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).

A few days later than the actual end of the month, I’m finally saying goodbye to April with this post and I have to say it’s been a pretty good month – life and reading wise.  Life wise I got to take a lovely holiday to the seaside (sun included…you don’t get much better than that in April) and I also made some pretty big decisions which I’m now trying to figure out the logistics of (more on that to follow once it’s all clear in my head I’m sure).

Reading wise, this is what I loved, liked and didn’t really care for…

The Killer on the Wall by Emma Kavanagh, where a murderer seems to be back on the lose after twenty years since his last “kill”…the problem is he’s in prison.  It’s a close call but this is definitely my book of the month.

Last Breath by Robert Bryndza, another cracking episode in the Erika Foster series with Erika back in the murder investigation team and on the trail of a serial killer.

Driven by James Sallis, visiting one of my favourite characters eight years after I first met him in Drive – add to that it’s one of my favourite authors, it felt like nothing could go wrong with this book.

Before The Fall by Noah Hawley which looks at the aftermath of a plane crash on the survivors and the all pervasive (can you say evil) nature of the press.

The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger, the first book by this author that I’ve read but it won’t be the last – this is a clever thriller with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing.

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly, a thriller with a difference; it makes you think – not just about what is going on but your attitudes toward sex and sexual assault.

What Goes Around by Julie Corbin, another thriller (yes, I read a lot I know) where two women battle wits over a man I’m not sure is worth it at all.

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson, which I had high hopes for (possibly too high) and just didn’t hit the mark for me, character-wise especially.  Shame.

The Lauras by Sara Taylor, where a young girl goes on the run (aka a road trip) with her mom.  Or it might be a young boy and his mom.  It isn’t clear, which is true of a lot of things in this book (for me at any rate).

Fell by Jenn Ashworth, which left me perplexed in how to rate it (it’s so close to liked a lot but not quite there).  The story left me wanting but the writing – beautiful!

None – yay!

And that’s it for me.  How was your month – what’s worth adding to next months to read pile?

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).