July was incredible. For the first time in I don’t know how many years, the UK finally got a proper summer. I say ‘got’ because it’s over now, but we had over three weeks of sun and heat without rain and it was amazing. I’m a bit confused by the complaining, everyone complains about the wet and then they complain when we finally get a true summer, but at least the complaining didn’t ruin the weather. We had a music teacher at school who made us sing a rain song that always worked so I do worry about jinxing things. Reading wise I’ve not done badly because the heat made it impossible to be at my computer when home. But I did some day-tripping this month so it all evened out, and to be honest, not being able to be on the computer isn’t bad when your work is primarily reading and writing notes. I’ve been able to carry on my critique work regardless (I’m considering calling myself a Developmental Editor to make my role more obvious).

The Books

Non-Fiction

Michael Pollan: The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Pollan explores the GM industry, the organic industry, natural farms (those two are different things) and becomes a hunter gatherer, in order to find out where our food comes from and how to find the ‘perfect’ meal. A very good book with a lot of information on both sides of the fence, and whilst I couldn’t identify with everything, not living in America, I loved Pollan’s accessible humorous style and the general atmosphere of it – I’ll be reading more of his work in future.

Sheryl Sandberg: Lean In – Sandberg explains why women need and should take a more prominent position in the boardroom. Half of it is great, half of it is very bad.

Fiction

Elizabeth Fremantle: Queen’s Gambit – Fiction about the life of Katherine Parr. In general very good, though some will not appreciate a few of the speculative elements.

Jill Myles: Wicked Games – A book reviewer joins the cast of a reality survivor show for a book deal and to keep her job, but falls in love in the process. This was discussed on Dear Author and sounded good, but I wasn’t keen overall (it was a light read at the end of a long day, though).

Kate Forsyth: The Wild Girl – The fictionalised tale of Dortchen Wild who fell in love with one of the Grimm brothers and helped them in their task of collecting fairy tales. Very good, hard to put down.

Kristina Carlson: Mr Darwin’s Gardener – An exploration of faith and identity via an oft-busy-body crowd of villagers who think too much of others and not enough about themselves. Good, and a lovely style, but quite confusing.

Pavarti K Tyler: White Chalk – Chelle is neglected by her parents, the only person who gives her any time is her male teacher, and she finds it difficult to live in such a state. A harrowing story, it’s very good except for an abrupt ending that whilst appropriate and shocking nevertheless closes the door on any possibility of teaching (though if the point was to shock and to educate on the single issue it has done well).

Taylor Stevens: The Doll – Whisked away under the pretence of an accident, Munroe finds herself at the mercy of criminals who want her to deliver a ‘package’ in return for the life of her loved ones. Excellent book.

My favourites this time were The Doll and The Wild Girl. In the case of the former I was able to read most of it in one day which was fantastic because I couldn’t put it down. In the case of the latter it was compelling and should be well met by fans of Bitter Greens. I knew that Lean In carried mixed reviews, and mine only added to that. It was an interesting book with promise but never kept that promise, and as it carried on it just became more and more alienating.

Quotation Report

None this time.

July’s been good and I had a non-fiction phase which I’m glad about. August is set to be rainy so I’ll likely be reading (and blogging) quite a bit.

What was your favourite book this month (or week if you round-up each week)?

June’s been a funny old month. Where reading is concerned, I’ve gone back and forth between mini slumps and a raring-to-go feeling. My nephew’s language skills have advanced suddenly. One day I was having to phrase what I wanted to say in certain words he already knew, the next I didn’t need to do that at all. Even if it’s still broken English, we’re now having good conversations and it seems he understands what I say even if he doesn’t understand every word. And of course June saw the launch of my manuscript critique site, then the blog for it, as well as attendance at a university open day (got to have another plan on the back burner). I love that reading so much helps you appreciate how long 4 weeks really are.

All books are works of fiction.

The Books

Anna Belfrage: The Prodigal Son – Matthew continues to aid outlawed preachers, despite interrogations, and Ian comes to stay. The character development is good but otherwise it’s a pretty poor book.

Debbie Dee: The Underground Witch – A new villain forces Emmeline to leave her new home on her wedding day, a man intent on using her power to gain control. Much better than The Last Witch.

Julie Kagawa: The Iron Queen – Along with Ash, Meghan is recalled from exile to fight for the safety of the summer and winter courts. Best in the series so far.

