Tag: week in books

A really busy week again – busy at work and busy out of work. And it seems like the sun has appeared – how long it stays for and whether this is the entirety of summer remains to be seen! And this week is another busy one. I’ve got at least one night at the theatre – and have you seen the news agenda?!

Read:

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Muddled Through by Barbara Ross

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross

The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

Notorious in New Hampshire by Patti Benning

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Games*

The Theft of the Iron Dogs by E C R Lorac

Started:

Noise Floor by Andrew Cartmel

Still reading:

The Hazelbourne Ladies’ Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson*

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmire*

One pre-order dropped onto my Kindle – the new K J Charles, which I have been very good and haven’t started yet!

Bonus picture: Saturday back at the Olympic stadium for the Diamond League. My first time back since watching Mo Farah win at the Worlds in 2017, and I can’t believe it’s 12 years since we were here for the Olympics!

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

Another massively busy week – but actually a reasonable list of reading, and I’ve got nothing on the ongoing list, which is always a nice (and unusual) position to be in. There are quite a few books out this week that I have from NetGalley, so I’ve started a lot of those to try and be timely for once in my life – we’ll see how that goes…

Read:

The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer

Wrapped in Murder by Patti Benning

The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch by Kimberley Potts

Seven Lively Suspects by Katy Watson*

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

Glazed Ham Murder by Patti Benning

Chicken Club Murder by Patti Benning

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake*

Started:

The Hazelbourne Ladies’ Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson*

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmire*

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Games*

Still reading:

N/a

One ebook and one ebook pre-order.

Bonus picture: A rare picture of me because I did Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life on Sunday. This year has been particularly terrible one in my extended family and friendship groups for cancer, and I lost a very dear friend to cancer on Election Day so despite my incredible lack of ability at anything athletic, I rage-ran my way around Abington Park on Sunday. I was hoping to raise £200, but I’ve more than tripled that – so that really helped propel me around the course, which was much hillier than my regular route around the Racecourse. I’m just going to leave my donation link here, just in case anyone else wants to take pity on me and my tremendously red post-run face.

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

Well that was quite a week. I’m still not sure if I’m coming g or going. And my brain has been pretty fried so I think that explains the descent into binge-reading of Patti Benning mini-mysteries. I wish I could say what I’m going to do tomorrow, but I don’t know yet and I’m hoping inspiration will come to me at some point.

Read:

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal*

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer

Jackie by Dawn Tripp*

Curried Lobster Murder by Patti Benning

Creamy Casserole Murder by Patti Benning

Grilled Rye Murder by Patti Benning

A Quiche to Die for by Patti Benning

A Side of Murder by Patti Benning

Started:

The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch by Kimberley Potts

Seven Lively Suspects by Katy Watson*

Still reading:

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake*

No books bought!

Bonus picture: Tuesday night watching John Lloyd Young sing.

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

Not the longest list this week – but some of the stuff I didn’t finish is quite long. Also the Euros are on and there was Formula One and MotoGP at the weekend. And the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders documentary on Netflix… and that’s all before you get to the wonderful weather!

Read:

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K J Charles

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander

Spicy Lasagne Murder by Patti Benning

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

Garden Vegetable Murder by Patti Benning

Career Novels for Girls by Kay Clifford

Started:

Jackie by Dawn Tripp*

Still reading:

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal*

The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake*

No books bought!

Bonus picture: London in the sunshine.

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

Well that was a week. I’m trying to get ahead on my summer reading so I can recommend some of them but there’s just so much good stuff. And yes I did buy the final Maisie Dobbs, on release day, in hardback – but I am trying to pace myself with it so it’s not over too soon. And given that it is a hardback and I don’t want to wreck it, that may be easier than if I had bought the kindle version!

Read:

Grilled Cheese Murder by Patti Benning

Chicken Pesto Murder by Patti Benning

The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander*

The 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

A Telegram from Le Touqet by John Bude

Started:

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer*

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Three book-books bought, one ebook, two preorders arrived – one ebook and one actual book.

