July 2019 Reading Round Up
Posted 5th August 2019
Category: Round-Ups Genres: N/A
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This summer is getting away from me… The rain was too much, the heat has been on occasion too much which is saying something – it went down to 27 degrees celsius here one evening and felt very cool. I’ve not been reading as much as I ‘should’ because of various marketing areas needing to be covered but those are paying off, and there were family events aplenty; I’m looking forward to more time later this month. The one thing I have done a lot of in the context of this blog is watching films. I’ve watched more already in July than the entirety of the first half of the year, it is objectively ‘easier’ to watch films than read books. (I highly recommend the new Aladdin.)
The Books
Non-Fiction
Michelle Obama: Becoming – The former First Lady looks back on her life, from birth to the White House, discussing her time in general as well as her career in light of social issues. Not perfect but pretty good.
Fiction
Ali McNamara: Secrets And Seashells At Rainbow Bay – A woman is approached by a person looking for the next person in line to inherit a castle; he’s finally found her, a single mother whose luck has flown. This starts off very well and the basic idea is solid but it starts to get a bit silly as it continues.
Louisa May Alcott: Good Wives – Continuing the story, Meg gets married and life changes for everyone as Amy goes away and Jo seeks a career in writing. Very good, most especially in context.
My favourite was the Alcott for all reasons – the way it mirrored her life and the teachings she included it due to the way she seems to have felt judged is highly interesting to read. I’ve a few posts in planning to write about this book further to the review posted last month. The research so far has been fascinating and I look forward to continuing it.
Quotation Report
I’m going to leave this as is. From Good Wives:
Gentlemen, which means boys, be courteous to the old maids, no matter how poor and plain and prim, for the only chivalry worth having is that which is readiest to pay deference to the old, protect the feeble, and serve womankind regardless of rank, age, or color.
This month I want to finish a couple of books I’ve had languishing not on my to-be-read exactly but my… non-dusty stack? I’ve been reading a few pages every few days. And I want to get back to the classics phase I started. I’ve also got a review copy ahead that I’m really looking forward to, the sequel to the reprinted in early May of The House Of Hardie.
Forget the books this time around – how has the weather been treating you?
August 6, 2019, 3:13 pm
Far too hot … we just aren’t used to temperatures (to say nothing of the humidity) like this in the North East of England.
August 15, 2019, 8:38 am
I went away to Italy which was a very barmy 28-34C most days, while back home I was told it mostly rained… However the day I flew from Gatwick it was 37C, so Italy was technically colder that day!
September 6, 2019, 10:17 am
Freda: Becoming is worth it :) Happy August!
Felicity Grace Terry: Yes, the humidity’s been horrible. I don’t think last year’s heatwave even reached 32; if it did it wasn’t so humid.
Jessica: 37C! Glad you had your holiday when it rained here.
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August 6, 2019, 2:48 pm
It’s been hot here as well, with no much cooling at night.
I need a copy of Becoming in my life!!
Happy August!