Reading update
I read eight books in October, the same as last month. I still have one ARC with a September publication date outstanding (I’m currently reading it) but I did finish all the ARCs I had that published in October.
Here are the books I read, with links to my reviews (where I’ve got round to writing them):
- A Monster in the Ash by Susie Gordon
- Doom Painting by A. K. Blakemore
- Head of a Traveller by Nicholas Blake #1949Club
- The Farther Shore by Seth Fleisher
- The Wolf’s Oath by Tim Hodkinson
- Three Summers by Karen Swan
- The Taper Man by Nick Harkaway
- May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry
My favourite book last month was The Taper Man with Doom Painting a close second.
Blog update
I published 28 blog posts in October:
Book reviews/author features – 9
Memes – 10
Reading updates – 9
For those who like stats, my blog received 9.9k views in October, down 4% on the previous month. All-time views now stand at 558,046. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my reviews and/or leave comments last month.
Reading goals update
- Goodreads – 81/104, 5 books behind schedule
- Read 20 books that have been in my TBR for over 2 years – 5/20, one more than last month
- When Are You Reading? Challenge – 10/12, same as last month
- Historical Fiction Reading Challenge – 39/50, 3 more than last month
- Classics Club List 2 – 6/50, 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 – 97%, 1% lower than last month (because I am behind with reviewing books I’ve read and have added new ones to my shelf)
- Audiobooks – 7/12, 1 more than last month
Plans for November…
- Get up-to-date with reviews. Yes, I know that appeared in last month’s list and the month before that
- Read my two ARCs with November publication dates – The Bohemian Queen by Jean Findlay and Adder Stone by Clare Clark, both for blog tours
- Read my book club’s November pick – The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet – which also qualifies for NonFiction November
- Read a book for Reading Scotland Month – possibly Shannon’s Way by A. J. Cronin which is also on my Classics Club list
- Read a book for Novellas in November – possibly Quartet by Jean Rhys which is another one on my Classics Club list
