So we’ve reached the middle of the year already. The nights will be starting to draw in and soon the shops will be reminding us that Christmas is coming (probably starting in August, just in case any of us forget it comes around the same time every December).
I’ve done very little reading this month. I landed on a run of books that didn’t really do anything for me and instead of having to drag myself away from the pages I had to drag myself towards them on more than one occasion. Thankfully I found a gem or two in there that stopped a book slump setting in and which reminded me of why I love reading. As we all know, reading is very subjective and no doubt the books I didn’t enjoy as much, others will have adored. Thankfully there is room for all books, in all their varieties. (And I won’t be specifying which ones I didn’t like).

I also gave away a book to a relative. So that’s 28 in (ebooks deducted from the tally above) and 6 out. Hopefully I’ll be able to tip the scales in favour of outgoing next month, particularly as I’m not planning on buying any (ok, I’m not planning on buying many).

  1. Fresh Bones by Margaret Attwood, a charity shop find to add to my green Virago collection.
  2. A Lover’s Discourse by Xialou Guo, a review ebook.
  3. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella, a review ebook.
  4. The Missing Piece by Catherine Miller, a review ebook.
  5. Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh, a review ebook.
  6. Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan, a signed copy treat to myself.
  7. Still Life by Sarah Winman, another signed special edition treat to myself.
  8. Threadneedle by Cari Thomas, yes another signed edition treat.
  9. The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey, a gift from a fellow blogger.
  10. Will This House Last Forever? by Xanthi Barker, sent for review by Tinder Press.
  11. Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse, sent for review.
  12. The Fell by Sarah Moss, sent for review by Picador
  13. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, a review ebook.
  14. Pondweed by Lisa Blower, sent for review by Myriad Editions.
  15. The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh, sent for review by Orion.
  16. What’s Left of Me is Yours by Stephanie Scott, sent for review by the author.
  17. Five Minds by Greg Morpuss, sent for review by Viper.
  18. The Glass Blowers by Daphne du Maurier.
  19. The Village by Marghanita Laski.
  20. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers.
  21.  The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey.
  22.  The Sugar House by Antonia White.
  23.  The Round Dozen by M Somerset Maugham
  24. V for Victory by Lissa Evans (all charity shop finds).
  25. Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple.
  26. Vain Shadow by Jane Hervey.
  27. The Home-maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (the last three all bought from Persephone Books – or rather their website).
  28. Annie Stanley All at Sea by Sue Teddern, sent for review by Mantle.
  29. Guilty Creatures edited by Martin Edwards, sent for review by the British Library.
  30. The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz, sent for review by Sceptre.
  31. Dreaming of Rose by Sarah LeFanu, sent for review by Handheld Press.
  32. Forty Lost Years by Rosa Maria Arquimbau, translated by Peter Bush, sent for review by Fum D’Estampa.

I’ve not ventured very far from home (or the supermarket) but did make it to a couple of charity shops and found a few vintage books to rehome.
Here’s what else came to live at my house this month:
I also received duplicate copies of One Ordinary Day at a Time by Sarah Harris and Still Life by Sarah Winman and the V for Victory is a duplicate (but a signed copy so I had to rehome it) but I don’t count those as incoming nor do the ebooks as they don’t take up space (my bookshelves, my rules).

  1. A Lover’s Discourse by Xialou Guo.
  2. Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh.
  3. Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters.
  4. The Lost Storyteller by Amanda Block.
  5. The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury.

Here’s what I read:
I hope you enjoyed whatever you read this month. And happy reading for July.

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