June's Top Reads

It was a bit of a mixed bag this month as I was trying to finish my The 11 in 11 Category Challenge : Soffitta1's 11 in 11.   I didn't get as many read, because I was busy with the end of term, but managed to squeeze in a few gems. The best would include A Death in the Sanchez Family.  This is actually a follow up to a previous book, The Children of Sanchez, but can be read on its own. The text itself is a mere 100 pages, written in three parts covering the death of Aunt Guadalupe, the wake and her burial, together with an introduction about Guadalupe's life and circumstances and an appendix. The book is the product of the author's extensive research and interviews made with the Sanchez family. While it was written in the late '60s, sadly the book is still relevant, commenting as it does on social issues, such as poverty, alcohol abuse and the family. I will be looking out the other books Lewis wrote.  From the lighter, or should I say more sarcastic, side of life, I read Santaland Diaries.  I know that it is a wee bit early, even for Hallmark, but I couldn't resist dipping into this after hearing him on the radio.  The stories are all linked to Christmas, including the author's experience of being a store elf as well as a festive Round Robin.  Recommended!  Restless from Richard and Judy's Book Club, a thriller I picked up because I had read a set of short stories by the author.The narrative is split into two timelines. The first covers the second world war experiences of Anglo-Russian Eva Delectorskaya who is recruited as a British Spy whilst living in Paris. The second is that of her daughter, Ruth, in the '70s teaching in English and avoiding writing her PHD thesis in Oxford, who believes her mother to be Sally Fairchild.  All in all, this is a fast-paced thriller, well-written and I do recommend it. My 2 best 1001 books were Crime and Punishment and Lord Jim.  Very different books, but both dealing with people and their lives.  Crime and Punishment is one of those classics that many teenagers are subjected to read in school. While I wasn't one of them, I did associate the author with heavy text. Daunting it is, in terms of size and the names of characters (all of whom have at least 3 different ones - patronyms, nicknames and the like). I must admit I had to keep flicking backwards to remind myself who was who!  It is a book that makes you think, revealing the our inner moral code that we live by. Lord Jim is a study in how a decison you make in a split second can affect your whole life.  A cowardly decision follows the main character, moulding him into a stronger man for it.  I am pleased to say there were no clunkers this month!