I was tagged by my blogging pal Janel over at Keeper of Pages for The Goodreads Book Tag. I was originally tagged for another challenge but as it featured scary reads which I don’t do I persuaded her to let me swap it for this one. Don’t forget to hop over and look at Janel’s choices as well.

What is the last book you marked as read?

The last book I read was the fabulous Blood Lines by Angela Marsons. I am a big fan of this series featuring DI Kim Stone. My review can be found here . For anyone who hasn’t read this series I urge you to add them to your reading list.

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring mother and social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

What are you currently reading?

Currently reading What I Did Not Say by B A Spicer. The blurb doesn’t give too much away, but enough to intrigue me. It was also well received by other blogging friends so I was happy to get a copy to review.

Jessica Morley is on her way to meet with a man she hasn’t seen for fifteen years. In her bag there is a package she must deliver. As she travels south, she remembers Jack Banford, a boy who captured her imagination as a child and made her believe in a future that could never happen. Now it is time for her to set the record straight and finally put the past behind her. ‘What I Did Not Say’ is a story of loyalty, cruelty and love at all costs.

 

What was the last book you marked as to read?

The last book I marked as to read on Goodreads was A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor. I won a copy of The Gifts of Reading by Robert Macfarlane from author Rebecca Stonehill . It is a book that recounts the joys of giving and receiving books and was won on the basis it would be read and passed on – this has duly been done. One of the books that Macfarlane received as a gift and loved was a Time of Gifts and sounded such a fabulous book I added it to my list.

In 1933, at the age of 18, Patrick Leigh Fermor set out on an extraordinary journey by foot – from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople. A Time of Gifts is the first volume in a trilogy recounting the trip, and takes the reader with him as far as Hungary.

It is a book of compelling glimpses – not only of the events which were curdling Europe at that time, but also of its resplendent domes and monasteries, its great rivers, the sun on the Bavarian snow, the storks and frogs, the hospitable burgomasters who welcomed him, and that world’s grandeurs and courtesies. His powers of recollection have astonishing sweep and verve, and the scope is majestic.

Do you use the star rating system?

I do. When I first started reviewing my reviews were posted on Goodreads so I fell in to the habit of using stars which I still maintain on the blog. I will also use half stars as well though to give a broader range. I don’t give many 5 stars reviews, largely because I feel they are reserved for books that really make an impact on me. I read a lot of very good books and books that are probably brilliant examples of their genre but if everything is rated 5 star it gives me no-where to go with those books that are extra special and have me begging people to read it.

What book do you plan on reading next?

My reading is largely dictated by my review schedule (which is way behind but I will endeavour to review everything on the list). As I’m desperately trying to keep upto date with the current schedule my next read will be Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow.

A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas?

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be …

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction?

Are you doing a 2016 reading challenge?

I am. I’ve been doing the reading challenge since 2012. This year my goal is 80, down from my hopeful 100 but for personal reasons my mojo has been somewhat missing this year.

What book do you plan on buying next?

I don’t have a buying list as such. I keep a list of books I want that is linked to ereaderIQ and I use that to track book prices so that I buy on the basis of what is available. I will also pick up things from my list at charity shops as well so my approach to buying is a bit scattergun and not organised at all.

Do you have a wish list?

I started to add books to Goodreads as ‘To Read’ but I find it annoying when I actually obtain it that it when I add it to either my bookshelf or Kindle it keeps the original date rather than the date I purchased it unless I delete and re-add it. I also prefer goodreads to record what I have rather than what I want. I now keep a list on Amazon which I link to ereaderIQ to price track. The latest book I added to the Amazon wishlist was Another Day Gone by Eliza Graham.

Coventry, 1939. Days before the outbreak of World War II, a terrorist bomb explodes on a busy street, killing and maiming innocent civilians. A man is hanged on the evidence given by a young witness. As time goes on, the witness doubts her recollection of events, but her testimony has already had far-reaching consequences.

Over sixty years later, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings, Sara returns to her childhood home to find that her sister, Polly, missing for more than ten years, has finally come back too. Why now—and where has she been? The sisters grew up under the fierce protection of their nanny, Bridie, herself haunted by a family secret. And there are other secrets that Bridie has kept from the two girls she brought up as her own. Polly’s return sets in motion events that will stretch the women’s fragile bond to its breaking point.

Set against three generations of violence and retribution, Another Day Gone reveals the enduring consequences of a single mistaken memory.

 

What is your favourite quote?

I don’t have any favourite bookish quotes but I do have two quotes stuck on my fridge which resonate with me. One is attributed to Winston Churchill although apparently he didn’t actually say it, but it doesn’t matter, it’s the sentiment that counts. The other on pretty much the same theme is attributed to Einstein.

 

 

Who are your favourite authors?

Not an easy one this one. In the past I used to have a go to list of favourite authors but sadly I’ve found that many of them have become predictable and samey. A lot of my more recent favourite reads have been by new authors or authors that I’ve only read one book by so can’t really include those. So in no particular order here are a some (not all) of the authors who go straight on my to read list. Angela Marsons, Stuart MacBride, David Mark, Carol Matthews, Susan Hill, James Oswald and Elizabeth Buchan.

Have you joined any groups?

I did join several groups in the early days, but to be honest, I don’t really have time to keep up with them so I’m a lapsed member.

I Tag…

Anyone who’d like to take up the tag… I know you’re all busy with blog tours and review schedules of your own, but if anyone wants to join in it would be great.