ShortBookandScribes June 2026 Reads, Book Post and Stats
Goodbye June and hello July. Half the year gone and what’s happened to it?
The television is dire (I’m not into football or tennis) so I’ve embarked on a Downton Abbey rewatch. It’s my third time through from the beginning and no less delightful for it.
So to the books…eight read in June and you know what they say about eight, don’t you? Well, it’s better than seven of course. Not the ten I managed last month but I knew that was likely to be a fluke. I think it might only happen in months with two Bank Holidays so watch out December, that’s all I can say.
Here’s what I read in June:
Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas
I cannot go wrong with Jo’s books and their perfect blend of food and place. This one is set in a tiny French village with Juliet hoping to breathe new life into the bakery.
The Last Marriage of Dot Brightmore by Laura Pearson
I loved this book, the follow up to The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. Mabel knows that Dot is hiding something so out comes the list with the hope of achieving a happy ever after for them both.
Mrs Dickens by Emily Howes
This is the story of Kate, Charles Dickens’ wife and it really doesn’t portray the author in the best light at all – a real eye-opener but whilst I thought it was beautifully written and researched, I found it really hard work to read.
Book 4 in the series that I so enjoy featuring true crime podcaster, Cal Lovett. He is investigating ‘Hillside Jane’, a woman who was found in a remote walking area and never identified.
Entitled by Andrew Lownie
Bio/exposé about the Duke and Duchess of York. Very well-researched but not quite the thrilling read I was expecting. I think part of the problem is that their misdemeanours are all over the news so it’s nothing new. Shocking pair of grifters though (and I’m a royalist!).
The Sea Stone Sisters by Eleanor Buchanan
This is a lovely story of Lily Blackmore in 1931 who travels from Skara in Scotland to Ceylon to try and save her family’s fortunes. In the current day, Roz is trying to work out her family history and how she’s linked to the Blackmores. I really enjoyed this beguiling read.
The Foreign Field by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
1917 and the war continues. Will it ever end? It continues to take its toll on the Morlands and there is the most exquisite chapter featuring Bertie and Jessie (two of my favourites) which made me cry.
The Fallen Kings by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
1918 and the end of the war is in sight. The anguish of war, both for those in the midst of it and those waiting at home, is beautifully portrayed.
Book post received this month with thanks to the named publishers and authors:
What Happened That Night by Nicci French (sent by The Likely Suspects/Simon & Schuster)
My Name is MacKenzie Bly by Lissa Evans (sent by the author)
The Glass Key by Amanda Geard (sent by Headline)
The Death Row Club by V.A. Vazquez (sent by The Likely Suspects/Simon & Schuster)
Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson (sent by Doubleday)
The Weight of Angels by John Boyne (sent by Doubleday)
Can You Solve the Murder: The Forest of Death by Antony Johnston (sent by Bantam)
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (sent by Book Break/Pan Macmillan)
The Treasures by Harriet Evans (sent by Penguin Viking)
I also bought:
The Invitation by Veronica Henry
Secrets of the Royal Maid by Annie Seymour
The Queen’s Coronation by Jennifer Ryan
By Your Side by Ruth Jones
Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal
At the Table by Claire Powell
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
The Butler by Clare Mackintosh
Finally, my Storygraph stats for June:
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I could do with a Downton Abbey re-watch. I never finished the series, nor have I seen any of the films. But since I do watch football and tennis (lots of tennis) and I still need time to read … might be a while 😄