Saturday 30 July 2016

Reading - July 2016

I've got lots of books to tell you about this month, mainly because I read quite a bit on holiday and also because my July reading was actually started in June, I wrote my Reading - June post early because I was going away.


I read One Day by David Nicholls back in 2014 and when I saw Us by the same author in our local library, I decided to pick it up. The book is about a married couple, Douglas and Connie, who are on the brink of waving their only son off to university. Then comes the bombshell, Connie announces to Douglas that she too is thinking of leaving. In an attempt to save their marriage, Douglas decides to make their last family holiday the trip of a lifetime and they all embark on the Grand Tour of Europe. I found parts of this book quite boring and I certainly enjoyed it less than One Day.


To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of my favourite books, I don't often read a book more than once but I made an exception with this book. I wasn't sure I wanted to read the recently released Go Set A Watchman, a novel set two decades after To Kill A Mockingbird, which has received mixed reviews, but I couldn't leave it on the shelf when I saw it in the library. I'd read that this novel was, in fact, written before To Kill A Mockingbird but it had been turned down by publishers. After the huge success of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee insisted that she'd never publish another book but Go Set A Watchman was brought to the publisher's attention when Harper Lee reached the age of 89 and was frail and sight and hearing impaired after suffering from a stroke and the novel was published. Had she really wanted this book to be published? We'll never know as Harper Lee sadly died in February. I'd got it in my mind that I wouldn't enjoy this book after reading some reviews but I was glad to be proved wrong, I actually loved the book, not as much as To Kill A Mockingbird, but I would certainly recommend it.


The newest book in the Nightingale series by Donna Douglas is Nightingales Under The Mistletoe and this is another book I found in the library. This book is set during Christmas 1941 and some of the nurses we've met earlier in the series are revisited. I can thoroughly recommend this set of books but I'd advise you to read them in chronological order to get the most out of them.


My Agatha Christie book this month was Murder In Mesopotamia. The story is set at the site of an archaeological dig and not only did the little Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, solve this mystery, so did I. I'd actually guessed the murderer before I was half way through the book. Perhaps the more I read, the more I'm getting in to Agatha Christie's mindset. I still enjoyed the book though.


I've had A Song For Issy Bradley by Carys Bray on my Kindle waiting to be read for some time and I've finally got round to it. The story is about the Bradley family, Ian a bishop in the Mormon church, his wife, Claire, who converted to the faith when she met Ian, Zippy, their sixteen year old daughter, Al and Jacob, thirteen and seven year old sons, and Issy who's just four when she dies at the beginning of the book. I thought this was a very moving story and showed not only how each member of the family dealt with the tragic circumstances but also gave an interesting insight in to the Mormon faith. This is another book I'd thoroughly recommend.


I thought While My Eyes Were Closed by Linda Green sounded like my kind of book, a mother playing hide and seek in the park with her daughter, when she opens her eyes, four year old Ella is gone, nowhere to be found. Where is she and who's snatched her? It wasn't really what I was expecting, I think so much more could have been made out of the story, it was quite weak and the ending was terrible, it seemed rushed and left you having to make up your own mind about what happened next. Perhaps I expect too much.


I was offered Follow You Home by Mark Edwards as a free download on my Kindle. Psychological Thrillers aren't the usual genre I read but I do enjoy some, unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. I found the story really boring and I struggled to read it. It seemed to pick up pace towards the end but I actually heaved a sigh of relief when it was finally finished. I know I should have abandoned it really but I hate to let a book beat me.


The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes was another book I picked up at the library. I've only read one of her books before and that was Me Before You which I absolutely loved, so I picked up this purely because I'd enjoyed that so much. I'm so glad I did, it was one of those books that I couldn't put down. I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as Me Before You, I thought that book was exceptional, but it's encouraged me to put the rest of Jojo Moyes books on my wish list.

Eight books read this month, some good, some not so good, but a good month overall.

32 comments:

  1. A good mixture of reading this month.

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    1. It was quite a varied selection for a change.

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  2. Wow eight reads that is good going! You made the most of being on holiday!

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    1. I definitely did. I think reading goes hand in hand with a relaxing holiday.

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  3. The only one of your books that I've read is Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie. Even when I figure out the murderer I nearly always enjoy her books. I read Me Before You and loved it, haven't read the sequel yet, but it's on my Kindle.

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    1. I'm the same with Agatha Christie. Even if you guess who the murderer is, you're still kept waiting till the end to see if you're right as she usually places many red herrings along the way. I haven't read the sequel to Me Before You either. I wasn't going to bother but now I've read another of Jojo Moyes books, I'm more inclined to give it a go.

