October 2020 Roundup

 

Here in the UK Halloween is not celebrated on the same scale as it is in the US. However, I really missed seeing the children all dressed up in their costumes this year and knocking on the door for their treats. There did seem to be several people letting off fireworks though which was nice to watch from the warmth and comfort of home. However, my dog was singularly unimpressed and I did not quite have the heart to explain to him that fireworks will probably be a feature now until after 5th November. He did settle down for a biscuit and a tummy rub so it was all good.

I suppose I could have celebrated Halloween by reading scary books. It's confession time - horror is probably the only genre that I do not read. Neither do I watch scary films. I am a complete coward when it comes to reading or watching anything that will scare me.

Instead, I read books that I found I could absorb myself in. Goodness knows, we certainly need some distraction at the moment. How about you, did you read anything scary this month?

I would love to hear which books have been reading this month.

Books I Have Read This Month

The Weaker Vessel, Woman's Lot in Seventeenth Century England: Part One by Antonia Fraser - This book took me ages to read but was extremely good. I have Part Two sitting on my shelf which I will progress to quite soon.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri - I enjoyed this very much.

The Power by Naomi Alderman - I read this book with my book group and opinions were polarised. For me, it was a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

A Village Vacancy by Julie Houston - I love this author's books and this one was no exception. My reviews of her previous novels Goodness, Grace and Me can be found here and Sing Me a Secret here.

The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story by Linda Press Wulf - This Young Adult novel was well worth reading.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - This was my favourite novel this month. Every word had meaning and it was beautifully written.

Surgeon's Hall  by E. S. Thomson - This is part four of the Jem Flockhart series. I have read the previous three novels in the series, all of which have been good. My review of Beloved Poison which is the first in the series (and worth reading as it explains the background of Jem) can be found here.

Books I Did Not Finish

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - I have been wanting to read this for such a long time and finally got to it. However, I just could not get into it and I may well give it another try sometime.

Books I Am Part Way Through

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

A History of Death in 17th Century England by Ben Norman