I've been reading a lot more this year due to lockdown. I have replaced walks, trips into London, and visits to pubs and restaurants with reading because it is safe and does not require going out of the house where it is possible to come into contact with others and get sick. Reading helps to escape into a new world while the real world is, quite frankly, pretty poop right now. I have always loved reading, and I have some new books to share with you all.
"Nothing But Blue Sky" by Kathleen MacMahon
Penguin Books, releasing 30 July, 2020
This book follows the story of a man who has lost his wife in a tragic accident. The book covers their stories and comes to life through glimpses of details of their time together and their time spent on holidays in Spain. The description of the settings and the moods of the characters flow beautifully, and this was a difficult book to put down.
My review: 9/10
"Fey's War" by Catherine Bailey
Penguin Books, releasing 23 July, 2020
This is true story that actually reads similar to a fiction novel. The story follows the life of a young mother and wife whose family plot against Hitler and who finds herself the victim of the Nazis during World War II. Her young boys are taken from her while she is put under arrest with a group of other plotters and placed into prisons and concentration camps (although looked after more and made sure to keep alive) and placed on the run from the Russians. The story follows a sense of loss, struggle to survive, romance, and a wide range of emotions as it details the horrendous crimes of the Nazis against their own fellow citizens. This is really an eye-opening book, and it was one that I struggled to put down.
My review: 9/10
"Olive" by Flora Harding
HarperCollins, releasing 23 July, 2020
This is a cute little book about Olive and her girl friends and the choices they make with having children (or deciding not to have children). The book focuses on these friendships and how they navigate motherhood or choices to follow a different path.
My review: 8/10
"If I Had Your Face" by Frances Cha
Penguin Books, releasing 23 July, 2020
Taking place in Seoul and New York, this book follows the lives of a group of girls and their older neighbour as they fight for survival and independence in materialistic Korea. The book provides a slice of life into the personalities and the characters and the girls, but it left me wanting more.
My review: 7/10
"White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo
Penguin Random House, released 7 February, 2019
This book discusses the concept of racism as told by a professional who goes into settings to teach people to see the problems with society and "learned society problems" inherent and subconscious. It is a hot topic at the moment. I've read other books on the subject previously, and this is a decent book on the matter but felt it could go into detail a little more and the writing comes across slightly condenscending. However, I feel this is a decent introduction book covering the problems and perhaps helping to gain some insight on change of thought and behaviours.
My review: 8/10
"The Blitz Detective" by Mike Hollow
Allison & Busby, releasing 23 July, 2020
A mixture of murder mystery and historical fiction, this book promises to be the start of a new series featuring Detective Inspector Jago as he investigates a murder in east London during the World War II Blitz. He is led to track down the criminals through a series of discoveries, and a side story starts as a love interest in the form of an American journalist who arrives in London to write about the war in London. It is a promising new story with an introduction to some great characters, so the next installment should be even better.
My review: 7/10
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