BOOK TAG!!! The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

It’s been a while since I did a book tag so I was delighted when BooksAre42 tagged me in the Quarter Year Crisis Book tag. This tag seemed like a great opportunity to check in on my reading for 2024, and to tell you a little bit about some of the other things that have been part of my reading life this year. This tag was created by Roisin’s Reading over on BookTube.

I’m not going to formally tag anyone in this post but, if you read this and would like to have a go at this tag, I’ll post a clean copy of the questions at the end of this post. Please do tag me (and the original tag creator) if you decide to take on the tag as I’d love to read your responses!

Now, let’s get to having that Quarter Year Crisis shall we?

How many books have you read so far?

I’ve read 21 books so far in 2024. This is considerably less than I’d read at the same point last year but I’m not too surprised about that. I’m in the final stages of my PhD in English Literature so I’m currently preparing my thesis for submission, alongside several part-time job roles. Two of my part-time roles involve teaching so, between that and the PhD, I’ve been doing a lot of reading for work and considerably less reading for pleasure. So what I should probably say is that, given I don’t usually track the academic texts and obscure bits of eighteenth-century literature that I read for ‘work’ on Goodreads, I’ve read 21 books purely for entertainment this year. And I’ll take that as a win given everything else that’s going on!

Have you found a book that you think might be a 2024 favourite?

Yes! My first read of the year was Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and I really enjoyed its blend of gothic mystery and ‘two-halves-of-a-whole-idiot-catch-feelings’ romance. I’m keen to read more books by this author so I have The Ten Thousand Doors of January on my shelf and am hoping to get to it in the not-too-distant future. I’d also welcome book recommendations for readalikes so if anyone has them, please do drop them in the comments below!

I’m also currently reading The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton and think it might be another contender. I loved both Stuart’s previous books – The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water – and, by what I’ve read so far, this is going to be another ingeniously plotted mystery with a unique twist. Expect a full review in the near future.

Any least favourite book of the year?

I don’t really go in for least favourites. Although there have been books that didn’t wholly fulfil my expectations, I generally give myself permission to DNF books that I’m not enjoying.

That said, there have been one or two books that have been ‘right book, wrong time’ books this year. The PhD isn’t leaving a huge amount of brain space and, as a result, my tolerance for literary fiction has definitely reduced. I’ve attempted to read both The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell and The Fraud by Zadie Smith this year but have found myself returning them to the shelf unfinished. I’m sure they’ll both prove to be excellent reads once I’ve got the brain capacity to fully enjoy them but that time is likely to be after the thesis has been submitted!

Most read genre?

It will come as no surprise to anyone who regularly reads this blog that my most read genre of the year is mystery. It’s my go-to comfort genre, especially when I need to just switch off and relax. My most recent mystery read was A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

A book that surprised me?

Honestly, Starling House was a real surprise. I don’t always get on with fantasy novels so I was a bit suspicious about whether I’d gel with a book that had such strong magical realist elements. It’s definitely a book that has made me rethink my reading relationship to fantasy and magical realism as a genre.

A book that has come out in 2024 that I haven’t yet read?

As usual, the pace of my book acquisition has vastly outpaced the pace of my reading in 2024! There are several 2024 releases on my TBR pile including The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, The Beholders by Hester Musson, A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, and The Book Forger by Joseph Hone.

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at?

Completing my PhD?! Honestly, although I’m reading less I’m also putting myself under less pressure to read when I’m not feeling it. Not only does this mean I’ve been able to spend time on some other long-neglected hobbies (namely working through my gaming backlog) but I think I’m enjoying the time that I spend with the books I do read more. So I guess I’m succeeding at the goal of being a little kinder in my reading life.

One goal that you need to focus on?

I stopped setting formal reading goals a couple of years ago. I set an annual Goodreads goal (52 books) but, beyond that, I find them something of a deterrent to a healthy reading practice. So in that spirit, my goal is simply to keep reading!

The Questions!

