Verity Reads Books (lots of them)
In which our heroine attempts to tame the to-read pile
Finishing Christmas week with my festive new arrivals. And people have been paying attention! The three books I was given all came from my list and then the other two were gifts to myself in the Waterstones post-Christmas hardback sale. Lovely stuff.
It’s Boxing Day here at the end of a very emotional Christmas week. Big changes at work just before Christmas mean a longer Christmas break for me than usual, so I’m clinging on to that. And Christmas Day was lovely. I’m still on a Meg Langslow binge though… will I ever finish those long runners?!
Read:
To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert*
The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews
Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews
The Many Dates of Indigo by Amber D Samuel*
Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews
Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews
Started:
The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland*
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe
Several books received (watch this space) and the new Rivers of London graphic novel but that’s it…
Bonus photo: what else could it be but a Christmas tree?
*next to a book book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
Ah. Oh dear. Well it’s not really oh dear because I have enjoyed myself. But I have been burning through the Meg Langslow reread – because I was still poorly (or at least not 100 percent) and it was so cold outside and they’re such lovely comfort reads. Of course this means I have no idea what I’m writing about tomorrow! Never mind. It’s nearly Christmas and you’re allowed a treat!
Read:
A Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh
No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
The Penguin who Knew too Much by Donna Andrews
Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson
Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews
Started:
Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
The Many Dates of Indigo by Amber D Samuel*
To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert*
Well, I bought a stack of second hand copies in a cozy crime series and they arrived – does that count? And I bought the Patrick Radden Keefe because it was on a kindle deal.
Bonus photo: shamelessly using one of mum’s picture this week as I barely left the house – but here is the Dachshund in the snow – I treated myself to a Christmas hoodie this year that says “Dachshund through the snow” so I’m going to claim this is a festive photo too!
*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’ve had a rotten week – I started some sort of virus (not Covid) on Monday afternoon and it just got worse and worse all week – I ended up coming home from London a day early because I couldn’t face another night not in my own bed. I’ve been feeling very sorry for myself. So say hello to comfort reading central on this week’s list – including a lot of Meg Langslow because in my weakened state I appear to have embarked on a reread…
Read:
Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood by Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova
Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska*
Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews
Masters in this Hall by K J Charles
The Chalet School Wins the Trick by Elinor M Brent Dyer
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews
We’ll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews
Owls Well That End Well by Donna Andrews
Started:
The Many Dates of Indigo by Amber D Samuel*
To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert*
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Only one – the K J Charles on the read list. And of course the pre-order of Well Traveled turned up too.
Bonus photo: a picture of one of the panels at the BBC 100 Women event at the Barbican on Monday before I came down with the lurgy.
*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 good week of reading in the end in terms of the mix of genres, even if I didn’t finish any more of the long runners. I’m still working on it though. We’re into December now though – so we have the quick reviews this week after last week’s stats but there is more Christmas stuff coming up and you’ve already had buy me a book and the stuff I bought myself.
Read:
Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
Murder Mystery Book Club by Danielle Collins
Mystery in the Channel by Freeman Willis Crofts
James Bond: My long and eventful search for his father by Len Deighton
This Telling by Cheryl Strayed
Luck of the Draw by Kate Claybourn
A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
Started:
Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska*
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Bonus photo: the South Bank arts complex on Tuesday night as I walked across the river
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
Another super busy week – I’m beginning to think that’s the only sort of weeks that I have these days. Anyway, some interesting reading, one off the long running list and progress made on some of the others. It’s nearly December too, so as well as the usual end of month posts, I’ve been working on all the Christmas content. My Buy me a book for Christmas post is the first of them, but there is much more to come!
Read:
On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera*
An Act of Foul Play by TE Kinsey*
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan*
Crook O’Lune by ECR Lorac
Murder on a Summer’s Day by Frances Brody
Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn
Jane Fills the Breach by Bessie Marchant
Started:
Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Well, there were a few books bought – because as as I said in Buy Me a Book, I did buy a fair few things while putting it together.
