Category: The pile

Happy Monday everyone. I’ve had a very productive week in reading – having finished the Francesca Wade book and got the still reading list down a bit. Need to work on the NetGalley list a bit though!

Read:

Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith

Murder on the Rocks by T E Kinsey*

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz*

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

The Queen Who Came in From the Cold by S J Bennett

Love Songs and Ferry Tales by Julie Farley

The Mystery of the Faberge Egg by S J Bennett

Death is for Death by Harriet F Townson

Started:

The Chateau Murder by Greg Mosse

Still reading:

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Two books bought and one preorder arrived.

Bonus picture: mornings improving…

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

So a somewhat mixed week. On the one hand, I read two new release romances in the week that they came out, so only slightly behind in NetGalley terms. On the other I got completely distracted from reading other things by bingeing my way through the last three of a series so I didn’t finish any of the books I started last week and now the still reading list is huge again. Why do I do this to myself?

Read:

Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths

Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai*

While You Were Seething by Charlotte Stein*

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

How Can I Resist You by Jeevani Charika*

The Great Deceiver by Elly Griffiths

Started:

Murder on the Rocks by T E Kinsey*

Still reading:

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

One and a pre-order

Bonus picture: spring is springing and it’s pink.

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

Happy Bank Holiday Monday to everyone who is celebrating. Here the sun is out and I’m starting to think that we may be using up our quota of nice bank holiday weather! I had a two show week last week, but also the Easter weekend so the reading list is a reflection of that. And also of the fact that I was writing the Kindle Offers post and it was an expensive one as you will see on Wednesday! As for tomorrow’s pick, I sort of gave myself issues by using the French Bookshop Murder to solve last week’s difficulties so I do need to get back on a bit of an even keel. Oh and the re-read of A Case of Life and Limb was the audiobook as it was on offer – and it’s just as good as an audio as it was to read.

Read:

The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse

Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Sky High by Michael Gilbert

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith

The Madonna of Darkness by Hugh Morrison

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula*

Started:

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai*

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

We shall not talk about – no actual books but more than half a dozen kindle books. Whoops.

Bonus picture: On the way out of the Bridge on Wednesday night after Into The Woods.

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

It’s nearly the end of March and Easter is fast approaching. The clocks have sprung forward and my commute this morning was plunged back into darkness again after a couple of weeks of glorious daylight. I had a day off last week and a day of work from home and the lack of commuting reading time on those two days shows up on the list and the fact that I’m not really sure what I’m going to write about tomorrow…

Read:

A Death in the Dark by Ellie Alexander*

A Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh

Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg

Mrs Spy by M J Rowbotham*

Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh

Fishing for Trouble by Elizabeth Logan

Cloaked in Chaos by Patti Benning

Started:

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula*

The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

I managed to resist buying too many books this week, considering how over the top I went last week, but if you are in the market for books, Dawn Tripp’s Jackie is 99p on Kindle at the moment – I don’t know how long it will last because it doesn’t say, but march ends shortly and often that is the cue for price changes.

Bonus picture: I do not need novelty salt and pepper shakers. I do not need novelty salt and pepper shakers…

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

Genuinely cannot tell you how please with myself I am for getting the two longest runners off the list this week. Sadly it happened mostly because I was poorly for a couple of days and stuck at home, but the point is, I did it. Yay me. And aside from that a pretty good week in reading too – I read the new Katherine Center short I mentioned in last week’s BotW and strangely that is one of two on this list which are a second chance romance with hero who is in the Navy. So long since I’ve had a military hero pop-up in a book and then two come along at once. Had a bit of a day out on Saturday – more on that to come – but it was an eight book (purchase) day. Which is great in terms of new reading material, bad in terms of size of the shelf!

Read:

Woof Times by Patti Benning

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Tea’d Off by Patti Benning

Death with a Dark Red Rose by Julia Buckley

Everybody’s Favourite Guy by Katherine Center

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell*

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

A Murder in Eight Cocktails by Kelly Mullen*

Started:

Mrs Spy by M J Rowbotham*

Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

As mentioned up top, eight books bought just on Saturday. Luckily that’s it – apart from one pre-order placed.

Bonus picture: a misty frosty morning on the train, which turned into a 17 degree day! Spring is doing some weird things right now.

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

It’s really starting to feel like the weather can’t make up its mind what it’s doing at the moment. One day it’s so warm you barely need a coat, another it’s blowing a (freezing) gale and raining. I dislike this because it’s impossible to dress for but also because I don’t know if I want to read cosy autumnal books or spring-y new start ones. I’ve got such a huge to-read pile that I really should just pick one and go with it, and yet I find that really hard to do. A solid week of reading though – a couple from the NetGalley list, a couple from the shelf and one break-glass-in-case-of-emergency read because I wasn’t feeling very well. Onwards…

Read:

Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd*

Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Death Waits in the Dark by Julia Buckley

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J D Brinkworth*

Veiled Threat by Patti Benning

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Started:

Death with a Dark Red Rose by Julia Buckley

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Four ebooks and two books bought, two pre-orders arrived.

Bonus picture: Tower Bridge by night on the way to the theatre last week.

*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’m starting to thing that March might be the month of shows – I saw two shows last week, and I’ve got two more this week, and I’ve got another two booked for later in the month already. So on that basis, I’m still pretty pleased with the reading last week, even if I didn’t finish anything from that pesky still reading list. I will try again on that this week.

Read:

And The Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Philips

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

Murder in the Cathedral by Kerry Greenwood

Murder at the Tower by N R Daws*

Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

The Bombay Prince by Sujuta Massey

Started:

Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd*

Death Waits in the Dark by Julia Buckley

Still reading:

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Nothing bought. For once.

Bonus picture: What I saw on Monday – it’s really good, but it’s only on two nights a week and tickets are very limited so if you want to see it, move fast.

*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 pretty solid week, considering that it included a theatre trip, an art gallery trip and another evening out as well. However I seem to be developing a bit of an issue on the still reading shelf by starting books and then not finishing them when I already have a few on the go. So I need to work on that. But on the bright side, more than half of the things I did finish last week were from Netgalley, so that is something.

Read:

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay*

Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm*

The Wedding Bait by Adele Buck

Death on the Lusitania by R L Graham*

Frozen Felonies by Patti Benning

Missing in Soho by Holly Stars*

Started:

And The Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Philips

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

Still reading:

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

We are not talking about the purchases, because a fresh month of kindle deals started yesterday and I bought two more books in the week. Bad Verity.

Bonus picture: One of the most famous paintings from that art gallery trip. And underneath Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier dancing to a song about it…

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