Kate Davies' Book Selection for June 2024
Kicking us off for this month is Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang. From what I’ve read so far it’s clever, visceral and hard to put down. Also new out is the novella, Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid. Next a recommendation from a customer: Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, which won the 2023 International Booker Prize. For the remaining books, I’ve taken my inspiration from Adventure into Books’ Book Blether theme for June: books we associate with summer. My first such recommendation is The Summer Book by Tove Jansson. Next is The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff and it feels appropriate to follow on with a classic ‘coming-of-age’ novel The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden. Another worthy blast from the past is Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee.Although it is set in a past time, the writing has a freshness that endures, as this opening passage shows:
“I was set down by the carrier’s cart at the age of three;
and there with a sense of bewilderment and terror my life in the village began.
The June grass, amongst which I stood, was taller than I, and I wept.
I had never been so close to grass before and it towered above me,
each blade tattooed with tiger-skins of light.”
I hope you enjoy these recommendations. Do let me know if you have any suggestions to make for future lists.
Kate
BOOKMARK member
PS: The Adventure into Books Book Blether group meets at 7pm on the first Wednesday of each month. On 5th June, we have a theme evening, where we’ll be blethering about books we associate with summer: come along and share our optimism that summer will remember to arrive soon.
PPS: On 19th June (at 7pm), Pauline Tait is helping us to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, with a talk about her latest Skye-set book, Anna’s Promise, a suspense-romance, uncovering hidden pasts and dangerous truths. Let us know if you would like to come along.
For full synopsis of Kate's selection, please click here