Tag: books

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 29 – January 4

veritywilde

I finished the Christmas and New Year Period with some more time off work, so I got some more reading done, even if I didn’t managed to finish the two incredibly long runners. Yet. I have made progress though, I really have. Anyway, enjoying the freedom from challenges I read two books that I had been saving since last year because I already had those states ticked off (Illinois and Montana) and two more books that I’d been wanted to read but had had to wait because of the need to finish the 50 States (the Nev Fountain and Mimi Pond) Happy New Year to me!

Read:

The Christmas Alibi by J G Colgan

Do Admit by Mimi Pond

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards*

Lies and Dolls by Nev Fountain

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

The Merchant of Menace by Jill Churchill

Jammed with Secrets by Selina Hill*

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

Started:

Silenced at the Book Show by Kim Griswell*

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Still reading:

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

One pre-order dropped onto my Kindle and two more ebooks bought

Bonus picture: We went to Lyveden New Bield for a New Year stroll. You gotta love a finished moat but an unfinished house. Priorities.

*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

Read the USA 2025: The List

veritywilde

It should be noted as the first thing in this post that I am not doing this again this year. There are a few states that have got harder and harder each year to find something that I want to read for them and every year there are books I end up carrying on with that I’m not enjoying so that I can tick the state off. And this feeds into the next issue: the last two months of the year always turn into a mad rush to get things finished – rather than reading what I fancy. And this is when I end up reading those books that I’m not enjoying so that I can get to the end.

But more importantly I find myself thinking about whether I should read x book now or save it to be a state for next year because I’ve already ticked that state off this year. Sometimes that’s the next book in a series, sometimes it’s a new arrival altogether. I’d even already started a chart for 2026 with the things I had in stock and which states they match to. Add to that the fact that with Beverly Jenkins’ Blessings series seemingly complete and I’m nearly at end of the Cupcake Bakery Series and I’m out Kansas and Arizona and it just makes me feel tired thinking about it.

It’s also one too many things to do – I can try and reduce the to-read pile and I can try and reduce the NetGalley backlog, but I can’t do those two *and* read 50 states and the 50 states is the thing I enjoy least. So it’s going and that’s my New Year’s Reading Resolution. That said, here is the final 2025 list, which I completed at 1.30 in the morning of the 28th – a few days earlier than usual but some of these read with much suffering on my part when I would rather have given up on them.

AlabamaMurder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George
AlaskaAny Trope But You by Victoria Lavine*
ArizonaStrawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay
ArkansasThe Murder at the Murder at the Mimosa Inn by Joan Hess
CaliforniaThe Favourites by Layne Fargo
ColoradoDark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
ConnecticutWord to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay
DelawareNew Uses for Old Boyfriends by Beth Kendrick
FloridaGhost Business by Jen DeLuca
GeorgiaInnconvenient Murder by Patti Benning
HawaiiThe George Eliot Murders by Edith Skol
IdahoAnimal Attraction by Jill Shalvis
IllinoisA Farewell to Yarns by Jill Churchill
IndianaA Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley
IowaIced in Iowa by Patti Benning
KansasCalling all Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
KentuckyBeaches, Bungalows and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes
LouisianaTo Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins
MaineScared Off by Barbara Ross
MarylandFinders Keepers by Sarah Adler
MassachusettsWhite House by the Sea by Kate Storey
MichiganOh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy CoCo
MinnesotaShow Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
MississippiDouble Knot by Gretchen Archer
MissouriBig Shot by Julie Mulhern
MontanaWish You Were Here by Jess K Hardy*
NebraskaFangirl the Manga Vol 4 by Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nam
NevadaA Disguise to Die For by Diane Vallere
New HampshireA Killer Edition by Lorna Barrett
New JerseyTastes like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma
New MexicoThe Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy by J Michael Orenduff
New YorkDeadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany
North CarolinaThe Fiance Dilemma by Elena Armas
North DakotaMurder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson
OhioThe Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien
OklahomaThe Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser
OregonMurder on the Mountain by Ellie Alexander
PennsylvaniaRenewing Forever by Kelly Jensen*
Rhode IslandA Matter of Pedigree by Leslie Meier*
South CarolinaThe Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
South DakotaMy Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
TennesseeTaylor’s Version by Stephanie Burt*
TexasDeath of a Cheerleader by Marina Evans*
UtahThe One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
VermontSix Sweets Under by Sarah Fox
VirginiaRockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews
WashingtonBuried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
Washington DCBuffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy
West VirginiaThe Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
WisconsinFear of Frying by Jill Churchill
WyomingSavage Run by C J Box

