June Round Up

 First up this month is a charity shop find, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. For reasons unknown, even to me, I did confuse this title with Stuart Turton’s The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Perhaps it’s the seven, perhaps it’s the Evelyn. Anyway I’ve read them both now so I can leave my confusion behind. I enjoyed the book and its structure, each part dealing with a different husband. I thought it conjured a palpable picture of the Hollywood heydays.

I treated myself to a copy of this from my local, independent book shop. Historical fiction always appeals, especially this period in history, the Plantagenets and the Tudors, the mystery of the princes. What I loved about this was that in addition to the history the book had something to say about identity. I enjoyed how the character of John/Lambert/Edward developed.

I read The Salt Path several years ago and really enjoyed it. I went to see the film for my birthday treat this year. I enjoyed it. But it couldn’t hope to encompass the breadth of the book. I think it did a good job of showing the relationship between Raynor and Moth. It motivated me to read my copy of Landlines that I’ve had for months. More of the same I suppose. I did enjoy it, but not as much as the previous book.

The next book was a birthday present. Very unexpected but I was delighted because I enjoy Susie Dent’s input on social media. I’m a wordsmith, a word, lover, and so Guilty by Definitions was right up my street. I thought it was extremely clever and very well plotted. And anybody who’s into etymology and loves words I think would enjoy the book. It was one of those mysteries where I suspected everybody at some point.

My first library book this month was Elizabeth MacNeal's The Burial Plot. I loved MacNeal's debut novel The Doll Factory. I loved the atmosphere it created and the women in art theme that was in part continued in The Burial Plot albeit a different kind of creativity. Richly described and researched it leans towards the gothic. I've now reserved Circus of Wonders from the library, MacNeal's second book.

Local authors often choose a local book shop for their book launch. Fiona Cummins did just that. That's where I purchased my copy of Some of Us Are Liars and had it signed too! Fiona's books are unputdownables. Twisted, dark plots that have you second guessing, usually incorrectly! The character of Saul Anguish is fascinating. and if you've read all of Fiona's books including her recent Quick Reads offering A Boy Called Saul you will be acquainted with the nuances and contradictions of his life. The setting is local to me and that offers an additional dynamic to the pleasure of the read because you know the places being described. 

Another library book, Lucy Steed's The Artist, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize this year. Having read it I can see why. A young art journalist  secures an audience with a renowned, reclusive painter who lives in Provence with his niece whom he dominates and denies her any true liberty. The novel explores families, love, art and secrecy. I thought it fell away towards the end and it felt a bit rushed but otherwise it was an engrossing read. 

I was lucky enough to win another Librarything giveaway. and what a gem thus turned out to be. I wrote about it on my blog. 

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/06/degree-of-guilt-dan-cogan.html

The Planet Spins on its Axis, Regardless - Kavita A. Jindal - Blog Tour

 

An arresting collection of short stories across diverse locations. And whilst they seem, on the surface, to be separate from each other there is a convergent theme - the human condition, examined and observed from various perspectives.  Indian culture plays a big part but there are universal notions here to be considered. And ultimately I found it to be quite a philosophical collection. However there is a quirkiness throughout that prevents any kind of preaching or axe grinding. There is a balance between the light hearted and the serious. Something I loved was how the eccentricities are expressed as everyday, normal.

Like any collection I had my favourites; Shamans in Luburbia, possibly because I loved the concept of fusing London and surburbia into Luburbia. Genius! It's about the menopause too and I loved the interaction between the characters. These lines grabbed me, 'We are creating rituals for menopause as we couldn't find any. We will strengthen and release our inner shamanic forces.' Take that HRT!

I found When You Go You Leave a Farce quite moving as an unnamed character returns carry out her deceased father's wishes to scatter his ashes in a precise spot in what turns out to be a dried up river (sorry if that's a spoiler). However it allows her to reconnect with her family after eighteen years. 

Other stories offer much food for thought - pre-conception agreements, revenge, friendship but the final, titular story pulls the ultimate punch and it's barely a page long!

'It's out of your control. Realise this, and everything is easy. Also much more difficult. Because you'll put your efforts in, dial up to the max, then wait. Nothing may happen, something may happen. It's out of your control.'

Indeed it is. 

My thanks to Isobelle Kenyon at Fly on the Wall Press for a copy of the book and a place upon the blog tour.

