June Reading Wrap-up

June was a fantastic reading month—I powered through 15 books, and it was a whirlwind of thrillers, emotional gut-punches, and a few delightful surprises. I always love when a reading streak brings variety, and this month did not disappoint. From gripping mysteries to heartfelt contemporary fiction, here are the highlights:

Book Club Reads

Library book club

 Work book club

The Girl Behind the Gates is a powerful and heartbreaking novel based on a true story, tracing the unimaginable suffering of Nora Jennings, a 17-year-old girl institutionalised in 1939 for the "crime" of being pregnant and unmarried. Labelled morally defective, Nora endures decades of cruelty, isolation, and dehumanisation within a brutal mental institution. Forty years later, psychiatrist Dr. Janet Humphreys discovers Nora still locked away and begins the slow process of helping her reclaim her life. The novel is harrowing and emotionally intense, a searing indictment of the way society once treated vulnerable women, yet ultimately a story of resilience, redemption, and the human spirit’s capacity to endure. While the narrative shift to Janet’s perspective in the latter half slows the momentum somewhat, it offers a much-needed glimmer of hope after so much darkness. A deeply affecting and necessary read—keep tissues close.

BCW book club

I have not actually finished this one yet as there are a few days left in the month. But...can we all appreciate the beautiful special edition?

Blurb

In a treehouse hidden from the world, a human named Victor lives with three robots: a protective nurse unit with a cruel streak, a love-hungry vacuum, and a gentle inventor android named Giovanni Lawson. Their quiet life is upended when Victor rescues an unfamiliar android, Hap, who shares a violent past with Gio—one marked by hunting humans.

When Hap inadvertently reveals Gio’s whereabouts, forces from their former life come to reclaim him. As Gio is taken to the City of Electric Dreams, Victor and the others embark on a perilous journey to save him from reprogramming—or worse. Along the way, Victor must confront his growing feelings for Hap, and what it means to love someone with a dangerous past.

Highlights

I was excited to discover Jess Lourey, an author whose writing immediately pulled me in with its emotional depth and gripping suspense. Her ability to blend twisty crime plots with real human vulnerability makes her stories unforgettable.

Jess Lourey’s Litani is a harrowing small‑town thriller that trades in atmosphere as much as plot. Fourteen‑year‑old Frankie Jubilee, newly orphaned, is sent from California to rural Minnesota to live with her aloof prosecutor‑mother. From the moment a patrol car escorts her into town, litany of warnings and whispers—chief among them a clandestine pastime known only as “The Game”—signal that Litani is no ordinary community. Lourey drapes the setting in palpable dread: children wield cigarettes and threats; adults cast fearful glances at the mere mention of Satanic rites; the forest seems to breathe with unspeakable secrets.

Told through Frankie’s perceptive, possibly unreliable, narration, the novel explores intergenerational guilt and the corrosive power of silence. Lourey handles themes of child exploitation and ritual abuse with sensitivity, though frank descriptions may overwhelm some readers. The author’s flair for crafting a place that feels sentient and malevolent is undeniable; every street corner and riverbend seems complicit in Litani’s darkness.

Jess Lourey’s Bloodline is a chilling psychological thriller that blends The Stepford Wives, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Twilight Zone into a gripping tale of paranoia and control. Set in 1968, the story follows Joan Harken, a young journalist who, after a series of life-altering events, moves to her fiancé's idyllic hometown of Lilydale. But beneath the town's perfect facade lies a disturbing undercurrent. Joan, pregnant and unsettled, soon realises she’s being watched—and perhaps manipulated—by the unnervingly close-knit community.

Lourey masterfully builds suspense through vivid atmosphere and mounting dread. The narrative’s strength lies in its eerie setting and unnerving mystery, though some readers may find Joan’s erratic decisions and unreliable narration frustrating. Still, the novel’s escalating tension and unexpected twists make it an unforgettable ride. Bloodline is a smart, twisty, and terrifying story of control, secrets, and the price of safety. A dark and compulsive read, perfect for thriller fans.

Audiobook

What did you read this month? Any five-star standouts I should add to my July TBR?