Bonus photo: the houseplant obsession continues – one of my friends brought me some cuttings, which I carefully nurtured on my desk for three days before I could take them home. Hopefully they survived the journey…
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
Well that was an interesting week. Another few nights away from home off the back of my weekend at the skating and an evening at the theatre on top of all the usual stuff and the bits I already mentioned. Oh and the Cowboys won on Sunday. And as I think you can probably tell from the list, a good week in reading even if, once again, I failed to reduce the length of the still reading list. This week. I will do better this week.
Read:
Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett*
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
That Summer by Lauren Willig
Death on the Riviera by John Bude
The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett, illustrated by Paul Kidby
Chester House Wins Through by Irene Smith
Shop Wrecked by Olivia Dade
Started:
Murder on a Summer’s Day by Frances Brody
Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Still reading:
On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera*
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan*
Yeah, so I bought some books. All will be revealed in due course on the kindle front, but also my Olivia Dade turned up and the Terry Pratchett graphic novel. What a week.
Bonus photo: Thursday night at the London Palladium with Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme.
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
So, the list has been impacted by a couple of things – the fact that I was away from home for two nights at the start of the week, then I spent the whole weekend watching figure skating – and when you’re at the rink from 8am until after half past ten at night, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for reading! But it was so amazing. Also, I realised at the start of the week that I have the first two books in the S J Bennett series, so I went back to read them first before carrying on with Murder Most Royal.
Read:
Seat of the Scornful by John Dickson Carr
The Windsor Knot by S J Bennett
Death of a Shadow by George Bellairs
A Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett
Fire in the Thatch by E C R Lorac
Started:
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
Still reading:
On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera*
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan*
Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett*
One book bought, in Foyles at the start of the week…
Bonus photo: have a selfie of me at the skating – because all my live action pictures were terrible!
Bonus bonus: have a video of my favourite performance of the weekend – Latvia’s Deniss Vasiljevs skating his Free (long) programme as well as I’ve ever seen him skate.
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
Check it out! I’ve finished some of those long running books. I finally had some time at home with the physical books. And I would have done even better, except that I had a migraine on Thursday last week that basically led to me sleeping for 16 hours and spending as much time as possible in a darkened room. I have another busy week coming up this week, but I am optimistic.
Read:
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatio Sancho by Paterson Joseph*
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
Dashing through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews
Drumsticks by Charlotte Carter
Murder at the Manor by Catherine Coles
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*
Started:
Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett*
On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera*
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Empire by Michael Ball*
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan*
I don’t think I actually bought anything this week. Unless I bought something I have forgotten about, there’s no evidence of purchases in my inbox either.
Bonus photo: in a massive role reversal, I went to listen to my parents play in a concert with their band on Sunday night. They spent many years coming and listening to me playing with school bands, county bands and community bands and now it’s my turn to watch them! They both took up an instrument when they stopped working full time – and it was really cool to see them in action.
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
So as you’ll see, there is a massive Harper Connelly binge as the start of the week and a weekend away at the end of it. And I still managed to get some other stuff read and made progress on the long runners even if you can’t tell that from the list. So it’s a net yay me. And this is the end of October, so we have all the usual things coming up this week for your delectation.
Read:
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
The Hog’s Back Mystery by Freeman Willis Crofts
Rooted in Deceit by Wendy Tyson
Some Hauntings Never Go Out of Fashion by Rose Betancourt
When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Philips
Started:
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan*
Dashing through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews
Still reading:
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra*
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatio Sancho by Paterson Joseph*
The Empire by Michael Ball*
One book bought – but I was going on holiday so it’s practically a requirement!
Bonus photo: some monastic ruins and historic buildings out the back of Canterbury Cathedral cloister. I love a good cathedral.
An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley. ** indicates it was an advance copy from a source other than NetGalley.
Verity Reads Books (lots of them) 