We are back to discussing books that I read in the past few months. Keep reading to find out which books I read and which ones I enjoyed!
You may or may not have noticed that we skipped March. Simply put, I just forgot to do it. Life happens and that’s fine. That is why we will include all the books read in March as well. You can see the full list below.
Book I Read in March and April 2023
- Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
- Death and Judgment (Commissario Brunetti, #4), Leon, Donna
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe
Six Books That I Read
I am averaging about 3 books a month and while that is not great in my opinion, the fact that I am reading is still good. I have been choosing older novels as well as novels that have been released in the past year or so.
The first book that I gave a read was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it but it was hard to put down once I started reading it. The novel tackles colonialism and it is unlike any other novel out there. Achebe tells it as it is and does not filter out the violence which leads to a high shock volume. I recommend reading it and seeing things from a different point of view than what is usually presented.
The next two novels that I want to talk about are The Midnight Library and Sea of Tranquility. Both are amazing novels that made me wish I had both of them sooner. Mandel is an amazing writer and she is establishing herself as one of the best modern writers with every novel she publishes.
On the other hand, Haig’s novel tackles depression head on and has a lot to offer. I took a lot away from this book and I recommend this to anyone who needs words of encouragement.
Two older novels that I read were Interview with the Vampire and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. If you love spy novels, then this is a must read. And if you like vampires, then Rice’s debut novel is also a must.
Conclusion
These are the six books I read in the past two months. There is no real system on how I choose these books. If I come across a book that sounds interesting, I will read it. Often times, it will be from a list I saw. How many of these books have you read? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re into espionage try an unusually thrilling autobiography entitled Beyond Enkription (misspelt on purpose) by Bill Fairclough (ex MI6 agent codename JJ). He was one of Colonel Alan Pemberton’s People in MI6. It’s a must read for espionage cognoscenti. The fact based narrative is set in 1974 about a British accountant working in London, Nassau and Port au Prince who unwittingly works for MI6 and later is hired by the CIA.
It’s a compelling read but whatever you do, don’t just surf through the prologue as I did. Also, if like me you could only just stomach the film Jaws don’t be put off by the passing savagery of the first chapter. I finished this huge book in two sittings and a week or so later read it again.
To get the most out of it try researching the real events behind it on the web and in particular look at the brief News Article dated 31 October 2022 about Pemberton’s People in TheBurlingtonFiles website. There is a lot out there once you start digging but as a minimum include a half hour read of one of the author’s bios which don’t include spoilers. You’ll soon feel like you know his family. After my first reading I did even more research and kept on unravelling increasingly enthralling material that drove me to reread the book. My second reading was richly rewarded and just as captivating as my first.
If you like raw or noir espionage thrillers, you’ll love it. Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote it. Atmospherically it’s reminiscent of Ted Lewis’ Get Carter of Michael Caine fame. If anyone ever makes a film based on Beyond Enkription they’ll only have themselves to blame if it doesn’t go down in history as a classic espionage thriller.
Whether you’re a le Carré connoisseur, a Deighton disciple, a Fleming fanatic, a Herron hireling or a Macintyre marauder, odds on once you are immersed in it you’ll read this titanic production twice. Before reading Beyond Enkription, do read about Pemberton’s People in an article dated 31 October 2022 on The Burlington Files website. For more detailed reviews visit the Reviews page on TheBurlingtonFiles website or see other independent reviews on your local Amazon website and check out Bill Fairclough’s background on the web.