Tag: to-read pile

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 13 – March 19

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Another busy week, with last minute changes to my plans and all sorts going on. Also several nice meals – some of which I cooked myself! But March marches on and the still reading list has got even longer. But some of them are a lot closer to being finished – that’s why the finished list this week is a little shorter. But I will get there in the end.

Read:

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs

The Cricket Term by Antonia Forest

Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Started:

R in the Month by Nancy Spain

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Still reading:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

One arrived that I bought the other week, a couple of preorders paid for, and two ebooks!

Bonus photo: I started the week with a night out at the Palladium listening to some of the cast of Neighbours talking about working on the show. You weren’t meant to talks pictures inside so you get this I’m afraid!

*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, The pile

Books incoming: mid-March edition

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Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I usually lead with the photo but honestly this year I’m not doing very well with the self restraint and I’m almost scaring myself. It is a little more than a calendar month’s worth but February is quite a short month so it probably evens out, so no excuse there!

It’s bad isn’t it? Really bad. I mean the books are good. But the amount of them is bad. I mean the good news is that some of them are already off the pile because I read them even before this post! Death in the Stars is a Kate Shackleton and I read that the other week and The Cereal Murders is one of the Diane Mott Davidson’s that is not available on kindle so I read that too. White Mischief is one of the books about the Happy Valley set that I haven’t read yet and I picked it up in Bookends, which is also where The Ladies Auxiliary, the Edmund Crispin and the Jennifer Crusie came from.

The Crichel Boys and Young Bloomsbury are from two different wanders through Foyles – one before Noises Off and the other the same one I bought Death in the Stars as well. Bookman Dead Style is from that delightful cozy crime selection in Waterstones Gower Street. To The One I Love Best is from my walk over to see John Finnemore (I’ll explain next week!) and the Vanderbeekers, How to Fake it in Hollywood and the Tracey Thorn were impulse purchases off the internet after several different bad days. Because books make me better, right up until I’m confronted with the evidence of how many I’ve bought!

Have a great weekend everyone and go buy a book.

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: March 6 – March 12

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Well. I smell a binge, which isn’t at all what I should be doing. But it is very typical of me of late. Anyhow, I’m enjoying myself so that’s fine, although the length of the still reading list is definitely not. And I have at least one evening entertainment this week coming which is always a risk.

Read:

The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K J Charles*

Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh

The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Started:

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton*

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Still reading:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

One pre-order and a couple of ebooks but I nobly avoided bookshops for reasons that you will understand when you see the next Books Incoming post!

Bonus photo: winter refuses to go away and treated us to snow this week. Snow. Just want none of us needed. Then it turned to rain and everything was just soggy and squelchy and miserable. And cold. Really quite cold. Even buying a bunch of daffodils didn’t make it feel any more spring like.

*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: February 27 – March 5

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Well. There’s good news and bad news on this reading list isn’t there. The good news is that I read some really good stuff and found a new cozy crime series to binge. The bad news is that I found a new cozy crime series to binge and everything else went out of the window so the still reading list is even longer than it was before. How typical of me. Anyway, as well as all that we had a lovely weekend in Carlisle visiting my sister – and listened to two entire series of Cabin Pressure and started a third on the journey up and back as Him Indoors was jealous of my trip to see John Finnemore last week. Oh and we finished the new Drive to Survive just in time for the first race of the new F1 season. Motorsport is back baby.

Read:

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Soulless by Gail Carriger

The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson

Deck the Halls by Kate Carlisle

Gone But Not for Garden by Kate Collins*

Started:

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

Still reading:

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

Quite a lot of books bought to be honest – becuase not only did I buy the Diane Mott Davisons, I’ve also written the Kindle offers post which is always dangerous *and* we went to Bookends/Bookcase and I spent literal hours in there and got a bit carried away. Oops.

Bonus photo: the amazing ceiling in Carlisle cathedral. So cool.

*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

February Stats

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Books read this month: 28*

New books: 20

Re-reads: 8 (7 audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 7

NetGalley books read: 6

Kindle Unlimited read: 2

Ebooks: 6

Audiobooks: 7

Non-fiction books: 3

Favourite book this month: Nora Goes Off Script. Just such a delight

Most read author: If we’re counting the audiobook rereads, Ngaio Marsh because I’m relistening to Alleyn in order, but if we’re not – probably Diane Mott Davison as I’ve read one book by her and started a second and that’s the only repeat on the list!

Books bought: five ebooks, a preorder, six actual books. Modest for me….

Books read in 2023: 59

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 688

A good month in reading all in all. Lots of variety – I finished the Meg Langslow reread at the start of the month and then went on to read a really wide variety of authors (for once), including a some new-to-me cozy crime authors and a couple of delightful romances.

Bonus picture: I’ve had a bad couple of months with my plant collection, so no pictures of that but instead of the selection at one of my local garden centres which gave me some ideas for what I want to get next (be afraid Him Indoors) as well as just looking totally tropical and really inspiring!

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including 1 this month

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: February 20 – February 26

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How is it nearly the end of February already? I know that it’s the shortest month, and January always feels like it goes on forever, but this year it seems to have gone even quicker. Anyway, what have I done in the last week? Ummmmm. Well. Lots of work? And quite a bit of reading? Oh. I know. We watched seven episodes of Drive To Survive after it came out on Friday. That would explain it. Anyway, there are another couple of books nearly finished, so we’ll see how that goes this week, when I have another couple of nights away in London and an event or two I’m planning to go to. All the usual stuff coming up this week by the way including the Stats and Quick Reviews.

