*NEW BLOG POST*

Today on #damppebbles I am sharing this week's #TopTenTuesday post. My theme for this week is 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐈 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 📖📚🔖

Check out my list here...
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#BookSky #skybrarians #books #top10 #list #bookrecommendation #bookish #whattoread

#TopTenTuesday ‘Hold the Front Page’ – Books Featuring Newspapers or Journalists #TuesdayBookBlog Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. The rules are simple: Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to…

#TopTenTuesday 'Hold the Front Page' - Books Featuring Newspapers or Journalists #TuesdayBookBlog #books #bookreviews #booksky

My Week in Books – 19th April 2026 On the blog last week Monday - I published my review of Love Lane by Patrick Gale and a Q&A with Luna Westish, author of Meet Me at the Ruins. I also shared my Top 3 March 2026 Reads. Tuesday - This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic was Books Titles That Describe Me. And I shared an extract from…

My Week in Books - Books read, reviewed & acquired this week #books #bookreviews #amreading #booksky

Book Review – Thunderball by Ian Fleming #1961Club About the Book James Bond is in disgrace. His monthly medical report is critical of the high-living that is ruining his health, and M packs him off for a fortnight in a nature-cure clinic to be tuned-up to his former pitch of exceptional fitness. Furiously, Bond undergoes the shame of the carrot-juice and nut-cutlet regime - and thereby minutlely upsets the plans of S.P.E.C.T.R.E, a new adversary, more deadly, more ruthless even than Smersh.

My review of Thunderball by Ian Fleming, James Bond's ninth outing, for the #1961Club reading event #books #bookreviews #JamesBond #thriller #classics #booksky

Over on Instagram you can get a taste of what I got up to yesterday at Winchester Books Festival #books #booksky 💙📚
www.instagram.com/p/DXRK9LdjAx...

#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations. We still haven't had any significant rain here in Berkshire which means more work with the watering can. On the other hand it means bright, beautiful mornings when it's a pleasure to be in the garden even doing something as tedious as weeding.

#SixOnSaturday - Six things happening in my garden this week #gardens #gardening #nature #flowers #growyourown

An excerpt from The Unforgettable Mailman by April Howells @alcovepress My guest today on What Cathy Read Next is author April Howells whose debut novel The Unforgettable Mailman will be published on 21st April 2026 by Alcove Press and is available to pre-order now. The Unforgettable Mailman is described as 'a heartwarming story about intergenerational friendship and the power of human connection, perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman'. Personally it sounds really lovely but you can make up your own mind by reading the excerpt below.

Read an excerpt from The Unforgettable Mailman by April Howells, 'a heartwarming story about intergenerational friendship and the power of human connection' #TheUnforgettableMailman #books #booksky

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 Shortlist The shortlist for the The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 was announced on 16th April 2026. Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, their publishers and everyone associated with the books. I always set myself the challenge of trying to predict which of the longlisted books will make the shortlist and I'm pleased to say I got four of the five correct this time around.

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 Shortlist #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #walterscottprize #booksky @walterscottprize.bsky.social

Announcing the Shortlist for the #WalterScottPrize 2026 from Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott and the Prize.

www.walterscottprize.co.uk/abbotsford-a...

#bordersbookfestival #Shortlist #HistoricalFiction #Booktok #Booksky

#WWWWednesday – 15th April 2026 Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next? Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping! What I'm…

#WWWWednesday Check out the books I've just read (none), I'm reading now & I'll be reading next #books #amreading #booksky

My Top 3 March 2026 Reads I read seven books in March, a number I'm quite happy with considering I was still rereading a couple of the books shortlisted for the Winston Graham Historical Prize ahead of the judging panel's meeting. The winner was announced on Thursday 12th March at Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery in Truro - Seascraper by Benjamin Wood. You can find my three favourite March reads below with links to my full review or the book description on Goodreads.

My Top 3 March 2026 Reads #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #booksky

An excerpt from The Oxford Affair by Lynne Kaufman My guest today on What Cathy Read Next is author Lynne Kaufman. And it's a special day because Lynne's latest novel The Oxford Affair is published today by Measure Publishing. Kirkus Reviews describe it as 'A story that joyously celebrates all things British and literary. The characters take cues from Hamlet’s play within a play and the detective novels being studied to try to expose all.

Read an excerpt from The Oxford Affair by Lynne Kaufman, a mystery that promises 'wit, charm, and a dash of dark academia' #books #TheOxfordAffair #excerpt #mystery #Oxford #booksky

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Describe Me Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of bo…

Today is Top Ten Tuesday #TTT hosted by @artsyreadergirl #books #bookblogger and my birthday!
This week I’m sharing book titles that describe me! Learn more at Book’d Out
bookdout.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/t...

#TopTenTuesday : Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life | #TuesdayBookBlog Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, which is now being hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. The rules are simple: Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic…

#TopTenTuesday : Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life | #TuesdayBookBlog noveldeelights.com/2026/04/14/t... - via @noveldeelights.bsky.social 💙📚

#TopTenTuesday Book Titles That Describe Me #TuesdayBookBlog Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. The rules are simple: Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to…

#TopTenTuesday Book Titles That Describe Me #TuesdayBookBlog #books #bookreviews #booksky

Helm is inventive and witty as well as having an ecological message. The Land in Winter has a great sende of place. I also enjoyed Glorious Exploits, funny but also tragic in parts.

