Translated by Ian Giles The start of a new series of Scandi-crime novels written by a seasoned hand augurs well. Norwegian, Ørjan Karlsson, has written a host of other crime novels and thrillers and obviously decided it was time for a change for his 16th novel. Karlsson grew up in the town of Bødo, which Read More
Month: January 2025
The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada – #JanuaryInJapan
Translated by Cat Anderson Normally it’s rare for me to manage to fit in a Japanese book for #JanuaryInJapan hosted by Tony’s Reading List, but not having totally focused on Nordic fare this Jan (although I do have one to come before the month ends), I did it! And I shall try to read one Read More
One Billion Years to the End of the World by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky
Translated by Antonina W. Bouis I managed to fit in a post for #VintageSciFiMonth this January in my third encounter with the Strugatsky brothers, after the completely lovable and madcap Monday starts on Saturday from 1964, and philosophical questing of Roadside Picnic from 1972. Also known as Definitely Maybe in the USA, thei novella One Read More
The Less Unkind by Rosaria Giorgi
I am delighted to be leading off the blog tour for Rosaria Giorgi’s debut novel – a thriller set in Italy in Denmark involving art theft! Italy and art are two of my favourite things, and I love thrillers, so I sat down to read the book with great anticipation, especially having received a lovely Read More
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey – blogtour.
The genus corvus, which includes rooks, crows, ravens, jays, jackdaws, choughs and magpies in its ranks is commonly believed to have the most intelligent of birds, and this is a novel about one such, a magpie, named Tama, who narrates the whole story. ‘Narrated by a bird!?’ I hear you ask. Couldn’t that be a Read More
An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – blogtour
It’s my turn today on the Random Things blog tour for this intriguing crime novel. But first, I’m sending very best wishes to Anne of Random Things who I know is very unwell at the moment, I hope you get better soon, xx. Now to the book. It begins with a premonition… I have an Read More
Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench
With Brendan O’Hea What a treat this book was from first page to last. I finished reading it on Boxing Day, and it went straight into my 2024 Books of the Year list. It is written with Brendan O’Hea, who is an actor/director friend of Dench, and is Associate Artistic Director at the Globe Theatre Read More
Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Parts 2 & 3
For my introductory thoughts as I began re-reading Foucault’s Pendulum, click here. We ended the short first part of the novel with Casuabon hiding in the periscope chamber, waiting for a mysterious event to happen in the museum. HERE BE SPOILERS… Hokhmah – the second Sephirot – embodying wisdom from nothingness! In part two ‘Hokhmah’, Read More
Nightingale & Co by Charlotte Printz
Translated by Marina Sofia I am delighted to be leading off Corylus Books‘ latest blog tour for their first German novel in translation, and Marina Sofia’s first published translation from that language too, (full disclosure, Marina and I have never met but have been blog friends for years). It is 1961 and we’re in Berlin. Read More
Two reviews – Complete Opposites – Nunez and Miller
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez I’m so glad to have fitted this novel in at the end of the year as it elbowed its way into my best of list. Written in much the same vein as The Friend and What Are You Going Through, Nunez’s narrator gives us another mixture of life and often flyaway musings on friendship, Read More
Human Being: Reclaim 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology by Graham Lee
This is one of the ones that got away in my 2024 reviewing. I read this book ages ago, but never got around to reviewing it for some reason which is shocking, for it is fascinating. Each of the twelve chapters takes one skill from its historical peak, then charts how we’ve let it go, Read More
Echoes of Eco II: Foucault’s Pendulum – Introductory thoughts
My original plan for this readalong was to polish the book off in about 3 chunks in January. But, having started it this morning, having read the first short section of just 18 pages (in my old Picador edition), my mind is already reeling, so I think I’m going to extend into February, having a Read More
Talking Header Images
One last fun post before School starts; I do have book reviews scheduled – honest! I was looking at my header images on the blog, and wondering if I should update them… Obviously, they’re cut down from larger photos to fit. I have six current ones, which are randomised to appear with each refresh of Read More
Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital
First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks a starting book for participants to go wherever it takes them in six more steps. Links to my reviews are in the titles of the books chosen. The Read More
Watchlist: Year End 2024
Just some ramblings about what I’ve watched lately on the small screen… Christmas Viewing & New Year viewing: Apart from (still, after all these years) loving Eastenders and the year-end drama it always provides, the Christmas Day highlight had to be Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Such attention to detail, and the chase sequence Read More
Reading Plans & Resolutions 2025
Happy New Year to you all! It’s traditional to set out one’s stall with reading plans for the year ahead. I was aiming to keep them as fluid as possible, yet have managed to sign up for 5 blog tours in January, how did that happen? I am aiming to do fewer blog tours this Read More
