Category: books

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 29 – September 4

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Another busy week. It started with the end of a nightshift on Bank Holiday Monday morning and then had two nights away from home. I can confirm that the nightshift affected my brain power and concentration as it always does, so it took until the end of the week to make some progress on the long runners. But I have made progress. I’m also trying to pace myself with the new Taylor Jenkins Reid and try and make it last. We’ll see how long that resolution lasts, although it is helped by the fact that I own it in hardback and not on Kindle!

Read:

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

Knit to Kill by Anne Canadeo

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

Death in Soho by Emily Organ

Til Death do is Part by John Dickson Carr

Started:

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Stirring Up Love by Chandra Blumberg*

The Inverts by Crystal Jeans

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*

One book bought, one preorder arrived. Still controlling myself admirably after Bristol…

Bonus photo: I’m still very cross about the one day I missed 500 odd days ago, because who knows how long the streak would be otherwise given that the weekly streak is over four years… when did they start gathering this data anyway? I’ve had a kindle a decade now and I think I’ve probably used it every week of that decade…

An * next to a 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: 33*

New books: 16

Re-reads: 17 (7 audiobooks, 10 books)

Books from the to-read pile: 5

NetGalley books read: 4

Kindle Unlimited read: 2

Ebooks: 5

Library books: 0

Audiobooks: 7

Non-fiction books: 1

Favourite book this month: of the new stuff, Thank You for Listening or Husband Material. But all the Lucy Parkers are still great!

Most read author: Lucy Parker because of that London Celebrities reread!

Books bought: Lets not talk about it. It all went a bit wild at conference and because so many summer reads were on sale!

Books read in 2022: 265

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 658

Shall we just christen this the month of the reread? It started with rereading a bunch of the Sadlers Wells books again, then there were a few rereads/relistens of classic crime – including a Miss Marple ! – and ending with all five London Celebrities books. Quite a fun month all in all – what with outings and conference and some lovely reading.

Bonus picture: another picture from my day out on the way home from Bristol.

*Usually includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – although this month it doesn’t!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 22 – August 28

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I mean I said writing the London Celebrities post had started me on rereading them, but it may have got a little out of control… Anyway, a good week in reading, ending in a bank holiday weekend with an overnight shift at work, so we’ll see what happens as my brain tries to deal with that! I have made some good progress on the long runners too, just not enough to get them off the list!

Read:

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

Star Trap by Simon Brett

Act Like It by Lucy Parker

Pretty Face by Lucy Parker

Making Up by Lucy Parker

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

Headliners by Lucy Parker

Quick Curtain by Alan Melville

Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais

Started:

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*

A restrained week in purchasing – which we can chalk up to lingering guilt after the spree that was Bristol and the fact that I didn’t walk past Foyles when I was in London last week!

Bonus photo: an aperol spritz and curly fries. So orange, but so good!

An * next to a 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 15 – August 21

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The week started in Bristol at the end of conference and then had more nights in London than usual because of the train strikes. But the list is actually pretty good – the new to me books include a couple of my conference purchases, a new release, the latest Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book and a whole bunch of romantic comedies. The extra nights away from home explain why the still reading list is so long – a lot of the stuff on it is actual books – some of them hardbacks – which are at home and I was not!

Read:

Dimsie Carries On by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz*

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

The Friendship Pact by Jill Shalvis

Donut Fall In Love by Jackie Lau

Castle Shade by Laurie R King

A Time to Dance by Robina Beckles Willson

Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh

Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters

In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer*

Started:

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*

Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais

Four books at the National Trust secondhand bookshop on the way home from conference. And another one at Foyles. And then a couple of ebooks. Oopsie daisy.

Bonus photo: the gardens at Dyrham Park, the aforementioned National Trust house on Monday. It was delightful.

An * next to a 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 8 – August 14

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Two nights in London for work? Check. Three nights at book conference? Check. More chatting than book reading? Check. I mean I’m sure I’ll have a lot to say about my weekend talking Girl’s Own books, but today basically all you need to know is that I mostly listened to talks about books and bought books rwther than actually reading them!

Read:

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

No Castanets at the Wells by Lorna Hill

Started:

Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

Castle Shade by Laurie R King

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz*

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*

About 20 actual books and a couple of ebooks too. And I’m not even sorry about it!

Bonus photo: a return to student life for the weekend!

An * next to a 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 1 – August 7

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Two nights away from home, three theatre trips and an evening at the Commonwealth Games. Truly it is a miracle I read anything this week! But I did, go me. This week is looking equally frantic, so goodness knows what next week’s list will look like too.

Read:

Husband Material by Alexis Hall*

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver

The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham

Death Wears a Mask by Ashley Weaver

A Dream of Sadlers Wells by Lorna Hill

Veronica Goes to the Wells by Lorna Hill

Started:

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*

The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz*

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

Castle Shade by Laurie R King

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Two books in Foyles on Monday. I said the willpower wouldn’t last!

Bonus photo: theatre trio three – Glass Menagerie, which I studied at school but had never seen.

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

books

Books in the Wild: New Release edition!

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I’m always saying at the end of book of the week posts that I don’t know how easy a book will be to find in stores, so as I had a little wander through a few book shops this week, so I’m in a position to provide an update!

