Category: The pile

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: June 17 – June 23

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It seems like we might have brought some summery weather home with us from Gran Canaria! And considering I was back at work from Tuesday, I’m actually pretty pleased with this list of reading last week. All I need to do now is get the hammock set up in the back garden ready for some quality reading time in the sunny weather.

Read:

Lumberjanes Vol 19 by Shannon Watters et al

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

Hearty Homestyle Murder by Patti Benning

Young Bloomsbury by Nino Strachey

Lumberjanes Vol 20 by Shannon Watters et al

Honey BBQ Murder by Patti Benning

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Beef Brisket Murder by Patti Benning

Started:

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K J Charles

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander

Still reading:

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal*

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake*

One ebook bought

Bonus picture: Saturday afternoon in the countryside. There is a boules tournament going on just out of shot, which is less quintessentially British, but this view just made me thing of Constable paintings for some reason.

*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: June 10 – June 16

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So we’ve been on holiday! A week in the sunshine means I’ve read a lot of books – and I finished Travellers in the Third Reich!!! All it took was (another) holiday and I got it done. And it is very good – the only reason it’s taken so long is because it’s long and a tough subject. Anyway, my other major holiday achievement was that I finished all three of the actual books I took with me – one from home and two that I bought at the airport. I think this is the first time this has ever happened.

Read:

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Thai Coconut Murder by Patti Benning

Tomato Basil Murder by Patti Benning

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

The Formula by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg

The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis

Murder at the Monastery by Rev Richard Coles

The Bright Spot by Jill Shalvis

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer*

Started:

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake*

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal*

Still reading:

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

One ebook bought

Bonus picture: A scene from our holiday hike. That’s me striding away from the camera on my way to the bottom of the giant rock. And it might look flat here, but this is the plateau after a bit of a steep climb!

*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, The pile

Books Incoming mid-June edition

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An eclectic selection this month. There are two Lumberjanes that I somehow didn’t get when they first came out, the two books I bought on the way to Lagos, the first Cesare Aldo which I ordered second hand after reading the first on holiday in April, a non-Maisie Jacqueline Winspear and a Lauren Willig that I preordered ages ago and seems to have only just become available in paperback in the UK.

And what I realised after I took this photo is that – despite the fact that there is one Winspear in here so it should have jogged my memory, I forgot to include the final Maisie Dobbs in it. Now is that because I genuinely forgot or because my brain didn’t want to admit that I’d walked down to Waterstones Piccadilly on release day to buy it – and it a hardback at full price too. Thank goodness for a £10 Waterstones loyalty card reward. Even if that means I’ve already spent a lot of money there. And it’s not even the only bookshop I use…

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: June 3 – June 9

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Well that was a week. I’m trying to get ahead on my summer reading so I can recommend some of them but there’s just so much good stuff. And yes I did buy the final Maisie Dobbs, on release day, in hardback – but I am trying to pace myself with it so it’s not over too soon. And given that it is a hardback and I don’t want to wreck it, that may be easier than if I had bought the kindle version!

Read:

Grilled Cheese Murder by Patti Benning

Chicken Pesto Murder by Patti Benning

The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander*

The 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

A Telegram from Le Touqet by John Bude

Started:

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer*

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Three book-books bought, one ebook, two preorders arrived – one ebook and one actual book.

Bonus picture: Virginia Water on Saturday looking so quintessentially English countryside it almost hurts!

*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: May 27 – June 2

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I’m hoping I’m getting into my summer reading stride. Of course it could all go terribly wrong – and it frequently has in the past – but I’m choosing to be optimistic. I think the weird and unpredictable weather has helped with this, because when it’s not sunny outside it’s nice to read summer-y books to hope that the nice (but hopefully not too boiling) weather is coming soon.

Read:

The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood*

The Winner Bakes it All by Jeevani Charika*

Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham

Corned Beef Murder by Patti Benning

Cold Cut Murder by Patti Benning

Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell

A Scream in Soho by John G Brandon

Started:

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

One book bought

Bonus picture: Summer statues near St Paul’s last week, in a rare moment when they weren’t being climbed on by happy children!

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

announcement, The pile

Now we are ten…

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I mean this is slightly late because it was early May that I started this endeavour, and this is the very last day of May, but it’s still May so it still counts. Anyway, it’s been a decade since I started this blog – can you believe it? I can’t for sure. Anyway, the to-read pile that I started this blog to try and guilt myself into reducing remains enormous, but I don’t think there is anything left on it that was still there at the start so that’s something.

It’s quite a small something because the pile has graduated from the little shelves and a stack hiding behind the sofa to a big (if narrow) Billy bookcase and another (little) stack in front of it, but the main thing is that I’ve had a blast writing about all the things I’ve read, and I’m still enjoying it as well. Thank you for reading – I’m off to have a small celebration.

Maybe I should buy a book to mark the occasion?

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: May 20 – May 26

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So it turns out that despite there being no time difference between Nigeria and the UK, it can still make you exhausted. To be honest, I think it was the night flight home that was the big problem – and then I had (another) super busy week on top. Hopefully this week will be calmer/better/easier!

Read:

Lips Like Sugar by Jess K Hardy

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham

Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

An Assassination on the Agenda by T E Kinsey

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham

Pastrami Murder by Patti Benning

Started:

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood*

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Hold on to your hats: No books bought! Frankly I’m as amazed as you are.

Bonus picture: The Mall on Sunday late afternoon – where the Ride London event had been taking place.

*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: May 13 – May 19

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So I got back yesterday morning from a work trip to Nigeria! I spent a week in Lagos and it was amazing – but so very, very hot! Obviously one of the books on this list was last week’s BotW, and I had to leave The Reunion at home (because I was already a third through it) so that didn’t get finished this week – but I did finish the Shardlake, so swings and roundabouts! This week coming is a much more normal week so we’ll see what happens next.

Read:

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

Impact of Evidence by Carol Carnac

Slain in Scotland by Patti Benning

Sovereign by C J Sansom

Nixed in Nantucket by Patti Benning

Started:

Lips Like Sugar by Jess K Hardy

Still reading:

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

One book bought, one pre-order arrived.

Bonus picture: Lagos!

*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: May 6 – May 12

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Not going to lie, there was a slightly fatal flaw in my reading plans this week – I bought two books in Foyles and started reading one of them – forgetting that I was going away at the weekend and that I was going to be too far through it for it to be worth carting it away with me for more than a week (I would have finished it before the end of the first day). And so there we are – a shorter list, with one book that was in contention for BotW unfinished, and no idea what I’m going to do tomorrow. Why am I so bad at organising my reading? Actually it’s not bad at organising. I know what I should be doing, it’s just that I am so easily tempted by shiny new books and then it derails all my plans!

Read:

Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham

Excellent Intentions by Richard Hull

Harbored in Hawaii by Patti Benning

Axed in Alaska by Patti Benning

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood

Started:

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Still reading:

Sovereign by C J Sansom

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Four books bought – two in Foyles and two at the weekend – and two preorders dropped onto my kindle!

Bonus picture: I do love a mews. And I was wandering near work one evening last week and took this one. I could fancy living in one of these. Sadly I do not have the requisite millions!

*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, The pile

Books Incoming: mid-May edition

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If this had been last weekend, there would only have been two books in this picture. I bought the Roman Beaird and the Rory Carroll at the airport on the way to Pisa. But then I went into Foyles on Monday night, and bought the new Alexandria Bellefleur and the Kayla Olson, and when I got home on Thursday the other two had arrived – after taking so long (in the way that second hand orders often do) that I had forgotten I had ordered them in the first place!