Paradise by Ben Tufnell – blog tour Source: Review copy from the publisher, Influx Press for the Random Things blog tour – thank you. As thrillers go, I’m very fond of gangland novels, and within that crime thriller sub-g…

On my blog today, my review of the excellently creepy gangster hideout novel Paradise by @bentufnell.bsky.social @influxpress.bsky.social @annerandomthings.bsky.social blog tour annabookbel.net/paradise-by-...

It may well be but I have too many to read to devote myself to 945 pages of Gus being a b--tard.

It was Lonesome Dove!

Trying to weed out a few books I'll never read. Opened this 945 A-format pbk chunkster at this page, I quote: "Gus got off the bed and tucked his carrot back in his pants." Can you name the book? (which I won't be reading).

What I was reading (and doing) 10 years ago – in April 2016 This is the second in a series of archive posts (first here) in which I look back at my reading lists to pick a few highlights from ten years ago. I won’t cover every month, just ones where I…

On my blog, looking back at my reading and bookish activities 10 years ago... annabookbel.net/what-i-was-r...

Marnie by Winston Graham for the #1961Club Source: Own shelves. 1961 is the year for this month’s bi-annual reading club, hosted by Simon and Kaggsy, and looking through the wiki page for 1961 in LIterature, I saw that there was tons …

My review of Marnie by Winson Graham for the #1961Club hosted by @kaggsy59.bsky.social and @stuckinabook.bsky.social - yes, he wrote more non-Poldark than Poldark books. annabookbel.net/marnie-by-wi...

Hosted by @stuckinabook.bsky.social and myself, the #1961club starts today! Share your posts on my dedicated page here kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/club-pages/1... and on Simon's blog! www.stuckinabook.com

Reading in bed with Harry for the #1961Club

Simply stunning! Review to come soon.

Today at Shiny, @peterreason.bsky.social reviews Amitav Ghosh's collection of essays, Wild Fictions @johnmurrays.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/wild-fiction...

When a self-published author's approach 1) actually spells my name correctly, and 2) has read my review guidelines - hence their Finnish folk-horror novel The Sauna Elf is right up my street - I couldn't say no. Thanks Aki Mäkiaho

Tom Chesshyre, Slow Trains Around Britain: Notes from a 4,088-Mile Adventure on 143 Rides, by Tom Chesshyre Review by Liz Dexter Having had the great fortune to have travelled on many exciting railways to many exiting places elsewhere in the world, from the wide-open plains of America to the tea pla

At Shiny today, @lyzzybee.bsky.social reviews Slow Trains Around Britain by Tom Chesshyre @summersdalebooks.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/tom-chesshyr...

Just about to start reading this gorgeous book in bed with Ginny. The whole cosmos in a cat!

Lovely #Bookpost - and what a super little book this is, published by @confingopublishing.bsky.social - to whom thank you for the review copy. I'm looking forward to reading @elizabethbaines.bsky.social 5 short story cycle - each one in a different genre.

Six Degrees of Separation: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans It’s time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks a starting book for pa…

Six Degrees of Separation: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans annabookbel.net/six-degrees-...

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu I’ve read a fair amount of pandemic fiction now. One stand out was (of course) Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, which elegantly explores a flu pandemic and the immediate aftermath on t…

On my blog today, my review of How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social annabookbel.net/how-high-we-...

The Cat by Georges Simenon Translated by Ros Schwartz Review by Annabel Back in 2014, Penguin embarked on republishing all seventy of the Maigret novels in new translations over a period of a few years, all with a di

I'm at @shinynewbooks today with my (rather late, sorry) review of The Cat by Georges Simenon, in a new translation by Ros Schwartz for @penguinbooksuk.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/the-cat-by-g...

People are starting to ask about #20BooksofSummer26. Yes! It'll be back running from June 1 to August 31. Sign up post on my blog early May.

Started this one this morning in bed with Harry. 60 pages in, a long way to go (it's just over 550), will I get it finished before my @galleybeggars.bsky.social Critical Reading Group session next week?

To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage – blogtour Source: Review copy sent by the publisher – thank you. Then I joined the Random Things blog tour. Given that I have a minor obsession with books about the Space Race – we’re talki…

On my blog today, my review of To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage @doubledayuk.bsky.social for the Random Things blog tour. annabookbel.net/to-the-moon-...

The Apple and the Pearl, by Rym Kechacha Reviewed by Helen Parry Of all the arts, ballet casts perhaps the most magical spell. The classics of the repertoire are set in otherworldly realms, with entrancing music and fabulous costumes

The sun may be struggling to come out, but this novel reviewed by @hejparry.bsky.social sounds anything but dull - The Apple and the Pearl y Rym Kechacha @titanbooks.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/the-apple-an...

Yet more Book Spine Poetry… This is such fun and I urge you to try it! You can see my three previous efforts here. This one came together quite easily, but like most of my others, its all environmental doom and gloom. What a …

On my blog today, my latest go at #BookSpinePoetry It's such fun to do - playing with my books. annabookbel.net/yet-more-boo...

What’s in a Name: How Historians Know Shakespeare was Shakespeare,  by Susan Dwyer Amussen Reviewed by Harriet Plenty of people will be thinking about Shakespeare at the moment, following the release of the wonderful film Hamnet. It’s taken from the novel of the same name, which I

At Shiny today, Shiny ed Harriet reviews What's in a name? How historians know Shakespeare was Shakespeare by Susan Dwyer Amussen, @manchesterup.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/whats-in-a-n...

Mrs Jekyll by Emma Glass Review by Annabel Welsh author Emma Glass’s fourth novel, Mrs Jekyll, gained her a second longlisting for the Dylan Thomas Award in 2025. Her debut, Peach, was also longlisted, and although

At Shiny today: @annabookbel.bsky.social reviews Mrs Jekyll by Emma Glass, new in pbk from Cheerio books. shinynewbooks.co.uk/mrs-jekyll-b...

Reading in bed with Harry...

The Murder Pool – Stella Blómkvist 4 – blogtour Review copy courtesy of the publisher, Corylus Books – thank you. Translated by Quentin Bates The arrival of each newly translated novel in the self-titled Stella Blómkvist series is cause fo…

On my blog today - my post for the tour for Stella Blomkvist 4 - The Murder Pool, transl. @graskeggur.bsky.social for @corylusbooks.bsky.social The best in the series yet. annabookbel.net/the-murder-p...

Reading in bed with Ginny @lesfugitivespress.bsky.social

Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise – blogtour A timely blogtour post for the beginning of 12th Reading Ireland month, hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Although Hurtubise is American, she has lived in Ireland for 25 years, and her second novel is …

On my blog today, my review of Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise. I enjoyed it very much annabookbel.net/saoirse-by-c...

Reading Independent Publishers Month 2026 This page is to collect together all of the reviews of books published by Independent Publishers during #readindies month 2026! Please do let me know about your posts in the comments below and I wi…

February and Reading Independent Publishers Month #ReadIndies are over, but we should be reading and supporting independent presses all year round. If you want some ideas of what to read next, check out my page with a massive amount of links! kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/reading-inde...

I am inordinately excited! #bookpost from @picadorbooks.bsky.social books - it's only the new Gwendoline Riley novel, The Palm House. Thank you so much.