Tag: reading

It’s really starting to feel like the weather can’t make up its mind what it’s doing at the moment. One day it’s so warm you barely need a coat, another it’s blowing a (freezing) gale and raining. I dislike this because it’s impossible to dress for but also because I don’t know if I want to read cosy autumnal books or spring-y new start ones. I’ve got such a huge to-read pile that I really should just pick one and go with it, and yet I find that really hard to do. A solid week of reading though – a couple from the NetGalley list, a couple from the shelf and one break-glass-in-case-of-emergency read because I wasn’t feeling very well. Onwards…

Read:

Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd*

Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Death Waits in the Dark by Julia Buckley

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J D Brinkworth*

Veiled Threat by Patti Benning

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Started:

Death with a Dark Red Rose by Julia Buckley

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Four ebooks and two books bought, two pre-orders arrived.

Bonus picture: Tower Bridge by night on the way to the theatre last week.

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

I’m starting to thing that March might be the month of shows – I saw two shows last week, and I’ve got two more this week, and I’ve got another two booked for later in the month already. So on that basis, I’m still pretty pleased with the reading last week, even if I didn’t finish anything from that pesky still reading list. I will try again on that this week.

Read:

And The Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Philips

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

Murder in the Cathedral by Kerry Greenwood

Murder at the Tower by N R Daws*

Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

The Bombay Prince by Sujuta Massey

Started:

Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd*

Death Waits in the Dark by Julia Buckley

Still reading:

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Nothing bought. For once.

Bonus picture: What I saw on Monday – it’s really good, but it’s only on two nights a week and tickets are very limited so if you want to see it, move fast.

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

A pretty solid week, considering that it included a theatre trip, an art gallery trip and another evening out as well. However I seem to be developing a bit of an issue on the still reading shelf by starting books and then not finishing them when I already have a few on the go. So I need to work on that. But on the bright side, more than half of the things I did finish last week were from Netgalley, so that is something.

Read:

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay*

Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm*

The Wedding Bait by Adele Buck

Death on the Lusitania by R L Graham*

Frozen Felonies by Patti Benning

Missing in Soho by Holly Stars*

Started:

And The Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Philips

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

Still reading:

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

We are not talking about the purchases, because a fresh month of kindle deals started yesterday and I bought two more books in the week. Bad Verity.

Bonus picture: One of the most famous paintings from that art gallery trip. And underneath Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier dancing to a song about it…

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

The Winter Olympics hangover starts here. How will I cope without a ready flow of (winter) sports to watch all day? It’s a whole month until the Figure Skating World Championships and my final skating fix of the season – but at least we have that, for a lot of the other winter sports their seasons ended in Milan-Cortina. What will I do? What’s that? The MotoGP season starts in Thailand on Sunday? Excellent. Anyway, also in last week was a trip to the theatre so I’m surprised I read as much as I did.

Read:

A Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh

A Rookie Mistake by Laura Carter

Hattie Brings Down the House by Patrick Gleeson

Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh

Falling for the Matchmaker by Jennifer Wick*

Edward VIII: The Uncrowned King by Piers Brendon

British Bulldog by Sara Sheridan

Started:

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay*

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr

Still reading:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

Restraint went out the window at the weekend, because Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series were on offer for 99p each on Kindle so I may have bought the lot, and on top of that, there was one of the Alexa Martin’s that I don’t own on offer too so I snapped that up as well as three secondhand books. Ooops.

Bonus picture: my set up on Monday night for the pairs free programme. If you haven’t watched Miura and Kiyahara’s routine, you should.

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

As expected, I’m too busy watching the Winter Olympics (as well as a weekend away!) to get a lot of reading done, so this is a bit of a list dominated by novellas – although I did get two books finished. It could have been a lot worse. This week I have the Winter Olympics *and* a theatre trip so who knows if the situation will be any better come next Monday. I’m really enjoying the Games though and it will soon be over, so I’m not complaining at all.

Read:

The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters

A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood*

Valentines Slay by Navessa Allen

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett*

Buried Blooms by Patti Benning

Started:

Game Changer by Rachael Reid

Still reading:

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

One book bought, no ebooks

Bonus picture: A photo of a very young Kenneth Branaugh in Hamlet at the Birmingham Rep on Saturday night.

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

It’s day three of the Winter Olympics proper and I’m having such a good time watching it all I’m almost surprised I finished anything over the weekend. But I did, although it wasn’t any of the long runners that I’m meant to be targeting. Hey ho, onwards and upwards towards the ice dance, where the Brits have a chance of a medal if all the stars align for them.

Read:

The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy*

Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh

Under Admiralty Arch by S J T Riley*

Familiar Ferocity by Patti Benning

Night Rider by Sloane Fletcher*

Off Script by Bianca Gillam*

Cyanide in the Sun ed Martin Edwards

Started:

n/a

Still reading:

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

One book bought in Waterstones Trafalgar Square

Bonus picture: the Coliseum on Wednesday night before some Gilbert and Sullivan.

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

As I said yesterday, there’s a new Amazon valentines novella series and so there are a few of those on here. Otherwise I’ve nearly finished one of the long runners and so I’m getting there, despite a night out at the theatre in the week and a very busy weekend. Onwards into February.

Read:

Tide Up by Patti Benning

A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead*

The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

Started:

Night Rider by Sloane Fletcher*

Under Admiralty Arch by S J T Riley*

Still reading:

The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy*

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

One book and one ebook bought.

Bonus picture: the Fitzrovia Chapel in almost daylight one day after work this week. It’s getting lighter everyone…

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

Not quite back to normal service after Sheffield because it was a very, very busy week but I’m getting there. And as we’re hurtling towards the end of the month that’s probably for the best. Hopefully now I’m back up to date with everything and I can get down to finishing some more books and not just starting them!

Read:

A Not So Model Home by David James

Managed Mayhem by Patti Benning

Beattie Cavendish and the Highland Hideaway by Mary-Jane Riley*

Walled Off by Patti Benning

The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser

Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Started:

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

Still reading:

The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy*

Future Saints by Ashley Winstead*

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop

Pet Shop Boys, Literally by Chris Heath

No books bought!

Bonus picture: I love an old school logo, and this moving van in Fitzroy square felt like such a mix of modernity and tradition that I had to take a photo!

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