September has been my most diverse reading month since starting this blog. I've always read quite widely but thrillers are my "go to" so tend to dominate my reading pile. Last month a lot of the proofs I requested to review just happened not to be in the thriller category.
The thrillers that I did read were absolute crackers. I loved 1979 from Val McDermid when I read it last year so was keen to see where the author would take Allie Burns in the sequel. A time jump of 10 years to 1989 works very well. Allie has a change of job, change of location and some of the biggest news stories of the 80's to deal with. I found the book very nostalgic as I'm old enough to remember many of the incidents very clearly. Nerves are on edge throughout as Allie puts her life at risk to get the story.
There was also the return of The Thursday Murder Club in The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman. When the club take on the cold case of a murdered TV reporter who's body was never found they end up dealing with more than they bargained for. Lots of new characters are added to the story and some meatier roles for Donna and Chris. Elizabeth is put in a very difficult position as the story takes an unexpected twist and she has to use all her spy craft to solve the problem. There is a lot of humour throughout, some close calls and some very tender moments.
The next genre I'd categorise is "feel good" fiction. I came across Matt Cain earlier in the year when I read The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle. In Becoming Ted we have a man who is not afraid to be openly gay but is afraid to admit other areas of his life are not what he wants. He's afraid to tell his family he doesn't want to be involved in the family run business and he's afraid to put his dream of being a drag queen in to reality. When Ted's husband leaves him he examines his life choices. Thanks to a blossoming new relationship and friends, old and new, Ted finally acts on what he really wants.
Food is the theme of Good Taste from Caroline Scott. A writer in 1930's England is given the brief of writing about the history of English food. We see how regional variations abound for some well known foodstuff. We also get a glimpse of how every part of an animal was utilised for meals. What really struck me about this story was how much society has changed in seventy years but the same issues remain; a North/South divide, soup kitchens feeding the hungry, a decline in the high street and a lack of cooking skills among the population.
A very tongue in cheek premise features in Last Circle Of Love by Lorna Landvik. This is one of those authors I keep meaning to read (I have a couple of her books on my TBR), mainly because of the intriguing titles, but never seem to get around to it. A church group of older women decide to raise funds by writing an "ABC of Erotica". This raises quite a few eyebrows. What they end up with is a lot of shared memories and rekindled romances because the end product isn't erotica but a collection of stories about love.
It's hard to believe that Milly Johnson has written 20 novels. Her recent book, Together, Again contains many of the elements we are used to in her novels, however the tone of this one is a little darker. Three sisters return home to arrange their mother's funeral. The women have never been close because of the age gaps and a lack of parental tenderness. By sharing memories they are able to come to terms with the past and also deal with issues they are facing in their current lives.
The next two books certainly don't have a feel good element. I find it difficult to categorise Forever Home from Graham Norton. Despite living together as a couple for 10 years, Carol is kicked out of her home when Declan goes in to care because of early onset Alzheimer's. Declan's children are determined to sell the house Carol had promised would never be sold. When Carol's parents think they are doing the right thing by buying the house they make a startling discovery. Part mystery, part farce, I couldn't put this down. I just had to know what was happening and where the story was going. My first book by Graham Norton but certainly not my last.
My last fiction read of the month was We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman. An incredibly moving story about life-long friends dealing with one of them dying. There is no soft and fuzzy start, no gradual build up. You are immediately hit with Edi being given the news that she has a couple of weeks to live. We then see best friend Ash spending all her available time with Edi, reminiscing and making her remaining time as happy and comfortable as possible. While Ash is using all her time and energy to support Edi, we see that Ash has an incredible support network looking out for her. You'll definitely need tissues for this one.
I managed to review a couple of non-fiction books this month. Both books are published by Dorling Kindersley. In Simply Maths we have a reference book that covers a range of mathematical concepts. Meant to be an introduction for people who are interested in finding out more I felt that this book fell a little short. Too many diverse topics covered in very little depth to give a real understanding. This is more of a mathematical dictionary. Our World In Numbers is aimed at children of primary age and covers a wide range of topics; space, nature, history and more. The book is visually stunning and will fascinate any child (or adult) who has a thirst for knowledge and facts.
Two audiobooks listened to this month, both of which were romances. I really liked the characters in Ten Years by Pernille Hughes. When Ally dies her fiance, Charlie, and best friend, Becca, are manipulated to meet each year and carry out a task from an unfulfilled bucket list. The problem being Charlie and Becca don't get along, they're chalk and cheese. Over the space of 10 years we see how the characters grow, deal with some hilarious situations and gradually realise that they deal with grief differently. They also learn that love can come along more than once.
The second audiobook, A Year Of Finding Happiness from Lisa Hobman also deals with grief. Greg is struggling to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend and feels guilty when he is attracted to Mallory. A tentative friendship is formed, tentative because Greg keeps saying the wrong thing. Over the space of a year their feelings for each other develop and they both find closure for past relationships. The narrator, Greg Miller Burns, has a lovely lilting voice that made this an enjoyable listen. Music plays a strong part in the romance, Greg uses songs to say the things he struggles to articulate.
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