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WWW Wednesday – 24th February, 2021

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Taking on a World of Words. Anyone can take part and it is a great way of sharing what you have just finished reading, what you are currently reading and what is next on the TBR.

Links are provided for books mentioned – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

It has been half term for a lot of this past week and so I’ve managed to read more than usual. It’s not like there are places to go or people to see!

I have read ‘Seven Days’ by Michelle Kidd for a forthcoming blog tour (my review will be up on Saturday). The first book in this series, ‘The Phoenix Project’ was a pacey, jet-setting thriller whereas this one is more a clever and very tense police procedural – and I loved that shift for DI Jack MacIntosh!

I also read ‘The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters and Elizabeth Bowen’ for a blog tour next week. I absolutely adored this story – part travelogue, part biography, part collection of letters – focused on a love triangle that began in 1930s Oxford between the writer Elizabeth Bowen, literary scholar Humphry House and his wife, Madeline. The fact it is written by the granddaughter of the Houses – and the direction she chooses to take the story in – is fascinating.

Finally, I also read ‘Old Bones’ by Helen Kitson for another blog tour – my review kicked off the tour yesterday and can be found here. This is a brilliantly-told story of three older women in a small village, their shared pasts and the secrets they carry with them. Beautifully-drawn characters make this a highly recommended and immersive read.

What are you reading now?

Too many books!

I’m now nearing the end of my two buddy reads for February.

I’m reading ‘Paris by Starlight’ by Robert Dinsdale with my Tsundoku Squad lovelies. I’m in two minds about this book – it is beautifully imagined and has an interesting storyline about displaced people and their culture arriving in Paris, but it is also quite slow. There is a lot of description of the gorgeous city by night and lots to enjoy, but I’m not sure it is wholly for me.

I’m also still reading ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas, a Latinx tale centred around a trans boy in Los Angeles who wants to join his family in being able to release the dead into the afterlife. I’m looking forward to the Day of the Dead scene that I’m keenly anticipating and hoping that the various story strands come together. It has been an interesting read, although one I’ve struggled with a bit because of the plot structure which I think could be tighter.

I’m also reading ‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith and loving it so far. It is the story of the narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’, Nick Carraway – a kind of literary prequel. So far, Nick has been caught up in a love affair in wartime Paris and then faced the trenches of World War I. I’m not sure whether he yet chimes with my own feelings about Nick from the original novel, but I am very much enjoying a clever and interestingly-written narrative. My blog tour post for this novel will be up in the first week of March.

I’m also reading the new Katie Fforde book, ‘A Wedding in the Country’. So far, it is set in London in 1963 but I’m sure a wedding and country will hove into view soon! I love Fforde’s books – they are truly escapist and charming and this one is no exception.

What do you think you will read next?

I will be reading ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Catherine Alliott for a blog tour in early-March. I usually love Alliott’s books so am looking forward to this one!

I also want to finally get round to reading some of the Poirot novels by Agatha Christie that I am supposed to have read for a readalong – I have totally failed to pick them up so far!

Many thanks to NetGalley, blog tour hosts, publishers and authors for the books in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo by Daniela on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday – 17th February, 2021

Links are provided for books mentioned – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

It’s been two weeks since my last WWW Wednesday so it looks like I’ve been extra-productive on the reading front!

I finished reading ‘Ruthless Women’ by Melanie Blake (from NetGalley) – this is due to be published in April but is well worth looking out for! It’s a Jackie-Collins-style novel packed with glamorous and strong women, high-powered jobs and tonnes of secrets and lies! It’s based around a soap opera set off the coast of Jersey and is a whole lot of fun. My review will follow nearer the publication date.

I finally finished ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans. It has taken me ages because it kept getting bumped by blog tour books, but it is absolutely fabulous! The golden age of transatlantic travel sure was glamorous for some, hard work for others and extraordinarily dangerous for those sailing during war time (or with Violet Jessop – the ‘unsinkable stewardess – who had an appalling track record of being on doomed ships!) My glowing review is here.

