July is here, and for me, summer officially starts with the 4th of July celebrations. That’s tomorrow already! So before I move on into more of my summer busy-ness, I want to take a moment and share my June with you.

I’m delighted to report that I read a number of books in June! Surprised myself, actually. “Grief brain” for me is a very real thing, and for months now my focus (especially on reading) has been scattered and my attention span minimal. So that’s why I was happily surprised when I looked at my Goodreads list of books read in June and realized I actually finished 5 books! Those quiet afternoons, after mornings filled with yard work, have been a productive and therapeutic reading time.

The five books I read in June were enjoyable and varied. Early in the month, I completed a book I’d been “reading slowly over time” (my new category for my Goodreads lists). It was a book about grief, a collection of poems and short essays written by a variety of people. The Language of Loss: Poetry and Prose for Grieving and Celebrating the Love of Your Life, edited by Barbara Abercrombie, was a lovely collection that I found very healing. It took a long time to read because I would only read one or two selections at a time, and that gave me time to really think about what was shared by other grievers.

from the publisher:

When Barbara Abercrombie’s husband died, she found the language of condolence, no matter how well intended, irritating. “My husband had not gone to a better place, as if he were on a holiday. He had not passed, like clouds overhead. He wasn’t my late husband, as if he’d missed a train. And I had not lost him, as if I’d been careless.” She yearned instead for words that acknowledged the reality of death, that spoke about the unfathomable sorrow and loneliness (and perhaps even guilt and anger), and that might even point the way toward hope and healing. She found those words in the writings gathered here. The prose and poetry in The Language of Loss follows an arc that mirrors the path of many mourners — from abject loss and feeling unmoored, to glimmers of promise and possibility, through to gratitude for the love they knew. C.S. Lewis wrote, “We read to know that we’re not alone.” These writings, which express what often feels ineffable, will accompany those who grieve, offering understanding and solace.

The other four books I read were so interesting and each deserves its own separate review. But for now, I will just say that each transported me to someplace else while giving me new insights into my own world right now here at home. That’s why I read …  and I’m so grateful to be able to spend my afternoons with good stories and wonderful talented storytellers.

My June reading:

I hope that you are all enjoying your summer reading!