I’m reading

I read and listen to many many books but my ‘To Be Read’ pile never reduces… ever

I might be slightly obsessed with Dean Koontz… maybe

They say to be a good writer you need to read a lot. I’m certainly no exception. I generally have 3 – 4 books/eBooks/audio books waiting to be read at any one time. (Yes, i do count audio books in my overall ‘have read’ pile)

Monthly Challenge...
So, we are now into September and I didn’t quite meet my August goal because i just couldn’t get into one of the books; Milkman by Anna Burns (B) I’ve tried 3 or 4 times but something is just not clicking with it. My friends say i should give it a go as it’s brilliant, so perhaps i will let it linger on my shelves a little longer and see what happens. Enjoying a book can be all about timing!
I’m not setting a reading goal for September as this month is going to be really busy with various projects on the go… including getting my fantasy book sent to my editor… so, i hope reading my own novel 6.7 million times counts towards my reading total!

Currently reading…
eBook: Raven – Blood Eye – Book One by Giles Kristian (E)
Audible: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Paperback: The Vinyl Detective – The run-out groove by Andrew Cartmel

TBR – Recently Purchased… bit of an eBook splurge…
Raven Sons of Thunder by Giles Kristian (E)
Graves End by William Shaw (E)
A Place of Execution by Val McDermid (E)
We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke (E)

I’m doing the Goodreads challenge – a target of 60 books this year!
07/09/2020 – So far my total stands at 46… (6 books ahead of schedule!)

Key – A – Audio book / B – Book / E – eBook

  • And what do they call you? An Anthology of new writing (B) (I cannot add this to my official Goodreads challenge as the book isn’t listed on there – but I’m still adding to my number on here)
  • In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey (E) (Book Group read)
  • Too Narrow to Swing a Cat By Steve Haywood (B)
  • Overkill by Vanda Symon (A signed copy no less! I met the wonderful author at a Newark Book Festival Festival Friend event in Southwell Library during the Orenda author tour – fantastic evening)
  • Chaos by Patricia Cornwell (B)
  • Won’t you save me by Wendy Dranfield (E)
  • Leave nothing but footprints by Patsy Collins (E)
  • A Wish for Jinnie by Audrey Davis (E)
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (A) (local book group book)
  • Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds (B)
  • Arrowood and the Thames Corpses by Mick Finlay (A) (3rd in the series)
  • Dressed for War by Julie Summers (B)
  • Pine by Francine Toon (A)
  • The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand (B)
  • Camelot by Giles Kristian (E)
  • The Murder Pit by Mick Finlay (A)
  • A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley (B) (purchased from The Bookcase in Lowdham – a real bookshop! also a Newark Book Festival book group read)
  • The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis (E)
  • Dark Pines by Will Dean (E) (Local book group read)
  • Arrowood by Mick Finlay (A)
  • The Body on the Train – Frances Brody (E)
  • The Burning Chambers – Kate Mosse (B)
  • Allegiance of Blood – Mark Turnbull (E)
  • The Last Paper Crane – Kerry Drewery – (B) (Newark Book Festival book group read)
  • The New Boy – Paula Rawsthorne – (B)
  • Now you see them – Elly Griffiths – (A) (Newark Book Festival book group read)
  • The Distant Hours – Kate Morton – (B)
  • The Mystery of the Three Quarters – Sophie Hannah (A)
  • Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell – (A)
  • The Zahir – Paulo Coelho – (B)
  • We Wait – Megan Taylor – (E) (Met the author at a virtual Fosseway Writers workshop)
  • Ash Mountain – Helen Fitzgerald (B) (Met the author at a Newark Book Festival Festival Friend event in Southwell Library – on the Orenda books author tour -fantastic evening)
  • House of Spines – Michael J. Malone – (B) (as above)
  • False Value – Ben Aaronovitch – (A & B) (As mentioned, i love the audio books read by Kobna but i also purchased the book from Lindum Bookshop as the hardback copy glows in the dark!)
  • Things in Jars – Jess Kidd – (B)
  • The Bookseller of Kabul – Asne Seierstad – (B)
  • Are you Watching – Vincent Ralph – (B)
  • All the Beautiful Lies – Peter Swanson – (B)
  • The Lie – C.L. Taylor – (E)
  • Blue Tide Rising – Clare Stevens – (B) (Met the author at a Fosseway Writing group workshop)
  • A Good Girls guide to Murder – Holly Jackson (B)
  • Gallows Court – Martin Edwards – (E)
  • The Daughter in Law – Nina Manning – (K)
  • The Vinyl Detective – Flip Back – Andrew Cartmel – (B) (love this series)
  • One of us is Lying – Karen M. McManus (B)

I think you can get a very different experience depending which format of book you choose. I’ve found I’ve not received the full experience I wanted from an audio book if the narrator is not right for that particular book. But I’ve also preferred an audio book to a physical book because the narration was so good. Two examples of these are the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch read by my all time favourite Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter. I recently read The Last Paper Crane by Kerry Drewery and whilst I’m sure the eBook and little snippet of the audio book I listened to sounded wonderful, personally I would have only enjoyed the thought provoking and moving experience through reading the book. EBooks I find easier to read when I’m reading in bed or in the garden, as I can also hold a coffee or glass of fizz (If it’s Fizz Friday) whilst flicking the ‘virtual’ page. I recently read The Vanished Bride on eBook and now I want to be Emily Bronte!