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
- The Jady Lily by Kirsty Manning
- The Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader
- Burning Bridges and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan
- Bluebottle by Belinda Castles
- The Upside of Over by J.D. Barrett and Interview
- P is for Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones
- Into the Night by Sarah Bailey
- The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady
- Ella and Olivia: A Wild Adventure by Yvette Poshoglian
- Kensy and Max: Breaking News by Jacqueline Harvey
- Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr
- We See the Stars by Kate van Hooft.
- The Far Back Country by Kate Lyons
- Beneath the Mother Tree by D.M. Cameron
- 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.
Title: Kensy and Max #1: Breaking News
Kensy and Max is a series that features strong characters that will appeal to all readers. Kensy loves taking things apart to see how they work, and can put them back properly, and is rather feisty, where her brother is the calm to her storm, and has a photographic memory. Both are clever enough to work out things aren’t quite right at times. It is quite a journey, and when Kensy and Max start to figure things out, the fast pace of the story moves along with a lot more excitement and intrigue, up until the reveal at the end, which leads into the next book in the series, due out later this year.