Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: June 2025

 

Hello, everyone! June is already over, so it's time for another monthly reading wrap-up. For the most part, this was a great reading month with many interesting reads (and my top book of the year so far). However, there were also some disappointments, and even a DNF. Right now, I'm mostly excited for my July reads, and Summerween, which I will be participating this year.

Books I've Completed in June

• Confessions of a Mask - Yukio Mishima: In my previous wrap-up, I was almost done with this book. That's why it feels like I've read it the previous month. It's a Japanese classic I've been meaning to read, and I'm glad I did, especially in Pride month. I'm not sure if Mishima is my favourite Japanese author, but I would read more from him. 
• The Thief of Always - Clive Barker: This was an amazing read! I've had this book on my physical TBR for such a long time, and finally I picked it up. It's a middle grade book and so creepy and dark. This would be a great pick for Summerween honestly. 
• Small Worlds - Caleb Azumah Nelson: This book was the disappointment of the month. Don't get me wrong, it was still very interesting and well-written, but it felt too close to the author's previous book. You can read my detailed thoughts in my review. 
• Το χαλί όπου παίζαμε ήτανε κόκκινο - Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas: This is a memoir, where this Greek painter shares his memories from his early childhood. The title roughly translates to "The carpet where we used to play was red". It was interesting, even though I would have prefered to see how his interest in the arts came to be.  
• Crypt of the Moon Spider - Nathan Ballingrud: One evening I was in the mood to read some horror. So, I browsed the horror novellas I had, and this one piqued my curiosity. I really liked it, and I will be reading the sequel Cathedral of the Drowned when it will be released on October 21st, 2025.
• The Emperor of Gladness - Ocean Vuong: I was so anxious about reading this book, because I didn't want to feel disappointed by Ocean Vuong. But I LOVED it so much, you can read my full thoughts in my review. This is a 6* read! 
• The Tower - W.B. Yeats: It is no secret that I enjoy some poetry once in a while. I've had this book since my trip to Dublin 2 summers ago, so it was about time I read it. I really enjoyed some of the poems, even though I can't say that it is my favourite collection of all time. 
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks: Another nonfiction book, and one that I also had on my physical TBR for quite some time. This was the second time reading Oliver Sacks, and just like the first time, I was impressed and moved by his patients' stories. This is a book that truly shows that the mind works in mysterious ways.

Books I DNFed 

• You, Again - Kate Goldbeck: It really pains me to admit that I DNFed this book. I'd heard so many good things about it, and I was feeling like listening to a rom-com. But I just wasn't feeling it in the first couple of chapters and decided that this wasn't the right time.

Books I'm Currently Reading

• Magnolia Parks - Jessa Hastings: After DNFing You,Again, I still needed an audiobook, and Magnolia Parks recently is just EVERYWHERE. I only have a couple of hours left on my audiobook, and I have to admit that I have conflicting feelings. In the first half of the book, I was contemplating of DNFing it as well, because I was bored. But the second half is so engaging - the drama is so interesting, and I want to see how it will end. However, I'm not yet sure if I want to continue the series.
• Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid: I have a complicated relationship with Taylor Jenkins Reid. Most of the time, I'm not interested in reading her books, but when I do, I read them so fast. But I was feeling slumpy after reading The Emperor of Gladness, as I felt that no book could compare, and I was trying to find my next read - something engaging. When I read the synopsis of Atmosphere and realized that it was about NASA and astronauts, I know that I had to read it. And, just as it always happens with this author, I'm also reading it very fast. 
  
  
  

What did you read in June? What are you currently reading?