It’s been a surprisingly busy reading month – helped by school half term holidays and the desire to clear some of my proofs before I embark on NetGalley November (more of that in a bit!)
This month, I’ve read 14 books which puts me on 115/100 on my Goodreads Challenge.
Read moreThe past few weeks have been so hectic! This wrap-up is so late!
I managed to read 10 books in May – mainly due to having taken on rather a lot of blog tours. Of these, I gave 3 *****, 6 **** and one ***. I’m now on 55/100 of my Goodreads Challenge.
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May Wrap-Up
I started the month with the very exciting and tense ‘The Assistant’ by Kjell Ola Dahl for a blog tour. I thoroughly enjoyed this slice of Nordic Noir which was set in Prohibition-era Norway, a setting I hadn’t experienced before. My review is here.
Another blog tour book followed – ‘A Public Murder’ by Antoinette Moses. This is a lively and engaging police procedural and will be the first in a series to feature DI Pam Gregory. Set between Cambridge and Crete, I loved the classical allusions of the Cretan bull and the labyrinth that are central to the story. My review is here.
David Baddiel’s audiobook, ‘Jews Don’t Count’ was up next. This is a short (it is in the TLS Essays series of hardbacks) but compelling argument that anti-Semitism isn’t recognised as ‘real’ racism. Baddiel argues that Jews are paradoxically considered both low status (discriminated against) and high status (stereotyped as privileged and wealthy) – and so racism against them is somehow discounted or ignored. This was one of my five star reads of the month – it is a real eye-opener and the audiobook is engagingly presented by Baddiel himself.
Then it was back to the blog tour books and ‘Stealing the Spanish Princess’ by Bea Green. This is another new crime series, this time featuring detective Richard Langley of Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiquities unit. The art dimension (the Spanish Princess of the title refers to a painting) was fascinating and the whole book was tied together with an engaging murder mystery too. My review is here.
This was followed by the charming ‘Mrs Narwhal’s Diary’ by S J Norbury – another blog tour read. This is a funny and relatable book about one middle-aged woman trying to hold everything together – in her case, a crumbling stately home, a husband having a mid-life crisis, children, in-laws and unhappy customers of her husband’s furniture business. My review is here.
Next up was ‘The Distant Dead’ by Lesley Thomson, a crime novel with an unusual detective – cleaner Stella Darnell. This is a clever, dual-narrative story which links a 1940 Blitz murder with events in the present day. My blog tour review is here.
Another five star read (listen) followed with the non-fiction ‘The Glamour Boys’ by Chris Bryant. Although I listened to the audiobook, I also had to buy a copy of the hardback because I needed to see pictures of the key players and re-read bits! This is the story of a group of MPs in the period prior to World War II who first identified that Nazi Germany was a threat that needed addressing – but were ignored, partly because of their queer status. This was an absolutely fascinating slice of history and brilliantly told.
Another five star read followed, this time a buddy read with Hannah’s ‘book club that isn’t a book club’ through The Write Reads – ‘The Five’ by Hallie Rubenhold. I really loved this insight into Victorian women’s lives – specifically the victims of Jack the Ripper. Rubenhold told the women’s backgrounds with clarity and tonnes of interesting details – and (commendably) kept the focus on their lives rather than their deaths.
Then I finished another buddy read (with the Tsundoku Squad), ‘Lace’ by Shirley Conran. I’ll admit that I was aware of the scandalous reputation of this one and wanted to see what the fuss was about. I wasn’t disappointed with the frankly bonkers story of a young woman and the four older women she thinks may be her mother. Bits of this felt dated, but it certainly kept me entertained. Our collective review is here.
I finished the month with another blog tour book, ‘Cut from the Same Cloth?’ edited by Sabeena Akhtar. This is a collection of essays written by Muslim women in Britain and it was an engaging and eye-opening read. My review is here.
June TBR
After May’s excesses on the blog tour front, I only have two for June and I am very much looking forward to ‘Dead Ground’ by M. W. Craven (the fourth book in the Poe and Bradshaw crime series that I’ve heard lots about) and ‘Mary Jane’ by Jessica Anya Blau (a coming-of-age 1970s nostalgia-fest!)
Aside from this, I have a stack of gorgeous proofs and hardbacks that I’m desperate to read! On the shortlist so far is ‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’ by Matt Cain (this sounds like a gorgeous story of finding love later in life), ‘Murder: The Biography’ by Kate Morgan (fascinating non-fiction about the history of murder as a crime), ‘Yours Cheerfully’ by A J Pearce (sequel to the brilliant ‘Dear Mrs Bird’ – historical fiction at its most uplifting) and ‘Nighthawking’ by Russ Thomas (super-twisty crime fiction that has had rave reviews).
As usual, see you next month when I will have read precisely nothing of what I planned!
