July turned out to be a decent month for reading, better than expected, which is a good thing since I was in a bit of a funk a month ago. I finished six books this month, five from my July book stack, and an impulse read: E.F. Benson’s Miss Mapp (review coming soon). I’ve actually read six and a half books — as July draws to a close, I’m still reading The Stories of Edith Wharton, this month’s “short and sweet” bedtime reading. As much as I love Wharton, I’ve found these stories hard going — they’re all rather depressing. And maybe I’m getting a little burned out on short stories after reading them all year. I haven’t given up on this book, I’m just taking it more slowly.
Now, what have I chosen to guide me through the dog days of August?
- A Few Green Leaves, by Barbara Pym: This is August’s group read over in the LibraryThing Virago Group, where we’re reading one Pym each month in honor of her centenary.
- Chatterton Square, by E.H. Young: Young always brightens my mood with her stories set in Radstowe (aka Bristol). This Virago Modern Classic is also on my Classics Club list.
- Chorus of Mushrooms, by Hiromi Goto: BuriedinPrint recommended this book ages and ages ago, and I went off in search of a copy, only to allow it to languish on my shelves. Time to remedy that! Besides, I read so much American and English literature, it’s nice to mix it up sometimes.
- Questions of Travel, by Michelle de Kretser: This novel won the Miles Franklin Prize at almost exactly the same time that I received it as a gift from a dear friend. It’s been calling my name ever since, so this is the first book I’ll read in August.
Of course I’ll keep working my way through The Stories of Edith Wharton, and I’m also looking forward to reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new novel, Americanah, which I’ve requested from my local library.
What books are you looking forward to reading in August?
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