Tag Archives: T. M. Logan

That Was The Month That Was… May 2020!

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I can’t believe that May has been and gone and now it’s June already! It’s now almost twelve weeks since I last left the house as I’m in the high risk group for Coronavirus and my last trip out of the house was a couple of weeks before lock down. It’s been okay. I feel lucky that we have a small garden so I’ve been able to get fresh air most days. My husband is still on furlough at the moment so it helps that I’ve not been on my own. We’ve been enjoying the sunshine when it’s here and we’ve caught up on a few films and TV shows when it’s been too cold to sit outside.

The biggest thing that happened in May is that my reading mojo finally returned, closely followed by my bloggging mojo! I’ve read more books than I thought I had in May so I’m really pleased. I still need to remind myself to pick up a book when I’m in the house but when I’m in the garden I only take a book or my kindle outside and that stops me wasting time on my phone.

Here is my May in Books and Blogging!

Reading

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Alibi Girl by C. J. Skuse

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Just My Luck by Adele Parks

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

One Split Second by Caroline Bond

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

One Hundred and Fifty Two Days by Giles Paley Phillips

Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah

The Catch by T. M. Logan

Stranger, Baby by Emily Berry

Just Mercy by Bryan A. Stevenson

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

His and Hers by Alice Feeney

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

Afraid of the light by Alex North

Living My Best Life by Claire Frost

The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan

The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper

Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing

Blurred Lines by Hannah Begbie

Blogging

I managed to post fairly regularly on my blog in May which I’m really happy about. I started with my April wrap-up where I shared how that month had been. This was followed by a book haul. Then I shared a post with four mini reviews of recent reads: Dear Edward by Anna Napolitano, Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, What She Saw Last Night by Mason Cross and I Want You Gone by Miranda Rijks.

Mid-week that week I shared my WWW Wednesday post and on the Saturday I posted another book haul. Next up was my next mini review post with four more books featured: The Alibi Girl by CJ Skuse, The Last Flight by Julie Clark, The Guest List by Lucy Foley and The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. Then it was WWW Wednesdays time again!

My next post was a book haul and this was followed by another selection of mini book reviews: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, Made to be Broken by Rebecca Bradley, Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain, and An Almost Zero Waste Life by Megan Weldon. On the Wednesday of that week I shared my review of The Secrets of Strangers by Charity Norman and my regular WWW Wednesdays post. Then it was time to stack my shelves again with a new book haul.

On the Monday I shared another mini book review post featuring Just My Luck by Adele Parks, One Hundred and Fifty Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips, The Catch by T. M. Logan and A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone. Towards the end of May it was time to decide what my 20 Books of Summer TBR was going to be! Then it was WWW Wednesdays time again. And my final post in May was another book haul!

How was your May? It’s such a weird time at the moment and I hope you’re all doing as okay as you can be. I’d love to hear about the books you’ve been reading or if you have any TV/Netflix recommendations.

WWW Wednesdays (27 May 20)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

My Current Reads

Living My Best Life by Claire Frost

This book caught my eye when I was re-organising my bookshelves recently and I knew I wanted to read it soon. It follows two women in alternating chapters as they navigate being single and trying to move on with their lives. I started it yesterday and I’m really enjoying it.

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

I started reading this book a couple of days ago and am gripped by it. It follows a woman in a small town who is trying to come to terms with her daughter’s murder. I read and loved The Roanoke Girls by this author and I think this book is going to be even better!

The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan

I’m reading this one stave at a time on the Pigeonhole app and I’m completely engrossed. It follows multiple characters in the wake of a woman’s murder and the abduction of the baby she was looking after. There are so many people who might have done it and I don’t trust anyone. It’s a real page turner and I’m eagerly anticipating the final stave after midnight tonight!

Afraid of the Light by Alex North

I’m also reading this short story collection on the Pigeonhole app and it’s utterly brilliant. Every single story has been so good. I’m loving getting just one story a day, it’s a great way to experience a short story collection.

My Recent Reads

His and Hers by Alice Feeney

I really enjoyed this thriller, it’s a return to form for Alice Feeney. I didn’t want to put this book down, it’s full of characters to dislike and I love that. The novel is told in alternating chapters from Anna and her ex husband Jake and it really is a page turner.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

This book is incredible! I read it in one sitting and I just adored it. It’s the story of a woman who lives with her boyfriend and has her life planned out then one night she has a very vivid dream set five years in the future where she’s living with a different man in a different apartment. For me though this is really a novel about female friendship and it’s gorgeous! This is a new favourite for me and I already want to read it again!

The Catch by T. M. Logan

I enjoyed this one and have already reviewed it so you can read my thoughts here. It’s a rollercoaster of a novel and really keeps you on your toes!

Just Mercy by Bryan A. Stevenson

This book is brilliant. It’s so eye-opening and heart-breaking and a really important book that everyone should read. It’s the story of a young black lawyer as he navigates a system that holds such awful prejudices. He fights for his clients but what people go through it so shocking, even when you know it happens it’s still shocking to read it. I highly recommend this one.