I also read (for a blog tour with Random Things Tours) ‘Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants’ by Fez Inkwright. This book is a beautifully-illustrated and fascinating guide to plants of the more lethal variety! Thanks to the publisher, Liminal 11, for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinions. My review is here.

I also managed to squeeze in two gripping and – quite frankly – terrifying crime novels. I raced through both of these with my heart pounding – watch out for them!

First up was ‘The Broken Ones’ by Carla Kovach, the latest in the series featuring DI Gina Harte. In this excellent instalment, young women are being taken off the streets and it is clear that a very disturbed character is responsible – someone who must be stopped before he kills again. My review will be on the blog nearer the publication date in March 2021.

I also read ‘Dog Rose Dirt’ by Jen Williams which also proved very scary! This is about a young woman who finds out that her mother was writing to a serial killer in jail throughout her life. After her mother’s suicide, a series of copycat killings begin and she is forced to confront her mother’s past in order to help the current investigation. This one isn’t published until July 2021 and my review will follow.

Both of these were NetGalley reads – thanks to NetGalley for my free copies in exchange for honest reviews.

What are you reading now?

I’ve got two buddy reads on the go at the moment – luckily they are so different that there’s no way I’ll get them confused!

I’m reading ‘Paris by Starlight’ by Robert Dinsdale with my Tsundoku Squad lovelies. This is a slightly whimsical tale of a group of displaced people who end up in Paris but bring the magical ways of their old country with them. The people live by night by the light of their beautiful illuminated flowers and according to their book, ‘The Nocturne’. I’m halfway through and the descriptions are glorious – but I cannot see at all where it is going!

I’m also reading (with the fabulous Write Reads gang) ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas, a Latinx tale centred around a trans boy in Los Angeles who wants to join his family in being able to release the dead into the afterlife. I’m halfway through this as well and am still not quite sure what I think – the setting is fabulous, the Day of the Dead a very promising element still to come, the representation is great, characters good…but I am finding the plot a bit uneven at the moment.

My next blog tour is ‘Seven Days’ by Michelle Kidd so I’ve also started reading this fast-paced and tense sequel to ‘The Phoenix Project’ (which I read last year). It is early days, but I’m enjoying my reunion with DI Jack MacIntosh so far! Review to follow on the blog next week.

What do you think you will read next?

I’m supposed to be doing a Poirot readalong but have failed to fit in ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ by Agatha Christie – I need to catch up before we move on to ‘Murder on the Links’.

I have rather over-enthusiastically embraced blog tours in March and so have a good few books to read. I’ll shortly be reading ‘The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters and Elizabeth Bowen’ by Julia Parry, ‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith and ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Catherine Alliott. All look absolutely brilliant and I cannot wait to dive in.

Thank to NetGalley for the books in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesday – 3rd February, 2021

Links are provided for books mentioned – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

This week, I’ve read ‘Dark Truths’ by AJ Cross, an engaging and well-plotted police procedural with a forensic psychologist (Will Traynor) as part of the investigative team. This is published in paperback tomorrow and will be reviewed on the blog soon. It is definitely worth keeping an eye out for as this is the first in what looks to be a very promising series. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading ‘Ruthless Women’ by Melanie Blake (from NetGalley) which is a glamorous whirlwind of a book! Think Jackie Collins, if Jackie Collins wrote about a soap opera set on a small island near Jersey. Everyone is plastic-surgeried up to their eyeballs and as backstabby as hell, but it is a fun read. I particularly like that the cast is packed with strong older women. I’m about halfway through and still not quite sure where it is all headed!

I’m still (yes, still!) reading ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans. This week, I read about the glamorous side of cruise liners between the wars – I loved the tales of the celebrities, royalty and movie stars at sea, plus those less-than-scrupulous characters willing to exploit the wealthy to make their own living on the ships. The world of extortion, professional gamblers and gold-diggers is presented through fascinating anecdotes. Yes, I’m making slow progress on this book – but it is fabulous!

I’m also still reading ‘Perimenopause Power’ by Maisie Hill (from NetGalley). It is quite science- heavy and so isn’t one I can zip through, but it is interesting.

