The decision on which book to pick for my Book of the Year was hard. I tried to get you involved with a vote, but that didn’t help much, since only four votes were cast. But it did help me
Book of the Year 2018: the decision + my year in books
Book Review | A Little History of British Gardening
A Little History of British Gardening was a Christmas present last year, no, the year before now. I started reading in October. I finally finished it on Boxing Day. It is much longer than expected, with much smaller typeface than
Book Review | Tourist Trap by Sue Ann Bowling
Tourist Trap is a science fiction adventure by Sue Ann Bowling, who was one of my blogging friends in Alaska. I’ve been meaning to read it for a few years now, after reading Homecoming just after Sue Ann died, and
Book Review | Outside by Sarah Ann Juckes
Outside is a book I received from the publisher via Net-galley. This review reflects my own opinions. Outside will be published on Thursday, 3rd January. I expect it’s going to be a big hit. Outside by Sarah Ann Juckes Here’s
Book Review | A Maigret Christmas #maigret
A Maigret Christmas came from the publisher via Net-Galley. I was excited to see, when I registered it on Goodreads, that it said ‘A Maigret Christmas and other stories‘. Indeed I saw the paperback of this title in Waterstones bookstores this
Book of the Year 2018 – voting open
Book of the Year 2018 – it’s my book of the year, and I don’t expect many of them will feature on other people’s seasonal lists. These are the books I rated most highly out of those I read in
Book Review | Hello, Is this Planet Earth?
Hello, is this planet Earth? is Tim Peake’s curated collection of photographs from his six months on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015-16. You probably followed it with me, or with more official sources, especially if you’re British! I
Book Reviews | Middle Grade books I’ve missed
Several Middle Grade books were languishing without reviews when I last checked. To my surprise, one of those I read in the spring, and gave five stars to it. I wonder how that happened. The first two of these were
Book Review | A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers 2)
A Closed and Common Orbit is the second in the Wayfarers series. I read the first, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet a couple of years back, and have been meaning to read this ever since it was
Book Review | The Falco Finale – Alexandria and Nemesis
Alexandria (#19) and Nemesis (#20) wrap up the fabulous crime series set in Rome (and other Roman territories) starring Marcus Didius Falco. Falco is an agreeable cove, with a murky past and one of the best female protagonists around as
Book Review | Fluency by Jennifer Foehner Wells
Fluency has been in my Kindle for at least two years. It’s one of those I got on a freebie, and kept meaning to read and review. Well, it’s finally off my TBR (and ticked off my reading challenge list).
Book Review | Ivon by Michael Aylwin
Ivon releases this week, and I would like to thank the RedDoor Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The blurb intrigued me! Ivon by Michael Aylwin The year is 2144, and the world is powered by sport – politically and practically.
Book Review | The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stranger Diaries is not a Ruth Galloway novel. It’s not even a Stephens & Mephisto novel. It’s a new stand alone from Elly Griffiths, out on 1st November, and I’m very grateful to Net-galley and Quercus books for the
Book Review | Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon
Castle Hangnail is the GMGR Book of the Month selection for October, Halloween month. I’m very grateful to the Amazon resellers for getting a copy to me in time. It arrived around 12, I started it at 3.30, and finished
Book Review | Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
Witch Week caught my eye as I was browsing the mobile library shelves. The GMGR and other book of the month choices eluded me, so I hunted for something else that fell into the categories MG and suitable for Halloween
Book Review | Bloody Brilliant Women by Cathy Newman
Bloody Brilliant Women was released on Thursday. I received a pre-release copy from the publishers 4th Estate and William Collins, via NetGalley. The full title is Bloody Brilliant Women: The Pioneers, Revolutionaries and Geniuses Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention. This does
Book Review | Forged in Blood I and II by Lindsay Buroker
Forged in Blood is the finale of the Emperor’s Edge series featuring Amaranthe and her gang of outlaws who are fighting to free the Emperor from the people who would overthrow him. The assassin Sicarius is one of the gang,
Book Review | After Zero by Christina Collins
After Zero was published on 1st September. I got a pre-release copy from the publishers via Net-galley on August 31st. Had I not have been in the middle of something else, I might have got this review out by the
Book Review | The Jewel of Peru by Sharon Skretting
The Jewel of Peru is book one of an intended MG series by Sharon Skretting, entitled The Ultimate Treasure Chest. I’ve taken the liberty of detaching it from its series name to fit in my Alphabet Soup reading challenge for
Book Review | Flavia Alba double act
Flavia Alba is the second series by Lindsey Davis, set in Ancient Rome, but later than her first. It’s later by a generation; Flavia Alba is the adopted daughter of the protagonist of the first series, Marcus Didius Falco. I’ve
Book Review | The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
The Way of All Flesh turns out to be a Scottish Gothic murder mystery. I received it from Net-galley as an advance review copy. I say ‘turns out to be’ because I found the blurb intriguing, which is why I
Book Review | The Mystery of Three Quarters
The Mystery of Three Quarters is a new Hercule Poirot Mystery from Sophie Hannah, published on 23rd August. I’m very grateful to the publishers HarperCollins (HarperFiction) and to Net-Galley for a pre-release review copy. As you know I’ve already read
Classic Book Review | Ringworld by Larry Niven
Ringworld was a chosen book for July for the Space Opera Goodreads group. I feel I should be reading and reviewing more science fiction, but I have to be careful it doesn’t mess with my own writing ideas. This copy
Book Review | Wildcatter by Dave Duncan
This weekend only: Willoughby the Narrator is on sale at 99 c everywhere, thanks to Patty’s SF/F Promos! Check out all the books in this promo on Patty’s link here… And now for Wildcatter, a book of the month for
Book Review | The Survival Game by Nicky Singer
The Survival Game came into my life via an email from Net-Galley. I am very grateful to the publishers for letting me read an ARC (a very well formatted ARC, too). This completely lived up to my expectations. In fact,