That’s A Wrap! – September 2026

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Reading update

I read eight books in September, two fewer than the previous month. I didn’t manage to read all my ARCs publishing in September which had been my objective. I have two left and they are both over 600 pages so that’s my excuse. October is a quieter month so I’m hoping to be able to dig into my TBR pile as well.

Here are the books I read, with links to my reviews (where I’ve got round to writing them):

My favourite book last month was Cold Sunset, the third in the Gabriel Dax historical thriller series.

Blog update

I published 29 blog posts in September:

Book reviews/author features – 9
Memes – 9
Reading updates – 11

For those who like their stats, my blog received 10k views in September, down 10% on the previous month. All-time views now stand at 549,762. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my reviews and/or leave comments last month.

Reading goals update

  • Goodreads – 74/104, still 4 books behind schedule
  • Read 20 books that have been in my TBR for over 2 years – 4/20, one more than last month
  • When Are You Reading? Challenge – 10/12, 1 more than last month
  • Historical Fiction Reading Challenge – 36/50, 5 more than last month
  • Classics Club List 2 – 5/50, 1 more than last month
  • Read all the books on the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 longlist – 9/12, same as last month
  • NetGalley feedback ratio – 98%, 1% higher than last month
  • Audiobooks – 6/12, same as last month

Plans for October…

  • Get up-to-date with reviews. Yes, I know that appeared in last month’s list and probably the month before that
  • Read my two remaining ARCs with September publication dates – Doom Painting by A. K. Blakemore and The Weight of Angels by John Boyne
  • Read my two ARCs with October publication dates – The Wolf’s Oath by Tim Hodkinson and The Farther Shore by Seth Fleisher
  • Read a book for the 1949 Club Challenge, probably Head of a Traveller by Nicholas Blake
  • Read my book club’s October pick – Three Summers by Karen Swan

My Week in Books – 4th October 2026

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On the blog last week

Monday – I published a guest post by author Paul Linggood about his recently published novel The Boy on the Sofa.

Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was a freebie on the theme of Fall/Autumn. My take on the topic was Books Linked to Autumn Events.

Wednesday – As always #WWWWednesday 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 historical novel The Marchesa by Sarah Dunant.

Friday – I shared my review of A Monster in the Ash by Susie Gordon as part of the blog tour.

Saturday – I joined other gardeners for #SixonSaturday sharing six things from my garden this week. Plus it being the first Saturday of the month I took part in the #6Degrees of Separation meme forging a bookish chain from Life of M by Rachel Cusk to The Readers’ Room by Antoine Laurain.

New on my shelves

The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet (Penguin)

In 1969, the Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul opened for the first time: a glistening white box, high on a hill, that symbolised Afghans’ hopes for a more prosperous future.

In the decades since, its staff have kept working through multiple coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, the US-led invasion, and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban.

Here Lyse Doucet offers a vividly human history of modern Afghanistan through the lives of the people who have kept the Inter-Con running. It is the story of a hotel, and the story of a people.

The Bohemian Queen by Jean Findlay (ARC, Scotland Street Press)

Set against the backdrop of political intrigue, religious conflict and exile, the novel leads to 1620 as young Queen Elizabeth, heavily pregnant with her fifth child, flees Prague following the Battle of White Mountain. Married to Frederick, Elector Palatine, Elizabeth had accepted the crown of Bohemia in a move that would plunge Europe into decades of war.

But exile does not diminish her influence. Through court politics, diplomacy and dynastic ambition, Elizabeth continues to shape the future of Europe while giving birth to eight more children, ensuring her descendants become woven into the ruling houses of an emerging continent. She is a survivor, a mother, a leader and a friend of the great philosopher, René Descartes.

What I’m currently reading

I’m still reading Doom Painting by A. K. Blakemore from my NetGalley shelf (it’s 672 pages long) and May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2026.

Look out for…

  • Book Review: Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
  • Book Review: Farewell to Eden by Sebastian Faulks
  • Book Review: Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson