10 Ten Books I Want to Read in July 2026

 

Hello July (almost)! We have just passed the middle point of the year and I have read lots of lovely books already. This month I intend to dive into some exciting new ones. 

Do you have any reading plans for July? I would love to know what you are thinking of reading. Here are just ten that I hope to read.

Chalk Dust and New Chapters by Gervase Phinn

Summer term, 1956. For boys and girls, primary school days mean blackboards and chalk dust, pinafores and short trousers, satchels and skipping ropes.

For talented teacher Helen Mercer, returning to her home county of Yorkshire and working in a supply role, it’s a term of being sent wherever there’s a gap to fill, and getting to grips with idiosyncratic head teachers, eccentric colleagues and new classes of young children.

To each school, Helen brings warmth, creativity and a stubborn conviction that every child matters. But among the endearing, funny youngsters she meets, defiant Terry Smith tests her more than most. Can she reach the vulnerable boy she spies beneath the unruly behaviour?

As Helen settles back into Yorkshire life and even considers a new romance, she must decide which school needs her most, and where she can truly belong.

An evocative, entertaining and feel-good novel that celebrates those memorable early schooldays, from one of the UK’s most beloved storytellers.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Wedded to her Enemy Knight by Lissa Morgan

An enemies to lovers, convenient marriage Medieval romance

A house divided…

A passion ignited!

Outraged when Yorkist knight Edmund Deverell stakes his centuries-old claim on her beloved home, Lancastrian maiden Isobel Calvert won’t leave without a fight! But her best defense against destitution is to propose marriage—to her enemy!

After the pain of his first union, Edmund had never planned to wed again, his only allegiance now is to the House of York. Still, he can’t deny a practical marriage will secure his legacy and leave his emotions intact. But days of verbal sparring with his new wife lead to nights of unforgettable passion, until Edmund finds his loyalties wavering dangerously… 

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Tell Tale by Claire Parkin

How do you catch a serial killer when no-one believes you’re telling the truth?

Wales, 1984.

Llanfair's most notorious busybody, Debbie-Marie Tunstall, has really gone and done it this time. Her snooping and merciless announcements of observations written in her Kajagoogoo notebook have gotten her into so much trouble that even her mum can't defend her. She has no choice but to run away.

And then finds herself the sole witness to a murder.

From a decades-old tragedy to the immediate danger of a potential serial killer on the loose, Debbie takes it upon herself to piece together the mysteries. But even if she uncovers the truth, will anyone believe the village’s biggest tell-tale?

Because in Llanfair, secrets are buried just beneath the surface, and what Debbie has inadvertently stumbled upon could unravel the very fabric of her community . . .

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

Single mum Lila:

Has got her hands full with two unruly daughters.

Is the author of an unexpectedly successful self-help book.

Is the impulsive owner of a flashy sportscar.

She also:

Has a stepdad who quietly moved in after her mother died.

Has a deadline looming on a book that just won’t write itself.

Is exchanging school-gate daggers with her ex’s pregnant girlfriend.

It feels like she alone is holding up the sky.

So the last thing she needs is a stranger at the door.

Not even when he’s a Hollywood star.

Needing a place to stay.

With a million-dollar smile she doesn’t trust for a second.

Because this is Gene – the father she hasn’t seen in 16 years . . .

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Really Rubie: A Diary by Maddie Frost

Rubie can’t wait to go to summer camp for the very first time. She and her best friend, Riley, are going to have an ENTIRE MONTH TOGETHER!

Then Riley drops the bombshell that she can’t go. Now Rubie has to go all by herself and stay in a cabin full of girls she doesn’t know. EEK!

But going solo, Rubie might just make a new BFF, break out of her shell, and even meet a boy… What’s for sure is that camp will be more eventful than Rubie ever thought it could be - with more drama than she ever imagined!

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Kitten by Stacey Yu

A magnetic novel about a young woman who falls in love with her boyfriend's cat.

Katie hasn't spoken to her mother in a year when her boyfriend James introduces her to his cat Silver. A small, vulnerable, incorrigible ball of need, Silver's acceptance of Katie cracks open something inside of her: an unravelling begins.

Fresh out of college and far from home, Katie is desperate to skirt the demands of adult life - especially because, as she promised her mother, the plan was to never grow up in the first place. Luckily, she has James: self-assured, generous, and seemingly happy to make decisions for them both.

