Category: books

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: September 2 – September 8

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Well that was quite a week! I’m back in the UK now, but I’ve been travelling again for work – this time to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I had an amazing time and I also had a lot of reading time on the journey home. I’ve finally got the still reading list sorted out – but I’ve also started a bunch of stuff so unless I’m careful it’ll be building up again…

Read:

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

Daughter of Time by Joesephine Tey

Let it Crow! Let it Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

The Red House Mystery by A A Milne*

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch

Started:

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer

Hitchcock’s Blondes by Laurence Leamer

Still reading:

N/a

So many I’m trying not too think about it…

Bonus picture: so many pictures I could have chosen from last week, but I’ve gone for this one because the Petronas Towers are iconic and they look so cool at night.

*next to a book book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 26 – September 1

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Well. It’s been a bit of a week. For reasons that will become apparent in the near future, this week was somewhat frantic, even before I added in an extra trip to the theatre for fun and games. Five nights away from home, several early mornings – one of them a *very* early morning and so the list isn’t that great. But I’m much further on in the Anne de Courcy than I was (just not finished it!) and the same with the Alan Bradley. Hopefully September will go a little better than August did!

Read:

Raising the Steaks by Patti Benning

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin*

Steaking a Claim by Patti Benning

Fundraising the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer

Going Infinite by Michael Lewis

Started:

Daughter of Time by Joesephine Tey

Still reading:

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Rather a lot of books bought. Three in Waterstones Gower Street before I went to Kiss Me, Kate (again), another ebook and then two more actual books.

Bonus picture: a dog book rest…

*next to a book book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.

books, stats

August Stats

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Books read this month: 29*

New books: 29

Re-reads: 2 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 9

NetGalley books read: 3

Kindle Unlimited read: 15

Ebooks: 0

Audiobooks: 2

Non-fiction books: 0

Favourite book this month: probably Let’s Play Dead by Sheila Connelly, given that I went and bought the first book and third book in the series straight after I finished it and have read the first one already!

Most read author: Patti Benning

Books bought: not counting…

Books read in 2024: 269

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 742

A very bookish month because of Book Con, even if the stats would seem to belie that. Onwards to September and the rush of new books for the autumn!

Bonus picture: I said I went to Kiss Me Kate again… it’s definitely my favourite show of the summer so have another picture!

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including this month!

Book of the Week, books, Forgotten books

Book of the Week: Guard Your Daughters

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Today’s pick is part of the bounty from that Persephone trip I mentioned on Saturday. And I’m quite pleased with my choice!

Guard Your Daughters is the story of a family of five sisters – four of whom are still living at home, whilst the oldest has recently married. It’s the early 1950s and their mother stops the girls from going to school, or making friends – and if she can from leaving the house at all. Their father is a mystery writer and devoted to his wife and to keeping her from being made ill by goings on around d her. Told by Morgan, the middle sister, in some ways it’s a light and fluffy book as you follow the day to day lives of the girls. But under that there is a darker secret.

I remember my mum saying to me once that as a parent it is your job to bring your children up so that they can go out into the world and live independently without you. On that front, Morgan’s parents appear to have failed big style. The elder girls had a governess, but she left some time before the start of the novel and the youngest sister, Theresa, is going without a proper education and is busy trying to make sure no one forces her out of the world that she’s made for herself. And the elder girls seem to being kept in the sort of splendid isolation that a strict Victorian father might have come up with – encouraged to work on accomplishments – despite the fact that the world has changed. How did eldest sister Pandora manage to escape in marriage? Well read it and you’ll find out.

Interestingly Persephone have included a selection of reader reactions to the end of the book – because this is a bit of a polarising one. I can’t say that I liked many of the characters but I was fascinated to see what was actually going on in the household. I’ve seen some people compare it to I Capture the Castle and I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong, although this is darker than I remember that being. Anyway, I read it in less than a day and it gave me lots of thoughts, so I recommend it!

