Already one nice summer month gone, and 6 months of the year gone. I will probably not make it for many of my current reading challenges, but it does not matter, I had a very interesting reading month in June.

I read 7 books, only one being non-fiction. Total of 1732 pages, that is 57.7 pages/day. Good, especially as I listened to 2 audiobooks, representing 33:57 hours, so an average of 1:07 hour/day! How did I do this? I listened to many CDs of one on a long trip, and the other audiobook I had actually started last month!

The books I read were:

1. Spartacus, by Ben Kane – click on the link and enter before July 3rd to get it a free hardcover from the publisher!
2. The Harp And The Shadow, by Alejo Carpentier –to be reviewed
3. The Devotion of Suspect X, by Keigo Higashino
4. Antony And Cleopatra, by Shakespeare. –to be reviewed The only non-fiction book I finished this month was its companion:
5. Cliffs Notes on Antony and Cleopatra, by James Bellman
6. Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino –to be reviewed
7. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier – reviewwill be posted around July 17, for the Read-a-long event.
   I just want to tell you I really found this book awesome, as for the quality of its writing – I kept wanting to read over and over again chapter one and paint the property!, and of its plot. Wow, how Gothic, for a book written in 1938! Watch for my review!

The 2 audiobooks  were:

1. Bring Up The Bodies, by Hilary Mantel
2. The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson

My 2 favorites were

Reading Challenges recap

Around the World in 52 books:  19/52
Around the world in 12 books: 6/12
European reading challenge: 7/5 – COMPLETED
I love Italy: 3/3 – COMPLETED
Dewey Decimal: 21/20 – COMPLETED
We want you to read French authors: 6/5 or 10 (ends in August)
Books in translation: 8/10-12
South Asia: 3/7
Middle East: 2/18
My own reading challenge: 1/5
What’s in a Name: 5/6
Ebook challenge: 5/10
Audiobook: 7/12
Support your library: 30/37
Finishing the series: 1/1 – COMPLETED
2nds challenge: 4/3 – COMPLETED
Foodies: 1/3
Japanese literature: 1/8??
Historical novels: 6/7-10
New authors challenge: 16/15 -COMPLETED
A Shakespeare play a month: 5 /12 – 1 BEHIND!
SHAKESPEARE READING MONTH: 1/1   –  COMPLETED
AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE MONTH: 1/1 – COMPLETED
DICKENS READING MONTH: 1/1  – COMPLETED
Graham Green Challenge: 0/1

Special events in June:

– It was great to be part of the  Virtual Author Book Tour on Spartacus: The Gladiator, by Ben Kane. And the giveaway of a brand new hardcover directly from the opublisher is opened until July 2nd midnight!
– Audiobook Week was excellent! See my recap and resolutions.
– I discovered another French blogger, having the same first name, who blogs also in English!! You should go and visit her at Book Around The Corner

In July so far only this:
– Rebecca read-along
– I plan soon to write a post on 3 amazing Christian Orthodox books recently published

I am currently reading:
– The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac The Syrian
– Iraq: The Borrowed Kettle, by Slavoj Zizek
– The Lovers of Algeria, by Anouar Benmalek
– The Taming of The Shrew, by Shakespeare
– Days of Splendor, Days of Glory, by Juliet Grey – ebook
– In The Garden Of Beasts, by Erik larson – audiobook

HOW WAS YOUR JUNE READING MONTH?
ANY SPECIAL READING PLAN FOR JULY?