Author: whatcathyreadnext

My Week in Books – 9th August 2026

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On the blog last week

Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was a freebie on the theme of book covers and I chose Books With Modes of Transport on the Cover.

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 published my review of historical novel Little Spark by Jess Kidd.

Saturday – I joined other gardeners for #SixonSaturday sharing six things from my garden this week.

New on my shelves

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Pan Macmillan)

Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook’s potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there and rose to its top ranks, things turned out a little different.

From wild schemes cooked up on private jets to risking prison abroad, Careless People exposes both the personal and political fallout when boundless power and a rotten culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative, Wynn-Williams rubs shoulders with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and world leaders, revealing what really goes on among the global elite – and the consequences this has for all of us.

Candid and entertaining, this is an intimate memoir set amid powerful forces. As all our lives are upended by technology and those who control it, Careless People will change how you see the world.

Dead Men Don’t Ski (Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery #1) by Patricia Moyes (Farrago)

Inspector Henry Tibbett is taking a much-needed holiday from his job at Scotland Yard with his wife Emmy. Headed for a spot of skiing in the Italian Dolomites and some first-class people-watching, Tibbett’s worries blissfully melt away.

That is, until a fellow guest who boards the ski lift alive at the top of the mountain is found dead when the lift touches bottom. Another dead body turns up, and then another, and it becomes clear that Murder has come to the mountain.

What I’m currently reading

I’m reading Conqueror (Agricola #4) by Simon Turney from my NetGalley shelf, an ARC of A Shroud of Snow by Sarah Hawkswood, published on 20th August by Allison & Busby, and listening to the audiobook of Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.

Look out for…

  • Book Review: The Glass Maker of Venice by David Gilman
  • Book Review: Conqueror (Agricola #4) by Simon Turney

#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week

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Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations.

Heatwave + drought + hosepipe ban = unhappy gardener. The garden is really suffering and it crossed my mind to skip this week because there’s so little that’s flourishing. However, gardeners don’t give up that easily do they? There’s a yellow theme to my six this week. (It may be a brown theme next week if we don’t get any rain…)

One – One plant doing really well at the moment is Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstsonne’. I’ll have to think about acquiring more next year although I’d probably go for a different colour. Those teasels are photobombing again.

Two – The coreposis have been struggling a bit but with regular watering and deadheading they’re hanging on in there.

Three – Courgette flowers are always cheery even if the plants have produced few fruits despite lots of watering. They never really managed to get established and have just sulked. Who can blame them?

Four – It tells you something about the change in our weather when even Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’, which was in the garden when we moved here over fifteen years ago, is looking unhappy.

Five – Marsh marigold flowering again in the pond which is now looking more like a sludge-filled puddle.

Six – I did say the theme might change from yellow to brown next week…

Do check out the posts of other participants by following the links in the comments section of Jim’s post. If you fancy taking part yourself but don’t know where to start, here’s the participant’s guide.