Stranger, Baby by Emily Berry

This is a poetry collection that I’ve wanted to read for ages and I’m really glad that I finally picked it up. It’s a collection that explores grief for the loss of a mother and I found it very moving. Some poems brought a lump to my throat on first reading and others took repeat readings for me to grasp them. I really appreciated this collection and I recommend it.

What I Might Read Next

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

I read and enjoyed the author’s previous novel Anatomy of a Scandal and so have been really looking forward to her new book. I think this one follows two women who were friends years ago but their lives have moved on and now they’re back in each other’s lives again.

The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper

After reading and loving In Five Years last week I’m just in the mood to read something else that is similar to it and The Day We Met sounds like it could be the perfect pick. I’ve had this on my NetGalley shelf for way too long so I really want to get to this one in the coming days.

Blurred Lines by Hannah Begbie

This sounds like a very prescient novel about Becky who sees her boss with a woman who’s not his wife and she turns a blind eye but then the woman accuses her boss of rape Becky is forced to think about what she saw and what she should do next. I think this sounds like such a compelling novel.

The Split by Sharon Bolton

I love Sharon Bolton’s writing so am always keen to read her latest novel without even needing to know what it’s about! I think this one is a cat and mouse novel about a woman who moves a long way from home to escape her past but it starts to catch up with her. It sounds like there are lots of secrets and lies. I can’t wait to read this one!

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in WWW Wednesdays or This Week in Books please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: Just My Luck | The Catch | One Hundred and Fifty Two Days | A Dark Matter

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Today I’m sharing another selection of mini reviews of books that I’ve read and enjoyed recently.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks

I really enjoyed this book, it kept me gripped all the way through! The novel follows Jake and Lexi who are married with two children. Every weekend they play the lottery with two couples they’ve known since their children were babies. Only one week their numbers come up and Jake and Lexi say they are the sole winners as the other two couples didn’t put their money in the previous weekend. The novel then follows the fall out, and the far-reaching actions and repercussions that no one could have foreseen. There is some suspension of disbelief required at times but I didn’t mind that, I adored seeing where this novel was going to take me. I’d recommend this one if you’re looking for a domestic thriller that keeps you on your toes!

The Catch by T. M. Logan

I’ve read and enjoyed T. M. Logan’s previous novels so I was delighted to get a copy of his new one from NetGalley recently. I love the way this author takes ordinary people living ordinary lives and he throws a grenade into those lives and we get to see what happens. In The Catch Ed and Claire meet their daughter Abbie’s new boyfriend Ryan, and he seems very nice. Only Ed is immediately suspicious of this man and is determined to find out more about him. This is another novel where you suspend your disbelief and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that you’re on and I really enjoyed it. There are twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, it’s hard to see where this novel might go and I loved that. I recommend it!

One Hundred and Fifty Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips

This is a beautiful novel written in verse about a teenage boy coming to terms with his mum’s illness and death. Whilst his mum is very ill he contracts pneumonia and so isn’t allowed to visit her. I loved the honesty throughout this book – it’s clear this boy loves his mum and misses seeing her but he also focuses a lot on his physio Freya who he feels understands him. There is so much for him to process, I really felt for him. There are a few moments in this book that made me cry – my mum died when I was in my 20s and I empathised with the pain he was in. I loved his relationship with his Nana Q, I was so glad he had her to walk beside him as his father seemed to grow more distant. All in all this is a beautiful, honest and moving novel and I recommend it.

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone

I loved Doug Johnstone’s previous novel so was very keen to read his latest and I’m so happy to say that I adored it. A Dark Matter is set in a funeral home and follows three generations of the Skelf family. The family also work as private investigators and often the two businesses converge! I loved reading from the perspective of each of the women – Dorothy, the head of the family, Jenny the daughter and Hannah the grand-daughter. All have their own dramas and issues going on and I was fully invested in all of them. There is so much heart in this book but it’s also full of black humour and I loved the way Doug Johnstone makes his characters so real and believable. I already can’t wait to read the next book in the series and to see how they all are what they’re getting up to now!

WWW Wednesdays (20 May 20)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

A similar meme is run by Lipsyy Lost and Found where bloggers share This Week in Books #TWiB.

 

What I’m reading now: 

The Catch by T. M. Logan

This is a gripping novel and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s follows a man who is immediately suspicious of his daughter’s new boyfriend and sets out to find out more about him. I’m only about 20% into it at the moment but I’m definitely intrigued about where this is going to go!

Just Mercy by Bryan A. Stevenson

This is such a heart-wrenching look at one young lawyer’s experience of the American justice system. The cases he works are really get under your skin and are hard to read at times. It’s so well-written though and it’s such an interesting and eye-opening book.

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

I’ve only read a few pages of this one since last week and to be honest I’m struggling with it. I’m getting a bit fed up of reading about this man and his sex life and the way he talks about women. I do want to persevere for a bit longer but it may end up being a DNF. Have you read it? Is it worth continuing with?

A Fabulous Creation by David Hepworth

I haven’t listened to anymore of this one this week as it’s an audio book that my husband and I are listening to together and we just haven’t made time to listen to anymore this week. We’re both enjoying it though so will be listening to more this week.

