Review: Mrs Porter Calling – AJ Pearce

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

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

December reading round up

I hope this festive period is treating you well. This post is always an odd one to send out after the annual reading round up, and especially odd this year as I’ve really struggled getting through books this month. But here we are: A Town Called Solace – Mary Lawson A Town Called Solace! Ooh-ooh-ooh-yeah!… Continue reading December reading round up

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