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Bianca's 2023 Reading List
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The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud.By the author of Lockwood & Co. Again set in a Britain after a devastating, but unknown, event has changed the world. Where everyone who is different or has "defects" is killed. Scarlett is an outlaw who likes robbing banks and on her travels come across a crashed bus where all the travelers have been murdered except one; Albert Browne. He dreams of reaching the free isles of London along the way they rob a bank and encounter people from Albert's past who want him back.
A fun adventure and I will definitely read the next book. But I would love to know what has happened to have changed the world so much, and is still changing it.
The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts.A good, solid horror novel. It's greatly helped by setting it in the early 90s, when there weren't any cellphones or internet. The ending was very predictable. Almost the mandatory ending for this type of story.
The author's name had me panicking for a moment; I went to university with a Nick Roberts, and although I couldn't imagine him ever writing a horror novel you never know. "My" Nick was mostly okay, but one very small step away from being a creep.
Calling Back the Dead by J.R. EricksonMeh. Although I liked most of Erickson's books, this one I didn't. It's mostly because I found one of the main characters very annoying and couldn't sympathize with her. This, I think, mainly because when we first meet her she is already changing and we only get very short snippets of who she truly is.
The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves.
Loved it, a very good addition to the Vera Stanhope series. I think we get more inner dialogue of Vera (and other characters) than before, and I like that.
Currently reading Ambrose Ibsen's third installment in the House of Souls series, I have somehow missed its release in 2020.
I had hoped to finish my GR reading challenge this month (25 books), but I didn't make it. I'll finish my current and 23rd book of the year before the end of the month, but I don't think I'll be able to squeeze in another book (unless I go for a very short book). So I'll end up reading 1574 pages and 5 books.Normally April is a good reading month for me, but not this time. I don't even have the excuse of reading a long book that I'm not able to finish this month. I feel like I've been reading really slow this month. Not sure if that's on me or if the books were just the type to read slowly.
For next month I've got another longer read planned, Fairy Tale by Stephen King, hopefully it's a quick read.
The Withering by Ambrose Ibsen.It didn't work for me. Probably because I didn't remember much detail from the previous two books in the series and because I didn't like the main character very much.
Up next The Thursday Murder Club by (TV presenter) Richard Osman, the first book in the The Thursday Murder Club series.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanThe first book in the Thursday Murder Club series. It's a cozy mystery series set in a retirement village. I really liked the mystery, but I thought Osman made it all a bit to quirky and quaint. All the characters have their quirks, which is fine, but it's all a bit too quirky, it's hard to describe. However, I did really enjoy the mystery so I think I'll get the other books (book 4 is going to be released later this year) and hope Osman tones it down a bit.
Earlier this week I got a notification that Owl Goingback's new book was released, I had initially planned to start Stephen King's Fairy Tale, but I think I'll save that for my two day trip to the Efteling in two weeks' time.
My intention to keep the number of book on my Kindle below 30 has failed (I'm at 48 right now) and in the next ten week five more books will be released.
And I just wiped my Kindle, again. Not because I want to start over with less books. But because I've finally figured out how to get Calibre to add the metadata to the front of the book again when converting. I like to have the synopsis at the beginning of the book, so I can quickly read it when I want to decide which book to read next. I used to have it set up and it worked great, until it didn't. Today I finally took the time to figure it out. It should have worked with my settings, but it didn't. But I changed the settings, saved and then changed them back and now it's working again.
So I put all the books on my Kindle in a reading list, converted them, wiped my Kindle and I'm now copying them all back again. After which I'll have to sort them all in collections again and I'll have to change the settings of the Kindle to my liking.
Evil Whispers by Owl GoingbackI thought it was a new release, since I got a notification from FantasticFiction that it was released. It turns out it was most likely a Kindle (re)release and it was originally published in 2001.
Still, I really enjoyed this book. Set in a fishing camp in the Everglades. Where a girl, vacationing there with her parents, gets possessed by the spirit of an evil black magic voodoo man, who was killed over 100 years ago and want to return to the living.
