Catherine Steadman does it again. A man wakes up washed up on a Norfolk beach, nothing in his pockets no memory of who he is just the memory that he‘d been told by someone he trusted to find a woman. The tension of the mystery is expertly sustained throughout and I really found it unputdownable. My only niggle was the finale‘s implausibility, but it really was a grippingly and superbly told thriller.
#MrNobody #NetGalley

After an hour and a half delay to my train (not on platform 7!) I‘m finally on board and settling down to this much talked about release. Can‘t wait!

...because what was love if it wasn‘t nursing someone else‘s pain as if it were your own.

Staying at my mum‘s for a few days which means one thing amongst others: extra reading time! Thoroughly enjoying this enthralling tale of slavery, freedom and friendship.

Ah, bliss! An uninterrupted train journey with a good book. Thirteen per cent into this one and finding it intriguing. It‘s written as a podcast which investigates the unexplained death of a teenager some years earlier.

Couldn‘t resist this one in the bookshop today! It‘s been getting a lot of mentions in the U.K. lately and the blurb sounds great. Anyone read it? #bookhaul

A wonderful family saga which swept me up and gripped me from the very first page. When Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, two rookie cops in New York, first meet little could they imagine the paths theirs and their children‘s lives would, intertwined, take. Heartbreaking, sweeping in scale and ultimately redemptive this novel and its characters will stay with you long after you finish the final page. #netgalley #askagainyes

Set amidst the deeply atmospheric scorching heat of the Australian outback, The Lost Man is a twisty thriller which will keep you guessing. Cameron, a family cattle farmer, is found dead next to a landmark which is surrounded by legend. His family tries to fathom his death. Did he deliberately walk away from his car, which was well stocked with food and water into the lethal heat or is there more to his mysterious death than meets the eye?

This is a novel which will haunt you and stay with you, examining beautifully the interconnected nature of our lives and how we interact with the natural world around us. A gem of a book, to be treasured.

And another one! Sorry, I can‘t help it... 😂

Quotes as wonderful as this one litter this book. It really is superb.

Oh, this book... 💗

Just came across this translation of the French for a train station concourse and thought it absolutely beautiful.

😂😂 Thank goodness times have changed a bit! #readingenvyreadalong

Five solid stars for this superb, touching coming-of-age story about Eli, a boy born to drug dealer parents. His best friend is a notorious pensioner ex-con, he has an older brother who never speaks and he gets told off for swearing and littering. It should be a recipe for a depressing tale but this was a glorious and moving depiction of a remarkable child surviving despite his circumstances. #netgalley #boyswallowsuniverse

Really enjoyed this audiowalk with borrowed pooch Annie, and am loving this book despite not being a fan of historical novels. It‘s wonderfully creepy and compelling.

It‘s raining cats and dogs out there and it‘s set to last all day, so I‘ve declared this a reading day. I‘m curled up all cosy with this touching coming of age story about a teenaged boy living with drug-dealing parents. Heart-warming and moving. #netgalley #boyswallowsuniverse

And into Part Three I go! I love the way Scarlett‘s character is maturing as the book progresses and the way it shows both good and bad sides of her character. It‘s an honest portrayal of a young woman, and I do believe I‘m growing to love her. I‘m certainly in love with this book. #readingenvyreadalong

That‘s me now, curled up for a rainy afternoon, thoroughly enjoying Gone with the Wind. I can‘t say I ‘like‘ Scarlett much but then I don‘t think we‘re supposed to. Very behind on this readalong: I‘m only on Part II! #readingenvyreadalong

The writing was gorgeous, but the story jumped about so much with different points of view I found it impossible to connect with this one. In the end I simply felt frustrated. It‘s rare I pan a book, but gave this just two stars after finally reaching the end!

This is the wonderful and uplifting memoir of a couple in their fifties who, days after becoming homeless and one of them receiving a terminal diagnosis, make the awe-inspiring decision to walk the South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall - some 630 miles. It is a glorious tale which, despite its gloomy premise, manages to uplift and educate. A very enjoyable read indeed.

I listened to this dark and mysterious short novel on Audible and absolutely loved it. Entrancing, with mounting suspense, it tells the story of Lanny, a young boy who lives in a small village just outside London. It‘s written partly from the point of view of Dead Papa Toothwort, a figure of local lore who hears the voices of the people living in this modern day village. This adds to the magic and I found it a stunning 5 star read.

Now, 95% of the way through the book, the author drops in a detailed description of one of the main characters. I‘ve enjoyed the writing, but gosh this book has driven me up the wall! #botmbuddyread

I‘m a little late to the party, but I‘m going in! Playing catch-up with the #readingenvyreadalong

Borrowed this young Yorkie for a park audiowalk in the sunshine today, and I am absolutely loving this book. It‘s a heartbreakingly true portrayal of the breakdown of an ordinary relationship. Sad, poignant but devastatingly accurate.

