Some of my recent top reads

Welcome back to another regular post where I share some of the books I've enjoyed recently and have rated five stars on Goodreads, which is where I track the books that I've read. I hope that it gives you some reading inspiration!

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger by Suzanne Fortin

I found this book on Amazon Prime library, a selection of books which Amazon Prime members can borrow for free. It's historical fiction - Arthur Pettinger is elderly and suffering from dementia. He can't remember details about his daily life but he does remember romance in occupied France during World War 2. Like a lot of historical fiction books it switches between the modern day and Arthur's story, and although I've read many similar books in this genre this one in particular really stood out to me.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

I love Daphne du Maurier and having stocked up on many of her books to add to my bookshelf I've been working my way through them all! Frenchman's Creek is one of my favourites, set in 1668 it's the story of adventurous Dona, Lady St. Colomb, who has become stifled by her society life in London and escapes to the British countryside. Here she meets and falls in love with a French pirate and for a time is able to live her life far removed from what she has been used to. It's a beautifully written book with a fantastic story.

Don't Look Now and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier

This is a collection of five short stories. Don't Look Now is the most famous having been adapted for film, but the others are definitely well worth a read. Don't Look Now is about John and Laura who have come to Venice to try and help them cope with their daughter's death and they find themselves mixed up with two elderly women who claim to be psychic. It's a gripping story and left me with literal chills as I finished the final paragraph.

You Are Invited by Sarah A. Denzil

This was an Amazon First Reads book available to Amazon Prime members. It's a modern ghost story and the sort of book which I normally race through, enjoy and forget as soon as I finish, but this one was particularly good and stuck out to me. Cath is a writer who has been invited to The Event, a monetised retreat for social media influencers in an isolated Transylvanian monastery. Their daily lives will be constantly streamed to viewers, and things start to get spooky when followers notice a dark shape in the background of their videos. Perhaps I enjoyed it because I liked the influencer angle, but it is definitely one of my favourites in this genre.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I came across this book while I was researching ideas for setting up a habit tracker for the New Year and it seemed to be the definitive work on the subject so I treated myself with some Christmas money. I found it an excellent read, perhaps some of the tips and tricks for developing habits are not new but it was all expressed in a way that made great sense to me and proved very motivating. For example ways to incorporate a new habit into your life and make sure that it sticks. I liked that it was aimed at helping to develop general everyday habits, not just ones intended to push you forward in the workplace, for example healthy eating or exercise.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Clune

I had seen this book recommended online so reserved it from the library. I must admit that it wasn't quite what I was expecting as I would say it's more of a young adult or older children book and I found that it had a bit of a Harry Potter or Good Omens vibe to it. But I really liked it! It's the story of Linus Baker who works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth and is responsible for visiting orphanages and assessing whether the needs of the magical children that live there are being met. He is sent on placement to a remote orphanage where a very dangerous group of children are living, and he has to determine how much of a threat they could be. It's a story about diversity and acceptance and while it was a little bit soppy at times, it was still an enjoyable read.