Books: July and August 2018

Since I discovered that I could download free magazines with my library app, I have unfortunately read fewer books. I'm a real sucker for Healthy Food Guide and Health and Fitness magazines!

Mount by Jilly Cooper

I downloaded this as a summer treat, having remembered how much I enjoyed a Jilly Cooper about twenty years ago. I needed some escapism for my summer holiday 😄. However, this did not give me the light-and-dirty read I was hoping for. There are so many characters, both equine and human that it's hard to keep track, and I feel it was a poor sequel to her original gem, Riders.

The Last Hours by Minette Walters

This book was really good and I'm glad I stumbled across it. It is about a plague and how a small community, who are governed by a wonderful female role model, survive and thrive. There is intrigue, peril, family feuds and is altogether a wonderfully rich tale. Definitely one to tuck up with in the Autumn evenings.

Memento Mori by Muriel Spark

This is a macabre little tale. A group of elderly people receive calls saying "Remember you must die". The result is a can of worms opened to reveal adulteries, lies and blackmail. A truly enjoyable tale.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This has been on my bookshelf for a while and I was drawn to it because it supposed to be a real tear-jerker. It wasn't. However, it is a fairly harrowing story about how a family survives in poverty in Brooklyn in the 1920s. The parents are determined that their children will be better educated than themselves and make them read the bible and Shakespeare every day. It is wonderful to read about the journey the children take.

It is a good read and I really loved how things worked out in the end.

Love Mrs Jones x