A year in books :: July

I had (yet another) bumper month for reading in June. I think not much being on TV accounts for it really. I really like football but I'm a club not country kinda girl (plus England were woeful) and can read whilst its on...

So this months books were:

After You'd Gone - Maggie O'Farrell... I loved this book. I so enjoyed the interwoven story and her writing style really brings the characters and the situations alive. I have to say once again it made me cry, but I was truly moved by the writing.

The Bones Beneath - Mark Billingham...Tom Thorne back again and this time not in London. Definite twist to this one and of course you have to suspend a little bit of belief but a thoroughly good read. I think of David Morrissey as Thorne and it's a good fit. I hope he films some more of these.

A set of 3 short stories by Simon Kernick - super fast and superb story telling. This was billed as 3 interlinked short stories in the sort of way you would 'tune in next week to see what happened' (says Kernick) each being published a week apart. I saved them til they were all there and could be devoured in one go!

The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith...this arrived on my kindle serendipitously just as I finished the 3 Simon Kernick short stories. I'd forgotten I'd preordered it. What a great story and good writing. It's the second Cormoran Strike novel from JK Rowling who is writing here as Robert Galbraith. I really enjoyed the first novel and this continues on from that some months later. Cororan Strike is a really interesting character but more than him is his 'assistant' (for want of a better expression), Robin without whom he couldn't function (figuratively and literally I think we'll see in coming books). So in spite of his fractured personal life he manages to get to the root of the problem where others fail.

So for July's choices:

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

OxCrimes - various... Suggested by Ailsa am looking forward to this and also to seeing if it gets me into any new authors.

And then if I have any time/effort left in me...

Stay Alive - Simon Kernick...we'll see how I get on with this one. Another crime novel. I really like his quick paced style. Short chapters, keeping the action moving. It's a real book (so I can take a snap of it), as opposed to being on my kindle. So I need to carry it with me and also have the light on to read it. It might take a bit longer this one...

Joining in with Laura