When they go on holiday to James's family's seaside home, Katie's attachment to Silver grows. Silver doesn't mind that Katie can't seem to get a job, hold her own at dinner parties, or make amends with her mother. Silver, who gets to misbehave spectacularly, be childish, be gross, and still get fed, seems to have the life Katie increasingly longs for. But as their bond intensifies, Katie's other relationships reach tipping points. Soon, Katie must come to terms with what she really wants, and what she might have to risk to get it.

Delicately playful and unexpectedly heartfelt, Kitten is a sensitive reckoning with the allure of helplessness and the uncertainty of becoming yourself in a world that is as disorienting as it is full of hope and connection.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate Demaio

Eleven-year-old Fiona isn't allowed in the Fermata woods. And though its unique trees are fascinating, Fiona has no problem following her mother's rules. That is until the trees begin to sing.

Suddenly, it feels as though long forgotten memories are being unlocked in Fiona's mind. As she nears the woods edge, the trees fall silent, so silent even the leaves stop rustling. Fiona will finally break the rules and venture into the woods. She'll soon find herself traveling through portals to undiscovered worlds. And she'll have to trust her instincts and her quirky new friends to bring back the music or she may get lost within its notes.

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys

One of the great cult novels, a book that can be read and re-read throughout a lifetime, A Glastonbury Romance is John Cowper Powys' masterpiece. Set in a beautifully imagined fictional version of the West Country, the novel inhabits a twentieth century under siege from older and stranger forces.

An epic work of terrific force and lyrical intensity, interweaving the ancient with the modern, the novel probes the mystical and spiritual ethos of Glastonbury and its association with the legend of the Grail. At the heart of the book is the vision of one man, who wishes to make Glastonbury again the great pilgrimage centre it once was. But what really lies in this powerful landscape and why did so many men and women once come to it seeking redemption?

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague by M K Hill

SAFE.

Eleanor Teague has a new life: a grand house in the country, a husband who adores her, and a place to recover from everything that came before. London is far away now. So are the whispers about the terrible thing she did.

PROTECTED.

The rules are simple. Stay inside. Stay calm. Stay quiet. Her husband says it’s for her own safety. The staff watch her closely. Because if she doesn’t follow the rules... people start to talk.

TRAPPED.

But something isn’t right at Haddon Hall. Eleanor starts seeing and hearing things she can’t explain. She starts to question what’s real. And the more she tries to understand her life, the less it makes sense...

Is Eleanor losing her mind? Or is everyone around her lying?

Purchase Link - Amazon

The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous

THEY'RE OFF FOR THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. BUT ARE YOU?

Single parent Heather isn't neurotic (honest!) — she's simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university — so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice from a parents' forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad, whose "helpful" statistics and assertions about "helicopter parenting" leave her fuming.

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren't just room-mates — they're self-declared best friends for life.

Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing Heather and Scott together, making it increasingly difficult to ignore each other...

Purchase Link - Amazon

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in June 2026

 

There are some fabulous books being released in June.

During the latter half of the month, I will be taking a two week break for a holiday. Although, I won't be posting during that time, rest assured that some of the little beauties in this list will be sneaking into my suitcase and keeping me company.

I hope you find something in this list to entice you too.

The Promise of Wonder by Katherine Webb

A tragic accident. A misguided accusation. Are some mistakes unforgivable?

England, 1889. In her family’s rambling manor house in Dorset, fifteen-year-old Theodora Hallewell dreams of magic, adventure, and Toby Meriwether. As Toby prepares to leave for university, Theo plans a midnight gathering—one last chance to make Toby notice her. By dawn, a tragic mistake will shatter the world as they know it.

Years later, Toby has built a respectable life in London, scarred by the past but determined to put it behind him. Theo, struggling with the aftermath of what happened, has begun to fear that the life she has built is more fragile—and far more dangerous—than she ever imagined. Both live under the shadow of that fateful night—until a startling discovery casts what happened in a whole new light, and offers a chance to right the wrongs that have haunted them for so long.

Spanning three decades, The Promise of Wonder is a spellbinding story of lost love, atonement, and the long journey towards forgiveness.

