Received the last book of #whodunituk! Can't believe we have come to an end but I reckon I have a strong finisher! Mine also went in the post today to @ScorpioBookDreams xxx

Perfect bookshop and café to escape the freezing cold wind of Trieste! We have done lots of walking around so read the tagged book sneakily on my phone at any spare moment. I really like this police procedural series set in London.

If you like dark high school stories you'll like this. Depressingly accurate about teen bullying and really powerful in evoking a small town, no outsiders here atmosphere. I have no idea if parts of the US are really like this, but the description of lemming like behaviour and power in the hands of the few was pretty scary. Not without fault but I really enjoyed it. Read on the train to Trieste.

Pretty pleased with today's #libraryhaul
Also got the Rick Stein book for 50p in their sale so Toby can cook me lots of nice things 😊

Inter-generational New Yorkers dealing with poverty, depression and a lot of Catholic guilt, a quiet but powerful read. Along with my favourite Spanish breakfast 😊

Thanks so much for the bookmark Elle @thegirlwiththebookishcandle I love it!!!🤩

#whodunnituk #whodunituk I think I've spelt it wrong in the past!!

On the train back to London (with a stop to pick up forgotten suitcase from airport!) after a restful, relaxing and fun #readingretreat. So great to meet more Littens and see again old friends, in an amazing setting. Thanks so much again Mitch for organising... Am totally up for another one!

@Mitch @Oryx @squirrelbrain @julesG @scripturient @RachelO @Leniverse @eraderneely

Loving this book and the house in it has a library just like Gladstone's!

Book swap day in the office! This is what I got which I have never heard of but am excited to try!

Just seemed to fall into Foyles today, ooops...

Very happy about my donation box find today. My first Amy Bloom, of whom I've heard great things, and starting the first chapter alongside a yummy beer...

Completely coincidently the two books I'm reading concurrently are both about New York life and excesses, 15 years apart. They're both fantastic!

Thanks Christine and Helen for the #lpmbc and #whodunituk packages this week and the extra goodies - the kinder chocolate is in my tummy! I will get my (late) package to Rachel tomorrow as I should finish tonight! #fridaynightparty

Shall we aim for another #lmpbc round soon? I'm keen!

@RachelO @Christine11 @ShookBelf

Just been told the book club I am an occasional member of is discussing this on Monday. #weekendchallenge

Book sleeve with big thanks to @RachelO 😍

Bliss is.... going back to bed in the afternoon to finish a brilliant book.

1. Reviews from lovely readers who I trust - a great way to increase the TBR.
2. Being able to sort comments and follows from likes in notifications.
3. Ooh that's hard. I love our #jbuk and #whodunituk groups and the recent #cupidgoespostal was brilliant - love a good book swap!
4. It has changed me so much - out of control shelves and reading more than one book at a time are two biggies!
5. @swynn
@BiblioLitten #litsyedition

Thank you so much Steffie!
Lovely #cupidgoespostal parcel!
And thank you so much for organising @BookishMarginalia

@scripturient

First day back to work after a few days skiing. Bookmail makes it all ok and I won this one with Readers First - look at the 3 wonderful authors who are praising it (and Shamsie on the front cover, Groff on the inside!) - sounds good to me!

Another great book of short stories and they're so good for a commute! I definitely want to read more of Hall. 5 stars, book 10

This book could do with a massive edit and I don't agree that the author is a great writer but at the same time it was soooo readable. Blends travelling around with Obama as a junior staffer with a reminder of what it is to work in a fun, intense workplace when you're young - definitely recognised her experiences and bad choices though as mine weren't in the White House, they might have been less exciting to read about! 3 stars, book 9.

Returned from the post office to more bookmail!! Must Give Else Never Can Receive was my school motto, haha!!
Don't know much about this one but a sneaky look at everyone's reviews would suggest I'm in for a treat so am excited!!
@ShookBelf
#whodunituk

Big pile of parcels/cards going out today though I still have a backlog of people I owe letters to! Thanks for patience!

This #cupidgoespostal parcel is going overseas! But to where?!!!

@BookishMarginalia

Thanks Christine for the next #lmpbc book! I love the card (Grayson Perry), pen and notebook as well - thank you!
@Christine11

The perfect short story for a commute! Loved this, definitely makes me want to read his other short stories. 5 stars and It's length meant I managed to sneak in book 8 before the end of the month!

Book 7 - and such a page turner! I really liked the different points of view that each section was written from although I thought the last one written in the first person from the main character's viewpoint was the weakest. Four stars, definitely worth a look!

Love this postcard! Thanks so much @Lel2403 Lesley! #jbuk And welcome to the group! Xx

Thank you Helen for the guide to York bookshops! Look forward to having an explore when I'm next up xxx
@squirrelbrain

Made a couple more online purchases for #cupidgoespostal today so obviously I had to get myself something too... Saw this recommended on a blog this morning and it looks great!

