Our Books of the Month were difficult to pick this month because there are just so many good books out there! After many conversations, we were finally able to settle on these four! Let us know if you have any other suggestions!
Fiction book of the month
Daisy Jones and the Six were the band fo the seventies. Everyone knew them, had listened to their music and wanted tickets to their sold out concerts.
But, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones and the Six split up.
Nobody knew why. Until now…
With incredibly written characters and an atmosphere that captures this era of rock and roll, this novel is captivating, incredible and addictive. Told through a series of interviews and with strong feminist overtones, it will keep you reading until the very end.
When CIA case officer Sam Joseph goes to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad, the two end up in a illicit relationship. This complication creates unspeakable danger for the pair. Especially when they investigate the disapperance of an American spy in Damascus.
But this simple investigation is soon turned into a hunt for a killer with a trail of high-profile assassinations. With the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, they catch the attention of Assad’s spy catcher, Ali Hassan.
This is an intense slow burn of a novel set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion. It will grip you from the first page and drag through this daring story of espionage, loyalty and betrayal. Focusing more on episonage than explosions, McCloskey builds the tension with an expert hand that is supported by well developed characters and a great plot!
Children's Book of the month
It has always been Nora and her mum. But Nora’s mum’s bad days are getting worse, and her good days are getting less frequent.
When the gorgeous rainbow ghosts she used to see when she was young return, Nora is convinced they hold the answers she needs. Following her new ghostly friends on an adventure of a lifetime, Nora will find the strenght she needs to help her family!
This is a brilliant story that’s so well written and riveting you’ll be shocked that you’ve reached the end of the book! You may need to keep the tissues close at hand for this one though. We definitly had a little cry at some parts!
Non-Fiction book of the month
A wave of illegal Chinese immigrants arrived into America in the 1980s. They worked in a shadow economy that was overseen by the ruthless gangs that ruled New York’s Chinatown.
And the ruler of this underworld? A middle aged grandmother known as Sister Ping.
Running a bank for illegal immigrants and smuggling people as her main businesses, Sister Ping built a complex—and often vicious—global conglomerate, relying heavily on familial ties, and employing one of Chinatown’s most violent gangs to protect her power and profits. The Snakehead investigates the inner workings of Cheng Chui Ping aka Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down.
Full of difficult questions about immigration and the people who risk their lives for a better future, Radden Keefe builds a narrative that is difficult to look away from. The Snakehead is a story of immigration, people smuggling, corruption, and organised crime. Definitely worth the read!
Pick up your copy of this excellent work of non-fiction from LitVox today!
Interested in more reading? We do a monthly book recommendation!