Preorder Link

The Underground Sisters by Soraya M. Lane

Amsterdam, 1940: Schoolteacher Aletta knows the war will soon reach her and the Jewish children in her class. When her family hide an injured Allied airman in their home, they must decide: how much will they risk when resistance could prove deadly?

Paris, 1940: Since her mother’s death, Chloe has dedicated herself to protecting her brothers. So when the SS accuses Claude of being in the Resistance, she sacrifices herself to save him.

Forced together in Ravensbrück concentration camp, Chloe, Aletta and her mother, Emma, forge an unbreakable bond. Surrounded by unimaginable cruelty, they mount their own kind of resistance―secretly teaching children and preserving fellow prisoners’ precious memories. In a place designed to strip away humanity, their friendship becomes an act of defiance, their determination to bear witness a lifeline of hope.

As the war rages on and whispers of a longed-for liberation grow, can their courage and sisterhood see them through to freedom? And if they survive, how can they ever be the same?

Based on true events, this is an inspiring testament to the power of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Preorder Link

Dwell by Rue Baldry

January 1919 - A new gardener at a snowbound boarding school catches everyone's attention. It's rumoured he is a war hero.  He's nineteen-year-old Albert, haunted by Great War experiences and fighting the temptation of one particular prefect. What they want is illegal.

Being caught would ruin them. Then Albert's past finds him, making their quest for a place where love can safely dwell look impossible.

Preorder Link

Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko

The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history. Synopsis: When Emilia Fletcher finds herself trapped inside a Washington, DC Metro elevator, getting out is the least of her problems. Sharing the confined space with her are Em, a troubled teenager plagued by suicidal thoughts, and Millie, an elderly woman yearning to mend ties with her estranged daughter. As the hours drag on, hunger, exhaustion, and panic set in, revealing an almost incomprehensible truth: they are the same person. Locked in an uncompromising match of memories, the three women excavate and attempt to reckon with the shared shame and suffering stemming from an unresolved trauma that has cast a profound shadow over their lives. Brimming with biting humor, compassion, and quick-witted insight, Just Emilia is remarkable journey of self-discovery.

Preorder Link

Collapse by Edourd Louis

Édouard’s brother spends much of his life dreaming. He lives in a poor, working-class world, where he imagines that he will become one of the finest butchers in France, that he will travel, that he will make his fortune, that he will restore cathedrals, that he will earn his father’s love.

But his reality allows none of this. There is no way to escape, no one who can show him how, and everything about him – his drinking, his violence, his behaviour with women and with others – condemns him.

At thirty-eight he is found dead on the floor of his small studio apartment. This book is the story of his collapse.

Preorder Link

Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray

Alex used to break into houses illegally. These days, it’s his job.

Alex is part of a small firm of consultants who break into offices and homes to test their security. It’s fun, it’s well paid, and he’s very good at it. It’s almost like he’s grown up at last.

But when he gets fired from his firm, evicted from his flat and dumped by his girlfriend, all in the same evening, he decides to steal one last job from his company without their knowing. A job they had already decided not to accept.

Big mistake.

Before long, Alex is in remote northern Scotland, following the trail of an ambitious young man who supposedly fell to his death with no witnesses in sight.

And if Alex doesn’t get to the truth soon, he may well be the next one over the edge...

Preorder Link

A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell

Amanda Keeler is a bestselling novelist, famed for her martini-soaked parties. It's a glamorous life, paid for in full by marriage to a tedious, teeth-grinding newspaper tycoon.

When a meek friend from her provincial past arrives in Manhattan, Amanda plots to use her as cover for an affair-until she realises that they have both fallen for the same man.

Sophisticated, scandalous and acidly funny, this is a portrait of a woman determined to have everything, even if it costs the one thing she never meant to gamble: her heart.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

Preorder Link

How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield

Emma Sharp knows the rules of survival. From being raised by a doomsday-fearing father and hardened by the startup world, she has learned how to endure - especially in her marriage to Logan Grant, a charismatic tyrant who keeps her under tight control. To Emma, her marriage is a cage: it keeps you in, but it also keeps you safe. Until it doesn't.

When Emma forms an unexpected bond with Logan's former girlfriend, the two women form a plan to help Emma reclaim her life. Destination: the punishing final stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

After all, bad things happen in the woods all the time.

