Year in Books: August 2016

This year I'm taking part in the Year in Books organised by Laura at Circle of Pine Trees, with the aim of reading at least one book per month.

Another month has passed and I'm still keeping up with my 'one book a month' plan. In fact, I read 3 during August including one non-fiction, probably because of having more time off.

My Map of You by Isabelle Broom is the story of Holly who finds out she's inherited a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos from an aunt she never knew she had. Still grieving for her mother who died a few years ago, she explores the house and the island, uncovering more about herself and her family's secrets.

This one came highly recommended by both my Mum and Dad. I'd actually bought it as a birthday present for Dad who will read anything if it's set in Greece: even better if it's somewhere he's visited several times. Well, I loved it too. That's not to say that some of it isn't predictable but it was a perfect, easy summer read which I raced through.

Anna, 2, Tokyo

Jayne, 42, fashion designer, San Francisco

Every thing we touch: a 24-hour inventory of our lives is by Paula Zuccotti.

"Imagine keeping a record of everything you touch in a day, from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep...What would that say about you and your day?"

Paula asked 62 people from around the world, ranging in age from 0 to 72, to do just that. Each person is covered in 2 double-page spreads. The first 2 pages show a photo of all the objects in chronological order, the next 2 have an inventory of the objects and a profile of the person. I found it fascinating seeing this snapshot of people's lives and wondering what my own photo and inventory would reveal. A really clever idea and visually stunning.

I saw this in a book swap box at work and the blurb immediately caught my eye. Not only was it set in Northumberland but it was around Bamburgh which I'd visited during my holidays. I couldn't wait to revisit it through a 'local's' view.

I picked it up thinking it was a novel but, actually, Wife in the North is taken from the blog of the same name. It follows Judith O'Reilly and her family as they relocate from London, with all the trials and tribulations of exchanging big city life for the country. She's very much a reluctant mover, doing it only to follow her husband's dream of returning to his native county. Annoyingly for her though, he still spends most of his time working in London, leaving her alone with 3 children under the age of 6! The moaning about her lot did irritate me at times. That and the constant running out of petrol which she blamed on her husband! However, I was also captivated by her prose when she described magical moments of motherhood and the glorious Northumbrian countryside. The cover seems to suggest it's a comedy read. There are funny parts but there are also tragic parts too which brought me to tears. Not the best book I've ever read but I did enjoy it.

As for my September reads, well I haven't decided yet. I'm going to look through my stash at the weekend and see what takes my fancy - there's plenty to choose from! xx