I read nine books in June, one more than last month, and they were all pretty good but below are the five I liked best. Links from each title will take you to my review. You can find a list of all the books I’ve read so far in 2023 here. If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.
My thanks to Harper Collins, Head of Zeus, Mantle and Quercus for providing me with review copies, most via NetGalley.
Ancestry by Simon Mawer (Little, Brown) – Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, a fascinating and compelling fictionalised account of the lives of some of the author’s ancestors
The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor (Harper Collins) – An emotional and moving historical novel inspired by the true story of the sinking of the SS City of Benares, a ship carrying child evacuees from England to supposed safety in Canada in September 1940
The Wall by Adrian Goldsworthy (Head of Zeus) – The action-packed, thrilling final book in the author’s City of Victory series set in 2nd Century Roman Britain
The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Mantle) – An enthralling, twisty, rip-roaring romp of a historical novel that will keep you turning the pages
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai (Quercus) – An absorbing multi-generational story about love, loss, motherhood and the healing of fractured family relationships
What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?


I loved Ancestry. One of my favourite reads this year!
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I read 18 books in June. My favourite was the 18th. Cold Snap by Toni Anderson. Also lived Hex by Anna Hackett, When we left Cuba by Chanel Cleton and Baxter’s Right Hand Man by Lane Hayes
Gill
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18 books in a month is awesome!
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I have The Last Lifeboat and Banyan Moon on my TBR and hope to get to them sooner rather than later knowing they were among your top five this month.
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I hope you enjoy them… ‘sooner rather than later’. I say that about most of my unread books and it’s usually ‘later’!
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