#WWWWednesday – 19th November 2025

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

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What I’m Currently Reading

I’m reading Seascraper for Novellas in November, Commander (Agricola #3) from my NetGalley shelf, and Ravenglass from my TBR pile.

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood (Viking)

Thomas lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, working his grandpa’s trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart to the grey, gloomy beach and scrape for shrimp, spending the afternoon selling his wares, trying to wash away the salt and scum, pining for Joan Wyeth down the street, and rehearsing songs on his guitar. At heart, he is a folk musician, but it remains a private dream.

When a striking visitor turns up, bringing the promise of Hollywood glamour, Thomas is shaken from the drudgery of his days and begins to see a different future. But how much of what the American claims is true, and how far can his inspiration carry Thomas?

Haunting and timeless, this is the story of a young man hemmed in by his circumstances, striving to achieve fulfilment far beyond the world he knows.

Commander (Agricola #3) by Simon Turney (Head of Zeus via NetGalley)

In the aftermath of Rome’s civil war, Agricola returns to Britannia in command of his own legion.

This is not the honour it seems at first. Agricola’s new legion threatens mutiny and the frontier province has suffered under troublesome governors. And the Brigantes, a powerful Celtic tribe in Britannia, are ready to make war against Rome.

To stabilise Roman rule and bring peace, Agricola must use all his political and military skills. But when a new commander is posted to Britannia, Agricola’s efforts have counted for nothing.

For General Petilius Cerialis wants to completely destroy the Brigantes. With the tribe roused to throw off the Roman yoke for good, Agricola must prepare for the greatest war yet in Britannia… one which few will survive.

Ravenglass by Carolyn Kirby (Northodox Press)

In 18th century Whitehaven, Kit Ravenglass grows up in a house of secrets. A shameful mystery surrounds his mother’s death, and his formidable, newly rich father is gambling everything on shipping ventures. Kit takes solace in his beloved sister Fliss, and her sumptuous silks, although he knows better than to reveal his delight in feminine fashion. As the family’s debts mount, Kit’s father turns to the transatlantic slave trade – a ruthless and bloody traffic to which more than a fortune might be lost.

At a private Naval Academy, Kit is jolted into unruly boyhood and scandal before his first taste of life at sea. Adventures will see Kit turn fugitive and begin living as ‘Stella,’ before being swept into the heady violence of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion. Driven by love, revenge and a desire to live truly and freely, Kit must find a way to survive these turbulent times – and to unravel the tragic secrets of the Ravenglass family.

What I’ve Just Read

The Sea Road West by Sally Rena (Endeavour Press)

The Assassin of Verona by Benet Brandreth (Zaffre)

The Forgotten Daughter by Joshi

In the rain-slick alleys of Kamathipura, truth is a luxury few can afford. When Meher disappears, the city shrugs—but one man refuses to forget.

Vishy, a solitary book seller with a past he won’t speak of, begins a quiet rebellion against apathy. As he searches for Meher, the shadows grow darker, and the cost of remembering becomes unbearable. 

The Forgotten Daughter is a story of grit, grief, and the fragile hope that someone, somewhere, still cares. (Review to follow)

What I’ll Be Reading Next

Benbecula 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.