 

What I recently finished reading:

Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah

This book had my engrossed and intrigued by the end of chapter one! I was so curious to know what was going on with these children that seemingly hadn’t grown at all in twelve years. I had many suspicions as I was reading and not a single one was correct! I did feel the ending was a little bit of a let down but it didn’t spoil how much I enjoyed the rest of this rollercoaster novel!

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

This is an incredible book and I recommend it to everyone. Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted by Brock Turner and this is her story. She is so open and honest throughout this book and that makes it such a powerful read. I could really identify with a lot of what Chanel thought and felt and I admire her so much for telling her story.

 

Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie

This is another stunning book. I bought it on a whim ages ago knowing nothing about it (it’s since made the Women’s prize list this year) and finally picked it up a few days ago. I read the whole novel in one day as I just didn’t want to put it down. It’s about a disparate group of people who all live in the same tower block when one day something awful happens. The novel is told in the before and the after and I just adored the writing. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by Luan Goldie in the future.

One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips

This is a NetGalley book that I got recently and have been waiting for the right time to pick it up. It’s a novel in verse about a teenage boy whose mum was very ill and later died. I thought this would be an emotional read, and it really was in moments, but it was also a very believable book about being a teenager and all that comes with that. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

 

What I plan on reading next:

I’m very much reading by whim at the moment and don’t know what I’ll be in the mood to read in the coming week but these four books below are ones that have caught my eye on my Kindle. The first three are review books so I’d really like to try and read them so I can review them. The fourth book is one I treated myself to recently after reading fab reviews and I’m really keen to read it!

The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton

Heatstroke by Hazel Barkworth

Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in WWW Wednesdays or This Week in Books please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (13 May 20)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

A similar meme is run by Lipsyy Lost and Found where bloggers share This Week in Books #TWiB.

What I’m reading now: 

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan A. Stevenson

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a really long time so I was really pleased to discover the audio book on BorrowBox this week. I immediately downloaded it and started listening last night. I’ve read so many positive reviews of this book so I’m sure it’s one I’ll find interesting.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

This is a tough read but I’m so glad I picked it up. Chanel Miller is the young woman who was raped by Brock Turner and for a long time she was anonymous until she decided to tell her own story. I’m only a few chapters in but Chanel is so open and honest in the way she’s telling her truth and I’ve found it such an emotional book.

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

I’m glad I had a sense of what this novel is and how it flips things when I started reading because I’m only on part one and at the moment it’s just a man bragging about his sex life since his divorce. The writing is good and I’m intrigued to see where the novel goes. The fact that it made the Women’s Prize longlist gives me hope that it will go somewhere worthwhile in the end!

A Fabulous Creation: How LPs Saved Lives by David Hepworth

This is another audio book that I got on BorrowBox and my husband and I are listening to it together. It’s such an interesting book about the history of the LP (it begins with Sgt Pepper and ends with Thriller). I love the social history and the way music evolved as artists took more risks after seeing what others were doing. We’re both really enjoying this one.

 

What I recently finished reading:

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book! It’s incredible! I’ve been reading it over the last couple of days and loved every single second of it. I feel quite sad to have finished it and already want to read it again. If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend you do so as soon as you can.

One Split Second by Caroline Bond

This book was also excellent. It follows a group of teens and their parents in the aftermath of an horrific car crash. We see the parents at the hospital waiting to hear if their child was okay, and through the book we see what they were like before the accident and what the repercussions are for everyone involved. I got so invested in these characters, they felt very real to me. This is a stunning novel and I highly recommend it!

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker

This is another brilliant novel that I read this week. This is such a beautifully written, and also deeply emotional read. I cried a few times as I was reading. It follows a community, but two children and a police officer mainly, in the years after a terrible crime has been committed. There are repercussions rippling through time, through generations and it’s heartbreaking how things that happen to a parent can come to damage a child so much. There is such brutality in this novel but moments of such heart-aching kindness too. I loved this book and keep finding myself thinking about it and wondering how Duchess, Robin and Walk are doing. I whole-heartedly recommend it!

 

What I plan on reading next:

His and Hers by Alice Feeney

I adored Alice Feeney’s first novel Sometimes I Lie but didn’t really get on with her second book. This new one sounds so good though so I’m hoping this will be a thriller for me. It sounds very intriguing!

The Catch by T. M. Logan

I think I’ve read and enjoyed all of T. M. Logan’s previous novels but his last one The Holiday was my favourite so far. I’ve read some fab reviews of The Catch and have very high hopes for it, I feel like I’m going to love it!

One Hundred and Fifty Two Days by Giles Paley-Phillips

This sounds like a very emotional read as it explores grief and loss but it’s one I’ve very much wanted to read so I’m going to try and pick it up this week.

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in WWW Wednesdays or This Week in Books please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

Stacking the Shelves with a new #BookHaul (2 May 2020)!

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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week!

 

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Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas 

I’m a huge fan of Claire Douglas’ writing so I was delighted to be approved for this one on NetGalley yesterday. I can’t wait to read this so don’t think it’ll be waiting on my Kindle for too long!

 

 

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Blurred Lines by Hannah Begbie

I also downloaded this one from NetGalley on a whim as I saw the blurb and was immediately intrigued and wanting to know more!

