Every month I do a round-up of the books that I’ve read over the past four weeks and this month I’ve decided to add their rating out of five that I gave them to make it easier for you to decide which book review you want to read.
This month was very varied. There was an array of very different books including a classic, a “thriller” I guess, a much-praised fantasy and even one that is simply deemed “contemporary fiction”. But yes, to say the least, this month covered pretty much all the genres I’m in to at the moment.
Whilst you’re reading through the list, let me know if you’ve read any of the books or whether any of these books may be ones that you decide to pick up.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My summary: “Pride and Prejudice, I’m not sure, is a book I’d read again. It’s a book so far from what I’d usually read and, if it wasn’t a celebrated classic, is unlikely a book I’d ever choose based on its plot. However, saying that, Elizabeth Bennett is absolutely fantastic, the story arc that she and Mr Darcy go through is brilliant and the writing is utterly stunning. Plus I was a huge fan of reading about the late 18th century not from a Historical Fiction point-of-view but from a genuine retelling of modern life back then.”
Overall rating – 5/5
Read my full review of Pride and Prejudice here.
Pick up a copy Pride and Prejudice from Amazon here.
How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
My summary: “I wanted to like How To Kill Your Family so much. I like a good, dark sense of humour, I liked the premise for the book and I’m a big fan of Greg James, Bella Mackie’s husband so, vicariously through him, a fan of Mackie. However, with an incredibly dull plot, an annoyingly opinionated and honestly unlikeable character and a weak “twist” of an ending, the fantastic writing and rare moments of comedy just weren’t enough for me to recommend this one.”
Overall rating – 3/5
Read my full review of How To Kill Your Family here.
Pick up a copy of How To Kill Your Family from Amazon here.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
My summary: “I really liked The Paper Palace. It was a close call between giving it four or five stars. The story was enjoyable throughout, the characters were a delight with a couple of exceptional highlights and it was a nice easy book to read. However, the more I think about it and compare it to my other five-star reads, there was just something slightly missing which I think may have been any sense of real twist or drama – yes there are emotional moments but nothing that fully had be gripped by the heart.”
Overall rating – 4/5
Read my full review of The Paper Palace here.
Pick up a copy of The Paper Palace from Amazon here.
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
My summary: “I wanted to give Assassin’s Apprentice five stars but felt that it was missing just a little bit more action. For me, not enough huge memorable moments happened. However, it is still a fantastically written and highly intriguing first book in a new fantasy series for me which I know has sequels that can equal if not better it. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next in the series and many other books by Robin Hobb.”
Overall rating – 4/5
Read my full review of Assassin’s Apprentice here.
Pick up a copy of Assassin’s Apprentice from Amazon here.
The Familiars by Stacey Hall
My summary: “I was really underwhelmed by The Familiars – I was constantly wanting something interesting to happen or for a genuinely likeable relationship to blossom, but neither happened. The historical setting and the theme of witches had a lot of potential but weren’t utilised properly, resulting in a rather dull and forgettable book for me.”
Overall rating – 3/5
Read my full review of The Familiars here.
Pick up a copy of The Familiars from Amazon here.
The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean
I’ve not yet reviewed The Last Thing to Burn, but when I do I’ going to have a lot of positive things to say about it.
It’s a book about a woman who is essentially on house arrest by her “husband”. It’s a tense and deeply uncomfortable book at times but one that kept me up late one night and had me hooked!
Overall rating – 5/5
Read my full review of The Last Thing To Burn here.
Pick up a copy of The Last Thing to Burn from Amazon here.
Summary
So there you have it. The six books I read in June. It likely would have been more but I’m currently reading a 700+ page fantasy book and another book which I only have on physical format, not audiobook, so these always take a little longer.
Either way, six isn’t bad and I’ve read another absolute classic in Pride and Prejudice which I can tick off my “books to read before you die” list. I can also happily start the epic journey into all of Robin Hobb’s series’ al, I think, set in the same world.
Let me know if you’ve read any of the books above or plan to in the future. You can either comment below or contact me via any of the social media channels below. Until then, I’ll see you next month!
- Read my last month’s reading round-up.
- Read my reading round-up from April
- Read my reading round-up from March.
- Read my reading round-up from February.
- Read my reading round-up from January.
