What we read in June
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Mika Moon is a witch, and as such, lives a solitary, itinerant life, because when you get too many witches in one place for too long, the magic has a tendency to get out of control. But when a mysterious job offer to tutor three young witches in a sprawling Norfolk mansion, she is forced to put aside a lifetime of isolation to protect and nurture the children. If you need a cosy fantasy this winter that ticks all the boxes - found family, cottage core, warm hearted romance, this is the perfect read for those dark damp days.
Mrs. Porter Calling by A.J Pearce
Another great read to pick you up, this is the 3rd book in Pearce's Emmy Lake chronicles featuring plucky journalist Emmy and her best friend and house mate Bunty who are battling through World War 2 London. The Blitz is over now, but Charles, Emmy's husband has shipped out, and her job at Women's Friend magazine is looking shaky after a new owner comes on board. Emmy and Bunty's friend Thelma and her children move into the house, bringing laughter and chickens amongst the stress of war and the uncertainty of work. This series is lovely, but stops short of being schmaltzy, with some real things to say about women's work during war time, friendship and surviving in the most challenging of times.
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
Decades after leaving, British actress Sonia arrives in Haifa, her grandparents' city, for a reunion with her sister Haneen. But instead of a restful break from acting and a failing love affair, Sonia finds a city echoing with childhood memories and a family harboring hidden truths. Drawn into the orbit of Mariam, a charismatic theatre director, Sonia is offered a chance to read for both Gertrude and Ophelia in a production of Hamlet set in the West Bank - a place filled with Sonia's own powerful memories. As rehearsals intensify, tensions mount within the occupied territories, amongst the cast, and between the three women. Enter Ghost is a slow-building novel that delves into the struggles of these women and the complexities of artistic expression under occupation.
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
Kilroy received a well deserved place on the Women's Prize shortlist for this harrowing account of the first weeks, months and years of motherhood. Soldier is brought to the edge by new parenthood, as Sailor refuses to sleep or eat much. Despite encouragements from her husband, even getting to Mum's group is a trial. And why must her husband just be so useless at everything? Soldier Sailor is a brutal read, one that will sit with many mothers long after the last word has been read.
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
Enid, a partially deaf, space loving, serial dating, crime podcast listening lesbian finds her life even more complicated when the wife of the woman she'd been seeing turns up at her front door. And her half sister, the product of her father's affair is pregnant and wants Enid to be a part of the family. Plus her mother seems to be having more bad days than good, with the only solace Enid knows how to give coming in the form of texts about interesting space facts. Austin writes genuinely relatable characters who are both outrageously odd, and very real and straddles a perfect line between anxiety inducing and very funny.
Heart Stood Still by Miriam Sharland
After 17 years in Aotearoa, Sharland was all prepared to return to her native England when the pandemic struck and she was stranded in the Manawatu. Chronicling her daily life over four seasons, cycling, gardening and observing, Sharland writes about the realities of life in lockdown. No rose tinted glasses here, she is very honest about the state of the country and the world, bringing a refreshing if at times slightly embarrassing eye to how we view ourselves as Kiwis. A pandemic diary worth a read.
Kurt Vonnegut's seminal story of global destruction remains just as impactful in 2024 as it did during the Cold War's tense years when it was first published. With his trademark biting humour, Vonnegut weaves a wild story of unhinged leaders, maverick scientists, a world-ending chemical, and the complexities of family. It's a truly unforgettable read.
Set on a remote Scottish island during the Highland clearances of the 1840s, this is a searing and beautiful story in the style of The Colony and His Bloody Project.
John, a renegade Presbyterian minister short on funds is employed to clear Ivar, the last remaining tenant off the island. But when John suffers an accident, both his and Ivar's lives are forever changed. The third character in this short yet powerful novel is Mary, John's left behind wife, who worries for her steadfast but naïve husband. All three characters are sympathetic in their own ways, John forging his own religious path, Mary navigating a late in life marriage, and Ivar, solitary and isolated. Davies uses the ancient and almost extinct language of the island to great effect, the reader can almost feel the wind and the salt and hear the cry of the gulls. A solid Booker Prize possibility.
