Hello June, goodbye May…yes, it’s monthly update time again. I have to say, for me, May has been a long month but a good one. I mentioned last month I have been making some decisions and these are all now falling into place. I hope to start writing more about how things are going over the next few months (if I’m brave enough to share that much) but in a nutshell, I have quit my job and am setting out on my own.
It’s not immediate as I have to give three months notice but I have a plan for what to do next with my life and it feels exciting. I’ll be staying in my comfort zone at first (I do project management and write funding requests) but I am hoping to go beyond that with the help of a little (maybe a lot) of retraining. Wish me luck!
Now, onto the important bit…the books I have loved, liked and just weren’t for me this month…I have to say it was a good reading month…
Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley, which put a human face on a writer who has written some of my favourite books but whom I knew very little about…and that little turns out to not be true.
As this is the only book I loved this month, it’s no competition for book of the month!
Viral by Helen Fitzgerald, which looks at the nastier side of the internet with a young woman’s sexual exploits becoming a viral video and the fallout for her and her family.
Dead Calm by Inge Löhnig, my first foray into german crime / mystery and a good one with the murder of a well known doctor and suspects who are all in the family.
Mercy Killing by Lisa Cutts, an involving police procedural but with the not so nice subject matter of child abuse.
New Boy by Tracy Chevalier , a modern day retelling of Othello which is small and perfectly formed.
Tarot Court Cards for Beginners by Leeza Robertson, a bit of a different read for me but also a hobby I wish I was better at…this book will definitely help!
The Dinosaur Feather by Sissel-Jo Gazan, which was one of those books that wasn’t just long (over 500 pages) but felt long. At the heart was (I think) an interesting mystery but there was so much else I got lost.
And that’s it for me…how has your reading month been?
Emma x
This month, I’m linking with Kathryn at Book Date and Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction with their monthly round-up posts (clicking on the images will take you to the posts to check out what others have been reading).
One Readers Thoughts 
Ooh, how exciting! Good luck!
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Thank you…I need it!
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Congrats on your new venture!
Your May looks good. Enjoy June!
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Thank you…exciting if slightly scary times ahead 😀
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Happy June!
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You too !
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Good luck with the next phase of your life 😊
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Thank you…I’ll need it!
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What an exciting change! Lots of luck! I’ve added the Jane Austen at Home to my TBR from your review. It sounds amazing!
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Exciting and scary but much needed. I can’t wait for 1st September for it all to get started properly, I hope you enjoy Austen.
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It sounds like you have some big life changes coming ahead, and all for the better I’m sure. Good luck with those! I’ll have to look in to the Jane Austen book; I’m intrigued. Happy reading in June!
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Thank you…I desperately need a change so fingers crossed it all works out. Enjoy Jane Austen. It was nice to make her real!
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How exciting! Here’s wishing you all the very best of luck. xxx
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Thank you…I might well need it *gulp*
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Dead Calm and Mercy Killing both look good (and yes I know I sound like a psychopath, but you know what I mean!).
How exciting that you’re going out on your own. Am intrigued if you’ll be staying in project management (which is what I did a previous life) or moving out into something else. You talk about retraining. I really wish I could work for myself / freelance or something as I find ‘being employed’ so much more restrictive than I once did.
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I often feel like I sound like a psychopath given how much time I spend reading about killers. I am nervous about going out on my own but figure if I don’t do it now I might never have the financial cushion again or I might spend it on things like shoes (not hard to imagine). I figure seeing if I can make it with what I know if a good start but it should also give me room to retrain…right now I haven’t got the time.
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OMG Emma! THANK GOD you finally told us! I couldn’t stand the tension anymore! Imagining all kinda things 🙂 I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! You don’t need me to wish you luck. I know you’ll do great but.. GOOD LUCK!
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Thank you..I told you it wasn’t as big as it felt to me…I am really chuffed though. First step is finishing my job though…counting down the days!
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It sounds pretty big to m 🙂
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Huge congratulations on your new job change, Emma. I very much hope it works out:). Did you see the TV programme Lucy Worsley did about Jane Austen? It was on last week, I think – I caught the tail-end of it and loved it. I’m going to download and watch the whole thing when I get a chance. You had a good May – all the best with June:).
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Thank you. I hope it works out too…I am both excited and scared in equal measure – gulp. I haven’t seen the show yet but have it recorded…bit distracted by all things political.
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I know the feeling…:)
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Good luck with your new endeavor. I know big changes can be scary, so I’m sending prayers for success and security your way!
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Thank you. I’m really excited but also a bit scared. I have actually done a SWOT analysis (nerd that I am) to make sure I do the best I can!
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[…] also shared my Monthly update: May, 2017 and too part in a couple of book blogger hops on which authors I’d like to meet and the […]
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You are so brave to change up your life that this. Good luck on finding happiness in your new pursuits. All of your books in May are unknown to me until now. I focused on middle grade books in May and found I really missed them.
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Brave or stupid? Time will tell I guess but given I may be working till I’m 70 I can’t keep doing what I’m doing. I had a good May all things considered…unfortunately the same can’t be said for June 😔
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