My next fifteen takes me to book 45 of the challenge – The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell. In this set, I read a wide array of fiction – all by authors I had never read before, from contemporary fiction, to historical fiction, literary fiction, and kids’ books that delved into the world of spies, and one of my favourite periods of antiquity, the Minoans and the explosion of Akrotiri on Thera. I read a non-fiction book by Kitty Flanagan, which was more like an extended comedy routine, to mysteries and family legacies.

From World War Two seen through the lens of Jewish refugees in Shanghai, to book illumination in the middle ages, and the melding of various mythologies and histories to create unique characters and voices that stretch out across the decades and centuries to tell stories of war, family, fear and mystery, and the fun of child spies and wildlife adventures.

These next fifteen were recently completed and, the last fifteen will take me to the start of August. Just over half way done for the year, I have read four times what I pledged, and hope to read many more in the months to come, adding to my ever growing list.

Books thirty-one to forty-five

31. The Jady Lily by Kirsty Manning
32. The Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
33. Burning Bridges and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan
34. Bluebottle by Belinda Castles
35. The Upside of Over by J.D. Barrett and Interview
36. P is for Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones
37. Into the Night by Sarah Bailey
38. The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady
39. Ella and Olivia: A Wild Adventure by Yvette Poshoglian
40. Kensy and Max: Breaking News by Jacqueline Harvey
41. Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr
42. We See the Stars by Kate van Hooft.
43. The Far Back Country by Kate Lyons
44. Beneath the Mother Tree by D.M. Cameron
45. The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell

So far I haven’t mentioned favourites on any lists, because there have been so many on the others, but on this one, The Jade Lily, Kensy and Max, Swallow’s Dance and The Peacock Summer are the ones that stood out for me and that I enjoyed the most for various reasons, all stated in my reviews on these books.