Tag: reading

Lovely weather last week meant time to lay in the hammock and read. And there was some really good stuff in there. I’ll certainly be talking about a few of them. Slight rearrangment to the posts this week because of the start of the month falling on a Monday – I’ve decided to do things as usual with a Book of the Week tomorrow and #Recommendsday mini reviews on Wednesday – and so you won’t be getting May stats until Thursday. I think that makes most sense.

Read:

Owl be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stevenson*

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

Taking Up Space by Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi*

The Birds: Short stories by Daphne Du Maurier

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood*

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Started:

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

He’d Rather be Dead by George Bellairs*

Hello World by Hannah Fry

Still reading:

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

Still not counting…

Bonus photo: I treated myself to some flowers to cheer me up – and it worked. Lovely peonies.

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

So lots of nonfiction reading this week, but also lots of problems with concentrating. And it’s been super busy – including my turn to work the weekend. So a short list. But I’m hoping for some quality bank holiday Monday reading time in the hammock.

Read:

Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac

The Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

First in Line by Kate Andersen Brower

Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews

Started:

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Owl be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stevenson*

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood*

Still not counting.

Bonus photo: unexpected peonies in my garden! We haven’t been here quite a year yet, so this is the first time we’ve seen them. And yes. I know there are weeds in the pavers. It’s on the list…

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

Another week where I found it really hard to concentrate on a book – although you may not thing that’s the case from the list! Mostly new (to me) books from old favourite authors this week, becaause that’s all my brain could cope with, although I am making progress on She-Merchants… but it requires proper concentration!

Read:

Yellow Thread Street by William Marshall

A Dangerous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

Slippery Creatures by K J Charles

A Merry Little Murder by Beth Byers

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

Yours for Christmas by Susan Mallery

Writers as Readers by Various

Started:

Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stevenson*

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood*

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

The Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

First in Line by Kate Andersen Brower

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Still not counting books incoming, although I think the number was slightly down last week. Maybe.

Bonus photo: current bedside table status…. basically it’s books and things to help my hands not look drier than a desert!

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

Had a lovely chat with my book club friends over Zoom yesterday afternoon, which really perked me up. Also the weather was glorious on Saturday so I spent a lot of that out reading in the hammock. So that all made up for anything else that had gone wrong in the week. In case you missed them, I wrote about VE Day 75 and the Rivers of London books last week, as well as all my usual stuff, like Mini Reviews from April.

Read:

Defy and Defend by Gail Carriger

Once Upon an Eid edited by S K Ali and Aisah Saeed*

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman

Reticence by Gail Carriger

The Smart Women’s Guide to Murder by Victoria Dowd*

A Springtime Affair by Katie Fforde*

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan

Started:

The Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

First in Line by Kate Andersen Brower

Yellow Thread Street by William Marshall

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

Still not counting, but several books have been incoming this week.

Bonus photo: Bank Holiday Saturday sky, as seem from the hammock in the garden

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

An interesting week in reading and an interesting week in general, which was somewhat derailed by a train failure on my way to work on Saturday – which not only made me late for work but also deprived me of an hour of reading time. Gah. On the brightside, I have a whole string of posts lined up for you because I had a rare burst of creativity in the middle of the week. I am almost pleased with myself.

Read:

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

Staging is Murder by Grace Topping

Dimsie Moves Up by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand*

An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale

Logging Off by Nick Spalding*

Started:

Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen

Reticence by Gail Carriger

Defy and Defend by Gail Carriger

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan

Still not counting how many books I’ve bought, but Defy and Defend came out on Sunday, so how could I not, and a copy of the new Roasting Tin cook book also found it’s way to my house.

Bonus photo: My mum found my grandpa’s nail scissors being pressed into use this week to cut twine in the garden, and there is a family joke about them never being used for their proper purpose. It made me laugh last week, so here is a photo my mum took of them, with a mug for scale.

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

A better week than the previous one – in terms of my mindset at any rate. Some interesting stuff read – some of which you’ll be hearing more of, most of which fits into my current lockdown reading trends. If you missed it on Friday, check out my comfort reads post with some nice escapist reading suggestions for you.

Read:

Death Came Softly by E R C Lorac

Settling Scores by Various authors, intro: Martin Edwards

Dead Famous by Greg Jenner

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker

A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau

The Better Half by Sharon Moaelm*

Started:

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

Logging Off by Nick Spalding*

The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand*

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan

I think I bought a couple of ebooks. But I’m still not counting, because whatever gets you through right?

Bonus photo: I spent most of the weekend in the sunshine in the hammock in the back garden. It was lovely. Warm and sunny and away from the sound of Him Indoors playing Red Dead Redemption 2…

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

I’m going to be honest – I really struggled with everything last week. I’ve lost track of how long this has been going on for, what day of the week it is and everything is blurring into a mass of same-ness. My concentration was a bit shot and it was easier to watch Drag Race than it was to read anything – and I found that really hard to deal with because reading is usually my escape and go-to fix for when I’m feeling blue. Fingers crossed things improve a bit this week.

