Thanks to everyone for all the messages sent to me over the past few months - felt I needed to explain my absence as above. Felt I owed it to people who had sent messages, and the many friends I have on here who I have missed enormously.

Trying my best to try and get back into some normal routines and re-establish the Litsy habit!

Each journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step and that is the step I am taking now. 😊

Been missing in action whilst I dealt with some life stuff, but today am launching the #20in4 Readathon which starts tomorrow. For anyone who has already entered Friday, or needs more time to organise, feel free to do the Readathon from Saturday - Tuesday.

As always very informal, all welcome, and aim to either read 20 hours, or 20 chapters over the four days, or even set your own target. I‘m hoping it helps me get back in a reading habit.

Really pleased with how #AwesomeApril went, especially as I went into it without setting any goals for once, and just attempted to read as much as I could.

I finished 9 books over the 10 days, and almost finished a tenth book. I managed over the 10 days to read 3739 pages. This was helped as I was without Internet connection for a few days. There‘s a lesson here 😂

Thanks to everyone who played along and some great reading totals out there!

Well that‘s April done, a much better reading month.

26 books read, 7 physical books, 8 ebooks, 11 audiobooks. Close to 10,000 pages read and 328 pages on average a day.

Water and Earth by John Boyne
No Sweet Sorrow by Denzil Meyrick
None of this is True by Lisa Jewell
Devil You Know by Neil Lancaster
Murder on the Clyde by Daniel Sellers
A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey
Stop Them Dead by Peter James

I got up to date on 5 series.

Finished my fourth book for #AwesomeApril.

This is the first book in the Archibald the Grim Series by J R Tomlin. Quite a short but very readable book covering the early part of the life of The Black Douglas‘s illegitimate son. The Black Douglas (Sir James Douglas) was a staunch ally of Robert the Bruce. It‘s set between 1338 and 1346 as the young King David and his allies attempt to get back control of Scotland from the English.

3rd book finished for #AwesomeApril, thanks to this great audiobook recommendation by @kwmg40. An excellent audiobook read by one of my favourite narrators, Simon Vance.

This book does a good job of launching this fantasy series and I look forward to moving onto book 2 in the series. Even better it is available as a free download if you are a member of Audible.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses
#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView

Just finished my second book for #AwesomeApril

The latest book in the excellent Maeve Kerrigan Series. Quite a complex murder mystery with plenty of angst and taking forward of the Josh and Maeve story. Was feeling quite upbeat then the epilogue. Now reeling with that ending! 😳😱😫🫣😢🤯😭 I need the next book now. What has Jane Casey done!

Totally recommend this series.

My first book finished for #AwesomeApril Readathon

This is the latest book in the excellent DCI Daley Series by Denzil Meyrick. As always these are great reads, as much for the main characters and their interplay, as well as the crime investigation. I throughly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys high quality crime fiction and / or books set in remote areas of Scotland. One of my favourite series. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView

It‘s time for the monthly 9 day choose your own goals Readathon, #AwesomeApril. Although as this one coincides with a bank/national holiday for many, I‘ve extended this to 10 days and incorporated the Monday.

A very relaxed and informal Readathon where you can choose your own goals, whatever they may be. No formal sign up just reply below or do a post sharing your goals, and/or the books you hope to read.

Best of luck and have fun with this 😊

Thanks to @Marleed ‘s excellent suggestion of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett as an audiobook (read by Tom Hanks), I have just spent a couple wonderful nights listening to this audiobook.

A wonderful story read so brilliantly by Tom Hanks, I hope he narrates more audiobooks. This story had all the emotions going along with a few big surprises. One of my favourite books this year, and possibly my favourite audiobook of the year.

I‘ve got some audiobook credits to use up before the end of the month.

I‘m looking for help to decide what audiobooks to use the credits on. What are your favourite audiobooks?

#Audiobooks

Book 2 Finished for #SpringBreakReadathon. @ShananigansReads

I always enjoy Jo Thomas‘s books, and unlike her others this follows on from an earlier book, Escape To The French Farmhouse, but can easily be read as a a standalone. Del is now settled in France, but then a death and other events lead to things going awry. Can she recover things or will she be returning to England. Felt the romance element wasn‘t as strong in this one as in some.

#AuthorAMonth #JaneHarper @Soubhiville

This is the second book in the series. An excellent read about a woman who goes missing during a work adventure break in Australia. This book dues a good job of building tension as the book goes along, rather like peeling layers off an onion. Some good twists along the way.

#ReadAway2035 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses
#SpringBreakReadathon @ShananigansReads

Time to focus on #SpringBreakReadathon.

This is my reading stack. I‘d like to read 2000 pages and finish 6 books in that time.

