Writing Goals
Lido Community Project completed and on display
'Ebb & Flow' published for Castle Priory Press
Was asked to be on the judging panel for a new Crime/Thriller prize
Reading Goals
4/30 library books (1 left - still waiting for it to come in from the library)
2023 kindle list complete. Reading books added in 2024 now
4/15 bookshelf books (2023 list now complete and reading books added in 2024)
2/3 books to buy read (2023 list now complete and reading books added in 2024)
This has been the first month for a while where I've felt a bit more like myself. I was determined to try to finish last year's reading list as this year's is growing at an alarming rate. Having a week in France helped massively - we decided we were going to have a much needed week of relaxation and doing as little as possible. Consequently, the furthest we ventured from the cottage we'd rented was to the local supermarket half an hour away, every other day. The rest of the time we sat in the garden playing games and reading. I read 14 books in the 8 days we were away and it was glorious!
I also made the decision to cut back the number of book reviews I do because I realised it was starting to eat into the time where I could just be reading for pleasure and doing my own writing. I will still do a few, just not as many as I have been recently!
Much as I've enjoyed having the family around, I'm very much looking forward to getting back to my desk and doing some writing of my own. As always, there are lots of projects I'm involved in, but I am determined to make time for my own writing as well this academic year.
Book Reviews
Romance
An Offer From A Gentleman – Julia Quinn (Audiobook. Benedict Bridgerton’s story. I’ve already read this, but wanted something light and entertaining on audio to go to sleep to. One of my favourites.)
The Viscount Who Loved Me – Julia Quinn (Audiobook. Anthony Bridgerton's story. Another one I’ve read before but wanted to listen to at night.)
Snowflakes Over The Starfish Cafe - Jessica Redland (Pleasant holiday-style read with a good life lesson thrown in. Hollie and Jake have experienced the kind of hardship that would bring down even the strongest of people, but even as their love brings them together, their personal histories threaten to tear them apart. Feel-good story of love conquering all.)
Romancing Mr Bridgerton - Julia Quinn (Audiobook. Colin Bridgerton's story. Listening to this to remind myself of the original story after watching the TV series. Whilst in many ways I prefer the book, I do like that the TV series allowed Pen to 'rescue' herself and I had completely forgotten 'that' carriage scene was in the book!)
Fantasy
The Tiger’s Wife – Téa O’Breht (Bizarre book, which combines the stories of a man who cannot die, a doctor’s relationship with her grandfather during and after a war and a woman who may or may not have fallen in love with a tiger. No one is quite what they seem and the mix of time shifts, magical realism, superstition and reality make for a very strange and confusing book.)
The Greek Myths - Robin & Katherine Wakefield (The language is a little flowery at times for my taste and the myths themselves are occasionally over-romanticised with some more common interpretations being glossed over. That is the beauty of the Greek myths though - as the book says in its introduction - there is no homogenised version of them. They are both of thei time and timeless in their openness to interpretation and emphasis.)
Myths and Legends - Anthony Horowitz (Re-telling of myths from around the world in Horowitz's inimitable style. Mostly Greek, but some from other countries as well in the second half of the book. Enjoyed it very much, especially the little touches of humour scattered throughout.)
Water Moon - Samantha Sotto (Fantasy/magical realism at its finest. Brilliant concept, perfectly executed. Hana lives in a world where people can trade their regrets for peace of mind, but what is the cost of this exchange? When Kei walks into her life, Hana finds she must decide what price she is prepared to pay for the truth about her family. Full review to follow on 25th September.)
Tiffany Aching's Guide To Being A Witch - Rhianna Pratchett & Gabrielle Kent (First Discworld book I've read that wasn't directly written by the late, great, Sir Terry. Was hesitant, but shouldn't have worried. Perfectly capturing his author voice and those of his characters, this is an excellent addition to the series.)
Children/Young Adult
Overthinking – David Fenne (Sequel to ‘Overemotional’ which sees the intrepid foursome head off to university. There is no ‘second book dip’ here. Love the way the story unfolds and then ends with the perfect set up for Book 3.)
Loki: A Bad God's Guide To Making Enemies - Louie Stowell (Excellent addition to the series. Along with my ARC, we will no doubt also end up with the usual reading copy, signed copy and audiobook for Arthur as well! I galloped through this because Arthur wasn't going quick enough for me. Full review to follow on 2nd September.)
