The Year in Books: July

This month's book is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.


I've had the book on my shelf for a few months now (Mum passed it on to me a while ago) but only now have I decided to read it.  It's fat (over 800 pages) with small text so I think it's one of those books you have to want to read.  So far, though, I'm absolutely loving it. 

June's book was Dissolution by C.J. Sansom which was very good indeed.  I do like books set in the Tudor era (mainly Philippa Gregory) and this was different, mainly because there were fewer clandestine sexual encounters!  It has a great plot (Henry VIII is dissolving the monasteries, a Commissioner is murdered at one and Shardlake, a lawyer, is sent there by Cromwell to work out whodunnit) which moves along at a decent speed and I'm definitely going to add the next two books in the series to my reading list.

I'd completely forgotten I'd read Last Night on Earth* by Kevin Maher until I checked my Goodreads page which perhaps indicates how much I enjoyed it!  Reading the blurb has jogged my memory though, but not by much.  Baby Bonnie is born very traumatically (I do remember the opening few pages) which puts pressure on the relationship between her parents Jay and Shauna.  Which is basically all I remember.  I clearly flicked through this very quickly on my Kindle, paying very little attention.

Second Helpings At The Serve You Right Cafe* by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs was a sweet little book.  Emet is out of prison following a ten year sentence and has a job working in a cafe.  He meets Mercedes, goes on his first date in years, only Mercedes has a brother determined to hurt her (and Emet).  An emphasis on second chances (the clue is in the title) this book left me wanting another cup of tea and slice of cake.

The Man Who Watched Women* by Michael Hjorth was absolutely brilliant.  What is it about Scandinavian crime writers?  They all seem to be so good!  This is actually the second book in a series, which I didn't realise, but there is handily a character list at the front (this person has this job and doesn't like this person) and there is enough reminiscing in the story that I generally had a good idea as to why the characters did(n't) like each other.  A serial killer is in prison, but a copycat killer is now murdering women using details about the first serial killer not made public.  The investigating team (police officers, forensic scientists, a psychologist) have their own personal issues to overcome as well as trying to identify and stop the second murderer before more women die.  The storyline was great, with lots of twists along the way and interesting characters.  Highly recommend!

Sealed With A Kiss** by Rachael Lucas was perfectly pleasant but not terribly exciting.


Kate's boring boyfriend ends their relationship (at her best friend's wedding, of all places) and she (Kate) then moves to a remote Scottish island to work for a Laird called Roddy.  All rather predictable but kept me entertained for an hour or so.

Quite a mixture this month!  Now back to The Goldfinch, I have to stop and put it down every now and again as the fat book does hurt my thumbs after a while!

Joining in with Laura.

*Thanks to the publishers via NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.
**Thanks to Natasha at Pan MacMillan for sending me a copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.

Comments

  1. I sort of want to read this but agree that it's so big you have to really want to! Maybe I'll get there one day...

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    1. You definitely need to want to read it! But it is excellent so far, and worth getting round to eventually!

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  2. Your reading is very varied! I am really pleased to read about a crime writer I don't know yet. I am such a crime fiction snob, I am not easily pleased (I worked in a forensic medicine department for 5 years, which never helps). I found the Goldfinch a bit slow and the Russian guy really creepy. It is terribly well written though, isn't it?

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    1. I get bored very easily and tend to have a couple of books on the go at once so there's always something to read depending on my mood and where I am. I currently have a book in the bedroom, one in the living room and my Kindle in my bag! The Goldfinch is a tad slow but it is so well written I can forgive it that!

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  3. That is the only problem with big fat books isn't it your hands do start to ache after a while. Not read the Goldfinch but do remember lots of blog activity about it.

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    1. Probably a book I should have purchased for my Kindle! There has been lots of activity about The Goldfinch, I think some people have loved it, some not so much, and some feeling it could have done with a bit more editing, but so far I have nothing to complain about!

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  4. What a great mix! I've been wanting to try The Goldfinch for ages now, but not got round to it. I really enjoyed Dissolution too! x

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    1. Do it! The Goldfinch is worth the effort, definitely. Lots of people have liked Dissolution, although I hadn't really heard of it before I was given a copy.

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