Tag: to-read pile

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: January 6 – January 12

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Well it’s that time of year where the counters are reset and some of the audiobooks that I listen to more than once a year will appear on the lists again. And aside from that, I’m also trying to be better with the NetGalley reading than I was for some (most?) of last year. So still a bit behind on clearing the long runners, and of course I broke my own rules with last week’s BotW so we’ll see what I do about tomorrow on that front…

Read:

The Cinderella Killer by Simon Brett

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson

Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood

Scared Off by Barbara Ross

Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood*

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh

Started:

Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany

Murder on the Celtic by Edward Marston

Still reading:

White House by the Sea by Kate Storey

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Only one ebook bought I think, but that’s seems strangely low so I might have missed something…

Bonus picture: beautiful but cold Northamptonshire on the way to Stratford for Twelfth Night on Saturday!

*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: December 30 – January 5

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I finished the old year with possibly the last of the Christmas-themed reading (but who can tell) and started the new with lots of good resolutions about finishing the stuff on the long running list – and then forgot to take any of the physical copies of it up to the Frozen North with me. So one off the list, and a slow start to the year. But it was a busy week, and there was a lot of driving.

Read:

Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan

A Very Lively Midwinter by Katy Watson

The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

A Decent Interval by Simon Brett

Started:

White House by the Sea by Kate Storey

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Six books bought. The January kindle sales have been tempting!

Bonus picture: Snow in Carlisle on Sunday. It was cold. Very cold.

*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

December Stats

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Books read this month: 38*

New books: 28

Re-reads: 10 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 6

NetGalley books read: 0

Kindle Unlimited read: 18

Ebooks: 4

Audiobooks: 10

Non-fiction books: 3

Favourite book this month: Cure for the Common Breakup or Christmas is All Around

Most read author: Kerry Greenwood because all 10 of those audiobooks were Miss Fisher mysteries and no other author got on the list more than once because there were a lot of states to tick off…

Books bought: 2 preorders, 6 ebooks, 1 book. Most of the six were to fill in missing states, although Kindle Unlimited did a lot of that work for me.

Books read in 2024: 413

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 756

A month spent frantically ticking off the missing states in the 50 states challenge because that was infinitely more achievable than the idea of me carrying around physical books the whole month to try and finish that challenge, or in fact buying the kindle versions of books on the shelf to do it that way (because that is Defeating The Point). But I got there in the end, and the full list of what ticked off what is coming up in the next few days. All in all, a pretty good year in reading – 413 is my highest ever total, but I’m under no illusions that that’s because of the sheer number of cozy crime novella series I’ve read this year. But I couldn’t have completed the 50 states without them this year, so goodness knows what I’ll do next year if I do it again. I will try and pace myself better if I do it again – the mad dash in December isn’t a lot of fun and it meant I didn’t finish any NetGalley books last month because they didn’t fit the missing states. I need to work on that. I think I have done better at keeping my requests there down, but I always say that and I’m not sure it’s true. Anyway: here’s to a fresh start and a fresh slate in January!

Bonus picture: Goodreads tells me over 100k pages last year. Wowzers.

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including 7 this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 23 – December 29

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Lets start with the big news: I have finished my read across the US challenge for the year – a whole day and a half earlier than I did last year. What a result. For once I managed to get a bit of discipline together – and spend most of December working my way through the remaining states, rather than just the last 10 days… It does mean that I haven’t read all the Christmas books that I wanted to this year, but I’ve got two days left before New Year to sort that out. I should probably be trying to clear the long runners of the list though, but I think I’ve been disciplined enough for one month. It can be my New Year’s resolution…

Read:

Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood

Codename Zero by Chris Rylander

Designed to Death by Christina Freeburn

The Fire Carrier by Jean Hagen

Open Season by C J Box

Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N Holmberg

Started:

A Very Lively Midwinter by Katy Watson

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Surprisingly, only one and it was a pre-order. Kindle Unlimited has been my friend in ticking off those last few states and my wallet thanks it for that!