Crime
What A Way To Go – Bella Mackie (Read for Review. Second novel from the author of ‘How To Kill Your Family’. Very similar style, with quirky characters and an unusual, twisting narrative. Full review can be found here.)
A Sunlit Weapon - Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie is back in her penultimate case and she is confronted by the realities of two disparate cultures. Segregation is not welcomed in the UK and Maisie faces a race against time to prove the innocence of a black American GI as her world clashes with Mark's. Together, they have to find a way to navigate the sometimes conflicting demands of their respective jobs.)
Murder On The Lusitania - Edward Marston (Set on the ship's maiden voyage, intrigue and excitement abound as the ship's crew struggle to maintain a calm front in the face of murder and theft. The passengers have to be kept ignorant of events as the ship sails to New York. For ship's detective, George Dillman, the real question is why any of this has happened.)
Murder At Midwinter Manor - Anita Davison (Book 3 in the Hannah and Aunt Violet series. A wide range of suspects - considering the murder takes place at a houseparty - and cleverly interwoven themes meant I was kept guessing until the end. Full review to follow on 16th September.)
Manuscript Mysteries At The Robin Hood Club - Jennifer Ash (Solid opener for a new crime series, centred around the Robin Hood CLub. Engaging main character, possible romance set up for later books and a theme dear to my heart.)
Fair Play - Louise Hegarty (Bizarre novel that repeatedly breaks the fourth wall between characters and reader. Lists the rules of crime novels and the detective refers back to them throughout the book. It's an interesting experiment and a clever concept, but the constant switching between time frames combined with the lack of a fourth wall made it quite difficult to get fully engrossed in the story. Full review to follow next month.)
Non-Fiction
Target Tirpitz – Patrick Bishop (Audiobook. 8yo and I have been listening to this in the car. The Tirpitz was the last of the Kriegsmarine ships for us to listen to and it was fascinating to hear about all the different, innovative attempts that were made to sink her.)
A Book Of Book Lists - Alex Johnson (Not a 'must read' set of lists, but more of an examination of famous or notable bookshelves. Whilst there is very little information given about the books themselves, it's an interesting read for any bibliophile and I still added 7 books to my TBR list for 2025, including 3 more books about books!)
The Parthenon - Mary Beard (Interesting account of the history of this iconic building by one of today's foremost classical scholars. Provides a balanced account of where the Parthenon marbles should be displayed. Made me even keener to go to Athens and see it all for real.)
Being An Ally - Shakirah Bourne & Dana Alison Levy (Picked this up on World Book Day because it's something I want to understand more about. I frequently get things wrong and I know I'm not as vocal as I could be in challenging prejudice, but gradually, with the help of books like this, I feel I'm making baby steps towards becoming a true ally.)
The Noble Art of Poison - Eleanor Herman (Audiobook. Listened to this before, but it's a good one to listen to again, particularly as I'd forgotten some of the conclusions of the modern autopsy reports.)
Historical
Dangerous Women - Hope Adams (Story inspired by the Rajah quilt. Set against the backdrop of the transportation of 200 women from Newgate to Australia, this is a murder mystery that keeps you guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed it.)
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison (Heartbreaking story of young black girls in 1940s America. Right at the heart is the concept of beauty and what constitutes it. Horrifying to read but important to understand how each negative comment we make could add another layer to someone's self-loathing.)
Literary
The Light Of Day - Graham Swift (Events from two years previously still haunt private eye, George. This book examines human relationships - what brings people together and ultimately, what tears them apart. George's marriage didn't survive his expulsion from the police force, but his relationship with Sarah seems to be surviving much worse. I found it quite difficult to understand the motivations of either of the two main characters though.)
Poetry
Pessimism Is For Lightweights - Salena Godden (Collection of poetry about modern life and the habit of proclaiming that it's all doom and gloom. 'Soup' and 'Courage Is A Muscle' were my favourites.)
Contemporary
The Reader On The 6:27 - Jean-Paul Didier Laurent (Gentle read for Book Group. Took me quite a while to get into it, considering it's such a short book, but by the time Julie was introduced, I'd become invested in the story and there are some genuinely lovely examples of human interaction at its best.)
Book of the Month?
I think for sheer brilliance, it has to be Samantha Sotto Yambao's 'Water Moon'. I was hooked right from the start and it kept me engaged right to the very end. This was a book I'd been really looking forward to reading and it didn't disappoint. It made me think on so many different levels and it's a book I think i could easily go back to and find new things to think about each time.
Comentarios