Tag: to-read pile

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.

books, stats

November Stats

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Books read this month: 39*

New books: 32

Re-reads: 7 (all audiobooks)

Books from the to-read pile: 8

NetGalley books read: 5

Kindle Unlimited read: 9

Ebooks: 10

Audiobooks: 7

Non-fiction books: 1

Favourite book this month: Rivals or The Rom-Commers

Most read author: Simon Brett because of the Fetherings binge plus Charles Paris re-listen

Books bought: we will continue to not talk about it, although I did have a clear out of the bookshelves so that has improved things a little despite the amount incoming..

Books read in 2024: 375

Books on the Goodreads to-read shelf (I don’t have copies of all of these!): 741

Genuinely a really solid month in reading, mostly, but not entirely down to the holiday. I’m still quite a long way short of my 50 states though, and a fair few books short on the beat the to-read pile challenge in my journal, so I’m not sure I can complete both of them this year. Doesn’t mean I won’t try though…

Bonus picture: After writing about Avenue Q, this is from the night after that Q concert – with two of the stars, Jon Robyns and Simon Lipkin doing a late night show together in the West End. It was also wonderful.

*includes some short stories/novellas/comics/graphic novels – including 6 this month!

books, stats, The pile, week in books

The Week in Books: November 25 – December 1

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A mega list this week because we’ve been on holiday. It was warm and sunny and there were plenty of comfortable places for me to read books. And there was a plane ride there and back to read on too. Generally most satisfactory. Less satisfactory is the situation with the various reading challenges, but I’m going to give them my best shot in the month that I’ve got left. I’m back at work tomorrow and I’ve got a theatre trip planned this week and it’s starting to get a bit Christmas-y so we’ll see how the list looks this time next week…

Read:

Murder at Christmas by Rupert Latimer

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb*

How to Solve Murders Like a Lady by Hannah Dolby*

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Guilt at the Garage by Simon Brett

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T Dubb

A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood

Started:

Not in My Book by Katie Holt*

Still reading:

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

The Divorce Colony by April White

One ebook bought.

Bonus picture: what else but a sun lounger snap?

*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: November 18 – November 24

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A pretty good week in reading, partly because I was commuting back and forth and not staying in lining, partly because the weather was awful so going out seemed very unappealing. I’ve started on the Christmas-themed reading now too, so there’ll be some more on that front coming too. And as you can see, I have now read the actual book of Rivals…

Read:

Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin

Dramatic Murder by Elizabeth Anthony

What Bloody Man is That by Simon Brett

Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues by Ben Aaronovitch et al

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Rivals by Jilly Cooper

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie

One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett

Started:

Cher: The Memoir Part One by Cher

Murder at Christmas by Rupert Latimer

Guilt at the Garage by Simon Brett

Still reading:

The Divorce Colony by April White

Two books, no ebooks.

Bonus picture: Snow at the station on Tuesday morning on the way to work. I think the season really has changed now…

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