I’m reading

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

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 ‘reading’ pile)
I’m going to once again attempt to share reviews… I’m nothing if not optimistic!

2022…
Key – A – Audio book / B – Book / E – eBook /S – Saga Fiction App
Currently on the go…
Matilda Windsor is coming home by Anne Goodwin (B)
Ripples in the water by Hemangi Merchant (S)

Finished and reviewed…
1. Without a Trace by Jane Bettany (B) click to read my review..
2. The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (A) click to read my review
3. The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis (B) click to read my review…
4. How to find home by Mahsuda Snaith (B) click to read my review…

Read/listened in 2021…
There were a few more but 2021 somehow went a bit haywire!
26. Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone (B) (Book group read)
25. Haven’t they grown by Sophie Hannah (B)
24. The confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins (A) (Book group read)
23. Still Life by Val McDermid (B)
22. Safe and Sound by Philippa East (B)
21. Sepulture by Kate Mosse (B)
20. House of music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason (B)
19. The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn (B)
18. Poleaxed by Peter Tyrer (B)
17. This is how we are human by Louise Beech (B)
16. Ash Mountain by Helen FitzGerald (B)
15. Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynolds (B)
14. The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (A)
13. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (A) (book group read)
12. The Shadow friend by Alex North (A) (book group read)
11. The Amber Fury by Natalie Haynes (A)
10. A gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (A)
9. The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (A)
8. A year of Haiku by Linda Cooper (B)
7. My One True North by Milly Johnson (E)
6. In Cold Blood by Jane Bettany (E)
5. Get over yourself by Leanne Moden (B)
4. Day 7 by Kerry Drewery (B)
3. The Universe Versus Alex Wood by Gavin Extence (A) (book group read)
2. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (B)
1. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (B)

Achieved my Goodreads challenge of 60 books in 2020! Listed below...
Key – A – Audio book / B – Book / E – eBook

1. The Vinyl Detective – Victory Disc by Andrew Cartmel (B)
2. A Town Called Discovery by RR Haywood (A)
3. Classics of British Literature by John Sutherland (A)
4. Graves End by William Shaw (E)
5. Close to Home by Cara Hunter (for book club) (A)
6. The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (for book club) (E)
7. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (re-listen) (A)
8. Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh (for book club) (E)
9. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (re-listen) (A)
10. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (A)
11. Bread and Salt by Maria Dziedzan (B)
12. Driven into Exile by Maria Dziedzan (B)
13. When Sorrows Come by Maria Dziedzan (B)
14. The Vinyl Detective – The run-out groove by Andrew Cartmel (B)
15. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (A)
16. 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)
17. In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey (E) (Book Group read)
18. Too Narrow to Swing a Cat By Steve Haywood (B)
19. 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)
20. Chaos by Patricia Cornwell (B)
21. Won’t you save me by Wendy Dranfield (E)
22. Leave nothing but footprints by Patsy Collins (E)
23. A Wish for Jinnie by Audrey Davis (E)
24. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (A) (local book group book)
25. Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds (B)
26. Arrowood and the Thames Corpses by Mick Finlay (A) (3rd in the series)
27. Dressed for War by Julie Summers (B)
28. Pine by Francine Toon (A)
29. The Fall of the House of Byron by Emily Brand (B)
30. Camelot by Giles Kristian (E)
31. The Murder Pit by Mick Finlay (A)
32. A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley (B) (purchased from The Bookcase in Lowdham – a real bookshop! also a Newark Book Festival book group read)
33. The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis (E)
34. Dark Pines by Will Dean (E) (Local book group read)
35. Arrowood by Mick Finlay (A)
36. The Body on the Train – Frances Brody (E)
37. The Burning Chambers – Kate Mosse (B)
38. Allegiance of Blood – Mark Turnbull (E)
39. The Last Paper Crane – Kerry Drewery – (B) (Newark Book Festival book group read)
40. The New Boy – Paula Rawsthorne – (B)
41. Now you see them – Elly Griffiths – (A) (Newark Book Festival book group read)
42. The Distant Hours – Kate Morton – (B)
43. The Mystery of the Three Quarters – Sophie Hannah (A)
44. Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell – (A)
45. The Zahir – Paulo Coelho – (B)
46. We Wait – Megan Taylor – (E) (Met the author at a virtual Fosseway Writers workshop)
47. 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)
48. House of Spines – Michael J. Malone – (B) (as above)
49. 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!)
50. Things in Jars – Jess Kidd – (B)
51. The Bookseller of Kabul – Asne Seierstad – (B)
52. Are you Watching – Vincent Ralph – (B)
53. All the Beautiful Lies – Peter Swanson – (B)
54. The Lie – C.L. Taylor – (E)
55. Blue Tide Rising – Clare Stevens – (B) (Met the author at a Fosseway Writing group workshop)
56. A Good Girls guide to Murder – Holly Jackson (B)
57. Gallows Court – Martin Edwards – (E)
58. The Daughter in Law – Nina Manning – (K)
59. The Vinyl Detective – Flip Back – Andrew Cartmel – (B) (love this series)
60. 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 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!