Category: Monthly update

My 5 Favourite April Reads

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My 5 Favourite April Reads

I read fifteen books in April including a couple of five-star reads and several that came close.  You can find details of my five favourite books below.  Click on the book title to view the book description on Goodreads.

You can keep up to date with all the books I’ve read so far in 2019 here with links to my reviews.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

The Conviction of Cora BurnsFirst up is historical novel, The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby. Set in 1880s Birmingham, it tells the story of a young woman born in a prison to a convicted criminal she never knew. Like others, I thought it was an impressive debut and described it as ‘an intensely satisfying read’.  You can read my full review here.

sunwiseStaying with historical fiction, Sunwise by Helen Steadman is the follow-up to the author’s debut novel, Widdershins.  It continues the stories of herbalist, Jane Chandler, and witch-finder, John Sharpe.  The latter is a quite terrifying figure and I found the book as compelling and powerful as its predecessor.  You can read my full review here.

The_Storyteller_CoverMy next choice is The Storyteller by Pierre Jarawan (translated by Rachel McNicholl and  Sinead Crowe). Moving between Lebanon and Germany over a period of more than thirty years, it tells of Samir’s search for his father, Brahim, who disappeared suddenly one night. I found it to be ‘a fascinating, intriguing and beautifully written book’.  You can read my full review here to find out why.

Beyond the Thirty-Nine StepsStaying with the subject of storytelling, my next choice is a biography of arguably a master of the art – Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan by Ursula Buchan. The author, who is also Buchan’s granddaughter, sets out to demonstrate – successfully, to my mind – that there was much more to him than just the author of the classic spy thriller, The Thirty-Nine Steps.  You can read my full review here.

PilgrimMy final choice is Pilgrim by Louise Hall.  It follows the journey of father and daughter, Jen and Charlie, to Medjugorje, a small village in Yugoslavia, where six children have experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary.  Like the other characters the reader encounters, they are struggling to cope with tragedy in their lives.  I praised its message of hope and the possibility of starting over again. You can read my full review here.

What were some of your favourite books you read in April?  Have you read any of my picks?

 

My 5 Favourite January Reads

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Compared with previous months, January started relatively slowly on the reading front  with eleven books finished.  However, there were still plenty of fantastic books to choose from.

You can keep up to date with my reading in 2019 here and find a complete list of all the books I read in 2018 here, with links to my reviews.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

Click on the book title for the book description on Goodreads.

First up is Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton.  Set in 18th century Spitalfields, it weaves together the stories of two women – Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk-weaver, and Sara Kemp, newly arrived in London.  I thought it was a really impressive debut, full of fascinating detail about the period plus the cover is simply gorgeous.  Read my full review here.

My next choice is another historical novel, and another impressive debut – A River in the Trees by Jacqueline O’Mahoney.  Set in Ireland, partly in 1919 and partly in the present day, it reveals the turbulent experiences of two women – Hannah and Ellen – whose stories subtly mirror each other in some respects and contrast in others.  Read my full review here.

The Secret by Katharine Johnson also involves multiple timelines but this time the setting is the Tuscan village of Santa Zita.  It’s an intriguing story of secrets and betrayal that I described as ‘an absorbing combination of historical fiction and mystery’.  You can read my full review here.

Next the eagerly anticipated (certainly by me) third book in Rory Clements’ ‘Tom Wilde’ series, Nemesis.  Set in the early years of the Second World War, Tom Wilde is once again involved in international conspiracy and comes up against a particularly chilling adversary.  It’s a thrill-a-minute read. Find my full review here.

Finally, there’s Eagle & Crane by Suzanne Rindell.  I absolutely loved this story of two daredevil aerial stuntmen that combines mystery, action and romance whilst exploring more serious themes including a dark aspect of World War Two American history.  Read my full review here.

It looks like the year has started the same way it finished, with some great historical fiction from some of my favourite publishers.  Even more exciting is that all but one were new-to-me authors and two of those were debut novelists.