What do you think you will read next?

I have a blog tour for the fascinating-sounding ‘Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants’ by Fez Inkwright. The tour is being organised by Random Things Tours and the book itself is absolutely beautiful – thanks to the publisher, Liminal 11, for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinions. I can’t wait to dive in!

I’m still planning on reading Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ so I can catch up with a Poirot readalong this month. I got my Kindle copy free from Project Gutenberg.

I hope you’ve had a great reading week! As always, thanks for reading and please do follow my blog for more updates.

Thank to NetGalley for the books in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Nadya Shuran for sharing their work on Unsplash.

January Wrap-Up and February TBR

It has been – quite simply – the longest month ever. I’ve found it hard to concentrate on reading at times and have fallen back on the genre that I know keeps me engaged – crime fiction!

I’ve read 10 books this month, of which 7 were crime novels.

Links below are affiliate ones – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

January Wrap-Up

I started the month with the rather interesting ‘How Not To Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind’ by James O’Brien. I loved his previous book (‘How to be Right’), but was particularly fascinated by O’Brien’s exploration of his own prejudices and entrenched beliefs. It certainly gave me food for thought and I would recommend it.

Next up were a slew of brilliant crime novels that I would recommend whole-heartedly.

I read ‘Dark Memories’ by Liz Mistry, the latest in the DS Nikki Parekh series set in the seedy underworld of Bradford. This is a shocking tale of crime and abuse, but the fabulous Parekh/Malik investigative team at the heart of the novel makes it compelling. My review (for a blog tour for Rachel’s Random Resources) is here.

Another blog tour read was ‘Silent Graves’ by Sally Rigby and this proved another excellent police procedural. Although is the 9th book in the Cavendish and Walker series (a female duo of investigators), I think it works well as a standalone. In this book, West Mercia Police are grappling with a historical case as two skeletons turn up on a building site. You can read my blog tour review (for Damp Pebbles) here.

This was followed by ‘The Appeal’ by Janice Hallett which I read as a buddy read organised by Viper Books. Along with the lovely LockyLovesBooks, I tried to guess the murderer in this innovative and engaging crime novel – a novel presented through the emails, voicemails and texts of its main protagonists. I proved a terrible detective but had a lot of fun – you can read my review here.

Next up was ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie. I read this with my blogger friends at The Write Reads and we had a lot of fun discussing it – although, once again, I got nowhere near the solution! A classic crime novel with such clever plotting – Christie really was a master of her craft!

After this, I had a brief break from crime to read Margaret Atwood’s new poetry collection, ‘Dearly’. This is a beautiful and insightful book about loss, grief, ageing, female bodies and the environment – and I loved it. I was lucky enough to have both the hardback (purchased) and audiobook (from NetGalley) – you can read my review about both formats here.

Following this, I went back to crime for the tense and pacey ‘The Jigsaw Man’ by Nadine Matheson – I won a copy of this from the publisher and was so excited to read it ahead of publication. This serial killer crime novel is gruesome and terrifying – and I raced through it. My review will follow nearer publication later on in February.

Another blog tour read followed, ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney. This is a very funny and lively YA comedy which sees its heroine, Alex, try to stage a version of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ at her strict Catholic boarding school. Thanks to the publisher (Penguin) and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. My review, for The Write Reads, will be on the blog tomorrow.

My last books of the month took me back to crime fiction (of course!).

I read ‘An Eye for an Eye’ by Carol Wyer for a Damp Pebbles blog tour – this is another brilliant police procedural with a female lead, in this case the damaged but insightful DI Kate Young. The plotting of this one, based around a serial killer in Staffordshire, is so clever and it is an absolute page turner. My review is due up on 7th February.

I finished this month with ‘Dark Truths’ by AJ Cross, another cleverly-plotted police procedural featuring DI Bernard Watts and his rookie sidekick, PC Chloe Judd investigating the brutal murder of a jogger on a rural trail. They are being helped in their investigations by forensic psychologist Will Traynor, but he seems to have his own agenda… This is the first in a series featuring Traynor and I look forward to reading more. The paperback is published on 4th February and my review will follow on the blog.