Bonus picture: my second Christmas jigsaw…

*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: Christmas arrivals

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A four book haul this Christmas so far, with two from this year’s list, another from my long term wants list because I didn’t know what had been bought already when I got another request for books (and didn’t want to spoil the surprise by asking the people who I knew had bought from it already!) and an unexpected middle grade fantasy which looks really good. I do love a boarding school story. I’m hoping there will be one more to come – but we’ll see! Anyway, the Kennedy-related portion of the to-read pile is replenished as well as the 1930s notables one. And now I can take a look at what might have hit the Boxing Day sales and see what else I would like to acquire…

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 16 – December 22

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I’m down to the last few states. It’s going to be close but I might just do it. Maybe. If I don’t get distracted. And it’s Christmas this week so chance of distractions is high. We will see. And as it’s Christmas I’m taking a couple of days off this week – so the normal pattern of posts will resume next week.

Read:

Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood

A Picture Perfect Frame by Lynn Cahoon

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

Wedding Day and Foul Play by Duffy Brown

Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood

Comic Sans Murder by Paige Shelton

Started:

Codename Zero by Chris Rylander

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Less than you might expect given the way I’m working my way through the final states. Two total – but only thanks to the sterling efforts of Kindle Unlimited.

Bonus picture: some Christmas graffiti from the park on Saturday

*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: December 9 – December 15

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A fairly solid list, but the real achievement is that I got four more states ticked off the list as I once again attempt to read a book from every US state. Still a few tricky ones to do, but I’m getting there. And in the real world, it’s fully Christmas now – the tree is decorated, presents are bought (some even distributed) and as well as the trip to A Midsummer Night’s Dream this week, I also went to the kids Christmas show at the local theatre – which is the Jolly Christmas Postman and was excllent.

Read:

Somewhere in the Night by Julie Mulhern

Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood

Hemingway and Sun Valley by Chris Moore

Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews

Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood

The Family Tree Murders by Laura Hern

The Winter Widow by Charlene Weir

Started:

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

Still reading:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Three ebooks bought as I attempt to get those last few pesky states ticked off…

Bonus picture: Last week I was staying out by St Paul’s Cathedral so I got to see the nightscape again. I do love the way it’s lit.

*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: Mid-December

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Will this be a three Books Incoming month? Probably. Anyway, this is the state of things at the moment – after the Christmas-themed books (which mostly arrived last month and should have been in those bumper piles) and before any Christmas gifts arrive. Fingers crossed for something(s) from the wishlist. So we have: We Solve Murders – which I’ve already read, Cher’s memoir who ch is already underway and the the last Kate Shackleton that I haven’t read.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Book of the Week, books, non-fiction

Book of the Week: The Divorce Colony

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It’s Tuesday again and as I said yesterday we are hurling towards the end of the year and I’m trying to finish the Reading challenges. Today’s pick covered me off for South Dakota…

It is well know that laws in the US can vary from state to state. And most people have probably read a book or watched a movie where someone goes to Reno for a quickie divorce, but what you might not have come across is the period in time where South Dakota was the location of choice for obtaining a divorce. April White’s The Divorce Colony looks at this time and some of the women who went to the frontier of the US to end their marriages.

This focuses on four society women who made the trip to Sioux Falls and the different challenges they faced. I found the women themselves fascinating as well as the quirks and tribulations of divorce laws. As social history it is fascinating and an illustration of how much has not changed as well as how much has.

My copy has is a hardback, and it’s probably going to be a special order and the Kindle price has dropped since I bought a hard copy!

Happy Reading!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: December 2 – December 8

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The end of the year continues to hurtle towards me, as I desperately scramble to tick off those final states for read the USA 2024 – four more off the list this week but there are still a few to do. But a doable number if I keep myself at it! A good week in reading though all in all. So that’s good.

Read:

The Divorce Colony by April White

Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood

Double Mint by Gretchen Archer

Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

God Land by Liz Lenz

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade

Murder on the Oceanic by Edward Marston

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George

Started:

A Traveller in Time by Alison Utley

Still reading:

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

No books bought, but I don’t think that’s going to last given the reading challenge situation…

Bonus picture: courtesy of my dad, a beautiful tree out in the village last week before Storm Darragh and all the bad weather hit (again).

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