Thanks to @ShananigansReads for hosting this, and helping us to get the month off to a good start.

Really pleased with my outcome for #MarvellousMarch

Finished 8 books (my target was 6), although there were a lot of short and audiobooks in there.

Read 2360 pages, having targeted 1750.

Hoping this will help a strong start to April‘s reading.

Thanks to everyone that played along, hope you all had a good Readathon. 🥰

March was not my most productive reading month, for a variety of reasons, but I do manage to finish 20 books - l though quite a few short books in there.

Favourites for the month:
Ship of Magic - Robin Hobb
The Death of Remembrance -Denzil Meyrick
The Other Gwyn Girl - Nicola Cornick
DS Nathan Cody Series by David Jackson

How was your month, and what were your favourites?

3rd book finished for #MarvellousMarch.

2nd book in the DI Greco series, and this one left the series and especially DI Greco in a personal crisis. I‘m quite enjoying this series, and they are quite pacy detective stories and Greco is referred to in some of her other series.

If you are a member of Audible this series is all available as free downloads.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView

My 2nd book finished for #MarvellousMarch

An enjoyable romp of a crisis situation when a deadly virus/bacterial strain is released in Yellowstone Park that quickly kills people, & is found to be a preliminary attack prior to a bigger more devastating plan. If only the Covid situation could be solved in the way this book was. A very enjoyable book but not sure how the science really stood up. I look forward to continuing this fast moving series,

My first book finished for #MarvellousMarch.

Another excellent read in the Takes from Turnham Malpas series. After recent events Caroline and Peter have taken the family to Africa for a year. His temporary replacement is causing a few tongues to wag with her actions whilst also upsetting some of the residents. I missed Caroline and Peter but still really enjoyed this. @Tove_Reads

#MarvellousMarch #ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Not been able to get to anywhere near as much reading as usual recently. Hoping #MarvellousMarch will help get me back on track. Limited reading time first half but hope to catch up in second half.

Setting my self a target of 1750 pages and finishing 6 books. Be really elated if I achieve this.

This is my proposed reading stack.

This Saturday sees the start of the #MarvellousMarch 9 day Choose Your Own Goals Readathon.

Life been stressful and intensely busy recently, hence not finding time to be on Litsy much. Hoping this will help me find some reading time and get the reading habit back.

A great way to have a good end to the month‘s reading, you know you want to join us! Just comment below, share your goals (anything goes) or books you want to read.

This book by #AuthorAMonth author for June is currently 99p in the U.K. for Kindle and Apple Books.

Seen great reviews for this book and looking forward to getting to it in June.

@Soubhiville

Thoroughly enjoyed this twin timeline historical fiction book by Nicola Cornick. It tells the story of Nell Gwyn‘s older sister & involves the book opening with Rose in Marshalsea Prison connected to a famous theft. She & Jess (current timeline) undergo quite a journey!
Always enjoyed the books of Nicola Cornick. This is no exception. I definitely recommend it, my only complaint was I didn‘t want it to end & wanted more of Rose‘s colourful life.

This one was a soft pick for me. Usual psychological Fayre from BA Paris.
Her books are always worth a read. Sureprising;y given the title a therapist wasn‘t referenced until the last quarter of the book. It was enjoyable as the story was laid out.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

This was a good read, set in a Liverpool, England.

First book in the DS Nathan Cody Series, where he is investigating the murders of fellow police officers. Nathan himself is struggling to cope with events from a previous case. I look forward to continuing this series.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Started the latest book by Nicola Cornick, a dual time line historical fiction book telling the story of Nell Gwyn‘s lesser known sister, Rose Gwyn.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Robin Hobb creates a magical world, this has to be different to any book I‘ve read before with Liveships, Pirates, sea serpents, etc. These take a while to get into and despite being fantasy has great linkages to the real world and the down trodden way women have been treated throughout history.

A BIG read but some interesting plot lines and interested to see where this is taken in book 2.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView #ChunkstersOfLitsy

1. I‘m in Bingtown and on a Liveship travelling the Cursed Shores in Robin Hobb‘s world with the tagged book.

2. I always love books set in Scotland, and especially in the remote parts of Scotland, and we regularly visit these areas on holiday so the books remind me of our holidays. So much great crime fiction set in these areas.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

I tag @CarolynM @LizPixie @Cinfhen @AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks @TheBookHippie @LeahBergen

Good to see this series by Denzil Meyrick keeps up the very high standard. Another excellent book, & in this one we find out a lot more about D.S. Brian Scott‘s past, but he is also on dicey ground. The community is still reeling from events in bk 9. Strongly recommend the series.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView
#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses
#BacklistRedathon @TheAromaofBooks @clwojick

Started March by a mixture of reading and listening to the first book in The Liveship Traders Series by RobinHobb. At 896 pages this Chunkster may take a while.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView
#Chunkster

A difficult month for many reasons, but did manage to somehow finish 20 books. A much higher proportion than normal of audiobooks, 11 of the 20.