• How many books have you read so far?
• Have you found a book that you think might be a 2024 favourite?
• Any least favourite book of the year?
• Most read genre?
• A book that surprised me?
• A book that has come out in 2024 that I haven’t yet read?
• One goal you made that you’re succeeding at?
• One goal that you need to focus on?

All of the books mentioned in this post can be purchased from your nearest bookseller or online retailer. If you can, please support a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, The Big Green Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, and Berts Books. 

Reviews on The Shelf are free, honest, and unbiased and I don’t use affiliate links on my posts. However, if you enjoy the blog, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!

The End of the Year Book Tag 2023

How is it nearly December already? I am feeling extremely underprepared for both the festive season but at least the upcoming turn of the year gives me an excuse to post a book tag!

The End of the Year Book Tag was created by BookTuber Ariel Bissett several years ago but it’s stood the test of time and many people continue to use the tag to review their reading and set some final reading goals. So, without further ado, here is my End of the Year Book Tag for 2023!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m reading three books at the moment that I’d like to get finished before the end of 2023: Possession by A S Byatt, I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai, and The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly. I’m enjoying all three but I’ve had very limited leisure reading time recently thanks to a combination of work and PhD pressures. It doesn’t help that these are also all quite chunky! Hopefully I’ll get some time to finish them all up over Christmas and New Year.

I’m also keen to make progress with my ongoing reading of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I’ve been reading this on-and-off since 2021 and, by the end of 2023, I’d like to finish Book Three ready to tackle the final book in 2024!

Do you have an autumnal book to transition to the end of the year?

I think both The Skeleton Key and Possession are quite autumnal. Both books are centred around literary mysteries and long-buried secrets and, as mentioned above, they’re both pretty chunky books. As the dark nights draw in, I like reading books that I can really sink into, and both of these fit the bill perfectly.

Once we’re into December, I’ll also be turning to some festive reads. This year, I’m really looking forward to reading The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict, and The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson. I also love a good festive ghost story so I’m looking forward to reading the British Library Tales of the Weird collection, Haunters at the Hearth and also The Winter Spirits, which features some of my favourite contemporary authors.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

No, but there are several books that released in 2023 that I’ve not yet gotten around to and would like to make them a priority for 2024 including R F Kuang’s Babel and Yellowface, and Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

I think I’ve already listed several books that will be keeping me busy throughout December! The size of my TBR pile already suggests I need the whole month off without adding any more to it!

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

Possession is shaping up to be a strong contender. This is the second time that I’ve attempted to read this novel. When I first read it – 10 or more years ago – I bounced off it’s density and didn’t really understand what Byatt was trying to do. Returning to it as I near the end of my own PhD, I’m really drawn to the story of academic rivalries and literary unravelling. And Byatt’s writing is just masterful.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2024?

I stopped setting reading goals some years ago. As a butterfly reader, I find that too many goals and targets prevent me from reading by whim, which is always a one way trip to slumptown. I’ll set my usual Goodreads target of 52 books a year but, beyond that, the only thing I want to do in 2024 is to work through my backlog and keep conquering that TBR!

I hope you enjoyed reading my End of the Year Book Tag. I’m not going to tag anyone specific here but, if you’ve read this and want to take part, please do tag me so I can see your responses (and make sure you tag Ariel as the originator of the tag too!).

If you are interested in buying any of the books I’ve mentioned in this tag, please consider supporting a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, The Big Green Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, and Berts Books. 

Reviews on The Shelf are free, honest, and unbiased and I don’t use affiliate links on my posts. However, if you enjoy the blog, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!.

BOOK TAG!!! The Afternoon Tea Book Tag

It’s been a little while since I took part in a book tag so many thanks to Ashley over at Books Are 42 for tagging me in this one, originally created by The Incessant Bookworm! Who, after all, doesn’t love a good cup of tea and some related afternoon-tea nibbles, especially if you can curl up with a good book whilst partaking of it?

