I’m still reading a little bit more slowly than I was in the first half of the year, but I’ve had a great month of reading nonetheless. Here’s a quick round-up:
She Came to Stay by Eleni Kyriacou (2020)
This is a wonderfully atmospheric story, drenched in smog and mystery and full of surprises. You can read my full review of She Came to Stay here.
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (1928)
I got a bit behind on our Poirot readalong, so I’ve been trying to catch up. I enjoyed this one – I don’t think it’s up there with my favourites, but I do like a Poirot that flicks between locations (it always amuses me how effortlessly he nips down to the south of France or whizzes back to London for a night!) and there are some good characters. Solid mid-level Christie.
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie – novelisation by Charles Osborne (1998)
This novelisation of Christie’s 1930 play of the same name didn’t quite hit the spot for me, although I found it more enjoyable if I pretended I was seeing it on stage! As a locked room mystery, there just wasn’t quite enough intrigue to sustain my attention over the book, though there are some fun moments.
Iron Annie by Luke Cassidy (2021)
All I can say about this book is that I LOVED it. Absolutely one of my top reads of 2021 – not to be missed! You can read my full review of Iron Annie here.
The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman (2021)
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking book. The mysteries that are unravelled are both shocking and moving, and the writing is gorgeous. My review will be up on 2nd October as part of the blog tour.
Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun translated by Janet Hong (2021)
This is a startlingly fresh novel – a slim but powerful book that isn’t quite like anything I’ve read before. My review will be up as part of the blog tour on 18th October – keep an eye out!
29 Locks by Nicola Garrard (2021)
I’ll be getting a full review up soon, but this YA novel is brilliant. Donny, the narrator, is a wonderful character – and his story is really important. It’s just been released, and I hope it’s read widely by both teens and adults.
An Island by Karen Jennings (2020)
I’ve just finished this Booker longlisted novel, and I need some time to process it! It’s a really powerful story, told in an almost allegorical style, and it left me reeling. Highly recommended – I’ll try and gather together some more coherent thoughts soon!
September has been another good reading month – I’m still a bit stressed that my TBR doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller (but then I keep buying books, so…) but I’m trying to relax and not get so het up about reading to a schedule. Having said that, October seems to be a busy one for blog tours, so I guess I never learn!
Hope you’ve seen something that piques your interest – lots of reviews still to come, so keep an eye on my blog for more detailed thoughts!
Happy reading!
Ellie x
Elspells 