As always, thanks to blog tour organisers, publishers, authors and NetGalley for granting me access to books in exchange for an honest review.

February TBR

As always, I have more books to read than I can possibly get through! Any TBR I write is always a small proportion of books I have to read for blog tours, books I should read for NetGalley and a wish list of many other fabulous-looking reads. I am never accurate in predicting what I will actually read!

So, here is my best guess of books that have caught my eye for February. Affiliate links are at the end of the list for anyone who likes the look of any of these…

I have a blog tour for ‘Botanical Curses and Poisons’ by Fez Inkwright in February and am looking forward to diving into this beautiful book about the darker side of plants.
I also have a blog tour for ‘Old Bones’ by Helen Kitson (published by the excellent Louise Walters Books) in February too – this looks to be a gorgeous and gentle story of a group of older women.
My final blog tour for the month will be ‘Seven Days’ by Michelle Kidd. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, ‘The Phoenix Project’, and look forward to another lively thriller.
I also want to read ‘Ruthless Women’ by Melanie Blake, sold to me by NetGalley as a thriller about ambition on the set of a soap opera. I’m looking forward to glamour, glitz and some…ruthless women!
NetGalley have also granted me the fabulous-looking ‘Circus of Wonders’ by Elizabeth Macneal. I loved her first book, ‘The Doll Factory’, and cannot wait to read this new slice of quality historical fiction.
I’m also going to be reading ‘Paris by Starlight’ by Robert Dinsdale with my lovely blogger friends in the Tsundoku Squad. This is a new writer to me but I look forward to chats and lots of fun with them.
Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ is also on my February list as I join a Poirot readalong with The Write Reads crew. I need to catch up this book – Poirot Book 1 – before I can join the chat there!
Finally, I really want to clear some of my NetGalley shelf – it has more fabulous books in it than I can list and I am determined to make some headway this month. If only I can keep away from the ‘Request’ button…

That’s the plan anyway. See you here in a month’s time when I reveal that I actually read 10 more police procedurals because I am OBSESSED…

Header photo with thanks to Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash.

Have a fab Feb – K x

WWW Wednesday – 27th January 2021

Links are provided for books mentioned – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

This week, I read ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney, a YA comedy about a rebellious girl stuck in a Catholic boarding school. In an attempt to get kicked out, she plans a production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, much to the consternation of pretty much everyone! This is funny, feminist and was a very welcome light read on these dark January days.

The book is published in February 2021 and my review will appear on the blog as part of The Write Reads blog tour soon.

I also read ‘An Eye for an Eye’ by Carol Wyer for a blog tour in February. This is an excellent police procedural set just down the road from me in Staffordshire. The lead detective, DI Kate Young, is reeling from a horrendous incident where she was a first responder when she is called in to investigate the gruesome killing of a wealthy businessman. Highly recommended!

What are you reading now?

I’m embarrassed to still be reading ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans but it is genuinely one to savour. I love the portrayal of women’s lives between the wars and (as a huge fan of cruises) am enjoying the descriptions of the impressive and opulent cruise liners. A glorious book!

I’m also reading ‘Perimenopause Power’ by Maisie Hill (from NetGalley). I liked her previous book, ‘Period Power’, and thought this might be a good one for my ageing self! It is interesting, but not a page-turner so I’m making slow progress – I am learning a lot though!

What do you think you will read next?

When I’m really tired (as I am now), it seems I need fast-paced fiction to keep me reading. With this in mind, I’m going to keep going with the crime novels – ‘Dark Truths’ by A J Cross is my starting point (from NetGalley).

I’ve also got to catch up Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ so I can join in a Poirot readalong next month. I got my Kindle copy of this free from Project Gutenberg.

I’m also planning on reading Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ so I can catch up with a Poirot readalong next month. I got my Kindle copy free from Project Gutenberg.

I hope you’ve had a great reading week! As always, thanks for reading and please do follow my blog for more updates.

Thank to NetGalley for the books in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Taisiia Shestopal for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday – 20th January 2021

Links are provided for books already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

This week I’ve mainly been reading ‘The Jigsaw Man’ by Nadine Matheson. I won a proof copy of this from the lovely people at HQ Stories and was absolutely gripped by the gruesome tale of a serial killer on the streets of London. Those with a sensitive disposition should steer clear, but I thought this was a pacey and exciting story with a strong female lead, Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley. A review will follow on my blog nearer to publication date in February 2021.

I also finished ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie which I loved. It has been a long time since I read Christie and I have seen a lot of the TV adaptations so it can be tricky finding a ‘fresh’ one! This one was vaguely familiar but I still failed to solve the crime myself and had to rely on Poirot’s ‘little grey cells’ which are in better conditon than mine! I read this with the book group at The Write Reads and it was a joy to discuss with them.

Lastly, I read Margaret Atwood’s new poetry collection, ‘Dearly’, which I have both in hardback (thank you, Waterstones’ sale) and audiobook (thanks, NetGalley). This is a powerful collection of poems that addresses – among so many other things – love, loss, ageing, feminism and the environment. I’ve got a lot of digesting of this book that needs to happen before I can attempt a review, but it will follow on the blog in due course.

What are you reading now?

I’m still reading ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans although this has taken a backseat this week to all the crime fiction! This is a glorious and engagingly-written account of women at sea in the ‘Golden Age’, approximately between the wars but the narrative begins with the slightly pre-WWI ‘Titanic’ sinking. I love the fact that this covers a range of female experiences, from stewardesses to millionairesses.

What do you think you will read next?

I really need to clear some of the NetGalley shelf. I’ve got my eye on ‘Dark Truths’ by AJ Cross (a forensic mystery) and ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney (YA humour) as books that I think will keep me going!

Additionally, I’ve got another looming blog tour for Carol Wyer’s ‘An Eye for An Eye’ which looks to be an interesting police procedural and the first in a series to feature DI Kate Young – this one sounds right up my street!

So that’s me for this week! As always, thanks for reading and please do follow my blog for more updates.

Thank to NetGalley for the books in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesday – 13th January, 2020

Links are provided for books already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

Since my last update, I finished ‘Dark Memories’ by Liz Mistry, the third book in the series featuring DS Nikki Parekh and her partner DC Saj Malik. This is a nail-bitingly tense instalment in which the Bradford-based detectives rush to uncover the links between a sequence of brutal murders – and is seems the connection is closer to Nikki than she would like. This is – as the title suggests – incredibly dark, but the lead detectives are a fabulous pair and this is a pacey and lively read.

A full review will follow on my blog later in the month as this is a blog tour book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Also for a January blog tour, I read ‘Silent Graves’ by Sally Rigby, a crime fiction novel in the Cavendish and Walker series. Although this is the ninth book in the series (but my first), I had no problems with immersing myself in the world of Lanchester Police and their investigation into a double murder that took place in 1980 but only uncovered 40 years later.

The lead characters, DCI Whitney Walker and Dr Georgina Cavendish, are a formidable pair – both prickly and tough – and this is a solid police procedural.

My review will follow later in January – with thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rounding off my week of obsessively reading crime fiction, I also finished ‘The Appeal’ by Janice Hallett. This is a hugely inventive murder mystery where the reader is put into the position of investigator! Alongside two legal trainees reviewing the case notes, the reader works their way through emails, voicemails, texts and notes from all the key characters. It’s immersive and mind-boggling and I loved it!

I read this as a buddy read with Locky Loves Books and my review will be on the blog on the book’s publication date (tomorrow!). With thanks to the kind people at Viper Books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

What are you reading now?

As crime fiction seems to be the thing that is cutting through my brain fog, I’m reading ‘The Jigsaw Man’ by Nadine Matheson. I was lucky to win a proof copy of this book which is due out in February 2021. So far, it’s thrown me in the deep end with a whole load of gruesome discoveries – and I can’t wait to read on!

I’m still reading ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie as a readalong with my blogger friends at The Write Reads. I had to stop halfway through so we could discuss it and that was so hard to do – I need to read the rest!