My copy came from Persephone in Bath – you can order direct from them or you may be able to find it (or order it) in larger bookstores

Happy Reading!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 19 – August 25

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A good week in reading – not least because the long running list is finally nearly under control! I’m really quite pleased with myself. Anyway, finished one series, cleared another few books off the to read pile, which is good because before I went to Book Con I was feeling quite pleased with myself that we were down to just the bookshelf and not a pile in front of the shelves as well – and then i realised that’s because I have a couple of secondary piles near my spot on the sofa. So a fresh push at the physical to-read pile is underway!

Read:

Shamrocks and Murder by Patti Benning

Dimsie Moves Up Again by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Let’s Play Dead by Sheila Connolly

Sugar Coated Murder by Patti Benning

Murder, My Darling by Patti Benning

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmire*

Death and the Maiden by Gladys Mitchell

The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown

Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton

Started:

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

Still reading:

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Two books bought. Trying to restrain myself

Bonus picture: A slight change to my office décor with some lovely Discworld prints.

*next to a book book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.

books, Series I love

Series redux: Campion

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BBC Four showed one of the Peter Davidson Campion adaptations the other week, so I thought this Friday was a good time to remind you about Margery Allingham’s Golden Age series. I’ve re listened to a lot of them on audiobook as well as having read all bar one I think of the original nineteen novels featuring her response to Lord Peter Wimsey. They are dated in patches – some novels much more than others – but so are some of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. If you’re interested in the Queens of Crime and you haven’t read any of these, you should. And you can read my much longer thoughts here.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 12 – August 18

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A super busy week – I started it in Lincolnshire, had a couple of nights in London, went to Paris and then finished it at home – so with all that excitement I’m surprised the list is as long as it is. But hey, it’s slightly better list than last week anyway.

Read:

Ravioli Soup Murder by Patti Benning

Thanksgiving Deli Murder by Patti Benning

A Season of Murder by Patti Benning

The Hazelbourne Ladies’ Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson*

Valentines and Murder by Patti Benning

Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Started:

Dimsie Moves Up Again by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Still reading:

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmire*

Two ebooks bought while I was finishing off the Kindle Offers post and then two books in actual bookshops too.

Bonus picture: breakfast in Paris!

*next to a book book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.

books, The pile

Books Incoming: Mid August edition

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I did Book Con last week, but here’s the other stuff that’s arrive in the last month, not including those ones. So we have two books from Persephone Books – on which more next week. The there is Film Stars at Riverlea which came from a friend, two books from the charity shops – The Fixer Upper and Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk. I said in my post when the new Lady Sherlock came out we would see how long it took for my preorder to turn up – and here is the answer: it arrived on August 8! Then we have Laurence Leamer’s book Hitchcock’s Blondes, which came down in price in hardback and a cozy crime that I got cheap second hand. All very nice.

Happy weekend everyone!

books, series

Series Redux: Willow Creek

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As Jen DeLuca had her new book out yesterday, I’m taking the opportunity to point you at my point about her Renaissance Faire series – variously known as the Well Met, Renn Faire and Willow Creek series, following a group of linked romances all set at or adjacent to a renaissance faire in the town of Willow Creek. I think they’re great fun, and make a great summer read. Here’s my original series post here, and my BotW review of Well Met and preview for Well Travelled as well.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Book of the Week, books, Children's books, Forgotten books

Book of the Week: Film Stars at Riverlea

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It’s only right that the week after Book Conference, my book of the Week pick is a bonkers Girls Own boarding school story. So buckle up, this has got a lot of plot to get though…

I was going to say that I don’t know where to start on the plot, but I do: the start, because this opens on a twin arriving at Riverlea having run away from the boarding school she was attending after the parents decided they would be better apart from each other. And it only gets wilder from there. It’s got (not in order and not exhaustive) film stars, vindictive PE teachers, hidden talents, missing treasure, salvation through cricket, missing heirs, near drowning and a shipwreck. And those last are not at the same time. And it’s only just over 200 pages long.

Now I normally like my school stories a little saner – if by saner we mean the realistic (in comparison) boarding school in the Alps where you might get lost up a mountain that Elinor M Brent Dyer offers. But sometimes you just need something crazy. This was a great way to spend an evening and I thank my friend for letting me read it first.

I can’t even tell you where to get this – it’s long out of print and I’ve never seen it before – but I’m also not expecting many of you to want to read it because it’s niche. So niche. But also hilarious.

Happy Reading!