And as this is the last time, here’s a link back to all the lists from previous years: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, that last one reminding me that this was a pandemic era development and like so many things from the annus horribilis that was 2020 we can quietly let it go. This isn’t quite the last thing you’ll hear about the 50 states – there’s definitely a Recommendsday coming for some of these, but also there’s a bunch of books in series on here that I’m sure you’ll hear more about at some point too.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 22 – December 28

veritywilde

I do hope your Christmas season has been filled with good food and good company and that Santa brought you what you wanted/were hoping for. The weather where I am is Baltic now, which is good because that’s what it’s meant to be like in December, but also a bit of a shock given how mild it has been until now. Still it’s perfect weather for staying inside and keeping warm with a book, and if you have time off because of the festive season or New Year all the better. It should be noted that I have now finished my final state and have read my way across the USA for the year and am freeeeeeeee to read whatever I want. Which may explain why I’ve started two more Christmas books this week and haven’t finished the long runners. But I do want to try and start the new year with a clean sheet so I will keep trying…

Read:

Murder Most Modern by Hugh Morrison

The Christmas Egg by Mary Kelly

Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George

Season of Love by Helena Greer

The Wedding Bait by Adele Buck

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

Started:

The Christmas Alibi by J G Colgan

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards*

Still reading:

Do Admit by Mimi Pond

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Oh dear. There have been a rash of post-Christmas sales from authors that I like and it has been somewhat dangerous. And then I got a stack of books for Christmas which was delightful and you can see what I got on Saturday.

Bonus picture: the Christmas Tree. Tis the season etc.

*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: December 15 – December 21

veritywilde

Three more states ticked off this week, leaving me with only two states to go. Just two. And I’ve still got nine days left in the year. Exciting times. Apart from that, a bit of Christmas reading, a bit of non Christmas read and a lot of Christmas parties last week!

Read:

Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen

All Wrapped Up In You by Rosie Danan

You Better Not Point by Mia Sosa

A Disguise to Die For by Diane Vallere

Murder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson

Started:

Murder Most Modern by Hugh Morrison

Do Admit by Mimi Pond

Still reading:

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Four ebooks bought

Bonus picture: View of wintery London from one of the aforementioned Christmas parties!

*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: December 8 – December 14

veritywilde

A very busy week, and increasing numbers of Christmas books on the list, despite the fact that I still have a couple of states still to go. Two more ticked off this week though. Nearly there.

Read:

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Odd Flamingo by Nina Barden

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander*

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

How My Ex Stole New Year’s by Kate Callaghan*

A Reconstructed Corpse by Simon Brett

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov

Started:

Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth

Still reading:

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Two e-books bought

Bonus picture: My Christmas flowers!

*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: December 1 – December 7

veritywilde

The start of December was cold and sometimes wet, but the Christmas lights are making everything a bit more cheerful, so that’s good. On the reading front, I’m another state down and two more started. But almost more importantly, I got one book off the long runners list. So I’m proud of me, even if I didn’t stick to my goal of finishing off the 50 states before I bought the first in the Last Ditch series and not only have I bought it bt I’ve already read it. I will try and do better this week…

Read:

Renewing Forever by Kelly Jensen*

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage*

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

Scot Free by Catriona MacPherson

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

You Had to Be There by Jodie Harsh*

Thrones, Dominations by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L Sayers

Started:

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

Still reading:

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Two e-books bought.

