August Round-Up – The Books I Read In August 2019

This month I have taken a bit of a step back from book blogging, and I haven’t written any reviews this month. However, I still wanted to share what books I have been reading this month…

Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft – Senlin Ascends is the first book in Josiah Bancroft’s Books of Babel series which was recommended to me. This first instalment was a richly detailed fantasy story which captured my attention and has left me interested to see where the characters journeys will take them next. The protagonist is Thomas Senlin, a headmaster who finds himself in an unusual, dangerous world when he tries to track down his wife who has disappeared whilst on their honeymoon. I liked the concept of the Tower of Babel and its many layers, along with the intriguing characters – and dangers – that lurk there.

Bodies Of Water by V.H. Leslie – This was the first of two books I picked up this month from Salt Publishing who are one of my favourite independent publishers. As soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew it was one that I would enjoy, as it is an atmospheric story which goes back and forth through time, in which we learn the secrets of the fallen women of Victorian London. This was a book that had me hooked from the start, with its sense of foreboding and unease throughout as we meet a woman who is haunted by the ghostly figures of the past.

The Falconer by Alice Thompson – The Falconer is another atmospheric read with plenty of mystery from an author I have been meaning to read for some time. With events taking place in the 1930’s, we meet a woman who finds employment at a grand estate in the Scottish Highlands in an attempt to find out more about what happened to her younger sister who had committed suicide a year previously. This is a dark and haunting tale in which the reader is left to question what is real, and whether there is something more sinister lurking in the woodland…

Water Shall Refuse Them by Lucie McKnight Hardy – Water Shall Refuse Them is the wonderfully written debut novel from Lucie McKnight Hardy which is a book I had heard so much about. Set in the heatwave of 1976, this is a coming of age tale, and one that I certainly won’t be forgetting in a hurry! We discover what happens when sixteen year old Nif moves to a small village with her family in the wake of a family tragedy. Whilst her family desperately try to process their grief, Nif finds herself caught up in a world of witchcraft, collecting talismans from her new surroundings. And when her path crosses with that of a teenage boy from the village, their journey takes an even more sinister turn.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood – As a fan of many of Margaret Atwood’s books I have started to work through her extensive backlist, starting with The Blind Assassin, which was the winner of the 2000 Booker Prize. I enjoyed this compelling story of two sisters and their secrets, in which Iris Chase looks back on her life over fifty years after the mysterious death of her sister. This intriguing tale also featured a story within a story, as we discover if the truth is stranger than fiction.

Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher – Stranger Things is one of my favourite TV series and it is one I’m missing already so I picked up the second of the official novels having previously enjoyed Suspicious Minds. In this book, the focus of the story is Hopper, and we get to see his life before Hawkins, as he reminisces with Eleven about the cases he faced whilst living in New York. This was an enjoyable read that will likely appeal to fans of the series who want to discover more background behind one of their favourite characters.

I am going to continue my blog break for a little while but I will be back next month with occasional reviews including one as part of a blog tour which I am looking forward to! Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and social media accounts this month, it is much appreciated.