I read 10 books in June. As usual they’re a mixed bag and I enjoyed some books more than others. I realised in May that I’d accumulated a number of review books, so I thought I’d better get reading them! The titles marked * are crime fiction and those in italics are non-fiction. With links to my posts they are:

1. The Sea Change by Joanna Rossiter – a review copy, beautifully written, a dual time novel alternating between 1971 and the Second World War.
2. Pictures at an Exhibition by Camilla Macpherson – a review copy, compelling reading and another a dual time period novel moving between the present day and the Second World War. 
3. North Sea Cottage* by Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen – a review copy, yet another dual time novel of now and the 1940s, set in Denmark. Very atmospheric crime fiction as the discovery of a skeleton solves an earlier mystery.
4. He Wants by Alison Moore – a fourth review novel, about ageing and unfulfilled expectations – sadly not really my cup of tea.
5. Leaving Alexandria: a Memoir of Faith and Doubt by Richard Holloway – fascinating about his life, career and beliefs.
6. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng – still not sure what I think about this book, I may have to re-read it sometime.
7. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – fantasy, a re-telling fairy tales and folk tales; it didn’t leave me with a chill down my spine, but just feeling rather sick at times.
8. Sisters of Sinai by Janet Soskice – an excellent biography of twin sisters who discovered an ancient copy of the Gospels on Mount Sinai.
9. The Discourtesy of Death* by William Brodrick – very good (post to follow).
10. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen – a book I thought I’d read years ago, only to discover I hadn’t. It feels as though I’ve discovered a new author!

It’s hard to decide which one I enjoyed the most, but on balance I think it has to be Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Found the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice

 As half the year has gone I thought it was a good time to see where I’m up to with the challenges I’m doing.

Reading Challenges progress up to 30 June (for details of these challenges see my Challenges page):

• Mount TBR Reading Challenge €“ 30 of my own unread books. My target is 48.
• Read Scotland Challenge €“11 books. My target 13+.
• What’s in a Name 7 €“ I’ve completed 5 of the 6 sections €“ just  a €˜book with a school subject in the title’ to read.
• Historical Fiction Challenge €“ 12 books. My target is 25 books.
• Colour Coded Challenge €“ 3 books. The target is to read 9 books in the different colour categories.
• The Agatha Christie Reading Challenge €“ 3 books. This is an open-ended challenge to read all her books. So far I have read 58.
• My Kind of Mystery Challenge €“ 17 books. My target is 31+.
• Once Upon a Time VIII Challenge €“ 5 books completing the Challenge for Quest the First.
• Reading Non-Fiction in 2014 – this is my own ‘challenge’ to record the non-fiction I read. I’m aiming at reading at least 12 books this year and so far I’ve read 5 – with just 35% of Peter Ackroyd’s biography of Shakespeare to finish I’m nearly half way to my target.