I‘m enjoying the writing, and quotes like this one are a delight, but am getting slightly frustrated with the constant switching of points of view. Is it just me? #botmbuddyread

Gorgeous reading view today at Kew Gardens. Really enjoying this book, with its mythical elements woven through the magical storytelling. I even brought some peppermint tea with me!

A superb, simmering literary thriller. I avidly turned every page, whilst savouring every word. Just brilliant!

First day back to school and the house to myself mean one thing: the sofa with a good book and lots of peppermint tea. This one had me hooked from the start. What if you read a book and recognised it as being all about you?...

Initially, I wasn‘t sure about this novel - was it trying to do too many things at once- but I soon settled into its thoughtful and evocatively written rhythm. It is a contemplative and complexly woven coming-of-age story that, above all other things, makes you stop to think about politics, love, and religion. And a book that makes you do that is never a bad thing.

#BookishQuestions
Thanks for the tag @julesG !

1. Contemporary literary fiction, crime fiction and thrillers.

2. Classics. I went through a stage in my 20s of reading loads, but now there‘s too many shiny new releases!

3. Historical fiction, biographies.

4. Only like adaptations because they make me read the books first.

5. The Trauma Cleaner.

6. The Water Cure.

7. Anyone who hasn‘t done it!

@Clwojick

Two lovely friends gave me a wonderful birthday present a while ago: A reading subscription from my favourite bookshop, Mr B‘s Emporium in Bath. The first book chosen especially to suit me, the one tagged, arrived beautifully wrapped and I‘m about to dive in. Can‘t wait!

This book was first published in 1962, but these true words could have been written for today‘s frightening world without changing a letter.

Making a valiant return to The Golden Notebook after falling by the wayside in the last #readingenvyreadalong. Determined to finish it this time, but oh Doris Lessing don‘t you believe in paragraphs?!

Picking up this this morning has cheered me up! Can‘t wait to read it. I‘m on a book buying ban but bought this using vouchers so it doesn‘t count, right? 😉

Been in a lot of pain today, so this was my way to unwind this evening. Just starting this one which so many people have loved, so high expectations. As soon as we met Evelyn, I was hooked!

I‘m coming to the end of this book, and it‘s breaking my heart 💔

A stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking tale of love and murder, this one‘s lyricism had me from the outset. I listened to it on audio and never wanted it to end. A stunning coming of age story.

A gut-punching novel, that will shock and absorb you at the same time. I laughed out loud and felt bereft to have finished it. A unique and urgent voice in modern literature. Easily five ⭐️ from me.

There were loads of things I should have been doing on this wintry, rainy day but I gave in to temptation and declared it a sofa reading day! I always love Ali Smith, so this book is a real treat. #currentlyreading

Heaven! I‘m spending the evening with a cat on my lap, reading the last of The Neapolitan Novels. This book is a suitably gripping, and beautifully written, finale to a stunning series and I shall be sad to reach the end.

And breathe... Uninterrupted train reading time! 😀 Enjoying this one; an unusual real life tale of a transgender trauma cleaner in Australia, cleaning up after deaths or hoarders. An interesting and very different read.

Thoroughly immersed myself in this superb audiobook, read by Juliet Stevenson, during a spot of #audiocooking this afternoon. Engrossing and intriguing story which I don‘t want to end.

And exhale... Filled with aches and pains today, so treated myself to a hot, lavender infused bath with A Ladder to the Sky. Am really enjoying it, but don‘t yet feel as invested in it as I did with The Heart‘s Invisible Furies. Time will tell.

😂 This strikes me as an eminently sensible idea.

Well that was a weird journey. Dystopian, cultish tale of a group of sisters. There were moments when I thought the author was capturing me, but it never quite happened. Very, very strange, eerie and odd. Not in a good way, I‘m afraid.

This morning‘s reading/thinking view... Gorgeous. Happy New Year, fellow Littens!

Finished this superior psychological thriller on my wintry audiowalk today. I do enjoy Lucy Clarke‘s writing, she has twists and turns that constantly confound you and her writing is taut. A good read.

This was, I think, my modern book of the year. A powerful, intensely thought-provoking novel about our place on this planet, and what we are doing to it. This should be compulsory reading for everyone, but particularly politicians. I completely fell in love with it and am now so eager to read more Richard Powers. Any recommendations, Littens?

Thanks for all the birthday wishes last weekend, my Litsy friends! It was a big one, so I got a trip away to my favourite bookshop, Mr B‘s in Bath, and was treated to some of my greatly anticipated reads. This was what I came home treasuring 😘 📚🍰💕