Here we are, summer has arrived and I have added tending to my garden to the list of the things I love to do at this time of the year. When it is cooler, I love to sit with a good book and relax, moving to the cool of my house when my south facing garden becomes too hot. I find myself drawn away from reviewing books for blog tours and towards reading simply for pleasure, something I will be doing more of this summer. I have strayed from the path of tackling my to be read pile of books, but hope to remedy that as well.
So here we go! These are the books I read in June 2022.
Villager by Tom Cox.
It feels like a cliché to say that when I pick up a novel I have certain expectations. Sometimes I love when a book delivers exactly what I want, other times I feel a tiny bit let down, because as reader I still want to be enchanted and challenged! I want a piece of writing that feels authentic and original. Villager by Tom Cox is all this and I felt eutrophic that I had found a piece of writing that felt exciting, different and best of imaginative. The writing is vivid and the characters felt alive, talking to me from the page in glorious detail.
The Beach House by Beverley Jones
There is a sense of snobbery from some towards thrillers, put down as having mass market appeal, as if that in some way, is an insult. But the reason this genre has such appeal is because it can create a sense of excitement in the readers, so many other genres can’t and when done well, they are cracking reads. The Beach House is an example of this, the story vibrates with tension, it doesn’t run along out of control, but like a ticking clock, slowly counts down to an ending that has you holding you breath!
Gentleman Jack – The Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma
I picked this non fiction title up because I love the story of Anne Lister and loved the TV adaption of her life. It has, I am ashamed to say, sat on my bookshelf for over two years, bought on a city break in the summer before the Covid Pandemic changed our lives forever. I found it to be a fascinating and moving read, that told the story of a remarkable women through her own words.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was the book chosen by book group for June and I really enjoyed it. I’m not a massive fan of dystopian fiction, but I loved this one. The idea of a world without books scares me, so I found it both chilling and haunting.
Nothing Else by Louise Beach
Read as part of a blog tour nothing else is a beautiful and haunting tale of love and kinship. I am a massive fan of Louise Beeches writing and I love how she always manages to capture the essence of what connects us. Stunning writing once again.
Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz
It seems too simplistic to say this book is beautifully written, one of the best books I have read this year, but it is true. Here we have two women who find redemption by simply allowing each to be, not asking or demanding, simply coming to an acceptance of what it means to find acceptance.
The Secret LIfe of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
It is impossible as far as I am concerned to read this novel and not fall head over heals with Albert. It is a story of finding acceptance, of being true to who you are. Here is an LGBT+ story that will warm your heart and remind you that we all have the right to find love and be loved.
An Extra Pair of Hands by Kate Moss
A deeply moving account of what it really means to be a carer, told with love and honesty, this is a book we should all read. I found myself seeing within it’s pages a tender understanding of not just the hardships and stress brought about by caring for someone, but the joy and rewards it can bring.
Well that was June 2022 and it was a wonderful reading month. I’m hoping to delve deeper into my piles of books in July and I am excited to discover new and wonderful stories.
booksaremycwtches 