Tag: mymonthinbooks

Reading update

First of all, how are we already halfway through the year?

I read nine books in June, four more than the previous month. I think that’s proof the hours I spend in the garden is inversely proportional to the number of books I get through. This month it’s been way too hot to venture outside much, except for mercy missions to water ailing plants. I’m especially pleased I managed to read all the ARCs I’ve received with July publication dates.

Here are the books I read, with links to my reviews (if I’ve written them yet):

Prey by Graham Hurley
Dwell by Rue Baldry
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
Deception by Alan Parks
Country People by Daniel Mason
Murder at the End of the World by Araki Akane, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger
Throw Away the Key by Jason M. Hough
Daughters of Naples by Diana Giovinazzo

Picking my favourite book was easy this month – Dwell by Rue Baldry.

Blog update

I published 28 blog posts in June:

Book reviews – 8
Memes – 15
Reading updates – 5

For those who like statistics, my blog received 7.8k views in June, down 6% on the previous month. All-time views now stand at 518,832. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my reviews and/or leave comments last month.

Reading goals update

• Goodreads – 47/104, still 4 books behind schedule
• Books in my TBR for over two years – 3/20, one more than last month
• When Are You Reading? Challenge – 8/12
• Historical Fiction Reading Challenge – 22/50
• Classics Club List 2 – 4/50, one more than last month
• Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 longlist – 9/12, same as last month
• NetGalley feedback ratio – 96%, down from 97% the previous month (I need to get those reviews written)
• Audiobooks – 5/12, same as last month

Plans for July…

• Continue to work through my 20 Books of Summer list
• Finish writing reviews of the books I read in June
• Read Fair Play by Louise Hegarty for my book club
• Read all 8 ARCs with August publishing dates
• Book tickets for events at Henley Literary Festival which takes place in October

Reading update

I read five books in May:

Relative Failures by Matthew Sturgis
Goodbye Chinatown by Kit Fan
Bane of Bernicia by Matthew Harffy
Once the Deed Is Done by Rachel Seiffert
Carrion Crow by Heather Parry

My reading has definitely slowed down over the past couple of months but I’m attributing that to spending more time gardening, which recently has consisted mostly of watering and complaining about the lack of rain. Two books vied for my favourite this month – Bane of Bernicia and Once the Deed Is Done. I still haven’t made a decision.

Blog update

I published 28 blog posts in May:

Book reviews – 7
Memes – 11
Reading updates – 8
Reading challenges – 2

For those who like statistics, my blog received 8.6k views in May, down 12% on the previous month, had 7.1k visitors, down 10% on the previous month, but there was an increase in comments so thank you if one or more of those was yours.

Reading challenges update

Goodreads – 38/104, 5 books behind schedule (eek!)
Books in my TBR for longer than two years – 2/20
When Are You Reading? Challenge – 8/12
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge – 17/50
Classics Club (List 2) – 3/50
Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 longlist – 9/12 (5/5 of shortlist)
NetGalley feedback ratio – 97%
Audiobooks – 5/12

I also attended four events at Winchester Books Festival.

Coming up in June…

• The start of the 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge
• Read A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie for the Classics Club Spin
• Read Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo for my book club
• Ramp up my reading!