books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: February 4 – February 10

A really busy week – lots of work and I saw two shows – one of which was Laura Linney being absolutely amazing in My Name is Lucy Barton at the Bridge Theatre. If you’re in London, try and see this if you can – it is the very definition of a virtuoso performance.  I finished the Trisha Ashley re-release I mentioned on Wednesday and hold on to your hats, I started another Simon Brett series.  And we know how that ended.

Read:

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

The Skylark’s War by Hilary McKay

Written from the Heart by Trisha Ashley

Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Only Yours by Susan Mallery

A Nice Class of Corpse by Simon Brett

Started:

Well-Read Black Girl ed. Glory Edim

Only His by Susan Mallery

Still reading:

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Binding by Bridget Collins

One book bought (bonus picture below) and one preorder arrived!

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: January 29 – February 3

A really busy week away from the books, which means a slightly shorter list than usual – but I did finish one of the long runners, so that’s good.  And if you missed it over the weekend, check out my post about Roderick Alleyn – the latest in my Golden Age Detective posts – following Lord Peter Wimsey and Albert Campion.

Read:

Rivers of London: Detective Stories 3 by Ben Aaronovitch et al

A Deadly Habit by Simon Brett

The Go-Away Bird by Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner

Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo

Started:

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

Still reading:

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Binding by Bridget Collins

One book pre-ordered, nothing bought.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: January 21 – January 27

Back to the real world this week – although I had a couple of days laid up at home with a poorly ankle.

Read:

Dead Room Farce by Simon Brett

A Decent Interval by Simon Brett

Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian

Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh

Bright Young Dead by Jessica Fellowes

The Cinderella Killer by Simon Brett

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Started:

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Binding by Bridget Collins

One book bought – Lesley-Ann Jones’s biography of Freddie Mercury, after I heard her as the expert on this week’s Great Lives.  She and Matt Lucas made a great duo talking about one of my favourite singers.  I learnt a few things and it was much more nuanced than many interpretations I’ve seen of Freddie’s life.  I’ll keep you posted on the book.

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: January 14 – January 20

Can you tell that I’ve been on holiday? It was my birthday so we went away to get a little bit of sunshine in Spain. It was warmer than the UK, we did lots of sightseeing and I read plenty of books. A win all around.

Read:

Wreath Between the Lines by Daryl Wood Gerber

A Brush with Death by Ali Carter

The Italian’s Passionate Proposal by Sarah Morgan

Sicken and So Die by Simon Brett

Louis and Louise by Julie Cohen

Something to Tell You by Lucy Diamond

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Counting on a Countess by Eva Leigh

Born to be Wilde by Eloisa James

Dance All Night by Alexis Daria

Second Chance Girl by Susan Mallery

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

Started:

Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Bright Young Dead by Jessica Fellowes

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

No books bought – not even at the airport.  Wasn’t I good?!

Bonus picture: the beach on Sunday evening

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: January 7 -January 13

Not bad going this week, even if I do say so myself!

Read:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Corporate Bodies by Simon Brett

Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh

A Crafter Knits a Clue by Holly Quinn

A Reconstructed Corpse by Simon Brett

Tikka Chance On Me by Suleikha Snyder

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody

Started:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Sicken and So Die by Simon Brett

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

One e-book bought so not no books, but I’m trying hard!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 31 – January 6

A little bit of belated Christmas reading this week – some of my library holds came in – and a lot of Charles Paris.  I really need to stop just going straight on to the next in the series, because it’s making picking my BotWs very difficult!

Read:

Trust Me On This by Jennifer Crusie

In this Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear

Dead Giveaway by Simon Brett

What Bloody Man Is That by Simon Brett

A Series of Murders by Simon Brett

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan and Joanna Shupe

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien

Started:

Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh

A Well-Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

One book bought, but other than that, not a bad start to the new year!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 24 – December 30

We’re all out of sync because of the End of Year round ups and New Year lookahead, but here’s what I read over Christmas and in the run up to the end of the year.  Coming up tomorrow is the December and end of year stats.

Read:

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

Murder in the Title by Simon Brett

Not Dead, Only Resting by Simon Brett

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Fear by Bob Woodward

You Say It First by Susan Mallery

Trust Me On This by Jennifer Crusie

Started:

In this Grave Hour by Jacuqeline Winspear

Dead Giveaway by Simon Brett

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

No books bought.  A minor miracle.  Well given that I got given books for Christmas and haven’t really been shopping, maybe not!

Authors I love, book round-ups, The pile

Revisiting My Big Obsessions of 2017

 

Contemporary Romances

After glomming on Jill Shalvis, Susan Elizabeth Philips and Kristen Higgins in 2017, I’ve continued to expand my contemporary romance horizons in 2018.  I’ve read even more Shalvis, Morgan and Crusie and added Alyssa Cole, Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert to the list.  There no-go tropes are still there – billionaires, biker gangs, secret babies – but there’s plenty that I do like and they make a great way to relax and get away from the stresses of the newsroom after a long day of breaking news.

Crime series

As you’ll see from the 2018 obsessions post tomorrow, I’ve read a whole stack of new crime series this year.   The new Hobson and Choi was a Book of the Week and it’s a bit of a spoiler for my Books of the Year post to tell you how much I liked the new Vinyl Detective book. I’ve also continued to work my way through the Royal Spyness series – which I love, despite the title and the fact that I have to not think too hard about the premise – but some of the other series that I discovered last year have faded a little this year as they’ve got longer and deeper.  I’m not naming names though.

Non fiction

I’ve probably read more non-fiction books this year than any year before.  And yes, a lot of that was preparing for my Washington posting, but I’d already read a fair bit of non-fiction by that point. There was more Mary Roach but also more celebrity memoirs than previously.  I’m continuing to try and expand my world-view and the perspectives that I get on the world through my non-fiction reading and it’s been a lot of fun.  However, I haven’t read a lot of straight up history this year, so I’m hoping to change that a little bit in 2019.

I said in this post last year, that my obsessions tend to be quite consistent – and that I was hoping for something new and random in 2018.  I think I’m still working on similar themes to previous years, but the breadth and variety of my non-fiction reading is helping me from becoming boring in my old age!

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 17 – December 23

In case you missed it over the weekend, my festive reading post is up and some of the books on this weeks list feature here too.  I’m finished work for Christmas now, but I’ve still got quite a lot to do so who knows what this list will look like next week!  There’s the usual Book of the Week post tomorrow and I’ve got a few more extras scheduled over the Festive period, so I hope you enjoy them in between all the unwrapping and enormous meals!

Read:

Situation Tragedy by Simon Brett

Murder Unprompted by Simon Brett

A Very Country Christmas by Zara Stoneley

An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles

Christmas with the Sheriff by Victoria James

Campion at Christmas by Margery Allingham

Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

Antidote to Venom by Freeman Willis Crofts

Started:

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Fear by Bob Woodward

One Christmas ebook bought for me and a couple of books as presents for other people – but they don’t count!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 10 – December 16

A really busy week, but still managed to squeeze some reading in – despite a weekend away for work!

Read:

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie

A Comedian Dies by Simon Brett

Lark, the Herald Angels Sing by Donna Andrew

The Dead Side of the Mic by Simon Brett

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Started:

Situation Tragedy by Simon Brett

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

Antidote to Venom by Freeman Willis Crofts

Still reading:

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Fear by Bob Woodward

No books bought except gifts for other people.  Points to me!