It took me longer to read than it should, but last week a lot was going on and I've also started a new, very easy cross stitch (to take a break from the big project I've been working on for a year), so I've been doing a lot of stitching.
This was my 25th book of the year, which means that I've finished my GR reading challenge!
Murder Never Retires by Faith MartinThe main character, Hillary Greene, who had retired in the last book is back, kind of. After 18 months of exploring Britain in her canal boat she is back at her old nick working as a civilian for the cold crime department. I like how this changes the dynamics and it keeps the series fresh.
Salvage: A Ghost Story by Duncan Ralston
A good horror story, although a bit rough and certain things weren't resolved.
Not the best reading month so far. Three days I didn't read, Five books if I finish my current book, which I should be able to do today or tomorrow and 1694 pages. But I did enjoy all the books and there was a lot going on this month, so it's okay.I still have six book on my TBR for this year, the problem is that three of them are long books and one of them is a biography, so that always takes me longer to read. I'm having trouble committing to longer books at the moment. But I try to read, or at least start, two of them next month.
A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee HuberAnother good story in the Lady Darby series, the latest one. I like that almost each book is set in a different location, it keeps things fresh.
The Seance in Apartment 10 by Ambrose Ibsen
I really like Ibsen, but often feel that his books could have been more, like this one. It isn't bad, but it could have delved deeper into certain characters and aspects.
The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths.Second book in the Harbinder Kaur series. It could have been a cozy, since an octogenarian, a former monk turned barista and an Ukrainian care worker team up to help Harbinder solve the murder of their friend/client, a 90 year old "murder consultant". But it isn't. This series is darker than Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series, but I'm liking it.
Her main characters are "flawed" (human), but not the typical way of addiction or depression, which sometimes takes over the story IMHO.
Bianca wrote: "The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths.Second book in the Harbinder Kaur series. It could have been a cozy, since an octogenarian, a former monk turned barista and an Ukrainian c..."
Sounds interesting! And my library has the books so the first in the series is going on the list. The very, very long list. LOL
Bianca wrote: "The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths.Second book in the Harbinder Kaur series. It could have been a cozy, since an octogenarian, a former monk turned barista and an Ukrainian c..."
Christa wrote: "Sounds interesting! And my library has the books so the first in the series is going on the list. The very, very long list. LOL"
Ditto!! :)
The Haunted by Bentley Little.An okay book for me. The story itself was good, but it could have been made scarier and it was a sloooow read.
I've started on Wool, the first in the Silo trilogy and I'm loving it. I wanted to read the first book before starting on the TV series. I got the omnibus because it was cheaper than just the Wool omnibus (€2 vs €8,50) but on GR I'm going to count it as three separate books.
Wool Omnibus by Huw Howey.I loved this book, why didn't I read it sooner? This genre can be very hit or miss for. I'm also watching the TV series, which is very different, but still has the same feel to it, so I'm loving that, too.
I'm actually reading the omnibus with all three stories in the Silo series (it was on sale) but since I'm not reading them all in one go I'll record them as three separate book on GR.
The Spite House by Johnny ComptonOkay. My biggest problem with this book was that the author held back important information and I knew that, he wasn't crafty about it. I also knew it was important information for the story. It wasn't a good twist anymore since you knew it was coming, just not the details.
June was an average month for me; 5 books and 1669 pages.In the evening I'm still obsessed with cross stitching whilst watching TV. And Saturday was the last day our store was open, we now have to months to remove what we want to remove (for ourselves or for others) and remove all the paperwork before the new owner's building team starts stripping and renovating the ground floor and basement. I won't have time to read between customers. So I need to figure out some other reading time for myself.
Yesterday, the first time since mid May, I didn't read. It was a busy day; chores in the morning and then a high tea in a cherry orchard with my sister. I cycled to my sister (round trip of 9km) and it was very windy. I was too tired to do some reading in the evening after my stitching.
Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. HarrisA good story in this series. Some interesting history.
