June 2020 Reading Log

This reading log contains the books I finished reading in June. I was pleasantly surprised early in the month when I went to pick up some holds from the library & was allowed to browse. I only borrowed an extra novel which is included in the list of books read below.

Here’s what I read in June:

Heart of the Cross by Emily Madden

In 1959, Rosie Hart leaves Ireland with her young son to follow her husband to Australia. When her grandmother dies in 2017 Brianna Hart discovers more about the grandmother who raised her, after her mother dies. The story goes between 1959, 2017 and 1984; as we slowly learn the story of all three generations.

I had read another of Emily Madden’s books earlier in the year which I really enjoyed.

The Auerbach Will by Stephen Birmingham

This book was on my shelves as I must have bought it at a school fete and not read it. Essie, a Jew from the Lower East Side slums marries Jake from one of New York’s richer Jewish families. The story opens three generations later when Essie is a widow with a huge fortune. Essie watches her children and grandchildren squabble over the estate and wonders what happened to love along the way. Through the book we learn the story of how Jake and Essie met, married and gained their fortune.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two by JK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

This book has been sitting by my bed for a few years. I finally got around to reading it. The fact that it was a play may have put me off but it was just like reading any story. Set about 20 years after the original Harry Potter series. Harry is working for the Ministry of Magic. Harry is grappling with a past that refuses to stay in the past. Meanwhile, his youngest son Albus is struggling with the weight of family legacy he never wanted.

Unfinished Business by Frankie McGowan

Rosie is struggling with her interior design business and trying to raise her ten-year-old son. Temporarily moving back in with her ex-husband looks like it might solve her problems. Though what game is Rory, the ex, playing? As the book progresses you realise all is not what it seems but don’t quite know what is going on.

Midnight Sun to Southern Cross: Those who go and those who stay by Ruth Bonetti

This is the second book based on the story of Ruth Bonetti’s grandfather and great uncle who emigrated to Australia, from Finland. Ruth not only explores her grandfathers story but parts of her own and compares this to the story of some of the relatives who stayed in Finland. It was an interesting read, particularly as I knew many of the places she referred to in Australia. There was some interesting history about St Lucia, a suburb of Brisbane, and the University of Queensland.

What books have you read lately?

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