#WWWWednesday – 6th March 2024

WWWWednesdays

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!


Currently reading

The Story CollectorThe Story Collector by Iris Costello (ARC, Penguin)

London, 1915: Tarot reader Katerina is trying to hold her life together amid the wartime chaos. When she opens a bakery that offers divination alongside sweet treats, she is hailed as a beacon of hope. But Katerina is hiding a dark truth that could cost her everything.

Germany, 1918: A mute British soldier is taken to a prisoner of war camp where he meets Miriam, a researcher. She is drawn to his gentle manner and secretly vows to help him. But soon she will have to make an impossible will she save the one she loves, or herself?

Cornwall, Present Recently widowed Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century…

ClearClear by Carys Davies (eARC, Granta via NetGalley)

1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep.

Unaware of the stranger’s intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them.

Meanwhile on the mainland, John’s wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission.


Recently finished

A Tapestry of Treason by Anne O’Brien (HQ)

Diva by Daisy Goodwin (Aria)


What Cathy Will Read Next

Invader (Agricola #1)Invader (Agricola #1) by Simon Turney (eARC, Head of Zeus via NetGalley)

58 AD, Rome. Agricola, teenage son of an impoverished yet distinguished noble family, has staked all his resources and reputation on a military career. His reward? A posting as tribune in the far-off northern province of Britannia.

Serving under renowned general Suetonius Paulinus, Agricola soon learns the brutality of life on the very edges of the empire, for the Celtic tribes of Britannia are far from vanquished.

To take control of the province, the Romans must defeat the ancient might of the druids – and the fury of the Iceni, warriors in their thousands led by a redoubtable queen named Boudicca…

My Top 5 February Reads

My Top Five February 2024 ReadsWelcome to my wrap-up of the books I read in February. Many of the eleven books I read were very good but I’m still looking for that elusive one that will absolutely blow me away and get a 5 star rating. I’m hoping the longlist for The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2024 might provide that.

Links from each title will take you to my full review or the book description on Goodreads. (I’m behind with writing reviews!)

Check out my list of all the books I’ve read so far in 2024. If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

My thanks to Head of Zeus, Elliott & Thompson and Susan Grossey for providing review copies.


The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy (Head of Zeus) – A first action-packed outing for Beobrand, the hero of the author’s ‘Bernicia Chronicles’ series set in 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain

The Shadow Network by Tony Kent (Elliott & Thompson) – The epitome of a page-turning thriller, with a storyline that cleverly reflects contemporary events

Notes of Change by Susan Grossey – The seventh book in the author’s historical crime series set in early 19th century London in which magistrate’s constable, Sam Plank, investigates an increasingly complex case and ponders his future

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (Picador) – The tender story of the friendship that forms between elderly widow, Addie and her neighbour, Louis

The Madras Miasma by Brian Stoddart – Atmospheric and intriguing historical crime mystery set in 1920s Madras

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?