Mailbox Monday and What I’m Reading: 13/4/20

Happy Easter. It’s been too hot here for chocolate so I’m waiting until the weather cools down. Other than that, I’ve not done too much but wait for the postie, read, be online and work.

My order from Readings in Melbourne arrived, as did three separate deliveries in the space of about 15 minutes (super exciting):

My Readings order consisted of quite a few books, including some from the staff’s weekly recommendations:

The White Album by Joan Didion – writings from the 1960s, involving Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison and a journey of self-discovery.

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift – no, I can’t believe I haven’t read it either. It is Mothering Sunday in 1924 and Jane doesn’t have a mother to visit. But this day will never be forgotten…

Shelf Life by Livia Franchini is about Ruth, recently single with just a shopping list to remember her ex-fiancé by. From that list, she discovers that she is made up of what others want her to be. But what is Ruth when she is alone?

The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki (translated by Edward G. Seidensticker) is about four sisters living in Japan in the time before World War II as their family name and houses start to fade.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (translated by Jamie Chang) finds Kim Jiyoung acting strangely. But who is she and what has she given up as a woman?

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo is also about four sisters, who have messy lives made even more chaotic when a teenager boy turns up.

Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones (available 28^th April) arrived thanks to Scribe. In 1975, Colin takes a walk and trips over Ray. That night, they move in together and a love story begins of desire and domination.

Come Again by Robert Webb (available 23^rd April, RRP $29.99) finds Kate’s world falling apart. Her husband Luke died, she lost her job and she’s pushed her friends away. But one morning she wakes up and finds herself in college on the first day she met Luke. Can she save him this time round? Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the copy.

Inheritance of Secrets by Sonya Bates (available 20^th April) came from Harper Collins. Something is going on in Juliet’s family. Her grandparents have been murdered and her sister has disappeared. Who was her grandfather and what secrets from World War II could put her in danger?

The next three books came thanks to Ventura Press, who chose well books that would intrigue me!

Poly by Paul Dalgarno (available 2^nd September) finds Chris in a state of polyamory with his wife Sarah, somewhere he never imagined he would be. Sarah has flings, while Chris falls for Biddy, a polydactylous actor and musician. Then Zac, babysitter, enters their lives and tensions start to grow.

As Swallows Fly by L.P. McMahon (available 5^thNovember) is about Malika, disfigured after an attack in Pakistan. She moves to Melbourne where her life becomes entangled with Kate, a plastic surgeon. But the price of beauty is much higher than either of them think…

The Night Letters by Denise Leith (available 7^th October) is set in Kabul, where Dr Sofia Raso has lived for some time. She knows to keep quiet and stay out of foreign affairs. But when night letters arrive from the Taliban and two boys go missing, she can’t remain silent. Where are the boys, and who can she rely on?

To see other books received/bought this week across the world, drop by the Mailbox Monday blog for links to everyone’s mailbox goodies.

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Date. Click on the pictures to read more about the books.

What I read last week:

What I’m reading at the moment:

What I’ll be reading next:

I think I will just pick whatever looks interesting…