Kavita A. Jindal is an award-winning fiction writer, poet and essayist. Her novel Manual For A Decent Life, published by Linen Press in the U.K., won the Eastern Eye Award for Literature (2020) and was shortlisted for the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize (2022). Her poetry publications include Raincheck Renewed and Patina. Her short stories and poems have appeared in anthologies and literary journals worldwide and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Zee TV UK and European radio stations. Selected poems have been translated into Arabic, German, Italian, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish and Ukrainian. Reviewers have said of her writing: "witty and wry, with a steely heart" and of the novel "the book's boldness, beauty and courage are utterly seductive." Kavita previously served as Senior Editor at Asia Literary Review and is the co-founder of The Whole Kahani collective for British-Asian writers. She enjoys collaborating with other artists across a range of projects. www.kavitajindal.com

https://servinghousebooks.com/theplanetspins/

Degree of Guilt - Dan Cogan

 

Oh! Don’t you just love it when you are sent a book that you know nothing about, by an author you’ve never heard of, have zero expectations and you remember from past experiences in this situation that you can sometimes end up with four hundred pages of self-published tedium  - yet it turns out to be a real page turner? That is exactly what happened with Degree of Guilt and, joy of joys, it’s just the first in a series – Baby of the Bailey. And I can’t wait for the next book(s) in the series!

 

It's a mufti faceted plot that involves murder, a court case, family dynamics, mysterious pasts and a complex investigation and that’s for starters! The plot is convoluted and twisty. The court room sequences are intense, there is a lot of quite detailed and specific points of law which I did find a bit hard going, I would imagine the author has some kind of background in the legal world. But there is a good balance with the other aspects of the story. I found it to be a well-constructed story 

 

Emily du Lac is our ‘Baby of the Bailey’, an energetic law student, impetuous, enthusiastic, a tad juvenile at times, but with those instincts that send her sniffing out solutions like a dog trained to find truffles. Her exuberance is infectious and exasperating in equal measure! But I do think that some of her ‘activities’ would not necessarily ensure her a long, legal career! She is the standout character closely followed by her mentor and tutor Nigel. 

 

If the author does not have a legal background, then his research is impeccable. But there is also a lot of technical computer know how and medical knowledge too. 

 

There are plenty of red herrings but there were several aspects that I did figure out. However, the epilogue was a genius master stroke that I didn’t see coming and had me chuckling long after I put the book down. 

 

It’s one of those stories that if you were to sit back and consider it objectively and realistically you might conclude it was far fetched but Mr. Cogan is such a good storyteller that the reader is enveloped and invested totally in the story.

 

My thanks to Librarything and the author for a copy of this book – signed – oh yes! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am looking forwards to more in the series.  

 

 

May Round Up

 

A charity shop find was the first read this month. Syd Moore’s Strange Sight, the second of the Rosie Strange books. Syd is a local author who I’ve met on a couple of occasions at my local bookshop. It's curious how connected you can feel to a) a local author and b) an author you’ve met. Syd’s novels are mystery thrillers inspired by the Essex countryside. 

 

During lockdown, several organisations would offer talks on Zoom by way of distraction for our closeted lives. I signed up for a few and one of them was about London’s Lost Department Stores. It was fascinating and I ended up buying the book. It’s called …. London’s Lost Department Stores! It’s written by Tessa Boase. It’s wonderfully nostalgic, particularly if you remember some of the department stores in London. And I am old enough to do so.

 

That rare thing – a book from a publisher! HQ Stories (Harper Collins) A creepy domestic thriller. I’ve blogged about it here.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-marriage-rule-helen-monks-takhar.html

 

And another! From the same publisher! I blogged about this book, too.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-chemist-aadhand.html

 

Like the proverbial buses that come along in threes I had a further book sent to me. In fact, they all arrived in the same post! Talk about feast or famine. This time it was one of the giveaways from Librarything.  I’ve blogged about it here.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/05/fools-errands-michael-smit-drury.html

 

This influx of books meant that I had to put my library books on hold. But I’ve returned to them full throttle so to speak. First up from the library this month was Butter by Asako Yusuki. A lot of social media hype on this one and I put in my reservation weeks, maybe months ago even. Did it live up to the hype? Not completely but I did enjoy it. I thought it was slow and drawn out, but as I am something of a foodie it had a lot of appeal. It’s less crime story than an exploration of misogyny and Japanese society. And I was interested enough to google the true crime from which the book took its inspiration. Excellent translation I felt too. 

 

The next two books are by the same author Anne Youngson. My yoga teacher got me into reading her books. And she’d recommended this book of short stories. I put in the request at my local library and while I was looking online, I found the other book which my yoga teacher wasn’t aware of so that was an exciting discovery.

The Six Who Came to Dinner is a collection of short stories and they are all quite dark tales. Unexpected having read the first two books. But I thoroughly enjoyed them. A look at the darker side of smaller communities.

A Complicated Matter, which is a full length novel, couldn’t be more different. It’s a story of love, class and belonging. Rose Dunbar is evacuated from Gibraltar during the war. The story details her journey both geographically, intellectually and emotionally. It’s a very moving book.

 

The Planet Spins on its Axis, Regardless by Kavita A. Jindal is for a blog tour in June. I have read but not reviewed yet, so I shall keep stumm for the time being but – watch this space because I will blog it. It’s a collection of short stories spanning several locations. 

