Category: The pile

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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:

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:

 

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!

Ok, so I’ll admit there’s a bit of a theme here. But I have a couple of Susan Mallery omnibuses and it’s so easy just to read straight on to the next one. Also I was on late shifts and worked the weekend and they were just what my tired brain needed this week.

Read:

Only His by Susan Mallery

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

Only Us by Susan Mallery

Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen

Rivers of London: Action at a Distance 4 by Ben Aaronovich et al

Almost Summer by Susan Mallery

Summer Days by Susan Mallery

Started:

The Omega Objection by Gail Carriger

Summer Nights by Susan Mallery

Read and Gone by Allison Brook

Still reading:

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

One ebook bought on a kindle daily deal but other than that, nada.

Bonus picture: The Gielgud Theatre on Thursday as I left after the Company matinee, before I headed to the National Theatre for Follies that evening. Double Sondheim. Lovely.

 

 A really busy real life week, but still a lot of reading done. Regulars here may spot an old friend popping up in the read list – I’ve been really lucky and got an early copy of which more anon!

Read:

Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier

Mrs, Presumed Dead by Simon Brett

Well-Read Black Girl ed. Glory Edim

Once Upon A Bride by Jenny Holiday

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear

Death of an Angel by Derek Farrell

Started:

Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen

Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Still reading:

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Only His by Susan Mallery

Two books bought, one from the wish list and one from the secondhand bookstore at Basildon Park – how could I resist?!

Bonus picture: the front of Basildon Park, aka Netherfield Park in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, but which would also make a great setting for a 1920s house party murder mystery!