Mrs Porter Calling is the third book in AJ Pearce’s glorious series The Emmy Lake Chronicles. Readers of this blog may know of my regard for this series, which is set in the Second World War and features Emmy Lake and her friend Bunty, young girls trying to make their way through the war. Dear… Continue reading Review: Mrs Porter Calling – AJ Pearce
Tag: book
April reading round up
April, month of chocolate and rain and that moment when I realise the tree outside my window has finally sent out its new leaves. The reading has been a mixed bag. The Nail House – Gregory Baines Another of the Fairlight Modern Series, this was a bit of a mixed read for me. The Nail… Continue reading April reading round up
March reading round up
March seems to have shot by, mainly as I have been sooooo busy this month. But on the whole, a month of good reading, so that’s something. Love and Saffron – Kim Fay This is a story written in letters between two American women. Joan, younger and living in California is a fan of Imogen,… Continue reading March reading round up
Review: Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah
Rootless is Appiah’s debut novel and it’s an accomplished rollercoaster of emotions. I had been in a review rut – nothing I’d chosen on Netgalley had really done it for me recently and I always feel a bit guilty when this happens as I do try to give positive feedback when I can. Thank goodness,… Continue reading Review: Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah
February reading round up
February. Like January but shorter and with more people trying so very hard to call it spring and blithely ignoring the Arctic windchill factor. Fools. Bring on March. I’ve read a lot this month! Here’s the rundown: Hotel Milano – Tim Parks I always look at Tim Parks books thinking I like them and then… Continue reading February reading round up
January reading round up
Hello and how is 2023 treating you? I must say I found it very easy to transition to writing 2023 which I can only assume meant that I’d had quite enough of last year. It’s not been a bad start to the year’s reading, including three books about books. Let’s start there: An English Library… Continue reading January reading round up
Reading challenges – love ’em or hate ’em?
Happy New Year! New year, same old complaints about reading challenges. Even the Guardian published a piece this year telling people not to worry about reading more, but reading better. Well yes. I confess I do wonder why people take reading challenges so seriously. The things we choose to care about. I mean, if you’re… Continue reading Reading challenges – love ’em or hate ’em?
Books of the year: 2022 reading round up
How has 2022 been for you? I have read a lot of books, and even starting writing things again, which feels like an exciting step. However, in prepping this post, I did get a suspicion that the reading hasn’t been great this year. Let’s look at the numbers: As ever, they vary depending on which… Continue reading Books of the year: 2022 reading round up
Reading round up: November
The worst month. So dark. Not yet Christmas. No firework display this year. But at least the books are here to help brighten the gloom. Notes to Self – Emilie Pine This is a book of essays that someone somewhere raved about and I bought on idle curiosity. But it’s quite marvellous. I have no… Continue reading Reading round up: November
Review: Starling by Sarah Jane Butler
Some years ago I was on a writing course with what was then the Unthank School and one of my classmates was Sarah Jane Butler who was starting to write a book – that book has become Starling. Starling and her mother Mar are travellers, moving around the country, living off the land, and often… Continue reading Review: Starling by Sarah Jane Butler
Susan E Barsby 