My Week in Books – 1st March 2026

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On the blog last week

Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was Bookish Quotes and I shared the opening lines of ten of the books on the longlist for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026.

Wednesday – As always WWW Wednesday is a weekly opportunity to share what I’ve just read, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next… and to take a peek at what others are reading.

Thursday – I published my review of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen, translated by Alice Menzies.

Friday – I shared my reviews of Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and Tin Man by Sarah Winman.

Saturday – I took part in the #SixonSaturday meme sharing six things happening in my garden this week.

New on my shelves

The Millionaire Waltz by Anthony Quinn (Proof copy, Little, Brown Group)

London in the 1920s: a young woman treads the path between danger and desire.

Against a backdrop of thuggish blackmail, constricting high society and a London still fragile from the war, Edie Greenlaw is trying to decide what she wants from the world. The closer the prospect of marriage with her handsome war hero fiance becomes, the less fulfilling it seems. Defying caution she goes to the aid of a friend and entangles herself in a dangerous demi-monde of sexual extortion and violence.

What I’m currently reading

I’m reading The Two Roberts, one of the books on the shortlist for the Winston Graham Historical Prize 2026 and Love Lane from my NetGalley shelf, plus listening to the The Wasp Trap, this month’s book club pick.

Look out for…

  • Book Review: The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall
  • Book Review: A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia

#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week

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Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations.

What a difference a couple of days of sunshine makes, both to the garden and the gardener. My husband and I even had our mid-morning coffee break outside on Wednesday. Also the first sighting of a queen bumblebee looking for somewhere to establish a nest.

One – A clump of crocuses opening their faces to the sunshine

Two – Your weekly dose of pulmonaria, this time with flowers that are a lovely shade of blue/purple.

Three – More blue with a small clump of anenome blanda.

Four – Lovely yellow primrose but bearing the telltale signs the slimy ones are about.

Five – An area beneath a young field maple planted in very random fashion with miniature daffodils and crocus, some cyclamen, the odd primrose and tulips, plus a lot of self-seeded forget-me-nots. I also scattered some cornflower seeds back in the autumn but no sign of them yet.

Six – Shocking pink hyacinth that came as three bulbs crammed together in a pot. I shall try to replant them further apart once they’ve finished flowering with a bit more company.

Do check out the posts of other participants by following the links in the comments section of Jim’s post. If you fancy taking part yourself but don’t know where to start, here’s the participant’s guide.