It took me less than 24 hours to finish this 11 hour audio book 😳 I listened every second I got and just loved it. One of those rare mysteries where I was not too bothered about what had actually happened because I just wanted to stay with the characters in there lovely little town. I have dived straight into the next book but really must stop listening now and get some sleep!! Read for #booked2022 #setinacanadianprovince 4⭐️

When you‘re packing and the book you are listening mentions hot chocolate so many times that in the end you give up and go make one!

Having a coffee pit stop on my morning walk. Listening to this book which I‘ve wanted to read for a long time and totally understanding all the love for it so far!

Just reading… with an elephant. We scooted past a little free library on Worthing beach front today. He only made it to the next thing that looked something like a seat before he wanted to sit and start reading 😁

22/22 Ooph this book. At about the half way point I stopped feeling seen and started feeling engrossed with the protagonists story. It was a brilliantly written, totally unexpected gut punch. I will need a cosy palate cleanser to recover from this one and I know it will take up residency in my brain. It was uncomfortable but that has not put me off seeking out further writing by this talented author. 4.5 ⭐️ #weathertermintitle #booked2022

Well I thought this would be a quick read as it‘s a really short book but I am feeling so completely seen on almost every page that I‘m reading it in very small sections purely because of how uncomfortable I feel. That being said, this book makes me want to share a quote from almost every page. It‘s taking all my will power not to clog up Litsy with a never ending stream of page photos!

21/22 I looked forward to the second installment in the Dr Ruth Galloway serious. But I must admit this one missed the mark for me. So many very tenuous links, less character development then the first book and a story that overall was not very exciting. I wasn‘t dying to find out what was going to happen, which to my mind is what a murder mystery should do. Also not a great job on accents by the audio narrator which didn‘t help. 2.5⭐️

Wow @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I am so excited to read my new book and try my new recipes. They look absolutely delicious. Just my kind of thing 😊 And I love Kevin Wilson and this edition has a lovely cover too! Plus I had the sweetest bookmark ever inside 😍 Thank you so so much. I hope you book and recipes turn up today 🙏 #recipeswap

Coffee and charity shop book hunt. What weekend were made for. I hope you all had lovely weekends too ❤️📚☕️

Happy weekend everybody! I started it off right with my next #booked2022 read The Weather by Jenny Offill for #weatherterminthetitle April was a slow reading month and May started slow too so I have some making up to do!

20/22 This book… I only finished it last night so I am still processing but what I can say is that it took me over. I‘m usually a bit of a book floozy and have a book, audio and kindle on the go at the same time. But not with this one. It took my complete attention. I read it very slowly, much slower then average but for me that‘s what the story warranted. I needed time to be fully in it. Sometimes (when it got to the 2020 section) that was ⬇️

It arrived @thegirlwiththelibrarybag ! I‘ve got my fingers crossed your book arrives today too (it‘s coming direct from the Leaf Bookshop) but I think your recipes might be late AND I forgot to put the hashtag AND take a photo! But it‘s in a bright pink envelope and it‘s coming from England!!

I loved The Appeal for being a book I could not put down. But ultimately it was The Night Circus that took me away to a different world and let me in to a new genre I didn‘t realise I enjoyed.

19/22 As my bookclub read this month this book had the privilege of being the only book I actually finished. It definitely isn‘t the sort of book I would pick up by choice anymore as I try to protect my fragile heart from breaking! I‘m not someone who loves as book to make me cry and this one definitely did. But I enjoyed it despite it crushing me and it gave lots to chew over in our book club discussion. So I recommend (with tissues) 3.75⭐️

April has been a super slow reading month. With the school holidays and illnesses and family visits and pets dying and …life. But the book I have slowly been making my way through by torch light in bed is the Sentence and I‘m enjoying it so much I don‘t mind that it‘s taking me a while or that it‘s one of only three books I‘ll hopefully finish this month. I would happily stay with these characters for the whole of may too 😊

Adding to my TBR whilst I read The Sentence. Louise Erdrich has fitted so many authors into this novel. Thank goodness for Litsy or I wouldn‘t keep track of everyone she‘s introducing me to.

Ill AGAIN but hubby is at home for once to distract the kids and I‘m absolutely loving this book so at least I have a reason to stay in my PJs and read it- every cloud ⛅️

The Masters and the book. What a peaceful Sunday night ⛳️ 📚

I‘m sorry this is so late @PuddleJumper but I have finally got round to checking my #roll100 books for April! Here they are. I‘m not sure which one I will choose yet but I‘m hoping to fit it in with #thingsincommon this month so I‘ll see what link I can find!

