Tag: reading

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 14 – April 20

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A really, really lovely week. I was off work and it has been really productive and just generally delightful. I’ve read some really good stuff too – a train journey to Brighton and back really helped with that! I have made some more progress on the long runners, but maybe not as much as I would like. I will get there though. I will. I have, however, had a good week on the NetGalley front, so I’ll take my wins where I can get them!

Read:

Devil’s Food by Kerry Greenwood

The Witching Hour by Catriona McPherson

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar*

Death at the Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh

A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith

A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith*

The Mystery at Rake Hall by Maureen Paton*

The Cat Who Saved The Library by Sosuki Natsukawa*

Started:

Fell Murder by E C R Lorac

Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine*

Still reading:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Two books bought, because I can’t resist a bookshop…

Bonus picture: Brighton Beach on Thursday, looking out at the remains of the West Pier.

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

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: April 7 – April 13

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So a couple of things are notable from last week’s list. Lets take them in order. Firstly: I finished the Ruth Galloway series. So that binge is over, and the book hangover has commenced. Secondly a large amount of Kerry Greenwood was read after the news that she had died – I’m more than halfway through Corinna Chapman book three – and would have finished it (and probably the next one too) if I hadn’t suddenly realised that I was going to have to write about other things than Kerry’s books on here in the near future. Thirdly: I’m having a good go at the NetGalley list this month. The Simon Brett is out in a couple of weeks (he’s clearly writing at a rate of knots at the moment!) and the Catriona McPherson came out last week. And I’ve started another one that came out last week. Now should I have read them in a different order: yes. But the fact that I’ve read them is progress in itself!

Read:

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths

Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood

They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie

Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood

Camping and a Steak Out by Patti Benning

Major Bricket and the Circus Corpse by Simon Brett*

At Mrs Lippencote’s by Elizabeth Taylor

The Edinburgh Murders by Catriona McPherson*

Started:

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar*

Devil’s Food by Kerry Greenwood

Still reading:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Four books bought – I just couldn’t help myself… but on the bright side none of them were hardback new releases, so I did at least resist that temptation!

Bonus picture: I have deployed the hammock! Sadly it was so lovely I fell asleep while reading the Cher memoir and ended up with a headache from too much sun and still without having finished the book. But I shan’t let that deter me. I shall put my head in the shade next time and wear a hat.

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

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 31 – April 6

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So, I’m down to the final book in the Ruth Galloway binge, and I paced myself and only let myself start it at the weekend – and didn’t let myself finish it. Whatever will I do when I’ve finished them? Well the answer should be read the April books from NetGalley, but we all know that what should happen and what actually happens can be radically different things when it comes to me! Ahem

Read:

Gemma by Noel Streatfeild

A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths

The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe

The Long Divorce by Edmund Crispin

Dimsie Grows Up by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Started:

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths

The Edinburgh Murders by Catriona McPherson*

Still reading:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Three books bought at the National Trust second hand bookshop on Sunday.

Bonus picture: genuinely starting to feel like winter might be over now. This was Sunday afternoon and it was glorious.

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

books

Book of the Week: The Rest of Our Lives

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Pinch, punch, first day of the month etc to you all – and watch out for April Fool’s jokes today. I used to enjoy going through the newspapers on April first to try and spot the joke stories and adverts. I have a long ago memory of one for a car company (BMW I think) boasting about a new feature on their cars that would turn the oven on from the car to help you with the dinner prep when you got home. I remember how outlandish it seemed at the time – and now here we are in the smart home era with devices of all sorts controllable from your phone – should you want to. Anyway, to today’s book…

The Rest of Our Lives on a book display in Foyles

The Rest of Our Lives follows Tom, who drives his 18-year-old daughter to college in Pittsburgh – and then keeps driving. Various aspects of his life are not going to plan and he drifts himself into a road trip to try and escape. Years earlier when his wife had an affair, Tom had decided that when their youngest child left for college he would leave the marriage – and that moment has now arrived. But it’s also arrived at a moment when he’s just been suspended from his job after his students complained about the politics of his law class, and he’s got a health issue that he’s busy ignoring but from the descriptions you get of it, he really shouldn’t be.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this from the blurb – it could have been a Rich People Problems novel but it’s actually more of a mid life crisis novel. Tom’s in denial about his health, doesn’t want to tell his wife about his work situation or to deal with the underlying issue in their relationship so he finds an excuse to up and run. He doesn’t seem to have anyone in his life that he can talk to properly about things, so you see him find excuses for what he’s doing to the people he meets – right up until the point that he can’t any more. It’s not a long book, but it’s got a lot going on and leaves you with some things to think about as it deals with male loneliness, morality and mortality. It doesn’t have the level of resolution that I get from my regular reads of mystery and romance – but I enjoyed it never the less and it’s a thought provoking read that I think would work really well for book clubs and people who like to read book-club type books.

The Rest of Our Lives came out last week. My copy came via NetGalley, but as you can see I’ve already seen it in the shops, so you should be able to get hold of it ok. And of course it’s also in Kindle and Kobo for £3.99 at time of posting, which is pretty good for a new release hardback.