Since closing the store three weeks ago I haven't read much. My schedule is different now. Where before I could read between customers if I didn't have to do anything else, I'm now packing up things that will go to others, so no reading time. I haven't found a new routine which includes reading yet. The packing and moving around often heavy boxes is tiring. On my free afternoons I tend to nod off when I read and in the evening I'm currently cross stitching. I'm trying to fit in half an hour before bed, but that hasn't worked out yet. At the moment I read mostly during the weekend and, like last week, when I treat myself to go out to lunch.
July was the worse month in a very long time. I only finished one book. I'm still trying to fit in reading time on weekdays, but have failed so far. Mostly because I spend my nights cross stitching. I'm trying to finish a WIP I've been working on since May last year. I'm hoping to finish it before my two week vacation from September 25. After that I'm going to work on some simpler patterns and won't force myself to spend each night stitching for hours. That isn't to say I'm not enjoying this project I'm just fed up with it and want to move on to something else.Meanwhile, my sister and I also spend a lot of time online house hunting. On Thursday we're viewing our first house, although I think it's too much of a fixer upper for our taste. TBH I'd rather spend a bit more up front and be able to move in with just some painting, wallpapering and maybe replacing a carpet than having to pay less on buying the house but spending months in a house that isn't finished and spend every bit of free time DIYing and ending up having spend the same amount if not more.
Good luck with your stitching and house hunting!Maybe allow yourself one stitch-free night on the stitching so it feels less of a chore.
I agree with you about spending a little more for something closer to move-in ready. That way, you can concentrate on decorating the interior to your liking without worrying as much about major repairs.
I wish you the best!!
Thanks. It'll be a stressful time, but I'm looking forward to all the changes it brings.I give myself the occasional night off. Either just watch TV or work on my simple side project cross stitch.
But once I'm getting fed up with something (it can also be books or TV series) I just tend to power through to get it over and done with ASAP. Or risk abandoning it, and this is a gift for my sister so that's not an option.
Bianca wrote: "But once I'm getting fed up with something (it can also be books or TV series) I just tend to power through to get it over and done with ASAP. Or risk abandoning it, and this is a gift for my sister so that's not an option.."I understand that completely!
Good luck with the house hunting! I, too, agree with trying to find something that needs less work. Plus, homes that need obvious work also tend to have problems that are less obvious, especially the kind of problems that come with age or neglect. You could end up spending a lot more in the long run. I also feel it's important to be able to feel "at home" in your new home fairly quickly. It should be a place you feel good, comfortable, and safe, not one that constantly reminds you of all the work you still have to do to it.
Nyssa wrote: "I understand that completely!"It's how I got through all the required reading in university. Luckily most books I liked, but there were some I didn't like, so I just powered through as quickly as possible.
Christa wrote: "Good luck with the house hunting! I, too, agree with trying to find something that needs less work. Plus, homes that need obvious work also tend to have problems that are less obvious, especially the kind of problems that come with age or neglect. You could end up spending a lot more in the long run.
I also feel it's important to be able to feel "at home" in your new home fairly quickly. It should be a place you feel good, comfortable, and safe, not one that constantly reminds you of all the work you still have to do to it."
Thank you. I also think with the current high prices of homes and high prices of building materials there's a chance you won't earn back the money you put into it if the house needs a lot of work. Plus building supplies aren't all readily available so it might take longer than planned to get things done. I don't mind painting, wallpapering or replacing a carpets or laminate flooring. And we don't mind if the kitchen or bathroom isn't to our taste, as long as it's functional and not too offensive we can always replace those in the future.
Black Mouth by Ronald MalfiIt took my nearly 2 months to read. Not the book's fault, it was a really good story.
But with the store closing I lost my reading time (between customers). Sorting and packing up in the store was not only physically tiring, but also mentally. Especially since I ended up doing most of it on my own. On Monday we're starting to sort through and pack up things upstairs, we'll see how that goes.
Add to that that I've been trying to finish my cross stitch WIP (just a few more days) and I've been pushing myself almost every night. So I haven't been able to find a new reading schedule for myself. I mostly read a little during the weekends.
In just over a week I'm going on vacation with my sister for two weeks. I hope to get some reading then, though my sister always wants to do something almost every day.
