The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge - June Update

Happy Monday everyone! Today I'm sharing my my sixth update for my June progress for the year long reading challenge called The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.  You can see my original tbr here.  In June, I completed 8 books for a total of 39 read so far out of 52 total books on my tbr.  I can't believe I've only got 13 books left for this challenge!  Keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I read in June:

18. Provokes strong emotion

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ 

I didn't know to expect going into The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah but I really appreciated this World War II story. I could have done without the 1990s bookends though, but they didn't deter me from absolutely loving this. I will definitely be back to read even more from this author in the future.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

10. Spans a decade or more

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The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See is a book I've been eyeing for years, so I'm glad this reading challenge finally gave me the excuse to pick it up.  I was firmly invested in this throughout.  I've heard of Jegu Island (thanks to some of those K-dramas I enjoy) and I think I'm going to have to learn even more about the place.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

39. A book that cost you nothing

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Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America by Sharon Davies was given to me by a friend and while it isn't something I'd normally pick up on my own, I have been meaning to read more nonfiction.  Anyway, reading true crime is certainly an interesting way to learn more about this history of this country.  I definitely preferred the first half of this to the second half (mainly the trial).  Overall, this is well researched, depressing, and just a little bit too slowly paced, but if you're interested in true crime you might want to try this.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

47. A diacritical mark on the cover

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I love this author's style and The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas was very nearly perfect for me. I didn't quite get into it as quickly as I was hoping to but the final third of this book was perfect. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

My review is also on Goodreads, The StoryGraph, and my Summer of Horror 2026 - Sunday Funday: June Week 2 Update post.

11. Requires suspension of disbelief

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

The Resurrectionist by Kathleen S. Allen isn't perfect, but I sure got a kick out of it. The atmosphere and twisted nature of the story are a lot of fun. As a fan of both Frankenstein (Professor Clerval!) and Stalking Jack the Ripper (this doesn't  have the romance element), this was a lot of fun. Yes, Dilly is kind of all over the place, but I didn't mind it so much. That said, there were some things i really wish this did a bit more with: that mostly dead woman in the graveyard, the scaring off the Ripper and finding one of his victims bit, Dilly's thoughts on that Sherlock Holmes book she received as a gift, and a more about their servant Edmund because honestly he's the MVP in that household. Overall, I really had fun with this and I'm looking forward to more of what this author will write in the future.

My review is also on Goodreads, The StoryGraph, and my Summer of Horror 2026 - Sunday Funday: June Week 3 Update post.

16. Deus Ex Machina

❋

DNF'd @ 15%

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth is an interesting idea for an a alternate history. I think deciding to pick it up in 2026 is my problem. I'm just not in the right mindset to sit there and listen to this for hours on end.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

50. Set in a castle

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Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore is a YA fantasy book I was really looking forward to given my enjoyment of the first two installments.  As it turns out, I didn't care for this one quite as much as the two. It didn't grab me as much and it was tricky to keep track of some of the characters. At least the narrator, Xanthe Elbrick, did a good job, though.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

2. Kangaroo word on the cover

❋ ❋ ❋

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a historical horror fantasy novel that I really been looking forward to.  While I enjoyed it well enough, I can say that I wish I liked it more than I did.  It wasn't bad at all, but it's just my least favorite from this author.  I think I mainly could have done with less jumping around being times and characters.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Are you participating in this challenge?  Have you read any of these books?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!