With my usual thanks to all the lovely blog tour hosts, publishers, NetGalley, bookshops and authors who keep me in books. However I come by books, opinions are always entirely my own.
Header photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash.
I’m halfway to my Goodreads 2021 target of 100 books!
With 50 (mostly) great books under my belt, I thought it was time to take stock and pick my favourites so far.
These five in particular have helped light up my 2021…
I've included affiliate links in this post - thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.Continue reading Woah-oh, I’m halfway there!
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?
With the Tsundoku Squad, I was ‘The Islanders’ by S V Leonard but the lure of the last section was too much and I finished it slightly ahead of schedule – I was finding that I was losing the sense of pace and was keen to race to the denouement. Review to follow but this was an engaging, fun read.
The Write Reads book group chose a graphic novel this month, ‘Bloodlust and Bonnets’ by Emily McGovern. I hadn’t read a graphic novel in ages but I raced through this charming, witty and lively book. I loved the heroine, Lucy, who is sassy and strong (and also a redhead, like me – loved that!) yet also clueless in many ways. The addition of Byron and vampires was a bonus! Review to follow.
What are you reading now?
I have more books on the go than I can keep up with!
I’ve stepped away from too much digital reading for a while because it was not helping my headaches, so most of these books are physical copies – this is a bit of a novelty for me!
I’m still – yes, still – reading the new Katie Fforde book, ‘A Wedding in the Country’ on NetGalley. I’m making slow progress because I put it down for some blog tour books but I am enjoying it.
I’m also still reading ‘How to Live. What to Do’ by Josh Cohen, a psychoanalyst who looks at life through the lens of literature. I really like the literary examples that Cohen is using and analysing – I’ve just read a really interesting exploration of ‘ambition’ using Jay Gatsby and Esther Greenwood from ‘The Bell Jar’ – books I know well and so can easily follow Cohen’s argument. This is a gifted copy from the publisher – a review will follow.
I’ve just started ‘Art in the Blood’ by Bonnie MacBird, the first in her Sherlock Holmes series. I read the 4th book, ‘The Three Locks’, for a forthcoming blog tour and absolutely loved it so I just had to start with the first book. So far, so good!
I’ve also just started ‘Insatiable’ by Daisy Buchanan. I was intrigued about this one after reading some blogger reviews via Twitter but – wow – it is an eye opener and has made me both laugh and blush quite a few times. One I really don’t need my kids picking up!
On a more sober note, I also started reading ‘Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again’ by Katherine Angel. I picked up this book on the recommendation of the lovely Ellie H on Twitter and it is a fascinating look at women, desire and consent. It is really engaging and striking and – sadly, given the seeming relentlessness of events in the news – incredibly timely.
What do you think you will read next?
I have a blog tour for ‘The Shadow in the Glass’ by JJA Harwood. I love the look of this gothic, Victorian story!
I do have quite a NetGalley backlog since I have been struggling to read digitally with post-Covid headaches. In particular, I have my eye on ‘The Road Trip’ by Beth O’Leary and ‘Dangerous Women’ by Hope Adams.
Many thanks to NetGalley, blog tour hosts, publishers and authors for books in exchange for an honest review.
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’s been two weeks since my last WWW Wednesday post, but you can read my February Wrap-Up here.
This looks like loads, but it is 2 weeks and a lot of finishing the last section of books!
I finished ‘Paris by Starlight’ by Robert Dinsdale with my Tsundoku Squad lovelies. This is a beautifully-imagines tale of refugees bringing their old country magic to Paris (where they aren’t exactly welcomed). The writing is lovely, but I found the pace a little slow for my tastes.
My other buddy read for February (with The Write Reads group) was ‘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 found the setting of this one really engaging – I didn’t know much about beliefs around Day of the Dead before this and it is a clever setting for the story. I liked the main characters and did enjoy reading along and discussing the novel. Once the action picked up, I did really like this book – although the first part was a little meandering and it wasn’t clear where it was headed.
Since my last update, I also read ‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith for a blog tour – you can read my review here. This one was a hit for me based on the excellent settings – the trenches of World War I, wartime Paris and post-war New Orleans. I found myself carried along by the story created for Nick Carraway, who (after the events of ‘Nick’) finds himself in West Egg at the end of the novel and about to embark on the events in F Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’. I’d recommend reading this if you like engaging historical fiction – the literary connection to Gatsby is a bonus.
I also read ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Catherine Alliott for a blog tour – you can read my review here. This was a departure from what I expect from Alliott’s novels – it was a much darker story about a marriage that seems perfect on the surface and what happens when it ends. The mix of genres surprised me – there are elements of romance, as you might expect, but also something much grittier and with higher stakes – but I did enjoy it.
