I had a little reading blip in the middle of July, starting a few books and not feeling them, so kind of languishing for a few days, but the pull of a muchly anticipated read certainly helped me get over this. When an email popped into my inbox saying a copy of the new Sophie Hannah – writing as the one and only Agatha Christie – book, The Mystery of Three Quarters, was waiting for me on NetGalley, I started reading immediately and the slump was over. I’ll be popping my review of that up in August, until then, my July reads looked a little like this:
- Why Mummy Swears by Gill Sims
- Call of the Curlew by Elizabeth Brooks
- Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan
- First Love by Gwendoline Riley
- How Not To Be A Boy by Robert Webb
- The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton
There were a few 5 star reads in there – Why Mummy Swears was so, so funny and How Not To Be A Boy was one of the best autobiographies I’ve read. Very different books, but both definitely worth adding to your TBR list. I was also very excited to be part of the blog tour for Call of the Curlew, it was such an atmospheric read.
Along with my reviews, this month I had a little chat with Lana Grace Riva, author of Happier Thinking, a book about how to practically change your negative thoughts to positive ones. It arrived through my letterbox right when I needed it last month and gave me the boost I needed – love it when fortuitous things like that happen. Lana talked to me about her inspiration for her book and favourite reads. Take a little look here.
August (how??? Cannot even believe I’m typing that already) brings my Sophie Hannah review, which I’m looking forward to writing up and I’ve just started The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, while having Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig ticking alongside. It’s written in bitesize chunks, so is ideal for dipping into. I also have the prequel to Why Mummy Swears, Why Mummy Drinks on my shelf. If it’s anything as good as its sequel (and I think it will be) then I can’t wait to get started. For August I’m also going to add something a little different into the mix. I’ve had a think about my favourite summer reads and have compiled a Top 5 – the easy to read yet brilliant books that I turn to on sunny days.
Until next month, happy reading!
Books on the 7:47 