As the three venture deeper into Maine's backcountry, desire and dread curdle into something unpredictable, dark and deadly. Someone is lying. Someone is watching. And in the remote heart of the forest, someone is about to be lost . . . or found.

Preorder Link

Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine by Mo Fanning

Lisa Doyle is fine. Absolutely fine.

At least, that's the story she's been telling herself.

Her best friend is getting married. Everyone around her seems to have a partner, a plan, and a life that makes sense. Lisa, meanwhile, has four glasses of wine in her, a talent for making bad situations worse, and a growing sense of being left behind.

So she does what any sensible woman in a crisis would do. She announces that she's engaged.

There is only one problem.

Brian does not exist.

Now Lisa needs a fiancé before the wedding, her actor flatmate is far too willing to get involved, and the real Brian, who is very much married and very much her boss, is starting to look at her in ways that suggest this lie may have got seriously out of hand.

Warm, witty, and painfully recognisable, Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine is a grown-up romantic comedy about love, pressure, friendship, and the exhausting performance of holding everything together when you're quietly falling apart.

Perfect for readers of Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O'Leary, and Marian Keyes.

Preorder Link

The Cider Girls Join the Fight by May Ellis

1941, Somerset: the shadow of war is closing in.

Two years into the conflict, Rose is adjusting to life as a Land Girl, working the Somerset fields alongside Jimmy, the farmer’s son whose watchful, protective attention she can neither escape nor ignore. Thankfully, she has found companionship in Daisy, a district nurse, and Elsie, an ATS clerk. New friends thrown together by the necessities of war, they call themselves the Cider Girls.

As the threat of invasion grows, the girls prove their courage to the commanding officer of a secret resistance unit and are drawn into a dangerous world of espionage, coded messages and hidden loyalties.

But there is trouble close to home too. Daisy knows she is in love with her lifelong friend Mattie, but will she speak the truth before it’s too late? Elsie’s life is shattered by the tragic death of her sister, leaving her with an impossible choice. And Rose finds her work in the resistance increasingly hard to hide.

In a world of secrets and sacrifice, can the Cider Girls’ friendship see them through the darkest days yet?

Preorder Link

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur and Translated by Faridoun Farrokh - #bookreview

The orchard, vibrantly green and with adobe walls, backed up against the village at one end and bordered the river at the other. It was an orchard mostly of sweet and sour cherries...

***

It has recently come to my attention that I must make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

Women Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women – including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher – as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.

Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.

Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh

My Review

Before I even begin my review of this short book, I want to acknowledge the author's courage and strength of character in the writing and publishing of this book. She had already been imprisoned for almost five years without charge. Following her release, she soon published this book and was imprisoned again.

This book contains a series of stories of Iranian women who have chosen to live their lives without men. In our western culture, this would not be considered outrageous, but in a patriarchal society such as Iran, this is unheard of and not without consequence.

The chapters about the five individual women are all interconnected and the author does a marvellous job of interweaving them. Indeed, the book has much to say about the friendship of women and the courage which these women portray.

Much of the narrative is based on mythological stories and the magical realism elements add to the story. There are many elements within the stories that many woman will identify with. It is a short but powerful novel that explores the expected role of Iranian women within society, and then turns it on it's head through folklore, family and society.

Publishing in the UK for the first time, it is no surprise that the book is an International Booker Prize longlist nominee and deservedly so. Ms Parsipur is a talented writer and it's thrilling to read her insights into feminism. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in Iranian history or feminism.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0241792513

Publisher:  Penguin Classics

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  128 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Shahrnush Parsipur was born in Iran in 1946. She began her career as a writer of fiction and producer at Iranian National Television and Radio. She was imprisoned for nearly five years by the Islamist government without being formally charged. Shortly after her release, she published Women Without Men and was arrested and jailed again, this time for her frank and defiant portrayal of women’s sexuality.

While still banned in Iran, the novel became an underground best-seller there, and has been translated into many languages around the world. She is also the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night, among many other books, and now lives in exile in Northern California.

You can also find Shahrnush at:

Author Website

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

My Top 10 Ten Books of 2024

 

Happy New Year

Hello my friends. It is so lovely to be back having had a lovely break with family and friends. I am very much looking forward to a whole new year of reading and sharing my thoughts with you.

