Reading Wrap-Up: June, 2026

What a spectacular reading month! I read a bit more than usual - in large part thanks to travel, periods of limited internet/computer access, and cooperative weather for longer walks with audiobooks. More important than the quantity, however, was the quality; namely, I believe I found both my new favorite fiction and my new favorite nonfiction of the year (so far)!

I also learned a bit more about myself as a reader and preferences that can help me further refine my bookish life.

Woohoo!

In June I also had the pleasure of hearing - and briefly meeting as he signed my book - the author of one of my all-time favorite memoirs. What a delight to find him just as thoughtful and genuine in person as he comes across in his book! If you haven’t read All The Beauty In The World by Patrick Bringley, consider checking it out - it was definitely a meaningful read for me. You can also hear a bit more about it in some of my earlier articles, such as Ten Impactful Memoirs For Your TBR.

Our July pick for the Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club took me by surprise when I first read it several years ago. While I appreciate science / nature writing tremendously, I don’t always find myself picking up those books, so I wasn’t expecting to be gripped by Braiding Sweetgrass. I quickly discovered - and what book club members will soon see reflected in my Reading + Reflection Guide - how applicable Wall Kimmerer’s principles and experiences are in all aspects of life: career, relationships, health, personal pursuits, and so much more. If you enjoy audiobooks, you might listen to this one - I adored my listening experience while on long walks in nature. Wall Kimmerer reads it herself and she has perhaps the most soothing voice I’ve come across yet in the audiobook world!

If you’re not a member of the Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club and would like to be, simply upgrade to a paid subscription and you’re in! We’ve had our book list up all year which you can view, along with other details, here. We love welcoming new members into this thoughtful and forward-moving group.

Here are all the books I read in June, which included four nonfiction and six fiction. I am going to keep my thoughts on each brief so this article doesn’t turn out to be a novel in and of itself, but I’m happy to expand further, answer questions, and hear your thoughts on any of these books in the comments below!

(FYI, you can click on any of the titles to learn more about the books via my Bookshop .org store, and if you decide to purchase through these links I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

I enjoy Anne Lamott’s perspective and sense of humor, and I try to read at least a book or two on the craft of writing each year (her Bird By Bird is one of my all-time favorites), so Good Writing seemed like a great blend for this summer. Released earlier this year and subtitled ‘36 Ways To Improve Your Sentences,’ I found this a fairly quick read and beneficial refresher on certain writing tips, such as words that can be deleted to improve a sentence or common writing techniques to avoid. I also appreciated how Lamott included examples from her past works and the changes she would make if she were writing those things today - a great demonstration of continuous growth.

A very readable and, perhaps surprisingly, relatable (in many ways) memoir about knowing and trusting ourselves, honoring our values, evolving as we grow, and aging in a society that doesn’t always want to allow any signs of said aging. Much like my experience with Maria Shriver’s book back in April, I’ve long been familiar with Shields and have admired much of the work she’s done, but I never really followed too closely; now I feel like I’ve gotten to know her perspective - and I really appreciate so much of it. “I could spend time wondering what might have been,” Shields, who was nearing age 60 as she wrote this book, shares. “But these days, I find myself wondering far more often what might still be.” Really enjoyed!

In need of an ‘available now’ audiobook on Libby before a few hours in the car, I downloaded this one and was instantly gripped: These characters were passionate, and I mean passionate, about the world of maps and cartography. While I know very little on that topic, I love reading about people so enamored with their profession or subject matter - even fictional characters, such as those in this book! It wasn’t until well into the book - when some strange things really started happening - that I discovered this was classified as fantasy; not always my preferred genre, but I was already pulled in by that point. I ended up really enjoying this one and also appreciated the behind-the-scenes look at the field of cartography and map curation.

As noted with the previous book, I often enjoy going into a story without knowing much about it - especially when I’ve loved previous works by the author, which was the case here (Where’d You Go, Bernadette is in a class of its own!). In this instance, however, it may have behooved me to read a bit more about it first; the story went in some directions I really wasn’t expecting but that, I realized in hindsight, are clearly stated in the description - so that’s on me. While this book wasn’t 100% for me, I do still enjoy Semple’s ability to blend smart writing, uniquely flawed characters, and somewhat outlandish experiences that she makes feel quite plausible.