Graphic showing stack of books on the longlist for Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026

The shortlist for the #WalterScottPrize is announced this week. Here's where I go out on a limb with a prediction: The Two Roberts, The Pretender, The Matchbox Girl, Benbecula, The Artist, Seascraper. Any thoughts? #books #historicalfiction ⏳️📚 #booksky 💙📚

Book Review – Love Lane by Patrick Gale About the Book When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth. His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long buried anger she has never before expressed.

My review of the insightful and poignant Love Lane by Patrick Gale #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #LoveLane #booksky

A bookish chat with Luna Westish, author of Meet Me at the Ruins I'm delighted to welcome author Luna Westish to What Cathy Read Next today. Luna's novel Meet Me at the Ruins was published in June 2025 and is described as 'a contemplative, neurodiverse, romantic and spicy novel'. Meet Me at the Ruins is available to purchase as an ebook from Bookshop.org or in paperback from Amazon and other online retailers. All formats include a Readers' Guide.

My bookish chat with Luna Westish, author of Meet Me at the Ruins @lunawestish.bsky.social #books #interview #booksky

My Week in Books – 12th April 2026 On the blog last week Monday - I published my review of legal thriller Sanctuary by Tom Gaisford. Tuesday - I went off-piste again for this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic with Things You Wouldn't Want To Find In Your House. Only in book title form, I should clarify. Wednesday – As always WWW Wednesday is a weekly opportunity to share what I've just read, what I'm currently reading and what I plan to read next...

My Week in Books - Books read, reviewed & acquired this week #books #bookreviews #amreading #booksky

Grid of six pics showing some of whats going on in my garden right now, lilly-of-the-valley just appearing, biting stonecrop carrying on regardless, wild garlic and perennial cornflower both an the verge of popping, ajuga reptans also still developing and some large fern croziers. The colours here are green, white and purple, have a good weekend everyone.

Happy #SixOnSaturday skyfolk, my pics this week are more 'coming soon' than 'now showing', with lots of things in my garden still getting ready or just about to flower 🌱

#Bloomscrolling #plantsky #flowers

A collage of six photographs of flowers, comprising: a cluster of creamy white daffodils with rounded petals and pale yellow trumpet-like centres; a mass of pink-red five petalled flowers with white, almost square like centres; a border full of tulips of various colours, including yellow ruffled almost rose-like flowers, slim, pointed orange and dark purple flowers - a few pale blue bell-like bluebell flowers in the foreground; a spire of pale blue star-like flowers with yellow-tipped stamens; two mellow yellow ruffly looking daffodils with dark orange centres, resembling a broken egg yolk.

In today's #SixOnSaturday... a 'Silver Chimes' Narcissus, Saxifraga, Tulips, Cercis chinensis 'Avondale,' Camassia, and a cheery 'Tahiti' onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2026/04/11/s... 🌱

#sixonsaturday this week in which you’ll find : a patchwork of tulips, euphorbia milii bargain, 1st bougainvillea and strawberry flowers, impatiens omeiana, and fothergilla major. 🌱

fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2026/04/11/s...

Six On Saturday: A song on my mind I’m not sure of the rules re trademarks but I am sure if I say that there’s a Paul Simon song that talks of ‘the nice bright colours’and ‘the greens of summers’ …

My #sixonsaturday post this week is mostly tulips. I hope you enjoy stopping by garden for a quick look and a few words of explanation click here for more n20gardener.com/2026/04/11/s... Oh yes and a tune!
🌱 #gardening #ukgardening

Book Review – The River Days of Rosie Crow by Rebecca Stonehill @StairwellBooks About the Book Two women's lives interweave in the wilds of rural Norfolk, separated by almost two hundred years but bound by their inability to conform to society's expectations and love of storytelling. Rosie Crow is spirited, illiterate and deeply connected to the land. She believes the river communicates with her, but rural poverty and superstition set her up as scapegoat for her village's discontent.

My review of the enchanting The River Days of Rosie Crow by Rebecca Stonehill #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #booksky

#SixOnSaturday – Six things happening in my garden this week Six on Saturday is a weekly meme originally hosted by The Propagator but now in the tender care of Jim at Garden Ruminations. Four more bags of second early potatoes have been planted - only two more to go. As I write this on Friday it's a lot cooler but we're yet to have any significant rain which means I'll have to water everything newly planted by hand, and that means a lot of work.

#SixOnSaturday - Six things happening in my garden this week #gardens #gardening #nature #flowers #plants

“You don’t so much read about the folk of Meonbridge as dwell amongst them for a few precious hours” @whatcathyreadnext.bsky.social

THE MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES
Award-winning #medieval #histfic

For a taster, why not join Team Meonbridge and receive a free novella?http://bit.ly/meonbridge

OK, I've just scheduled four posts for next week on my blog. Unfortunately none of them are the three reviews I need to write... #bookblogs #bookbloggers #booksky 💙📚

Not just you...

Cover shows the words Eye Spy comprised of Eurostar destinations against a yellow background

My blog tour review of #EyeSpy by @chrisewan.bsky.social

Set on Eurostar, I so enjoyed this twisty, suspenseful thriller. Definitely recommended.

Published by @panmacmillan.bsky.social and out now

www.myreadingcorner.co.uk/2026/04/eye-...

#Booksky💙📚 #thrillerbookreview #bookblogger