#WWWWednesday – 9th June 2021

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

Mrs England by Stacey Halls (eARC, courtesy of Manilla Press via NetGalley)

West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England. Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby is forced to confront her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family – and she should know.

The Fort (City of Victory #1) by Adrian Goldsworthy (ARC, courtesy of Head of Zeus)

AD 105: Dacia. The Dacian kingdom and Rome are at peace, but no one thinks that it will last. Sent to command an isolated fort beyond the Danube, centurion Flavius Ferox can sense that war is coming, but also knows that enemies may be closer to home.

Many of the Brigantes under his command are former rebels and convicts, as likely to kill him as obey an order. And then there is Hadrian, the emperor’s cousin, and a man with plans of his own.


Recently finished

Links from the titles will take you to my review.

Two Women in Rome by Elizabeth Buchan

Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré 

This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 

The Serpent King by Tim Hodkinson (eARC, courtesy of Head of Zeus)


What Cathy (will) Read Next

Scandalous AlchemyScandalous Alchemy by Katy Moran (ARC, courtesy of Head of Zeus)

Fontainebleau in 1825 is a glittering international court, rich with intrigue, passion and simmering violence. Lieutenant Colonel Kit Helford must navigate these treacherous waters to deliver the beautiful, self-destructive Princess Royal to her prospective husband. Kit’s childhood friend, Clemency Arwenack, is tasked with safeguarding her royal mistress’s reputation as the princess awaits a marriage she is dreading.

But both have secrets they will hide at all costs. Kit is on the run – from a man shot and left for dead back in London and a lifetime of scandal that includes a liaison with the princess herself. He will do anything to salvage his family’s reputation. Clemency, meanwhile, conducts a perilous trade in lies and blackmail as she seeks to destroy the princess, not protect her.

With the princess’s life under threat, Kit and Clemency are pitted against each other, even as a dangerous attraction grows between them. The past hunts them both, remorselessly, relentlessly, and neither can escape it for long.

#TopTenTuesday New Favourite Authors Thanks To… Blog Tours

Top Ten Tuesday

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 Books I Loved that Made Me Want More Books Like Them. I thought I’d celebrate some of the lovely blog tour organisers and publishers who have introduced me to books by authors I might not otherwise have come across, authors who have now become firm favourites. Links from the titles will take you to my reviews.


Philip Kazan – The Black Earth (discovered thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours) and  The Phoenix of Florence

Louise Beech – Maria in the Moon (yes, Anne at Random Things Tours again) and Call Me Star Girl

Tom Benjamin – A Quiet Death in Italy (discovered thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources) and The Hunting Season

Jean Fullerton – A Ration Book Childhood (another discovery courtesy of Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources) and A Ration Book Daughter

Jim Kelly – The Great Darkness (the lovely team at Allison & Busby) and The Mathematical Bridge