My Wonderful Reading Year – August 2022- The Journey Continues.

I will start with the books I was gifted to review!

Whisper of The Seals by Roxanne Bouchard

The story is perfection! One moment a sense of terrifying exhilaration is gripping you, then you are suddenly it becomes quieter, the strained tranquility leaving you on edge and backwards and forwards you go, until you can barely breath. The writer using these two alternative settings to create varying levels of tension, that have the reader so rattled, they have to read on, simply to know who survives. Frankly I had to take a break from reading to cope before I moved onto my next read. Would I do it again, of course I would, because her writing is some of the best I have ever read and Whisper of the Seals her best book yet.

A Gypsy in Auschwitz by Otto Rosenburg

Otto Rosenberg is telling Nazi persecution of his people, to remind us that their hatred of ‘outsiders’ did not stop with the Jews, but led to the murder of many other groups. The story is powerful and emotional , one everyone should take the time to read, because as those that suffered and survived die, the risk is people will forget, so it is upon us to keep those events alive, so they never happen again. Otto Rosenberg legacy was his bravery in telling his story to the world, to overcoming the trauma he suffered, so others don’t ever have to again. It’s power coming from the remarkable act of bravery it took to face those events again and speak out to us as readers.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

I loved this story of a wartime library set up in Bethnal Green tube station. The story of the people that run it and the amazing people who lived in the underground tube stations, it is both funny, heart warming and often emotional. A dam good story told with skill and a lightness of touch that means the story reads with ease and is almost impossible to put down.

For the first time in ages I managed to read more of my own books in August than review books. Hurrah! So here they are.

The Librarian by Allie Morgan

I loved how Allie Morgan ‘s The Librarian is the honesty of her writing, her humour and her passionate sense of community. We can see that she understands that without access to this service, many would be  disadvantaged and left to fall to the wayside. Communities need libraries, they have the right to access to the services they provide. Without libraries children with parents that can’t afford to buy them books, will be forever disadvantaged, may never develop a love of books and reading, their education and life chances forever hindered. This book is a says that if we want our libraries to survive, if we say we believe in equality for all, we need to support Librarians like Allie Morgan and their battle to save these valuable resources.  

The Library by Bella Osborne

This is a gentle story about two bookworms, about friendship and the things that bring them together, the local library. It is funny, moving and gentle, yet deals with some difficult issues, loneliness, shattered families and a need for community. It is just what I needed and I fell in love with both the story and the characters.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Magical and delightful, this is fantasy writing at it’s very best. Full of adventure, I found it impossible to put down, becoming lost in the richly imagined story of a quest, that leads one man to uncharted Peru. Here he finds, friendship and the answer to his families connection to this place of wonder. One of my favorite writers, Natasha Pulley delivers another stunning story.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Less by Andrew Sean Greer has to be one of my books of the year! A charming, funny emotional read about Arthur Less, who travels to try and heal a broken heart and find time to write his next great novel. He is without doubt a wonderful character and the story one I would recommend to all.

Well there we are. August was a captivating month for reading and I’m looking forward to what September brings.

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