Tag: books

books, stats

May Stats

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New books read this month:  34*

Books from the to-read pile: 6

Ebooks read: 27

Books from the Library book pile: 1

Non-fiction books: 1

#ReadHarder categories completed: 7

Pop Sugar categories completed: 12

Most read author: Sue Grafton – four more from the Kinsey Milhone series! (Colin Watson close behind though with three more Flaxborough books)

Books read this year:  157

Books bought:  11 (6 books and 5 ebooks)

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf: 561 (I don’t have copies of all of these!)

*Includes some short stories/novellas/comics (3 this month)

Book of the Week, women's fiction

Book of the Week: In the Unlikely Event

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A bit of women’s fiction for this week’s BotW pick – and I’ve gone with Judy Blume’s adult novel In the Unlikely Event. This had been sitting on my shelf for a while (it was one of the books that got lent to my mum during the great renovation of 2017) and it took me a while to get to it – and to read it – because my copy was hardback and we all know that I don’t take them on the commute with me.

Cover of In the Unlikely Event

In the Unlikely Event tells the story of the worst year of Mimi Ammerman’s life.  At the start of the book we meet her as she heads back to her home town of Elizabeth for the 35 anniversary of three plane crashes that hit her home town within a couple of months.  That was the year that she was 15 and as well as all the usual teenage angst, love affairs, school and family problems, Mimi and her friends had to deal with death falling from the sky towards them. The reader follows the community through the tumultuous period that changed all of their lives forever.

I read a lot of Judy Blume’s children’s books when I was in the right age bracket for them.  Between her and Paual Danziger my early views of what life was life in the US were formed.  From Scoliosis, to party line telephones, to periods and a lot in between, so much of what I knew about young women and teenage girls in America came from what I read in her books.  And, although she’s writing for an adult audience in this, I could feel echos of that coming through.  Mimi’s world isn’t that far different to Margaret’s but as well as seeing the world through her eyes, we also see it through the eyes of some of the adults around her and some of the older teenagers.  And it’s engrossing.  I particularly liked the newspaper articles written by Mimi’s uncle Henry.  They really set the scene for what’s happening and present the official point of view that Mimi doesn’t really see.

It is a book about three plane crashes happening though – but although I had to take some breaks from reading it, it wasn’t as bad as some of the other books about tragedies that I’ve read.  Definitely cope-able with.  And lots of you out there probably won’t even have to take breaks – I’m just a bit of a wuss.  I hadn’t really realised when I started reading this that the three plane crashes in Elizabeth actually happened.  Or if I had, I’d forgotten.  And I found out midway through wen I went googling because it seemed almost too implausible.  At university I did a History and Literature module, and my final essay question was “Literature has to be plausible, history only has to be true.  Discuss”.  If I was writing that essay now, this book would definitely be getting a mention.

Anyway, this was a really interesting read and I know I’ll be lending it on to other people.  I can’t remember exactly where I got my copy from – it was either the magic bookshelf at work or from one of the work booksales – but because I’ve had it for so long it’s been out in paperback for a couple of years nearly.  You should be able to get hold of it from any good sided bookshop or all the usual suspects – as well as on Kindle or Kobo.  As is traditional, I suggest buying from the Big Green Bookshop – they’ll post it out to you and have been running a really lovely “Buy a Stranger a Book” twitter campaign on Wednesdays that will gladden your heart.

Happy Reading!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: May 21 – May 27

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I took advantage of the bank holiday weekend and the healthy state of my read list of the week to do a bit of a 50 pages and out cull on the to-read shelves. And I gave up on the Stella Gibbons too – I think there may have been a reason why that one was unpublished in her lifetime!  I’m also quite pleased with my progress over the last couple of weeks in getting the long-running pile down too.  Go me.

Read:

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

The Flaxborough Crab by Colin Watson

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton

Broomsticks over Flaxborough by Colin Watson

A Most Novel Revenge by Ashley Weaver

39 Winks by Kathleen Valenti

Started:

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe

A Lady’s Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran

Still reading:

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

The Templars by Dan Jones

Three e-books bought.  No actual books – and I’ve cleared a bit of space on the shelf too.  Bonus.

