I have done lots of reading this month. Here are the first three books.

The Scent of You by Maggie Alderson was one I borrowed from the library.  It was a feel good read.  I have read other titles by this author and have enjoyed them hence my reason for selecting this one from the library.“Are you still married if you haven’t seen your husband for months?

Polly’s life is great. Her children are away at uni, her glamorous mother — still modelling at eighty-five — is happily settled in a retirement village, and her perfume blog is taking off. Then her husband announces he needs some space and promptly vanishes.

As Polly grapples with her bewildering situation, she clings to a few new friends to keep her going – Shirlee, the loudmouthed yoga student; Guy, the mysterious, infuriating and hugely talented perfumer; and Edward, an old flame from university.

And while she distracts herself with the heady world of luxury perfume, Polly knows she can’t keep reality at bay forever. Eventually she is forced to confront some difficult truths: about her husband, herself and who she really wants to be.”

This was a romance with a twist.  A fun read.

My second book is one that I saw my daughter reading.  It was an unusual book, and a bit quirky, but spoke volumes about society’s expectations of women.

“She found sanctuary in a supermarket. Now she’s about to lose it.

Keiko isn’t normal. At school and university, people find her odd, and her family worries she will never fit in. To make them happy, Keiko takes a job at a newly opened convenience store where she finds peace and purpose in simple daily tasks.

But in Keiko’s circle it just won’t do for an unmarried woman to spend her time stacking shelves and ordering green tea. As the pressure to find a new job – or worse, a husband – increases, Keiko is forced to take desperate action…”

This book is only a short read.  It won the Akutagawa Prize.

Denise Mina is one of my favourite Scottish authors and I have read most of her books.  This is a fairly recent one and again it is one I borrowed from the library.

“Salt water lifts blood. Only salt water.

Loch Lomond is a mile deep but the woman’s body surfaced anyway.

Found bludgeoned and dumped in the water, she now haunts Iain Fraser, the man who put her there. She trusted him and now that misplaced trust is gnawing through Iain’s chest. He thinks it will kill him.

Nearby Helensburgh is an idyllic Victorian town. One-time home to a quarter of all the millionaires in Britain, it is quaint, sleepy and chocolate-box pretty. But the real town is shot through with deception, lies and vested interests.

As tensions rise and the police seek a killer, the conflicts that lurk beneath Helensburgh’s calm waters threaten to explode.

All Iain Fraser has to do is keep on lying.”

This book was full of intrigue.  It certainly had plenty of suspense. Another great read from Denise Mina.