My favourite book was The Women by Kristin Hannah. What was your favourite read in February?

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Finished off The Women and Tell it to the Skies on Day 2 of #FabulousFebruary #20in4 Readthon. I also started listening to Normal People by Sally Rooney.

Read 401 pages (so 101 pages ahead of my target for the day ) and 7 hrs 41 mins.

Altogether finished 2/4 books :
Tell it to the Skies
The Women

Read 11 hrs 33 mins, and 607 / 1400 pages.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

3rd book finished for #FabulousFebruary #20in4

I can see why this book has good reviews. Overall an enjoyable book, covering the relationship between 2 people over a period of time. Both are normal people with issues of own to deal with along with the relationship. You end up caring for both of them, but also question some of their actions, even become frustrated by them. I‘d like a follow-up book 5 years on to find out what happens to them.

First book finished this week! 🤷‍♂️ First book finished fir #FabulousFebruary #20in4

Quite a big book at 544 pages, but really enjoyed this story and it galloped along. Retells the story of Lydia‘s childhood and key events that happened to her. A big surprise at the end of the book when Lydia finds out what really happened all those years ago. I do enjoy this authors books.

#ReadAway2024 @DieaReader @Ghabi4Roses

Read some more from both The Women and Tell it to the Skies on Day 1 of #FabulousFebruary #20in4 Readthon.

Read 206 pages (so 6 pages ahead of my target of 1400 pages, and 3 hrs 52 mins. No books finished.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

These are the books I hope to read from during #FabulousFebruary #20in4.

Still trying to get my reading momentum going again. Two books , The Women and Tell It To The Skies, I am already on the second half of.

Hard to set targets but would like to finish off at least 4 of these, and possibly read to 1400 pages. Quite conservative goals for me.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Been a tough month illness wise for me so missed setting the readathons. So this month merging a six day Choose Your Own Goals Readathon #FabulousFebruary with an extended 6 day #20in4

Feel free to join and use this six day readathon however you want to whether you choose to do 20 hours or chapters over the 6 days, or want to choose your own goals. A good way to boost your February reading, I know I need to! Well off course.

Started reading this book, and I suddenly find myself in a terrifying field hospital in Vietnam. Got me hooked already.

#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Finally got the first book finished for #ReadingOceania2024 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB This one has been on my shelf for years and covers #Australia, following a family who are transported to Australia for theft and covers their early years there. Overall enjoyable but at times found it a chore to read.

#ReadAway2024 @DieaReader @Ghabi4Roses

Trying to get back into reading by starting this book in one of my favourite series. Been a busy and difficult few weeks, with at times pains making it difficult to concentrate on the reading. Hope this pacy read will help me build up focus again.
#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView
A great red coat so should be good. @Tove_Reads

Apologies for being missing in action, & not having responded to posts. Had to take a few weeks away whilst I had a big flare up of my Crohn‘s Disease & the associated pains that made it difficult to focus on sitting & responding to things. Also been dealing with one or two other things. Hopefully back now. Thanks for your understanding and going missing in the middle of a Readathon.
Thanks to those that have sent messages 😍 Litsy is the best

Usually I am not a lover of novellas but as I know this series well (in fact it is one of my favourite series) I really enjoyed the novella and it is interesting to see MIT in its early days and at a time when Matilda‘s husband is still alive.

Caitlin has just reported a rape, which happened some months before, when she is suddenly murdered in her house.

1st book finished for #JoyousJanuary.
This book had everything you want, a great avenging hero, a group of baddies, emotional angst, a historical backdrop (Twins in the tower) and a revenge mission. This is one of my favourite series and this didn‘t disappoint, even at book 28 in the series. I thoroughly recommend the series.
This is a strange one however, as it takes Ben back to earlier in his life and doesn‘t follow the chronological timeline.

It‘s gone midnight so kicking off the #JoyousJanuary Readathon by getting stuck into this book. Book 28 in the excellent Ben Hope Series. This will get me back up to date I‘m the series. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView

Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys this hero series such as Gabriel Allon, Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp etc.

#JumpStart2024 @LizPixie
#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses

Started my second book for #ChunksterChallenge2024. This one is only in the almost a chunkster category at 515 pages. That said it‘s quite small print and a lot of words on each page so feels much bigger than a 500+ page book. @Amiable

This is the first Jack McEvoy book, and the fifth book in the #BoschUniverseSeries. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView

It‘s also off my bookshelves.

#JumpStart2024 @LizPixie
#ReadAway2024 @DieAReader @Ghabi4Roses