Ready, Set, Read!: June Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be talking about all the books I read in June, which wasn't that many, if I'm being honest. I got myself into a reading slump of sorts, but I've started getting back into the swing of reading, so here's to a productive July!

Without further ado, here are the five books I read during the month!

Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken

Goodreads

Fraternize started off really strong for me, but then it kept dragging. and dragging. and draaaaginggg! The novel follows three main characters, Emerson a plus-sized cheerleader for an NFL team, Miller Quinton her first love who happens to be on said team, and Grant Sanchez, another love interest who is also a football player. While I love a good love triangle, this one drawn out. It took so long for something to be revealed, and I just didn't click with the dramatic writing. For instance, Miller said multiple times that him and Sanchez were "brothers" and that the football team was a "brotherhood." Also, he kept on referring to football games as a "war" and that he'd "war" for Sanchez. I was over the novel by the time the it wrapped up.

Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

Goodreads

After my disappointing time with Fraternize, I was looking for a breath of fresh air. I have been looking forward to reading Again, But Better by Christine Riccio ever since Christine's first video about her writing process. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit anxious reading it, but I loved this. The novel meant a lot to me on a personal level, as you can tell from this tweet (which got a lot more attention that I was anticipating).

I’m almost done reading Again, But Better by @xtineMAY and Shane’s arc perfectly explains my passions, anxieties, and goals of having a career in publishing! I love having a story I can relate so much to, and one that makes me feel like I can accomplish my dreams 💗💗💗
— Gennifer Eccles (@genniblogs) June 11, 2019

Also, this is a friendly promo to follow my twitter account! :) I'm @genniblogs !

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Goodreads

I picked up Hex Hall for a year-long readathon (Romanceopoly), and it was honestly on a whim. I saw that is was available on Scribd as an audiboook, and essentially thought, "What the hell? Why not?" I never jumped on the Hex Hall bandwagon of the 2011-ish era, but I can see why it was so popular! I did guess all the twists, but I wasn't too surprised by that since Hex Hall's main demographic is on the younger side of YA. I'm not jumping at the bit to continue the series, but I know I will whenever I feel in a witchy mood!

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Goodreads

I had such high hopes for Final Girls, but the more I think about it, the less favorable my views are. Final Girls was soo slow for the first 70 percent. Sager did a good job at ramping up the tension, but I was eventually over the slow pace. I did guess the major plot twist (not the one about Sam, though, which was great!), which was a bit disappointing. I also thought that the flashbacks in Final Girls was much stronger than the modern-day plot line. Essentially, I wasn't too scared or thrilled by Final Girls, but it did make me uncomfortable (mostly because I didn't like any of the characters and they did very questionable things), which is a success in its own right. I was just hoping for something more frightening.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Goodreads

After a bit of a break from romance, I jumped back into my favorite genre with the highly-anticipated The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. I thought that the writing, sexual tension, and characters were strong, but I do have a bit of an issue with the ending, because it was a bit too hunky-dory. Yes, there was a big plot point that was traumatic, but it was obviously a way to set up a companion novel for a secondary character. Despite my issues with the end, The Friend Zone was a solid romance and one I recommend!

Outside of reading, I had a great June! I was working a lot at Harris Teeter, where I am currently a cashier. If you remember, last month I mentioned that I had interviewed with a lcoal indie bookstore. I'm thrilled to say that I was offered a job there, and I start next week. While Harris Teeter was a great intro into the working world, I'm so excited to work for and with a bookstore. If you didn't know, I want to work in publishing one day, and I hope this opportunity will open up some doors for me!

A selfie from my time as a counselor!

Along with working and getting another job, I was also a camp counselor for a two-week creative writing camp! The camp is based from my university (University of Chapel Hill) and is student-run. This was my first time ever being a counselor, and I had such a wonderful time with all the kids. We had a reading celebration at the end of camp, and I was so proud of all the work and creativity of the campers. I'm definitely going to be a counselor again next year; it was so rewarding!

That was basically my June - working almost every day and counseling on my off-hours. So yeah, good excuses why I haven't been posting as much, right? I know I haven't been posting that regularly, but I really think I will get back in the swing of things this July!