Welcome to Litsy!

Best book of 2024!

#12booksof2024 #june @Andrew65

Honourable mentions for the first half of the year:
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Dissolution by CJ Sansom

June's best book of the month!

#bookreport June16-22,2024

The first row is buddy reads. I am keeping up with required sections. #adventuresinphilosophy #deadphilosoperssociety #HowtoThinklikeaWoman #ReganPenaluna #hashtagbrigade #Camplitsy24
2nd row: Books in process #aMysteryofAncientIreland #audiblemystery #readyourkindle
Last row: books I finished #CommissionaireDupin #BrittanysRoseCoast #readyourkindle #LadyMonfortMystery #librarybook #audiblespies #serieslove2024

I did manage to work out the baddie in this one (which is very rare for me to do), and yes, I like this series too!

#52bookclub24 #partofaduology #nevergonnaletyoudown #aprilminichallenge (Val is one of my favourite authors, so I knew she wouldn't let me down with a new series)
#aty24 #bookwithsimilarcoversbook1
#ukroadtrip #lanarkshire

Too many uninteresting sections and too many cliches for this to be a pick. I really did want to like it because I have liked McDermid‘s writing in the past, but this just didn‘t do it for me. #audiowalk

Well, about 80% in, something happened that made me care about what‘s going on in this book, so I will finish it. I‘ve only got an hour and a half left, so I‘ll probably be done tomorrow. I may start Make Trouble early for #SheSaid. #audiowalk

Oh, yippee. Now we have my other least favorite thing to read about in fiction — terrorism. I also haven‘t made up my mind if I like our heroine, Allie. I‘m not even sure she is our heroine, even though the series is named after her, because I feel as if we get a whole lot more of Danny. Maybe the series should be his. #audiowalk

Just started this for my new #audiowalk book. I didn‘t get that far into it because my walk was short, but I‘ve liked other Val McDermid books, so we‘ll see.

I felt a little underwhelmed by this first in a series from the “Queen of crime”, Val McDermid. It‘s the first McDermid novel I‘ve read, and maybe I was expecting more. It‘s billed as a thriller, but it‘s quite slow-moving, and closer to a police procedural (in this case, replaced by investigative journalism) than a thriller. It‘s a competent novel but not one that I felt compelled to race to finish.

Fat flakes blew into his face, cold wet kisses on his cheeks and eyelids.
#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

This was a slow burn mystery set in Glasgow. Predictable yet atmospheric and satisfying, one of those neat comfort reads. Like binge watching a show I immediately downloaded the sequel as I‘m not ready to leave Scotland just yet.

The first one in the series. Better I thought than1989. Still bits didn‘t read like a Val McDermid book to me. I love the main character Allie. Strong woman journalist. In her 20s here, 1989 she‘s in her 30s. Hope she does 1990 when she‘ll be in her 40s and so on with 2009 and 2019. I expect she is basing Allie on herself. I was kept guessing to the end with this one.

I‘ve been adding my reads to my Goodreads account all year but it was just a few days ago I realized I‘d read 49 books. So, of course, I decided to read just one more to hit 50. This first in a new series by this prolific writer was good, I enjoyed it, but it would have been much better if the book blurb hadn‘t revealed a spoiler about the death of a main character that occurs well into the tale. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy New Year, All 🥳

Big thumbs up.

Thanks to Val M for reminding me why I love to read (after one of 'those' weeks that pretty much stomped all over my reading).

Allie gave a weak laugh. 'Well, that went well.'
'He didn't give us the sack. And he didn't throw the typewriter out of the window.'
'What are you talking about?'
'When Raymond Blackwood admitted screwing a gangster's wife to get the inside track, Angus was so enraged he threw Raymond's typewriter out of the window. Missed a pensioner's dog by inches.'
Allie giggled. 'That's not funny, Danny.'

Dear Nan Shepherd,
It's not you, it's me... (and a little bit Val McDermid.)

Good first in a new series. Will look out for the next one.
1979 play list at the back, no Numan on it. Lose points.

This was a good start to a series. Wouldn‘t say I loved it but it was very enjoyable and I look forward to continuing the series.

Book 4 finished for #NovelNovember

Starting the first book in a new series by Val McDermid.

#NovelNovember

I liked the atmosphere of this book but thought the ending a bit perfunctory. Nevertheless, I am lookig forward to seeing what adventures Allie Burns gets up to next.

Spent the day reading this new crime novel from Val McDermid featuring a female journalist in 1979 Glasgow. Not a lot of action and kind of a snoozer plot.

Mmmm … sheer poetry. I think this is what they call a Scottish salad! #valmcdermid #1979 #crimefiction #heartybreakfast #scotland #scottishsalad #heartattackonaplate #bookstagram #scottishnoir #books #newcrimefiction

Another wonderful endpaper, this time in Val McDermid‘s latest novel, ‘1979‘.
#ValMcDermid #1979 #books #book #bookstagram #bookish #fiction #scottishnoir #crimefiction #endpaper #scottishcrimefiction #booklove #scottishliterature #AllieBurns #bookphotography #bookcommunity #tetherdown