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  4. I just don't have the time or inclination at the moment to read. I will probably go to the library prior to my holiday to find something to read. Thank you for the book reviews.

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    1. I went through many years where I never picked up a book. I think if you've been a reader at any point in your life, it usually comes back to you. I love reading on holiday, it's just about the only time all year that I read during the day, I usually only read in bed.

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  5. You've certainly had a good month. The only one that really appeals to me is the Poirot which I've already read a couple of times.
    Happy reading. Flighty xx

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    1. I usually get through more books when I go away on holiday. I thought this Agatha Christie book was a particularly good one. I can recommend Go Set A Watchman if you haven't read it yet, though there's a lot of mixed reviews, some people love it and some don't, so perhaps I shouldn't recommend it, you may be one of those who don't like it.

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    2. Thanks for recommending that one, it's one I will read sometime. Flighty xx

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  6. I'm like you, I don't like a book to beat me, it's rare I give up on one. You had a mixed bag but most were good. I was given the JoJo Moyes book for my birthday along with the sequel. And a packet of tissues!
    I think my mother-in-la would like the Nightingale books, I must keep an eye out for those.
    Lisa x

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    1. The only book I can remember giving up on was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Mick's auntie lent me it and said it was brilliant but I just couldn't get in to it at all. Have you read Me Before You yet? I absolutely loved it, and though I rarely reread a book, I think this is one I will. I really like the Nightingale books, they're a nice, easy read with some great characters.

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  7. Some interesting books this month. I actually don't mind when I've figured out who the murderer/thief is part way through a book as then I pick up on lots of little details that connect things together that I would otherwise miss.

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    1. I know what you mean, all those little extra details reinforce your prediction, whereas if you don't figure it out, you're thinking back over the story afterwards trying to put two and two together. I seem to be getting quite good at working things out.

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  8. You certainly had a great month (and a bit!) in reading and your choices are quite wide.

    We are fortunate to be able to use our local libraries, although I know some areas depend on mobile libraries ... but I would always encourage people to use them.

    Have a lovely weekend

    All the best Jan

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    1. We have a great library, it was refurbished recently and had a lot of money spent on it. Good news for us when so many libraries are closing these days. It's so important that we use them otherwise we'll end up losing them all.

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  9. Wow well done on the reading this month :-)
    I was a bit disappointed with The me before your sequel, it was ok but not in the same league. I've read quite a few of her other books and I think MBY is her best.
    I love physiological thrillers, I've read Follow you home but it must have only been ok because im finding it hard to remember what it was about, lol,
    Can't wait to see your reading for next month, x

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    1. I've been debating whether to read the sequel to Me Before You or not, I think a bad follow up book can ruin the first one in some ways. I think I'm going to give it a go though. I do like some psychological thrillers but Follow You Home left a lot to be desired.

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  10. Isn't it funny how, even though we're not enjoying a book, we - more often than not - read it to the end? I'm sure there must be some psychological explanation but I'm blowed if I know what it is! LOL

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    1. I don't know why I do it, there's so many great books out there that we shouldn't be bothering with the not so good ones.

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  11. Boy oh boy, that is certainly good going. I'm lucky to read one in about 4 weeks, though I do a lot of reference type book reading & some magazines, as in Countryfile, Landscape & Landlove. My last novel from the library was The Clippie Girls by Margaret Dickinson, which I did enjoy and returned last week and you saw on my blog what I have out at the moment. Have a great weekend and take care.

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    1. My reading speed has definitely increased since I got back in to reading. I could read many more books if I took time out during the day to read, but I only read in bed usually.

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  12. Quite a range of different books there, Jo and one thing that's good about a rainy holiday is that you can read a lot! xx

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    1. That's very true. I do read a lot on holiday whatever the weather though, I'm quite happy to sit on the beach with a book in my hand.

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  13. I haven't been in the mood to read for a couple of months now, but I really should try getting back into it.

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    1. I read very little for years but I'm so pleased I've got back in to it, it's such a relaxing thing to do, and a bit of escapism too.

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  14. I am an avid reader but have not read a single one of the books you show today! Ah well, it is always good to add new titles to the reading list!

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    1. I put so many books from reviews I've read on blogs on to my reading list, it's a good way to find recommendations.

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  15. What an interesting batch of books....you certainly have got through a fair few. I feel a little jealous, I'm decorating so haven't had much time for reading, I did read Kate Morton's Lake House though and loved that.xxx

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    1. It's certainly been a mixed month where my reading is concerned. I'm not a fan of decorating, it eats in to time which you could have spent doing far more interesting things, but needs must and I'm sure whatever room your sprucing up will look lovely once you're done. I like the sound of The Lake House, I shall put that one on my list of books to read.

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