Read With Keri: Books I Read in June

It felt SO GOOD to finally have a month of good reads. After being in a book slump for at least three months, June was refreshing. I was able to find time to read for longer than 15-20 minutes without getting bored or apathetic about the plot and characters. I dove deep into the stories and lost track of time. It was great and spoiler alert: Most of the books are worth your time, too.

Here are the five books I read in June.


A Flicker in the Dark — Stacy Willingham (5/5 stars)

I literally could not put this down. After a few duds in April and May, picking up this book made me so happy. I was immediately hooked. It is a suspenseful thriller with twists and turns. I tried to guess the ending and didn’t see it coming. There are definitely some trigger warnings for this (I mean, it IS about a serial killer…) so read with discretion. Also, this might not be the book for you if you easily get scared about kidnappings, murder, etc. Just a warning. (But it is SUCH a good book if that doesn’t bother you.)

How to Keep House When Drowning — KC Davis (3/5 stars)

This is a different spin on organizing and cleaning. It was refreshing to hear a different perspective on how to keep house when drowning (e.g., postpartum, grief, depression, adjusting to change). It’s more about staying afloat and practical tips on what to do when you just don’t have the energy to do things. I really liked it.

Pineapple Street — Jenny Jackson (4/5 stars)

This is a quick and easy read with a really unique perspective about the 1% in New York City. The storyline and character development made wayyy more sense once I read the author’s note, and I wish I had read it before finishing the book rather than afterwards.

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life — Sutton Foster (4/5 stars)

Another great read. It’s Sutton Foster’s memoir with a “crafting” twist. Sutton Foster is well known on Broadway but besides knowing bits and pieces about her resume, I knew next to nothing about her. Sutton narrates this audiobook and the title piqued my interest. She talks about how hobbies like crochet and knitting helped her cope with different struggles and she talks a lot about her Broadway experience, family, and personal relationships. I enjoyed her writing style and the delivery of the narration, and even if you’re not a super crafy/DIY person, I think you’d enjoy this.

The Five-Star Weekend — Elin Hilderbrand (5/5 stars)

How appropriate to give this 5 stars! (Although, to be honest, after discussing it with a friend, I probably would change my rating to 4.5.) Regardless, I loved this. There were a few parts that felt forced and predictable (checking boxes just because it’s 2023), but other than that, this is probably one of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books. It’s about a widow who invites a few friends from different parts of her life (e.g., high school friend, college friend, young mom friend) to a weekend getaway to Nantucket. Each character has her own set of struggles and conflict, and when everyone gets together, drama unfolds. This is a breezy beach read and made me want to go to Nantucket.