitimately my initial reaction.

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali - June 18th

A romance tale where two people felt destined to be together and reunite 60 years later to answer questions on why it didn't work out between them in the past.

The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson - June 18th

(Trigger warnings for sexual/child assault, trauma and substance abuse)

Sibson takes this YA contemporary novel, The Art of Breaking Things, to explore family responsibilities and relationships and dealing with trauma. I do think this will be super confrontational but know that I'll gain something out of it.

What Are You Looking Forward To In June?

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Talking Personal: Favourite Bits of 2019 So Far

The last time I wrote a Talking Personal it was in December, 2017. 2017?! The whole point of the post was to say that I'm getting right back into blogging but also that I would catch up with you guys after New Years 2018. L O L. Who I was kidding? Anyways, hi, I'm here, I'm alive. Let's get right into it!

2018 was a complete dud of a year in terms of posting. To be fair though, I blogged about my Europe trip and that comes pretty close to a Talking Personal doesn't it? I also wrote a wrap up to 2018 so we're going to dive straight into 2019!

Not much has happened if I'm going to be completely honest. I decided this year isn't the year to travel, so instead I've been looking into local events. I haven't done a lot exploring around Melbourne considering I live here so it's been pretty fun and exciting. It's also great that I get to recommend the different things that I've done to people I know!

Summer Highlights

• Celebrating New Years Eve/New Years with a great bunch of people 
• Seeing the Sciencework's moon installation - I hadn't been back to Sciencework's since 2006 
• Going to an Australia Day event at Riva St Kilda - I'm not a huge music festival person, but this was so fun! 
• Seeing Jorja Smith was incredible, she is amazing live.
• The AFL season started again and that will ALWAYS be a highlight for any year.
• I went to Moomba for the first time and actually really liked it. The layout around Birrarung Marr coupled with how nice the weather was that night made for such a great end to the summer.

 

• The "Sunset Safari" at Werribee Zoo, which involved an African drumming workshop, the opportunity to see the animals after closing time and an African banquet that was delicious. The Werribee Zoo has a number of events popping up that's worth looking at.
• I went to two different trance/hardstyle events, which, if I was honest, I would not expect to see myself there. The first one was "It's A Fine Night" and the second one "Paradigm". I did go to see two artists that I really like - Vini Vici and Mandragora
• I also made it a mission to get to as many beaches as I could during the summer and I'd have to say it was a success

Other than those events, I had my last week of classes ever in my Masters this week and am en route to graduating if I manage to get all my final assessments in, so huge fingers crossed situation going on right now.

That's what my first 6 months for the year has been like! I had a great summer, exploring my home. Winter has kicked in, or more like fly kicked me in the face, because of how cold it's quickly become. I'm not 100% sure what the next 6 months will bring, but I guess that's part of life, being completed unexpected. Hopefully the next time I get to writing one of these I'll have a lot to talk about as well.

How has the first half of 2019 been for you?

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A Good Month for Murder is More Than Just a Good Read

Title: A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad

Author: Del Quentin Wilber

Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

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Twelve homicides, three police-involved shootings and the furious hunt for an especially brutal killer - February 2013 was a good month for murder in suburban Washington D.C. 

After gaining unparalleled access to the homicide unit in Prince George's County, which borders the nation's capital, Del Quentin Wilber begins shadowing the talented, often quirky detectives who get the call when a body falls. After a quiet couple of months, all hell breaks loose: suddenly every detective in the squad is scrambling to solve one shooting and stabbing after another. Meanwhile, the entire unit is obsessed with a stone-cold "red ball", a high-profile case involving a seventeen-year-old honor student attacked by a gunman who kicked down the door to her house and shot her in her bed.

Review

I was expecting A Good Month for Murder to read almost like mainstream crime shows - fast-paced, gruesome and nail biting. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the way Del Quinton Wilber narrated the different cases. 

My favourite part about AGMM is that it didn’t need to dramatise or sensationalise each case to grab my attention. Wilber kept his narration at an objective level, detailing each case as it happened. The murders and care real life, there’s no doubting these killings happen, but he also includes the context behind them. The deaths occur in low-socio economic areas, mostly by minority groups, but instead of fixating on the usual discourse of minority youths or groups having “deviant” natures and drawn to crime, Wilber’s narrative outlines the background of the individuals and the circumstances that could have led them to committing the crime or becoming a victim. It conveys further issues that lack addressing in most Western societies, such as drug abuse, lack of job opportunities and lack of support or resources available for residents in disadvantage areas. 

I also liked that the voices of the detectives were included. Wilber showcased each detective involved not only to relay the hard work each officer contributed but to also make them personable and relatable. It’s hard, especially in a US context, to really like police officers following news reports of police abuse and miscarriage of justice. The media coverage on police shootings have negatively impacted the image of police squads and their ability to deliver justice and safety. However, police officers in this recount, though not always perfect, attempt to treat each case with respect and the impact it has on them at a professional and personal level. Homicide cases are not easily solvable, as crime dramas seem to portray, as so I found AGMM to be realistic in that sense as well.

