July in Books

The Gene: An Intimate History (Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2016)

“A fascinating and often sobering history of how humans came to understand the roles of genes in making us who we are—and what our manipulation of those genes might mean for our future” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Five stars. I think I might have already found my favourite book of the year. Mukherjee presents the biography of the gene in a highly understandable and engaging way, weaving science with history, and the personal with the universal, to discuss and question who we are as a species.


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling, 1999)

In the third book in the series, Harry has to pass his OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and help Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup while trying to ignore the fact that Sirius Black, a notorious murderer, has escaped from Azkaban prison and is looking for him, and that the Azkaban guards, the terrifying Dementors, are now at Hogwarts. Hermione's impossibly overloaded timetable, Hagrid's new teaching role, and Harry's unsigned permission form for Hogsmede, the nearby wizarding village, only add to his problems. At least they have a good Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, for a change.

Five stars. I love rereading the Harry Potter series over the summer, so have continued to do so this month. These books are, for me, the perfect summer read: humorous, engaging, magical adventures with vivid characterisation and just the right mix of light and dark.


To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee, 1960)

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman.

Five stars. For me, To Kill a Mockingbird was one of many books which I didn't read at high school and, as such, I had at the back of my mind to read some day. However, I recently read Go Set a Watchman, after someone bought it for me, deciding to treat it almost as a draft or lead-up to its more famous prequel, and really enjoyed it, so decided to make To Kill a Mockingbird a higher priority. And I'm so glad that I did. I love the tone of this one; I think Lee's exploration of family, community, race, class, and sex through the eyes of children is brilliant. This one will stay with me for a while, and I highly recommend it to anyone who, like me, didn't read it at high school.


Echoes in Death (J.D. Robb, 2017)

In the 44th book of the series, Lt. Eve Dallas of the homicide department of the NYPSD is glad to be on her way back from a Winter Ball, when her husband, billionaire Roarke, narrowly misses hitting a naked, dazed, and badly injured woman who walks into the road.

Five stars. I don't know how Nora Roberts does it, but 44 books in and the 'In Death' series is still going strong. Like the 43 books before it, Echoes in Death is fast-paced, gritty, and character-driven, with witty dialogue and pages which seem to turn themselves.


Paradise Lodge (Nina Stibbe, 2016)

Essentially, this is the story of Lizzie Vogel and her life at Paradise Lodge, the eponymous residential home where Lizzie starts working. But in reality it is about so much more than that; it is about Lizzie's future, as she is kicked off the O Level course for taking too much time off school (to work at Paradise Lodge), her relationships with her friends, her friend's boyfriend, and her mildly dysfunctional family, and the lives of the other staff and the residents at Paradise Lodge.

Four stars. This is a charming, humorous, and character-driven novel, which will possibly make you cry, probably make you laugh, and certainly keep you engaged. I would highly recommend it. (I also love the title.)


The Honeymoon (Tina Seskis, 2017)

For as long as she can remember, Jemma has been planning the perfect honeymoon. A fortnight's retreat to a five-star resort in the Maldives, complete with luxury villas, personal butlers and absolute privacy. It should be paradise, but it's turned into a nightmare. Because the man Jemma married a week ago has just disappeared from the island without a trace.

Five stars. I rarely read books in one sitting, simply because I don't have the time, but this book didn't seem to let up enough to provide a suitable point to stop reading and go to sleep at a reasonable hour (not that I'm complaining). This book reminded me in many ways of I Let You Go, another five-star read for me, with its alternating perspectives and jaw-dropping twist.


Waiting For Monsieur Bellivier (Britta Rostlund, 2017)

Helena is sitting in a cafe when she is asked whether she is waiting for Monseiur Bellivier. She says yes, and her curiosity leads to a mysterious job, where she spends the day on the deserted top floor of an office block forwarding coded emails to Monsieur Bellivier, and where the day ends with her being handed a bouquet of flowers by the receptionist. In another part of Paris, Mancebo accepts an equally mysterious job: to spy on the writer who lives in the building opposite his shop and apartment, whose wife is convinced he is having an affair. But both these jobs entangle Helena and Mancebo in bigger mysteries than they could have anticipated, mysteries which eventually entwine.

Four stars. This was a charming book based on a brilliantly imaginative concept. The characters are vividly portrayed and are a real driving force for this story where nothing much seems to happen, but where the slow pace nevertheless had me gripped throughout. I would advise you to go into this book expecting little beyond an answer to the question, "Are you waiting for Monsieur Bellivier?", and let it surprise you.


Lovemurder (Saul Black, 2017)

San Francisco homicide detective Valerie Hart is called away from a weekend break with her long-term partner Nick, when a body is found with the hallmarks of a pair of sadistic serial killers, one of whom, Katherine Glass, Valerie caught six years ago, along with a note addressed to Valerie. To catch the so-called Man in the Mask, whose intelligence is matched only by his cruelty, and protect the people she cares most about, Valerie must turn to Katherine for help with his coded messages. The problem is that Katherine is playing games of her own.

Five stars. Lovemurder has everything you could want from a thriller, made even better by Black's crisp writing style. It is the perfect balance of personal and professional, with some incredible scenes between Valerie and Katherine, and a climactic plot which will keep you awake until you reach the end (and may also cause you to yell at the characters, although that might have just been me). A brilliant read, this is definitely a series, and an author, to watch.


Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk, 1996)

Every weekend, in basements and parking lots across the country, young men with good white-collar jobs and absent fathers take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other barehanded for as long as they have to. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight Club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter and dark, anarchic genius.

Four stars. When I decided to read Fight Club, I was expecting a book about a man who starts a fight club out of that feeling of boredom, emptiness, even despair, which we have all surely felt at one time or another. And while that is part of the story, it is only a small part of a surprisingly dark, witty, and thought-provoking book about a man with a brilliant anarchic vision. Fight Club is about something so much bigger than white-collar men fighting each other with their bare hands, and while I wouldn't describe it as a world-changing book, I would describe it as an unnerving one. But I like an unpredictable book and whatever else it might be, Fight Club is certainly that.