 

 

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Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah

I bought this one on Kindle too when I spotted it in the sale for 99p.  I’ve enjoyed many of Sophie Hannah’s previous novels and this one sounds weird and I want to know more.

 

 

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Landsliding by Mandy Jameson

I saw this book mentioned on twitter and I loved the sound of it so immediately bought a copy for my Kindle.

 

 

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Inside Out by Demi Moore

This is a book that I’ve seen so many positive reviews of so even though I aren’t massively interested in Demi Moore I was drawn to wanting to read this book (if that makes sense!).

 

 

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Just My Luck by Adele Parks

I got this book from NetGalley a couple of days ago and started reading it straight away. I’m very much enjoying this one and am keen to keep reading, which is great when I’m still getting over my reading slump.

 

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Mr Nobody by Catherine Steadman

I read and enjoyed the author’s previous novel so when I spotted she had a new book out I knew I had to get it!

 

 

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The Storm by Amanda Jennings

I don’t know a huge amount about this book but the blurb really drew me to it and so I requested it on NetGalley!

 

 

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The New Girl by Harriet Walker

This is another NetGalley book and is another one I’m really looking forward to!

 

 

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One Step Behind by Lauren North

I read and loved Lauren North’s previous novel, in fact it was one of my favourite books of the year so when her publisher emailled me to ask if I’d like to read a new one I couldn’t reply fast enough! I plan on picking this one up very soon and have very high hopes for it.

 

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SpaceHopper by Helen Fisher

This book sounds like a really moving read and is one I’ll need to be in the right mood for but I’m very much looking forward to reading it.

 

 

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The Catch by T. M. Logan

I loved T. M. Logan’s previous novel The Holiday so have been eagerly anticipating this one and am very happy to have a copy on my Kindle now!

 

 

 

Have you acquired any new books this week? I’d love to know what you got. Or have you read any of my new books and recommend I get to any of them sooner rather than later? If you’ve shared a book haul post this week then please feel free to share you link below and I’ll make sure to visit your post! 🙂

Mystery & Thriller Mini Reviews: The Wych Elm, The Hiding Game, The Holiday, and Take It Back!

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On my blog today I’m sharing another selection of mini reviews of some mystery and thriller books that I’ve read and enjoyed over the past few months!

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The Wych Elm by Tana French

I’m a huge fan of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series so I was intrigued to read this standalone novel. I did have an ARC of this but due to not being well I bought the audio book, and I highly recommend it. The narrator of the audio is so perfect for the book! The Wych Elm is one of those books that grabs you from the beginning and then gradually weaves its spell around you! Toby is brutally attacked in his home and whilst recovering goes to stay at his family’s ancestral home with his Uncle Hugo, who has a brain tumour and needs some help around the house. One day a skull is discovered inside a tree in the garden and this leads to secrets and lies being revealed, cover-ups attempted and a family left reeling by what they discover. I loved this book and already want to re-read it. I highly recommend this one!

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The Hiding Game by Louise Phillips

This is an intriguing and interesting thriller that follows Heather, a defence attorney, as she goes back to her home town to defend a teenage nanny who is accused of causing the death of the baby in her charge. I enjoyed following Heather and learning more about her life – her mother was murdered when she was a child and she’s never really been able to move on from it. I did struggle with the novel a little though as there are a lot of characters and it was difficult to keep them separate from each other at times. For the most part this book did have me gripped though and I was definitely keen to find out whodunnit in both the timelines. I love that it kept me guessing right to the end!

 

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The Holiday by T. M. Logan

I do love a thriller novel that involves groups of old friends going away together and seeing how things unfold in that situation so the premise of The Holiday ticked all my boxes and I’m really happy to say that it lived up to all my expectations! Kate and her family are on holiday in a beautiful holiday home with three of her oldest friends and their husbands and children. Early on the holiday she discovers some texts on her husband’s phone that make her doubt his honesty and from there on the novel grips you as you wonder if he could be cheating with one of the other women in the villa. It turns out there are more secrets amongst this group of friends, which makes this such a fast-paced, gripping page-turner. I didn’t see where this was going so I loved being surprised by how it all turns out. I definitely recommend this book!

 

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Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

This is a legal thriller that is very prescient for our times. Jodie is a sixteen year old girl with neurofibromatosis and she claims to have been sexually assaulted by four muslim boys. This is written in such a way that when you read Jodie’s story you absolutely believe her but then when you read the perspectives of the four boys you believe them. The novel follows the legal case but also the way the community deals with the accusations. This book certainly makes you think and would make a good book club read as it brings up lots of issues that would make for interesting discussions. It didn’t quite hit the mark for me, it just felt like something didn’t quite sit right with me and I can’t even put my finger on what that was. I did enjoy it though and I would recommend it. I’m looking forward to reading whatever Kia Abdullah writes next.

That Was The Month That Was… May 2019!

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May was a month filled with books. I read 34 books this month – a mix of print, ebook and audiobooks and most were very good reads. This has been a bumper month of reading and I put it down to the lovely sunny days we had where I got to sit out in the garden, and then not been too well so needing more time to take it easy.

I was thrilled to discover that my blog now has over 9000 followers as of late May. Thank you to all of you that have stuck with my blog over the years, and to my newer followers, I appreciate you all.

