TheBookTrail roundup of Travels via books in August

Submitted: 1st September 2019

Literary Summer destinations for the end of the holidays

August is officially the month when many people go on holiday and get most of their yearly reading done. If you have been away or not, enjoyed a stacation or just stayed close to home, hope you’ve had a lovely time. The choice of literary holidays has been particularly good and so hope, wherever you’ve travelled, for real or via a book ( or even both!) , hope you’ve had a wonderful time.

Time to go back over the memories …of where we’ve travelled in August: here are the postcard reviews….

Sardinia and Rome – The Last Concerto by Sara Alexander

Many novels are lyrical but this is almost like reading music and singing each note, feeling the passion in every one, for real. Exquisitely written, this novel immerses you heart and soul into the emotions of the musical journey. A young girl from a poor village in Italy is discovered to have a musical gift. Against all odds, she gains acceptance into a prestigious music school in Rome.That’s just the start of Alba’s journey, musical and otherwise..

Beautiful.

Spain –The Last Promise by Kathryn Hughes

This is emotional! A woman who has never known her mother, receives a key and letter explaining some of why she left and what happened to cause her to leave her daughter behind.. She has to take a trip to Spain to find out the real truth but the journey to the ultimate answers is far from a smooth ride.

Emotional!

North East England – Penshaw by L J Ross

North East is the backdrop for the DCI Ryan series and this time is no different. However, you’ll find yourself on quite the mystery and historical tour with this novel as it delves into the culture and the past of the region like never before. There’s the mining industry, the miners strike and the legend of the mystical Lambton Worm to name but a few things you’ll discover.

The DCI Ryan series of books showcases off some of the most iconic sites in and around the North East of England. Add top stories and complex characters and you’re always guaranteed an exciting stay up North!

Finland – Little Siberia – Antti Tuomainen

What about a visit to coldest, darkest and most remote part of Finland? That’s where Antti sets his novels – where there are few people, plenty of darkness and a murder mystery or two. Oh and let’s not forget the flamingos, the mushrooms and the many other quirks contained within his pages. Little Siberia is my favourite so far – it’s very Fargo-esque with a meteor crashing to earth and frightening the local village. But then opinion turns, and someone wants to exploit this new addition to the remote community. But what exactly is it and who is really in control when a closed-off village finds itself in the media spotlight?

Quirky and special

Edinburgh – Edinburgh – The Darker Arts by Oscar de Muriel

Spooky alert! Reading this somewhere hot would be good as it chills you to the bone with talk of seances, ghostly visits and supernatural goings on. This series of gothic, historical mystery novels with a supernatural twist is very special indeed. The parts of Edinburgh and Scotland you visit are the darkest, most ghostly and creepy you will ever see. The writing is sublime and the banter between the two main characters is brilliantly funny.

Go buy the whole package deal right now!