A memoir written in poems! This is actually a youth book that won all kinds of awards - including the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature - when it came out ten years ago, and I can certainly see why. Woodson writes beautifully about her life growing up in the 1960s-70s, covering such topics as various joys and challenges she experienced, family dynamics, social justice issues, events that led her to writing as a profession, and more. I loved hearing about some of the individuals who played such a positive role in her childhood, as well as the discovery of her own strengths and passions along the way. Clear, lyrical, and captivating - a beautiful listen on audiobook.

This was my long-overdue introduction to Baldwin and his highly-praised (and deservedly so) writing. I was quite taken not only by the tragically beautiful storytelling but also by the richness of his prose: “Life in that room seemed to be occurring underwater, as I say, and it is certain that I underwent a sea change there,” and “Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition” - these are the kinds of sentences that can transport me to what feels like a whole new literary plane. This may have been my first Baldwin book but it definitely won’t be my last, and fortunately he has quite a catalog from which to choose. If you have suggestions for what to pick up next, please do let me know below.

I read one of Rooney’s books years ago and wasn’t a huge fan, in large part because the absence of quotation marks really interrupted my reading experience, so I decided to overcome that particular obstacle by listening to Beautiful World, Where Are You on audio. I’m still not sure how I feel about her stories - they’re mostly enjoyable but I don’t necessarily think I’ll remember this one in a few years. At the same time, I really do like her overall writing style - word choices, character development, sentence structure, and such (lack of quotation marks aside). I think this reading experience is reminding me that maybe a book doesn’t have to linger in my mind forever to still be good - that enjoying it in the moment is valuable in and of itself. I do think I’ll read more by her.

Somehow I went through my entire childhood (and adulthood up to now), as well as the childhoods of my three kiddos, having never read - nor seen an adaptation of - The Chronicles of Narnia. How can that be? After learning that Greta Gerwig is making a new movie around it and hearing some podcasters and book reviewers chat about the series, I decided to finally remedy this gap in my children’s literature. Overall I enjoyed the story and appreciated much about C.S. Lewis’ writing style - I could easily place myself in the environment he created and picture myself among his vivid cast of characters. Did you read this one as a kid and/or as an adult? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Alright, we’ve reached favorites territory with these next two books! I’ve read and loved just about everything Ann Patchett has written, so it comes as zero surprise that I loved her brand-new release as well. What did surprise me this time, however, were the sentences or brief paragraphs here and there that elicited incredibly strong emotions seemingly from out of nowhere. I arrived early when meeting a friend one evening, for instance, and decided to read in my car for fifteen minutes while waiting, not at all expecting that I’d have a tear-streaked face to explain when I walked in! What never ceases to amaze me about Patchett’s writing is the seeming ease in which she crafts such sentences, too - a sign of a truly gifted writer, in my opinion. I so admire her writing, her promotion of other authors, and her advocacy for literacy, literature, and independent bookstores.

If I had to describe Mattering in a single word, the one that rises to the surface is OUTSTANDING. Breheny Wallace conducts a deep-dive exploration into our human need to feel valued by others and to know that we add value to others, how this often goes unmet in this day and age, and what we can do about it. A journalist by trade, she conducts thoughtful interviews, delves into the research, and seeks out both extraordinary and everyday examples of mattering, pulling everything seamlessly together in this highly readable and moving book. If you’re familiar with my work as a speaker and coach who focuses on core values, engagement and meaningful work, and living with intention and purpose (or if you simply noticed the title of this newsletter, Reading And Purpose), you can probably understand how deeply this topic resonates with me - but I think this book would resonate with so many others as well. I am tempted to write a stand-alone review and share some of my top takeaways - if you’d appreciate this, please let me know in the comments below. Regardless, I highly recommend this book, and it is now up there with Meaningful Work by Adams and Myles as my favorite nonfiction book of the year so far!

Well, so much for being brief! :-)

I hope you enjoyed this wrap-up, and I’d love to chat more in the comments. Which of these have you read? Which do you want to read? What’s your favorite book of the year so far? Share any and all bookish thoughts below!

I wish you excellent reading in the second half of 2026!

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