Finger Sandwiches: A Book You Savoured Every Minute Of

I absolutely loved every moment of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. With its combination of old-school glamour and intrigue and its tender examination of life-long love and devotion, it was a novel that absolutely lived up to the hype and had me hooked from first page to last.

Scones: A Book Everyone Should Own

A good dictionary! Yes, I know that’s something of a dull answer – and probably demonstrates the extent of my word-nerdery – but tastes in fiction and non-fiction vary and I genuinely do think that the benefits of a dictionary are under-rated. One of the (many) benefits of reading is an improved vocabulary and I enjoy being able to look up the meaning of new or unfamiliar words that I read.

As a PhD student and lecturer, I’m also very aware of how easy it is to fall prey to malapropisms if you’re not careful. English is a fascinating language but there are many ‘confusables’ (there/their/they’re being just a few of them) so a dictionary – and a good, user-friendly grammar guide such as Dryer’s English or Eats, Shoots and Leaves – are invaluable.

Biscuits: A Book that Can be Finished in One Sitting

I read Claire Keegan’s masterful Small Things Like These in one sitting way back in January and still haven’t found the words to write up a full review. It’s a wonderful novel of quiet heroism and tenderness that with a resonance that belies its slender 128 pages.

In an Irish town in 1985, coal and timber merchant Bill Furlong is preparing for Christmas: his busiest season. As Bill does his rounds, the reader gets a glimpse into this small community and, gradually, we begin to see the silences that lie at the heart of a town in thrall to – and controlled by – the Church.

Beautifully written and deeply touching, Small Things Like These is one of those novellas you need to curl up with and lose yourself in, and that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

Patisserie: A Book that is Light and Easy to Read

If I’m in a reading slump, I usually find myself returning to Agatha Christie. Her ingenious plotting never fails to keep the pages turning whilst spending time with Poirot or Miss Marple invariably feels like spending time with an old friend.

I’ve been re-reading the Poirot books in order via audiobook and have just finished listening to Death in the Clouds. They’re brilliantly narrated by Hugh Fraser (who played Captain Hastings in the ITV adaptation), with some titles also available narrated by David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh, both of whom have played Poirot to much acclaim.

I also find the British Library Crime Classics series to be similarly easy and enjoyable reads. John Bude’s series featuring Superintendent Meredith – which begins with The Lake District Murder – has become a firm favourite whilst I’ve enjoyed the short story collections Murder by the Book: Bibliophile Mysteries and Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries, both edited by Martin Edwards.

Showstopper: A Book that Blew You Away

I don’t often get ‘blown away’ by books but I raved about both Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke once I’d finished them, and have since urged copies of both onto numerous friends and relations.

Set in a fantastic House and featuring an unforgettable protagonist Piranesi, is a seemingly simple tale that becomes increasingly fantastical. Small Pleasures, by contrast, begins with a fantastical tale that, once you dig beneath the surface, is a relatively simple story of love, longing, and – yes – the titular small pleasures.

Both novels are beautifully written and immersive experiences that, although they tell their tales simply, do so with great warmth and with a tenderness that captures the human experience on the page.

Tea: A Heart-warming Classic

J R R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is my go-to classic novel and I’ve written several times on the blog about why I love it so. For the sake of variety, therefore, I will suggest another classic here.

I’ve just finished reading George Eliot’s Middlemarch for the first time and I absolutely adored it. Don’t be put off by its length (or its preoccupation with the 1832 Reform Bill). Instead focus on Eliot’s blisteringly realistic portrait of provincial life in all its varied and messy glory.

Doomed romances, grasping relatives, hoary old misers, damaging secrets, warm-hearted fathers, impoverished clergymen: all of them jump out of the pages of Middlemarch, coming alive thanks to Eliot’s attention to detail and biting wit. Henry James described Middlemarch as a ‘treasure-house of detail’ while Virginia Woolf famously endorsed George Eliot’s masterpiece as ‘one of the few English novels written for grown-up people’: I concur with both.