#thingsincommon #ghosts So I am finally making my first link in this April challenge! Which is that both books include a ghost. 👻

18/22 I have FINALLY finished this book. It took a very long time. Not because it was long, but because the terrible writing style made it feel 20 times longer than it is. Repetitive to the extreme, ridiculous descriptions of totally unnecessary things , all filler AND every character spoke in what I can only imagine is the authors voice with the authors vocab. Just bad. But it did tick off #setinaninn for #booked2022 #roadtripUSA2022 #Oregan 1⭐️

Sweet dreams dear friend. You have been the most wonderful reading companion 💔

Finished
The heartland- Nathan Filer 4⭐️
The maid- Nita Prose 3⭐️
The Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good Helene Tursten 3.5⭐️
Emergency Poet - Deborah Alma 3.5⭐️
The Appeal- Janice Hallett 4.5⭐️
My Best Friends Exorcism- Grady Hendrix 3⭐️
The Crossing places - Elly Griffiths 4⭐️
Dial A for Aunties- Jesse Q Sutanto 3⭐️

Started
Bluebird, Bluebird- Attica Locke
The Ghost of Marlow House- Bobbi Holmes

DNF
Aberystwyth Mon Amore- Malcom Price

It has been a long time since I DNF‘d a book. But I‘ve decided my reading life is too short too short to struggle on with this one. I enjoyed the clever noir/wales mash up but the story didn‘t keep me dropped at all and nothing was making me want to pick it up. I made it 25%. This was a #rolll100 for March and at least now it‘s off my very long kindle list!

There was no competition for March, although I read some really good books, The Appeal grabbed me on page one and didn‘t let me go until the very last word. It‘s rare these days that I genuinely can‘t put a book down to the point where it make my hubby grumpy 😂 I‘m excited to see what can compete with this book in April!

And here is the kiddos library haul (for a 2,6 & 9 year old) 😊

Mummy‘s library haul. Apparently I‘m ready for books about the pandemic!

Today it is snowing. In Brighton. You can actually see the snow landing on the sea- this is not a very common occurrence! It‘s absolutely 🥶 So Fox and I camped out in one of our local libraries, read lots of books and brought lots home too (no books were hurt in the taking of this photo. Fox thinks the line between library and soft play is very blurred 😬). Book haul pics to follow!

17/22 This book was silly but fun. It took me a little while to get into it but I definitely wanted to know how it resolved. As a book riot listener it did suffer slightly from being over hyped for me. But in a challenging month easy listens like this were exactly what I needed. 3⭐️ #roadtripUSA2022 #California #booked2022 #aboutsisters

Plan for this weekend- carry on with these three books (Bluebird, Bluebird for #Booked2022, Dial A for Aunties for #roadtripusa2022 and Aberystwyth Mon Amor for #roll100) and spend more time on the beach with this little treasure hunter and his brothers (yesterday evening he found 20p amongst the pebbles and sea glass!). I‘m going for a swim in the sea shortly - it was 8 degrees yesterday 🥶🧜🏼‍♀️

16/22- I have been in a real reading funk this last couple of weeks. Things have been really rough and my brain can‘t get into anything on the page. But audiobooks have come to my rescue and this quiet, character driven mystery helped give my brain a break from reality. As soon as I finished I wanted to start the next- always a good sign- to see what happens to Ruth Galloway, forensic archeologist, next. Pic of salt marshes where book is set. 4⭐️

My next two books are ticking some book challenges 😊 Bluebird, bluebird on Audio for #booked2022 repeating title and #toadtripUSA2022 Texas and Aberystwyth Mon Amore on Kindle for #Roll100 March.

15/22 This was free on audible so I gave it a go and I enjoyed it. Not my strongest pick, but the story kept moving and I did feel invested in the characters. It was dark and silly and there were definitely plot holes, overall it kept me entertained 3⭐️ #roadtripUSA2022 #southcarolina

14/22 When a book stops me browsing Litsy it must be be good. This one had me hooked from the start. It was clever, witty and if you have ever had an encounter with AmDram you will have the added bonus of a sly smile on your face throughout. I enjoyed the format of a pack of evidence to be picked apart, and a ending, although not totally surprising, was satisfying. I would definitely recommend to any mystery lovers out there. 4.5⭐️

This book has A LOT to answer for. I went to bed early last night because I was tired. Thought I would read a few pages of my new library book… at MIDNIGHT I thought uh oh I have to get up soon 😣😂 definitely the sign of a good book!!

