Here are the books I read last month:
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett — 3.5/5 ★. This was TFG’s book for June and is often cited as one of the starting points of detective noir.
- Home by Marilynne Robinson — 5/5 ★. I love returning to Gilead, to its solemn and fervent voice, and to these familiar characters. This turned me into a sentimental mess, but I don’t regret it.
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson — 5/5 ★. It’s astonishing how Robinson gives this novel a distinct voice while preserving the quiet beauty of the first two books.
- Flawless by Sarah Lemmon — 3/5 ★. This sci-fi debut shows a lot of promise.
- Arrival: From the Sky by David McGowan — 3/5 ★. The first in a series, with an interesting cast of characters.
- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool — 5/5 ★. This is such a gem of a story, and its characters really stay with you.
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It’s July, which means we’re already halfway through 2015. For the past two years, I posted a mid-year list of my best reads, but this time I decided to include it here since only four books reached that special mark.
- Home by Marilynne Robinson
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson
- Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
- The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
For a special mention, I have to include Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It was such a fun read that I can still picture so much of it in my head.
According to my Goodreads stats, I’ve read 41 books in the first six months of the year, which puts me ahead of schedule. Yay! So this July, I’m planning to slow down a little and give some attention to a few promised ARC reviews. I’m not posting that list here since most publishers have asked that reviews go live only after each book’s publication date. It’s not exactly a secret, though, if you happen to check my current reads every now and then. *wink wink*
The Quiet American by Graham Greene is TFG’s book for the month. We’re having our online discussion first and then meeting on July 25 at Ba Noi’s Vietnamese Cuisine in Makati for the face-to-face discussion. Come join us!
Happy July, everyone! Let me know what’s on your reading list.
According to my Goodreads stats, I’ve read 41 books in the first six months of the year, which puts me ahead of schedule. Yay! So this July, I’m planning to slow down a little and give some attention to a few promised ARC reviews. I’m not posting that list here since most publishers have asked that reviews go live only after each book’s publication date. It’s not exactly a secret, though, if you happen to check my current reads every now and then. *wink wink*
The Quiet American by Graham Greene is TFG’s book for the month. We’re having our online discussion first and then meeting on July 25 at Ba Noi’s Vietnamese Cuisine in Makati for the face-to-face discussion. Come join us!
Happy July, everyone! Let me know what’s on your reading list.
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Oh, you've already read Moon Over Manifest. I plan to read it in December, to cap my reading year which I started with Navigating Early. :) And Home, I should really read Home soonest. I think I'll read it this month. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, both are very time-worthy books. Happy reading! :)
DeleteOnly four? Wow, super picky! But I'm glad to see that half of those are Robinson's books. :)
ReplyDeleteHihihi. Not picky, let's call it "growing perspective" instead, okay? <3
DeletePerdido was so good. I was not quite into the TC & TC so I was surprised by how much I liked PSS. And The Maltese Falcon, I am beginning to think I rated it way higher than necessary. LOL. I think I was too delighted by the narrator doing various somewhat silly voices in the audiobook. :) Happy July Mommy L!
ReplyDeleteCM's 'Three Moments of an Explosion' is coming out this month. I'm looking forward to it.
DeleteReading The Maltese Falcon was monotonous for me, so I listened to the dramatization, wherein Michael Madsen played Sam Spade. You can say that the audio made it better for me too. :)