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So May started of amazingly with my first trip abroad in 10 YEARS! Me, Tom, my Mum and Dad went to Amsterdam to celebrate my 40th and my Mum’s 60th birthdays. It was amazing and we did so much, however – not much reading got done as I was shattered every night!
Then in June I ended up in hospital with a gastro infection. Obviously, because of my Crohn’s and ileostomy it hit me like a tonne of bricks and set off an adrenal crisis, which was not fun at all. However, I did get some time to catch up on my reading! Here is what I thought of all the books I read in May and June.
Read more: Book Reviews – May and June 2026All My Sisters And Me*
by Sheryl Lister
The Blurb
Instead of growing closer over the years, sisters-in-law Giselle, Kamryn, Chanel, and Taylor are more distant than ever.
After almost a decade of marriage, Giselle is still childless, with the pangs of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy mounting each day. Kamryn loves her husband’s family, but she and Giselle have never gotten along, and she’s tired of always trying to keep the peace. Newly married Chanel is ecstatic to finally have the family she’s craved all her life, but the ongoing feud between her two sisters-in-law threatens that harmony. Meanwhile, Taylor is still trying to find her place in the family after a tragic and unexpected turn in her relationship.
As everything comes to a head during a weeklong anniversary celebration, the truth could tear them apart forever…or bring them together as the sisters they were meant to be.
What I Thought
I haven’t read anything by this author before but I really enjoyed this one!
The main character, Giselle, is entirely unlikeable but by the end I wanted to give her a big hug. The family dynamics were great and the story well written, however I felt it lacked a little pace around half way through. I am glad I pushed on though, as I really enjoyed finding out what happened to all these characters.
A really good family drama with everything you’d want and expect – joy, heartbreak, humour, tension, love and more.
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
Dinner For Vampires
by Bethany Joy Lenz
The Blurb
A deliciously witty and inspiring memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.
In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.
An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister – a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family ‘minders’ assigned to her on set, ‘Maoist struggle session’-inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counselling with ‘Leadership’ were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.
Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill super-fan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered the course of her life.
Written with powerful honesty and dark humour, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity, faith and independence.
What I Thought
I was never a huge One Tree Hill fan and only watched it now and again, but my best friend was and when I saw this book, I had to find out what was going on behind the scenes for the author!
It was incredible to hear all about her life outside the show, as watching her character, Hayley, you would never have guessed what was going on behind the scenes. I suppose that is what makes her a great actress!
I loved the fact that she read her own story (I listened to a library loan audiobook version), as I think people telling their own story is so much more powerful. I have read and watched many a documentary about different cults and it still baffles me that this can go on so profically and under so many people’s noses!
Very interesting and powerful, definitely worth a read (or a listen!).
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
The House Of My Mother
by Shari Franke
The Blurb
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog – now the subject of a new Disney+ docuseries – and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.
Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface – Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.
As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.
Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: ‘Finally’.
For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, ‘ConneXions’. No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.
What I Thought
Wow, what a powerful story.
This is a book written by the daughter of Ruby Franke, the family and ‘mummy’ vlogger who not too long ago was convicted and given a prison sentence for multiple counts of child abuse.
It is quite a recent case as the court proceedings ended only a couple of years ago, so a lot of this is quite fresh in people’s minds. This makes everything Shari shares even more powerful and heartbreaking – you wonder how this goes on still and when this family shared so much of their life online too!
This is well written and again, I listened to the audio version and she reads it herself which just makes it that bit more impactful. Not an easy read, but I am glad Shari has had the chance to share her story – certainly something her mother didn’t show on her ‘reality’ family channel. It also raises again the question of ethics surrounding child influencers, family vloggers etc. and Shari’s story is definitely important to help hold up and be considered in this important debate.
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
I’m Glad My Mom Died
by Jennette the McCurdy
The Blurb
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, whatever it took, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what her mother called “calorie restriction”, weighing herself five times a day and ultimately shrinking down to 89 pounds. She endured extensive at-home makeovers using knockoff whitening strips, hot curlers, eyelash tint, and gobs of bleach to enhance her “natural beauty.” She was showered by her mother until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, an email account, and all her earnings. The dream finally comes true when Jennette is cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly and is thrust into fame. But for Jennette, the dream is a nightmare.
