memes – Page 117 – What Cathy Read Next…

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

Ponti by Sharlene Teo (Picador)

It is 2003, and in the sweltering heat of Singapore sixteen-year-olds Szu and Circe develop an intense friendship. For Szu it offers an escape from Amisa, her beautiful, cruel mother – once an actress and now the silent occupant of their rusty house. But for Circe, their friendship does the opposite, bringing her one step closer to the fascinating, unknowable Amisa.

Seventeen years later, Circe finds herself adrift and alone. And then a project comes up at work, a remake of the cult seventies horror film series ‘Ponti’, the same series that defined Amisa’s short-lived film career. Suddenly Circe is knocked off balance: by memories of the two women she once knew, by guilt, and by a lost friendship that threatens her conscience…

I received this ages ago as part of a book subscription service that I’ve since cancelled. It was on my list for the 20 Books of Summer 2022 reading challenge, a list I’m still trying to work through. And, yes, I do know it’s now 2023.

Recently finished

A Gift of Poison (Brontë Sisters Mystery #4) by Bella Ellis (Hodder & Stoughton )

The Emperor’s Shield (Legionary #9) by Gordon Doherty

What Cathy (will) Read Next

The Paris Sister (The Three Fry Sisters #2) by Adrienne Chinn (eARC, One More Chapter via NetGalley)

Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love

The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.

Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.

Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.

In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.

And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begin to shatter…with implications for them all…

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The rules are simple:

Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.
Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

This week’s topic is 2023 Debut Books I’m Excited About. I’ll be honest I didn’t have time to look through upcoming books to find those which are debuts so instead I’m looking back at ten debut novels I loved when I first read them. I always think it’s exciting to find an author at the beginning at their writing journey, one perhaps you can follow in years to come. Links from the title will take you to my review.

The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch – Fast-paced historical crime thriller set in late eighteenth century New York
Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by Rachel Malik – Based on the life of the author’s own grandmother, the tender story of two women brought together by war
Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson – A compelling historical crime mystery set in eighteenth century London
The Deception of Harriet Fleet by Helen Scarlett – Set in nineteenth century County Durham, an absorbing story of family secrets, betrayal, grief, jealousy and a desire for vengeance
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton – Fizzing with energy, the story of a fictional band in 1970s New York set against the backdrop of segregation, discrimination and racial unrest
The Late Train to Gipsy Hill by Alan Johnson – A crime thriller with an intricate plot, a cast of shady characters and a storyline involving Russian criminals and money laundering that couldn’t be more up-to-date
No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson – Action-packed historical crime mystery set in late 19th century South Africa and featuring Captain Ingo Finch of the Royal Army Medical Corps
The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay – In the wake of her mother’s death, a young woman from Bangalore sets out for a remote Kashmiri village
People Like Us by Louise Fein – Set in pre-WW2 Germany, the story of two young people who love each other but find events and political dogma place obstacles in their way
City of Spies by Mara Timon – Set in WW2 Lisbon, the cover quote “Casablanca meets Le Carré” is spot on