books, stats

April Stats

New books read this month: 34*

Books from the to-read pile: 8

Ebooks read: 2

NetGalley books read: 6

Library books: 18 (all ebooks)

Non-fiction books: 3

Most read author:  Beverly Jenkins (8 books – 7 Blessings books and one historical romance)

Books read in 2019:  107

Books bought: 2 ebooks, 2 books

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf: 588 (I don’t have copies of all of these!)

A solid month all things considered, and some wonderful books read.  I seem to have swapped the Susan Mallery binge for a Beverly Jenkins one, although now I’m up to date with the Blessings series that may slow down somewhat!

Bonus picture: Finishing April with a trip to Fiddler on the roof on Tuesday night!

Programme and stage set up of Fiddler on the Roof

*Includes some short stories/novellas/comics (1 this month)

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 22 – April 28

After a busy week at work, I spent the weekend working, then watching Maggie Smith do an absolute tour de force in A German Life and then chasing round London supporting my little sister who was running the marathon.  So not as much reading done as some weeks.  But I had a lot of fun – and most of all my sister did it!  She finished the marathon!

Read:

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

The Grave’s A Fine And Private Place by Alan Bradley

Running the Risk by Christina Jones

Stepping to a New Day by Beverly Jenkins

Chasing Down a Dream by Beverly Jenkins

Web of Love by Mary Balogh

Started:

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujaya Massey

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian

Still reading:

Lies, Damned Lies and History by Jodi Taylor

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Trainwreck by Sady Doyle

Three books bought – but they don’t count because they’re kindle copies of some the Cazalet Chronicles to complete the set so that I can re-read Clary and Polly and Rupert and everyone any time I want!

Bonus picture: Timothy West and Hayward Morse talking to Dr Emma Parker at an event at the British Library on Tuesday night about Joe Orton and What the Butler Saw.

Emma Parker, Timothy West and Hayward Morse

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 15 – April 21

So it turns out that rather than use my week off to finish the books I had already started, I mostly used it to go on a Beverly Jenkins binge.  What can I say, my reading brain wants what it wants – and the library was able to oblige. But given that it was Easter week and they’re Christian inspirationals, maybe it was actually quite apt.

Read:

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

Something Old, Something New by Beverly Jenkins

A Wish and a Prayer by Beverly Jenkins

Heart of Gold by Beverly Jenkins

For Your Love by Beverly Jenkins

Due Dilligence by Anna Zabo

Bronzed Betrayals by Ritter Ames

From Duke Til Dawn by Eva Leigh

Started:

The Grave’s A Fine And Private Place by Alan Bradley

Stepping to a New Day by Beverly Jenkins

Still reading:

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Lies, Damned Lies and History by Jodi Taylor

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Trainwreck by Sady Doyle

On the upside: No books bought.  So that’s where all my willpower went!

Bonus Picture: Bank Holiday weekend sunshine.

a park on a sunny day

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 8 – April 14

Another busy week at work and another goodly pile of books read.  And I didn’t do too badly at working my  way down that ongoing reading pile.  I’m not at work this week, so my aim is to do soe more work on the NetGalley backlog as well as on the actual TBR pile.  Wish me luck.

Read:

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

He’s So Fine by Jill Shalvis

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

The Binding by Bridget Collins

One in a Million by Jill Shalvis

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

Twelfth Night: Mary McCartney by Mary McCartney

The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole

Started:

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Trainwreck by Sady Doyle

Still reading:

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

Lies, Damned Lies and History by Jodi Taylor

Two books bought:  the gorgeous Mary McCartney – which is very much a coffee table book, but as I read every word of it, it counts – and the new Cat Sebastian ebook.

Bonus picture: the theatre before Sir Ian McKellen’s one man birthday show on Sunday night!

Theatre programme with picture of Sir Ian McKellen with a stage in the background

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 1 – April 7

Not a bad week’s reading, considering it was a really busy week for various reasons.  But the Still Reading list is starting to look a little out of control, so I’m going to try and tackle that this week.  We’ll see how that goes!

