#20BooksofSummer ends today and I’m way behind with my reviews. So, some quick ones to catch up.

Sorocidial by Edwina Prescott

Absolutely loved the themes in this saga about two sisters – ego, narcissism, control and attachment. The first half, focused on the childhood of the sisters was gripping – Prescott gives the story a light gothic touch and I read with a constant sense of foreboding. However, that level of tension is difficult to maintain and somehow, by the end, the sisters’ relationship was less threatening and a bit tiring. Hang in there though, for when one sister buys the other ‘the perfect gift’ – memorable.

3/5

Idle Grounds by Krystelle Bamford

This is a curious story about a group of young cousins at a family event. One goes missing and the others set out to find her. The premise is simple, and Bamford furnishes it with some excellent characters, evocative details and a fab family backstory. The sense of place is outstanding. The sense of time, hard to put your finger on, which adds to the magic (as I was reading, I was remembering the freedom of social occasions where the gaggle of kids is left to their own devices – thrilling!). The story takes a slightly weird, ‘magical’ turn at the end which I didn’t care for (although not sure how the book could have finished differently). That said, I will read more from this author in the future.

3/5

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Will I ever enjoy another Patchett as much as I did Commonwealth and The Dutch House? I fear not… I go into each new book with high expectations, and although Whistler charmed me in many ways (I loved the quiet introspection, the interesting approach to forgiveness, and that this is essentially a mother-daughter story despite seeming to be about a woman and her step-father), there was one element that I couldn’t quite get onboard with – how quickly, and warmly, the main characters reconnected. Would that have happened? I wasn’t completely convinced.

3.5/5

Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson

A meticulous account of the lives of the Mitford sisters, heavy on historical detail and full of anecdotes and bon mots – it would seem that Nancy would not have to have looked far for inspiration for her novels. Thompson has adopted Nancy’s sharp, witty tone (and managed to sustain it for 500+ pages), although kerbed it for the sections about WWII and Unity’s relationship with Hitler. I remain a fan of Nancy’s novels, but might read through a slightly different lens in the future.

3/5

Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry

This book probably deserves a lengthier review, because I suspect I’m in the minority of not loving every element. Anyway… I think the thing that I found tricky was Perry’s generous and beautiful take on caring for her father-in-law. I have no doubt that it happened exactly as she described it (including her sudden and inexplicable switch to calling him ‘sweetheart’ when she’d previously called him David). I have no doubt that she found some inner strength, some instinct, some inner voice guiding her to care for the dying. But, she did it for nine days. And I wonder what would have happened if she was caring for someone for nine years. I really want to stress that I am not criticising Perry’s experience, but I spent most of the book thinking about my counselling clients (who are all carers), and how they would find Perry’s experience.

2.5/5

Mother of Pearl by Angela Savage

Surrogacy is a minefield. There are risks for everyone involved, and everyone involved has very different reasons for undertaking it. This is a considered, thoughtful fictional account of an Australian couple who use a surrogate in Thailand. The whole time I was reading I had a terrible real-life story in mind, but thankfully, Savage’s novel is not so brutal. Instead, an interesting look at surrogacy from multiple angles, with spiritual stories from Thai culture woven in.

3/5