Friday 30 June 2017

Books read in June

Seems I haven't had a bad reading month in June, after a bit of a lull for a couple of months where my enthusiasm wasn't what it might have been. Six books read and most pretty good, which is about all you can ask for really.

These are the books:

30. Flirting With French - William Alexander. The author's endless struggle to learn French.

31. The Saint-Fiacre Affair - Georges Simenon. Maigret solving the murder of a countess in his home village.

32. Bruno, Chief of Police - Martin Walker. Chief of police, Bruno Courréges, endeavouring to discover who in his peaceful French town killed a North African war hero.

33. Extraordinary People - Peter May. Enzo McCleod whizzing around France trying to solve the cold case of a missing academic.

34. Death on the Cherwell - Mavis Doriel Hay. Female Oxford undergrads from the 1930s try to solve the murder of the their college's bursar.

35. Confession - Martin O'Brien. To be reviewed. Marseilles detective, Daniel Jacquot, working undercover to find a missing teenage girl from Paris.


These were all excellent books. I see they're nearly all crime stories which is about typical of me these days. Also, all but one set in France, which is also typical of me at the moment. It seems there are a few good French crime series out there... if anyone has any other recs of good French crime series please do feel free to recommend them.

As to a favourite, well the two that jump out are, Extraordinary People by Peter May and Confession by Martin O'Brien. Except... I really *really* enjoyed this one:

Because, well basically because it made me laugh a lot. Plus, I learnt quite a bit about language and how we learn... the optimum age for learning to speak a new language and so on. I don't own this book, it was a library book, but I'm very tempted to buy a copy in order that I can reread it at some stage, it was that interesting and informative.








So, onwards into July. Half the year has now come and gone and if that's not scary I don't what is. Happy reading!

~~~oOo~~~

3 comments:

DesLily said...

You did super!! I am still at only 15 books! I need a good kick in the head. sigh. It all started with vacation and being sick for a month ..and still all I want is to lay in the recliner with my eyes closed. oh well. I am glad you found some that you enjoyed so very much!!

BooksPlease said...

It is scary to think that half the year has gone! Glad you're back reading and enjoying books again. I don't know if you've read any of Fred Vargas' Commissaire Adamsberg books - I really like them and wonder if you would too.

Cath said...

Pat: Don't beat yourself up about the number of books you've read this year. It's been very difficult for you and remember that some people never read anything! Plus... it's not a competition.

Margaret: I honestly don't know where half the year has gone. Yes, I have read one of the Fred Vargas books but that was as far as I got. I liked it but my library didn't have any more so that was that. I must check again as that was 4 or 5 years ago.