January is behind us. For some it will have been the longest January ever. For others it will have been busy enough to keep them occupied enough. For us, it’s been a daily balance of working full time and home-schooling children, a balance that hasn’t always been maintained. This has meant I’ve not had as much time as usual to read. However the books incoming has also been reduced so it may be that I’m closer to a balance this month than I had estimated.
Here’s what made it through the many snow drifts to land through the letterbox.
- My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, a treat to myself from Reposed.
- Under a Dark Angel’s Eye by Patricia Highsmith, sent for review by Virago.
- The Rosary Garden by Nicola White, sent for review by Viper.
- The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr, sent for review by the British Library.
- Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden, sent for review by Canongate.
- How to Save a Life by Eva Carter, sent for review by Mantle.
- The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning.
- The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning.
- Friends and Heroes by OIivia Manning, all three Manning novels were sent for review by Windmill.
Here’s what I read this month.
- The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean.
- Trace Elements by Donna Leon.
- Third Girl by Agatha Christie.
- Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll (though I had started this last year and put it down).
- Black Widows by Cate Quinn.
No books permanently left, though I did lend two to my mother in law and four to my mother. So it was nine in and five out (or 11 out if we include the temporary release). Not too bad. I expect February will be as quiet on the incoming and outgoing front so it may be even more balanced. We shall but see. Here’s to an uneventful (and preferably less snowy) February.
Happy reading and keep safe.
From First Page to Last 
I hear you about just trying to maintain the balance day to day. I haven’t even had time to think about what month it was (other than that it was January in Japan) – no long-term thinking here, just trying to make it through each day and each week…
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That sounds like a decent ratio! Just coping with life is enough at the moment!
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Very true!
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Really hope you enjoy the Olivia Manning books when you get to them. You probably know I am quite a fan.
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I’m hoping to get to at least one of them very soon.
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I haven’t read a Donna Leon in years, but just found my old editions ☺️ I just might pick them up again
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I hope you enjoy them again if you do 🙂
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Well done, my books are getting out of control since I can’t donate to charity shops, they are everywhere.
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I still have some I need to cull and donate to charity. Looks like we may be able to soon 🙂
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I’m rooting for Mrs Death Misses Death moving up your pile!
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As you know, it moved up the pile and eventually left it 🙂
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At least there ARE some books going out. Mine all seemed to be coming in the other direction towards the end of last year !
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Well I don’t think March will see many books going out, given the rate I’m reading at the moment!
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