Category: stats

It’s starting to feel very spring-like. Of course now I’ve said that the weather will probably teach me a lesson, but this week I’ve been wandering around at times without a coat and thinking about getting some of the more summery outfits out. In book terms, I was away for a couple of nights last week so haven’t managed to read much more of the Michael Cragg, so the ongoing list has grown again, but apart from that it was a good week of reading.

Read:

Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L Sayers

Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson

The Hollow Crown by Dan Jones

Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Started:

Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny

The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Reach for the Stars by Michael Cragg

One new arrival – but it was a gift not a purchase and it was also the reason I managed to resist in Daunt – I needed the space for it in my suitcase! But that was it last week. Go me.

Bonus photo: a lamb frolicking. I said it was starting to feel like spring!

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

Well. Two nights away from home off the back of a bank holiday Monday, and today’s list is long, but doesn’t feature any of the long runners, which is a it of a fail. However I am relatively up to date with this month’s NetGalley releases, so that should count for something right? It does mean I’m in a bit of a pickle about what I write about tomorrow, because there is a clear front runner but, well, you’ll see tomorrow. Apologies in advance…

Read:

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle

If Only You by Chloe Liese*

Off With His Head by Ngaio Marsh

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson*

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

A Thief in the Night by K J Charles

This Bird Has Flown by Susanna Hoffs

Started:

Reach for the Stars by Michael Cragg

Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Well you’ve seen three purchases in Books Incoming and there was also one kindle – Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail. I guess it could have been worse?!

Bonus photo: at the Reach for the Stars book event on Thursday night. Very exciting times.

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

I hope you all had a good Easter Sunday if you celebrate – and if you don’t I hope you at least got a bank holiday out of it. We’ve had a lovely long weekend so far and it’s a bank holiday here today, so who knows what I might manage to finish this week coming – after all I got another book off the long runners list this week so that’s progress. I’m also having a good go at getting through the April NetGalley releases I have – I hesitate to even write that down, but I’m trying!

Read:

Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh

The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear*

Unnatural Death by Dorothy L Sayers

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld*

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

Bookman, Dead Style by Paige Shelton

The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish by Karina Yan Glaser

Started:

If Only You by Chloe Liese*

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Well I went into two bookshops on our trip to London on Saturday looking for a specific book with no luck. I’ve now got it reserved at Waterstones Gower Street – but as I haven’t paid for it yet that doesn’t count right? So it’s just one preorder. Check me.

Bonus photo: Easter Sunday afternoon in the countryside with the little dog after a lovely family meal. Exactly how I like a religious holiday.

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

Oh my goodness. I’m making progress on the long runners! Two finished and more progress on the others. I will get there. I will. Anyway we’ve reached the end of the first quarter of the year – and as you can see from the stats I’m on track with the bookshelf challenge, even if the books come from the pile in front of the shelf! And considering how busy last week was, it’s a good list really. Go me. I’ve reached the point in the Alleyn’s where I’m past my favourites and I don’t already own the audiobooks so to conserve my credits I’ve started to re listen to Peter Wimsey as well as given myself permission to skip any Alleyns that I fancy – like the weird one with the kidnapping and the smugglers. Even if it does have some Troy in it. But I make the rules so I can break them too!

Read:

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Whose Body by Dorothy L Sayers

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers

A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Started:

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld*

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

Two books bought – one is the new Lady Sherlock which I’ve finally been able to order in paperback and the other was another book by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka because, well that’s the way I roll isn’t it…

Bonus photo: after Tuesday night at Darren Hayes, it was Sunday afternoon at the Rugby – for England’s win over Italy in the women’s Six Nations.

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

A really good week in reading, helped by dog sitting my parents’ dachshund for three nights – a very silly dog who wants no more than to sit on your lap, or next to your lap, or maybe trying to eat your ears – but anyway a very nice excuse to spend some time reading. And I’ve made some very good progress on some of the long runners too. Fingers crossed on that front too. And I can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of March though. Where has the month gone?

Read:

Swing Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

R in the Month by Nancy Spain

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Opening Night by Ngaio Marsh

What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries*

When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle

How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

Started:

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

A couple of books bought in a book hangover quest to find something as good as the book I had just finished. You’ll find out which tomorrow!

Bonus photo: my sleepy companion for the long weekend. Bless her paws and whiskers.

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

Another busy week, with last minute changes to my plans and all sorts going on. Also several nice meals – some of which I cooked myself! But March marches on and the still reading list has got even longer. But some of them are a lot closer to being finished – that’s why the finished list this week is a little shorter. But I will get there in the end.

Read:

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs

The Cricket Term by Antonia Forest

Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Started:

R in the Month by Nancy Spain

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Still reading:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

One arrived that I bought the other week, a couple of preorders paid for, and two ebooks!

Bonus photo: I started the week with a night out at the Palladium listening to some of the cast of Neighbours talking about working on the show. You weren’t meant to talks pictures inside so you get this I’m afraid!

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

Well. I smell a binge, which isn’t at all what I should be doing. But it is very typical of me of late. Anyhow, I’m enjoying myself so that’s fine, although the length of the still reading list is definitely not. And I have at least one evening entertainment this week coming which is always a risk.

Read:

The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K J Charles*

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh

The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Started:

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Still reading:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

One pre-order and a couple of ebooks but I nobly avoided bookshops for reasons that you will understand when you see the next Books Incoming post!

Bonus photo: winter refuses to go away and treated us to snow this week. Snow. Just want none of us needed. Then it turned to rain and everything was just soggy and squelchy and miserable. And cold. Really quite cold. Even buying a bunch of daffodils didn’t make it feel any more spring like.

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

Well. There’s good news and bad news on this reading list isn’t there. The good news is that I read some really good stuff and found a new cozy crime series to binge. The bad news is that I found a new cozy crime series to binge and everything else went out of the window so the still reading list is even longer than it was before. How typical of me. Anyway, as well as all that we had a lovely weekend in Carlisle visiting my sister – and listened to two entire series of Cabin Pressure and started a third on the journey up and back as Him Indoors was jealous of my trip to see John Finnemore last week. Oh and we finished the new Drive to Survive just in time for the first race of the new F1 season. Motorsport is back baby.

Read:

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Soulless by Gail Carriger

The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson

Deck the Halls by Kate Carlisle

Gone But Not for Garden by Kate Collins*

Started:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

Quite a lot of books bought to be honest – becuase not only did I buy the Diane Mott Davisons, I’ve also written the Kindle offers post which is always dangerous *and* we went to Bookends/Bookcase and I spent literal hours in there and got a bit carried away. Oops.

Bonus photo: the amazing ceiling in Carlisle cathedral. So cool.

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