Thank you also to everyone who has commented on my posts throughout May. I’ve been really struggling to type this month, and also with my eyes (looking at screens for more than a few minutes at a time is giving me awful headaches) so haven’t managed to keep up with replying but I do read and appreciate each one. I will try and reply to some of them but I likely won’t get to them all, so I’m saying thank you here.

 

Here are the books I read in May:

Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald

I loved this book about Mary, a menopausal probation officer who has reached the end of her tether. It’s a darkly comedic book and one that I think I’ll re-read at some point. Here’s my review.

Breakers by Doug Johnstone

This is a novel that captured my heart in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Tyler is such a great character and I was rooting for him to find a way to escape from the life his older brother had trapped him in. My review is here.

The Furies by Katie Sise

I enjoyed this novel about a group of teenage girls and the element of witchcraft that they are obsessed with. I plan to review it soon.

The Forgotten Sister by Caroline Bond

This was a really good novel about the fall out from adoption and what happens when you keep secrets. I reviewed it here.

Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli

I bought this on a whim in a kindle sale and it was an okay read. I found it a bit too predictable overall but at the same time it did keep mew reading to the end.

Song of the Robin by R. V. Biggs

This novel is beautiful and mysterious and I very much enjoyed it. I’m so glad that I was given the chance to read this for the blog tour as I’m not sure I’d have picked it up otherwise but now I’m a fan of the author and will definitely seek out other books by him. My review is here.

Keep Her Close by M. J. Ford

I listened to this on audio book and really enjoyed it. This is definitely a series that I will continue on with and so I’ll be eagerly looking out for the third book to be published!

How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White

I still can’t resist books about organising homes so this one caught my eye. I actually enjoyed this one and as I struggle with pain and fatigue it was really helpful in showing me how even in just a very short period of time I can still have a housework routine.

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

I feel very torn about this book – there were parts of it that I loved but also a lot of parts of it that felt very self-indulgent. I do enjoy Cunningham’s writing but this isn’t his best work.

10 Things to do Before You Leave School by Bernard O’Keeffe

I loved this thoughtful and moving novel about a teenage girl coming to terms with the death of her dad, and her subsequent depression. She finds a list he’s left and spends her last year at school trying to complete it. My review is here.

The End of the End of the Earth by Jonathan Franzen

I won a copy of this in a giveaway earlier this year and it caught my eye on my shelf as I was in the mood for an essay collection. I actually really enjoyed reading this and it’s reminded me how much I enjoy reading essays.

We Are Not Such Things by Justine van der Luen

I’d heard good things about this book so when I spotted it on Scribd I decided to listen to it. I found it such a fascinating book about the murder of a young woman and the subsequent tensions in the area. It wasn’t exactly the book the synopsis made out it would be but it was still a really interesting read.

The Treatment by C. L. Taylor

I loved this fast-paced YA thriller and would recommend it!

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

I listened to this on Scribd having read some good reviews. I enjoyed it but I didn’t feel as gripped by it as I’d hoped I would be. I’ll definitely look out for more books by this author though as I loved the way the book was written.

At The Birth of Bowie by Phil Lancaster

I can’t seem to read enough biographies of David Bowie so I was looking forward to this one about his first band. I really enjoyed the stories in this book but it wasn’t quite as well written as I would have liked. I’d still recommend it if you’re a Bowie fan.

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

I loved this debut novel! I won’t say anymore here as I’ll be sharing my full review tomorrow. I will say that I highly recommend it though!

The Family Man by Tim Lebbon

This is a book that had been on my TBR for ages so I decided to make the effort to read it this month. Unfortunately I didn’t get on with it all that well. It did keep me reading until the end but it wasn’t really for me.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Orinkan Braithwaite

I’m so glad I picked this book up because it was so good and deserves all the praise it’s been getting. I was fascinated by the two sisters in the novel and the way their relationship works. This is a book that is really staying with me.

Take Me to the Edge by Katya Boirand

This is a beautiful poetry collection that also has fabulous photographs in it. I loved reading this and it’s a book that I will go back and dip in and out of in the future. I’ve already reviewed this one here.

Not Having It All by Jennie Ensor

This was such a funny novel but also a book that made me think. It’s a book all about whether the grass is always greener. I recommend it! My review is here.

Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff

I’ve had the audio book of this for ages but it felt like I’d missed the moment to read it. Then I saw that a follow-up book is coming out soon so I decided to listen to this one now. There wasn’t much in here that I hadn’t already heard but it was still shocking to hear all this stuff in the one book.

Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped, I think perhaps I’m the wrong age for it. Also I couldn’t even identify with the characters when I thought back to how I’d been at their age. I did love the writing though and am planning on reading Normal People as part of my 20 books of summer challenge!

We Never Said Goodbye by Helene Fermont

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it. I’ll be reviewing this book later this month so please keep your eye out for that!

Middlemarch by George Eliot

I completely and utterly fell in love with this novel, it was absolutely brilliant! I’m so glad that I finally picked it up. I enjoyed it so much that I now want to go back and re-read The Mill on the Floss. It was studying that novel under pressure at Uni that put me off reading anymore Eliot but reading a classic in my own time was wonderful and I feel sure that re-reading The Mill on the Floss with fresh eyes might be a completely different experience.

