July Round Up

What I’ve been reading:

• A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie
• The Rise and Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman
• Unruly Places by Alastair Bonnett
• Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
• The Visionist by Rachel Urquhart
• Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
• All That is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon
• The Death of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell *best book of the month*
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Additional books reviewed:

• The Visitors by Sally Beauman
• The Bust DIY Guide to Life by Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel
• A Death in Duck by Mindy Quigley

Other blog posts

• Wigtown – Scotland’s National Book Town
• Shiny New Books and Me
• Cover Wars: How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

 

June Round Up

Seriously? July already? I didn’t see that coming. Let’s take a gander at what I’ve been reading, shall we?

• Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
• The Sixteenth of June by Maya Lang
• Flying Shoes by Lisa Howorth
• O, Africa by Andrew Lewis Conn
• Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
• Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto
• The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
• The Visitors by Sally Beauman
• The Bust DIY Guide to Life by Debbie Stoller

Additional books reviewed:

• The Explorers by Martin Dugard
• Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch
• The Tastemakers by David Sax
• How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

And of course, I have planned my schedule for the Edinburgh Book Festival.

I’ve got some pretty good plans for July and August as well, but that will have to wait for tomorrow’s post!

May Round Up!

May was a busy month all around. We had overseas visitors, lots of school stuff, and bookish delights such as Bout of Books and Armchair BEA to contend with. But I also managed to get a fair bit of reading done. Let’s take a look.

1. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
2. Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
3. The Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland
4. Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston
5. Landing Gear by Kate Pullinger
6. Smoke River by Krista Foss
7. Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch
8. The Tastemakers by David Sax

It’s difficult to pick a favorite out of the lot, but I would go with An Untamed State if you are brave, The Transcriptionist if you are looking for something literary and Remember Me Like This is you want a little drama.

In addition to those highlighted above, I reviewed:

• The Setting Sun by Bart Moore-Gilbert
• Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Right now I’m reading Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown and loving it.

 

 

April Round Up!

April felt like another busy month in the book0sphere, but now as I take an inventory of what I read, I realize it may not have been too productive. As always, links go through to my reviews.

1. The Other Side of Paradise by Julia Cooke
2. Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead
3. The Intern’s Handbook by Shane Kuhn
4. Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
5. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prose
6. The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris
7. Flying Shoes by Lisa Howorth
8. The Setting Sun by Bart Moore-Gilbert
9. The Explorers by Martin Dugard
10. How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

Of these my favorites without a doubt were The Other Side of Paradise and The Marrying of Chani Kaufman. I highly recommend both of those.

I also reviewed the following.

1. Listen to the Squawking Chicken by Elaine Lui
2. The Heart Broke In by James Meek
3. The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag

Special Blog Posts

1. World Book Night 2014
2. Reading Diversely – A Top 10 List

My Reading Diversely post was the most viewed and the most commented upon. If you have not taken a look at it you, go on over and take a look.

 

March Round Up

March flew by for me. That may have to do with the fact that I was laid up with bronchitis for most of it and life seems to pass in a haze of coughing.

February Round Up

February appears to have been a bit of a slow month for me. Funny, because it didn’t feel that way at all! I guess I will blame the fact that February is a notoriously short month and that we went away to London for a week.

Here is what was read in February. Highlighted titles connect to my reviews.