June reading roundup, July -- more of the same

June's reading was centered around books published this year, and although I read quite a few books in this category, there are still a lot more sitting on my shelves waiting to be read.  So I'll be continuing along with this self-appointed task through July. 

Here's how things shook out -- I can tell I'm well into summer read syndrome, based on the number of crime novels I've read.

 (* = published 2013)

literature/fiction:

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar, by Suzanne Joinson

*TransAtlantic, by Colum McCann (read, not yet discussed -- coming soon)

*We Need New Names, by NoViolet Bulawao (read, not yet discussed -- coming soon)

odd/weird fiction

nada

crime fiction/mystery

Evil and the Mask, by Fuminori Nakamura (Japan)*

Joyland, by Stephen King*

The Square of Revenge, by Pieter Aspe (Belgium) *

21:37, by Mariusz Czubaj (Poland) *

Nairobi Heat, by Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Kenya) *

Black Star Nairobi, by Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Kenya) *

nonfiction  

none this month

just stuck my nose into

The Ghost Riders of Ordebeck, by Fred Vargas (France)

And now, the  other book-related stuff:
1) The book group read A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar which we all liked, to a point, agreeing that the historical part of the book was amazing.

 2) Added to the  wishlist this month (as usual, mostly obscure titles most people have probably never heard of):
     crime fiction:

No Orchids for Miss Blandish, by James Hadley Chase

      general fiction:

Roman Elegy, by Sabine Gruber
Our Man in Iraq, by Robert Perisic
Bones, by Chenjarai Hove
Psalm 44, by Danilo Kis

the weird, the strange, supernatural etc:
nothing this month

     nonfiction:
Lawrence in Arabia, by Scott Henderson
The Last Resort: A Memoir of Mischief and Mayhem on a Family Farm in Africa, by Douglas Rogers
The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe, by Peter Godwin

 3) Books bought this month (subtitled: I read strange books)

• White Dog, by Peter Temple -- crime 
• Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, by Bill Dedman (preorder) 
• Two Soldiers, by Roslund and Hellstrom -- crime
• The Black Spider (New York Review Books Classics), by Jeremias Gotthelf (preorder)
•  The Survivor, by Thomas Keneally
• Where There's Love, There's Hate, by Adolfo Bioy Casares 
• The Square of Revenge, by Pieter Aspe  -- crime
•  Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh
• The Hired Man, by Aminatta Forna
• Floundering, by Romy Ash
• Mr. Darwin's Gardener, by Kristina Carlson 
• The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes
• You Are One of Them,  by Elliott Holt
•  The Sound of Things Falling, by Juan Gabriel Vasquez (preorder)
• Crusoe's Daughter, by Jane Gardam
• To Hell With Cronje, by Ingrid Winterbach
• Treasure Hunt, by Andrea Camilleri (preorder)
• All the Birds Singing, by Evie Wyld
• The Orchard of Lost Souls, by Nadifa Mohamed (preorder)

4) Currently reading: 

The Ghost Riders of Ordebec, by Fred Vargas
In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and The Woods, by Matt Bell -- Indiespensable pick


****5) Books I'm giving away this month -- for US readers only.    -- Unlike many other things in life, for you, it is  absolutely 100% totally free;  I'll even pay postage to get it to its new home.  All you need to do is to be the first to leave a comment here, and then email me at oakesn@gmail.com with contact info INCLUDING A HOME ADDRESS, PLEASE!!




TransAtlantic, by Colum McCann (accidental duplicate)
Evil and the Mask, by Fuminori Nakamura  (ARC)

on to July -- and more new titles!