books, stats

September Stats

Books read this month: 36* which seems like more than I was expecting!

New books: 29

Re-reads: 7 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 13

NetGalley books read: 4

Kindle Unlimited read: 8

Ebooks: 4

Audiobooks: 7

Non-fiction books: 5

Favourite book this month: Kingmaker or the Masquerades of Spring

Most read author: Sheila Connolly – four in the Fundraising the Dead series

Books bought: still not counting, because Kuala Lumpur was… book heavy

Books read in 2024: 305

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 747

A pretty solid month I’m going to say helped a fair bit by those long haul flights right at the start. And now we enter the last quarter of the year heading towards the festive season and all the Christmas books…

Bonus picture: Worrals goes East may have been a terrible book, but it did push me over the 200 book mark for the year. Time to up the target!

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including 4 this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: September 23 – September 29

A total mix of reading this week – non-fiction, fiction, children’s fiction, murder mysteries, new stuff, old stuff. And it’s been a real mixed bag although it was fairly easy to decide what to write about tomorrow! And tomorrow is the start of a new month too, so there’ll be all the usual bits and pieces this week as well.

Read:

Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell*

Hitchcock’s Blondes by Laurence Leamer

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Sniffed Out by Patti Benning

Ruff Stuff by Patti Benning

Worrals goes East by W E Johns

Rocking It by Patti Benning

High Style and Homicide by Kathleen Bridge*

Started:

Dead End Street by Sheila Connolly

Still reading:

Tour de Force by Christianna Brand

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

No books bought. A minor miracle.

Bonus picture: it has been so wet this week. It feels like it hasn’t really stopped raining, although of course it has. This is a photo from outside town at the start of the week (thanks dad!) – basically you shouldn’t be able to see any water here – the brook runs between the trees to the right – and is usually well out of sight.

*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: September 16 – September 22

A slightly shorter list than I would have hoped this week, but Kingmaker is *really* long – 500+ pages all in – but it’s also really good, so I’ve spent a fair bit of time reading that this week. And I’m nearly done with Hitchcock’s Blondes too – I’ve reached Tippi Hedren, but as I said last week, it’s a hardback and they don’t travel to work with me. Anyway, fingers crossed this week I’ll actually finish them as we barrel towards the end of September.

Read:

Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon

Negligent in New York by Patti Benning

Razing the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Privy to the Dead by Sheila Connolly

The Man Who Didn’t Fly by Margot Bennett

Started:

Tour de Force by Christianna Brand

Still reading:

Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell*

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

Hitchcock’s Blondes by Laurence Leamer

One book and one ebook bought – and a couple of last week’s purchases arrived too!

Bonus picture: after mentioning Maigret in my post about Parisian books on Wednesday, I noticed this themed display tower in Waterstone’s Gower Street when I was in there on Thursday!

*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: September 9 – September 15

Another really busy week – but this time commuting from home every day so lots of reading time on the train! A pretty good list to be honest, even if I didn’t manage to finish everything I started the previous week – but some of that is a hardback copy issue. Will work on that this week!

Read:

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer

The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer

Memories and Murder by Lynn Cahoon

Monument to the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Vicki Finds the Answer by Helen Wells

Started:

Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell*

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon

Still reading:

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

Hitchcock’s Blondes by Laurence Leamer

Five books bought. Oopsie daisy.

Bonus picture: Distinctly autumnal on the train to work last week. Which was a contrast with Kuala Lumpur on the temperature front that I was not appropriately dressed for.

*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 pile

Books Incoming: Kuala Lumpur edition

As promised last week, here’s a second Books Incoming post – as I said on Monday, I was in Kuala Lumpur for work last week, and I may have found a bookshop while I was there and gone a little bit crazy, on account of the fact that they had a buy four books and get a fifth free promotion on. I mean how could I not! More on the bookshop itself to follow, but first up, here are the books that I brought back from Malaysia with me.

