Thursday, July 02, 2020

BOOKS READ IN JUNE






In June, the fourth month of the pandemic in California, where we had many mornings of what is called "June Gloom" because the mornings are foggy, I read my head off!

I hit a milestone when I finished Rebecca West's 1040 pages of tiny print about her journey through Yugoslavia in 1939. I had been reading it for almost a year, a few pages a day. I have wanted to read it for a long time and I learned what I wanted to know. Review coming soon.

Otherwise I read fiction, alternating between page turners and wonderful literary novels.

Stats: 9 books read. 8 fiction. 4 written by women. 2 historical fiction. 3 thrillers. 1 magical. 2 translated. 1 history. 1 for My Big Fat Reading Project.

Countries visited: Mexico, Spain, Chile, Angola, Japan, Yugoslavia, Canada. US cities: New Orleans, Houston, Cincinnati, Seattle.

Authors new to me: Don Winslow, Jose Eduardo Agualusa, Arthur Hailey.

Each book was a favorite in different ways.


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Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

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Have you read any of these books? How was your reading in June? Which were your favorites?


23 comments:

  1. You did read your head off!! I'm curious to read Attica Locke. My favorite novel during June was likely Sea Wife by Amity Gaige ... which was I thought was cleverly handled ... and nonfiction was A Bookshop in Berlin ... which awakened me to Vichy France ... review to come. I like that you are posting more these days ... always great to hear your wisdom.

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    1. I was happy to find two books by Attica Locke that I really liked. At some point I will go back and read her earlier ones. I look forward to your review of A Bookshop in Berlin. I have been in the mood to post more reviews. Don't know if it will last but glad you like them!

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  2. reading the West is pretty impressive... i think i'm jealous even though i couldn't get along with her writing style... i still plan to try some Stephenson if the library ever reopens... maybe i'll see if Abe has a cheap copy...

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    1. Even I had to take Rebecca in small doses. I have been using Abe quite a bit since my library has been closed. They are starting curb side pick up at a few locations, none of which are near me. Just got three books from Abe this week so I'm good.

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  3. What a great reading month! I'm especially impressed with getting through West's book... quite an accomplishment.

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    1. Thanks, JoAnn. I impressed my own darn self.

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  4. Quite a solid slew of reading for the month, well done!

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    1. Thanks, Sarah. I had fun!

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    2. Seems like a good round-up of books too. I feel like I am falling into a rut again so I need to shake things up a bit and add a bit more variety back into my selections.

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  5. Sounds like a great list again.

    I will defintitely have to check out the one by Isabel Allende, I have enjoyed all her books so far.

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  6. I just started The Power of the Dog myself. My first Winslow. Wow!

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  7. I haven't read any of the books n your list. Six books for me last month were read. Most of the books were good with the exception of one.

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  8. Don Winslow was new to me this Spring; I’m so glad you picked him up, too! He is rather violent, but the other ‘thrillers’ I’ve read after his books pale in comparison. I am so caught up in his characters, in the dialogue, in the action. I read Hotel, too, long ago. (Perhaps last year or the year before?) Alex Hailey also created a plot which mesmerized me. I still can envision the ending of Hotel, which as I recall was quite appropriate. Thanks for sharing your June reads; the other authors, except for Allende and Stephenson, on your list are new to me. I LOVED Allende’s House of Spirits, and I could not get into Stephenson’s Fall.

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    1. You were the one who alerted me to get to Winslow when you posted a review! I am writing my review of Hotel today. I found it good even though it was a bestseller in 1965. It was not mindless trash but did perfectly conform to what usually makes bestsellers. The ending was just what I hoped. I always love Stephenson; my husband only loves some of them. Fall is supposed to be a sort of sequel to Reamde. I will see what I think.

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  9. I so need to try Reamde! So glad you were able to travel a lot this past month ;-) Happy reading trails in July!

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    1. Reamde was sooo good! And yes, I thoroughly enjoyed my travels.

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  10. Wow what wonderfully travelling you have done through your reading, even if you've physically been stuck at home. Also great to hear they were all your favourites for different reasons. I wasn't able to pick a favourite between my three non-fiction read in June either. Happy July reading! 😀

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    1. You know, Jessica, I usually don't travel in the summer because I want to stay home and keep my gardens hydrated, but this year we had no choice, did we? Happy July reading to you.

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  11. A bunch of interesting looking books.

    I have never read Author Hailey I remember when he was so popular. Do you find that his books still hold up?

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    1. Hotel by Arthur Hailey did hold up as popular fiction, well written and timely for 1965. Fifty-five years later it is almost historical!

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