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Onto another story that I cannot remember at all, despite reading through the full Sherlock canon at least three or four times before now.
( spoilers )
( spoilers )
Sherlock Holmes reread: Black Peter
Oct. 22nd, 2025 05:44 pmContinuing my reread, and another one I couldn't remember, which is particularly surprising given a strong Dundee element within it!
( spoilers )
( spoilers )
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Priory School
Oct. 8th, 2025 08:21 pmOnto another one, and this is one I couldn't remember at all, though I've read through the entire canon five or so times.
( spoilers )
( spoilers )
Continuing my reread, and onto this story, one of the most memorable ones for me, even if I have a tendency to muddle it up with "The Copper Beeches".
( spoilers )
( spoilers )
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Empty House
Aug. 1st, 2025 10:26 amStarting my reread of The Return of Sherlock Holmes with this story.( spoilers )
Current reading, late July 2025 edition
Jul. 23rd, 2025 09:36 pmKindle books anyway. I also have library books on loan, plus other books ongoing in the house. I mainly read ebooks now because of huge problems reading print due to a progressive neurological disease. Gargantuan fonts on my Kindle keep me reading for extended periods.
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Final Problem
Jul. 10th, 2025 04:45 pmOnto the last in the Memoirs collection, and going to discuss this pivotal story with big spoilers. ( spoiler cut ... )
Books finished in 2025: late June edition
Jun. 23rd, 2025 09:14 pmCatching up with this, and another 6 titles finished since my last post:
Of the new ones, the Wheel of Time 9th book was not as bad as I feared. Still way too long, still over written. And I'm rather dreading book 10, which retells much of the same plot apparently as book 10. But not too bad, and overall enjoyable. I am determined to get to the end of the series!
Still loving the Insomniacs After School manga series, though trying to spread them out, because there are still some more due to be published in English translation.
Assassin's Apprentice is the first Robin Hobb book I have read. I enjoyed it a lot, though some bits made me so very angry as I was reading. Angry at the author for making me go through reading them! But it was well written. I expect to continue on to the sequel in the near future.
Belladonna is a Young Adult gothic/fantasy/historical/romance book. I'm honestly surprised how "spicy" it was, given the age it was targeted at. I also found it a slog to keep going through much of it, and it needed heftier editing. But I did enjoy it enough that I might read the sequel.
Continuing my reread of the Discworld "Witches" mini series of books saw me get to the first Tiffany Aching book. These Tiffany books late in Terry's writing life are so very good. I can understand why he was so fond of them and also so proud of them.
I enjoyed Lucy Mangan's book recalling her childhood reading, from her very earliest memories of being read to, through to her transition to adulthood. She's a couple of years younger than me, but we read many similar books in childhood. Though she didn't share my enthusiasm for fantasy, and was far more keen than me on contemporary fiction and also dystopian which I tend to avoid.
I am now reading the first in David Bishop's Renaissance Florence set series of mystery/thrillers. As well as continuing to read a non fiction book about a slow canal boat journey around England, another British Library Weird Tales short story collection, and more.
Finishing my 25th book means that I've reached my self-set Goodreads reading goal of the year. I was very modest in my 2025 reading goal, and wanted it to be something easily achievable, not least given how sedated and time limited I am now. And to be fair the last 6 months have included some whoppers, including another Wheel of Time book, and a reread of Charles Dickens's very lengthy Our Mutual Friend. I will keep reading, but it's nice to have 25 books under my belt.
- ( earlier books )
- Winter's Heart (Wheel of Time book 9) by Robert Jordan
- Insomniacs After School volume 6 (manga) by Makoto Ojiro
- Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
- Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
- The Wee Free Men (Discworld book 30) by Terry Pratchett
- Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading by Lucy Mangan
Of the new ones, the Wheel of Time 9th book was not as bad as I feared. Still way too long, still over written. And I'm rather dreading book 10, which retells much of the same plot apparently as book 10. But not too bad, and overall enjoyable. I am determined to get to the end of the series!