Read:

A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver

Anna K by Jenny Lee*

Death in Room Five by George Bellairs

A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon

The Papers of A J Wentworth BA by H F Ellis

He Dies and Makes No Sign by Molly Thynne

Started:

Dead Famous by Greg Jenner

Death Came Softly by E R C Lorac

Settling Scores by Various Authors

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan

Still reading:

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

Logging Off by Nick Spalding*

The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand*

The Better Half by Sharon Moaelm*

Bonus photo: My week has been very boring – just around the house and all the bits of London I’ve already sent you pictures of, so here’s something a different. Not my upcycling, but my parents – painting a bench my great-grandfather made in the 1950s. Why did I pick this? Well it felt like something productive, but also because this bench featured highly in pretend games I used to play with my friends when we were little – and these were heavily influenced by what we were reading. So this featured as various things in games about boarding schools, ballet dancers, the Faraway Tree and more. We think it played a petrol pump at one point – although I have no clue what we were playing at that point!

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

I  hope everyone has had a good Easter.  In case you missed them last week – check out my posts about The Cazalet saga and Conjure Women.  Another week of the new normal, and another week where I’ve been finding it easiest to read authors and series that I already know and like. Which of course poses some problems for book of the week picks. I do make like hard for myself sometimes, don’t I?

Read:

The Case of the Famished Parson by George Bellairs

Corpses in Enderby by George Bellairs

A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau

Shirley Flight: Air Hostess in Spain by Trudi Arlen

Murder to Music by Margaret Newman

The Bystander Effect by Catherine Sanderson

The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healy*

Murder at the Folly by Beth Byers

Unflappable by Susie Gilbert*

Started:

Logging Off by Nick Spalding*

The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand*

The Better Half by Sharon Moaelm*

Still reading:

Anna K by Jenny Lee*

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver

I probably bought some ebooks, but at this point time is blurring together and I have no idea whether it was this week or last week…

Bonus photo: Easter lilies blooming right on time in my very sunny garden on Saturday.

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

Well the world doesn’t seem to have got any weirder than it already was in the last week. I mean we’re still staying home unless we really have to go out and being socially distant when we do, so I’m still reading a lot of books with resolutions. I’ve got a bonus post coming up on Wednesday as I’m on the Conjure Women blog tour – and I’m planning a special something for the Easter weekend too. Stay safe everyone.

Read:

Death Between the Pages by Beth Byers

Playing House by Ruby Lang

Murder and the Heir by Beth Byers

Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Kennington House Murder by Beth Byers

Have Your Cake by Elise K Ackers*

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora*

The Case of the Demented Spiv by George Bellairs

Started:

A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver

Murder at the Folly by Beth Byers

The Case of the Famished Parson by George Bellairs

Still reading:

Anna K by Jenny Lee*

The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healy*

Unflappable by Susie Gilbert*

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

I’m still not counting my book purchases – because I’m doing whatever I need to to cheer myself up, and if that’s buying a book, it’s buying a book.

Bonus photo: Another socially distanced weekend on the sofa. This is now my standard weekend view.

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.

Another very weird week. I hope you and all of your loved ones are doing ok, being kind to each other and yourselves and most of all STAYING AT HOME. I continue to be a key worker and make my trips in to the newsroom every few days, and every time it seems to have got quieter – which is exactly what should be happening so keep it up everyone.

Now you may notice a bit of a theme with the list this week – and I blame kindle unlimited for making it so that I could just go straight through a series with no guilt about spending money. Anyway I’m still mostly in the mood for romances and mysteries, but I’m trying to mix a bit of literary fiction in there too.

Read:

Legendary Children by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

Death by the Book by Beth Byers

Left-Handed Death by Richard Hull

Death Witnessed by Beth Byers

Death by Blackmail by Beth Byers

Death Misconstrued by Beth Byers

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Deathly Ever After by Beth Byers

Death in the Mirror by Beth Byers

A Merry Little Death by Beth Byers

Started:

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora*

Death Between the Pages by Beth Byers

Still reading:

Anna K by Jenny Lee*

The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healy*

Unflappable by Susie Gilbert*

She-Merchants, Buchaneers and Gentlewomen by Katie Hickman

A fair few books acquired, more borrowed from the library, very little from the to-read pile read. But it still feels like normal rules are suspended, so I’m being nice to myself about it.

Bonus photo: my mother has reached the tidying out forgotten cupboard stage, so here’s a picture of me and my grandma in a pedalo that she sent me.

An * next to a book title indicates that it came from NetGalley.