Reading wasn’t as productive. I had little time and not that much desire to read so the number was very small. But one of the many great things about books is that they have no use by date. The (many) books on the TBR will still be waiting for me and will be as fresh as a daisy when I pick them off the shelf.
January is the start of a new year and a new reading month. How many books shall I get read? Who knows. Even if it’s just one, or half of one so be it. Have you read any of the books listed here? Did you find any books under the tree? Do let me know.
Here’s what I read:
So what arrived into the house this month? Fair warning, there are quite a few…
- The Anger of the Bells by Virginia Rath, the first book in my Coffee and Crime Advent Calendar.
- A Pin to See the Peepshow by F Tennyson Jesse, sent for review by The British Library.
- Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie, (US title for Dumb Witness), an Advent Calendar book.
- First Born by Will Dean, sent for review by Hodder & Stoughton.
- Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C J Farrington, sent for review by Constable.
- Edith and Kim by Charlotte Philby, sent for review by Borough Press.
- The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla, sent for review by Hodder & Stoughton.
- The Lying Voices by Elizabeth Ferrars, an Advent Calendar book.
- Reeling by Lola Lafon, sent for review by Europa Editions.
- Crime on Her Mind edited by Michele B Slung, an Advent Calendar book.
- I Know What You’ve Done by Dorothy Koomson, sent for review by ED Pr.
- A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle, sent for review by Century.
- Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty, a gift from Awesome Books and Midas PR.
- Enter, Murderers by Henry Slesar, an Advent Calendar book.
- The Gift by Alan Titchmarsh.
- Thirty Things I Love About Myself by Radhika Sanghani.
- The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer Smith, this and the previous two books were sent for review by Team Bookends.
- The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan, sent for review by Century.
- Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie, an Advent Calendar book.
- 13 for Dinner by Agatha Christie, (the US title for Lord Edgware Dies), an Advent Calendar book.
- Murder Under Her Skin by Stephen Spotswood, sent for review by Wildfire.
- The Rapture by Jan Carson, part of my NB Magazine subscription.
- How to Live Dangerously by Joan Fleming, an Advent Calendar book.
- Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber, sent for review by Pan Macmillan.
- Emergency by Daisy Hildyard, sent for review by Fitzcarraldo Editions.
- One Night on the Island by Josie Silver, sent for review by Penguin.
- Begars Abbey by V L Valentine, sent for review by Viper Books.
- Lonely-Heart 4112 by Colin Watson, an Advent Calendar book.
- Thrown by Sara Cox, sent for review by Coronet.
- Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie, an Advent Calendar book.
- Killer in the Rain by Raymon Chandler, a Christmas present.
- Snow by John Banville, a Christmas Present.
- Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie, another Christmas present.
- The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard, a birthday present.
- The Floating Admiral by the Detection Club, a birthday present.
- Dead Ground by M W Craven, a birthday present.
- Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie, another birthday present.
- Middlemarch by George Elliot, a half price sale purchase.
- The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, another sale purchase.
- Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. Yep, another half price sale purchase.
- Doreen by Barbara Noble.
- The Journey Home and Other Stories by Malchi Whitaker.
- Few Eggs & No Oranges by Vere Hodgson.
- Minnie’s Room by Mollie Panter-Downes, all purchases.
So 2021 is behind us. Some will be sad to see it go, others glad. 2022 stretches out before us but as is the case with all years, will no doubt soon see us saying “how can it be this date already”.
I also got Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice in the sale, in the beautiful cloth bound editions. But because I already own other editions they don’t count as incoming, same for the duplicate book I received in my Advent Calendar (my bookshelves, my rules).
- The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
- A Will to Kill by R V Raman
- Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie
I also gave away 5 books, including one I palmed off on a visitor. If you come to my house, it’s likely you’ll have a book pressed on you, or I’ll have least tried to send one home with you. So 44 in and 8 out. No point even sugar coating that epic unbalancing of the books.
December saw many books arrive and not only the ones I bought and gave to my husband to wrap up for Christmas and my birthday. I had my Coffee and Crime Advent Calendar to see me through to Christmas, and I had to make use of the Waterstones half price hardback sale; it would have been rude not to.
I hope you had an enjoyable, peaceful holiday period and wish you a Happy New Year.
