Tag: novels

A much better week. And one with a proper variety of reading material too. I forgot a bit about Otto Laird, so I need to pull my finger out a bit!

Read:

The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

The Other Duke by Jess Michaels

The Ship by Antonia Honeywell

The Burry Man’s Day by Catriona McPherson

Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews

The Merchant of Death by Lisa Henry

Started:

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

Still reading:

The Restoration of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer

No books bought – but a couple acquired…

Hmmm.  Not a hugely productive week – but some good stuff in there.

Read:

Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom

Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Started:

The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

The Other Duke by Jess Michaels

Still reading:

The Restoration of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer – should’ve been on last week’s list but got missed off – and by the time I realised, I was several days after the fact and beyond the point where I felt I could edit the post to add it…

I may have bought a few books this week.  Ok, four paperbacks and three e-books.  And I bought an ebook last week too.  But I was working earlies all weekend so I deserved a treat.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Hmmm.  Half a week off work for my birthday – and I was so busy enjoying myself that I didn’t get much reading done… Still I’ve got a bunch of lates and a weekend coming up, so that’s not going to last…

Read:

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Ridley Road by Jo Bloom

Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan

Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh

Started:

Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

Still reading:

Still no lingerers!

Not a long list this week – but there’s some real quality on it.  The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes took a bit of reading – it’s a real emotional journey – but it is so worth it and you read more about it here tomorrow!

Read:

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy by Vanessa Kelly

The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith

Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn

Started:

 Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Still reading:

Still no lingerers!

I bought Four books this week – naughty me.  But they were all second hand, and all books that I’d had on my to buy list for a while.

I put in a shift or two this week finishing the Stephen Fry so that I could start 2015 without any long running lingerers.  And then I had nightshifts for four nights over New Year….

Read:

Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

The Kennedy Wives by Amber Hunt and David Batcher

Christmas at High Rising by Angela Thirkell

Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander

All I Want For Christmas by Claudia Carroll

The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews

Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

Started:

 How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy by Vanessa Kelly

The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith

Still reading:

None!  New year, new start!

I bought a Kindle book this week – the first Inspector Maigret which was on offer – but that’s it. A positive start to the new year.

 

Turns out working the start of Christmas week – and then being back at work the day after Boxing Day means that I did a surprising amount of reading considering the time of year.

Read:

A Viennese Christmas by Lynn Crain

The Two Gentlemen of Altona by Lisa Henry and JA Rock

These Wonderful Rumours! by May Smith

Death Comes To The Village by Catherine Lloyd

Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith

My Sister’s Song by Gail Carriger

Fairy Debt by Gail Carriger

Marine Biology by Gail Carriger

Started:

The Kennedy Wives by Amber Hunt and David Batcher

Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh

Still reading:

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

I bought ONE book this week (!) and three short stories and I only got given two for Christmas – so the to read pile hasn’t expanded the way I was worried it might.  We head towards 2015…

Not a tremendously productive week in reading terms this week – but the it is the week before Christmas and several of the books that I read were really quite long.

Read:

A Christmas Feast by Katie Fforde

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan

Goodbye Picadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Diary of a Failed Southern Lady by Florence King

Opening Night by Ngaio Marsh

Started:

These Wonderful Rumours! by May Smith

Still reading:

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

 On the brightside no books bought – except for one bought as a Christmas book and re-purposed for me!  Next week however is Christmas week – and I suspect I may well get some books amongst my gifts.  But at least I won’t have bought them for myself!

Reading schedule derailed by a very busy weekend of work – and an urge to re-read some Phryne Fisher (it happens when I’m tired) – but hey – I still did ok.

Read:

Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

The Goddess and the Thief by Essie Fox

Cover Story by Rachel Bailey

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews

Shopaholic on Honeymoon by Sophie Kinsella

Started:

Opening Night by Ngaio Marsh

Still reading:

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

Goodbye Picadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

 One book bought – the next Meg Langslow.  So better work from me on that front.

Considering I’ve been off work this week and not really been commuting, I don’t think I’ve done too badly.  I’ve called time on the Sarah Waters  – there’s so much else I’d rather be reading, and it’s lingered for two months not being read, so I’ve given up.  I’ll keep it around – and I may return to it – but enough people (including The Boy) have told me that it wound them up or left them unsatisfied that I thought I’d rather spend my time on stuff I do enjoy.

I’m trying to delay reading the last Parasol Protectorate story – because once I read it, I’m out of Gail Carriger to read until her next book comes out (in 2015!) so the purchase of a couple of Ngaio Marsh omnibuses in Foyles double Foyalty points promotion last weekend has bee fortuitous.   A bit of Golden Age crime is an excellent distraction!

Read:

The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson

The Grand Duchess of Nowhere by Laurie Graham

One Upon A Christmas Kiss by Manda Collins

How The In-Laws Wrecked Christmas by Fiona Gibson

A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Anna Campbell, Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly and Kate Noble

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh

Started:

Goodbye Picadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

Still reading:

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

The Goddess and the Thief by Essie Fox

 A couple of books bought this week – both Christmas released from Authors that I enjoy, so they’ll probably appear here soon!

Not a bad week of reading really – I’ve done a bit of tackling of the library book backlog as well as some of the actual book backlog.  I’m off work for a week this week – not going anywhere special, just not working – so who knows what will happen reading wise when I don’t have the commute!

Read:

Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews

Death of Yesterday by M C Beaton

Dandy Gilver and a Bothersome Number of Corpses by Catriona McPherson

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn

Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger

Love over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith

If You’ve Got It, Haunt It by Rose Pressey

Started:

The Goddess and the Thief by Essie Fox

The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson

Still reading:

The Grand Duchess of Nowhere by Laurie Graham

More Fool Me by Stephen Fry

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

 I wish I could say that I’ve been a good girl.  But I haven’t.  In the early hours of Monday morning, will power weakened by nightshifts, I ordered two books.  The Foyles were doing double Foyalty points this weekend – so I ordered the next two Inspector Alleyn omnibuses.  And then I had to order a book for my mum for Christmas – and it was less than £10 so I bought another book to bump it over the free delivery threshold.  Where has my willpower gone?!