What a reading season! The summer started out slowly, but then picked up in July when I was lucky to find a few really great books that got my reading momentum going! I had a great mix of books I Ioved, liked and was mildly entertained by, and also had possibly my most prolific reading month ever! Keep reading to see what I read and what I thought of the books!
JUNE
Anyone who listens to hip hop music has heard of Bobby Hall, but perhaps not under that name. His stage name is Logic, and he’s one of the most influential artists of his generation – but he’s also a pretty interesting guy. He had a very rough childhood, but somehow retained a sense of self and a drive to create and work hard to fulfill his dreams. That combined with some luck when it came to finding people to work with who would become a found family and timing as the music industry was shaken by the internet and social media, created a hugely popular and successful musical act. His music contains a few of my all-time favourite songs, but I also enjoy listening to him talk in interviews. I decided to give his memoir a try, not really expecting that much (he’s a lyrical genius, but that’s not the same thing as writing prose, after all). But man, did it blow my mind. It’s really well written, but not only that, he unflinchingly faces some difficult aspects of his past, and shares some of the important life lessons he has learned and a brilliant perspective on life and his past that lines up very closely to what I’ve learned from my own challenges. Highly, highly recommend to any Logic or hip hop fans, but also anyone who enjoys an open and honest memoir that’s well written and insightful. The Magician was yet another book I read for the Booktube Prize. It’s a fictional account of the life of German author Thomas Mann, which I didn’t even realize until about halfway through, so clearly had no interest in. I’m not a huge fan of either historical fiction or family sagas, so on paper this one shouldn’t have been one for me. But I was surprised by how vivid and eloquent the writing was, how well the author imagined each character and the relationships between them and how smoothly the plot flowed. Not my favourite book of the year, but far better than expected! Matilda was, of course, a re-read. I read this one with my kid – who seems to be developing into an avid reader as well – and it quickly became a family favourite. I read it aloud a few times, then invested in the audiobook, then screened the 1990s film (several times). Needless to say, this has retained its favourite status!
JULY
The first three on this line were my final reads for the Booktube Prize. Of the three, I liked the Mbue and Jones books quite well – both were interesting and unique and tackled important issues through creative narratives – but Still Life was a new favourite for me and got my number one spot of the round. The Reading List is the first book I picked up after finishing my prize reading, one that had been in my Audible list for ages after I’d bought it on a whim during a sale. But I actually ended up really enjoying it – great characters, lots of book exploration and discussion, and a decent plot. Several trigger warnings for this one (loss, grief, suicide, mental illness, isolation etc.), but I was really glad I stumbled across it.
To Kill a Mockingbird was one of the books mentioned in the reading list in the book of the same name, and I’d been meaning to re-read it for ages. So it seemed like the time to do it. I only vaguely remembered the plot and had flat out forgotten several of the characters, but it was as emotional and impactful as a re-read as I remember it being the first time round. I am now more aware of some problematic elements in a lot of classic books (this one is a book about racism written by a white author and told entirely from white character’s perspectives), so I’m not going to say this one is without any potential issues. But I still think from a storytelling perspective it’s excellent, and while there are potential issues, I don’t think it was a glaring red flag. Absolutely wonderful book to read, and great characters to engage with. Frank Derrick is another book I had kicking around for ages and kept skipping past, but I wanted something emotional and heartwarming. It didn’t entirely hit the mark. It was fine – I liked that the protagonist is older as that’s something I want to read more of, and I liked the characters well enough – but it was a bit slow in places and some of the plot points seemed a little thin. Fine, but not excellent. Sorrow and Bliss has been around a lot in the past year – it was even shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction this past year. It started off very promisingly – it’s honest, realistic, heavy but also humorous – but it slowed down a bit around the middle and then one of the decisions the author made around how to handle mental illness really really didn’t work for me. Good on the whole, but not quite as good as I felt like it should have been. The Jane Austen Society is one I found on a list of books about book clubs, since I wanted something else like The Reading List. It was fine, but didn’t connect with me all that strongly. The best part of it was the narration by Richard Armitage, who has a great voice.
I love Ibram X. Kendi’s work. His mind is so agile, so able to concisely sum up complex issues, and so direct that I find it refreshing as well as informative. This is a great book for those who want to learn how to tackle racism with kids, and also want some personal anecdotes and solid factual information woven in. It’s not a how-to manual, but is definitely a why-to. Fully recommend. On to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. I can’t believe I only just came across this series of novels by Judith Kerr. My kid and I love her picture books and have read all the ones we can get our hands on. Mog the Forgetful Cat being a favourite. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is the first in a trilogy loosely based on Kerr’s own family history. It’s about a family that chooses to flee Germany just before Hitler took over because the father was a writer who had been openly critical of Hitler’s politics. They got out just in time, and this book follows their subsequent experiences as refugees, first in Switzerland and then in France. It was wonderfully written, and I felt deeply connected to Anna, our protagonist. The Bookshop on the Corner is another of those that has been sitting on my shelves for ages. I wanted something a bit light and comforting, so picked it up. It’s primarily a romance – so comes with the typical convenient plot points, simplified characters and required suspension of disbelief – and was enjoyable, but not a new favourite. Lulu is one I read this month with my kid (a couple of times) and included as it is a chapter book (we read a LOT, so I rarely include books we read together unless I read them out loud in one sitting and re-read them at some point. So all the picture books and audiobooks we read together aren’t in my own reading list). I really enjoyed this – it’s one of those kids’ books that is fun to read as an adult, too.