 

Fiona Cummins is a local author who I have met. I’ve read all her books. And even though Quick Reads are aimed at less experienced readers than myself there was no way I WASN’T going to read it! I love the character of Saul Anguish, and I also love the fact that this story is set in my hometown and I can recognise the locations easily. Plus, it’s a cracking good story!

The Chemist - A.A.Dhand

 Wow! I think that books like these should come with a health warning! I felt like my heart was beating  outside my body for some of this high octane thriller. 

A tale of drugs, turf wars, addiction and how events can so easily spiral out of control causing the most upright of citizens to descend into some nefarious activities. This is the first book I have read by this author although I note that his work has been the subject of a recent BBC drama series. 

It is a dark, fast paced story that builds up into a crescendo of subterfuge and activity with the potential to leave the poor reader breathless, almost! It did seem a little implausible at times but such is the nature of fiction. And the author who apparently was/is (?) a pharmacist has used his knowledge to good effect here and I suppose the story does raise considerations into the contraindications of drugs and medicines. It has what I like to call an octopus plot, multi-stranded,  but the tentacles all interact.

The titular character, Idris Khan, who by his own description is a pharmacist not a chemist presents initially as an exemplary citizen seeking to do nothing but help his customers, in particular, addicts. He is sharp, astute and very on the ball. He needs to be. Master of his profession he uses that skill to forge a path out of the dreadful mess he has descended into. 

Several of the other characters seemed functional so there was not a need to engage with them fully but others were endearing like Al-Noor who risked all for family. 

There are some nail biting moments, unpredictable moments and jaw dropping moments. It kept me thoroughly entertained and I became resentful of those times when I had to put the book down to attend to the more mundane ephemera of everyday life.

My thanks to HQ Stories and Harper Collin’s for my gifted copy.

Fool’s Errands - Michael Smit-Drury

 

Very much a curate’s egg of a book. There were times when I wasn’t sure whether it was a full-length fiction or a series of short stories that interconnected. At other times I wondered whether the author was using fiction as a vehicle to get across his feelings about the technological age in which we live and the capacity for its future.

 

There were parts of the book that I found fascinating. Sequences and situations that were compelling.  There were characters I found engaging, especially Henny, but equally there were parts of the book which just went over my head. 

 

However, I think the book has a lot of promise. I think a lot of what the author has to say about technology, social media, AI and its place in this beleaguered world in which we live is important. But I think the book would benefit from some editing. I would love to think that one of the big publishing houses would take it on and allow an experienced editor to help hone this book into the story it could potentially be. I think it might take its place as a significant work. 

 

My thanks to the author and Librarything for a copy of the book. 

This is How You Remember It – Catherine Prasifka

 

I read Catherine Prasifka’s first novel, None of This is Serious a couple of years ago. Blogged here - https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2023/05/none-of-this-is-serious-catherine.html - this second novel seems to continue the exploration of how our lives can be shaped by the internet, and social media specifically. 

 

I found it quite a sad book.  The protagonist, who is never named, but narrates the book in the second person, begins as a curious, innocent child seeing life though a lens to a degree until at the age of nine the family buys a computer, and her life is changed irrevocably by her exposure to the internet. 

 

From computer she moves to phones and smartphones, documenting her life on social media, a slave to peer group pressure and when an intimate moment in her life is captured and shared across a social media platform her mental health is compromised.

 

The world of teenage girls is accurately depicted as they compete and bitch, uncaring of the consequences. This is a coming-of-age story where there is redemption towards the end, but for an old lady who grew up free from the shackles of the internet it makes for unconformable reading and a fervent fear for the youngsters of today. 

 

However, I think it is important to have stories like these because the damage the internet can inflict needs to be articulated.

 

Prasifka’s book begins with a captivating portrait of the young protagonist. It’s a well-sustained study of a child’s innocence slowly becoming corrupted. As the child becomes teenage schoolgirl and then student the story becomes more oppressive and reminiscent of some of the stories one reads of the exploitation and impairment the internet has caused to young lives. 

 

There is a balance, though, in the character of Lorcan. He is a childhood friend of some influence who endures throughout the book and somehow manages to remain largely aloof from social media. 

 

There’s a rawness and honesty to the writing that I found quite chilling. Whilst as an ‘oldie’ I can’t relate to the lure of social media, as a book blogger it’s a necessary evil (!), the writing makes me think that the author is writing from first-hand experience which also made me sad. And what is even more regrettable is that this experience is not unique. However, I think the book is, to a degree and that makes it important reading. Those who have been though these experiences may feel comfort from it. And any parents who read it may wish to draw their children close and consider strongly how they allow their offspring to interact with the internet. 

My thanks to Canongate Book for my gifted copy.