Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2022: An Update

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Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2022The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader. You can find full details of the challenge here (and you can still sign up to take part) but the idea is to choose one of six different reading levels to aim for:

20th Century Reader – 2 books
Victorian Reader – 5 books
Renaissance Reader – 10 books
Medieval – 15 books
Ancient History – 25 books
Prehistoric – 50+ books

Since I read a lot of historical fiction I decided to aim for the Prehistoric reading level. Here’s a snapshot of my progress as at the end of June, along with a few of my favourites from the books I’ve read. Links from the title will take you to my review.

January – Seven books, including The Man in the Bunker by Rory Clements

February – Seven books, including The Silver Wolf by J. C. Harvey and The Porcelain Doll by Kristen Loesch

March – Ten books, including The Woman with the Map by Jan Casey and A Night of Flames by Matthew Harffy 

April – Seven books, including The Sunken Road by Ciarán McMenamin

May – Seven books, including The White Girl by Tony Birch

June – Four books, including Kezia and Rosie by Rebecca Burns

So that’s 42 books that match the challenge critera read so far!

My Week in Books – 17th July 2022

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MyWeekinBooksOn What Cathy Read Next last week

Monday – I shared my review of The White Hare by Jane Johnson as part of the blog tour. 

Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was Book Covers That Feel Like Summer. 

Wednesday – WWW Wednesday is my 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 mystery Twelve Nights by Penny Ingham as part of the blog tour. 

Friday – I shared my review of Think of Me by Frances Liardet. 

Saturday – I previewed some of the events taking place at this year’s Henley Literary Festival.

New arrivals

Sometimes People DieSometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson (eARC, The Borough Press)

The year is 1999. Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young Scottish doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as a senior house officer in the struggling east London hospital of St Luke’s.

Amid the maelstrom of sick patients, over-worked staff and underfunded wards a darker secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying.

Which of the medical professionals our protagonist has encountered is behind the murders? And can our unnamed narrator’s version of the events be trusted?

The Lost Diary of Samuel PepysThe Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys by Jack Jewers (eARC, Moonflower Publishing)

It is the summer of 1669 and England is in dire straits.

The treasury’s coffers are bare and tensions with the powerful Dutch Republic are boiling over. And now, an investigator sent by the King to look into corruption at the Royal Navy has been brutally murdered. Loathe to leave the pleasures of London, Samuel Pepys is sent dragging his feet to Portsmouth to find the truth about what happened.

Aided by his faithful assistant, Will Hewer, he soon exposes the killer. But has he got the right person? The truth may be much more sinister. And if the mystery isn’t solved in time, then England could be thrown into a war that would have devastating consequences . . .

On What Cathy Read Next this week

Currently reading

Planned posts

  • Blog Tour/Book Review: Lucky Jack by S. Bavey
  • Book Review: That Bonesetter Woman by Frances Quinn
  • Book Review: The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers