#TopTenTuesday In A Word Book Reviews

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The rules are simple:

  • Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
  • Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
  • Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.
  • Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

This week’s topic is One Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read, submitted by Susan at Blogginboutbooks. Links from the title will take you to my full review.

Fortune by Amanda SmythTantalising
The Fall by Rachael BlokTaut
The Capsarius by Simon TurneyTempestuous
Mr Bunting at War by Robert GreenwoodTouching
The Dark Flood by Deon MeyerThrilling
Mailed Fist by John FoleyTruthful
In Place of Fear by Catriona McPhersonTeasing
The Girl from Lamaha Street by Sharon MaasThoughtful
Greenwich Park by Katherine FaulknerTwisty
The Birdcage by Eve ChaseTense

[Oh, that’s clever. Can you see what she’s done there? All the adjectives begin with T! You know, for Top Ten Tuesday. Gosh, if you hadn’t pointed it out to me I might not have noticed. I’m sure you would, you’re quite observant when you put your mind to it. You really think so? Yes, but can we go and look at some other blog posts now?] 

 


My Five Favourite April 2022 Reads

favourite

I read 15 books in April; those blog tour deadlines definitely concentrate the mind. Links from each title will take you to my full review. You can find a list of the books I’ve read so far in 2022 here.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

The Sunken Road by Cíarán McMenamin (Vintage) – One of the books on the longlist for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022 but which sadly didn’t make the shortlist. Set in the trenches of France in 1915/16 and Ireland in 1922 during the Irish War of Independence, it’s not an easy read but I found it incredibly moving, immersive and utterly gripping.

The Capsarius by Simon Turney (Head of Zeus) – The first in a new series featuring Roman combat medic, Titus Cervanius. It’s an impeccably researched and thrilling journey through 25BC Egypt.  If you like full-on action, it has it. If you like historical detail, it has it. If you like a protagonist who’s not just a one dimensional character, it has it.

Mr Bunting at War by Robert Greenwood (Imperial War Museum) – The latest in the IWM’s Wartime Classics series, the book features George Bunting, businessman, husband and father, who lives a quiet life at home in Laburnam Villa in Essex, until that is the Second World War arrives in earnest. The charm of the dogged and steadfast Mr Bunting was summed up for me by the quotation: ‘He was not brilliant, nor heroic, but there was one thing he could do – endure.’

The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey (Gallic Books) – The author’s retelling of the story of Pinocchio, the wooden boy created by the carpenter Geppetto who comes to life, is as quirky and inventive as I’ve come to expect from the author. Along with brilliant touches of humour the story is accompanied by wonderful illustrations.

Fortune by Amanda Smyth (Peepal Tree Press) – Fortune is one of the four books that has made it through to the shortlist for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022. For me, the triangular relationship at the heart of the book had a real The Great Gatsby vibe and just about every character is playing a game of chance, with very high stakes. Based on real events, it’s also a fascinating glimpse into an aspect of Trinidad’s history.

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