read

 

 

Spurred on by Hayley at Rather too fond of books‘s post about this, I’m taking on the 20 books of summer challenge set by Cathy at 746 books – what a great idea – so that’s reading 20 books and an awful lot of words of our choice between 1 June (today) and 3 September 2018. This is utter madness given the work load but it’s lovely to have an excuse to revisit old friends and make potential new ones.

Here are my books – and, as you can see from the photo (below), I’m obviously not that organised – so, in no particular order (from top left to right):

 

1. The Leavers, Lisa Ko – read June – Dialogue Books launch title – heard great things and they’re true!

2. The Chrysalids, John Wyndham  – read August – old friend; love Wyndham.

3. Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys – August – old friend; absolutely love, love, love this book.

4. The Ice Swimmer, Kjell Ola Dahl (new; sent by Anne Cater/Orenda was meant to be on the book tour but had to withdraw)

5. A Secret Sisterhood, Emily Midorikawa and Emily Sweeney (new; sent by authors; non-fiction about the hidden friendships of Austen, Brontë, Eliot and Woolf – lovely! To be read with Flush.)

6. The Good Son, You Jeong Jeong (new; sent by Grace Vincent at Little, Brown – heard great things)

7. The Moon-Spinners , Mary Stewart – July – old friend and very old copy; huge Stewart fan.

8. The Sound of My Voice, Ron Butler (new; actually a reissue of a modern classic that somehow passed me by)

9. Cooking with Columbo, Jenny Hammerton of Silver Screen Suppers (new; sent by the author. Love cookery books with attitude and it’s Columbo!)

10. Flush, Virginia Woolf (old/new; had for a while but haven’t read it, although keep giving it to people with dogs. Love these Penguin editions, too. It fits in beautifully with A Secret Sisterhood)

11. The Things You Didn’t See, Ruth Dugdall (new; sent by the author and dipped in and looks great)

12. The Emperor of Shoes, Spencer Wise – read July – on the No Exit Press virtual book tour for this – a great debut novel and particularly interesting when read with the Lisa Ko.

13. The Old You, Louise Voss (new; very excited as love the Orenda list and have heard such good things)

14. Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Driori (new and beautiful; I do love a good tree and it’s beautifully illustrated. Trivia: Jonathan’s also married to Tracy Chevalier who was one of my first bosses!)

15. The Bricks that Built the Houses, Kate Tempest (newish; present from the -ex so didn’t read it last year, although a great Tempest fan)

16. West with the Night, Beryl Markham (old friend and always wanted it to read it with number 17; Virago love, too)

17. Southern Mail/Night Flight, Antoine de Saint-Exupery (old friend; love this author and carry a copy of The Little Prince when I travel; always wanted to read with the Markham)

18. Venetia, Georgette Heyer  – August – old friend; unabashed Heyer fan and this is among the finest in my humble opinion. Is there a better hero?

19. Men without Women, Murakami (new to me; a Murakami I haven’t read and again a present from the ex- so has sat on the shelves. He has good taste in books, what can I say?)

20. A Year in My Kitchen, Skye Gyngell  – July – old friend; have dipped into this seasonally before. Great Gyngell fan and love Spring).

So, let’s see how many we get through. And what we love …