Changing arrangements of shelves at work while closed to the Public
The Library where I work is still closed to the Public but staff are still working. We spent a lot of time cleaning the shelves and rearranging the layout of the library. Knocking down shelves and relocating them in a different spot. Things that were in short supply at the supermarket are now back on shelves. I did a lot of reading during May and June. Still could not go anywhere except to work.
Half a World Away by Mike Gayle
Set in the present time in London. Kerry Hays is single and has young son. When she was a young child Kerry was put in a children's home and her young brother adopted. For years Kerry has tried to find young brother.
Noah Martineau is having issues in his marriage and has trouble sharing his feelings with his wife. This was about families, adoption and identity.
The Silk House by Kayte Nunn
This was set mostly in
the present time with flashbacks to the 1760’s. Set mostly in Oxleigh in the
UK. Thea Rust takes up a job at Oxleigh College to teach history while working
on doctoral studies on witchcraft.
Thea settles into her
assigned accommodation in an old house where she will be supervising 14
students aged 16 to 17 years.
I loved the description
of the house originally known as the Silk House and the way the life of the
people who originally lived in the house was woven into the story using flashbacks
to 1768 and a time when the house was inhabited by a silk merchant and his wife
and three servants. Prudence, Alice and Rowan.
Thea researches the
history of the Silk House and gathers information about witchcraft in the area
linking one of the servants that lived in the house being accused of
witchcraft.
A history of an old house with a secret waiting to be discovered. I loved it.
In Five Years by Rebecca Searle
A love story. Dannie Kohan has always worked towards a five year plan, her career, where she wants to live and her relationships but things go wrong when she wakes up in five years time in 2025 with the wrong man, the wrong apartment and a different engagement ring.
It felt so real but she keeps telling herself it was just a dream.
Dannie keeps working towards her five year plan but puts off getting married all the time wondering who the mystery man was in her dream.
The Book of Hidden Wonders by Polly Crosby
Romily and her father live in an old farmhouse. The old house is full of secrets and hiding places. Romily has a cat called Monty, her father is trying to earn a living as an artist and writing a story about Romily and a treasure hunt. Over the years her father writes a number of books featuring Romily as a nine year old. People start visiting trying to take photographs of Romily and their house and trying to follow the clues in the book to find the treasure.
Romily is followed by photographer's and finds it difficult to go to school so she spends her days with her father and roaming the countryside with an elusive friend called Stacey.
I loved the way Romily's father hid clues of family secrets in the illustrations of his books for Romily to discover as she gets older.
Set mostly in the 1990's this was about family secrets and dementia. Things are not as they seam and Romily hears whispers of people she can barely remember, when things get too difficult for her she turns to Stacey.
The Other Passenger by Louise Candish
Set mostly in 2019 in
London. Jamie lives with his partner Clare. Clare’s parents own the house they
live in. Clare sells real estate and Jamie works in a coffee shop. Jamie is
troubled with claustrophobia and in early 2019 starts travelling to work via a
river bus.
Clare works with a
young woman Melia whose partner is Kit. Kit stars on the river bus with Jamie,
where they become friend with two other commuters.
I loved the way the
story developed by introducing all the characters and how it switched
between early 2019 and late December 2019.
Full of twists, lies
and deception. Kit goes missing and Jamie was seen arguing with Kit prior to
Kit’s disappearance.
When She Was Good by Michael Robotham
This was a
Sequel to Good Girl, Bad Girl. A Cyrus Haven Series. Set in 2020 in UK,, with
some flash backs to earlier years. Cyrus Haven is a psychologist and he has
been searching for Sacha Hopewell for some time, in the hope of getting some
information that will help him help Evie Cormac remember her real name.
Evie Cormac has been in a secure children’s home since she was a young child after being discovered hiding in a house where there had been a brutal murder. Sacha Hopewell found Evie and named her Angel Face. Evie is scared and she has good reason to be scared. Dangerous people are hunting for her.
I loved the
way the characters were developed and snippets of information about Evie were
revealed.
This was
about children in care, corruption, family relationships and evil people.
The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings
A Marriage Counselor Daniel inherits a camera that belonged to his grandfather. There is an inscription on the camera that causes Daniel a lot of soul searching as his marriage breaks down and his daughter is suffering and fears her parents will separate.
The Bermondsey Book Shop by Mary Gibson
Kate Goss was sent to live with Aunt after her mother died. For many years Kate dreamt that her father would return and rescue her from her unhappy life.
Set in South London mostly in the early 1920's. This was about family relationships and factory workers.
