On the blog last week
Monday – I published my review of The Predicament by William Boyd.
Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was Books on my Autumn 2025 To-Read List.
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.
Friday – I shared my preview of Henley Literary Festival which starts on 3rd October.
Saturday – I published my reviews of The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke and Venetian Vespers by John Banville.
New on my shelves
Benbecula: Darkland Tales by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Polygon)
On 9 July 1857, Angus MacPhee, a labourer from Liniclate on the island of Benbecula, murdered his father, mother and aunt. At trial in Inverness he was found to be criminally insane and confined in the Criminal Lunatic Department of Perth Prison.
Some years later, Angus’s older brother Malcolm recounts the events leading up to the murders while trying to keep a grip on his own sanity. Malcolm is living in isolation, ostracised by the community and haunted by this gruesome episode in his past.
Mrs Finnegan’s Guide to Love, Life and Laxatives by Bridget Whelan (The Regency Town House)
Forget Everything You Thought You Knew About History’s Housekeepers…
Step into the extraordinary world of Mrs. Finnegan, Brighton’s sharp-witted housekeeper from the 1830s. More than just a servant, Mrs. Finnegan is a reservoir of timeless advice, ready to tackle dilemmas from heartache and hair washing to the tricky business of repelling a bed bug invasion.
This isn’t your average historical account. Painstakingly and begrudgingly edited by a “museum volunteer from Hell”, Mrs. Finnegan emerges from these pages as the Boudicca of the serving classes and an authority on (almost) everything.
Discover the force of nature that is Mrs. Finnegan. It’s possible that your life, and the way you look at history, will never be quite the same.
What I’m currently reading
I’m reading Dominion of Dust from my NetGalley shelf, a review copy of A Graveyard of First Chapters and I’m (still) listening to the audiobook of Tombland.
Look out for…
- Book Review: The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
- Book Review: A Graveyard of First Chapters by Johnny Payne
What Cathy Read Next... 