Rude socks that feel curated specifically for my life 😂

13/22 I am heavy with grief for what is happening in our world. In Ukraine, in Myanmar, in Afghanistan, in Yemen, in Sudan, in Ethiopia, in Iraq, in Somalia, in Uganda, in Syria to name a few (trust me the others keep me awake at night too). As I sit in my safe warm home with my healthy, nourished family I feel beyond helpless for those who are suffering. I give money, though I know it doesn‘t make a dent. So I reached for this book for my sanity.

I was so excited to pick up my two new books from my favorite indie today. I ordered them weeks ago but then… Covid. It‘s a rare occasion I buy new books, but I know these two will have pride of place on my book shelf for years to come so I treated myself.

12/22- This book was not what I expected in the most wonderfully dark way. And I don‘t think I have read anything completely like it before. It was exactly what I needed right now. It was a quick read & I was sad to come to the end, as I‘m sure Maud has many more tricks up her sleeves. I will definitely be picking up more books by Helene Tursten. I read this for Februarys #Roll100 but finished it a little late! Pick it up, you won‘t regret it! 4⭐️

Happy World Book Day everyone. We went to the library after school, picked up some new books and did some colouring. 💗💗💗 I love the joy the boys get from choosing what to borrow (and using the borrowing machine) 💗💗💗

11/22 This book was an easy read & made me smile at times. It wrapped up satisfactorily & there were some likable characters. But one thing bothered me- the MC‘s very obvious neurodiversity was used as a major plot point and yet no one seemed to recognize that. I have an autistic child so I‘m very aware but I also experience the general public has quite a good understanding now so it seemed weird everyone just saw her as odd. #booked2022 #newin22

10/22 This book was not an easy listen for me. I have family experience with schizophrenia and fear of where it will appear in our family next. But I would highly recommend it. Written by an ex mental health nurse (now author) it mixes personal experience, interviews with both those who suffer with schizophrenia & experts. It‘s very informative & written in a way that draws you in and teaches you a lot. A must read on this topic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

February was a tricky month of illness for everyone in my house but I still got some reading done!

Finished
The night she disappeared - Lisa Jewell (book club)
Theroux the Keyhole- Louis Theroux
The other black girl- Zakiya Dalila Harris

Started
The Heartland
The Maid (#Booked2022)
The Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good (#roll100)
Paper Cuts (#roll100)

The plan- finish the above! Read Mar #roll100 & Book club & 1 #booked2022 prompt! 🤞

There was a clear winner between Jan and Feb so I‘ve filled it in but Suburban Dicks was also great in a very different way. I‘m so interested to see what ends up coming out at the top this year!

9/22 My Feb book club pick and this was a fine way to distract myself from feeling poorly. On the whole the characters were a little 2D and there was quite a lot of filler in the middle but it he mystery was resolved pretty satisfactorily and I appreciated a slightly different spin on the usual. I will definitely pick up another book by Jewell. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Hubby and I are doing our first ever Buddy Read!! I noticed that he had downloaded the audible book, it was a surprise as we usually read very different things, but it was on my TBR and I will use it for #booked2022 #releasedin2022. We are reading 6 chapters at a time and then discussing. It has been fun 😊

My #roll100 picks for March! A ladder to the Sky and Aberystwyth Mon Amor. Two Kindle selections that have been sitting waiting to be read for a while! I love how the dice Gods are stretch my reading in all different directions already this year 😊 @PuddleJumper

My #roll100 picks for March! A ladder to the Sky and Aberystwyth Mon Amor. Two Kindle selections that have been sitting waiting to be read for a while! I love how the dice Gods are stretch my reading in all different directions already this year 😊 @PuddleJumper

When you feel too ill to move but not too ill to read you make good progress on books! Flying through this one for book club next week. I‘m rolling my eyes at some of the unrealistic recap dialogue but over all enjoying it as an easy read with Covid brain.

So after a week of looking after my poorly Covid husband he has kindly given it to me just in time for him to go back to working away. So I get to do Covid whilst looking after three kids. Feeling unreasonably annoyed 😂