Rewind, recap: Weekly update W/E 27/06/21

Well I have no idea what happened to this past week but it’s gone, done and dusted. Had a good week considering I had to go to work after two weeks of absolute bliss. It wasn;t a full we though, as I met up with blog tour organiser extraordinaire, Anne Cater, midweek whilst she was visiting Ironbridge. It was absolutely lovely to feel like a bit of normal was happening for a change. We chatted books over coffee and cake – who could ask for more? Oh and I have had my second covid jab so – yay! Now that I have that double wifi and bluetooth upgrade injected I’m hoping I never struggle to find a hotspot again … 🤨😉😂

All joking aside, I feel very lucky and very privileged to be in this position, so I’m not going to blow it now by pretending we aren’t still in the midst of a devastating global pandemic. All still need to do our bit. On another note, I’ve been looking at UK stats to decide where Mandie and I should go to celebrate my birthday next month. Ordinarily it would be, Harrogate but, personally, that kind of event still feels a touch too soon and with very limited information about what the rules of the road for attending would be, i.e. daily testing, social distancing etc, we are going to pass. After careful consideration and much debate of the ever increasing case numbers, Merthyr Tydfil is looking good …

Due to being extremely tired following my shenanigans the previous two weeks, it’s been a paltry effort reading wise this week. Three nights i took myself off to bed at 7:00 with every intention of reading upstairs. Each night I awoke at around eleven got changed in my pyjamas and promptly went back to sleep. Clearly I needed it but it means that, as I write this, I have read one full book and one novella. I am starting another, but doubtful I will finish so I will call it next week. C’est la vie!

Quiet week for the old book post. I had two books – both welcomed – but. back to my normal standards lol. First up was Addis Ababa Noir from Cassava Republic and then I also received That Night by Gillian McAllister from Penguin UK.

I bought a few new hardbacks too this week after a very slow start. My preorder of False Witness by Karin Slaughter arrived. It’s very pretty (first edition collectors copy) and I also bought Truth or Dare by MJ Arlidge and Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. Some debate over that last one or another, high profile, almost identical sounding plotted book, but decided to go with my gut (and several recommendations).

I have four new preorders in for Orenda Books titles but can only share one cover. If you don’t want to know what is coming, skip by. If you do then here goes …

The Quiet People by Paul Cleeve (Ebook – 25th Sept, Tree Book – 25th Nov); Psychopath’s Anonymous by Will Carver (Ebook – 25th Sept, Tree Book – 25th Nov); Fall by West Camel (Ebook – 9th Oct, Tree book – 9th Dec) and Quicksand of Memory by Michael J Malone (Ebook – 9th Oct, Tree book – 9th Dec). Go get em …

Three new Netgalley books, two of which are for tours. Murder In The Village by Lisa Cutts; Mummy’s Little Secret by M.A. Hunter; and The Hunt And The Kill by Holly Watt.

Books I have read

Little Rebel by Jérôme Leroy

Divided along so many social fault lines, a city in the west of France is a tinderbox of anger and passion.

As the tension grows, things go badly wrong as a cop is killed and a terror cell is scattered across the city. A school on the deprived side of the city is caught up in the turmoil as students, their teacher and a visiting children’s author are locked down.

Making his first appearance in an English translation, Jérôme Leroy gives us a subtle and sardonic perspective on the shifts taking place in politics and society in this disturbing novella.

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Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham

My name is Alice. I’m a police officer.
I’m trying to solve a murder on a psychiatric ward.
But I’m also a patient…

They were meant to be safe on Fleet Ward: psychiatric patients monitored, treated, cared for. But now one of their number is found murdered, and the accusations begin to fly.

Was it one of his fellow patients? A member of staff? Or did someone come in from the outside?

DC Alice Armitage is methodical, tireless, and she’s quickly on the trail of the killer.

The only problem is, Alice is a patient too.

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So that was it. Not that impressive but I needed the sleep. It means I officially hit double digits for June so yay. 105 books this year so far and I hope to complete a few audio books these next few weeks too. Busy enough week on the blog – recap below:

#Review – Unbury Our Dead With Song – Mũkoma Wa Ngũgĩ
#Review – One Last Time – Helga Flatland
#Review – The Devil and the Dark Water – Stuart Turton
#Review – Big Sister – Gunnar Staalesen
#Review – After The End – Clare Mackintosh
#Review – The Sound Of Her Voice – Nathan Blackwell

We’ve a full week ahead with no less that four blog tours. Today I review Reputation by Lex Croucher, tomorrow sees me sharing my thoughts on A Cut For A Cut by Carol Wyer. Wednesday I’ll be talking about Truth or Dare by MJ Arlidge and on Thursday Mandie talks all about Oakwood Falls by D.C. Brockwell. Busy busy.

Have a lovely and safe week all. Hope you (we) get loads of reading done. I’ve a work get together at the end of the. week. Not sure I’ll recognise anyone, it’s been so long now … Can’t wait though.

Happy reading.

Jen x