Which books did I Read in June 2021?
The nights are drawing in, is there anything better than settling down with a book of your choice? This month I had plenty of books to choose from, and the time to read. Often, my reading is accompanied by a sleepy cat on my knee, which means I can’t move for an extended period of time. I’m not complaining!
I had heard a lot about this book and wanted to see for myself what the fuss was about.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. Klune.
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management, he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
My Review A fairy tale for adults and like most fairy tales there is a hidden meaning to this story. I was captivated immediately by this tale. Linus Baker, the oppressed drudge lives his life by routine. At the Department for Magical Youth, the safest course is to be unremarkable. Linus who works there, lives his life to be unremarkable. A summons from Extremely Upper Management presents him with a terrifying new assignment. One he simply can’t refuse. He is to go and observe an orphanage he hasn’t even heard of The House in The Cerulean Sea. There all his certainties are upended, and he begins to doubt the rule book he has lived his life by up to to this point.
Spring Clean for the Peach Queen by Sasha Wasley
Twelve years had passed since the last Harvest Ball.
I was just eighteen when my hometown crowned me their Peach Queen with a blossom coronet. And I was eighteen when I left.
One tanked career, one badly timed glamour shoot and one dead boyfriend later, thirty-year-old Lottie Bentz is finally going home.
Back in the orchard town of Bonnievale, Lottie embarks on a radical declutter of her life, Marie Kondo-style. She casts out everything that got her into trouble: her phone, socials, make-up and a tendency to tell little white lies – to herself and others. But home has its own issues, not least Lottie’s staunchly feminist mother, who is furious with her.
When Lottie lands herself a place to stay in exchange for helping kindly Mrs Brooker try out the Kondo method, it seems like the perfect farm escape. That’s until Angus, Lottie’s former Peach King and heir to the Brooker orchards, makes it clear she’s not welcome – especially when Lottie’s declutter begins to stir up long buried memories and half-truths.
As Lottie finds her way back to herself, can she use her talents to coax Bonnievale and the Brookers out of the past? After all, everyone deserves to feel love, hope and the occasional spark of joy.
A deeply moving story about forgiving, finding joy and falling in love with life again.
MY REVIEW.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt that the characters were real. Lottie was reinventing herself- especially hard to do in a place that has known you as their Peach Queen. Her Spring clean involves far more than throwing out clutter, lies and fakery are at the top of her list. At times this makes for uncomfortable situations. Her strained relationship with her mother struck a chord with me. Equally having a family member with dementia, I found Mrs Booker poignantly relatable. I also enjoyed the slow burn possible romance.
The Sumer Villa by Melissa Hill.
USA Today bestseller Melissa Hill is back with her most unmissable summer read yet!
This summer, escape to Villa Dolce Vita on the Amalfi coast, where love, food and friendship will come together in this satisfying and epic summer read…
MY REVIEW
An easy and entertaining escapist read. A summer villa is a chance to escape everyday life. To relish time in a beautiful place, and perhaps have a holiday romance. But what if that romance feels so real, how do you move on from that? The three main characters meet by chance and ally. Six years on they are invited back to the villa, to celebrate its successful relaunch. Mysteries will be solved, and secrets revealed.
Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines. A Sassy Cat Mystery by Jennifer J Chow.
When a local teacher is found dead, LA’s newest pet groomer Mimi Lee finds herself in a pawful predicament—with her younger sister’s livelihood on the line.
Mimi Lee is on top of the world. She has a thriving pet grooming business, the sweetest boyfriend, and a talking cat to boot. When she arrives at the elementary school where her sister Alice works, she’s expecting a fun girls’ night out—but instead finds a teacher slumped over in her car, dead.
Alice was the last one to see Helen Reed, which instantly marks her as the prime suspect. Unable to sit quietly and let the authorities walk all over her sister, Mimi starts snooping and talks to Helen’s closest contacts, including one jumpy principal, a two-faced fiancé, and three sketchy teachers. With the help of her sassy but savvy cat, Marshmallow, and a cute kitten named Nimbus, the clock’s ticking for Mimi to get to the bottom of yet another case before her sister gets schooled.
MY REVIEW
Initially, I was intrigued by the cover, as I do love a good cat story. It didn’t disappoint. Although I hadn’t read book one, it was easy to be engrossed in Mimi’s and Marshmallow’s story. Have you ever wondered what your cat would say if it could talk? Marshmallow, Mimi’s cat provides commentary that only Mimi can hear. In turn, Marshmallow’s point of view is engaging, snarky and fun. Their relationship is a highlight of the book. Apart from that, there is a mystery of how a young teacher comes to be found dead in her car. Suspects aplenty, and all with a motive for wanting Helen Reed dead. I loved how the dour detective Brown, melted at the charms of Nimbus the kitten.
The Last Bookshop By Emma Young.
Cait is a bookshop owner and book nerd whose social life revolves around her mobile bookselling service hand-picking titles for elderly clients, particularly the grandmotherly June. After a tough decade for retail, Book Fiend is the last bookshop in the CBD and the last independent retailer on a street given over to high-end labels. Profits are small, but clients are loyal. When James breezes into Book Fiend, Cait realises life might hold more than her shop and her cat, but while the new romance distracts her, luxury chain stores are circling Book Fiend’s prime location, and a more personal tragedy is looming.
MY REVIEW.
A clear winner for me. I love stories about book shops, and this one is set in Perth, my adopted hometown. We have all heard of the pain bookseller are going through, in the age of the e-book. When large chains struggle, it’s a wonder any of the indies manage to survive at all. Cait has built her bookshop on service, and on combining second-hand books with books fresh off the press. It is a niche market that has helped her survive so far. Change is coming to Perth. It’s a boomtown, rents are rising, and a quirky bookshop doesn’t fit with the vision for prestige brands.
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman.
The war is over, but the past is never past …Paris, 1944. Charlotte Foret is working in a tiny bookstore in Nazi-occupied Paris struggling to stay alive and keep her baby Vivi safe. Every day they live through is a miracle until Vivi becomes gravely ill. In desperation, Charlotte accepts …( sorry that is where the description ends)
MY REVIEW.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time, as it poses some interesting questions. While l we all like to think we would be brave and resourceful, none of us knows how we would behave in an unthinkable situation. What would we do, not just to save ourselves, but to keep our loved ones safe? Thankfully, for most of us, that is a hypothetical question. For Parisiennes in war-time France, it was a lived reality. Who could you trust? What could you believe? How to stay alive. The author captured that unnerving atmosphere well and later the accompanying questioning and guilt of someone who survived. Not a love story, but a story about love, forgiveness and letting go of the past.
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 