Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, guess what…. this month has been my best reading month EVER! I channelled my inner Clues and Reviews and read a total of 24 books! I know some of you read that every month but I usually read about 10 – 14 books a month so for me this is a BIG deal! And, bar two book club reads and a buddy read with Zuky @ BookBum, they were all review copies. So, without further ado, let’s look at my month in books and then we’ll look at what the bookish future holds for Keeper of Pages…
The Good:
The standout reads of the month were …well, this is significantly harder than it usually is… – but, after much deliberation, I managed to narrow it down to these four:
The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne was my only 5 star read of the month, from cover to cover, I loved everything about this book and it’s easily one of my top 10 reads of the year so far – reviewed here.
One To Watch by Rachel Amphlett is the third book in the Detective Kay Hunter series, fast paced and thrilling – a series I can’t wait to continue – reviewed here.
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips is narrated in “real time” and will keep your heart pounding for the entire read – reviewed here.
Ice Cold Alice by C. P. Wilson features an ultra likeable serial killer who is cleansing the world of evil – reviewed here.
Also read and reviewed this month:
The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Marked for Life by Emelie Schepp
That One May Smile by Valerie Keogh
The White Road by Sarah Lotz
Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki
My Sister by Michelle Adams
Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon
Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre
The Magpies by Mark Edwards
Between You and Me by Lisa Hall (buddy read review swap)
x2 Mini reviews x2:
When We Go Missing by Kristen Twardowski // Shepherd & the Professor by Dan Klefstad
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin // Bleeding Heart by Lauren Bishop
Reviews coming soon:
I was so adamant about lowering my review copies there were no other bookish posts this month. In other news, I did DNF my first book of the year Where She Went by B.E. Jones – this book wasn’t to my liking at all, I began skim reading at 31% and gave up completely at 38% – I won’t be posting about this one on the blog but you can read a short description about why I DNF’ed this one here.
The New:
To see the latest additions to my shelves, check out this months Urbane Unboxed and June’s Book Haul.
Criminally Good Book Club:
My online book club is perfect for anyone who enjoys reading and discussing crime, mystery and thriller books. It’s hosted on Instagram – @criminallygoodbookclub – all discussions take place there at the end of the month. All book club books are voted on by you so come and join us!
July’s book is Good Me Bad Me
‘NEW NAME .
NEW FAMILY.
SHINY.
NEW.
ME.’
Annie’s mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind.As her mother’s trial looms, the secrets of her past won’t let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name – Milly.
A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly’s mother is a serial killer.And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother’s daughter…
Review Copy Management:
As you know, this month I had a big push to lower my review copies, and while I hoped they’d be lower, I’m happy and I feel I can spend some more time reading my own books without feeling guilty about it.
I have a total of 10 Netgalley books to read but I’m okay with that because they’re like a revolving door, I’m constantly reading and requesting new ones, there’s no one book sitting on the shelf gathering dust.
Excluding Netgallies, I have a total of 12 review copies, again, I’m okay with this amount as they don’t have a reviewing deadline and I’m confident they’ll be read over the coming months.
Some of my own books I’m looking forward to reading are:
I’m pretty sure this is the longest wrap up I’ve ever done, so, I’ll wrap things up now. If you’ve made it with me to the end – I thank you for your loyalty and wish you nothing but good things! If you bailed out on me half way through, then you’re not reading this but still I say to you – good, no one wanted you here anyway! That was a joke people!
Keeper of Pages 
Enjoy Good Me, Bad Me!! I hella loved that book when I read it last year (5 stars!). I also have See What I Have Done to read in the next month or so (hopefully) and Dark Matter is suuuch an incredible, I hope you enjoy that too! 😀
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I’ve heard nothing but good things about GMBM, it’s been on my shelf for a good few months now so I’m happy to finally be picking it up. And I feel like the only person on the planet who hasn’t read Dark Matter lol. Very mixed reviews for See What I Have Done but I’m intrigued and hoping I/we love it!
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Yeah I’ve seen all those conflicting reviews for SWIHD but yes, I hope we both love it!
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😂 at the joke!
I can’t believe I still have to read Ice Cold Alice! Feels like that one’s been out forever! Really looking forward to the Marsh King’s Daughter though. Heard so many good things about that one.
Well done on reading 24 books this month! One more in July? 😉
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Glad you like my jokes 😏 I always have to strike through because I worry some people don’t have a sense of humour 😂
You need to push Ice Cold Alice up the list, that was definitely one I was kicking myself for not reading sooner. And of all the books I read this month, only one 5 star so that tells you how much I loved TMKD
I doubt I’ll ever read that much in a month again lol. I’m back on clinical placement now so it definitely won’t be achieved in July lol
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Amazing reading month Janel! 24 books is crazy, I applaud you👏🏼I can’t wait for you to read Getting Life and Sirens so we can chat:)
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I still can’t quite believe I read that much lol. And yes so many of my own anticipated releases.
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Wow, you are a reading machine!!!
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For the month of June only, now regular reading resumes 😂
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24 in one month?! Wow! You are reading goals! 😂
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Haha, it was a one time thing, I’ll average out at around 10 next month 😂
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Wow 24! I’m impressed and jealous lol
Little Girl Lost and Dead Woman Walking are two of many that I’m really looking forward to reading.
Oh and I read the whole post…I wouldn’t dream of bailing 🙂
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Haha thanks for staying to the end ❤️
Just don’t expect 24 next month, I’ll resume my usual 10 or so books 😊
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I haven’t read any of these, but I’m glad you seemed to have had a great month for reading! Definitely looking forward to your reviews for a couple of those review copies you listed — I can’t wait to get my hands on The Hate U Give. Great post!
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Thank you. THUG has been receiving some rave reviews so that’s one I’m really hoping to read next month, if not, then definitely in August
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Great post! Looking forward to some reviews of your own books, namely The Hate U Give and Sirens. Also love to know your thoughts on Good Me Bad Me.
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I’ve seen fab reviews for THUG and Sirens so those are two I’m particularly looking forward to. My review for Good Me Bad Me will go up at the end of July.
And thank you for reading [til the end] 😂❤️
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“I did DNF my first book of the year” my god, Ive DNFd like 15 hahaha
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Really 😳 that many, well I feel much better haha!! I hate that it was a NG book because I always feel awkward telling a publisher (or author) that I disliked the book so much I couldn’t even finish it 🙈
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It’s easier with Netgalley than physical ARCs…and I’ve done it too 😛
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24 books? Have you stopped sleeping???? xD
One To Watch is such a fantastic book. I want the key to TheKayMystery!!!
Have a great bookish July!
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😂 insomnia has to have some benefits right!
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Haha, my insomnia doesn’t let me read!!!
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Such an incredible books. I’m gonna read the ones that I haven’t read yet. Wow.
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It was a great reading month lol, I never normally read that many so I’m quite pleased with myself haha
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