August 2018 Reading Round Up
Posted 3rd September 2018
Category: Round-Ups Genres: N/A
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August was pretty good. I’ve a couple of books on the go and finished a fair number, though I’m glad to have finished most of them, to have got them out of the way.
All books are works of fiction.
The Books
Glenda Young: Belle Of The Back Streets – A girl from a poor family in pre-wartime Britain takes to the streets as a rag and bone person and doesn’t follow the advice of others, instead spending time with the ‘wrong sort’. This was very much like a soap opera, with multiple people dying in quick succession just for plot points.
Hiromi Kawakami: The Nakano Thrift Shop – Hitomi relates various times at the second-hand shop in which she works, as she finds love with a co-worker and tries to figure out more about her employers. Good as an example of translated literature, but you have to be aware that not much happens.
Nick Spalding: Checking Out – A childrens’ musical creator, given a few months to live, looks to provide meaning to his life. Not bad but the comedy falls flat early on.
Rosie Travers: The Theatre Of Dreams – A recently-disgraced actress moves to the coast to manage a dance school… or at least that’s what she thought she was doing – in actual fact she’s there to help save a historical pavilion from demolition. Good stuff.
My favourite this month would be the Travers; high above the others it added much needed enjoyment and the mystery element that starts about a third of the way through really raised the bar, which was a promise kept.
Quotation Report
A thought from The Nakano Thrift Shop worth mulling over:
When it comes to old things, whether buying or selling, why is it that people act so cautious?… With something brand new, they have no problem just ordering it from a catalogue, no matter how expensive.
For September the plan is literary fiction with a book or two in different genres. Over the weekend I got back to Americanah and am a fair way towards finishing; I’d like to have done so by the end of this week.
What are you reading? And do you have plans for autumn?
September 5, 2018, 6:21 pm
Charlie, I am currently reading Cauldstane by Linda Gillard, which has kicked off my suitably spooky reading for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril reading event. Happy September reading :-)
September 7, 2018, 9:33 am
Freda: And to you!
Jessica: Linda Gillard – is she an author you’ve read before? I have an image in my head of a book cover on your blog some time ago. Good luck for the challenge!
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September 3, 2018, 4:08 pm
Happy September!