Watching what I’m reading . . .

It’s late Sunday afternoon right now in New Zealand and we have had what is termed a ‘weatherbomb’ and apparently it’s not over yet. It would be the biggest storm we’ve had since we moved into this house almost eighteen months ago. Our house is very sheltered, but the rain has been pelting against the windows and all the trees in the neighbourhood have taken a hammering. We had a panicked call from Nancy, our neighbour behind and above us as a couple of pieces of her patio furniture had blown off her deck and ended up in our back yard. They’re now tucked away in our basement until the storm has passed. We’ve had to tie down the cover over our deck furniture, and I had to rescue the cushions that had blown off my day bed. Oh, if only I had the time to use it! There has been a bit of a lull for the past hour or so but the wind is picking up again now, and I can see the rain coming up the valley. I love a good storm and spent a good part of this morning just staring out the window.

I have also watched a movie today, a very rare occurrence for me. It was The Gentle Man starring John Wayne and set in Ireland.

I have made a vegan and gluten free chocolate raspberry slice to take up to my son when I go up Tuesday. I have a bag of books to take to the second hand bookstore on way up and hopefully swap for some on my ever lengthening list of ‘I want to reads.’

I also plan on visiting some kitchen showrooms because, although I know how I want the new kitchen laid out, I really don’t know about colours, although I am leaning towards white with black trim and a copper backsplash. As it will be the first room in the house to be renovated it will set the tone for the rest of the house so I have to get this right. I am leaning towards Hamptons style. Any thoughts? Recommendations?

I read one more book than anticipated this week and it broke my reading slump. It was the five star The Last to Know by Jo Furniss,

the review for which I posted yesterday. I loved the story and the characters and now want to read more by this author. If you haven’t yet read yesterday’s post, pop over and check it out.

I have started Seven Days in Summer by Marcia Willett, set in Devon, England, and which I am also really enjoying. I love Willett’s warm, relaxing style of writing, and her characters who are always very relatable.

I am also reading the exquisitely written The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley. I was extremely upset over the death of Penny Vincenzi last year, but I have found Riley’s writing very reminiscent of Vincenzi’s early work which, I have to admit, I preferred to her last few books.

I am listening to Exit Wounds, an anthology of crime stories written by masters of the genre, including Jeffrey Deaver, Elly Griffiths and Mark Billingham.

This week I am planning on reading The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry.

Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure every parent’s nightmare when a tragic accident befalls their teenage boys, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and a third too traumatized to speak.
Reeling from the worst night of their lives, the three mothers plunge into a desperate investigation of the bizarre incident. How could something so horrible happen in their wealthy Southern California suburb?
They soon discover that the accident was just the beginning, and troubling discoveries lead to chilling questions: Do they really know their children? Do they even know each other? As more secrets surface, a fog of doubt and suspicion threatens to poison their families, their friendships, and the whole community.
With the illusion of happiness and safety long gone, these women must now confront the hazards of heartbreak, the consequences of jealousy, and the dangers of living double lives.

and Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz, my first book by this celebrated author. I hope to squeeze in Magpie Murders first, which is the first book in this series.

Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her longterm boyfriend Andreas. It should be everything she’s always wanted – but is it? She’s exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she’s beginning to miss her old life in London.

And then a couple – the Trehearnes – come to stay, and the story they tell about an unfortunate murder that took place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was married, is such a strange and mysterious one that Susan finds herself increasingly fascinated by it. And when the Trehearnes tell her that their daughter is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to London and find out what really happened …

Only three new ARCs from Netgalley this week…

The Searcher by Tana French

Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy

and The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater

and one ARC directly from the author, You Beneath Your Skin by Damyanti Biswas

There is a leg of lamb roasting in the oven and it smells delicious; mouth wateringly good! So I am off now to prepare the vegetables. We’re having roasted potatoes, pumpkin, kumara, parsnip and minted peas. Somehow I don’t think we will need dessert.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy your reading.

Cheers

Sandy ❤😍📚☕🍪