You guys know I love a reading challenge but when it comes to sticking with a list of to be read books, well that’s when things usually don’t end up going well but I’m caught up in the excitement about 20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. I decided to join in with a list of 10 books and focus on books I’ve had on my shelves for a long time and to make things a bit easier on me I also chose fairly slim novels. I know I can swap out books but I’d like to commit to these titles.
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison. A thriller about a couple headed for catastrophe.
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham. AÂ delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. I thought it would be a good idea to add a classic in this bunch.
The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Allison Markin Powell. I think this may be the book I’ve had the least amount of time and it’s from 2017. A thrift shop that sells commonplace objects but which hold secrets of their own.
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healy. A story where the main character is trying to solve a mystery however she’s becoming forgetful.
A Handbook to Luck by Cristina Garcia. In the late 60s, three teenagers from around the globe are making their way in the world.
A Heart of Stone by Renate Dorrestein, translated by Hester Velmans. A dramatic coming-of-age story with a mystery at it’s center set in Holland.
July’s People by Nadine Gordimer. Now all over South Africa the cities are battlegrounds. The members of the Smales family, liberal whites, are rescued from the terror by their servant, July, who leads them to refuge.
Real People by Alison Lurie. A story set in Illyria, a luxurious retreat for successful and not-so-successful writers, painters and musicians. I’ve had this book on my shelves since 2005!
A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark. Mrs. Hawkins takes us well in hand and leads us back to her threadbare years in postwar London. There’s blackmail, anonymous letters and suicide but Mrs. Hawkins will set about to put things in order.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, translated by Alan R. Clarke. A fable about following your dreams. I think I’m the last person to read this book right?
So let me know what you think of my choices. Is there one you think I should start with first? I hope I can stick to them and I hope I can actually finish these books this summer.
Start with the Alchemist. You will enjoy it.
Thanks so much for taking part! I do love Muriel Spark – hope you enjoy. Good luck and happy reading!
I’ve only read one from your stack (The Silent Wife), but sadly, I didn’t care for it. I listened to the audio, so maybe you’ll have better luck with the print edition. Have fun with the challenge. I’m going for the full 20, but already gave up on my first book! 🙁
Forgot to wish you a Happy Birthday!!! I hope you have a lovely day and that the coming year is the best yet!
I haven’t read any of these, but most are on my wish list. Good luck and I’ll be following your reviews!
Cakes and Ale is one of my favorite W. Somerset Maugham novels. Happy reading all these books! 🙂
Nadine Gordimer — seeing that name after such a long time! We used to have excerpts from her books in school. Anything by Maugham will also be equally brilliant. I’ve read Alchemist before; it can be a bit of a disappointment unless you adjust your reading lens a bit. I think it’s probably the quickest read from the books listed here, and is a good way to kickstart the challenge!
Hope you enjoy reading these books, Iliana. Can’t wait to hear what you’ll think of them!
Muriel Spark is always a good choice but all of your books on the list sound like fun. Happy reading!
It’s so tempting to do this. I’m terrible about sticking to lists too. I hope you are able to get to all of these and enjoy them! The Alchemist is the only one I’ve read on your list. I really liked it although I know it gets a lot of flack. It’s very fable-like.
I enjoyed Elizabeth is Missing and I always enjoy Gordimer but I can never remember which titles I’ve read from her oeuvre.
I’ve heard good things about The Silent Wife. I would choose the most daunting one to begin..that way, if it’s not so challenging after all, then you have only pleasures left to anticipate!
The only one that I’ve read from your TBR pile is “Elizabeth is Missing” which I loved. Good selection of future reads for you! Enjoy!
According to my records I’ve read The Silent Wife but I can’t remember anything about it 😳 I think it was around the time I got a bit burned out with domestic thrillers though. I hope you enjoy your summer reading!
20 Books of Summer brought me to your blog for the first time. Pleased to meet you! Renate Dorrestein is one of my favourite Dutch writers and I have had ‘A Heart of Stone’ languishing on my shelf for years. I’m not sure why I haven’t read it yet. I’m surprised to see how thin the translation is because it’s 238 pages in Dutch. Maybe I’ll substitute it into my 20 Books of Summer to keep you company. I haven’t got on with Nadine Gordimer at all, possibly because the one I’ve half-read is too long, Burger’s Daughter, also in Dutch. I’m determined to finish it … one day, not this summer, though.
P.S. I’m a British expat in the Netherlands, hence the reading in Dutch.