Lets start with the airport purchases. The autumn releases haven’t really kicked in yet, so the selection in W H Smiths was a little disappointing, but I still managed to find two I wanted. I’d nearly finished Going Infinite by the time I got to Kuala Lumpur – and I’ve already written about it – and the Elena Armas was the other half of the buy one get one half price. Then the five from the bookshop are the three on the back row and the other half of the middle row. I’m hoping at least one of them is a Rich People Problems book, but the shrink wrap means it’s a bit of a lottery, but all the blurbs were good – and Marlowe Banks… is one I’ve had my eye on for a while, but which hadn’t come my way at a price I was willing to pay before. At the front we have a book of short stories that was given to me by the author, who is a friend of a friend and was kind enough to show me around while I was visiting, and she also gave me Ripples. So thank you Daphne – I had a fabulous time with you and I’m looking forward to reading the books. Oh and if you were wondering what the blind date with a book turned out to be, here’s the answer:

Have a great weekend everyone

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: September 2 – September 8

Well that was quite a week! I’m back in the UK now, but I’ve been travelling again for work – this time to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I had an amazing time and I also had a lot of reading time on the journey home. I’ve finally got the still reading list sorted out – but I’ve also started a bunch of stuff so unless I’m careful it’ll be building up again…

Read:

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

Daughter of Time by Joesephine Tey

Let it Crow! Let it Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

The Red House Mystery by A A Milne*

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch

Started:

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer

Hitchcock’s Blondes by Laurence Leamer

Still reading:

N/a

So many I’m trying not too think about it…

Bonus picture: so many pictures I could have chosen from last week, but I’ve gone for this one because the Petronas Towers are iconic and they look so cool at 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.

The pile

Books Incoming: Early September edition

Yes, this is early, yes it’s because the pile is out of control and I wasn’t going to be able to get it all in one photo. So there’s another post coming next week … and on that note: what have I bought?

Let’s start at the front and go clockwise – At Mrs Lippincote’s and the French Cazalet are from my Paris trip. Then there’s the next book that I haven’t read in the Library Lovers series, and two more Museum mysteries after I enjoyed the one that I picked up at Book Con so much. Murder on the Eiffel Tower was because I fancied a Paris set mystery after the trip – and this is the first in the series, then there’s Ex-Wife which has just been reissued and is from my inter-war sweet spot. Below Ex-Wife is another Anne de Courcy which I picked up on offer after reading Five Love Affairs and a Friendship last month, and then there’s Adrian Tinniswood’s Noble Ambitions, which was also on offer. And finally there’s the new Rivers of London Novella, which came out this very week and was waiting for me when I got home from my travels on Friday lunchtime.

Happy Saturday everyone.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 26 – September 1

Well. It’s been a bit of a week. For reasons that will become apparent in the near future, this week was somewhat frantic, even before I added in an extra trip to the theatre for fun and games. Five nights away from home, several early mornings – one of them a *very* early morning and so the list isn’t that great. But I’m much further on in the Anne de Courcy than I was (just not finished it!) and the same with the Alan Bradley. Hopefully September will go a little better than August did!

Read:

Raising the Steaks by Patti Benning

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin*

Steaking a Claim by Patti Benning

Fundraising the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer

Going Infinite by Michael Lewis

Started:

Daughter of Time by Joesephine Tey

Still reading:

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Rather a lot of books bought. Three in Waterstones Gower Street before I went to Kiss Me, Kate (again), another ebook and then two more actual books.

Bonus picture: a dog book rest…

*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

August Stats

Books read this month: 29*

New books: 29

Re-reads: 2 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 9

NetGalley books read: 3

Kindle Unlimited read: 15

Ebooks: 0

Audiobooks: 2

Non-fiction books: 0

Favourite book this month: probably Let’s Play Dead by Sheila Connelly, given that I went and bought the first book and third book in the series straight after I finished it and have read the first one already!

Most read author: Patti Benning

Books bought: not counting…

Books read in 2024: 269

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 742

A very bookish month because of Book Con, even if the stats would seem to belie that. Onwards to September and the rush of new books for the autumn!

Bonus picture: I said I went to Kiss Me Kate again… it’s definitely my favourite show of the summer so have another picture!

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: August 19 – August 25

A good week in reading – not least because the long running list is finally nearly under control! I’m really quite pleased with myself. Anyway, finished one series, cleared another few books off the to read pile, which is good because before I went to Book Con I was feeling quite pleased with myself that we were down to just the bookshelf and not a pile in front of the shelves as well – and then i realised that’s because I have a couple of secondary piles near my spot on the sofa. So a fresh push at the physical to-read pile is underway!

Read:

Shamrocks and Murder by Patti Benning

Dimsie Moves Up Again by Dorita Fairlie Bruce

Let’s Play Dead by Sheila Connolly

Sugar Coated Murder by Patti Benning

Murder, My Darling by Patti Benning

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmire*

Death and the Maiden by Gladys Mitchell

The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown

Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton

Started:

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley*

Still reading:

Five Love Affairs and a Friendship by Anne de Courcy

Two books bought. Trying to restrain myself

Bonus picture: A slight change to my office décor with some lovely Discworld prints.

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