The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright

I read this book in one afternoon because I just couldn’t put it down. It’s heartbreaking novel but so beautifully written. I hope to get my thoughts together soon so I can review it.

The Wych Elm by Tana French

I got an ARC of this but I also bought the audio book so I could part-read and part-listen and I’m so glad I did because it was such a brilliant book. I’m a fan of Tana French anyway but I think this might be my new favourite book by her. I hope to get my review posted on here soon!

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

I read this book out in my garden over the course of a couple of sunny afternoons and it was sheer perfection! This is such a haunting, yet gorgeous book and I loved it. This is a book that will stay with me. I’ll be sharing my review later this month for the blog tour.

A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

This is a book that really got to me. It’s about three siblings and is told from each of their perspectives. It’s such a brilliant portrayal of sibling relationships and I adored it. I’m still getting my thoughts in order on this one but I definitely recommend it!

Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson

This is another book about siblings – two sisters and their partners. It’s a look at family ties and where loyalties lie. This book got to me way more than I thought it would, it’s a brilliant read. I’ll review it once I get my thoughts together!

The Holiday by T. M. Logan

This is a gripping thriller about four women who’ve been friends since their university days and are now turning 40. They go on holiday with their respective husbands and children and as secrets and lies are uncovered one of the party ends up dead! I will be reviewing this one soon but in the meantime I recommend pre-ordering it for your summer holiday reading!

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

I got a copy of this from NetGalley and then discovered the audio book on Scribd so I part-listened and part-read this. I really enjoyed it and was drawn to reading it every spare minute I could find. I’ll review this properly soon!

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou

There’s a sticker on the front of this book warning that the reader will burn through it in one sitting and it turns out that’s absolutely true! Once I started reading this I knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down until I’d read to the end. I very much enjoyed this book and will be sharing my review later this month.

Death and Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor

This book was wonderful. It’s a book that I’d been much anticipating and it more than lived up to my hopes for it. I’ll be reviewing it later this month for the blog tour.

We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet

I just finished reading this last night. It was a good read but it was lacking the emotional resonance that I was expecting it to have.

 

 

May Blog Posts & Reviews:

I managed to post reviews of fourteen books in May, which I’m really pleased with. I’m still reading more books than I’m managing to review but it feels good to be getting some written up and posted. I also wrote shared my regular weekly This Week in Books posts, my Stacking the Shelves posts.

I started off May by wrapping up April, which had been a good month of reading and blogging. I then reviewed The Tapestry Bag by Isabella Muir, which was such a fun audio book that I now plan on reading the rest of this series! My next review was of Doug Johnstone’s Breakers, which was a book that really got under my skin and I’m still thinking about now. I then read and reviewed The Forgotten Sister by Caroline Bond for the blog tour. This was a novel about adoption and was a great story plus it made me think. My next review was of R. V. Biggs’ Song of the Robin. I’m so glad that I was offered a chance to read this book because it is such a beautiful, surprising book and I highly recommend it. I was delighted to have the chance to read and review a wonderful poetry collection in May – Take Me to the Edge by Katya Boirand. This is a gorgeous book and one I will definitely continue to enjoy.  Next I did a summer thriller recommendations post which encompassed mini reviews of four really enjoyable novels (The Blame Game by C. J. Cooke, The Guilty Party by Mel McGrath, Don’t Turn Around by Amanda Brooke and Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox!).  I then read and reviewed a wonderful novel about a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father in 10 Things to do Before You Leave School by Bernard O’Keeffe. The next book I reviewed was a brilliant, darkly comedic novel about menopausal Mary and I loved it – The Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald is one I won’t forget! After that I took part in the blog tour for Helene Fermont’s Because of You and shared my review. I was then hugely excited to finalise my planned TBR for the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge! It was hard to decide on a definite 20 but I got there in the end and I can’t wait to start reading! I was thrilled to be invited to read Jennie Ensor’s new novel Not Having It All for the blog tour and got to share my review a few days ago. I loved this book and recommend it! And last but most definitely not least I shared my review of The Blue Bench by Paul Marriner yesterday. This book has such an impact on me and I know I won’t ever forget it.

 

The state of my TBR:

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So my TBR…. Well, I’m starting to think that I’m wasting my time updating it here because I just can’t seem to control my book buying! At the start of May I had 2526 books on my TBR and now, even though I read so many books in May, my TBR stands at 2538! It’s only an increase of 12 but when I look at my plan to reduce my TBR by 20 each month this year my TBR should currently be at 2347! I just can’t resist the books! I am going to cut down a tiny bit on blog tours after June so that I can focus on reading the books I already own. I also need to try and stay away from NetGalley so that I can’t be tempted! Wish me luck!

 

 

 

How was May for you? I hope you all had a good month and that you read lots of good books. Did you read many books? What was your favourite book of the month? Please tell me in the comments, I’d love to know. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to leave a link to your month’s wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to read and comment back. 🙂

This Week in Books (29 May 2019)!

