H is for Haig (A-Z Challenge 2026) 9/4/26

The A-Z home page can be found here.

My theme this year is authors that I've read. More about the books I've read than the authors themselves.

I'm an avid reader. I'm a member of 2 in person reading groups through my local library. I'm gradually working my way through an old BBC reading list of 100 books (I'm about half way through) and I'm taking part in the online 52 Book Club Challenge for the third time this year where the challenge is to read 52 books over the year based on 52 different prompts. You can also find me on Goodreads here.

The H authors I've read are:

• Haig Matt
• Hallett Janice
• Halls Stacey
• Halton Linn B
• Hamer Kate
• Hannah James
• Hannah Kristin
• Hannah Sophie
• Hannigan Emma
• Hardy Thomas
• Harmel Kristin
• Harnetiaux Trish
• Harper Jane
• Harpman Jacqueline
• Harrington Carmel
• Harris Anstey
• Harris Joanne
• Hart Emilia
• Haruf Kent
• Hawkins Paula
• Hawley Noah
• Hayden Torey L
• Hayder Mo
• Hayes Samantha
• Heatherington Emma
• Heller Joseph
• Heminsley Alexandra
• Henderson Meg
• Henry Veronica
• Hepworth Sally
• Herbert James
• Higashino Keigo
• Hilderbrand Elin
• Hill Melissa
• Hill Reginald
• Hill Susan
• Hogan Faith
• Hogan Ruth
• Hogle Sarah
• Honeyman Gail
• Hooper Enna
• Hoover Colleen
• Hopkins Cathy
• Hornak Francesca
• Hornby Nick
• Hosseini Khaled
• Howells Debbie
• Hughes Kathry
• Hunter Alice
• Hunter Cara
• Hurley Andrew Michael

Susan Hill is my most read H author - I've read 10 of hers - all the Simon Serrailler detective series which of course is my favourite genre. (Although she has written other stand alone books.) 

Most of the other authors I've probably only read 1 or 2 of.

I have read 3 by Hannah Kristin who most people will have heard of.  I loved "The Nightingale" which got 5* and although I really enjoyed "The Women"  I did feel the main character had too many disasters in her life for one person so that brought it down to 4* for me.

There are a couple of Hardy classics on there, "Far from the Madding Crowd" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". 

A couple of other 5* were "Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman and "The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan.

Books that got a lot of hype but didn't over impress me were:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover and

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  There was just something about the main character in this one I couldn't take to.

Another one that took me a while to read and wasn't that enjoyable (but was on the BBC list) was "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller.  That was a real slog.

There's also a Japanese writer on there - Keigo Higoshino which was a first for me.  A different take on a crime novel set in Tokyo.

One that also stands out was the dystopian "I who have never known men" by Jacqueline Harpman.  This was gifted to me and I must admit I wouldn't usually choose dystopia but I was impressed by this one.

Are you a fan of dystopian novels?

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 8/4/26

Joyce asks the questions and we provide the answers and then we link up here.  Come join the fun.

1. Egg on your face, putting all your eggs in one basket, a good egg, walk on eggshells, nest egg, or a tough egg to crack...which eggy idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain

I like to think I'm a good egg - I do a lot of volunteering at the local Food bank as well as being the main organiser of 2 book clubs and I like to help people when I can.  I can be a tough egg to crack sometimes - I don't find it easy in new situations.  I also sometimes feel I'm walking on eggshells.

2. April 7th is National Beer Day...are you a beer drinker? If so do you have a favourite? Beer battered fish, beer bread, beer can chicken, beer brats...which one sounds good to you? Have you made any of these? 

Definitely NOT a beer drinker but I do like beer battered fish.  I've not made any of those things listed.

3. Do you have siblings? What's the best thing about being your sibling? If you don't have siblings, what would you say are the pros and cons of being an only child? 

Well I think I have the worst of both worlds.  I have siblings (2 brothers) but there are big age gaps between us so we're not that close and I often feel bad about that and growing up I often felt like an only child.  I'd definitely rather have siblings than not though.

4. How do you feel about floral scents in products? Do you have a favourite?

I don't have a favourite and I'm not bothered one way or another although I do wish they wouldn't keep inventing products that are so unnecessary like fabric conditioner "scent boosters" !

5. What's one thing in your home that begins with the letter G that you would say is a keeper, something you'll hold on to? Tell us why. 

