My notebook tells me that I've read eight books this month. It really doesn't feel like it. How odd. What's more disturbing is that we're four weeks away from being halfway through the year. Now that is scary!
Anyway, the books are:
32. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
33. The Provincial Lady in America - E.M. Delafield. The third book in the omnibus I own. Not reviewed but it was delightful... funny, beautifully observed, a real pleasure to read.
34. The Vineyards of Champagne - Juliet Blackwell
35. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
36. Summer at the Lake - Erica James
37. The Body in the Dumb River - George Bellairs
38. Footnotes - Peter Fiennes (to be reviewed)
39. The Nine of Us: Growing up Kennedy - Jean Kennedy Smith (to be reviewed)
It seems I might be a bit behind with reviews. (In fact I have two short ones done of books 36 and 37 and 39 will be joining them soon in a 'catch-up' post.)
So anyway, that was a very interesting reading month. Why? Well usually eight books might include four, five sometimes six murder mysteries. This month? One. My May reading included two non-fictions, a science-fiction, two contemporary fiction books written by women (not my usual fare), one crime yarn and two classics (I'm counting The Provincial Lady books as such.) And here's another odd thing, I loved all of them apart from the crime story which I didn't hate at all but just found a trifle pedestrian.
I can't even choose a favourite this month because five of them were so good. I'm looking back at May and thinking what a super month it was for books! I really hope June will be equally as excellent.
These are the three books I'm reading at the moment:
The Kennedy book will be finished today, the other two will be my first books for June. And June will also be spent having a good time with Carl's 'Venture Forth' for which I've already finished one book and almost finished another.
Happy reading in June!
13 comments:
My mother really likes Andrew Taylor's series that starts with Ashes of London. I recently read the first, which I liked, and a much darker one set during WWII, The Second Midnight, which was quite dreary. I think it was written early in his career and his publishers are pushing it now that he is better known. I will definitely give him another try.
I have mixed feelings about Erica James. The books always sound fun and lighthearted, which I am often in the mood for, and there was one I really liked (I don't think most have made it to the US). Then there was one called Love and Devotion, which was dreadful! I don't have to find a likable character in order to appreciate a book but it helps! Do you have a favorite? I will see what the local libraries have.
I can't believe we're four weeks away from being halfway through the year. But then, this hasn't been much of a year. Maybe the faster we get through it the better.
CLM: I've read The American Boy by Andrew Taylor which I thought was quite good, that's a few years ago now. Fireside Gothic consists of three long short stories and is rather good too. I must get around to Ashes of London as I suspect it's a series I would like.
I don't have a favourite Erica James as I've only read one so far. I enjoyed Summer at the Lake a lot but going through the list of her books on Fantastic Fiction I couldn't see that many I fancied. I grabbed one for my Kindle, The Garden of Delights, so I'll see how I get on with that. I don't actually see me going through her whole output somehow.
Lark: I know, it's incredible, downhill to Christmas after that. I wonder what our Christmases will be like this year.
Cath, you have a very good reading month. I hope June is good as well.
This does sound like a good reading month. I am eager to hear about the George Bellairs particularly.
I read eight books this month and I am perpetually behind on reviews. I have a lot of reviews from earlier in the year that I need to do for the European Challenge and my classics list. I wish I could review all the books but I would have to read less to do that.
Diane: Thanks! It was one of those 'excellent' months that doesn't laways happen.
Tracy: I have a catch-up post two thirds done, hopefully finish that later.
Not just me behind on reviews. It's very hard to keep up and I think I need to resign myself to the fact I can't review every book I read at length. Exactly, and I don't want to read less in order to blog more.
Hi Cath,
You obviously don't think so, but it seems that you are posting far more often than you were, or maybe it is because I am at home and not missing so many posts through lack of spare time!
This was obviously a good month for your reading and actually mine wasn't too bad either, by my standards that is! It really has just been too hot to do anything else, hasn't it? I think we are due to get a short respite mid week, which will be quite nice.
I am definitely up for trying 'The Vineyards Of Champagne' and I want to see what you thought about the Erica James, as I have a physical copy of that one sat on my shelves, thanks to MIL!
I'll let you get on with your catch-up posts and speak again soon :)
Yvonne
xx
Hu Yvonne. Actually I do think so. LOL! I know I've been posting more. When we went into lockdown a group of bloggers such as Judith, Sam, Tracy and myself all decided to try and post more often to keep our spirits up a bit. And I think we've all managed to do it.
Yes, it's a bit too warm for me. We've been getting our garden work done straight after breakfast and then stopping before eleven when it starts to get hot. I then settle down with a book in the afternoon. Yes, a respite on Wednesday and cooler for the weekend with the possibility of rain. I do hope so as I'm fed up lugging watering cans around.
I've done a short review of the Erica James which I will post soon, I really enjoyed the book.
Take care! xxx
What a great reading month, Cath! Sometimes, I think, we just need a little change-of-pace in our reading choices to jumpstart us to a spurt of finding good books. Sometimes it seems like one choice just leads to another and we end up all over the map. I don't know how you get through so many books while doing so many huge puzzles at the same time. I can't seem to do both anymore.
You had a great reading month, Cath. I'm so behind with reading other people's blogs, getting to grips with the new editor on Wordpress, so I've only just caught up with your posts! I like the sound of Venture Forth and if I hadn't just decided to do the 20 Books of Summer, I'd have a go doing it - maybe I can combine the two, I like variety.
I was sure I'd read one of Erica James' books but can't remember which one. Did you enjoy the Bellairs book - I've been wondering about reading one of his books.
Are you now using the new version of Blogger? Or have just changed the layout and background? - it looks good.
Sam: Yes, I was pretty pleased with the books I read and you can't always say that about every month. Yes, a change of pace and sometimes a change of focus, maybe look at books you wouldn't normally read just to keep things fresh. I'm not puzzling as much at the moment. I do them in our conservatory and it's just too hot in there to sit for any length of time doing puzzles. We're due a wet day tomorrow and then cooler temps for a few days so hopefully I might be able to fit a 1000 piece puzzle in before it gets hot again.
Margaret: Yes, it's quite hard keeping up with everyone's blogs at the moment. I love all the posts though. A few people seem to be doing both Venture Forth and 20 Books of Summer, I don't think I will, much as I'm tempted!
I thought the Bellairs book was a bit ordinary, (I've just reviewed it briefly). I have read one or two others of his that I liked though and it could be that I read a lot of books that I loved in May and it sort of suffered in comparison.
No, I'm not using the new blogger. I tried it and had a bit of catastrophe... I realised what the problem was in the end (after an hour and a half of panicking) but it put me off and I went back to the old one, but changed the look of it. I shall steel my self to try again in a couple of weeks.
My maiden name is Kennedy and I always get asked if I'm related to the famous Kennedy Family (not that I know of). Weirdly, I haven't been that interested in reading about them. I'm glad you're enjoying learning about them. I'm sure they're all fascinating people.
Susan: Oh how interesting that your maiden name is Kennedy. Definitely Irish ancestory in your family somewhere then but not necessarily that particular family. LOL!
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