Well it’s summer, but this will be the strangest one I’ve ever experienced I expect. We’re still in lockdown here in Britain with no true end in sight, the government are making no sense so who knows what is going to happen. Anyway because I’m at home I have taken to reading all the hardbacks and chunky books that I have on my tbr list so until I go back to work that is what I’ll be reading!
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman – June
I have just started this, I’m loving it already. It has all the feels of His Dark Materials even though Lyra is now twenty years old and studying at Oxford University. There’s mystery, the Magisterium are still shady and terrifying. And the first book of this series which was a flashback to when Lyra was a baby gets tied in as well.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – June
I am so excited to read this, normally I don’t read books when they’ve just been released because I tend not to but hardbacks but I decided to treat myself! This is still set in Panem, it’s the tenth Hunger Games and the vile Coriolanus Snow is trying to prove himself as a mentor. This will be so interesting, I’ve missed the dark and twisty world of Panem.
The Lake House by Kate Morton – July
I always read a Kate Morton over the summer, they make me feel warm and the stories are beautiful and complex. This book begins with a summer party where a child goes missing. Alice was sixteen at the time and she has never stopped thinking about what happened to her little brother.
The Familiars by Stacey Halls – July
This is set in the 1600s, Fleetwood has had many pregnancies but none of the children have survived. Her husband is anxious for an heir but Fleetwood finds a letter from a doctor saying he doesn’t think she will survive another pregnancy. Fleetwood is already pregnant but when she meets Alice, a midwife her worries are soothed. Until Alice is accused of witchcraft, both women fight to prove Alice’s innocence. It sounds so good, I’m excited to read it.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – July/August
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Atonement by Ian McEwan – August
One of my favourites, always, I haven’t read it for a long time so I’m really looking forward to re-reading it, especially in the heat of the summer. This book breaks my heart but it’s worth it for the superb story telling.
Big Sky by Kate Atkinson – August
I have been looking forward to reading this for a while, it’s the fifth book in the Jackson Brodie series. Jackson is a retired police officer turned private investigator, Jackson always finds himself involved in deeper conspiracies and it seems this book will be no exception.
What is on your reading list this summer?
We Are Just Stories 