Category: stats

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 17 – March 23

veritywilde

Another good week – nice books and good entertainment when I wasn’t reading with a theatre trip, Formula One on the TV (albeit still in a somewhat antisocial timezone) and a bit of a day out on Sunday too. And it’s starting to feel like spring. The temperatures have improved and it’s light when I catch the train to work now. Of course the clocks haven’t changed yet, so I’m about to be plunged back into darkness but I’ll enjoy a few days of being able to see the alpacas in the field when I go passed them while I can – it’s been a long old winter.

Read:

Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

Dead Water by Ngaio Marsh

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Juliet Overseas by Clare Mallory

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

Started:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Still reading:

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz*

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Ummmmm. A few. Because y’know I’m reading the Elly Griffiths back to back and acquiring the next one(s) in the series as I go…

Bonus picture: Kirby Hall this weekend, where we went out to get some culture

Hilariously, the secondhand book sale selection had one of the Puffin Island books in it – the first time I’ve seen any of them in person for ages. It’s like I willed it into being by writing about them on Friday!

*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: March 10 – March 16

veritywilde

Well I can confirm that I am in a full on binge of the Ruth Galloway series. I read three this week, but I also spent a couple of hours tramping around central London after work one day looking for the next in the series at a sensible price (new and secondhand shops, from Charing Cross Road to St Pancras. It was good exercise and in one shop another customer liked my bag (from Strand Books in New York) so much he asked if he could take a picture of it. So that was fun. Anyway, we’re halfway through March, I’m not halfway through my NetGalley books for the month, and I’m acquiring books at a rate of knots. But I’m having fun doing it and I did make some more progress on Cher’s memoir, so I’m not too cross at myself.

Read:

Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh

A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh

The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Started:

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz*

Still reading:

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Well as you could tell from Books Incoming, quite a few. That is to say four paperbacks bought and a pre-order arrived plus one ebook and another book preordered.

Bonus picture: the rather delightful wool display system in a haberdashers store in Soho.

*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: March 3 – March 9

veritywilde

Another busy week in life and reading – complete with a migraine in the middle to add to the mix. Anyway, a good proportion of actual books, even if some of them were new purchases rather than from the shelf. And I did get another one off the long running list. Yay me.

Read:

Off With His Head by Ngaio Marsh

The Ten Teacups by Carter Dickson

Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh

The House at Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld

A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Started:

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Still reading:

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Ummmm. Quite a few books acquired. And it’s not just the Kindle offers post that’s responsible – there were also a couple of actual books…

Bonus picture: out by the canal in the lovely spring weather at the weekend

*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: February 24 – March 2

veritywilde

A really, really busy week. They just are some times aren’t they? But it was fun, and I did things in real life and things just seem to all come at once sometimes don’t they? Anyway, it’s March now, and I have a quieter week planned this week – at least I have less things booked into this week than I did last week…

Read:

Opening Night by Ngaio Marsh

The Tube Train Murder by Hugh Morrison

Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh

Shocked in Chicago by Patti Benning

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka*

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

Started:

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Ten Teacups by Carter Dickson

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

One – the new Curtis Sittenfeld because Foyles had signed copies which wer just sitting there staring at me in Foyles, two days ahead of release day – so I cancelled my Amazon pre-order and went with it!

Bonus picture: Another night out at Late Night West End – this time it was Shanay Holmes (current Nancy in Oliver) speaking to John Robyns.

*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

February Stats

veritywilde

Books read this month: 30*

New books: 20

Re-reads: 10 (9 audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 2

NetGalley books read: 5

Kindle Unlimited read: 10

Ebooks: 3

Audiobooks: 9

Non-fiction books: 1

Favourite book: Hard to decide – either The Favourites or The Crossing Places per my stats page on Goodreads

Most read author: hard to tell because only one book finished for everyone except the Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie re-listens, but I did start a second Elly Griffiths book so maybe her?

Books bought: too many

Books read in 2025: 61

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 760

A solid month in the end, although a fair few novellas and audiobook re-listens in there. Onwards to March!

