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  • 📚 I gave All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton a solid shot—made it about 30% through—but it’s just not clicking for me. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to get into it, so I’m moving on to something that grabs me more!

    → 8:48 PM, 9 Mar

  • 📚 Finished reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose last night. Very enjoyable! The socially awkward yet endearing main character works well. In the best sense of the word, it’s just a really nice book!

    → 10:30 PM, 26 Feb

  • 📚 Switching gears! After the gentle-yet-gripping Intermezzo, I’m diving into Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly. Time for some classic crime, sharp twists, and a dose of legal drama—looking forward to seeing where this one takes me!

    → 8:13 PM, 11 Feb

  • 📚 I’ve finally finished reading Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. That it took me the best part of a month is no reflection of my enjoyment—quite the opposite. This is a novel to be savoured, and savour it I did. The richness and depth of the characters were a delight, with Rooney doing a great job capturing the complexities of two brothers navigating life after their father’s death. Her exploration of unconventional relationships is both subtle and thought-provoking, leaving plenty of space to reflect on life’s messy realities. A thoroughly rewarding read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    → 2:44 PM, 11 Feb

  • This was a good nudge from Brad Stulberg. I read a fair bit, but it is all too often distracted reading rather than deep reading.

    🔗 A Brief Guide to Developing a Deep Reading Habit

    → 11:59 AM, 23 Jan

  • Finished listening to ‘The Life Impossible’ by Matt Haig driving back from London. This was an interesting book, but it never truly grabbed me. I did finish it, but if I’d given up on it—which I did consider—I don’t think I’d have been that bothered. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    A book cover for "The Life Impossible" by Matt Haig features a silhouette of an island with a house, a crescent moon, and birds against a blue background.
    → 6:41 PM, 5 Jan

  • Some interesting books in this latest list from Adam Grant, the organizational psychologist and bestselling author: The 10 New Books to Feed Your Mind in 2025.

    → 10:57 PM, 4 Jan

  • Started reading Sally Rooney’s new novel ‘Intermezzo’ a couple of nights ago. She writes in such an interesting way and explores relationships from such a distinct perspective. Barely 50 pages in, but I’m engrossed.

    → 1:32 PM, 3 Jan

  • Books I read in 2024

    This year has been the fewest number of books I’ve read since I began tracking my reading in 2017. Four five-star reads out of 26 though, all of which I’d happily recommend. 12 four-star reads too. Hoping to get back to reading more next year.

    January

    1. The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction by Robert Goddard ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. Geneva by Richard Armitage ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    3. The Last Hours in Paris by Ruth Druart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    4. Snap by Belinda Bauer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    5. The Maid by Nita Prose ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    6. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    February

    1. First Lie Wins by Ashley Epstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel ⭐️⭐️
    3. Bittersweet by Susan Cain ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    March

    1. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    3. Hidden Potential by Adam Grant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    April

    1. What You are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hanson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    3. Slow Productivity by Cal Newport ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    4. Master of Change by Brad Stulberg ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    May

    1. Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    3. Death in a Lonely Place by Stig Abel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    June

    1. The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    July

    1. Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    September

    1. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    October

    1. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    2. Fourteen Days by Various Authors (DNF) ⭐️

    November

    1. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    → 11:46 AM, 30 Dec

  • Thoughts on: ‘The Running Grave’ by Robert Galbraith

    It’s taken me nearly two months, but I’ve finally finished book seven in the Cormoran Strike detective series by Robert Galbraith.

    Don’t let that length of time make you think I didn’t enjoy it. I did. I really did. It’s just that it was super long. As all these novels by Robert Galbraith are.

    It’s worth saying that, in case you are not aware, Robert Galbraith is a pen name. The author is J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame.

    I’ve enjoyed the entire series to date, but this latest has been my favourite. I nearly didn’t start it as, though I enjoyed the last two, the sheer length of the last two made me weary just thinking about starting this latest novel! I’m glad I did, though.

    For this book, private detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the Norfolk countryside. In the hope of extracting Will, Robin Ellacott – Strike’s business partner – infiltrates the cult. But the enormity of the danger she faces, and the challenge of exposing the true nature of the cult, becomes increasingly apparent.

    It’s a gripping storyline brilliantly told. The core, recurring characters have real depth to them that continues to emerge with each novel. The pacing of the story develops perfectly. And though I’m not the biggest fan of huge books, the length of this allows for a level of slow-building and backstory that makes the end result truly worth it.

    → 7:14 PM, 10 Sep
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