June was slower in the reading department than I would have liked, but I’m all right with that, given the time I’ve spent on this blog. I still managed a cookbook and five fictional books, with two of them reviewed and posted. If you haven’t, be sure to check those out below, and stay tuned for reviews of the middle-grade hits: The Good Thieves and Aliens on Vacation, which are on deck!
In The Woods by Tana French
The first volume in the highly popular Dublin Murder Squad Series, In The Woods, is a thrill-ride in psychology and the complexity of relationships… and there’s a murder to be solved too.
Tana French lulls you with prose whilst burying you deeper into the myriad of plotlines that she weaves together like a fine tapestry. If you’re not one of the more than a million people who have already read it, don’t miss this gripping tale that may even shed some light on the people in your life who have often left you feeling perplexed.
Read the full review and see the Celtic bookmark I was inspired to make here.
Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
While his busy parents tend to their ever-consuming careers, David, aka Scrub, is shipped off to The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast for the summer. It is at this wild and wacky place that he’ll get to know his estranged Grandmother, a few of her unique guests, and a special friend named Amy.
What an enjoyable middle-grade story this was, with my son. The well-drawn characters were odd and expressive, which led to some funny voices for the reading. I especially enjoyed Scrub’s hippie Grandma with the rose-coloured glasses.
Check out the excerpt that I read for Storytime Saturday here.
And the full review here.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Get out your tissues, you’re going to need them!
Ultimately, this is contemplative tale of a cantankerous man trying to come to terms with living (and dying) after suffering the most considerable loss of his life.
A Man Called Ove reminds us that regardless of assumption, one can never really know what people are going through when we encounter them in our daily existence, and how kindness, connection, and a sense of purpose can go a long way.
To read the complete review and see the bookmark I was moved to make, click here.
To listen to the audio review instead, click here.
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook – 11th Edition
This read was a blast from the past, and is the quintessential cook book of my childhood. Although I don’t turn to it very often, it is a great selection for bake sale items, and classic North American fare, that will always occupy a spot on my cookbook shelf.
Find photos of the recipe trials I performed for 3 of the dishes my son picked out, in The Cookery, here.
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
A semi-autobiographical novel by one of the great polarising artists of the last century, Ham on Rye gives us the scary, sorrowful, and sudsy retelling of a hard-knock life.
This one brought up many emotions for me, as I empathised with Henry Chinaski and his abusive and isolating beginnings. Reading this book just before Father’s Day had a profound effect on my review.
Coming Soon to Peachy Books…
This is Where It Ends – Marieke Nijkamp 
The Drowning Kind – Jennifer McMahon 
American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins 
The Woman in The Window – A. J. Finn 
American Marriage – Tayari Jones
What a great mix of books. Aliens on Vacation sounds adorable and fun.
I’ve read a lot of Tana French (love her!), including Into the Woods. I picked it up a few years ago at a library book sale and immediately became of fan of her writing. It’s exquisite.
I’ll be looking forward to your upcoming reviews, too. I loved The Drowning Kind and The Woman in the Window. The latter was made into a movie which just didn’t cut it for me. Not after reading the book, but that’s usually the case!
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This was my first from Tana French, although I’ve heard much about her. I took a huge gap in my reading to raise my son over the last 8 years, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
That is so often the case, that the movies pale in comparison to the books. Almost obsessively, I try to read the book first, so as not to spoil the story. 😆
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