Bonus picture: A relic of my student days is that I am unable to resist a cocktail with Midori in it, even if it comes with googly eyes.

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including 5 this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: February 17 – February 23

veritywilde

A good solid week in reading. Two off the long runners list, although the easier too as they are the ebook ones, but it’s still progress. And as we’re hurtling towards the end of February I needed a good week! This week coming looks like it’s going to be a busy one, so we’ll see how that all goes.

Read:

The Kings Loot by Richard Wallace

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh

Big Shot by Julie Mulhern

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

To Catch a Griller by Patti Benning

The Favourites by Layne Fargo*

Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars*

Started:

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Four books bought. Because I was in Carlisle and you all know where I went…

Bonus picture: snowdrops and crocuses in Carlisle this weekend

*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: February 10 – February 16

veritywilde

Yeah, so the reading list is being held up by the audiobooks and I’m not really sure why, because it felt like an ok week in reading. The Kings Loot is nearly finished though, and I’m not making bad progress on the Holly Stars. But that still reading list is looking a little long, so I need to do a bit of work on that front this week, or at least try to.

Read:

Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh

Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer by Lee Hollis

Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Metropolitan Murders edited by Martin Edwards

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

Murder in the Afternoon by Frances Brody

Started:

The Kings Loot by Richard Wallace

Still reading:

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars*

The Favourites by Layne Fargo*

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

No books bought, which is probably a good thing really things considered.

Bonus picture: Filming in Fitzroy Square on Friday

*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: February 3 – February 9

veritywilde

Well it all went a bit downhill this week after Ballet Shoes – work was insanely busy and I had a cold. And I didn’t even stay up for the start of the Super Bowl – which tells you something about how tired and grotty I was feeling! Fingers crossed for a better week this week…

Read:

A Victim at Valentines by Ellie Alexander*

A Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh

Indignant in Indiana by Patti Benning

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson

Charred to Handle by Patti Benning

Death Upon a Star by Amy Patricia Meade*

Started:

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars*

Metropolitan Murders edited by Martin Edwards

Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer by Lee Hollis

Still reading:

The Favourites by Layne Fargo*

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

One book bought. That’s it. Restrained.

Bonus picture: the National Theatre and South Bank complex looking over towards St Paul’s after Ballet Shoes

*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: January 27 – February 2

veritywilde

Another busy but solid week in the end. Slightly more novellas than usual, but a few things crossed my path and it was a bit of a difficult week so they suited what my brain could cope with. Hopefully this week will be better.

Read:

The Bookstore Sister by Alice Hoffman

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman

Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh

Murder as Fine Art by Carol Carnac

Vexed in Vermont by Patti Benning

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

Oddities in Ohio by Patti Benning

The Fan Who Knew Too Much by Nev Fountain

Tune in Tomorrow by Melanie Benjamin

Started:

A Victim at Valentines by Ellie Alexander*

Still reading:

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson

The Favourites by Layne Fargo*

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

One book, one pre-order. Restrained.

Bonus picture: another jigsaw finished. The Discworld Emporium ones are really tricky. Lots of similar colours in different areas.

*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

January Stats

veritywilde

Books read this month: 31 *

New books: 19

Re-reads: 12 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 5

NetGalley books read: 2

Kindle Unlimited read: 8

Ebooks: 4

Audiobooks: 12

Non-fiction books: 1

Favourite Book: Paradise Problem (although the final part of the Fangirl Manga was also really good)

Most read author: excluding the Ngaio Marsh and Kerry Greenwood audiobooks, Diane Mott Davidson and Vicki Delany with two each.

Books bought: Five books and three ebooks

Books read in 2025: 31

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 760

A very busy month in real life, and a set of stats held up by the fact that it’s the start of the new year and audiobook relistens count to the total again. Relatively restrained on the purchasing front – mostly helped by the fact that a lot of what I wanted to read was in Kindle Unlimited.

Bonus picture: my favourite sign from my visit to Bookends at the start of the month

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