Read:

Just One of the Guys by Kristen Higgins

Operation Atonement by Talia Hibbert

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery

It’s In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Takeover by Anna Zabo

The Return of Mr Campion by Margery Allingham

Started:

He’s So Fine by Jill Shalvis

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

Lies, Damned Lies and History by Jodi Taylor

Still reading:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

No books bought!  Hurrah!

Bonus picture: Misty London on Monday morning. NB: for Maisie Dobbs fans, the square I’m about to walk into is Fitzroy Square where Maisie has her office!

View of the BT tower and Fitzroy Square

books, stats

March Stats

New books read this month: 38*

Books from the to-read pile: 6

Ebooks read: 10

NetGalley books read: 5

Library books: 15 (all ebooks)

Non-fiction books: 6

Most read author: Susan Mallery… again (7 books)

Books read in 2019:  107

Books bought: 6 ebooks, 1 books

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf: 588 (I don’t have copies of all of these!)

Still on the Susan Mallery jag, which is rapidly turning into a contemporary romance binge after Wednesday’s post about diverse romances sent me on a library hold request binge and they all started coming in.  I did try and restrain myself on the book buying front, but…

Bonus Picture: London at sunset on my way to Follies on Thursday!

*Includes some short stories/novellas/comics (9 this month)

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 25 – March 31

It’s been a bit of a week.  First of all I was away for three nights for work – and used each evening to go out and do something, which ate into my reading time.  In fact I was out four evenings – I finally saw The Favourite on Monday, then Taylor Jenkins Reid talking about Daisy Jones and the Six followed by the hilarious A Night at the Musicals with Le Gateau Chocolate and Jonny Woo on Tuesday, Emilia the play on Wednesday and Follies (again) on Thursday.  And then we had dinner guests on Friday.  That’s like a month’s worth of social life in a week for me!  But I’ve been quite productive on the post front – if you missed it, there’s my Quarter 1 favourites post from yesterday and my Romance Recommendations from Wednesday (which I think you can tell have been influencing my reading this week!).

Read:

I’ll Catch You by Farah Rochon

FIT by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

A Second Helping by Beverly Jenkins

Come to Dust by Derek Farrell

Always with You by Talia Hibbert

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Started:

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

Just One of the Guys by Kristen Higgins

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

Operation Atonement by Talia Hibbert

Still reading:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Five ebooks bought or pre-ordered…

Bonus picture: Taylor Jenkins Reid chatting on Tuesday

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 19 – March 24

Started the week in Portugal and ended it by working all weekend, so this week’s list has some plane reading, some commuter reading and some days off work and taking advantage reading!

Read:

From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey Stein

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

The Road to Grantchester by James Runcie

First Comes Marriage by Huda Al-Marashi

Eve’s Hollywood by Eve Babitz

It Happened One Christmas by Susan Mallery

Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole

Mrs Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan

Started:

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Still reading:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

No books bought 🙂

Bonus picture: Creepy statue from a Portuguese monastery.  If i have to have nightmares, so do you:

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 11 – March 18

Two nights away from home for work (including a trip to the theatres) and then a holiday to see friends at the weekend. Sorry, not sorry.

Read:

Who Killed Marilyn Monroe by Liz Evans

Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott

Black Panther: Soul of a Machine by Fabian Nicieza

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross

Started:

The Road to Grantchester by James Runcorn

Still reading:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey Stein

One book bought, several more acquired from my friend…

Bonus picture: Portugal on Saturday:

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 4 – March 10

I had two late shifts (slow trains home!) and three days off in a row last week – and look what it did to my reading list!  And yes, I’m still on that Susan Mallery jag…

Read:

Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

Three Little Words by Susan Mallery

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Started:

Who Killed Marilyn Monroe by Liz Evans

Still reading:

The Binding by Bridget Collins

On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein by Charlie Harmon

Bonus picture: the stage at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket last night while I was waiting for Patti LuPone to be in conversation!

theatre ticket and stage in the background