June Wrap-Up

 

First up this month was Liv Constantine's The Next Mrs. Parrish. Astute readers of this blog ( and I'm chuckling here because I don't think there are any readers of this blog let alone astute ones! 😂) will remember that May ended with The Last Mrs. Parrish which I read quickly and in preparation for this follow up. I reviewed it on the blog'

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-next-mrs-parrish-liv-constantine.html

My local bookshop has been hosting several writer events. Often they are local authors. Tim Burrows, a freelance journalist, wrote a book about the county of Essex. It is an attempt to dispel the myths about Essex and explode the stereotypical ideas of Essex Girl and Essex Man. It's fascinating. I am ambivalent towards Essex even though I live here. I don't love it. There are bits of it I like. This book makes it sound like an okay place.

The Maid by Nita Prose was one of my 'walking books'. So it was read on the kindle app on my phone. Not my favourite method of reading but better than not reading. I loved it ! I loved the character of Molly, clearly on the spectrum, and well observed by the author. It was an absorbing whodunnit as well.

I've read all of Kate Morton's books. Homecoming is the seventh and didn't disappoint. She is a natural story teller and her stories are often what I like to call 'big house' stories. This book alternates between two different timelines - 1959 and 2018 - and is a slow reveal of the events that surrounded the tragedy of the Turner family. Lots of twists and turns, some you see coming, others you don't. In this story the big house is called Halcyon and the action takes place in Australia.

Next up was a book that has been on my radar for a while. The Island Missing of Trees by Elif Shafak. I think it is the only book I have ever come across where one of the main characters is a fig tree! Genius. It's a beautiful, moving book that looks at the conflict between Turkey and Cyprus.  It's about love and loss and family and heritage. 

Fiona Cummins is a writer who has been on my radar for a while. I didn't realise that she is a local author and I met her at my bookshop where she came to help out for a morning during Independent Book store week.  She was lovely  to talk to and I can't believe how someone so nice can come up with such brutal and fiendish characters and twisty plots! 😂 She told me she would be returning to the bookshop in August so I am determined to read all her books by then. I started with her current book, All of Us are Broken. I’ve just finished When I was Ten and I've just started The Neighbour. I have another reserved at my local library so that means I will have just a couple to go before August if I can stay on target. They are truly UNPUTDOWNABLES!

My friend lost her Mum last October and I've been trying to support her and help her through the worst of bereavement. I remember so well what it feels like.Her Mum was an avid reader and River God by Wilbur Smith was her favourite book. My friend asked me if I would like to borrow it. I said yes but it’s sat on my shelf for a while now and I’ve been feeling bad that I had left it. So I made sure I read it this month and I enjoyed it very much. It’s pure adventure , a kind of Egyptian Game of Thrones! Smith is an experienced writer and I think my own Mum liked his books too. 

And lastly this month is a debut novel from Nikkitha Bakshani. Ghost Chilli! This was one of those delightful books about which I had zero expectations. I knew nothing the author and I just went into it blind, and it was a delight. Funny, touching, a beautifully paced narrative that just moves smoothly along. There were times when I wanted to just hug Muskan and other times when I wanted to give her a good shake! She is quite the character.