Still loving the Insomniacs After School manga series, though trying to spread them out, because there are still some more due to be published in English translation.
Assassin's Apprentice is the first Robin Hobb book I have read. I enjoyed it a lot, though some bits made me so very angry as I was reading. Angry at the author for making me go through reading them! But it was well written. I expect to continue on to the sequel in the near future.
Belladonna is a Young Adult gothic/fantasy/historical/romance book. I'm honestly surprised how "spicy" it was, given the age it was targeted at. I also found it a slog to keep going through much of it, and it needed heftier editing. But I did enjoy it enough that I might read the sequel.
Continuing my reread of the Discworld "Witches" mini series of books saw me get to the first Tiffany Aching book. These Tiffany books late in Terry's writing life are so very good. I can understand why he was so fond of them and also so proud of them.
I enjoyed Lucy Mangan's book recalling her childhood reading, from her very earliest memories of being read to, through to her transition to adulthood. She's a couple of years younger than me, but we read many similar books in childhood. Though she didn't share my enthusiasm for fantasy, and was far more keen than me on contemporary fiction and also dystopian which I tend to avoid.
I am now reading the first in David Bishop's Renaissance Florence set series of mystery/thrillers. As well as continuing to read a non fiction book about a slow canal boat journey around England, another British Library Weird Tales short story collection, and more.
Finishing my 25th book means that I've reached my self-set Goodreads reading goal of the year. I was very modest in my 2025 reading goal, and wanted it to be something easily achievable, not least given how sedated and time limited I am now. And to be fair the last 6 months have included some whoppers, including another Wheel of Time book, and a reread of Charles Dickens's very lengthy Our Mutual Friend. I will keep reading, but it's nice to have 25 books under my belt.
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Naval Treaty
Jun. 12th, 2025 12:02 pmNearing the end of Memoirs and on to this tale of a stolen secret treaty ... ( spoilers )
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Crooked Man
Apr. 18th, 2025 03:16 pmOnto another story, and going to discuss this ( with spoilers )
Sherlock Holmes reread: The Reigate Squire
Apr. 2nd, 2025 02:26 pmOnto another story and going to discuss this with ( serious spoilers ... )
Onto another story, and unashamed disclaimer up front: this is one of my all-time favourite Holmes stories. ( spoilers )
Still struggling not to type 2024 at the top of these posts!
I've written reviews of Captive Queen, the Midsomer Murders gamebook and Eerie East Anglia.
Of the others, the Tolkien paintings book was nice, though there were some curious choices, especially re the hobbits. The Shakespeare book was great in parts, but had an almost total blind spot on detailed coverage of the many plays, which felt like a huge omission. Our Mutual Friend was a delight for me, as always. And The Principle of Moments, the first in a planned trilogy, was a heady mix of fantasy, space opera and time travelling shenanigans. Probably more ambitious in its goals than it ultimately achieved. But still a riveting read, and I will read the other books.
- ( earlier books )
- Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots by Jade Scott
- A Middle-earth Album: Paintings by Joan Wyatt Inspired by Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings by Joan Wyatt
- Could You Survive Midsomer? – A Winter's Murder: An Official Midsomer Murders Interactive Novel by Simon Brew
- Eerie East Anglia: Fearful Tales of Field and Fen by Edward Parnell
- Introducing Shakespeare: A Graphic Guide by Nick Groom
- Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
- The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
I've written reviews of Captive Queen, the Midsomer Murders gamebook and Eerie East Anglia.
Of the others, the Tolkien paintings book was nice, though there were some curious choices, especially re the hobbits. The Shakespeare book was great in parts, but had an almost total blind spot on detailed coverage of the many plays, which felt like a huge omission. Our Mutual Friend was a delight for me, as always. And The Principle of Moments, the first in a planned trilogy, was a heady mix of fantasy, space opera and time travelling shenanigans. Probably more ambitious in its goals than it ultimately achieved. But still a riveting read, and I will read the other books.
