So I have to admit, I’m ridiculously behind in my monthly reading round ups. In fact, the last one I wrote was for November last year (cringe).
If I’m honest, I got a bit sick of writing about everything I was reading, as putting the posts together was quite a lot of work. I kept meaning to catch up, but six months went by as I kept on dodging the task.
While I’m not ready to ditch the round ups, at this point I’m realistically not going to catch up on a month by month basis, despite not having read much this year.
Instead I thought I’d change the format and do a quick and easy round up of all the books I haven’t covered and then go from there.
Here goes nothing…
January
Crimson, by Niviaq Korneliussen
Set in the Greenlandic city of Nuuk, this literary novel follows four young people through the local party scene as they explore issues of identity, belonging and friendship.
The Last, by Hanna Jameson
An American academic is stuck in a hotel in Switzerland when nuclear war breaks out. But when a body is discovered, it seems the hotel residents might have more to deal with than the end of the world.
Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid
A young couple escape their war torn home through a mysterious door that transports them across the ocean to freedom. But with more doors appearing and more people travelling from place to place, communities struggle to accept their new residents.
Two Little Ducks and Selected Poems, by Matt Abbott
A powerful poetry collection about life in the current political climate, from class to Brexit and refugees.
The Lost Man, by Jane Harper
When his brother is found dead in a remote part of the Australian desert, farmer Nathan wonders if the death was an accident, or something more sinister.
Ten Little Astronauts, by Damon L. Wakes
On a transport ship light years into deep space, ten travellers wake up to find a murderer among them. A sci-fi reimagining of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Sealed, by Naomi Booth
When an outbreak of a horrifying new disease takes hold of their city, a young couple move to the countryside in search of a safe place where they can await the birth of their child. In this anxiety driven tale, horror and violence is not far behind them.
Hings, by Chris McQueer
A unique short story collection from a new voice in Scottish literature.
February
East of England, by Eamonn Griffin
Dan Matlock is out of prison, after an accident resulted in the death of a member of a local crime family. He heads home, certain a brutal revenge is waiting for him. Stripped down British noir with a punchy story and literary writing.
March
Scrublands, by Chris Hammer
A troubled journalist is sent to a remote outback town a year after the local priest went on a rampage and killed four men. Can he uncover the truth about the murders, or will he tear apart a community still reeling from the trauma?
April
Lethal White, by Robert Galbraith
The latest in the Cormoran Strike detective series see the detective called in to investigate after a prominent MP receives a series of blackmail demands. But just how does the troubled young man convinced he witnessed the murder of a child fit into the story?
Ayesha at Last, by Uzma Jalaluddin
A reworking of the classic story Pride and Prejudice that follows the romance between aspiring poet Ayesha and conservative Khalid, with a hint of mistaken identity thrown in.
Under the Rock, by Benjamin Myers
The latest book from the award-winning author turns to nature writing, as Myers explores the landscape around his West Yorkshire home and the formidable Scout Rock, which dominates the skyline.
Asylum, by Marcus Low
A young man with a painful respiratory disease that threatens to infect his city is quarantined in a remote facility in the South African desert.
May
Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams
After breaking up with her boyfriend, Queenie finds herself caught in a self-destructive cycle of work, bad sex and useless, even abusive men. Can she confront the demons in her past and reclaim her future?
Skin, by Liam Brown
When mankind is threatened by a mysterious illness that causes people to become allergic to each other, people must retreat behind closed doors, to live their lives in quarantine. But one woman is desperate to find out what’s outside her home.
June
The Salt Path, by Raynor Winn
A heart-breaking but ultimately uplifting true story of a couple who chose to walk the South West Coastal Path after losing almost everything.
The Flat Share, by Beth O’Leary
Tiffy and Leon share a flat – and a bed – but they’ve never met. She stays in Leon’s flat while he’s working the night shift at the hospice and he comes home while she goes out to work. Can two people fall in love when they’ve never met?
The October Man, by Ben Aaronovitch
A new novella from the Rivers of London author transports the action to Germany, where Peter Grant’s counterpart is working a mysterious case involving wineries, river gods and a group of men out to improve their lives.
And finally, I’m looping back to the final month of 2018…
December
All Together Dead, by Charlaine Harris
Sookie Stackhouse heads to a vampire convention where she’s confronted with unexpected betrayals.
Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
My favourite of the Sookie Stackhouse books, when Sookie discovers Eric Northman – naked and with no memory of who he is – running near her home, she knows she’s in for trouble. But she takes him home with her anyway…
Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi
West-African inspired fantasy novel that explores what happened after magic was extinguished from the world and the formerly magical were cast out.
Dead and Gone, by Charlaine Harris
Another Sookie Stackhouse novel, you know this…
Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris
The final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.
How to Market a Book, by Joanna Penn
Consider this research and preparation for my own book coming out.
Holding, by Graham Norton
When a body is discovered in a small Irish town, long buried secrets threaten to unravel the quiet lives of the residents.
Lies Sleeping, by Ben Aaronovitch
The continuing adventures of magical Metropolitan Police detective Peter Grant, as he pursues the Faceless Man and tries to find out if former friend and colleague Lesley May has gone completely bad.
Beartown, by Frederik Backman
A heart-breakingly stunning novel about the community of Beartown, a remote Swedish town obsessed with ice hockey and reclaiming their place at the top of the sporting landscape. When the town’s star athlete is accused of raping a girl, the community is torn apart.
Phew, and that’s it, I’m caught up! What have you been reading so far this year?