July & August Books
Sep. 6th, 2020 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pandop Whoops, forgot to do July's books, so I will do 2-months-in-1
28: The Testament of Gideon Mack James Robertson
July's choice for my 'in-person' book group. I had low expectations for this, as I really did not enjoy the previous book we had read by Robertson. However, this was a much, much better read. But, it was one of the stranger books I have read - and the unreliable narrator contributed a lot to that.
29: The Sittaford Mystery Agatha Christie [Kindle]
July's read for the Shedunnit book club. This is only the second non-Poirot/Marple Christie that I have read (and the other was an audiobook), and I quite enjoyed it. Very strange book to be reading in a heatwave ...
Good plot and range of characters - but I am not 100% sure that Emily made the right decision at the end.
30: Outline Rachel Cusk
August's book group read. Slightly more appropriate for the weather ;) I ended up liking this more than I thought I would at the beginning, although it was another rather odd book, and the disjointed nature of the stories did leave me feeling rather unsatisfied too.
31: Paradise Gardens: the world's most beautiful Islamic Gardens Monty Don and Derry Moore
I have been dipping in and out of this during lockdown, and it has been a lovely source of both memories and dreams of future travel.
Amazing photography.
32: White Teeth Zadie Smith [Kindle]
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but also I don't think that had I expected anything it would have been this.
I really enjoyed the story of intertwined families, and the very eccentric cast of characters. The plot took a very unexpected turn at the end, and I am still not sure about that.
33: Tales from the Folly: a Rivers of London short story collection Ben Aaronovitch [Kindle]
It is a long time since I have read a book in a day, and it was also good to be reminded how much I love this story. Not just for the magic realism, but the police procedural aspect is so well done, and so funny. I liked the assortment of stories, and that some of the minor characters got their own stories.
34: The Singing Sands Josephine Tey [Kindle]
August's read for the Shedunnit book club. Quite a good read, in particular it was very nice to see a book from this time period deal with the protagonist's mental health so frankly, even if his recovery was a bit convenient. The writing was excellent, full of humour - and that I didn't expect that given the state of Grant's mental health at the start of the book. The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but also fitted the murderers personality, so I can sorta forgive it.
35: Diary of a Somebody Brian Bilston
Again a book group book I wasn't hopeful about, but ended up enjoying. I hope this pattern continues, as it is so much better than when I was expecting to enjoy them and didn't.
For the most part I am not a huge reader of poetry, but I have liked Bilston's stuff when I have seen it on social media, and this has confirmed my liking. The plot got a bit improbable towards the end, but it was so well written I didn't mind, and I loved the humour.
One of the best books I have read this year, if not in years.
28: The Testament of Gideon Mack James Robertson
July's choice for my 'in-person' book group. I had low expectations for this, as I really did not enjoy the previous book we had read by Robertson. However, this was a much, much better read. But, it was one of the stranger books I have read - and the unreliable narrator contributed a lot to that.
29: The Sittaford Mystery Agatha Christie [Kindle]
July's read for the Shedunnit book club. This is only the second non-Poirot/Marple Christie that I have read (and the other was an audiobook), and I quite enjoyed it. Very strange book to be reading in a heatwave ...
Good plot and range of characters - but I am not 100% sure that Emily made the right decision at the end.
30: Outline Rachel Cusk
August's book group read. Slightly more appropriate for the weather ;) I ended up liking this more than I thought I would at the beginning, although it was another rather odd book, and the disjointed nature of the stories did leave me feeling rather unsatisfied too.
31: Paradise Gardens: the world's most beautiful Islamic Gardens Monty Don and Derry Moore
I have been dipping in and out of this during lockdown, and it has been a lovely source of both memories and dreams of future travel.
Amazing photography.
32: White Teeth Zadie Smith [Kindle]
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but also I don't think that had I expected anything it would have been this.
I really enjoyed the story of intertwined families, and the very eccentric cast of characters. The plot took a very unexpected turn at the end, and I am still not sure about that.
33: Tales from the Folly: a Rivers of London short story collection Ben Aaronovitch [Kindle]
It is a long time since I have read a book in a day, and it was also good to be reminded how much I love this story. Not just for the magic realism, but the police procedural aspect is so well done, and so funny. I liked the assortment of stories, and that some of the minor characters got their own stories.
34: The Singing Sands Josephine Tey [Kindle]
August's read for the Shedunnit book club. Quite a good read, in particular it was very nice to see a book from this time period deal with the protagonist's mental health so frankly, even if his recovery was a bit convenient. The writing was excellent, full of humour - and that I didn't expect that given the state of Grant's mental health at the start of the book. The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but also fitted the murderers personality, so I can sorta forgive it.
35: Diary of a Somebody Brian Bilston
Again a book group book I wasn't hopeful about, but ended up enjoying. I hope this pattern continues, as it is so much better than when I was expecting to enjoy them and didn't.
For the most part I am not a huge reader of poetry, but I have liked Bilston's stuff when I have seen it on social media, and this has confirmed my liking. The plot got a bit improbable towards the end, but it was so well written I didn't mind, and I loved the humour.
One of the best books I have read this year, if not in years.
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