Ever since we moved out of our house a few weeks ago, I have no sense of routine…so it didn’t dawn on me to do my monthly book review until now. Oops. I did manage to read my two books this month, despite the chaos of moving. Details below!

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

I’ve had this book on my list for quite some time now (as in, more than a year) but never got around to reading it because the library didn’t have a copy. I finally decided to just do the cheapest thing and buy a used copy on Amazon for a few dollars. I was intrigued by the idea of an efficient and energizing morning routine, because apparently my theme of 2020 is HABITS. Unfortunately, this book ended up being a bit of a let-down. It was filled with every self-help book cliche you can think of, including the details of how the author hit “rock-bottom” and worked his way back to be his absolute best self in just a few easy steps. [intense eye roll goes here!] All that being said, there were a few useful nuggets in here, and I do agree that any goal you want to achieve is worth devoting consistent time to, even if that means setting your alarm clock to a painful hour. This was not a life-changing book for me, but maybe it’s exactly the kick-in-the-pants you need to start working toward your dreams.

2/5 stars.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

This is another title that has been on my to-be-read list for ages. And, somehow I missed that this book was made into a movie? I guess I need to track that down in the future. The book’s protagonist is a young woman (Madeline) who has been a prisoner in her own home for most of her life because her physician mother has diagnosed her with SCID. To use terminology of today, this one “hit different” due to COVID. Practices that seemed ludicrous and reserved for only the severely immuno-compromised (like Madeline) are now quite commonplace in today’s world. Anyway, Madeline’s world gets turned upside down when a new family moves in next door and creates the most excitement she’s ever experienced in her sheltered life. I won’t totally ruin the surprises revealed throughout this book, but this was an entertaining combination of romance and family drama. I plan on looking into more books by this author.

4.5/5 stars.

What did you read in June?