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June Summary and Plans for July

Many thanks for all the kind messages you’ve sent recently. My health is continuing to improve – although I have more tests to complete and still don’t know the cause of my heart problem.

I’ve been able to read again, but only managed to finish 4 books in June. Luckily two of these were fantastic and I highly recommend both The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker and The Mouseproof Kitchen by Saira Shah. Both books are towards the lighter end of the spectrum (in terms of writing style, not subject matter!) and are perfect if you’re after a great story to escape in to.

Books of the Month:

The Mouseproof KitchenThe Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair

Books Reviewed in June:

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker 

The Mouseproof Kitchen by Saira Shah 

The Shining Levels by John Wyatt 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding 

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin DNF

Plans for July

I’m taking things slowly, so am not making many plans, but I’m being drawn towards the classics at the moment. I’ve got audio copies of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert out of the library and hope to read one or two more “important” books before the end of the month.

I also plan to finish The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, a fantastic piece of historical fiction (so far!) which is released on 3rd July. 

Anything else will be random, chosen entirely on my mood – the perfect way to be!

I hope you have a wonderful July!

11 replies on “June Summary and Plans for July”

Glad to hear you are improving, Jackie! I might have already mentioned this, but I have The Mouseproof Kitchen on my kindle. It was one of their daily deals several months ago and I’m really looking forward to it.

The Lydia Davis translation of Madame Bovary is amazing – very highly recommended!

JoAnn, I knew you had a copy of Mouseproof Kitchen, but I’m pleased you haven’t forgotten about it (it’s so easy when they are hidden on the kindle :-() I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

I’m not sure which translation I have – the audio books don’t mention the translator 🙁 Hopefully I’ll love it anyway!

Glad things are going in the right direction, Jackie. I’ve been reading a bit more again lately, but on average the books weren’t all that great. Must try Harry Quebert!

So glad to hear you’re feeling better, Jackie. Even if they haven’t figured out quite what the problem is yet, it must be reassuring to know you are being so closely monitored.

I can well understand you being drawn to the classics – nearly all my favourite reads of the year so far have been from the mid-20th century, and I think I have been spoiled! In June I only read new books and none really stood out, though Smith Henderson’s ‘Fourth of July Creek’ was very good. Oh, and Will Eaves’ ‘The Absent Therapist’ may well be borderline brilliant, if only I could figure out what it is (novel? flash fiction? prose poetry???) and what it’s trying to do (a chorus of disparate voices – some recurring – musing on every topic under the sun, from God to computers to the impracticalities of boxer shorts). It’s the oddest book I’ve read this year, vaguely reminiscent of Sam Shepard, but really funny.

I’ve got a proof of Harry Quebert – heard mixed things about it, but maybe I should give it a go.

David, Sorry you didn’t have any standout reads in June. The Will Eaves sounds intriguing, but odd books are hit/miss for me. It would have to catch me in the right mood, but I’ll take a quick peak next time I see a copy as it does sound refreshingly different.

I’m not sure you’ll like Harry Quebert – depends how fussy you are on writing quality. There is some terrible dialogue and a few big coincidences, but the plot is very clever. Perhaps try the first few chapters and see whether the issues are a problem for you?

Glad to hear you’re getting better. I’ve really not been reading nearly as much as I used to myself. I’m having a difficult time getting into anything that I can’t read on a chapter a day basis, so not much in the way of novels. Short stories, history, essays but not many novels.

James, There’s nothing wrong with not reading novels! I’m also being drawn towards that sort of thing – I’m even reading a collection of short stories for the first time!! (although they are true, so that is sort of different, isn’t it?)

So sorry to hear you’ve been unwell, Jackie. I hope July proves to be a much better month for you.

I keep seeing The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair in the bookshops here but I hadn’t heard much about it and didn’t know if it was any good, so thanks for the recommendation! I also looked at The Miniaturist late last month but I wasn’t in the mood for a historical mystery at the time (and I haven’t had much luck with them recently, it seems). I’ll have to take a second look.

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