Tag: Five Favourite

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 read eight books in May, continuing the trend of my reading slightly fewer books than usual. (I blame the lure/demands of my garden!) Below are my five favourites. 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 Lightning Books, Canongate, Michael Joseph and Verve for providing me with review copies including via NetGalley.

The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan (Serpent’s Tail) – A dark, dramatic and compelling historical novel based on a real life case.

Tiny Pieces of Enid by Tim Ewins (Lightning Books) – A tender, emotional and touching story. As Frances Quinn says on the back cover of the book, ‘If it doesn’t make you cry more than once, I don’t know what’s wrong with you’.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng (Canongate) – An intimate and nuanced portrait of the complications and consequences of relationships that must remain clandestine set in 1920s Penang.

The Scarlet Papers by Matthew Richardson (Michael Joseph) – A brilliantly compelling espionage thriller for fans of the novels of John le Carré.

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou (Verve) – A book with an element of mystery and some skilful misdirections but also a deft, perceptive and completely compelling exploration of sibling relationships.

What were your favourite books last month? Have you read any of my picks?