Bonus picture: Virginia Water on Saturday looking so quintessentially English countryside it almost hurts!

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

I’m hoping I’m getting into my summer reading stride. Of course it could all go terribly wrong – and it frequently has in the past – but I’m choosing to be optimistic. I think the weird and unpredictable weather has helped with this, because when it’s not sunny outside it’s nice to read summer-y books to hope that the nice (but hopefully not too boiling) weather is coming soon.

Read:

The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood*

The Winner Bakes it All by Jeevani Charika*

Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham

Corned Beef Murder by Patti Benning

Cold Cut Murder by Patti Benning

Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell

A Scream in Soho by John G Brandon

Started:

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

One book bought

Bonus picture: Summer statues near St Paul’s last week, in a rare moment when they weren’t being climbed on by happy children!

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

So it turns out that despite there being no time difference between Nigeria and the UK, it can still make you exhausted. To be honest, I think it was the night flight home that was the big problem – and then I had (another) super busy week on top. Hopefully this week will be calmer/better/easier!

Read:

Lips Like Sugar by Jess K Hardy

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham

Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

An Assassination on the Agenda by T E Kinsey

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham

Pastrami Murder by Patti Benning

Started:

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood*

Still reading:

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Hold on to your hats: No books bought! Frankly I’m as amazed as you are.

Bonus picture: The Mall on Sunday late afternoon – where the Ride London event had been taking place.

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

So I got back yesterday morning from a work trip to Nigeria! I spent a week in Lagos and it was amazing – but so very, very hot! Obviously one of the books on this list was last week’s BotW, and I had to leave The Reunion at home (because I was already a third through it) so that didn’t get finished this week – but I did finish the Shardlake, so swings and roundabouts! This week coming is a much more normal week so we’ll see what happens next.

Read:

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

Impact of Evidence by Carol Carnac

Slain in Scotland by Patti Benning

Sovereign by C J Sansom

Nixed in Nantucket by Patti Benning

Started:

Lips Like Sugar by Jess K Hardy

Still reading:

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

One book bought, one pre-order arrived.

Bonus picture: Lagos!

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

Not going to lie, there was a slightly fatal flaw in my reading plans this week – I bought two books in Foyles and started reading one of them – forgetting that I was going away at the weekend and that I was going to be too far through it for it to be worth carting it away with me for more than a week (I would have finished it before the end of the first day). And so there we are – a shorter list, with one book that was in contention for BotW unfinished, and no idea what I’m going to do tomorrow. Why am I so bad at organising my reading? Actually it’s not bad at organising. I know what I should be doing, it’s just that I am so easily tempted by shiny new books and then it derails all my plans!

Read:

Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham

Excellent Intentions by Richard Hull

Harbored in Hawaii by Patti Benning

Axed in Alaska by Patti Benning

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood

Started:

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Still reading:

Sovereign by C J Sansom

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Four books bought – two in Foyles and two at the weekend – and two preorders dropped onto my kindle!

Bonus picture: I do love a mews. And I was wandering near work one evening last week and took this one. I could fancy living in one of these. Sadly I do not have the requisite millions!

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

Did I go on a bit of a binge of Ovidia Yu’s Crown Colony/Su Lin series, why yes. Should I have been reading other things? Probably. Am I sorry? Not at all. And it was a pretty busy week too. And it’s only getting busier over the next few weeks too, so we’ll see how that goes.

Read:

The Truth by Terry Pratchett

The Mimosa Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham

Diva by Daisy Goodwin*

The Cannonball Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham

The Mushroom Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Mona of the Manor by Armistead Maupin

Started:

n/a

Still reading:

Sovereign by C J Sansom

Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

Seven books bought – mostly because of writing the offers post – and one preorder arrived.

Bonus picture: Sunday gardening. This bag doesn’t look that big on the photo, but it’s actually huge, and yet despite that the garden doesn’t look that much better. Never mind.

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