I have managed to read every day for the past week. Sometimes it's just a couple of pages, sometimes I can manage to read for a longer period of time. I might not get to read today; I'm going on vacation tomorrow and it feels like I need to do a million things today.I've now finished my Mucha cross stitch project. I'm still cross stitching each night (great way to keep my hand occupied whilst watching TV), but there's no pressure of finishing something as soon as possible. So if I only get 100 stitches in in one session it's fine.
Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouieThis must be my favourite book so far this year. But I'm a sucker for this format (story made up of transcripts of footage, journals, text messages). It's about a television ghost hunting team investigating a house and finding more than what they bargained for.
Later today I'm going on vacation for two weeks. I'm going with my sister so I won't have as much reading time as I would have if I would have gone on my own. But after the last couple of months it's good to get away for a little while.
Septermber was a good reading month. Did I read a lot? No, but I am reading again. Nearly every day I managed to read. Sometimes just a couple of pages and sometimes more.It helped that I finished with my big cross stitch project. I'm still cross stitching, but I'm not pushing myself and obsessing over it.
It's been a while, since then I've finished:The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Still busy with the house. We've now sorted through all my parents (and grand parents and great grand parents) crap and decided what to leave, what to needs to go with my parents to the holiday home they rented for 3 months and what needs to go into storage. I'm slowly sorting and packing my things.
This weekend an apartment came on the market in my parents' preferred apartment complex, so hopefully their realtor can book them a viewing soon.
My sister is putting in an offer for a house we really liked in Gouda this morning, the deadline is noon and we should hear today if it's going to be our house or not. It's the third house she's bid on. The other two were near Utrecht, where we live now, but overbidding is so crazy at the moment that she didn't get the second house, even if she overbid by €50,0000. In Gouda overbidding isn't as high. So keeping my fingers crossed.
I should move in with my sister within the next couple of weeks. I just need to get going on packing all my things. My parents go to their vacation rental in a month. Once my parents are settled I have a bit of time to decompress since I'm not responsible for all the cleaning, shopping, sorting and packing. It's been a crazy year and I think I deserve some time to decompress after that and spend time, hopefully, looking for a new job (once we know where we're going to move to).
So I haven't read much since the store closed in July. I'm still cross stitching whilst watching TV in the evenings to relax. Maybe once everything is settled (buying a house, moving, my parents moving, getting a job) I'll get more space in my mind for reading again.
I haven't read in the last couple of weeks. I've been focusing on helping my parents sort through their stuff; what to leave, what the movers will put in storage and what they're taking with them to their vacation cottage. They did buy a house, just after Christmas they're getting the keys and then they have two and a half months to get the walls painted, get new furniture and move their stuff in.Meanwhile I'm also packing my things. This weekend I'm moving in with my sister and I still have other things I need to pack up and put in my storage.
And my sister and I are still looking for a bigger house. We've put in offers on three, but we were outbid. This week we're only visiting one house (which is probably too small for us) and next week we've got two scheduled so far, with possibly one more that my sister will look in booking an appointment today.
So it's busy. To relax I watch spooky shows at night whilst cross stitching. Once I move in with my sister things will slowly start to calm down once my parents will move to their vacation cottage on the 11th and the movers have done their thing on the 15th I'll have some time to focus on myself and hopefully get to reading again.
Wishing the entire family the best of luck!
Thanks. Just two more weeks, although for me the most stressful thing atm is getting everything ready for my move this weekend.
We have a house. It turns out fifth time is lucky. The house (Google Alkemaderschans 44 and click on the link to the Funda website) we went to see on Thursday we really loved and put a bid in (yesterday at noon was the deadline). By two my sister's gotten the call to tell her she placed the highest bid (listed for €399,000, she offered €471,000, which is €3,000 more than the second bid).It's a nice neighbourhood, nearby a big park and the big shopping center. It's also close to a tram stop, which means Utrecht (where we currently live) is easily and quickly reachable.
The current owners will move out around April, so we have some time to do some things to my sister's apartment (mainly the bathroom ceiling) to get it ready to sell it, which I won't expect to take long.
