Tag: Reading Challenges

20 Books Of Summer 2025 Reading Challenge Wrap-Up #20BooksofSummer2025

whatcathyreadnext6 Comments

This year Cathy at 746 Books handed over the baton of hosting the 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge to Annabel at AnnaBookBel and Emma at Words and Peace.

Every year I approach the challenge high on ambition and usually low on likelihood of success. This year my list was made up of the oldest physical books in my TBR pile.

Emma and Anna have helpfully compiled a list of questions to help us recap our experience of taking part in the challenge.

Q. Did you manage to finish all 10/15/20 books? If not, what kept you from completing the challenge?

A. No, I only managed to read seven of the books on my list. As usual I was over-ambitious, aiming for the full 20 books and, being a stubborn old so-and-so, sticking to my original list and not taking advantage of the option to swap books in and out. I had ARCs I needed to read (which I didn’t put on my list) and included two very long books on my list.

Q. Of all the books you read this summer, which one was your favorite and why? Did you DNF any? Why?

A. I enjoyed all the books I read but my favourite was The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel because it was so well-written and was a fitting end to the trilogy that started with Wolf Hall. Also the narrator of the audiobook was superb. I didn’t DNF any books. To be fair, I very rarely do.

Q. Which book surprised you the most, either by being better or worse than you expected?

A. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I did because of the element of magical realism which I often don’t get on with.

Q. Did you notice any patterns in the genres you chose or enjoyed this summer?

A. Not really. Historical fiction, my favourite genre, made up the majority of the books I read.

Q. Which one had the best cover?

A. The Summer House Party by Caro Fraser.

Q. Which one was the longest? And the shortest?

A. The longest was The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel (912 pages). The shortest was Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (229 pages).

Q. Did you read them mostly in print? ebook? audio?

A. They were all print copies although I listened to one on audio (The Mirror & The Light) because it was too big to hold comfortably.

Q. Imagine you’re hosting a “20 Books of Summer” book club wrap party. Which book would you nominate as the guest of honour, and what kind of toast or speech would you give celebrating it?

A. It would have to be The Mirror & The Light because it’s the end of an epic trilogy by an author, Hilary Mantel, who is sadly no longer with us. The book is set during the reign of King Henry VIII so he would probably insist on making the speech. Ideally the party would not end with a beheading.

Q. Looking back at all the characters you met over the summer, which one would you want as a summer buddy for a weekend getaway, and what activity would you do together?

A. I’d go with Sam Coyle from The Dark Isle and spend a week on Orkney, the setting of the book. We’d explore the island’s ancient ruins (she’s into archaeology) and drink whisky.

Q. Any other comments you want to add.

A. To quote from my list of books, the challenge is the bookish equivalent of The Summer House Party, you are both a Force of Nature and I hope you have the Appetite to host it again next year!

  1. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson Read
  2. The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel Read
  3. Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee Read
  4. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Read
  5. The Body in the Ice by A. J. Mackenzie Read
  6. The Summer House Party by Caro Fraser Read
  7. The Dark Isle by Clare Carson Read
  8. Pompeii by Robert Harris
  9. The Assassin of Verona by Benet Brandreth
  10. Transcription by Kate Atkinson
  11. Force of Nature by Jane Harper
  12. The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark
  13. Appetite by Philip Kazan
  14. Tombland by C. J. Sansom Currently reading
  15. Anna of Kleve by Alison Weir
  16. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
  17. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
  18. All The Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy Currently reading
  19. Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce
  20. The Cross and the Curse by Matthew Harffy

Book Review – Cairo Gambit by S. W. Perry

whatcathyreadnext2 Comments

About the Book

Front cover of Cairo Gambit by S. W. Perry

In the heat of the desert, will the trail go cold?

Cairo, 1938. Archie Nevenden is many amateur archaeologist; theatre impresario; absent father; potential defector. And now, he’s a missing person. His daughter, Prim, hasn’t seen him for nearly fifteen years. But she’s never given up on him, and now she’s on her way to Cairo to assist in the search.

Harry Taverner claims to work for the British Council, but Prim knows there’s more to it. He clearly has a theory about what happened to Archie, one she’s not going to like.

As Prim and Harry uncover the layers of Archie’s existence in Cairo, they find themselves drawn in to more than one conspiracy. And soon they’ll discover that Archie may not be the only one in danger…

Format: Hardcover (400 pages) Publisher: Corvus
Publication date: 7th August 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller

Find Cairo Gambit on Goodreads

Purchase Cairo Gambit from Bookshop.org [Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops]

My Review

I really enjoyed Berlin Duet, the author’s historical thriller set in pre-WW2 Europe. British Intelligence Officer Harry Taverner returns in this book having been ordered back from his posting in Berlin to assist (without revealing his real role) Primrose ‘Prim’ Nevendon’s search for her father who has gone missing in Cairo. ‘He had apparently vanished off the face of the Earth like desert mist at sunrise.’ Archie works in the oil industry and with the world seemingly on the path to war the British government fear he may possess information that would be valuable to Britain’s enemies.

Despite the fact he abandoned her and her mother fifteen years ago and that her only contact with him in the meantime has been via the occasional letter and postcard, Prim seems to hold a romanticised view of her father: intrepid adventurer rather than errant husband and absent father. She clings to childhood memories of digging for ‘treasures’ hidden for her to find in the grounds of the house. Although understandable she should worry for his safety, it seemed to me it was just as much the prospect of adventure that motivated her decision to travel to Egypt to try to find him, a chance to get away from her rather uninspiring life in England.

Arriving in Cairo she finds a turbulent political situation with the sixteen-year-old King Farouk on the throne. Although Egypt has gained its independence, the British still retain a presence in the country in order to defend the Suez Canal. In a chilling echo of current conflicts, there is increasing violence between Arabs and Jew in Palestine, at that time under British control. Add to this the prospect of a European war and it’s perhaps understandable that the priorities of the authorities in Cairo and the British Embassy are elsewhere, and they are unwilling to commit resources to help Prim in her search.

The only help she has is from Harry Taverner, whom she met on the flight to Cairo and who purports to be a representative of the British Council. The reader knows their meeting was no accident. Actually, it’s not the only information we’re privy to that Prim isn’t, thanks to some dream-like interludes that hint at deeply felt loss and guilt.

Prim soon finds herself way out of her depth as it becomes apparent Archie has got himself involved with some very unpleasant people. They’re just as keen to find him as she is, but for entirely different reasons. As Prim and Harry slowly uncover clues – a faded photograph, a theatre programme, flight plans – it becomes clear the mystery of Archie’s disappearance can only be solved by venturing beyond Cairo and into the unforgiving deserts and mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. Both settings are vividly brought to life.

Those who’ve read Berlin Duet know they need not fear for the life of one of the characters but there is plenty of jeopardy for others. The author manages to keep the tension high with some dramatic scenes. As for Prim, well, let’s just say what she learns about Archie puts a whole different slant on things.

Cairo Gambit is a compelling historical thriller that oozes atmosphere and will keep you turning the pages.

I received a review copy courtesy of Corvus via NetGalley.

In three words: Gripping, intriguing, atmospheric

About the Author

S. W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. He lives in Worcestershire with his wife.

Connect with S. W. Perry
Website | X/Twitter | Facebook