It’s been a long week already hasn’t it? We woke up on Wednesday morning to another school shooting in the US and it’s all feeling pretty bleak. I wanted to have something about a new release to write about today, but instead I carried on reading the fourth Vicky Bliss so I haven’t finished either of the options I had. I regret nothing. Instead I’m going to drop a link here to my escapist reading post from back in Peak Covid times, and go back to Vicky’s adventures.
Stay safe everyone.
Updated: One of my book deal emails has just dropped and the new Nicola Upson book, Dear Little Corpses, is 99p on Kindle today, so if you liked the sound of that series in my Josephine Tey mystery series post, then there’s that there for you!
It’s not quite a month since my (first) positive covid test, but I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled programming for an update, because hey, why not.
I think I’m mostly back to normal. I’ve got a slight residual cough and the back of my throat still feels a bit raw. I’m probably still blowing my nose a bit more than usual. I’m still getting quite tired and i got a bit puffed out going up all the stairs at work the other day – but that could just be me talking and walking up stairs too fast… I’m also sticking to that recommendation from some cardiologist somewhere that you’re less likely to get long covid if you avoid strenuous exercise for six weeks. It’s not just that I hate running and it’s a good excuse not to go do it – I’ll have you know I bought new running shoes the weekend before I caught covid and I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet!
In reading terms, I’m struggling to focus a little bit and the temptation to reread stuff is near impossible to resist sometimes. I was doing really well in early March with the NetGalley list and then it all came undone because almost everything I had due next required more brain power that I had to give – or wasn’t certain to have a resolution. But I think I’m clawing it back around slowly. Of course the difficulty with this is making sure that I’ve read something each week that I like enough to write about for Book of the Week, but I’ve managed it so far. Although this week may yet be the exception of course.
Even pre my covid I had cut back a bit on my podcasts in favourite of audiobooks and that trend has only continued. I’m working my way through the theatrical Inspector Alleyns at the moment with a side order of Gaudy Night when needed (plus ça change etc) and then Amelia Peabody as well (we’re back in 1914 again and oh my goodness Thunder in the Sky is so good). I’ve started a couple of Angela Thirkells but they just haven’t hit the spot so far in the way that the murder mysteries and Amelia do. My brain. Such a weird place.
Anyway, that’s the update from me. I’ve been very fortunate – now that I’ve had it with the tests to prove it I am fairly sure I had It but worse in January 2020, so thank goodness for the vaccines etc and may I be fortunate enough not to catch it again for another two years – if at all.
Verity Reads Books (lots of them) 