Three fiction books, one non-fiction and two roleplaying games. The roleplaying games were all to do with the preparation of my A|State game at LongCon. This included a full re-read of the A|State Core Rules (I probably effectively did this twice over the month but only counted it once) and the first edition sourcebook The Lostfinder's Guide to Mire End.
The non-fiction was Grace Blakeley's Vulture Capitalism, which was enlightening and depressing to read at the same time. Definitely worth the time to read, as it explores how Neo-liberalism took hold across the western world.
I read three really enjoyable novels in June. Ben Aaronovitch's Stone & Sky was a delightful return to the Rivers of London series, except this story was set in Aberdeen during a holiday for Peter, Bev, the children and Abigail. Oh... and Nightingale! Of course, they're also looking into rumours of a Cryptid. Very enjoyable; not my favourite but great fun.
The First Law of Chaos by Kevin Wignall is an entertaining spy thriller. A university graduate has been recruited into a British Intelligence operation, and things go sideways when he and colleague see something they shouldn't when working cover roles in Slovenia. The story crosses Europe as the protagonists try to find a way out of the mess that they're in and it comes to a satisfying conclusion. Wignall's books are never high literature - this isn't le Carré or Cumming - but they're gripping and well written and I will buy them whenever I see them.
Finally, I read Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel, which is her debut novel. It tells the tale of Lilia, a woman with a mysterious past who can never settle in one place, and Eli, her lover who cannot let her go. Written in delightful prose, the story explores Lilia's past and the reasons why she moves on. I really enjoyed this; St. John Mandel is one of those authors whose prose just draws me through the story and gives me pleasure from the way that it's constructed.
I read this rather than Sea of Tranquility, which was the bookclub pick, because I'd read the latter reasonably recently. That's been a thing the last few months as the books being picked are ones that I have read, and that I may not want to return to right now when there's so much out there that I've not read and have in my 'to read' list.
12 July 2026