AUGUST
I read The Bookshop on the Shore after reading The Bookshop on the Corner, and it was loosely connected. It was fine, but only that. I don’t think I’ll be reading more of the series – at least not now. The End of Your Life Book Club is a memoir about the author’s mother dying of cancer, and the books they read together while she was in treatment. The books are used to open up topics that they explored and shared conversations about, and to memories the author shares of his mother and her views on life. It didn’t have as deep of an emotional impact as I expected, but I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. I have been seeing Razorblade Tears around a lot in recent months. It’s an interesting cross between literary fiction and thriller. It follows two fathers – one Black, one white – whose sons were married and who have recently been murdered. When the police don’t make headway on the case, the two fathers decide to work together to find their sons’ killers. It tackles some important themes – race, homophobia, violence, family patterns and regret. I found it interesting because of this, even if it wasn’t the best thriller I’ve ever read. Crying in H Mart is a bit similar to The End of Your Life Book Club – it’s about Zauner’s mother dying of cancer and shares her experiences with loss and grief as well as ranging back and forth through other points in her life to examine her relationship with her mother. It’s getting buzz for good reason, as it’s a powerful gut punch of emotion and a fantastic portrayal of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be, but also how strong that love is. One to approach with caution, but definitely worth the tears if you can handle it.
I picked out Reckless Girls on a whim because I heard someone talking about it and it sounded like it might be a good summer thriller. And it was. It wasn’t super groundbreaking, but it had good suspense, the plot mostly worked, the pacing was fast and even and there were some good twists. A great summer or holiday read if you like thrillers. The Late Show has been on my TBR for ages. It’s the first in a new series that’s a combo of a character called Renée Ballard and the infamous Harry Bosch. This book only has the former, but is in the same universe as the Bosch books. I liked Ballard – she’s tough, a bit damaged, a loner and not willing to compromise her principles, even for career advancement. She’s also a bit of an impulsive detective, and will follow up on cases alone rather than let them be relegated to the bottom of the pile. I liked the plot, I liked the character, and it did have some great suspense in the climax. Bombs on Aunt Dainty is the second book in the In the Hitler Time trilogy that started with When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. This takes place in London several years after the last book ends, and takes us through Anna’s teen years in London during the Blitz. She’s also beginning to realize her path as an artist, and exploring how to move into adulthood. It’s not as moving as the first book, but still a good read. I read the first Bunburry book because I randomly found an audio in my Audible library. It’s a kind of cosy mystery set in a small town in England. It’s quirky, has a bit of intrigue, but really didn’t stick with me even enough to write a full review. Will probably appeal to readers who like cosy mysteries and enjoy this type of setting.
Dark Sacred Night is the second book in the Ballard/Bosch series, and actually has Bosch in this one. The two end up working together, almost by accident, on a cold case involving the murder of a young girl. This case is personal to Bosch as the girl’s mother is staying with him while trying to overcome her addictions and figure out how to get her life together. He has promised her he will keep looking for her daughter’s killer, and is determined to keep that promise. It had a good plot that connects a few different cases, Ballard and Bosch mostly work well as a team, and I liked how it’s put together. Dark, but entertaining. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper was a very pleasant surprise. It’s about an older gentleman who has just been widowed. He’s never been a particularly adventurous sort, and is fond of a good routine, but since his wife’s death his life has been stripped of anything else. He discovers a charm bracelet in her things that he doesn’t recognize, and the charms seem to have been collected over time. He embarks on a quest to discover the provenance of each charm, and the ensuing adventures are the story in the novel. But it’s full of great character development, surprising friendships and hope even in a dark time. It was extremely heartwarming. Then I dived head-first into the Heartstopper series, and yup. I get it now. Fully a convert.
I’ve been meaning to read The Light Between Oceans for years at this point – one of my best friends has repeatedly recommended it to me. I finally came across the audiobook at my library (narrated by Noah Taylor, no less) and decided it was time. Beautifully written, but completely destroyed my feels. Borders was a surprise to me, and is one of my top books of the year at this point. It’s a very simple graphic novel about a Blackfoot family who live on opposite sides of the Canada/USA border and run into trouble when trying to cross to visit one another. This book covers mostly a few days at the border, but it also captures an entire history and a very important aspect of identity politics. I absolutely adored it. The Appeal I’ve seen around and it seems to have mostly great reviews, but for me it was… okay. I liked the original format but had trouble with some aspects of it and because I had to try three different formats to find one that suited the format (and it was print which is much slower for me to get through) the stop and starts made it harder to get into. So, word to the wise, if you want to read this get the print version straight off the bat and commit to reading it.
I read these three books with my kid after seeing Ashley at Bookish Realm rave about it. She’s a librarian and one of my top sources for BookTube recs, particularly for books for younger readers, so this was one series I had to check out. And it’s absolutely hilarious. I enjoyed the humour and the snappy pacing, and the plot is really fun. There’s also a film which we have now watched a couple of times as well!
So that was my last few months of reading! August was the best reading month of the year so far as I read seventeen (seventeen!!) books. Possibly my most prolific reading month ever, actually! There were a lot of great books in here, but some of my favourites were Borders, Heartstopper, How to Raise an Antiracist, The Reading List, To Kill a Mockingbird and This Bright Future.
What about you guys? Which books were your favourites of what you read over the past few months? Have you read any of these, and if so what did you think?