My Back Pages - June/July

I'm back! Miss me?

An extended illness and hospital stay prevented me from posting since the middle of June but I have nevertheless been reading up a storm. Four books in June and six in July puts me at 25 for the year - half way towards my end of year goal of 50.

I started June with Lust and Wonder(****) by Augusten Burrows, an author I've been reading since his Running With Scissors hilariously described his sorrowful childhood. This wasn't quite as good but nevertheless entertaining.

I then moved on to a trilogy recommended by a former colleague - the Lewis Trilogy(****) about a cop in northern Scotland. The Black House, The Lewis Man and The Chess Men filled the rest of my June's reading.

July saw me complete the the final volume of the Stephen King Trilogy, begun with Mr. Mercedes, titled appropriately enough End of Watch(****). As well, Jeffrey Archer's 6th instalment of the Clifton Chronicles - Cometh The Hour(*****) - came out and I devoured it too. Both books were excellent reads.

The quite enjoyable The High Mountains of Portugal(*****) by Yann Martell, detective yarns Taken (****) by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole) and Dixie City Jam(****) by James Lee Burke (Dave Robichaux) and finally the superb The Corrections(*****) by Jonathan Franzen rounded out July.

On the "watching" front I'm happy HBO's Ray Donovan is back. I've also been watching Roadies, created by Cameron Crowe with Luke Wilson and Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth. a behind-the-scenes documentary series about the 2016 American election.

And you? What have you been reading and watching of late?

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