Where has the month gone? Having returned from holiday on the first day of the month I feel as if I haven’t stopped. Being on the go and spending time with family and friends has really cut into my reading time. I always think that short days and the cold weather will give me more time to read.
2024 was a good year in terms of reading. After struggling to hit my target of 85 books in 2023 (I managed it with no days to spare), I decided to go back to a target of 80 books. In the end, I read 105 books and listened to 27 audio books. I'm probably going to keep my target for 2025 at 80 books and review this part way through the year as I don't want to feel any pressure about reading.
Whether you reached your reading target for 2024 or not I just hope you enjoyed the books you did read. Reading shouldn't be seen as a challenge or an obligation, it should be something you enjoy. If you aren't enjoying a book put it down and find something else to read, you are not going to be punished for failing to finish a book.
Now to my December round-up. The month started with the brilliant Famous Last Words
by Gillian McAllister, a twisty psychological thriller. Cam’s husband
leaves a mysterious note and then goes out and holds people hostage in a
warehouse. It is so out of character for him that Cam begins to investigate and
discovers he’s been keeping secrets.
Next up was a return to the Slow Horses of Slough House in London
Rules by Mick Herron. I really can’t recommend this series highly
enough. This time around a group are out to destabilise the country and some of
the members of Slough House are implicated. Not only do they have to save their
reputation (fans will appreciate how ironic this is) but they also have to
protect one of their own.
I really wanted to love Instructions For Heartbreak
by Sarah Handyside, a story of the power of female friendship. When Katie’s
relationship of nine years suddenly ends her close friends rally around to
support and offer advice they have garnered from break-ups they’ve experienced.
Far too much introspection for me.
Mike Gayle is one of those authors who you know is guaranteed to
tug at the heartstrings and Hope Street is no different.
Filled with wonderful characters and a plight that would melt the coldest heart, the reader can't help but become immersed in the story. Local journalist Lila
is sent to interview the last remaining resident of Hope Street, a street soon
to be demolished. She meets Connor, a 30-year-old man with learning
difficulties who is waiting for his mother to return from an errand she went on
three years ago.
My most anticipated book of 2025
had to be The Secret Room from Jane Casey. Fans of the Maeve
Kerrigan series needed answers to the shocking conclusion of A Stranger In
The Family. As soon as I got my hands on this I had to know what happened.
Fans will not be disappointed. I was perplexed initially, wondering if I’d
missed something. Eventually, everything became clear as we are taken through
the whole gamut of emotions. There’s also a locked room mystery to solve too!
The only festive read during the month was the romance Home
Again For Christmas by Emily Stone. Lexie has spent nine years travelling,
refusing to settle down. The death of her estranged father forces her to return
home. She’s been left half of his travel business with the one stipulation that
she must help run it for a year. It’s not only staying in one place that is a
problem for Lexie, she takes an instant dislike to her business partner, Theo.
Final read of the month, and year, was Murder On The
Marlow Belle from Robert Thorogood, book four in the Marlow Murder
Club series. The founder of Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society is murdered onboard
a pleasure cruiser. The other guests all have motives for his murder, but they
also have alibis. The trio of Judith, Becks and Suzie seem to go round in
circles with accusations as they investigate an impossible crime.
I managed two audiobooks during the month, the first being About
Us by Sinead Moriarty. Three couples, all vastly different, struggle
with their relationships and seek help from a therapist. I loved the way in
which the author developed the characters, allowing us to see the problems they
were facing. By the end I wanted nothing but the best for each character as I
felt so invested in their lives.
The Queen Of Fives by Alex Hay is an
historical mystery, something I don’t read/listen to very often. The audiobook
worked brilliantly for me as I felt drawn into the life of Quinn Le Blanc, the
best con woman in Victorian London. Quinn sets out to ensnare a titled husband,
however, she’s bound by a strict set of rules and a limited amount of time, all
while someone seems to be out to sabotage her plan.
Publication dates to look out for:-
Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
will be published on 16/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister will
be published on 30/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Instructions For Heartbreak by Sarah Handyside
will be published on 30/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
The Queen Of Fives by Alex Hay will be
published on 30/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Hope Street by Mike Gayle will be published on
16/2/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format
The Secret Room by Jane Casey will be published
on 24/4/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
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