And let’s start with the fact that Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is getting a big push – which is great. Two spots in the front of Foyles. And I’ve raved about it so much that one of my colleagues has bought it as her holiday book. I hope she likes it now!

I’ve still not finished it, but also getting a good spot near the front is Janina Ramirez’s Femina. Side note: Jarvis Cocker’s Good Pop, Bad Pop is interesting to me, but not in hardback!

After spotting it in Birmingham last week, and at the airport the other month, proof the Richard Coles is everywhere! Also – the Ian Moore is the sequel to Death and Croissants which I read last year and enjoyed the setting more than the mystery – but loved the setting so much I would happily read a second book set around there.

And finally not a book that I’ve read, but one that I spotted for the first time in the store and now really really want to read: Young Bloomsbury by Nino Strachey. Bright Young Things, 1920s, artists, Bohemia – this is all so far up my street it’s unbelievable. But I can probably wait for the paperback or for a kindle price drop. On to the Christmas list it goes!

Happy Saturday everyone one.

books, stats

July Stats

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Books read this month: 29*

New books: 16

Re-reads: 13 (6 audiobooks, 7 books)

Books from the to-read pile: 5

NetGalley books read: 3

Kindle Unlimited read: 1

Ebooks: 6

Library books: 1

Audiobooks: 6

Non-fiction books: 2

Favourite book this month: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Most read author: Kerry Greenwood as I finished the Phryne re-read

Books bought: 13 – 3 books and ten ebooks.

Books read in 2022: 232

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 657

A fairly steady month in reading. I didn’t go too mad with purchases, but we also had a heat wave where it was too hot to concentrate and I’m back in the groove of a night or two in London each week with a social life going on. And then there’s the commonwealth games. So not quite as much read as I expected, but not too bad all in all.

Bonus picture: the Lionesses Mural going up on Thursday evening on Euston Road

*Usually includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – 3 this month graphic novels

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: July 25 – July 31

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Well it’s been an amazing week – Martha Wainwright, Commonwealth Games Gymnastics and then England won the women’s Euros. Is it any surprise that the list is slightly shorter that usual this week? It’s the end of the month too so we have the usual array of review posts coming up this week too. You’re welcome.

Read:

Mean Baby by Selma Blair

The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer

Infamous by Lex Croucher*

The Affair of the Blood Stained Egg Cozy by James Anderson

Riviera Gold by Laurie R King

Rhode Island Rooster by Charlotte Carter

My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith

Started:

Husband Material by Alexis Hall*

Castle Shade by Laurie R King

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Still reading:

Godemersham Park by Gill Hornby*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor

Femina by Janina Ramirez*

No books bought – despite that visit to Waterstones. Don’t worry. It won’t last!

Bonus photo: the giant bull from the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Birmingham city centre on Friday.

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

book related, books

Books in the wild: Waterstones Birmingham

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Firstly, I’m sure the Birmingham Waterstones used to be in a charming old building – that used to be a bank or something like that. But the building I thought it was is now an Apple store and so I’m doubting myself. Anyway the current Waterstones is near the Bullring and I had a little wander on Friday to see what they’re promoting and displaying.

Let’s start with the big display as you come in – which has Jessie Burtons – old and new, the new Juno Dawson book , the Richard Coles that I wrote about the other week and the latest book in a thriller series that is clearly going to be too scary and violent for me!

On the other side, we’ve got the non-fiction selections – I haven’t read any of them, but I’ve got The Premonitions Bureau on the Kindle, as I thought it might appeal to the part of me that enjoyed The Haunting of Alma Fielding the other year. Then there’s Clubland, which I hadn’t heard of, but which is a history of working men’s clubs in the UK and which sounds interesting, although my to read pile is so huge that I can wait for it! I hadn’t come across The Escape Artist either, but that also sounds interesting- about the first Jewish man to break out of Auschwitz and tried to warn the world about what was going on there. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before is a mental health toolkit type book which again sounds interesting and Cry of the Kalahari is presumably there because the film of Where the Crawdad’s Sing has just come out and it’s by Delia Owens and her husband about their life in Africa (and which there have been a number of articles about recently).

A number of books I have written about previously have now made it to the buy one get one half price table – notably Fatal Crossing and The Man Who Died Twice. I’m also somewhat intrigued by the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series – A Three Dog Problem is the second one, but I’ve been looking out for the first at the library.

The non fiction table was where I spotted a few more things – I’ve got the hardback version of Judith Mackrell‘s Going With The Boys, which I really need to get to because I’ve enjoyed her other group biographies (hence my purchase!). I hadn’t heard of Oh What A Lovely Century before – but Roderic Fenwick Owen’s edited Diaries sound right up my street – born in 1921, he went to Eton and Oxford, survived the Second World War and then became a travel writer. The blurb promises that he experienced Nazi Germany and the Pentagon during the Cold War and met people like Jackson Pollack and Sean Connery. He was also attracted to men at a time when it was still illegal in many places. The few pages I read were interesting enough that I nearly bought it – except that it’s a chunky old thing and I didn’t want to have to carry it around in my handback getting battered for the rest of the day. I will be watching out for it.

And there we are – a rare bookshop trip where I didn’t buy anything – but still managed to add a few more books to the list…