Better late than never!
March was a busy month for me…unfortunately, mainly in the work sense with an enforced Covid break in the middle. I read 9 books this month, putting me at 30/120 on my Goodreads target for the year.
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March Wrap-Up
I started the month with a blog tour book – ‘A Life for a Life’ by Carol Wyer. I’ve followed this series from the start and love to see what DI Kate Young is up to, In this story, it’s a seemingly random selection of murders across Staffordshire that draw the police’s attention – although Kate also has her own revenge plot. My review is here.
Next up was ‘Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars’ by Francesca Wade. This was a fascinating look at some women writers that I had heard of (Virginia Woolf, Dorothy L Sayers, H D) and some it was a delight to be introduced to (Eileen Power, Jane Ellen Harrison). I listened to the audiobook and loved it – my review is here.
Then I read ‘The Marmalade Diaries’ by Ben Aitken, a charming and funny book about his lockdown experiences in a houseshare with an octogenarian housemate. Having enjoyed Aitken’s travel writing previously, I was pleased to see that he can still write beautifully when Covid brings the exact opposite of travel experiences! My review is here.
The Covid hit and I was in the mood to devour crime thrillers to keep my interest and pass the time. Luckily, my NetGalley shelf offered ‘A Flicker in the Dark’ by Stacy Willingham, a tense and twisty story about a woman investigating murders that copy her father’s crimes. My review is here.
Another crime novel followed – ‘Under the Marsh’ by G R Halliday. This book (not out until July – I got my date order confused!) is a clever Scottish police procedural which starts out with what appears to be a simple case. For DI Monica Kennedy, the clues given by an incarcerated serial killer are just the start of a complex investigation. My review will be on the blog nearer publication.
My next book was an easy *FIVE STARS* and my *BOOK OF THE MONTH* – ‘Miss Aldridge Regrets’ by Louise Hare. I was utterly hooked by this captivating murder mystery set aboard a transatlantic liner headed for New York. 1930s glitz and glamour abound and I loved it. My review will be up in a few days time so watch this space!
In the mood for sometime less crime-ridden, I then picked up a blog tour book, ‘Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?’ by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. Yinka was a charming and funny guide to her dating disasters – and her extended and slightly stressful Nigerian family. My review is here.
Sticking with the upbeat theme, I read ‘Tired and Tested: The Wild Ride into Parenthood’ by Sophie McCartney. If you’ve seen any of McCartney’s hilarious videos on social media (usually songs about the ‘joys’ of parenting), you know what to expect. It is very, very funny and relatable.
Last up was a re-read of ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell with my Year 9 class (a re-read for me, not for them!) Every time I read this, I spot something new and clever – it is definitely worth another look if it’s been a while since you picked it up, plus it is very short and readable. It was a hit with some of Year 9…
April TBR
Because my reading hasn’t exactly been prolific recently, I have a bit of a backlog (NOTE: this is an understatement…)
As crime fiction is still very much the order of the day, I’ll be reading ‘Little Sister’ by Gytha Lodge – I’ve loved the rest of the series featuring DI Jonah Sheens so am sure this will be marvellous. I also have my eye on ‘The Paris Apartment’ by Lucy Foley (a fab writer of twisty tales) and ‘Dear Little Corpses’ by Nicola Upson (my favourite writer of historical crime).
Given that historical fiction floated my boat last month, I’m also going to read ‘A Marvellous Light’ by Freya Marske as I’ve long had my eye on this magical tale of Edwardian love and posh country houses! Also on my radar is ‘The Trial of Lotta Rae’ by Siobhan MacGowan as I have already started this on Pigeonhole – it’s (so far) a heartbreaking take of a rape case where a young, working-class woman takes on a higher-class man. Finally, I’m hearing brilliant things about ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ by Bonnie Garmus – although I can’t really get my head around the 1960s being considered truly historical!
Finally, my non-fiction fix is going to come from ‘Reel History: The World According to the Movies’ by Alex Von Tunzelmann – this looks like a very funny review of the historical accuracy of movies and I cannot wait to dive in! Also in my sights is ‘The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride through Europe and the Middle East’ by Rebecca Lowe and ‘The Mercenary River Private Greed, Public Good: A History of London’s Water’ by Nick Higham.
I’m terrible at sticking to TBRs so join me next month when I’ll review the completely different set of books I actually managed to read!
Have a good April, everyone.
Header photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash
I liked The Paris Apartment! A Flicker in the Dark is one I own and really need to read.