June had plenty of hot days in which I didn't do much but read and eat! Good news for my various TBR lists. Especially since one of my few trips to the library involved just picking up some holds and no browsing, I ended up with some that I actually didn't want to read.
Books listed here are from the public libraries unless otherwise noted.
For July? I hope I can keep chipping away at the TBRs but there is, perhaps, too much good stuff on my holds list!
Fiction:
A Northern Light in Provence by Birkelund, Elizabeth
Greenland woman goes to France to translate a poet's work from Provençal to English. Enjoyable read.
Why I Killed My Best Friend by Michalopoulou, Amanda; translated from the Greek by Emmerich, Karen
Good one from my "owned but unread cart."
Everyone Leaves by Guerra, Wendy; translated from the Spanish by Obejas, Achy
Coming of age in Castro's Cuba. From my "unread on Kindle" TBR list.
October Light by Gardner, John
Elderly Vermont siblings get into a stubborn standoff. Another good one from my Kindle backlog
One of Us Is Sleeping by Klougart, Josefine; translated from the Danish by Aitken, Martin
Grieving the end of a relationship. Plus mother/daughter issues. From my TBR cart.
Under a Neon Sun by Gale, Kate
Covid-19 in Los Angeles. Gen Z domestic workers who can't afford to stay home. I really liked this ARC (via Librarything). I've read several Covid related novels but this was different because of the "I don't have the choice to quarantine" pov.
You Are Here by Nicholls, David
Five people set out on England's Coast to Coast Walk, One of them nearly completes it.
The Safekeep by Wouden, Yael van der
This novel is set in The Netherlands in 1961. A post WW2 novel. The cover depicts two pears but it's not a cookbook nor a "foodie" book. The cover is appropriate because two pears are eaten and they become symbolic.
This Strange Eventful History by Messud, Claire
A family saga (three generations from 1940-2010) about pieds-noirs displaced from Algeria and roaming about the world.
The Turtle House by Churchill, Amanda
Two points of view: that of a Japanese war bride from Osaka now in Texas and that of her grandaughter. The parts about the grandmother in WW2 are interesting. The Texas parts aren't. An ARC (via Goodreads).
Bear by Phillips, Julia
Two sisters struggling to make end meet and care for their dying mother encounter a bear, Set on San Juan Island, Washington. These women are supposed to be in their late twenties but seem more like teenagers. Not good.
Regarding Anna by Osmund, Florence
Young woman becomes a private investigator in order to learn the skills to find her birth mother. A very complicated plot with lots of twists and interesting characters. From my Kindle backlog.
Fresh Water for Flowers by Perrin, Valérie; translated from the French by Serle, Hildegarde
Another complicated plot. This takes place in France. Lots of back and forth in time and pov and this one also has lots of twists and odd characters. An enjoyable read.
The Flower Sisters by Anderson, Michelle Collins
Family secrets and town secrets are revealed when teen is dumped (by her mother) on her grandmother in a small Missouri town. An OK read.
The good, the Bad, and the Aunties (Aunties, #3) by Sutanto, Jesse Q.
I enjoued this frolic but not enough to read more in the series.
The Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories illustrated by Small, David
Three dark stories in graphic novel format.
Contents: Introduction: The beast within -- The werewolf at dusk by Michel, Lincoln -- A walk in the old city by Small, David -- The tiger in vogue by Jean Ferry, Jean.
St. Petersburg Noir edited by Goumen, Julia and Smirnova, Natalia; various contributors and translators
Not my favorite of the series but ther were a few good stories in this. From ny Kindle backlog.
Contents: Introduction -- Part I: Gangsters, Soldiers & Patriots "Training Day" by Andrei Kivinov (Kupchino) -- "The Sixth of June" by Sergei Nosov (Moskovsky Prospect) -- Wake Up, You’re a Dead Man Now by Vadim Levental (New Holland) -- “The Witching Hour” by Alexander Kudriavtsev (Dostoevsky Museum)
Part II: A Watery Grave “Peau de Chagrin” by Natalia Kurchatova & Ksenia Venglinskaya (Rybatskoye) -- “Drunk Harbor” by Lena Eltang (Drunk Harbor) -- “Barely a Drop” by Andrei Rubanov (Liteyny Avenue) -- “Swift Current” by Anna Solovey (Kolomna) -- “The Phantom of the Opera Forever” by Julia Belomllinsky (Arts Square)
Part III: Chasing Ghosts “The Nutcracker” by Anton Chizh (Haymarket Square) -- “Paranoia” by Mikhail Lialin (Lake Dolgoe) -- “The Hairy Sutra” by Pavel Krusanov (Moika Embankment, 48) -- “A Cabinet of Curiosities” by Eugene Kogan (Kunstkamera) -- “Hotel Angleterre” by Vladimir Berezin (Hotel Angleterre).
Verse:
The Jumblies, and Other Nonsense Verses by Lear, Edward; Illustrations by Brooke, L. Leslie
I had a reading prompt to read "something frivolous" so if frivolous=silly, this fits the bill. From Project Gutenberg
Nonfiction:
Have You Eaten Yet: Stories from Chinese Restaurants Around the World by Kwan, Cheuk
An interesting tour. This was a birthday gift and that meant I could savor it in small bites. Nice.
Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Nezhukumatathil, Aimee
Essays on food (mostly fruit) and personal memories of food. One reviewer wanted more personal stuff butI at first I wanted less. But then it kind of grew on me and I ended up learning from it.
The Mystery Guest by Bouillier, Grégoire; translated from the French by Stein, Lorin
Delightful! and I learned a lot too. One of my favorite reads this month.
1974: A Personal History by Prose, Francine
Gives a partial answer to "Whatever happened to Tony Russo?" As for Francine? Well, she is very good at looking back to a time when she was very young.
The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Laing, Olivia
A delightful account of the restoration of an English garden. This was an ARC (via Goodreads) and I'm glad because I can keep it.
Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Underwood, Brent
Disappointing.
The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies by Britt, Ryan
This was fun to read. It's been many years since I read the first three Dune books and I haven't seen any of the various film or TV adaptations but that didn't affect my enjoyment or interest in this book.
Secrets of the Sun: A Memoir by Yoshikawa, Mako
Apparently I liked this well enough to give it three Goodreads stars. However, after three weeks, I can barely remember it even when I reread the blurb.
How to Kill an Earworm: And 500+ Other Psychology Facts You Need to Know by Smit, Jana Louise
Mostly "facts" I already knew.
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