Bonus picture: Commitment to the Christmas bit at Euston on Friday afternoon.

*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

November Stats

veritywilde

Books read this month: 30*

New books: 26

Re-reads: 4 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 6

NetGalley books read: 1

Kindle Unlimited read: 8

Ebooks: 11

Audiobooks: 4

Non-fiction books: 1

Favourite book: hard to pick – the Phryne Fisher was bittersweet but lovely, the Helen Ellis was fun and I still really, really love Romantic Comedy even if I didn’t love the audiobook narrator’s rendering of the male characters!

Books bought: moving on…

Most read author: Jenn McKinlay if we’re looking at the new reads, Dorothy L Sayers if we include the re-reads too.

Books read in 2025: 346

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 802

I wrote a whole list of books that I was going to read in November at the start of the month, and then about a week later I did an audit of the 50 states challenge and realised that I needed to throw the original list out of the window. And so my major achievement for the month is ticking 16 (!) states off the list. Eight of those were already on either the virtual pile or the physical pile and another four came from Kindle Unlimited, so that was pretty good too. Now I just need to keep the momentum going and tick the last states off – we’re into single figures now so it’s very, very doable…

Bonus picture: I finished the beat the to read shelf bookcase in my journal. All of those green colours are mysteries of various types so you can see a bit of a pattern there…

*often includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – 3 this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: November 24 – November 30

veritywilde

Happy Monday everyone – it’s December and the end of the year is hurtling towards us in a blur of festive events and things to get done before The Big Day. It’s definitely feeling pretty wet and wintery now too, so curling up with a good book feels ever more appealing, even as the to-do lists continue to grow. This week I have plenty of train journeys to do, which usually means for solid reading time, although it does always depend on whether I get a seat or not…

Read:

Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers

Halloween Hijinks by Kathi Daley

The Trouble with Turkeys by Kathi Daley

The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

What Bloody Man is This by Simon Brett

The Murder at The Murder at the Mimosa Inn by Joan Hess

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

Started:

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage*

Still reading:

You Had to Be There by Jodie Harsh*

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Two books (from Riverside Bookshop) and five ebooks as I continue to pick up things to help tick off those missing states…

Bonus picture: a Sunday night fire (and a glimpse of that Olivia Dade paperback I mentioned on Thursday!)

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

series

Series Redux: Ministry is Murder

veritywilde

Advent starts on Sunday, and so I thought now was a great time to remind you all about the Ministry is Murder series given that they’re all set around a church community in Ohio. Your intrepid sleuth is Aggie, the wife of the a minister in a small town in Ohio who is trying to find a balance between what the church thinks the minister’s wife should be doing for them as part of her husband’s job but also having her own life and an extra income to help the family out. You can read my original post here and the BotW post for Beware False Profits. They’re still not on Kindle or Kobo as far as I can see, but they do seem to be relatively easy to get hold of in the US in paperback format. These were my Ohio books for Read the USA for years – but never fear, I’ve found another Ohio-based cozy crime series to replace them with on this year’s list.

Have a great weekend everyone.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: November 17 – November 23

veritywilde

Another week, another four states ticked of the 50 states list. It’s almost looking doable now, but I’m not relaxing too fast because that’s what gets me into trouble. That’s especially true as it’s starting to get proper busy in the run-up to Christmas now, which usually means less free time for reading because I’m out and about having fun – or doing Christmas shopping!

Read:

Savage Run by C J Box

Calling All Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Stranger Danger by Patti Benning

Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay

Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand

Started:

Halloween Hijinks by Kathi Daley

Still reading:

You Had to Be There by Jodie Harsh*

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

One ebook and two book-books bought. Restrained… ish.

Bonus picture: last week’s theatre trip was out to Wembley to see Starlight Express which is a whole experience!

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