August 2020 Roundup

 

What a peculiar month August has been weather wise. We have had some unpleasantly hot sweltering days when it was impossible to keep cool. We have also had torrential rain at times as well as the winds brought to us courtesy of Storm Francis. I wonder if September will bring us a late summer heatwave.

Out of all of the books I planned to read during August I only actually read four of them. Other books came along and lured me along the path of reading temptation, and weak soul that I am, I gave in to it. I completely blame the authors for writing such good books and publishers for creating such gorgeously tempting book covers. I accept no responsibility for my own feeble attempts at resistance :-)

I am also a bit behind with my reviewing as, with some Covid 19 restrictions being eased, it has been wonderful to see my family again and I know you will all understand that that became my priority this month. I will be catching up with writing my reviews very soon.

What books were you tempted by this month? I would love to hear about them.

Books I Read During August

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri - I was transported to Italy when I read this book. My review can be found by clicking here.

Girl by Edna O'Brien - This was a great book but made for uncomfortable reading at times. It is the story of one of the 276 girls who were kidnapped by the Boko Haram organisation in Nigeria in 2014.  A very worthwhile read that I highly recommend.

A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville - This was my favourite book this month. A fictionalised account of the life of Elizabeth Macarthur, wife of John Macaruthur, a military man who was posted to Australia at the time of the transportation of criminals. My review of this book can be found here..

Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce - This is another book that I really enjoyed reading this month. Set during World War II it is the uplifting story of a young woman in London assisting the agony aunt of a woman's magazine.

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid (Karen Pirie #4) - I am enjoying the Karen Pirie series. She is an excellent character and the book has just the right amount of her personal life running alongside this police procedural novel. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

The Sleeping Car Murders by Sebastien Naprisot - Translated from the French this tells the story of how and why a woman was murdered on an overnight sleeper train. A fascinating novel of twists and turns. My review will be up for this book can be read here.

How's the Pain? by Pascal Garnier - Another novel translated from the French. It is an excellent short novel about the unlikely pairing of Simon, an ageing vermin exterminator and Bernard, a young man he employs as his driver. An excellent novel and my review of this book will be up very soon.

Books I am Partway Through

The Weaker Vessel, Woman's Lot in Seventeenth Century England: Part One by Antonia Fraser.

Women Who Run With the Wolves: Contacting the Power of the Wild Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

This Isn't the Sort of Thing That Happens to Someone Like You by Jon McGregor.