The book is structured so that the recounts are not chronological. I’m moving in and out of the 12 cases, which keeps me engaged but also wanting to know more. I flew through AGMM, reading it in a day and a half. Not once was I ever confused about which case I was reading, and despite finishing this at the end of 2018, I can still recollect details of some of the cases. Wilber was thorough in his description and never fluffed about. It was easy to visualise and recall the events of each case. 

If you want to get into true crime or are already a fan, definitely give this a go!

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25 Books I Want To Read This Year

My aim this year was to read 25 books, a feat that seems small but something I’ve been struggling with for close to 4 years now. I’ve stopped trying to pressure myself to read just for the sake of reading, but it’s now become something I’ve started to neglect and I don’t like that one bit. Instead, I’ve curated a reading list for 2019 that I want to refer to in case I end up straying away from the reading path. Again.

My two friends and I have also attempted to establish a book club. Essentially we have a number of books we want to read together, which has helped with knowing what I want to read this year. Some of them will be part of this list a well!

25 Books I Want To Read This Year

The following 5 books are all non-fiction, and a genre that I'm trying really hard to get into and read more of - especially motivational/self-help and true crime and history

1. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson

2. Boys Will Be Boys by Clementine Ford

3. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

4. East, West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes Against Humanity" by Philippe Sands

5. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michele McNamara and Gillian Flynn

I'm playing catch up with these series, except for A Face Like Glass. I am so behind with YA series, especially with ones that I've loved and were really anticipating but never ended up picking up the continuation.

6. Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff'

7. Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor

8. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

9. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend

10. A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge **

11.  The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I'm really keen to read this due to the political climate that this revolved around, but also because I haven't seen the movie adaptation and want to read it first

12. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

13. Call Me Evie by J.P Pomare

14. Maus (Complete Collection) by Art Spiegelman

15. Harry Potter by J.K Rowling**

I'm not 100% sure I'm going to read the entire series again or just pick my favourite one and read, but definitely for the month of July!

I've had most of these books (17-19) on my TBR list for forever! They're all really well-known and much loved so I do have high expectations for these reads.

16. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley **

17. 1984 by George Orwell

18. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

19. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

20. Where the Captain Goes by Sean Carney 

Local Melbournian, Sean Carney writes horror themed stories, and I'm kind of very excited to dabble in his works starting with this one!

I do like Adult Fiction and think it's a good break from YA, which I tend to read more. I'm also disappointed that I haven't picked up Kate Morton's new novel yet, considering she's one of my favourite authors.

21. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

22. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

23. Atonement by Ian McEwan**

24. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

25. The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper Fforde

Jane Eyre is kidnapped from her novel in this alternative universe and Thursday Next, renowned literary detective, must dive into Bronte's world to save her character. If you read that and didn't immediately want to read it then I'm sorry but I'm shaking my head at you right now.

What Are You Reading This Year?

** indicates re-read

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Review: Heart of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles) by Helen Scheurer

Title: Heart of Mist
Series: The Oremere Chronicles
Author: Helen Scheurer
Publication Date: August 31st, 2017
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In a realm where toxic mist sweeps the lands and magic is forbidden, all Bleak wants is a cure for her power.  Still grieving the death of her guardian and dangerous self-medicating with alcohol, Bleak is snatched from her home by the Commander of the King's Army, and summoned to the capital. But the King isn't the only one interested in Bleak's powers.

The leader of an infamous society of warriors, the Valia Kindred, lays claim to her as well, and Bleak finds herself in the middle of a much bigger battle than she anticipated.

Review

I received an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When I was approached by Helen to see if I was interested in delving into her high fantasy series, I took a quick squizz on Goodreads to see if Heart of Mist would tickle my fancy. I was intrigued and readily agreed, hoping that I would be pulled back into the world of fantasy and a new world with new characters. 

What I liked about Heart of Mist is that it dives straight into the plot, instead of plodding through the character's background and the world's history in the first half. I loved that I got to learn about the characters whilst the world expanded as they traveled through the kingdom. It made the plot flow well and I wanted to keep on reading to know more about the characters and the world they were in. 

Bleak is the main character in Heart of Mist, but as interesting as her mysterious upbringing was, I found that I was more attached to the side characters. I couldn't tell if it's because Bleak was written as sullen and unlikable, or that I personally found her to be not as enthralling. Instead, my favourites were Fiore, a soldier in the king's army and Dash, the son of the king's servant. I haven't learnt much about Fiore, but Dash was intriguing and exciting to read through. I think it's his recklessness and wanting to prove himself, but also the fact that by the end of the book, Helen reveals something really important about him that has made me want to keep reading the series to follow his character arc! Even Swinton, Bren and Henri were really enjoyable to read through and about. The fact that I remember most of the characters as well, means that Helen was able to make them memorable and with a voice of their own. 

I am really excited to continue with the series, as the last third of Heart of Mist picked up and I was a lot more engaged emotionally. I want to know what happens to the characters, the world they're in and the overall outcome. There's potential for me to eventually like Bleak - I'm anticipating it actually. Helen was able to build a strong world and impressionable characters. The lead up to the next book also left me on edge and I'm honestly thankful that Heart of Mist has nudged me out of my very long slump and I'm ready to dive right back into reading again.

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