Another blog tour read was ‘The Three Locks’ by Bonnie MacBird. This is the fourth in a series of new Sherlock Holmes novels and I absolutely loved it. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, although I’ve since bought them. This is a twisty tale of a locked box, a missing girl, the world of Cambridge academia, warring magicians and a whole lot more. I raced through this in two sittings and can recommend it – my review will follow later in the month.
Then I read a short book – ‘Sex and the City of Ladies: Rewriting History with Cleopatra, Lucrezia Borgia and Catherine the Great’ by Lisa Hilton. I’d previously only read Hilton’s thrillers, but knew that she also wrote academic books and was intrigued by this short volume printed by the TLS. At about 80 pages, it discusses the way that the three named women are portrayed throughout history and the notoriety that surrounds them – often for doing the same things as their male counterparts who haven’t caused such a stir! It was an interesting read.
Finally, I finished the audiobook of ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams (read by Stephen Fry). The book is one that I love and it has been great to share it with my son. It has dated a bit, I suppose – the actual Hitchhiker’s Guide, which seemed so magical when I read it as a teen, could now be outdone by anyone with a smartphone and Wikipedia – but it was nice to hear it all again. Fry’s narration is good too.
My last read was ‘Last Place You Look’ by Louisa Scarr, a crime procedural about a mysterious death and some pretty unconventional policing. My review will follow as part of the blog tour later in the month. This is to be the first in a new series featuring DS Robin Butler and DC Freya West – and they are an engaging pair of characters.
What are you reading now?
Still too many books!
I have two new buddy reads for March and have started making in-roads into both.
With the Tsundoku Squad, I’m reading ‘The Islanders’ by S V Leonard and it is a lot of fun so far. It’s a kind of clever mix of ‘Love Island’ and Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ – with echoes of Ben Elton’s ‘Dead Famous’ as people are picked off under the watchful eye of reality TV cameras. So far, so good.
The Write Reads group have chosen a graphic novel this month, ‘Bloodlust and Bonnets’ by Emily McGovern. I’ve not done much more than have a quick glance through this so far, but it looks great – a 19th century setting, plus vampires, a feisty heroine and Lord Byron have me sold!
I’m still reading the new Katie Fforde book, ‘A Wedding in the Country’. I’ve read a bit more of this since last update and am enjoying it, but unfortunately had to put it down for some blog tour books. It’s a cosy, cheery read – as you’d expect from Fforde – although I was surprised by the 1960s setting. It works though!
I’m also reading ‘How to Live. What to Do’ by Josh Cohen, a psychoanalyst who looks at life through the lens of literature. Each ‘phase’ of life is examined, with various examples from literature being clinically examined – for example, childhood is looked at by exploring ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the experiences of the main protagonist. I’m not familiar with some of the examples Cohen is using, but it is an interesting idea and an engaging read.
What do you think you will read next?
I have a blog tour for ‘The Shadow in the Glass’ by JJA Harwood. I love the look of this gothic, Victorian story!
I am also desperate to read some more of Bonnie MacBird’s Sherlock Holmes books after reading ‘The Three Locks’ so I think they are in my near future!
Many thanks to NetGalley, blog tour hosts, publishers and authors for books in exchange for an honest review.
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’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.
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.
Affiliate links are provided below – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.
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.
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 already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)
What have you recently finished reading?
I’ve just finished ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge which was one of the NetGalley 2021 ARCs that I was keen to read. This is a story that opens with a woman waking up next to a dead man she doesn’t recognise…and then follows the police investigation to determine the killer. It’s the latest in the series featuring DCI Sheens and it is another solid and tense police procedural. A review will follow nearer publication date but fans of Lodge’s previous books will not be disappointed.
I’ve also just finished listening to ‘Going Solo’ by Roald Dahl which is read by Dan Stevens. My kids and I loved the audiobook of ‘Boy’, the book before this one, and enjoyed the tales of Dahl’s experiences working for the Shell Company in Africa and flying for the RAF in World War II. This was a nostalgic one for me because I read this book repeatedly as a child. It is darker than I remember and my daughter didn’t love it as much as ‘Boy’ for this reason, but I think it is still a classic.
What are you reading now?
I am reading a *TOP SECRET* book which I’m not allowed to talk about yet because I’m on the BBYNA judging panel which will announce its winners before Christmas.
I’m also working my way through some lighter reads – I’ve started both Claudia Winkelman’s ‘Quite’ and ‘Toksvig’s Almanac 2021’ by Sandi Toksvig (which I bought after seeing her speak about it at a live online event). I felt like I needed a cheery read to get me through to the end of term! I’ve got the Toksvig book on audio too through NetGalley and it is lovely to hear Sandi’s cheery voice narrating.
What do you think you will read next?
I still have a shocking NetGalley backlog but ‘Hyde’ by Craig Russell is up next, as well as ‘Dangerous Women’ by Hope Adams.