Well that would have to be guitars.  We have at least 4 in the house, all belonging to Hubby and if I tried to get rid of any of them I think he'd be filing for divorce.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We also have grandchildren in the house this week - they're definitely keepers!

They were pleading for something at the time but I can't remember what!

G is for Gardner (A-Z Challenge 2026) 8/4/26

The A-Z home page can be found here.

My theme this year is authors that I've read. More about the books I've read than the authors themselves.

I'm an avid reader. I'm a member of 2 in person reading groups through my local library. I'm gradually working my way through an old BBC reading list of 100 books (I'm about half way through) and I'm taking part in the online 52 Book Club Challenge for the third time this year where the challenge is to read 52 books over the year based on 52 different prompts. You can also find me on Goodreads here.

The G authors I've read are:

• Gardner Lisa
• Garmus Bonnie
• Gayle Mike
• Gerrard Nicci
• Gerritsen Tess
• Gill Jay
• Glen Joanna
• Goddard Robert
• Golding William
• Grace Celina
• Grahame Kenneth
• Grann David
• Gray Alex
• Greaves Abbie
• Green Cass
• Green Jane
• Green John
• Green Linda
• Greene Graham
• Gregory Philippa
• Grey Iona
• Griffiths Elly
• Grisham John
• Groff Lauren
• Gudenkauf Heather
• Gunderson Christine

John Grisham takes the prize for most read G author.  I've read at least 24 of his books and watched several that have been made into films (e.g. The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client).  

I haven't read any of his Theodore Boone books and there are obviously quite a few missing from my list but despite the recurring themes of justice and the legal system there's never been one that has disappointed me.

There are a few other of my usual crime genre writers on this list, Tess Gerritsen, Alex Gray and Elly Griffiths.  Plus a few classics - Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  I also read  The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene which I think has put me off ever reading him again.  I also couldn't bring myself to watch the recent televised version of Lord of the Flies.

One of the stand out books from the G list for me is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This was a 5 star read for me.

Other 5 star rated books included Half a World Away by Mike Gayle, a real tear jerker and The other half of Augustus Hope by Joanna Glen.

Are you a John Grisham fan?

F is for Faulks (A-Z Challenge 2026) 7/4/26

The A-Z home page can be found here.

My theme this year is authors that I've read. More about the books I've read than the authors themselves.

I'm an avid reader. I'm a member of 2 in person reading groups through my local library. I'm gradually working my way through an old BBC reading list of 100 books (I'm about half way through) and I'm taking part in the online 52 Book Club Challenge for the third time this year where the challenge is to read 52 books over the year based on 52 different prompts. You can also find me on Goodreads here.

The F authors I've read are:

• Faulks Sebastian
• Feltz Vanessa
• Fforde Katie
• Fielding Helen
• Filer Nathan
• Finch Paul
• Fitzgerald F Scott
• Flock Elizabeth
• Flowers Ashley
• Flynn Gillian
• Flynn Katie
• Foley Lucy
• Forster Kate
• Francis Clare
• Frank Anne
• French Dawn
• French Nicci
• Furnivall Kate

Nicci French is my most read F author (with 10 books) although of course that's actually 2 people writing together - Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, a married couple.  Most of the ones I've read feature Frieda Klein, a psychotherapist.  I read one of that series and was hooked so I worked my way through all of them.  "Waiting for Wednesday" even got 5 stars.  I do love a crime thriller.

I loved Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks but didn't enjoy A Week in December nearly as much.  

I enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and have read another couple by her.

Classics are The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and The Diary of Anne Frank.  

There are a couple of autobiographies on there too.  Vanessa by Vanessa Feltz and Dear Fatty by Dawn French.  I'm not a great reader of biographies but a few have slipped in here and there.  

I also read "Because of You" by Dawn French which is fiction.  My review was, "This is definitely well written in terms of characterisation but the story is not unique and I really didn't find the ending plausible.  To me the ending was tied up neatly with a bow on top and life isn't usually like that.  I certainly engaged with the characters and I did enjoy it but it felt a bit light in places given the seriousness of the story." (The blurb reads: As the old millennium turns into the new, two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters.

Hope leaves with a beautiful baby girl.

Anna leaves with empty arms.)

I sometimes think authors who are also celebrities can trade on their name and popularity.  Or maybe it's just the publishers who do that but I can't help wondering if celebrities submitted their books under an anonymous pseudonym whether they would actually get published.

What do you think?