Monthly Review: July 2019

A Christie classic, a fantastic romance and a look through the truly fabulous style of Queen Elizabeth II… yes, it’s time for my July review! The mix is split with two non-fiction and four fiction books and they go something like this:

My July Book Reviews

/ An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

/ The Carer by Deborah Moggach

/ Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes

/ The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

/ The Rapture by Claire McGlasson

/ The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

It’s not exactly your classic summer reading list, but it is an eclectic, very enjoyable one (in my humble opinion). My non-fiction reads were both brilliant; Chris Hadfield is an astronaut, so he not only gives a glimpse into his fascinating career, but gives wonderful self-affirming life tips too. It’s the definition of a feel-good read (with some scary moments in space thrown in). Our Rainbow Queen sees beauty journalist Sali Hughes wax lyrical on her love for Queen Elizabeth II – specifically her iconic fashion. A niche read definitely, but I share her love for our monarch, so it was a must for me.

I haven’t read an Agatha Christie book in a few months (despite setting myself a challenge in January to so exactly that…) so to get back in the groove, I went to the beginning and read the first ever Hercule Poirot novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. It perfectly set the Poirot tone and now I’m lining up my next Christie to read.

The Flatshare and The Rapture were both brilliant novels. The former is a clever, funny romance story that made me re-assess my feeling towards the genre (I don’t tend to read it. That will be changing). The latter is a fictional account of a real-life cult – for the want of a better word – called The Panacea Society, told from the point of view of one of the members who is doubting everything.

There was also a really interesting discussion on Do you use reading as escapism? – you can catch up on that here, if you wish.

Until August then, happy reading!