Thanks @TrishB for the #jbuk postcard! Coincidentally the person it depicts is mentioned in the book, tagged, that I finished today! Irena Sendlerowa, a war hero.
Great postcards!

Productive day so far.
Book 5 of the year finished and sent to @RachelO for #lpmbc and another package sent to @TCLinrow for #mhroundrobin. Sorry I'm so late both!
And returned two books and got two books out the library, Sarah Hall new to me but heard great things, and couldn't resist another Groff after loving Florida.

Huge commitment from the author to find the answers to the crimes of the previously unheard of Golden State Killer. Really well written, I would have liked an updated version which followed up when he was eventually arrested last year. I need to do my own googling now! Book 4...

Lucy Mangan writing in Stylist with her 2019 recommendations. Some more for the TBR!

Book 3 of the year. Loved this short story collection, they kept on getting better throughout the book. Great reflections on women, independence and motherhood.

Thanks @christine11 for the next #lmpbc book! And for the beautiful card and goodies - love the badge!! I've wanted to read this book for ages! 💕💕

Thank you so much @RachelO for the lovely lovely book sleeve!! And choccy and lovely card too - love having cards to put up on the bare shelves after having taken the Christmas cards down!
Loving our #lmpbc group xxx

Second book of 2019 and my first five star read
#fivestarread
Set in the 1930s from the viewpoint of 14 year old Edith who thinks she doesn't fit in with the world round her. It's slow moving, full of nature, and seemingly quite innocent but beneath the surface there is a sense of impending doom, and the increasing fear of difference is scarily relevant today.

Got this in the sale today ready for 2019 #litsymail! #jbuk

Saturday night craziness!

Am loving this book so far - brilliantly depicting the changes to class, gender, urban vs rural life in the period between the wars.

First book of 2019 finished on this morning's commute via Pigeonhole. A fast paced and unusual book, I loved the setting and the deep relationship between the sisters.

Pigeonhole was a big help in getting me to 102 books in 2018, I don't expect to be able to read as many this year but we will see!

For anyone in our first round of #whodunituk the second Harry Bingham book is only 99p today! I think the first was @jenniferw88 choice and I loved it!
@ScorpioBookDreams @TrishB @Libby1 @Caroline2 @DeborahSmall @emily_m_tubb @thegirlwiththebookishcandle

Thanks so much Caroline! Been wanting to read this one for ages! Merry Christmas! Hope you're having a lovely break xxx
@Caroline2

Loved this! Wasn't what I was expecting at all, having previously read the wasp factory, it was a brilliant coming of age story - family disagreements, love and death. Finished on a packed, smelly train back south - nothing pretty about my view!

Now @TrishB @Libby1 @Balibee146 this was one of our #reading1001 books.... Who shall I send it onto now?!

Thank you so much Ruth @LoveToReadLiveToRead for my #jolabokaflod book! This has been on my tbr for ages, very excited!

Gorgeous Christmas Eve in the Lakes today where I finished the first ever Rebus book for #whodunituk. Written in 1987 it feels a bit dated and Rebus isn't necessarily the same character as in later books either! But still a great thriller. I'm now going to follow @Tove_Reads example and read them all - including the ones I've already read as I haven't kept a record!

Next! This one for #whodunituk, the first ever Rebus novel, what a treat! In the introduction Rankin says Rebus was originally supposed to die at the end - very glad that changed!

#productivetrainjourney

Back to the Lakes for Christmas, fizz is compulsory on the train home...

I am well behind on the #mhroundrobin reads but am aiming to get a couple of them in the post to @TCLinrow before the year is out!
Enjoying this one picked by @Libby1 about Churchill's struggles with depression

Thank you @LoveToReadLiveToRead for the #jolabokaflodswap goodies! I've sneaked in the wrapped book to go north and can't wait to open tomorrow!

If I recognise the writing I think I also have something from @Caroline2 - thanks so much, I've saved it til I get back on Thurs :-)

Thanks to lovely people who sent me cards @kezzlou85 @Itchyfeetreader and there are others I've forgotten - sorry for being rubbish and not sending any, 2019 resolution!

#JolabokaflodSwap
My swap is going in the post tomorrow! Such a lovely idea, thank you for organising @MaleficentBookDragon !

I went a bit crazy on my library trip...
Holidays are coming!
#libraryhaul

Thanks to lovely Litsy friends for the Christmas cards! I had my last interview yesterday so finished my first book of the month this morning and can now get on with Christmas preparations!

@Christine11 @squirrelbrain @Oryx @youneverarrived @kathedron @kaysworld1