Tag: Five Favourite

Life events this month meant December was a slow reading month. I only managed seven books which didn’t make choosing the five I liked best particulatly easy. Links from each title will take you to my review or the book description on Goodreads. (I’m behind with reviews as well.)

You can find a list of all the books I read in 2023 here.  My round-up of my favourite books of 2023 will be published tomorrow as part of Top Ten Tuesday.

If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Zaffre for providing me with digital review copies via NetGalley.

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The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (Transworld) – A sweeping and emotional story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, with welcome touches of humour along the way.

Perfume River by Robert Olen Butler (Gallic Books) – An accomplished and insightful family drama exploring how personal choices resonate down the generations.

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (Hodder & Stoughton) – A moving, powerful and immersive story about a Malaysian family living through the Second World War.

Munich Wolf by Rory Clements (Zaffre) – Compelling thriller set in 1930s Munich in which Detective Sebastian Wolff must walk the thin line between doing his job and falling foul of the Nazi party he despises.

The Slowworm’s Song by Andrew Miller (Sceptre) – A quietly powerful story about a man struggling to come to terms with events of the past.

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?

I read eleven books in November, thanks to the #NetGalleyNovember reading challenge which always produces results! Here are the five I liked best. Links from each title will take you to my full 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 Head of Zeus, Headline, The Borough Press and Canongate for providing me with review copies, including via NetGalley.

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The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou (Head of Zeus) – Set in 1950s London, a compelling, authentic and moving story based on a real life murder case

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow (Headline) – First century Roman Britain is the setting for the 22nd outing of Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro – vividly drawn characters, thrilling action scenes and authentic period detail

Mrs Whistler by Matthew Pamplin (The Borough Press) – The story of artist James MacNeill Whistler – a man so convinced of his own genius that he embarks on an ill-advised libel action against art critic, John Ruskin – and Maud, Whistler’s model, muse and lover

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd  (Canongate) – An intriguing historical crime mystery full of eccentricity, imagination and melodrama

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn (Orion) – Emotional dual time story of love and loss set on the Scilly Isles (full review to follow)

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?