Books I Finished in June

I felt like I was slacking off in June and I was blaming it on the heat. I have trouble concentrating when I’m hot so sometimes, even if I’m holding a book, I’m not actually reading it and I often found myself staring mindlessly at the TV wishing I wasn’t so freaking hot. But I still managed to finish 8 which is much better than I expected.

The Man Who Ate the World by Jay Rayner
Interesting look at the different approaches to restaurants and food around the world.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This is dark and sad. I liked it though.

Under the Western Acacia by Christian Jacq
It's the fifth and final book in the Ramses series. I liked the series, I think the characters are well written but it isn't what I would call historically accurate. It has a lot of fantasy to it. And some people might not like the fact that Moses does not come off well. It bothered me a bit at first but it is a story, not history, so I was able to put that aside and just enjoy it.

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Being a vampire fan I couldn’t believe I had never read this before. It is suspenseful in parts and tedious in parts. The characters are long winded and addicted to unnecessary detail. I liked it but I like a lot of classics. If you are not a fan of classics, if, say, Jane Austen leaves you in tears because you find her dreadfully dull I think you will have the same reaction to this book. Vampires or no.

My French Whore by Gene Wilder
Short and quick to read. A bitter sweet story. I liked it enough that I went and got Wilder’s other book out of the library without even knowing what it was about just because I wanted to read something else he wrote.

Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem
A mystery set in a sad, rather depressing future. Sort of a noir feel, but with talking kangaroos. The tough guy detective with a good heart type of thing but it manages not to be cliché. If you like dark detective stories then you should take a look. And don’t let the talking kangaroos scare you. It is obviously the future but I wouldn’t call the book science fiction.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Cute and fun but I’m not in love with them.

Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell
An okay crime thriller that got better as it went along. I’ll probably read more Cornwell but I’m not in any rush.