So happy for you that you had such a brilliant month! I loved remote sympathy, so I should read all of Chidgey's work. I think I heard Ben talk about England is mine and I added it to my wishlist then. I have read West by Carys Davies and thought it was beautiful - again must read more!!

It’s pouring rain here in N.Ireland as usual. Some recent books with strong female characters. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore Service by Sarah Gilmartin Strong Female Character by Fern Brady Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Haworth How To Build A Boat by Elaine Feeney Just For the Summer by Abby Hiemenez I’m currently listening to three Irish books that have strong female characters The Alternatives Wild Houses The Coast Road ☘️👋🍀📕📚☕️💐

Puede la Biblia hacer un mundo mejor?

You introduced me to Carys Davies, through 'Quiet' so I bought The Redemption of Galen Pike. Loved Clear. Didnt enjoy The Mission House aa much. Next up will be West.

Boudica sounds great. She is a fascinating figure. Did you see the tv program where Alex Kingston played her? I thought it was brilliant.

I found your channel through Simon's and I just want to say that you both give off the exact same vibes to me! You both seem like absolutely wonderful people who are a joy to be around. Hope you're coping with the warm weather ok! I'm very glad to have found your channel. Also I need to ask, are you a Brummy?

I loved Pet by Catherine Chidgey but I did not enjoy the Axeman's Carnival at all. I generally dislike books narrated by animals. I thought Clear was wonderful. On to the Booker longlist now.

So pleased you enjoyed Axeman’s! ❤Yes I too thought really, a book narrated by a magpie … but Chidgey can make anything work and make it phenomenal! Double meaning in the magpie’s name: short for Tamagotchi but also Tama is “boy” and “son” in Māori.

Have you ever read the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters? A fun romp through late 19th century Egypt with the eponymous Amelia Peabody as our guide and narrator. Highly recommend.

Loved loved the Axeman’s Carnival!

I absolutely loved Clear, such beautiful writing. I live in Suffolk so am keen to read Mr Mac And Me, I’d not heard of it before.

Thanks will be putting at least 4 of those on my list loved Remote Sympathy by the way will prioritize The Axeman's Carnival now.

Love your t shirt

Thank you for reminding me about Clear, definitely on my TBR - and The Twin sounds really interesting. It's been a good reading month for me too - My Friends, Brotherless Night, and I've so enjoyed The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken, an author I've not read before. Next is A Previous Life by Edmund White.

Wonderful idea! I too will be looking at my bookshelves with a new eye. Can’t wait for the second video!

Yasssssss! So happy for you having your best reading month ever ! That’s wonderful 📖🪱💚 and you deserve it

Siri telling you there is nothing to read, hahahaha. That tickled me. I would like to head back to more Bakker, I read The Detour and remember absolutely loving it... back in 2013, blimey. Finally, she's read Clear and she loved it, woohoo! Now you need to read Stone Yard Devotional ;) Ooh The Axeman's Carnival sounds great, I have it but haven't read Pet yet. Oops.

I too have had a great reading month due in part to you I loved England is mine Pet was a favourite read too I will try the new one I really enjoyed the Esther Freud which I read last year after visiting beautiful Suffolk for the first time in my life and enjoying the Aldeburgh Bookshops local authors section. I really would love to go back . Isn’t it the most wonderful way to travel around the world A life without books would be hell Thanks for being such a wonderful book recommender from icy cold Cape Town

So glad you loved Clear as much as I did. And you’ve completely convinced me to read England Is Mine.

Hi Louise, Like you very much enjoyed Love Marriage. Also enjoyed Apple Tree Yard and also Platform 9 by Louise Doherty.Very much enjoyed July reading of How We break, Thr Ministry of Time and The Rachel Incident. The Megan Nolan book was out on loan so am reading the Sansom (author)series, the first set in the time of the dissolution of the monatries and featuring Shardlake a lawyer and p.w. disability who investigates crimes.

July was a great reading month for me quantity-wise - most pages so far this year and total of 10 books, but looking at the list, most of the books were very middle of the road. My favorite was Looking for Jane from Heather Marshall. I found this one in the new book section of the library and was intrigued by the summary so I picked it out on a whim. I managed to finish two books that I was very close to DNF'ing: Detransition, Baby (Torrey Peters) and The Diana Chronicles (Tina Brown). Glad to have read them, but also glad to be finished with them. 😆

After your recommendation of Pet (which I absolutely loved!) I'll definitely pick this one up too. I discovered a French author this month, who i adore now- French Windows by Antoine Laurain was great, but you can't go wrong with any of his works. Currently reading the latest one by Tracy Chevalier (The Glassmaker) set in 1400s Murano.

I have just finished The Prophet Song on your recommendation and enjoyed it immensely. Thankyou

Loved , loved Clear

Loved Clear.

I loved the god in the woods by Liz Moore this month and now devouring All the colours in the dark by Chris Whitaker. Next up Julia, the retelling of 1984

I loved Clear by Carys Davies - one of my favorite books ever! I've never read any books by Catherine Chidgey but just put The Axeman's Carnival on reserve at my local library. I'll look forward to reading it. Thanks for a wonderful video. God knows here in America we need good books to read instead of watching the news!

