On the blog last week
Monday – I published my review of legal thriller Sanctuary by Tom Gaisford.
Tuesday – I went off-piste again for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic with Things You Wouldn’t Want To Find In Your House. Only in book title form, I should clarify.
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 shared my long overdue review of Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, winner of the Winston Graham Historical Prize 2026.
Saturday – I joined other gardeners for the #SixonSaturday meme, sharing six things happening in my garden this week. I also published my review of The River Days of Rosie Crow by Rebecca Stonehill.
New on my shelves
Dwell by Rue Baldry (Proof copy, Northodox Press)
For a while they are within a painting, both openly staring, with the only movement the glittering of dust motes. Light halos the marble-white figure on the floor, burnishing his hair, sharpening his features with shadows…
January 1919. A new gardener at a snowbound boys’ boarding school catches everyone’s attention. There is a rumour that he is a war hero.
Nineteen-year-old Albert is haunted by his experiences in The Great War, and fighting the temptation of one particular prefect. What they want is illegal. Being caught would ruin them both.
When Albert’s past catches up to him, their quest for a place where love can safely dwell comes under even greater threat.
Dwell uncovers those experiences of ordinary gay men in the early twentieth century which had to be kept secret in their lifetimes. It is a tender, evocative coming-of-age love story exploring themes of privilege and oppression, healing from trauma, redemption, belonging, and hope.
What I’m currently reading
I’m alternating between a physical copy of Paper Sisters and an eARC of Dark is the Morning on my soon to be obsolete Kindle. (Thank you so much Amazon…not.) And I’m listening to the audiobook of A Far-Flung Life.
Look out for…
- Book Review: Love Lane by Patrick Gale
- Book Extract: The Oxford Affair by Lynn Kaufmann
- Q&A with Luna Westish, author of Meet Me at the Ruins
- My Top 3 March 2026 Reads
- Book Extract: The Unforgettable Mailman by April Howells
- Book Review: A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia
What Cathy Read Next... 