I’m also still reading ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans. I absolutely love this book – it is a fascinating insight into the history of women at sea, from those working as stewardesses on the huge ocean liners to those enjoying the luxuries afforded to the first class passengers. The accompanying pictures in my hardback edition are also interesting. This book has already sent me off on several Google trips to find out even more about these amazing women.

What do you think you will read next?

I really need to clear some of the NetGalley shelf, but I’m finding it harder to read electronically at the moment. I’ve got my eye on ‘Dark Truths’ by AJ Cross (a forensic mystery) and ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney (YA humour) as books that I think will keep me going!

So that’s me for this week! As always, thanks for reading and please do follow my blog for more updates.

Header photo with thanks to waad samah on Unsplash.

Resolutions – Book Tag

I’ve been tagged by the lovely Emandherbooks to do this tag inspired by New Year’s Resolutions, but with a bookish twist. This tag was created by Mikaela Reads and it is very tricky!

All links are affiliate links – thanks for supporting my blog (at no extra cost to you).

1. Exercise More – name a book that has made you want to leap up out of your seat (for any reason).

I recently read ‘The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires’ by Grady Hendrix, a book which made me jump in horror but also in frustration! Some of the horror was a lot more horror-y (yes, it’s a word!) than I was really comfortable with – let’s just say rats and insects and unconventional vampire eating methods and leave it there! However, it also made me kind of cross in places as the women of the book club (who I hoped would be lovely but fierce Southern ladies who had each others’ backs) just weren’t very united.

There’s lots in the book to enjoy – if you have a stronger stomach than me!

2. Get Organised – a book with an exceptional plot

I don’t think you can beat Agatha Christie for brilliant plotting. I’m reading ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ with my book group at the moment and it is absolutely brilliant. It is making me want to read and re-read other Christie novels – I’ve always had a soft spot for a Poirot book.

My favourite Christie book is probably ‘Dead Man’s Folly’ so I’ll choose that for this resolution.

3. Learn A New Skill – a book which taught you something

I read lots of non-fiction books with the vague hope that I’ll learn something – I always do, but unfortunately have a memory like a sieve so don’t actually retain much!

However, a few books I’ve read in the last year have really taught me to look at things differently and challenge my thinking. ‘Difficult Women’ by Helen Lewis made me think about how far the fight for gender equality has come (but how far there is left to go) while ‘How Not to be Wrong’ by James O’Brien got me to identify my own in-built prejudices and the possible reasons for them. On a lighter note, James Felton’s ’52 Times Britain was a Bellend: The History You Didn’t Get Taught at School’ gave me a new perspective on historical ‘truths’ (and made me laugh too!)

4. Live Life To The Fullest – a book which inspired you

I’m really not sure I read that kind of inspirational book!

However, Ruby Wax’s ‘And Now For The Good News’ gave me a shot of positivity that there are good people out there achieving amazing things. In the face of 2020, that was quite inspirational.

5. Save more money / spend less money – the most expensive book you’ve bought and was it worth it?

I once spent £50 on a book at the Hay Festival just so I could meet its author and get it signed. That author was Brian May and it was worth every penny! The book is fabulous too, by the way – ‘Queen in 3D’.

6. Spend More Time With Family and Friends – a character you would want to be best mates with

One of my absolute favourite books is ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith. From the second I first read it as a teenager, I was absolutely captivated by the eccentric and charming Mortmain family (especially Cassandra, our narrator).

7. Travel More – a book with a location you’d love to visit

I tend to read a lot of historical fiction, so it’s usually more about when I’d like to visit rather than where!

However, I remember being fascinated by the descriptions of Mesa Verde, Colorado in ‘The Professor’s House’ by Willa Cather. I read this book at university a long time ago and the setting really interested me because of the old cliff-dwellings. In the pre-Internet days (remember them?!), I couldn’t imagine these amazing houses built into the rock and always kind of hoped I’d get to go one day.

