A Year in Books - July

I've not done as much reading in June as I have in previous months.  I just don't seem to have had the time.  I managed to finish two of the books I intended reading.   This one by Lisa Jewell.

This book was a definite page turner.  From almost the minute I picked it up, I found it very hard to put down.  In fact, I finished it in just two days, so compelling was the story, and I haven't done that with a book in a long, long time.  It was a story about a girl, who after being dragged from a house fire at the age of 9, lost all memory of her earlier life.    Fast forward 25+ years and whilst on a first date, she goes to watch a hypnotist's show and is called out of the audience to participate.  Subsequently, her memory starts to come back and the story of her early life is unravelled.  I just couldn't help wanting to push on with this book and find out what had happened in her past.  This book was a great read.

Next, I read this book by Stephen Clarke, purported to be loosely based on his first year spent living and working in Paris, France.

I really enjoyed this book.  Some of his experiences working for a French company and boss seemed at first to be a little far fetched, but then I could also imagine them to be true, so it was ultimately very entertaining.  This book gave an interesting insight into the French work ethic and psyche and from this point of view, I found it fascinating.  The main character's romantic exploits also featured in this funny and entertaining account of life en France.  I believe the author may have written subsequent accounts of his later exploits in France which might also be worth a read, so I'll be looking out for them on the bookshelves of the local charity shops on my travels.

The final book I wanted to read in June was this book by Plum Sykes, about debutante divorcees in New York.

I'm currently a few chapters in and am finding it quite entertaining, if a bit frustrating, as the behaviour of the characters just seems so far from removed from the reality that I exist in, that the lives of the super rich New Yorkers it depicts, seem quite ridiculously self indulgent and frivolous.  I guess it takes all kinds to make a world.

Anyway, once I have finished reading this book, I intend to read the following books in July.  I'm sticking to reading books by authors unknown to me, as there are quite a few of them in my book pile.  Firstly, this one by Lucy Diamond.

Followed by this one by Carmen Reid,

and lastly this one by Abby Clements.

A bit of a 'chick lit' month for me which is perfectly fine, as July will include our annual holiday and I'm expecting some of this reading to hopefully take place on a beach or by a pool in the Italian sunshine.  I'm very much looking forward to these new reading locations, as opposed to reading in bed at home in snatched half hours before getting up or going to sleep.