Kieran Shields: The Truth Of All Things – A man obsessed with the Salem witch trials appears to be behind a series of crimes. An okay book though the bantering between the characters became a bit much (bad timing) and there was a lot of description.

Richard C Morais: Buddhaland Brooklyn – A Japanese monk is sent to America to build a temple for the growing community of western Buddhists. Not bad at all but it would’ve been better if the Buddhism in the book was authentic.

Sarah Mayberry: Her Best Worst Mistake – Violet finds herself attracted to her friend’s ex-fiancé, a man she previously hated. A blindingly clear lack of research really mares the book.

Shannon Stacey: All He Ever Needed – Mitch comes back home to help his injured brother with the lodge, but whilst he’s not looking for love, love may find him. A good addition to the series.

My favourite was The Iron Queen. There were no 5 star reads this month, but Kagawa’s book came pretty close – if Meghan was just that bit stronger and the premise fleshed out it’d be brilliant. Ironically that was exactly what Dee achieved in The Underground Witch, it’s just that, to me at least, the premise there isn’t as strong. My least favourite would have to be Her Best Worst Mistake. The author used American phrases we don’t use in Britain for her set-in-Britain-with-British-characters story; had it been a print version I was reading I likely would’ve thrown it across the room, and it’s not often I feel that strongly. Romance has become the genre I opt for when seeking a comfort read. I’ll likely get sick of it soon and switch to another (previously it was historical fiction), but for now the light nature of it continues to appeal, especially as I’ve some heavy fiction and thoughtful non-fiction on my pile to be read soon.

Quotation Report

None this time.

So June’s been fair but I’m more excited about the books coming up than the ones these last four weeks. My pile is actually pretty modest at the moment, if I were to stick to it with no additions I’d be finished by the end of the year. And I quite like that fact, even if I know I won’t stick to it.

What was your favourite book this month (or week if you round-up each week)?

It was going to happen. Last month’s crazy amount of reading for this slow reader created a slump, and Life After Life unfortunately extended it. Nevertheless it’s been a fair month, story-wise.

All books are works of fiction.

The Books

Jane Austen: Persuasion – Anne ended her engagement with Frederick Wentworth some years ago due to family pressure, but now he’s back. I tried, I really did, but I didn’t like it any more than my last read a few years ago (I’ll aim for objectivity in my review, however).

Kate Atkinson: Life After Life – In the early to mid-twentieth century, Ursula lives her life over and over. Maybe if I’d not read Before I Fall I would’ve liked it better, but I found it too repetitious and the promise at the beginning was never fulfilled.

Katie McGarry: Dare You To – Ryan is dared to ask a skater girl for her number, and when she moves to his home town after saying no, it’s nowhere near over between them. Everything the trends are not, and that’s such a good thing.

Kimberly Derting: Dead Silence – Violet now has her own echo playing in her head, and her next assignment involves a young group of people. Still holding onto that strength.

Maryanne O’Hara: Cascade – Dez wants more than her home in a small town, and the government wants to turn her small town into a reservoir. Very, very good.

May was alright, though reading Life After Life took it’s toll on me. It was just too long. Cascade was great, however it’s made me consider opting out from Netgalley except in certain circumstances (pdfs and ereaders are a nightmare). My favourites were definitely the two young adult books, Dare You To and Dead Silence.

Quotation Report

None this time.

I’m going to try to read more in June. Incidentally I’m aware my ‘review coming soon’ section is currently hearts and flowers. I’ve found my reading slumps are best filled with light romance books, but promise I won’t start posting about them one after another. (In fact I think a few have been there a couple of months already.)

What was your favourite book this month (or week if you round-up each week)?

So this is my longest list of books read in a month… ever. And this month I had a couple of days out due to illness, made day trips when I might otherwise have read, and spent lots more time with family than usual. None were far from 350 pages, but that’s often the case anyway. Yes, I am one very happy reader right now.

The Books

Non-Fiction

John Elder Robison: Raising Cubby – Robison recounts his time as a father who has Asperger’s, detailing his son’s progress in life, too. Fantastic on many levels.

Fiction

Andrew Blackman: A Virtual Love – Various narrators discuss their time and dealings with Jeff, a man who posed as a famous blogger when a woman mistook him for that blogger and proceeded to show a romantic interest. Very good commentary on a current issue.

F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby – Family and love ties abound when Nick starts to attend the parties of Jay Gatsby, a man who is a mystery to all. Good, and I can finally cross off my first Classic Club book, though it wasn’t what I’d expected.