Meanwhile my parents are moving into their temporary accommodation on Tuesday, so the next couple of days my sister and I will help pack. On Wednesday and Thursday the movers will come to pack up the things my parents want to take with them to their new apartment and take it into storage. From Friday I have time to finally relax. I've decided I won't be looking for a new job until January, after the last couple of years I need so time off, so some fun things and properly relax.
Congratulations on your new house!! It looks huge. 4 bedrooms, sunny and one being a great place to read. I know you're excited for your new chapter. A lot of work yet but still, a direction. Hope you find a job you like.
Thank you. It's a great house and spacious for the size. We each get our own floor, I'm getting the top floor, my sister the middle one.The idea hasn't really set in yet. It's probably because we're so busy with our parents' move. Tomorrow at 4 pm they get the keys to their vacation home (for 3 months). The current plan is to make one or two trips on Monday to drop of things. And pack the last things on Tuesday morning. Then in the early afternoon my mother and her chair (she's got stenosis in her neck & back and arthritis, and this is the the chair she's most comfortable in) and the cats will be moved.
On Wednesday the movers are going to come and pack up my parents' things, my father and sister will be there to keep an eye on things. I will go to my mother and unpack anything that still needs unpacking. And on Thursday morning the movers will take my parents' things and put it in storage. My father will be there and I'll go keep my mother company again until he's back.
After that I feel like I need to sleep for a month. We've been working up to that point for a year and half. My parents get the keys to their new apartment just after Christmas, then they have two and a half months to have the walls and ceilings painted, move in their stuff and get new furniture. We get the keys to our house in April, my sister wants to do a couple of things before moving in, so that'll probably be May. So still a busy time ahead, but at least we're getting a bit of a break for now.
Wow, Bianca! Congratulations, and good luck with everything!
Congrats on the new home! It sound awesome!
Thank you. We're very happy with our future house.We're still dealing with my parents' move. Yesterday they moved in to their vacation home. Which all took longer than we hoped/anticipated. The cats weren't happy; Luna found a chair to retreat to and Maru hid underneath a radiator behind a sofa.
Today my sister is helping my father oversee the movers packing up their things in the old house. I'm going over to the vacation home to keep my mother company, help unpack (though the will have to unpack most things themselves), and set up some devices.
Tomorrow the movers will take everything into storage, which my father will oversee. I might or might not have to go keep my mother company. The movers think they'll need half a day to get everything moved. My mother doesn't have a problem with being on her own except for the fact she can't open the the back door (sliding) to go out to smoke (non-smoking bungalow). So I'll probably have to head over there again (costing me almost €20 and over 2 hours on public transport).
After that I'm done with packing and moving, for now. My parents will move into their new apartment in March, though I hope this time it'll be easier. My sister and I probably move in May.
Keep Her Secret by Mark EdwardsNot my favourite of the ones I've read so far by Mark Edwards. But still a good thriller.
So I've read 40 books so far this year. Which is more than I anticipated, even if the last six months were slow when it came to reading.
I'm hoping to add at least one more book. Tomorrow I'm starting the latest addition to the Bayou Hauntings series, which isn't even 300 pages. Maybe I'm able to squeeze one more in if I choose one that isn't too long, maybe a Cat Who or Hillary Greene mystery.
Dread Reckoning by Bill ThompsonThe latest installment of the Bayou Hauntings, very enjoyable and creepy.
Murder of a Lover by Faith MartinThe thirteenth book in the Hillary Greene series. Even after thirteen books this series is still going strong and I'm enjoying it.
This was my 42nd book of the year and, looking at what we've planned in the coming days, most likely the last one I will finish. Considering I haven't read much from July until mid December I did well enough. It'll be interesting to see what next year brings.
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Murder of a Lover (other topics)Dread Reckoning (other topics)
Keep Her Secret (other topics)
The Man Who Died Twice (other topics)
The Final Girl Support Group (other topics)
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This is the best book I've read so far this year. Very intense and it makes you think. I will need to check out his other books.
Up next:
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, first in the series of the same name. Written by Jonathan Stroud, who also wrote the Lockwood & Co. series.