June turned out to be such a stressful month. To add to the stress of all the covid issues, my husband has now been in the hospital for 3 weeks. He went win because his defib shocked him 4 times, and it took several days to stabilize his heart. But what was needed to save his heart, hurt his transplanted kidney. So now they are trying to save it. But the past week, he has gotten a blood infection and now c.diff. At least I have been finally able to see him the past week. So, my reading has suffered – it has been a challenge to focus on 1 book and so I flit from book to book. Fantasy has been a comfort tho, as have been a couple of rereads.
It’s time to share what I have been reading this past month.
The total read for May was 25 books, with the following breakdown:
Fantasy /Paranormal – 9
Historical Romance– 1
Romance – 5
Memoir/Non-fiction – 2
Pix books – 7
Comic book – 1
(Diverse books – (1)
I continue to record in more detail where the books originated – from the library, on my TBR shelves (bought/gifted or won), an e-book, or a charity read (Bought from a charity store). Here’s the breakdown
Library reads –12
TBR books –3
E-books – 10
Charity reads – 0
Here are the books read for my favourite challenges:
Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge (Through Goodreads)
I only read for 2 categories for this challenge, but have to catch up now.
#2 By trans or nonbinary author – Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
#8 – Upside down image on cover – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J. Fox (upside down skateboard!)
52 Books in 52 Weeks
I read 2 for this challenge – still need to catch up a bit.
#27 – Comic Book – Heroes (of 9/11) – World’s greatest superhero creators honor the world’s greatest heroes 9/11/2001)
#29 -Award winning novel – Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Beyond the Bookends
The theme this month was “Sports”
Open Heart, Open Mind by Clara Hughes
Monthly Key Word Challenge
The key word I used this month was: And
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Kind Ella and the Charming Duke by Bridget Barton
Monthly Motif
The theme this month was “Name or number”.
Kind Ella and the Charming Duke by Bridget Barton
Diversity Reading Challenge
The theme this month was LGBTQ+
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Diversify Your Reading
The theme for June was “Non-Fiction”
Open Heart, Open Mind by Clara Hughes
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J. Fox
Blogger’s Bookshelf
The theme was “author with the same initials as you”
Kind Ella and the Charming Duke by Bridget Barton
Favourite Reads
Here are my top reads:
Open Heart, Open Mind by Clara Hughes
The Innkeeper series by Ilona Andrews (Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, One Fell Sweep)
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Immortal Coil by C.I. Black
The Key series by Nora Roberts (Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor)
Justified by Jay Crownover
Looking Ahead to July
I’m taking part in 3 more reading challenges over the summer months.
Here are books read so far for these challenges:
20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge ( here for more info; here for my list/post)
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Open Heart, Open Mind by Clara Hughes
2020 Summer Reading Challenge (at The Messy Middle)
A memoir – Open Heart, Open Mind by Clara Hughes
Won an award – Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Has less than a 100 pages – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J. Fox
2020 Popsugar Summer Reading Challenge (here for more info)
#5 – LGBTQ+ protagonist – Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I am linking with the following:
Monthly Wrap-up (At Feed Your Fiction Addiction)
Best of the Bunch (at A Cocoon of Books)
Friendship Friday Blog (at Create with Joy)
Beverley A Baird 
I do hope your hubby will be able to beat all his health challenges, thinking of you – good you can at least spend some time with him now. Not sure what c.diff is?
Thanks kathryn. It has been a difficult time. C.diff is nasty – too much antibiotics results in an infection in the gut. He’s on more meds for it – but could last 2 weeks.
Oh no. Thanks for filling me in. So the antibiotics have killed all the good gut bacteria I guess. Poor him and poor you. Thinking of you both.
Good luck with your 20 Books of Summer reading in July!
Thanks Cathy!
I’m sorry to hear about your husband! Sending positive thoughts.
On the topic of your readathon, Red, White and Royal Blue is SO GOOD. I absolutely loved every second of it. It was super adorable, a great pickmeup if you need it 🙂
Thanks Emily. Hope he’s on the mend. And that was a great book.
I’m praying for you and your husband! Now is definitely even scarier to be in the hospital. My dad had to have artery surgery in both legs (almost total blockage in both) in June and his legs are finally not blackish-purple due to lack of flow. Then he got a tick bite that sent him back to the ER and a 3 day hospital stay due to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I’m glad books helped you through this stressful June. They have been my escape.
Your poor father. praying he has recovered. What an ordeal – and then covid adds another layer of scary. Take care!