Last year I read some fantastic books and it has been difficult to whittle the list down to just ten.  Eventually, I settled on this ten. In no particular order:

Little Wing by Freya North

This was a choice at my Book Club and we all loved it. 

You can find my review by clicking here.

The Fellowship of the Puzzle Makers by Samuel Burr

This was one that I read during the Christmas break so haven't written a review. Trust me - it's brilliant!

The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Keer

I really enjoyed reading this spooky tale.

You can read my review by clicking here.

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

This was another book choice made at my Book Club and it was fantastic.

You can read my review by clicking here.

In the Shadows of Love by Awais Khan

I read this as part of a blog tour in October last year and I loved it.

You can find my review by clicking here.

Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison

This was a fabulous book about belonging and identity.

You can read my review by clicking here.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green

I consider myself very fortunate in stumbling upon this one on the library shelves. It was a delight to read.

You can read my review by clicking here.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

This was another choice by my Book Club and was enjoyed by all.

You can find my review by clicking here.

The House of the Witch by Clare Marchant

Another blog tour book which I really loved.

You can read my review by clicking here.

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

I first read this when I was at school and thought it high time I read it again. A stunningly good book.

You can read my review by clicking here.

I will be back later today with my Top Ten Children's Books of 2024.

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in June 2024

 

One of the reasons that I love the month of June so much is that the roses begin to appear in abundance. I have seen some in gardens already, but my roses are still in tight buds, waiting to blossom, and they always bring me such joy when they do.

Hopefully, some summer weather will accompany them, and I shall be able to lounge in the garden with a good book. We have had a few nice days recently, and I have definitely made the most of it when the sun has been shining.

Here are ten books, some old and some new, which I hope to be able to escape into the garden with.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Music in the Dark by Sally Magnusson

Taylor Swift for Adults by Kev Nickells

A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh

Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson

The Last Line by Stephen Ronson

Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville by Sylvie Kantorovitz

Leeza McAuliffe Has Loads More to Say by Nicky Bond

Summer People by Julie Cohen

The Spaceman by Randy Cecil

(header photo courtesy of Max Berger)

The Complete Short Stories of A. A. Milne by A. A. Milne - Introduction by Gyles Brandreth #bookreview #blogtour

 

The publication of this complete collection of his short stories would have given A. A. Milne so much pleasure.

***

A new collection of A. A. Milne’s short stories and sketches for grown-ups. Collected in full for the first time, they are an epiphany, and show Milne’s renowned charm, concision and whimsical flair in all their brilliance.

He paints memorable scenes, from a children’s birthday party, to an accidental encounter with murder, and a case of blackmail – often with an unexpected twist. But he also deals in poignancy, from the girl who pulls the wool over her boyfriend’s eyes, to a first dance and first disappointment or family reunion and domestic dissonance.

Beguiling and evocative, Milne’s thought-provoking stories will make you see his works for children in a whole new light.

***

What a varied and delightful collection of short stories, some of which are being published for the first time.

Whilst A. A. Milne is most famous for his Winnie the Pooh stories, this collection demonstrates that he was an accomplished writer of stories for adults too. All of the stories in this collection are very different. Printed in chronological order there is an element of the development of the author with each story.

Having been written from 1914 - 1953, plus a few undated fragments of stories, there is a wonderfully traditional feel to them. They are very much tales of their time.

Throughout the stories the reader meets some interesting characters. Coupled with their individual stories, I was delighted to make their acquaintance. I particularly enjoyed the story, A Rattling Good Yarn. I also enjoyed The Secret and C.O.D. There was sufficient in each story to get my teeth into, although at times I would have liked the story to be developed further but alas, such is the nature of the short story.

With an introduction by Gyles Brandreth, this is a book well worth seeking out. It would be a wonderful book to dip in an out of from time to time, and I can see myself coming back to it time and time again.

ISBN: 978 1788424493

Publisher:  Farrago

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  448 (paperback)

About the Author:

A. A. Milne (Alan Alexander) is best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Prior to the First World War he worked as a young man as Assistant Editor of Punch magazine. After leaving the army, he began to write plays, short stories and novels; and then later works for children, including the poetry collection When We Were Very Young and the storybook Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926. Milne continued to be a prolific writer until his death in 1956.

(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)