What I Read in June

 

In September 2019, Mr H and I started our own book blog; those posts are now merged with this blog, and in December 2019, I posted my very first quarterly reading round-up. I have continued to post quarterly summaries until this year, when I decided to switch to monthly posts.

Here is what I read in June 2026.

Where The World Turns Wild by Nicola Penfold 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Jumping into my top reads of the year list, I am embarrassed and appalled at myself that it has taken me until now to read this. It has sat on my shelf since it came out which annoys me to even think of all the amazing books that I haven't read yet. The premise was original, the characters well developed and writing was so engaging I hated putting the book down at night, only doing so when my eyes would no longer stay open. Not only was it all those things, but it was actually very thought provoking for me being the extremely climate/environmentally anxious person I am. 

Restoring the Wild: Sixty Years of Rewilding Our Skies, Woods and Waterways by Roy Dennis 🌟🌟🌟🌟[Audio]
I really enjoyed listening to this chronicle of the authors life in regards to rewilding projects over the past 60 years. It's inspiring to hear from the wildlife champions dedicating their lives to putting such incredible efforts into the survival of particular species. The flow of the writing was well arranged between species of animal and time frames which made it easy to follow and kept it interesting without anything becoming confusing. 

The Last Year of the Wild - Volume 2: Spring Equinox by Lizzie Pepper 🌟🌟🌟
Another book I'm just getting around to reading a whole year after I read it's precursor! I want to love these more, I really do, but there is just something missing. I do really like the overall storyline and this book picked up the pace a little from the first...I will continue to see where the series goes.

Wildlands by Brogen Murphy 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Another five star and it's no wonder it has so many award nominations and wins! Like my first read of the month, this followed a pair of siblings and a dangerous and thrilling adventure in the wild. Despite its parallels to Where The World Turns Wild it took a completely different journey and had such a different feel, and I highly recommend both books!

Last year, I also had a stack of books that were laid out as daily, weekly or even monthly 'chapters'. This year, the stack is taller. I started six of those books in January, another three were added in February and I will rate and review them at the end of the year.

Year-Long Reads
Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter
Black History for Every Day of the Year by David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga
Words for Life: To Boost Every Day of the Year by Susie Dent
Telling the Seasons: Stories, Celebrations and Folklore around the Year by Martin Maudsley
Urban Nature Every Day: Discover the Natural World on Your Doorstep Jane McMorland Hunter, Sally Hughes
Hettie Nettle's Handbook for Hedgewitches by Claire Barker
The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature's Clues and Signs by Tristan Gooley
The Wildlife Gardener's Almanac by Jackie Bennett

June Stats
June Pages - 864
Year-Long Reads Pages - 188 
Total Pages - 1,052
Audio Listening Time -  14 hours 23 minutes 
Average Rating - 4.25 stars