Practically overnight, her fake smile and cheesy airbrushed hair-do is plastered on billboards across the country. And though her mom is ecstatic, ordering her to smile for the paparazzi (with whom she’s on a first-name basis) and sign endless autographs for fans who only know her by her character’s name, Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction and a series of unhealthy relationships.These issues only get worse when Jennette’s mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and coldly examining the relationship with her mother, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with raw honesty and equal parts gravity and humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is a a shocking, devastating, and ultimately inspiring story of resilience.
What I Thought
With all of the stories coming out of Hollywood and especially from child stars, this is a painfully familiar story.
Jennette’s personal story is raw, uncomfortable and there is plenty of dark humour thrown in – a coping mechanism I k now well!
She writes with bravery and honesty, and a level of kindness towards her mother I don’t know how she manages.
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
The Last Days of Kira Mullan
by Nicci French
The Blurb
She thinks it was murder.
But if she can’t trust herself, how can anyone else?
For a brief moment, Nancy North wasn’t fine. A psychotic break tore her away from her restaurant, her friends, and her own cosy London flat. But now, sticking to her breathing exercises and doctor-prescribed help, Nancy North is fine. Her new flat, her new neighbours, and her boyfriend’s hovering concern aren’t exactly helping, but she’s keeping it together as well as can be expected.
Until the suicide of her downstairs neighbour, Kira. Nancy is convinced there’s more to Kira’s death than has been discovered. But all everyone else sees, including the police, is a vulnerable young woman with a history of experiencing things that aren’t necessarily there.
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor has her own misgivings about Kira’s death. Maud knows what it’s like to be dismissed as an overemotional woman and isn’t so quick to discount Nancy’s claims. As tensions reach an explosive breaking point, the line between fact and delusion becomes dangerously blurred, but Maud to determined to help bring the truth to light.
What I Thought
A great book full of suspense – this one had me holding my breath at times as I kept turning page after page to find out what happens!
As I have said before, I like a book that I can imagine actually happening in real life – and this one I could! Imagine your previous mental health struggles following you through life and meaning that not only may you be in danger, but people don’t believe a word you say – and want to send you right back to an awful hospital. Gives me shivers! However, knowing Nancy has previously had a psychotic break means you wonder whether reality is being distorted and whether she is experiencing another mental health episode and that is what you are reading.
I felt the ending did let the book down a little, the choice of culprit was perhaps a little odd… however I couldn’t put it down and thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult
The Blurb
After years of cruel bullying from his classmates, Peter Houghton snaps one morning, and in nineteen minutes, ten residents of the town of Sterling are dead. When the case goes to trial, the reeling town is determined to seek justice for the innocents Peter killed.
But as the trial unfolds, Peter’s testimony casts light on the terrible role the residents of Sterling have played in turning a sweet, loving boy into a killer. It isn’t long before Sterling’s illusions of innocence find themselves shattered forever…
What I Thought
It has been a while since I read a Jodi Picoult book, but she never disappoints!
I read this following a review from BookTok and I am so glad I picked it up. With such a delicate subject matter, Jodi writes it beautifully, with some great characters.
I saw a review saying the book makes you question who you feel sorry for in a situation like this. You don’t, or certainly, I didn’t. A school shooting is a school shooting and there is never a good reason, but I do like the way Jodi balances the story and you see it from different perspectives.
The story jumps back and forth in the timeline to give you more insights and some parts are difficult to read. However, Jodi does another incredible job and I would recommend to all!
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke
The Blurb
‘My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…’
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.
Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn’t her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.
As darkly funny as it is shocking and gripping, Yesteryear is an electrifying examination of tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, from a thrilling new talent in fiction.
What I Thought
So it is HUGE on BookTok right now… so I had to read it right?
There is many who have loved and recommended it… and a few who absolutely hate it – it seems this book divides opinions but I fell on the love it side!
Natalie is an entirely unreliable narrator and you don’t like her at all. However, the story is well written and develops so well you can’t help keep turning page after page! I loved the exploration of social media versus reality, gender roles, motherhood, marriage, and mental health
Going between two time lines is not as confusing as you might think and the story is well paced. It is hard to write too much so as not to spoil it for others, but the hype is deserved and it is well worth a read!
Where To Get It
Amazon StoreFront
Some heavy hitters this month – have you read any of the books I did this month?
Take care and keep reading,
The Spoonie Mummy 
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