Jeanne Ray: Calling Invisible Women – A middle-aged woman, finding herself ignored by society and her family, wakes up to find she’s literally invisible. Great premise, bad execution.

Jeanne Ray: Julie And Romeo – Two 60-year-olds begin a relationship despite their families hating each other. A fair attempt at a retelling.

Jeannie Lin: The Sword Dancer – A thief-catcher aptly catches a thief, and promises to find her every time she escapes – he loves her, you see. Okay, but there is too much telling and description instead of dialogue and thoughts.

Jessa Russo: Ever – A girl with her crush for a ghost finds it difficult to choose between the dead and the living where love is concerned. Pretty good, though not without flaws.

Paulo Coelho: Manuscript Found In Accra – A book not unlike Plato’s works, with parts borrowed from scripture. It’s alright, but I’m afraid I see exactly what Isi was saying when she said once you’ve read one you’ve read them all.

Sadie Jones: The Uninvited Guests – On the day of a birthday a group of people involved in a railway accident must be taken in by the hosts, but it seems there is more to these survivors. It’s random and absurd, and not everyone will appreciate the mishmash of genres, but without the affiliations of literary fiction and Jones herself, it’s a hilarious book.

There are far too many Jeanne’s and Jeannie’s in that list. Actually there are too many authors with first names starting with “J”, it’s confusing. I read some brilliant books this month, it would be a toss-up between Raising Cubby, A Virtual Love, and The Uninvited Guests. The latter wins for its sheer absurdity, but Robison’s book is priceless and Blackman’s a good commentary. I was pretty disappointed by my readathon book, Calling Invisible Women, but other than that it was a fair month for enjoyment. I’m nowhere near Jennifer’s incredible record, but I am beaming today.

Quotation Report

If the rest of the family are downstairs and you want to complete your collection of animals-forcibly-drawn, you can always take a leaf from the book of Smudge from The Uninvited Guests, and lead the pony up the stairs to your room. Any excrement is unimportant, it’s the drawing that matters.

Goodbye April, you’ve given us some random weather but overall you’ve been really great.

What was your favourite book this month (or week if you round-up each week)?

March was manic. I ended up working so much on this blog for a few days that I slept most of the next day – and you don’t expect that from blogging. I know, I should have just joined Bloggiesta officially and thus been more organised. Nevertheless I was able to keep the book count going, and make good progress on the plan B I discussed in January. It may still be winter, but in book terms, March has been okay.

All books are works of fiction.

The Books

Anna Belfrage: A Rip In The Veil – Alex is thrown back in time, landing in the path of Matthew, an innocent convict of the Scottish Commonwealth. A good concept though could have been handled better.

Anna Belfrage: Like Chaff In The Wind – When Matthew is abducted to become a slave in the new world, Alex follows to free him. It has issues, but is a lot better than the first book.

Anne O’Brien: The Forbidden Queen – Katherine of Valois becomes Henry V of England’s queen, but when the King dies, she finds obstacles in the path of burgeoning love. Not bad, but gets a bit carried away.

Beth Hoffman: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt – A girl neglected by her parents finds a new life in Savannah, home of her great-aunt. Not much happens, and yet it’s a real page-turner.

Eloisa James: Desperate Duchesses – Roberta leaves her eccentric father’s home to seek the potential match-making abilities of her cousin in her quest to wed the Duke of Villiers. A riot, plain and simple.

Kate Forsyth: Bitter Greens – A fictional story of the woman who wrote the popular version of Rapunzel, and how she discovered the tale (it includes a retelling of its own). It’s going to make my best of 2013 list.

This month I found some new authors to read the backlists of. I loved Desperate Duchesses so much, and the humour and sheer absurdity was completely unexpected. Bitter Greens… oh my, what a book. And, despite the fact that The Forbidden Queen was incredibly angsty, I want to read more of O’Brien’s work. It had been my intention for some time to give her a whirl, and I liked it enough to give her another chance. I can see why she’s not as well read as some authors, though.

Quotation Report

If you want to be typically Georgian, or rather just typically Desperate Duchesses, take up cow-pat discus. It’s as messy and smelly as it sounds. And do know that when it comes to the subject of his mother’s whereabouts (she went up in a cloud of smoke that whisked her back in time) the response from Issac, from Like Chaff In The Wind, is likely to be “can I have some ice-cream?”.

Hello April. You seem more like February…

What was your favourite book this month (or week if you round-up each week)?