The new Katie Fforde book (‘A Wedding in the Country’) is also calling me as a lighter read!
Header photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash.
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 already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)
What have you recently finished reading?
It’s been a better reading week, so I actually have some updates! I’m on 107/100 of my Goodreads challenge – it’s nice to be an over-achiever so I’m not moving that target!
I finished ‘Banking on Murder’ by J D Whitelaw for a blog tour in December. This is a lively and cosy murder mystery with a formidable trio of investigators – the (Nosy) Parker Sisters! Review to follow.
I also finished Laura Purcell’s ‘The Shape of Darkness’, a spooky and atmospheric historical mystery set in Bath and featuring some very weird but wonderful characters – especially Agnes, a silhouette-cutter with a mysterious past, and Pearl, an albino girl with a gift for contacting the dead. It’s packed with seances and murders and strange events – and I really loved it! Review to follow closer to publication in January 2021.
Finally, I read ‘The Split’ by Laura Kay, a book which was exactly what I needed – a lively and humorous book that follows the story of Ally after she is dumped by her girlfriend. Returning to her dad’s house in Sheffield, she finds comfort in an old friendship, a new job and a rather stressful new hobby (running a half marathon!) It’s got gorgeously-written characters, relatable bits and plenty of uplifting cheeriness as Ally finds happiness again. Review will follow nearer to publication date in March 2021 but this is one to watch for!
What are you reading now?
I’m embarrassed that I’m still reading Natalie Haynes’ ‘Pandora’s Jar’ but there we are – it is a fascinating read but keeps being put aside for blog tour books.
I’m also still working my way through ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier with The Write Reads gang. I’m enjoying it, but mainly because my fellow readers are a group of people with some interesting and hilarious ideas!
What do you think you will read next?
Having worked my way through a grand total of three out of my top 10 2021 ARCs that I’m really excited about, I need to keep working on those. Catching my eye next are ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge (crime fiction), ‘The Last House on Needless Street’ by Catriona Ward (serial killer thriller) and ‘Madam’ by Phoebe Wynne (gothic spookiness!).
Header photo with thanks to Alena Ganzhela for sharing her work on Unsplash.
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 already published/pre-orders – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases (at no extra cost to you!)
What have you recently finished reading?
I have finished reading ‘The Wrong Sort to Die’ by Paula Harmon, a historical mystery novel that is for a blog tour with Damp Pebbles. It’s an engaging story about a pioneering female pathologist in Edwardian London. My review will be on the blog tour next week.
Then I read ‘The Cousins’ by Karen McManus, a YA thriller, for a blog tour at the end of November with The Write Reads. This one is a twisty story of family lies and long-buried secrets in a small island community on Gull Cove Island in America.
Another blog tour book also turned up this week and I devoured it in one sitting! ‘How Love Actually Ruined Christmas (or Colourful Narcotics)’ by Gary Raymond is a hilarious skewering of the 2003 Richard Curtis film, ‘Love Actually’. It made me laugh so much and nod in agreement. My (extremely gushing) review will be on the blog later in the month as part of the Damp Pebbles tour.
What are you reading now?
I’ve joined a reading group on Twitter in order to (hopefully) knock through some of the NetGalley backlog – this was set up by the lovely Emandherbooks and is a supportive group of bloggers working on #NetGalleyNovember2020.
Due to them, I’ve made excellent in-roads to Laura Purcell’s ‘The Shape of Darkness’ which I am absolutely loving! It’s a historical, spooky, gothic tale involving spiritualism and murder – right up my street! This one will be published in January 2021.
I’m also reading ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier with the fabulous bunch at The Write Reads. It’s a book that (I’m ashamed to say) I’ve failed to read on two previous occasions but I’m making progress this time.
I’m still reading ‘Pandora’s Jar’ by Natalie Haynes. I’m enjoying it but can’t seem to make much progress as it is packed with ideas and interesting stuff. I keep having to put it down to digest bits!
Finally, I’m still working my way through the audiobook of Jasper Rees’ ‘Let’s Do It’, the biography of Victoria Wood that is read by so many famous voices. Although I love the narration, I am finding it quite slow going and – coming in at about 21 hours – I have a long way to go. I’m not sure I’m going to make it.
What do you think you will read next?
I’ve just taken on another blog tour for Damp Pebbles as there was a date that needed filling so my next read is ‘The Heat’, a crime novella by Sean O’Leary.
Then it’s back to NetGalley and the brilliant ARCs vying for my attention! Top of the pile at the moment (but always subject to change) are these gems:
As always, thanks for reading and following my blog!
With thanks to the blog tour hosts, publishers, authors and NetGalley for providing me with the books in exchange for honest reviews. The only book not provided for free in this week’s round-up is ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier.
Header photo with thanks to Jessica Fadel for sharing their work on Unsplash.