8. Read More – a book you are desperate to read this year

I’m really keen to read the new book by Elizabeth Macneal, ‘Circus of Wonders’. I loved her last book, ‘The Doll Factory’ and this one looks just perfect! The blurb had me at ‘Gothic Victoriana…’

There you have it! Hope you’ve enjoyed my answers and I’d like to tag anyone who fancies giving this a go – it is quite a challenge!

Header photo with thanks to Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 6th January, 2021

Links are provided for books already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

What have you recently finished reading?

Since my last update, I finished reading ‘The Art of Death’ by David Fennell, a serial killer crime novel with a female detective, DI Grace Archer. It is such a tense thriller, although definitely quite gruesome at times as Archer and her team find victims’ bodies turned into art installations on the streets of London. This is definitely a brilliant book for keeping readers turning pages – my review will follow

I also read ‘The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires’ by Grady Hendrix. Although it was nothing like I expected (I wanted a middle-aged, book club version of ‘True Blood’!), I did find it engaging.

I loved the idea of a group of women, brought together by their love of books, standing together against a vampire in their safe, middle-class neighbourhood. However, I was less prepared for the quite extreme horror elements – a bit beyond what I’d signed up for with its rats, bugs and dead animals.

Still, it kept me reading as I wanted to see the women – not a cohesive or cosy group by any means – triumph.

Then I read ‘How to Solve a Murder’ by Derek and Pauline Tremain, a rather gruesome but interesting book about forensics. The Tremains worked in the forensic department at Guy’s Hospital (where they met) and this book is packed with information about how deaths are investigated. I’d hoped for some insights into specific cases, but this was more about the science and the people doing the work – recommended for crime fiction fans.

My first book of 2021 was James O’Brien’s ‘How Not to be Wrong: The Art of Changing your Mind’. I really liked this non-fiction look at how broadcaster O’Brien has been led to shift his own world views by callers to his radio show or through the process of therapy. It’s an engaging and lively read, packed with O’Brien’s own reflections, transcripts of his radio show and plenty of food for thought.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading the new Liz Mistry book on NetGalley (‘Dark Memories’) – I loved the previous book in this series featuring DS Nikki Parekh and have so far been caught up in this story about Parekh investigating murders that have connections to her own poverty-stricken childhood in Bradford. The friendship between Parekh and her sidekick, Saj, is just lovely in this book and offsets some of the bleak themes.

I’m also reading ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie as a readalong with my blogger friends at The Write Reads. I’m only a few chapters in and remembering all the reasons I loved reading Christie’s books when I was a teenager – the characterisation, the fiendish plotting, the red herrings… I love it all!

‘The Appeal’ by Janice Hallett is also on my current reading pile – I’m reading this as a buddy read with Locky Loves Books. It’s a really unusual crime fiction book in that it is all written as emails, voicemail transcrips, texts and notes between the main protagonists surrounding a murder in a small community (and the lawyers who are trying to piece together the solution at the same time as the reader). Highly original and absolutely brilliant!

And (because three books on the go isn’t enough!) I’m also reading ‘Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ by Sian Evans. This is a very readable non-fiction book about women travellers mainly between the wars. The opening chapters deal with the Titanic and the ‘Unsinkable’ Violet Jessop before moving on to war time and the tragedy of the Lusitania. It’s fascinating stuff so far!

What do you think you will read next?

I have so many books, thanks to Christmas and my Waterstones’ sale spree – I am very lucky to be drowning in books. My husband is less happy about the amount of books in our house right now…

I do have a book to read for a blog tour – ‘Silent Graves’ by Sally Rigby, a crime fiction novel in the Cavendish and Walker series. I haven’t read previous books but I am totally intrigued by the fact this is a female DCI partnered with a female forensic psychologist to solve the historical murders of teenage girls who were killed in 1980.

Aside from this, I’ve got my eye on some more crime fiction – it’s becoming a bit of an obsession! I’m tempted by ‘The Jigsaw Man’ by Nadine Matheson as I won a proof, plus ‘One by One’ by Ruth Ware (who has been described as a modern-day Christie – perfect!)

So that’s me for this week! As always, thanks to NetGalley, publishers, my family and my ever-dwindling bank account for keeping me in great books.