Happy reading!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 24 – March 30

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A somewhat steady week in books because it was an incredibly busy week in reality life – I went to a concert on Monday night, my sister came to visit, I had two leaving dos to go to, we went to see Dr. Strangelove and then went to see Him Indoors’ family for Mother’s Day. And when I write it all out like that it’s suddenly not a surprise that the list is a little shorter than usual. And it’s nearly the end of March and I have no idea what’s going to go in the quick reviews on account of the fact that a good proportion of the books I’ve read this month have been Ruth Galloway ones. And I’ve got tickets to a show tonight so not a huge amount of time to finish anything else…

Read:

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz*

Ring Leader by Patti Benning

Steak It or Leave It by Patti Benning

Started:

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

Gemma by Noel Streatfeild

Still reading:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

No books bought, mostly because I bought all the rest of the Ruth Galloway’s last week…

Bonus picture: definitely springtime in the village this week. And yes that is the sun, it’s not coming from the street light.

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

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 17 – March 23

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Another good week – nice books and good entertainment when I wasn’t reading with a theatre trip, Formula One on the TV (albeit still in a somewhat antisocial timezone) and a bit of a day out on Sunday too. And it’s starting to feel like spring. The temperatures have improved and it’s light when I catch the train to work now. Of course the clocks haven’t changed yet, so I’m about to be plunged back into darkness but I’ll enjoy a few days of being able to see the alpacas in the field when I go passed them while I can – it’s been a long old winter.

Read:

Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

Dead Water by Ngaio Marsh

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Juliet Overseas by Clare Mallory

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

Started:

The Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman

Still reading:

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz*

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Ummmmm. A few. Because y’know I’m reading the Elly Griffiths back to back and acquiring the next one(s) in the series as I go…

Bonus picture: Kirby Hall this weekend, where we went out to get some culture

Hilariously, the secondhand book sale selection had one of the Puffin Island books in it – the first time I’ve seen any of them in person for ages. It’s like I willed it into being by writing about them on Friday!

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

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 10 – March 16

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Well I can confirm that I am in a full on binge of the Ruth Galloway series. I read three this week, but I also spent a couple of hours tramping around central London after work one day looking for the next in the series at a sensible price (new and secondhand shops, from Charing Cross Road to St Pancras. It was good exercise and in one shop another customer liked my bag (from Strand Books in New York) so much he asked if he could take a picture of it. So that was fun. Anyway, we’re halfway through March, I’m not halfway through my NetGalley books for the month, and I’m acquiring books at a rate of knots. But I’m having fun doing it and I did make some more progress on Cher’s memoir, so I’m not too cross at myself.

Read:

Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh

A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

False Scent by Ngaio Marsh

The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Started:

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz*

Still reading:

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Well as you could tell from Books Incoming, quite a few. That is to say four paperbacks bought and a pre-order arrived plus one ebook and another book preordered.

Bonus picture: the rather delightful wool display system in a haberdashers store in Soho.

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

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 3 – March 9

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Another busy week in life and reading – complete with a migraine in the middle to add to the mix. Anyway, a good proportion of actual books, even if some of them were new purchases rather than from the shelf. And I did get another one off the long running list. Yay me.

Read:

Off With His Head by Ngaio Marsh

The Ten Teacups by Carter Dickson

Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh

The House at Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld

A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Started:

Murder Below Deck by Orlando Murrin*

Still reading:

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Ummmm. Quite a few books acquired. And it’s not just the Kindle offers post that’s responsible – there were also a couple of actual books…

Bonus picture: out by the canal in the lovely spring weather at the weekend

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

Book of the Week, crime

Book of the Week: The Crossing Places

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Happy Tuesday everyone. A couple of weeks back I was asking for new mystery series to read and given that I have remembered about the Stephens and Mephisto series, I thought I should try some of Elly Griffths’s modern set series. And so here we are.

The Crossing Places is the first in Griffiths’s series about Dr Ruth Galloway, who is a forensic archaeologist and professor at a university in Norfolk . This first book sees her called in by the police when a body is discovered in nearby marshland, where she has previously worked on an Iron Age excavation. The investigating officer, chief inspector Nelson was hoping that the body is that of a missing child who vanished a decade earlier. But when a second child goes missing Ruth finds herself drawn into a decade old investigation into the disappearance of a small child.

So I think I have maybe been ignoring these because the covers are quite dark and bleak and thinking they were going to be more psychological than I can cope with. But actually they’re not. This is maybe slightly darker in terms of the actual crime than Ann Granger, but no worse, although I would say that Ruth’s personal life looks set to be more complex than those are. I enjoyed this and read it fast – and then tried to figure out how to get the next one (the answer ended up being Waterstones Carlisle as Bookcase only had Stephens and Mephistos second hand and a much later book in the series new in Bookends. And this is a completed series, so if I keep enjoying them I can binge my way through, book budget permitting.

I bought this on Kindle – and it was on offer – but this should be super easy to get hold of in a bookshop with a sensible crime selection.

Happy Reading!

*I bought other stuff in Bookcase, don’t worry

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: February 17 – February 23

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A good solid week in reading. Two off the long runners list, although the easier too as they are the ebook ones, but it’s still progress. And as we’re hurtling towards the end of February I needed a good week! This week coming looks like it’s going to be a busy one, so we’ll see how that all goes.

Read:

The Kings Loot by Richard Wallace

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh

Big Shot by Julie Mulhern

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

To Catch a Griller by Patti Benning

The Favourites by Layne Fargo*

Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars*

Started:

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Four books bought. Because I was in Carlisle and you all know where I went…

Bonus picture: snowdrops and crocuses in Carlisle this weekend

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