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: May 14 – May 20

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I spent a couple of days in Glasgow for work last week – which involved 11+ hours on a train to get up there and back, so I got a bit of reading done and a few long runners ticked off the list (and some progress on a few more too).  I’m almost pleased with myself.

Read:

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

Fowl of the House of Usher by JR Ripley

Custard Heart by Dorothy Parker

Judge Walden: Back in Session by Peter Murphy

How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Started:

J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton

A Most Novel Revenge by Ashley Weaver

Still reading:

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

The Templars by Dan Jones

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Pure Juliet by Stella Gibbons

One book and one ebook bought.  Progress again!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: May 7 – May 13

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Much more like it this week – and I’ve made some progress on some of the other long runners too.  Feeling much happier with myself.

Read:

Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Making Up by Lucy Parker

Lethal Literature by Kym Roberts

Triage by Tara Crescent

Calamity in Kent by John Rowland

Clean by Juno Dawson

The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson

Joy in the Morning by PG Wodehouse

Dead as a Doornail by Tonya Kappes

Started:

Pure Juliet by Stella Gibbons

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

Still reading:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

The Templars by Dan Jones

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Three books and one ebook, which is not quite as well behaved, but hey, I’m not perfect!

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: April 30 – May 6

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I was going to say that I don’t know what happened, but to be honest, I do know what happened: a busy week at work – including extra hours for local elections and then a sunny bank holiday weekend with family visiting and friends holding BBQs that culminated in me falling asleep on the sofa at 9pm on Sunday evening after a few glasses of Pimms.  It happens.

Read:

The Bachelor and the Beauty Queen by Carolyn Hector

Walden of Berdmonsey by Peter Murphy

H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

One and Only by Jenny Holliday

Started:

Making Up by Lucy Parker

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Still reading:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

The Templars by Dan Jones

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth

A couple of books bought too – I had a weak moment – 3 books and 2 ebooks.

books, stats

April Stats

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New books read this month:  39*

Books from the to-read pile: 7

Ebooks read: 30

Books from the Library book pile: 1

Non-fiction books: 5

#ReadHarder categories completed: 7

Pop Sugar categories completed: 12

Most read author: Sue Grafton – the first SEVEN books of the Kinsey Milhone series!

Books read this year:  129

Books bought:  2 books and  13 ebooks (1 book preorder, 3 ebook preorders)

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf: 566 (I don’t have copies of all of these!)

*Includes some short stories/novellas/comics (3 this month)

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: April 23 – April 29

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The Sue Grafton kick continues.  It’s all Bettina’s fault.  Anyway, a much slower week this week because I was back at work and very, very busy.  But some good stuff in there none the less.

Read:

F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

Left Until Called For At Vivians by Patricia K Caldwell

Under His Kilt by Melissa Blue

Carpe Jugulum: The Play by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs

Going Down by Elise Sax

Man Candy by Elise Sax

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

Started:

Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth

Still reading:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

The Templars by Dan Jones

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

A couple of books pre-ordered and two ebooks bought, but generally quite restrained!

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: April 16 – April 22

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Can you tell what I did last week? Ding, ding, ding! You’re right: I was on holiday and spent my week on a sun lounger reading. Much fun was had.  However this is also the reason why some of the long-runners are still on the list – because I wasn’t taking part-read hardbacks on holiday with me!

Read:

Lonelyheart 4122 by Colin Watson

Charity Ends at Home by Colin Watson

Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver

Nun After the Other by Alice Loweecey

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce

Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery by Cathy Bramley

Bookworm by Lucy Mangan

The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J Duncan

Once a Ferrara Wife by Sarah Morgan

Detective Nosegoode and the Museum Robbery by  Marian Orlon (trans Eliza Marciniak)

The Lido by Libby Page

D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
After the Wedding by Courtney Milan
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton

The Time Traveller’s Guide to Restoration England by Ian Mortimer

Started:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Still reading:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

The Templars by Dan Jones

 

 

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week In Books: April 9 – April 15

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A lot of time spent this week finishing The Vanity Fair Diaries, which turned out to be a bit of a slog. Certainly not quite what I was expecting. But still, not a bad list all in.

Read:

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green

Murderous Mayhem at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown

The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark

Started:

The Templars by Dan Jones

Still reading:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Square and the Tower by Niall Ferguson

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

Two ebooks bought and one actual book.