Great book shirt. I'm enjoying Never by Ken Follett, also The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (McBride is great) and Trust,which won the Pulitzer for Hernan Diaz, his debut novel was In the Distance, which I read for June on the Range. I'm happy for you having a good reading month.🎉

“Clear” by Carys Davies deserves your praise, and logophiles will not be disappointed. Pity about the Jo Brand book feeling dated as she’s such a clever and amusing personality. Did you ever find out what that mystery voice was that said, “There’s nothing to read?” He obviously doesn’t know you very well!😆

I find it weird how someone can own areas of geography that you’d imagine would be public. Clear made me think of this ( even though I haven’t read it yet) . We have a major problem here with waterway pollution, the biggest one is Lough Neagh. Low and behold the Lough is owned by an Earl !!!

I love Catherine Chidgey. I met her at the Wellington Literature Festival last year and she said her next book is something different again and set in Blackpool!

❤❤❤

This is a great idea that I have not thought of doing to help pick a book.!! Thank you for sharing

Are you going to read any of the Booker long list this year ?

I just picked up the Bandit Queens yesterday, glad to see it recommended by you!

A MUST read book written by Anonymous author the book is " A Woman in Berlin " is one of the most powerful books I've read . First print 1945 caused controversial uncomfortable truths met with hostility, so the author decided that she didn't want the book republished in her lifetime. Still not revealed her identity until 2001 . Account effects of war on women. Which still stands today shocking very brave book.

I adored Geeta, as well. She's such a strong, savvy, funny character. I'll be adding Anna and Boudica to my tbr and bumping Circe up toward the top of my list. Thanks!!

Just returned from Harris & Harris Books event in Clare Church - Annie Garthwaite talking about her books "Cecily" and the recently published "The King's Mother", fictional accounts of Cecily Neville and other women from the War of the Roses period who are too often overlooked by history. The author signs her books using the phrase "In Praise of Strong Women!", and that accurately sums up her portrayal of the female characters! Great reads!

The bandit queens is a great inclusion. Geeta is an all time fav character.

I see you have Ruth Ozeki’s A Book of Form and Emptiness on your bookshelf. Have you given it a read? I’m halfway though and struggling to get through, was wondering if you think it’s worth it to push through.

I loved The Bandit Queens and was disappointed that it didn’t do as well as I had been hoping but there you go. Thank you Louise 🎉

I think Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan will get a mention 🔍😊

My favourites so far this year Songs in Ursa Major - Emma Brodie Bright young women - Jessica Knoll The Sentence - Louise Erdrich The way home - Mark Boyle Assimilation- Sophie Buchaillard Arcadia - Lauren Groff Fruit of the drunken tree - Ingrid Rojas Cantreras The soul of a woman - Isabel Allende And currently reading The lost flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland 📚📚📚📚📚📚

I love this video. I've pondered this idea before. I may slip in a real woman or two since I read so much NF. Here are my 10 memorable women characters as of this moment. 1. ) Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre (for her moral compass), 2. Fantine in Les Miserables (for her sacrifice), 3. Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles (for endurance), 4. Mme DeFarge in Tale of Two Cities (for resolve and sneakiness), 5. Anne in the Anne of Green Gables series (for pushing through), 6. Peggy Guggenheim in her autobiography, Art of this Century (for audacity, guts and style), 7. Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair (for her survival instincts), 8. Anne Frank in Diary of a Young Girl (for her enduring hope), 9. Harriet Fish Backus in Tomboy Bride: A Woman's Personal Account of Life in the Mining Camps of the West (for her grit.), 10. Dorothea in Middlemarch (patience and passion.) marjorieapple.substack.com

I've not heard of Nicolo Ammaniti before, I do love me some translated fiction... I can access an audiobook of Anna on one of my library apps, so will have put that on my wishlist (naturally my loans are already maxxed out). I participate in #Eurovisionathon each year, so it's good to have another author for that. Speaking of translated fiction, I think I'll try and get to Tove Ditlevsen next month for Women in Translation month, although naturally I have a house loaded with possibilities...

I have Brotherless Night in the stack, my husband has read it, the others sound good, but I did like The Song of Achilles. Just finished The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West, super. My favorites are Hester Prynne and Olive Kitteridge.

I just finished reading about Sashikala in Brotherless Night. It's the best book that I have read all year and learned so much. Haven't read the other books you mentioned. Never heard of Anna before. Looking forward to your future videos.

I loved the Boudica books for all the reasons you mentioned describing her as a character. I am excited to read Manda Scott's new book Any Human Power.

Can recommend All Fours by Miranda July for a strong female protagonist changing the definition of what it means to have female strength/power/rage.

I loved Geeta too and it was one of my fave books read last year. I have just read Lady. Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See and Lady T had the same kind of impact on me. Totally different plot and set in 15th century China, but a real woman ahead of her time. I can’t think about your top 5 as you are so much better read than me, but looking forward to seeing that idc!