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet

This is my current audio book, which I got from Scribd on a whim and I’m really enjoying it. The narrator is great and the novel itself has drawn me in very quickly so I’m keen to have more time to listen very soon!

The Friend Who Lied by Rachel Amphlett

This book is so good! The opening chapter made the book seem like it was going one way and then it turned out to be completely different to what I was expecting so I was hooked from then on. I’m about a quarter of the way through this and am so intrigued to find out what happened!

Death and Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor

This is such a lovely read and I’m very much enjoying it. I was a little concerned that it might stray into being a bit mawkish with the protagonist counting down the remained days of her life (having being given a terminal diagnosis) but it’s not at all. It’s funny, it’s heart-warming and very moving in places.

 

Then

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou

The cover of this book has a sticker on it that says ‘Warning: you will burn through this in one sitting’ and I can honestly say they weren’t wrong! I picked this up on Monday afternoon and I didn’t put it down until I’d finished reading. It was such a good read! I’ll be reviewing this one for the blog tour in June so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime I definitely recommend this one!

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

This is my second Karin Slaughter novel and I loved it, this is my favourite book of hers so far! I found it really hard to put down, it was so gripping. I think I need to look into starting her Will Trent series books next as I’m definitely now a fan of her writing!

The Holiday by T. M. Logan

I really enjoyed this book, it will make a perfect holiday read so I recommend pre-ordering it now. It’s about four friends who all go on holiday together with their husbands and children but secrets and lies unfold and someone ends up dead!

Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson

This book was really good. It’s about two sisters and their partners but life gets messy and the fallout is shocking. It’s a great look at relationships and I really enjoyed it.

A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

This book is incredible. It follows three adult siblings – each section is narrated by one of them and you get to see situations from their different viewpoints. It’s one of the best written books I’ve ever read about what it is to be a sibling and I adored it. I’ll be reviewing this one for the blog tour in June so please look out for that.

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

I loved this book too. I read most of it out in the garden in the sunshine over the course of a few afternoons and it felt like a real treat. There’s something really haunting about this novel and it’s one that I think will stay with me.

The Wych Elm by Tana French

I had an ARC of this book but I also bought the audio and I part listened and part read it. I really enjoyed this novel, it had me hooked all the way through and was very hard to put down. The audio was excellent so I recommend that if you like listening to books.

 

Next

The Lost Properties of Love by Sophie Ratcliffe

I’ve been sent this for review and am very much looking forward to reading it. It sounds like it’s something a bit different to what I’ve been reading recently so I think I’m going to enjoy it.

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

I keep hearing really good things about this and as I loved her previous novel I’ve been keen to get to it. I have a copy on my Kindle so am planning to make this my next ebook read!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I posted my 20 Books of Summer reading plans yesterday and this book is on there. This is the book that I most want to get to this summer so I’m aiming to start my challenge with this book on Monday. I can’t wait to get started!

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

This Week in Books (22 May 2019)! What are you reading this week?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

The Wych Elm by Tana French

I’ve had the ARC of this book on my TBR for a little while now but decided to buy the audio book so I could part listen and part read. I picked it up yesterday and I’ve already read over half of it. It’s such an engrossing read, I’m loving it as much as her murder squad series so far!

A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

I also picked this up yesterday and am already completely invested in learning more about the family in this novel. It’s such a good book and I’m really looking forward to getting back to it tonight. Plus, hasn’t it got the most stunning cover?!

Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson

I’m really enjoying this novel too and it seems I’m all about family orientated novels this week as this one is about two sisters and their partners, but we know from the prologue that something terrible is going to happen to one of them. It’s really good so far!

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

I’m loving this book so much. It’s about three sisters who went missing but only one came back. Now it’s a few years later but the mystery is still haunting for the people who were around at the time. It’s beautifully written and I’m deliberately reading this one slowly.

The Holiday by T. M. Logan

This is a really great read and perfect for these sunny days, I’d recommend it for your holiday reading this summer. The sun and heat in the book really comes through and the drama between a group of old friends and their families is gripping!

 

Then

Middlemarch by George Eliot

I’ve been reading this a bit every day for the past four weeks and I’ve absolutely loved it. I finished the novel yesterday and I’m kicking myself for not reading this sooner. I don’t know when classics started feeling intimidating to me because they never used to but Middlemarch has reminded me why I love them and I will make more effort to read them from now on.

The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright

I read this whole novel on one afternoon as it gripped me from the opening chapter and I just couldn’t put it down. It’ll be a hard back to review as I wouldn’t want to accidentally spoil anything but I will try and get a post up soon. In the meantime I definitely  recommend this one!

We Never Said Goodbye by Helene Fermont

I’m reading this one for a blog tour next month and I really enjoyed it. It’s the second novel I’ve read by this author and I do find that I get swept away in her novels.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

This was my second attempt with this novel and I’m sorry to say that while I did finish it it wasn’t for me. It did work better on audio than when I was reading it but I just couldn’t connect with the characters at all. It might be that I’m older than them and it didn’t reflect how I was at their age at all. I will say that the parts of the book when Frances suffers with her periods was brilliantly written, I don’t think I’ve read a novel that shows what this is like as well as this book does. I have Normal People on my TBR so I will read that at some point.

Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff

I bought the audio book of this in an Audible sale last year but because I didn’t listen to it sooner it felt like I’d missed the right moment. Then I saw that the author has another book on Trump coming out soon so decided I would listen to this. It was I thought it would be and even though I knew most of this stuff about Trump it was still eye-opening.

Not Having It All by Jennie Ensor

I read and loved Jennie’s previous novel last year (my review is here if you’d like to read it) so was thrilled to be offered the chance to read her new book. This is completely different to The Girl In His Eyes but it still showcases Jennie’s fabulous writing. I very much enjoyed this book and will be sharing my review on 30 May.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

I’ve been so looking forward to reading this one and I’m so happy to say that I loved it. It’s about a woman who’s sister is a serial killer but it’s more about their relationship and how they are with each other. I recommend this one!

 

Next

The Friend Who Lied by Rachel Amphlett

I’ve been really looking forward to reading this book ever since I first heard about it. It’ll be my first book by this author and I’ve read so many great reviews of her previous books so I feel sure that I’m going to love this!

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou

I’m going to be on the blog tour for this book next month so have an ARC to read for that. I really like the premise for this novel and am really keen to start reading it.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ve had an ARC of this novel for a while now but somehow haven’t managed to read it yet. I keep hearing amazing things about it and I definitely want to read it really soon – hopefully in the coming week.

 

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

This Week in Books (15 May 2019)! What are you reading?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

Take Me To The Edge by Katya Boirand

This is a poetry collection and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve already read this once but am reading it again to get my thoughts together. I’ll be reviewing this for the blog tour on Friday so look out for my thoughts then.

Not Having It All by Jennie Ensor

This is really different to Jennie’s previous book The Girl in his Eyes (which I reviewed here) but it’s such a good read. I’m very much enjoying it.

The Family Man by Tim Lebbon

I’ve had this book on my TBR for ages so when I spotted the audio book on my subscription service I decided to part listen and part read. I’m glad I got the audio because I think I may have DNF it if I was reading it as it’s not what I was expecting. It’s an okay read.

Middlemarch by George Eliot

I’m still very much enjoying reading this book and wishing I’d got to it much sooner. I’m about two thirds of the way through it now and am going to really miss it once I’ve finished reading it.

 

Then

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

I loved this book! It’s hard to believe it’s a debut novel as it’s really good. I’ll be reviewing this one in a couple of weeks time for the tour but I definitely recommend it in the meantime!

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

I listened to this book on audio this week and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping but it was a really enthralling novel. I’ll be looking out for more of her books in the future.

At The Birth of Bowie by Phil Lancaster

My lovely mum-in-law gave me this for my birthday earlier this year and I’ve been keen to read it so picked it up one afternoon this week. I ended up reading it in one sitting. It wasn’t the best written book but the stories Phil Lancaster tells are brilliant to discover.

We Are Not Such Things by Justine van Der Luen

This was my non-fiction audio for the last week and it was a fascinating listen. It wasn’t exactly the book I thought it was going to be but it was such a good book.

The Treatment by C. L. Taylor

I’ve had a copy of this book for a while too and have part-read and part-listened to this one too. It was a fast-paced and gripping novel and I enjoyed it.

10 Things To Do Before You Leave School by Bernard O’Keeffe

This was a really moving read about a teenage girl coming to terms with the loss of her father whilst going into her final year of school. It was a really good read, I recommend it.

The End of the End of the Earth by Jonathan Franzen

This was such a good essay collection, I got a lot more out of it than I was expecting.

 

Next

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

I was sent an ARC of this last week and it’s been calling to me from my TBR – I don’t think I can wait any longer to pick this up so I hope to get to it this week.

We Never Said Goodbye by Helene Fermont

I had hoped to start this over the last week but didn’t manage to get to it so it’s on my TBR for the coming week.

The Holiday by T.M. Logan

I got a copy of this on NetGalley and it sounds like such a fast-paced summer read so I might pick it up and read it in the garden while the weather it so glorious!

 

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

Stacking the Shelves with a Bumper Book Haul (11 May 2019)!

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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week!

I’m not sure how I’ve missed joining in with Stacking the Shelve for the last four weeks but somehow I have. So today I’m sharing all of the books I’ve got in the last month! It’s rather a lot but I’m excited to read them all!

 

Purchased Books

Becoming by Michelle Obama

The Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas

The Swap by Fiona Mitchell

Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

On The Front Line with the Women Who Fight Back by Stacey Dooley

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down by Allan Jones

Apple of My Eye by Claire Allan

Love You Gone by Rona Halsall

No Way Out by Cara Hunter

Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott

The Passengers by John Marrs

 

Borrowed Books

Keep Her Close by M. J. Ford

We Are Not Such Things by Justine Van Der Luen

ARCS

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Stop at Nothing by Tammy Cohen

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O’Connor

The Holiday by T. M. Logan

Living My Best Life by Claire Frost

When I Lost You by Merrilyn Davies

 

 

 

Have you bought any new books over the last week (or month)? Please tell me below. 🙂 If you join in with Stacking the Shelves please feel free to leave your link and I’ll make sure to read and comment on your post.