#WWWWednesday – 12th June 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

AlvesdonAlvesdon by James Holland (eARC, Transworld via NetGalley)

The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castells for generations. But the year is 1939 and the peace and tranquillity there is about to be shattered once more by the stormclouds of war in Europe. As three generations of the family gather, they must all face the prospect of their lives being transformed beyond recognition the moment Britain declares war on Germany.

When the inevitable happens and Britain finds itself at war, the younger members of the family and farm workers are called up to fight and those who remain must battle to keep the home fires burning and the farm afloat. The gentle certainties of rural life are replaced by the urgent clamour of war, in the air, at sea and on land, where events unfold with dizzying rapidity and unexpected consequences.

Book cover A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering by Andrew Hunter MurrayA Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering by Andrew Hunter Murray (Hutchinson Heinemann)

Property might be theft. But the housing market is murder.

My name is Al. I live in wealthy people’s second homes while their real owners are away. I don’t rob them, I don’t damage anything. I’m more an unofficial house-sitter than an actual criminal.

Life is good. Or it was – until last night, when my friends and I broke into the wrong place, on the wrong day, and someone wound up dead.

And now … now we’re in a great deal of trouble.


Recently finished

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Canongate)


What Cathy Will Read Next

The Days of Our BirthThe Days of Our Birth by Charlie Laidlaw (eARC, Rampart Books)

It was a perfect relationship until time pulled them apart.

The Days of Our Birth delves into the intricate bond between Peter and Sarah as they navigate their formative years. Spanning from their sixth birthday through two decades, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Sarah’s placement on the autism spectrum.

With a blend of humour and poignancy, the book intricately weaves together themes of love and friendship, unravelling the tale of two individuals who grapple with their emotions for each other, even though they remain unacknowledged.

#TopTenTuesday Ten Books Recently Added To My Wishlist #TuesdayBookBlog

Top Ten TuesdayTop 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 Top Ten Tuesday topic is Bookish Wishes. Here are the ten books I’ve recently added to my wishlist, pretty much all of them historical fiction. Links from each title will take you the book description on Goodreads.

  1. Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd (publishes 5th September 2024) – added because I loved his last book, The Romantic
  2. Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor – added after hearing the author talk about the book on the Between the Covers Live tour last week
  3. Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers (publishes 29th August 2024) – added because I love this author’s books and she mentioned it during a recording of BBC Radio 4 Bookclub
  4. A Trace of Sun by Pam Williams – added when it appeared on the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction
  5. The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau (Georges Gorski #1) by Graeme Macrae Burnet – added when I heard the author mention during a recording of BBC Radio 4 Bookclub that a third in the series (A Case of Matricide) is coming soon
  6. The Accident on the A35 (Georges Gorski #2) by Graeme Macrae Burnet – see above
  7. The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable (publishes 15th August 2024) – added just because I love the sound of it (no pun intended)
  8. Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor – added because I’ve seen so many great reviews
  9. From Dust to Stardust by Katherine Rooney – added because I loved her first novel, Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk 
  10. Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle – added because I’ve enjoyed several of her previous books, including The Poison Bed