Tag: reading

What. A. Week. It has been so busy.  So much going on with the election and an overnight shift for results and just being exhausted. So tired. Still, it’s the run in to Christmas now, so that’s good. Can it please calm down a little bit?

Read:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgerstern

Death Beside the Seaside by TE Kinsey

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Katie Racculia

A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian

25 Days ’til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Lumberjanes Vol 13 by Shannon Waters et al

Death on a Quiet Day by Michael Innes

Started:

Look Alive, Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

Still reading:

Christmas Secrets by the Sea by Jane Lovering

No books bought, but one pre-order arrived (the Cat Sebastian).

Bonus photo: I went to the panto on Tuesday night and it was a real trip!

 

We’re into the final stretch of the election campaign, and I had three glorious days off to recover from my weekend at work.  And of course I spent some of them reading.  I’m quite annoyed that I still haven’t managed to post my Christmas-themed book posts yet – why is that I hear you ask, because you’ve seen Christmas books on thes lists for weeks, nay months now. Well it’s because I haven’t liked enough of them so I’ve had to keep on going and finding more to read in the hopes of being able to recommend them.  It has undone all my good work of starting reading the festive stuff early.  But they are coming.  Soon.  I promise.

Read:

St Ann’s on the Anvil by Winifred Norling

Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction by Richard L Bushman

Christmas Calamity at the Vicarage by Emily Organ

All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen

War on Peace by Ronan Farrow

Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

Dear Girls by Ali Wong

Shirley Flight, Air Hostess in The Rajah’s Daughter

Started:

Christmas Secrets by the Sea by Jane Lovering

Death on a Quiet Day by Michael Innes

Still reading:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgerstern

Death Beside the Seaside by TE Kinsey

So I bought some stuff, but they mostly don’t count.  Let me explain: One for ebook for my sister’s book club (she has a kindle hooked up to my account), one ebook as part of her Christmas present from my parents (she’s in China, so posting a book isn’t really an option). And another girls own book (to add to the Shirley Flight’s from last week) but it’s the unabridged version of a Chalet School book I already own, so that doesn’t count either right? And a preorder of the paperback version of the latest Custard Protocol, so that sort of doesn’t count either right?!

And on a completely different note, you may remember how much I loved the Jim Henson biography back in September, so I wanted to mark the passing of Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who was the original Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch who appeared in that book as a supporting role and who died over the weekend at the age of 85. And another loss on Sunday was the actor Rene Auberjonois – who played Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space 9. I don’t think I’ve talked much about my love of Star Trek as a child and teen, but I feel like I grew up watching the three Next Generation-era series and he was one of the best things about DS9.

Bonus photo: Quality winter comfort food (and my slipper) as the cold weather starts to make me want to eat nothing but casseroles.

 

This year really just won’t quit. It keeps on being insanely busy even when it should be getting into Christmas mode.  And this week has been stressful too, so check out the result of a string of late night train journeys, a weekend at work and the need to destress through reading. Impressive no?

Read:

The Likeability Trap by Alicia Menendez

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Love, Parisienne by Florence Besson, Eva Amour and Claire Steinlen

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

Competence by Gail Carriger

A Kiss for Mid-winter by Courtney Milan

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Started:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgerstern

Death Beside the Seaside by TE Kinsey

Still reading:

War on Peace by Ronan Farrow

A couple of books bought – but mostly as Christmas presents.  There may have been a few Girls Own in there too though..

Bonus photo: Will there ever be a satisfactory way to shelf my Gail Carriger books? Probably not.

I used my three days off to read books. Can you tell? And I needed the relaxation because my days at work were Very Busy. But then it’s still election season isn’t it. Only three weeks to go…

Read:

Shirley Flight, Air Hostess and the Congo Rescue by Judith Dale

Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

Maid of the Abbey by Elsie J Oxenham

Bad to the Bone by Katy Munger

Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries and Mary-Jo Putney

It Happened on Christmas Eve by Kirsty Greenwood

Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian

The Banks by Roxane Gay and Ming Doyle

Meant to be Yours by Susan Mallery

A Very Merry Princess by Susan Mallery

Started:

Competence by Gail Carriger

The Likeability Trap by Alicia Menendez

War on Peace by Ronan Farrow

Still reading:

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser

A couple of ebooks bought. And some Christmas presents. But they don’t count because they’re not for me.

Bonus photo: the winter soup cauldron. Now back out for the season and in heavy rotation.

Hooo boy what a week.  Three nights away from home at the start of the week on early shifts which were insanely busy with the election, and then another night away at the weekend because I was working – and that work involved a certain Royal Interview which is being much talked about.  All that plus a trip to the cinema (Le Mans 66 aka Ford v Ferrari) and to see some comedy (Dave Gorman). November may not be my month!

Read:

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Shirley Flight, Air Hostess and the Great Bullion Mystery by Judith Dale

Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles

Lumberjanes vol 12: Jackalope Springs Eternal by Shannon Waters et al

Gilded Cage by KJ Charles

Started:

Bad to the Bone by Katy Munger

Shirley Flight, Air Hostess and the Congo Rescue by Judith Dale

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser

Still reading:

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

One book bought – a kindle daily deal impulse buy in a moment of weakness on Sunday.  It was a week.

Bonus photo: A typically mad cover for a Shirley Flight novel…

A super busy week. Again.  Also I spent Sunday at two concerts, which was amazing, but obviously not reading.  Maybe I’m finally getting my reading and everything else balance sorted out?

Read:

Already Home by Susan Mallery

The Princess Plan by Julia London

Wrapped Up In You by Jill Shalvis

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths

Started:

Shirley Flight, Air Hostess and the Great Bullion Mystery by Judith Dale

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles

Still reading:

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

Three books – all Girls Own stuff – bought in a moment of weakness. Lovely stuff.

Bonus photo: The stage ahead of Maria Friedman’s concert at the Southbank Centre on Sunday night.

A really, really busy week – what with an election coming our way in the UK in December and a family wedding to go to (and then recover from!).

Read:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Lumberjanes Vol 11 by Shannon Watters et al

Died and Gone to Devon by TP Fielden

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina Yan Glaser

Started:

Wrapped Up In You by Jill Shalvis

Already Home by Susan Mallery

Still reading:

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

No books bought – no time!

Bonus photo: a rare sighting of me, here I am in my finery at the wedding reception!

 

A week of finishing books and starting new ones. I nearly finished the Cormoran Strike on Sunday night, but it’s not exactly bedtime reading and I had to switch to something different last thing to try and avoid nightmares. I know, I’m a big child.

Read:

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

A Christmas to Remember by Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton and Vivienne Loret

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe

My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Started:

Died and Gone to Devon by TP Fielden

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina Yan Glaser

The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Still reading:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Bonus photo: a cache of books from my childhood, rediscovered in some boxes from my parents’ garage (delivered to me to deal with now we’re in the new house). And yes, I was reading Agatha Christie at the top end of primary school, at the same sort of time I was reading Narnia…

 

 

It has been a week. I mean if you live in the UK I’m sure you’re well aware, but for those of you in the rest of the world, let me tell you, it has been a ride.  And I’ve been at work for a lot of it.  Consequently not a lot of reading has happened and I’ve had trouble finding stuff to read that fitted my mood, but a bit of stress-related book-buying has happened.  Tant pis.  On the brightside, I’ve started the Christmas-themed reading, which makes me somewhat better organised than I was last year.  Or better organised *at the moment* at least.

Read:

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

Vacationland by John Hodgman

Started:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

Still reading:

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams

Two books bought. One more pre-order arrived – after some aggressive chasing of a certain multinational mega-company who took my order in June, emailed me last week to say it wasn’t going to dispatch until November and yet had it as available with Prime on their website on release day. Colour me unimpressed.  I like to pre-order books from authors that I really like because it helps them with their publishers.  But I really wish the aforementioned company did their pre-order price guarantee on ebook orders because it would be so much easier all around.

Bonus photo: Sunday night dinner, as prepared by Him Indoors – the dish we call Coq O’ven – because it’s Coq au vin done in the oven.  The recipe is from The Roasting Tin which, along with its two sequels, is in frequent rotation chez nous.

 

 

 

A real mix of reading this week – with everything from graphic novels aimed at middle graders to prize winning translated fiction with romance and Hollywood history in between.

Read:

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

The Castle on Sunset by Shaun Levy

Lumberjanes Vol 10 by Shannon Waters et al

Backstagers Vol 1 by James Tynion IV et al

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

The Order of the Day by Eric Vuillard

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Started:

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams

Still reading:

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Four books bought, no ebooks.  And one of the books was a book that had been recommended to me earlier in the week and that I then spotted in the charity shop serendipitously, so I can hardly be blamed for that right?

Bonus photo: my first attempt at flower arranging. I need help. Is there a book for that?