A Summer Stroll
I want to spend this blog reflecting on where the year is at, my writing journey and some recommendations. August is the time of year when many people will get annual leave, holiday time and chance to make some dint in the precarious to be read pile! I am plodding on through the summer this year, as I have a dissertation to write, BUT, that does not mean I don’t find pockets of time to read and enjoy much needed breaks from the long hours at the keyboard. I want to share with you what my most recent reads, what I am currently reading and what is next – plus a couple of Autumn spoilers for those always on the lookout for a new book on the way. After all, a young writer needs to be up on the latest big book hits!
I have just finished a great read by the former minister and MP, Alan Johnson, who I was fortunate to meet earlier this year at the York Literature Festival. His crime novel One of our Ministers is Missing, is a superbly woven story of fact (government and topical details of the police in 2017) and fiction (the dual plots of what is happening in the U.K and Crete). I found the pace of the story good, easy to get into and the final twist at the end electrifying. Alan has the ability to use humour and also reflect the way power is used for good and bad. I highly recommend this novel.
I am currently reading What you are looking for is in the library, by Michiko Aoyama, which is a gentle paced book about a community library in Tokyo where the librarian always knows the right book to recommend (plus a felted item as a “bonus gift”). It is the perfect book for me, as I not only feel passionate about keeping libraries open and used, but the way librarians know what someone might like and help them. The novel has five different characters of differing age groups, who go to the library unsure about their lives and after borrowing a book, feel they have unlocked something that was hidden before. It is a sweet story and is a nice way to switch off from thinking about dissertation material.
I will be completing the dissertation by September and what better way to celebrate than to see a favourite author in person? Rebecca F Kuang of R.F.Kuang, is a truly inspirational young author who is only 30 and has had 6 (soon to be 7) bestselling novels out. I loved Yellowface (about the publishing world) and Babel (magical power in the English Empire) and my next read will be Katabasis which came out in 2025. I love when a popular author is fast at releasing new books and I have the chance to see Kuang speak in York in September about her new book called Taipei Story, a heart-warming tale of the power of language across two countries and the bonds of family. This will be released on 08/09/2026. It is fantastic as a young writer to see the fast rise of Kuang and to think she has a glittering career already rooted. I will eagerly look forward to sharing both about the event and new book with you.
Finally, Richard Osman, who I am currently reviewing The Thursday Murder Club series, has his second novel in the We Solve Murders series out on the 10/09/26. I am yet to read the first one but know Osman has a true skill when it comes to his writing and he is another of my favourite authors.
However, you spend your August, I hope you can read those books that give you most enjoyment but often sit waiting at the to be read pile grows. Even a quick half an hour of reading each day, really does calm the mind, and this is from a dissertation writing student! It is so important to read for enjoyment and makes the work more productive when you return to it.
Work Cited- Waterstones. “Waterstones”. Waterstones. Date accessed: 15th July 2026. URL: waterstones.com/book/Taipei-story/Rebecca-f-Kuang/9780008841928.