From Abscond to Unsettled

I had expected to read more books last month as I was home all month. I suspect family history activities got in the way. 

As we are off travelling shortly and will not have too much time to read I am pleased that I am ahead of the game in the Goodreads Reading Challenge

2025 Reading Challenge

2025

READING

CHALLENGE

books completed

15 books ahead of schedule

64/100 (64%)

View Challenge

I must have been in a generous mood last month as I awarded rare (for me) five stars to two titles on the list, The Paris Novel and The Diamond Eye. 

Once again my month provided an eclectic mix of biography, history, fiction, murders and kids' books. Family was a theme in several of the works.  I particularly enjoyed Unsettled as it made me think and reflect on Australian history and made me ponder on any interactions that may have occurred between my white and indigenous ancestors.  Balcony over Jerusalem by John Lyons, a news journalist who keeps popping up on the ABC, providing me with a perspective on the ongoing situation in the Middle East. My four Libby accounts provided most of the eBooks I read in June.

BTW I also read a few that aren't yet listed on Goodreads.

May Reading

Considering that I had a little holiday at the beginning of May I'm quite satisfied with the results of my reading this month. I'm also pleased that my four Libby accounts supply me with plenty of free reading matter. I also read a couple of local history books which are not in the Goodreads database, I'll have to rectify that. 

I'm still on track to finish the Goodreads 2025 Challenge. 

My progress in the Goodreads Challenge

Here are the covers of some of the books I read. The only one that was a disappointment was Convict Orphans. 

eVersion

I'm trying to cut down on luggage!  

I have a hard copy of this book on my shelves but it's rather heavy. Thanks to the Libby app I have been able to borrow an eversion of a later edition from Hornsby Library. 

Hope we don't get lost with this available on my phone!

 

Next job is to replace my Italian dictionary with an eVersion.

Whodunnits in Scotland

I came across a new female detective whose antics kept me amused last night.

I'm always on the lookout for some light reading with a mystery attached so I was pleased to meet Marion Todd's creation, Detective Inspector Clare Mackay, as she chased a serial killer in the area near St Andrews in Scotland. The plot was simple, the characters well drawn and I didn't work out who the likely culprit was until a couple of pages before it was revealed. I liked Clare who had been unlucky in love and lived alone with  her dog. The relationship Clare had with her dog and co-workers added some touches of humour to the story. The book's descriptions of the dismal Scottish winter made me realise that my one experience of that season in Scotland was enough, all other visits have been between May and September.

Unfortunately the title I read,  What they knew, was the fourth book in this series, I prefer to read series in order. I chose this as it was the only one by the author immediately available for loan as an eBook from a local library and I didn't realise that it was part of a series. I presume that this series is popular as the other titles had to be placed on hold. I have now placed a hold on the first book, See them run, and will proceed with reading the series in order. I look forward to solving more mysteries and meeting some of Clare's former love interests.