I started my month off with Lessons by Ian McEwan. This tells the life story of Roland, and the lessons he learns along the way. Vaguely comical, this is an entertaining listen, with suitable highs and lows throughout his life. The only sticking point I had with this is that it seemed to show off its knowledge of history a little too much (the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Thatcher, all feature quite heavily).

The final book in the Joubert Family Chronicles, The Map of Bones tells the story of Suzanne as she hunts for the real story of her ancestor Louise in the harsh climate of the Dutch colony of South Africa. I’m a big fan of Kate Mosse’s writing, and have read pretty much all her books. This is no different. Swashbuckling action with mystery and romance thrown in for good measure. The poor Joubert family have suffered enough adventure for centuries, but it at last comes to a dramatic climax in this final book.

If you liked Neil Gaiman, you’ll love The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris! The story of the Moth King and Butterfly Queen’s lost son, this is a tale of hidden London, of underground passages and people who appear and disappear and a market on a non-existent bridge. Expertly read by the author, this is a great adventure story with beautiful fantastical elements. One to listen to again and again, just to discover more and more.