December Wrap Up and January TBR

Well, the eternal 2020 is finally over!

I managed to read 11 books in December, taking me to a total of 120 for the year – a lot for me and more than my Goodreads target of 100.

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December Reading

I started the month with a NetGalley 2021 ARC, ‘The Last House on Needless Street’ by Catriona Ward. This is a really clever book about a serial killer and a missing child – to say more would really ruin the plot! Although I did read this and was pulled along by the narrative, I personally found it to be a bit bleak for my tastes. It will be published in March 2021.

Next I read ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge, the next book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series that will be published in February 2021 (again, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review). This starts with a woman waking up next to a dead man she doesn’t recognise…and then keeps you turning the pages until you find out what happened. A review will follow nearer publication.

Then came ‘The Inverts’ by Crystal Jeans, a book set mainly in the 1920s and 1930s about a gay man and woman who decide to marry to present a respectable front to society in order to hide their love affairs. It was a lively read, although felt startlingly modern in places. A review will follow on the blog nearer the April 2021 publication date.

I followed this with ‘Alexa, what is there to know about love?’, the latest poetry book from Brian Bilston (to be published in January 2021). Those who love Bilston’s clever wordplay and witty takes – usually showcased on Twitter – will find lots more to love in this poetry collection – review to follow.

Then I read the *secret book* for the BBNYA judging panel which – I can now reveal – was ‘The Devil’s Apprentice’ by Kenneth B Andersen. Way outside of my usual genres, this is the first book in The Great Devil War series and was a vividly-imagined fantasy novel about a boy who finds himself in a case of mistaken identity…and in Hell. A highly engaging read.

‘The Best Things’ by Mel Giedroyc (to be published in April 2021) was next. I love Mel Giedroyc and this was an entertaining story about a wealthy family who lose everything and have to adapt to survive. There were some lovely comic touches in this fairly cosy, easy read – review to follow.

Far from a cosy read was ‘The Art of Death’ by David Fennell, due for publication in February 2021. This was a gruesome and fast-paced police procedural about a serial killer who displays his victims as art installations on the streets of London. It introduces DI Grace Archer who – I think – has real potential to carry a whole series of books (I hope!) Review to follow in February.

I followed this with another gruesome book, ‘The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires’ by Grady Hendrix. I’d had this on my TBR for ages and was hoping for a story of female solidarity in the face of vampires, packed with Southern charm and a kind of ‘True Blood’ but with books. It didn’t deliver this at all, although I did find it quite readable.

The last book I read this month was ‘How to Solve a Murder’ by Derek and Pauline Tremain. This is a non-fiction book about the workings of a forensic department at Guy’s Hospital in London where both of the Tremains worked. This was insightful and interesting, although a bit gross at times! Review to follow nearer the publication date in January 2021.

All of the above books were provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews except for ‘The Devil’s Apprentice’ which was given to me as part of the BBNYA judging panel.

Finally, I listened to two audiobooks this month – ‘Going Solo’ by Roald Dahl (read by Dan Stevens) and ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens (read by Hugh Grant). Both were fabulous and highly recommended.

January TBR

I’ve got a few blog tours coming up this month, so will be reading ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney (YA comedy), ‘Dark Memories’ by Liz Mistry (next in the excellent DS Nikki Parekh crime series) and ‘The Appeal’ by Janice Hallett (a murder mystery with a difference!)

I’ll also be buddy reading (with ‘The Write Reads’ book club that isn’t a book club) ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie. I read lots of Christie as a teenager so I’m hoping I don’t remember the solution halfway through!

Apart from these, I want to work through some of the excellent books I was given for Christmas (and the ones I bought in the Waterstones’ sale – I have no self control in the face of a bargain!).

These include the non-fiction books ‘How Not to be Wrong: The Art of Changing your Mind’ by James O’Brien (politics and current affairs), ‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans (women’s social history about sea travel between the wars) and ‘Written in Bone’ by Professor Sue Black (forensic anthropology).

Aside from these, I’ll see where January takes me! Wishing you all a very happy new year!

Header photo by Nicole De Khors on Burst.