Read:

Movie Star by Jessica Simpson

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump*

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras by J Michael Orenduff

Death in the Stars by Frances Brody

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

Started:

Gone But Not for Garden by Kate Collins*

The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes by Kate Strasdin*

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davison

Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor*

Still reading:

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

Two books bought in Foyles because I just can’t help myself and another two books in the post plus two Kindle books. Whoops.

Bonus photo: The park again as that’s the prettiest photo I have from the week. It’s starting to look more green and less muddy and the hope that spring is coming is rising.

*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: February 13 – February 19

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Another very busy week including a few nights away from home, but with a bit of excitement as well – like a panel about Eurovision and a trip to the Cotswolds. Oh and Valentine’s Day and even more romance reading because why not!

Read:

A Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh

In Farm’s Way by Amanda Flower*

A Lie for a Lie by Emilie Richards

Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen

Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Started:

Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump*

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras by J Michael Orenduff

Still reading:

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

One book pre-ordered, but that’s about it. I’m surprised at myself.

Bonus photo: Bourton-on-the-Water on Saturday. Beautiful but jam packed with people, although I think I’ve done quite a good job of disguising that in the picture!

*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 previews

Upcoming releases

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When I wrote the Anticipated Books post at the very start of the year, I was lamenting the lack of detail on what was coming and when, but things are getting a little clearer now, so I’m back with a release update.

There are a couple of things coming next month. Firstly there is a new novel from Jacqueline Winspear, that is not in her Maisie Dobbs series. The White Lady is about a former spy living a retired life in 1947 Kent but who gets drawn (back) into a world of violence. And there’s a new novel from Jesse Sutano – I loved Dial A for Aunties, but didn’t like the sequel anywhere near as much, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she does with something different – Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders has a 60 year old heroine who discovers a dead body in her tea shop.

The most exciting (for me anyway) might be the new Curtis Sittenfeld which is coming out in early April and is called Romantic Comedy. The blurb promises a TV screenwriter who is over romance but who meets an unlikely love interest that might change her mind. It’s nearly three years since Rodham and given that Eligible (her Pride and Prejudice retelling) is my favourite of her novels, I just can’t wait. Also in April is the new Emily Henry, which I did mention in the previous post and a new book from T J Klune – which is a Pinocchio retelling called In the Lives of Puppets.

Going even further into the future, I’m looking forward to the next Ali Hazelwood romance and Alice Bell’s Grave Expectations – a murder mystery about a medium with a ghost who follows her around and which has got a quote from Ben Aaronovitch on the cover. Talking of Aaronovitch, there’s a new Rivers of London novella coming in June called Winter’s Gifts. And there are a fair few of my regular autobuys who have books coming up – I wrote about Donna Andrews Meg Langslow series last week, and she has two more in the series coming in the second half of the year, including the fabulous pun Birder, She Wrote. Sarah MacLean’s next, Knockout is out in August, Christina Lauren have The True Love Experiment coming in May, Bridgerton author Julia Quinn is due to have a new book out in May, although there isn’t even a title yet – just a date on Amazon! And there’s a new Veronica Speedwell just a couple of weeks away too.

And no, I’m not telling you how many of these I have already preordered…

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: February 6 – February 12

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Well in case you couldn’t tell, I had quite a fun week last week – with a trip to the theatre and a nice meal out with my parents. Work continues a little busy, but I’m hoping this week coming will be better as it is half term week for the people with children. I’m due to be in town a couple of nights again and I’m hoping to have a bit of fun, so we’ll see what they does to next week’s list. As for this week, I finally got a book off the long running list, which is quite the achievement given my recent record. If only I can manage another before the end of the month!

Read:

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

Going With the Boys by Judith Mackrell

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh

Invitation to a Killer by G M Malliet*

Vera Kelly: Lost and Found by Rosalie Knecht

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea*

Started:

A Lie for a Lie by Emilie Richards

In Farm’s Way by Amanda Flower*

Still reading:

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The Empire by Michael Ball*

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen

Well, one book in Foyles (on top of the three in there last week) ahead of Noises Off, and one on kindle while I was writing the Kindle Offers post.

Bonus photo: a frosty morning in Fitzroy Square last week. For once I had a whole week of cold but dry on the commute!

*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, The pile

Books Incoming: mid-February edition

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Well I suppose it’s a smaller selection than the last one, so I should try and be pleased with that. But if you think that these AND everything in the birthday post are all January acquisitions, then you’ll see why I find that not a lot to cheer about. Anyway, to the actual books. The Elizabeth Taylor is Kate Andersen Brower’s new book and given my interest in classic Hollywood and how much I enjoyed her books about the White House and it’s occupants, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that I bought it for myself for my birthday. I also bought myself (or rather preordered myself) the signed Really Good, Actually which I just kept hearing about all over the place. As I mentioned in the post about the Christy Kennedy series, there are a few I haven’t read – and I’ve bought a couple of them after writing the post!

Then there’s the last two Emilie Richards Ministry is Murder books which I’ve been eying for a long time and bought in a week moment and The Foyles Three (as alluded to last weekend) – two romances because they had an offer on and how could I resist and the very, very discounted cosy crime which is from a series that I read several of via NetGalley years ago and haven’t seen around for ages. All in all not a bad haul and if only it wasn’t for the state of the to read bookshelf I would be quite happy. As it is the overspill pile is getting out of control so now I will have to redouble my efforts now I have finished the Meg Langslow reread!