June reads

 

The picture was taken when out walking last weekend in The Breiddons just over the Welsh border – I was kept company on the coach there and back by The Age of Innocence.

Only 9 books read this month (half way through the 10th) – but some really good ones among them. I actually managed 3 non-fiction books -I  haven’t been very good with non-fiction this year – not that I read that many really any year. I also have to admit that one book that was on my June pile – didn’t get read – infact after reading a couple of pages I dropped it from mount TBR completely – and read a Persephone book instead.

58 The Sleeping Beauty (1953) Elizabeth Taylor (F)
59 The Magnificent Spilsbury & the case of the brides in the bath Jane Robins (NF)
60 Manja (1938) Anna Gmeyner (F)
61 The New Moon &the Old (1963) Dodie Smith (F)
62 Nella Last in the 1950’s (2010) P & R Malcomson (ed) (NF)
63 Illyrian Spring ( 1935) Ann Bridge (F)
64 The Bottle Factory Outing (1974) Beryl Bainbridge (F)
65 The Age of Innocence (1920) Edith Wharton (F)
66 The World that was Ours (1967) Hilda Bernstein (N F)

 

So my special mentions this month are:

 

1. Manja – a nice thick Persephone book about the lives of 5 children in a small German town between 1920 and 1933.

 

2. Illyrian Spring – a beautiful new edition of a Virago favourite from daunt books – a lovely story about a middle age woman who runs away from home.

 

 

3. The Age of Innocence – the third Edith Wharton I’ve read in 2012 – a wonderful novel about New York society.

 

 

July of course will be all about re-reading some old favourites for me – and I am looking forward to each of them enormously.

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June reads

54 Truth, Dare, Kill (2011)	Gordon Ferris ( (F)
55 The Girl in the painted Caravan (2011)	Eva Petulengro (NF)
56 Clear Light of Day (1980)	Anita Desai (F)
57 The News Where You Are (2010)	Catherine O ‘ Flynn (F)
58 Dancing with the Virgins (2001)	Stephen Booth (F)
59The Return of Captain John Emmett (2010)	Elizabeth Speller (F)
60 The Vicar’s Daughter (1927)	E H Young (F)
61 Ngaio Marsh  (2009)	Joanne Drayton (NF)
62 The Marriage Bureau for rich people (2008)	Farahad Zama (F)
63 A Wreath of Roses (1949)	Elizabeth Taylor (F)

10 books read this month, 2non-fiction and 8 fiction books.  My special mentions this month are all fiction. 1. Clear light of Day – Anita Desai – lovely India set family drama, beautifully written and evocotive. 2 The Return of Captain John Emmett – Elizabeth Speller – excellent WW1 set mystery, looking forward to the sequel. 3 The Vicar's daughter – E H Young -  well written 1920's novel, about a couple of vicar's and a lot of misunderstanding. 4 A Wreath of Roses – Elizabeth Taylor – Chilling, beautifully written novel by an author I can't praise highly enough.

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June Reads

 

53 Shadows of Sherlock Holmes	David Stuart Davies (F)
54 Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad	Bee Rowlatt and May Witwit (NF)
55 Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden	M C Beaton (F)
56 The Gentlewomen	Laura Talbot (F)
57 A Life like Other People’s	Alan Bennett (NF)
58 Making Conversation	Christine Longford (F)
59 The Railway detective	Edward Marston (F)
60 No shame, no Fear	Ann Turnbull (F)
61 The Greengage Summer	Rumer Godden (F)
62 A Cotswold Killing	Rebecca Tope (F)
63 The Mitford – letters between six sisters	Charlotte Moseley (NF)

Some really lovely books this month. I must draw attention to the Mitford letters, and to The Greengage summer and The Gentlewomen.

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June reads

56 The Abortionist’s daughter	Elizabeth Hyde F
57 Crow Lake	Mary Lawson F
58 Once Upon a time in England	Helen Walsh F
59 Gaudy Night	Dorothy L Sayers F
60 Francis Brett Young	Michael Hall NF
61 The Flight of the Maidens	Jane Gardam F
62 The Haunted sisters	Jean Plaidy F
63 Cheerful weather for the wedding	Julia Strachey F
64 When will there be good news	Kate Atkinson F
65 Sky Burial	Xinran NF
66. Up at the Villa	W. Somerset Maugham F
67. Season of the Rainbirds	Nadeem Aslam F
68. Father & I	Carlo Greber NF
69 Cold Harbour	Francis Brett Young F

I have manged more this month although I should mention that some were pretty slim.

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June Reads

61 An Unofficial Rose	Iris Murdoch
62 Moon Tiger	Penelope Lively
63 The Pupil	Caro Fraser
64 Fatima’s good fortune	J & G Dryansky
65 Knowledge of Angels	Jill Paton Walsh
66 Paradise	Abdulrazak Gurnah
67 The Moor	Laurie R King
68 Body Surfing	Anita Shreve
69 Border Crossing	Pat Barker
70 Celestial Navigation	Anne Tyler
71 Fingersmith	Sarah Waters
72 Patty Jane’s House of Curl	Lorna Landvik

I am also half way through a lovely travel book about India, and about a third of the way through a book of short true stories – but both of those will have to go on July’s reads now.

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June reads – a bit late

64 Espresso Tales Alexander Mccall Smith
65 The Unforgiving Charlotte Cory
66 Hotel Du Lac Anita Brookner
67 Three Novels Amit Chaudhuri
68. Blood Precious Sara Banerji
69 Gods in Alabama Joshilyn Jackson
70 The light of evening Edna O’Brien
71 The Moonlit Cage Linda Holeman
72 Guilty Pleasures Indulgences, Addictions and Obsessions S Caba, et al
73 The Beekeeper’s Apprentice Laurie R King
74 Uphill all the Way Sue Moorcroft

I have included Uphill all the Way even though I didn’t finish it till July 1st – don’t you hate it when it isn’t all neat and tidy. Not that many this month – due to knackeredness and busyness : ) some dead good ones though. Gill I owe £1.10 for Indian library.

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