A Few Books I’ve Read Recently

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Ticked a few books off the list recently, which I’m pleased as punch about… We all know I’m a bookworm and I’m always reading, but in truth I’ve fallen out of the habit of late. My work situation and everything with the pandemic kind of threw all my habits and routines out of the window. So I’ve not been as good about reading before bed as usual in the last year. Slowly though, I’m getting back to reading (and blogging!) so I thought I’d share a few things I’ve read recently.

I’ve had a whole pile of books lying around the house for months now so it’s been nice to tick a few off the list (finally!). Don’t worry there are still more on my pile to be read, but it does feel nice to get back in the habit.

MY JULY READS

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
I couldn’t put this book down once I started it; that’s always a good sign! Drawn in by the beautiful cover, it tells the story of Jean, a 40-something woman who works at a newspaper, who is sent to investigate the claim of a virgin birth. The characters were quietly vibrant and I loved following the story. It didn’t take me long to get through and it’ll be on the shelf for a while yet.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This title has been floating around the internet for a while now, so I finally decided to pick up a copy. Overall it was an enjoyable read but I didn’t… *love* it? Nora decides to end her life and at the stroke of midnight finds herself in a library full of possibilities and the chance to undo a few regrets. The concept is really interesting and while it was an easy, fairly pleasant read it didn’t leave too much of an impression.

Holding Her Breath by Eimear Ryan (pr product)
A nice little read to curl up in bed with. This book tells the story of Beth Crowe, the granddaughter of renowned and beloved poet Benjamin Crowe. Intrigued by the enigma of her grandfather, and in the midst of a secret relationship, Beth begins to wonder about the man she’s living up to. I found the story pretty compelling and all the characters were so fascinating. I sped through in no time!

Luster by Raven Leilani
I confess, I did struggle with Luster, though at moments I did find it really interesting. The book follows Edie in her dead end job and the beginnings of her relationship with Eric, a married man with an adopted daughter who, like Edie, is Black. I did find the relationships compelling but I struggled with the author’s writing style.

Happy Families by Julie Ma
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. It tells the story of Amy, who’s just left her lucrative career as a doctor to return to her family in Wales and the Chinese Takeaway they run. Something is going on between her dad and grandfather, and it’s a secret she’s determined to crack. I sped through it and couldn’t wait to find out what the big secret was! I’d definitely recommend!

Have you read any of the books on this list? I’d love to know what you thought! Tell me in the comments!