Many thanks again to Ashlee for tagging me, and to The Incessant Bookwork for creating such a fun tag! I’m tagging:

Stephen at Stephen Writes

Hannah at Han Loves to Read

Danni at For Books Sake

and anyone else who’d like to take part! If you do decide to give the tag ago, please tag me in your posts so I can see your responses – and don’t forget to credit the tag creator too!

All of the books mentioned today can be purchased from all good booksellers and online retailers.

If you can, please support a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, The Big Green Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, and Berts Books. 

Reviews and content on The Shelf are free, honest, and unbiased and I don’t use affiliate links on my posts. However if you enjoy the blog please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!

The 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag!

When I looked at my blog schedule and realised that a post would need to go live on Boxing Day, it seemed sensible to plan in advance and get a nice festive tag prepared before I enter into a turkey and stuffing sandwich induced fog for the foreseeable future. I spotted this tag over on AndOnSheReads‘s blog and it looked like festive fun so, without further ado, let’s take a wander through the 12 Days of Christmas, bookish-style!

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE.
The partridge stood alone in the pear tree. What is your favourite stand alone?

The majority of my reading is probably made up of stand alone novels – I’m a terrible series reader. It’s hard to pick just one book as my ‘favourite’ reads change regularly. So instead I’m going to pick a favourite from this year and go with Piranesi by Susanna Clarke which is a quietly beautiful novel about the aforementioned Piranesi and his life in the labyrinthine House. Combining magical realism, fairy-tale/fable, and an immensely human character study, it has to be one of my novels of the year for 2021.

ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: TWO TURTLE DOVES.
Love is in the air! Who is your one true pairing?

Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The fandom is divided over whether they are a couple in the romantic sense but, as Neil Gaiman himself has said, “whatever Aziraphale and Crowley are, it’s a love story”. For me, I love that their love story encompasses more than just the romantic and/or erotic love we usually see depicted on the page. Instead, they have a love for one another that includes a deep and abiding friendship between equals, a protective familial love, hospitality, kindness, passion, and so much more. One thing I know from reading the book (and watching the marvellous TV adaptation) is that wherever Aziraphale is, you’ll find Crowley not far away – and vice versa. They are two sides of the same coin and couldn’t be without each other. Which makes them my ultimate OTP.

ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: THREE FRENCH HENS.
In the spirit of threes, what is the best trilogy you have read?

It’s well-known that one of my favourite books in The Lord of the Rings which is, of course, a trilogy. But I’ve used that in tag answers before so, in the spirit of novelty, I’m going to pick a more recent trilogy and go with Hilary Mantel’s blisteringly brilliant Wolf Hall trilogy. Comprising of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light, the trilogy tells of the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, Secretary of State to the temperamental Henry VIII. The final book, The Mirror and the Light, is still on my TBR simply because I can’t bear to read the end of Cromwell’s journey however, based on the first two novels, I know I’ll be in for an emotive and brilliantly realised journey into the political machinations of Tudor England.

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: FOUR CALLING BIRDS.
Since series usually consist of four or more books, what is your favourite series?

As I said at the start of this post, I’m a terrible series reader. Between the PhD and the blog, I don’t get a lot of time to re-read which makes keeping up with series – especially those where there may be a lengthy wait between books – quite tricky. One series I have LOVED however, is Matt Wesolowski’s Six Stories novels. The latest, Demon, has just been published in ebook format and I’m reading it in preparation for the blog tour in January. It’s just as creepy and thrilling as its five predecessors and is written with Wesolowski’s usual flair and pace. Each novel is told as a podcast over six episodes – hence Six Stories – and investigates a true crime that, usually, has supernatural or folkloric connections. They’re utterly compelling novels and its a series I highly recommend.

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: FIVE GOLDEN RINGS.
One ring to rule them all! Who is your favourite Villain/Antagonist?

I hesitate to call him an antagonist but I’m going to go with Loki. Appropriately enough for Loki, there are many variations and versions of him – the most prominent at present being Tom Hiddleston’s take on the character within the Marvel cinematic universe. For an introduction to the mythological Loki, I can recommend Neil Gaiman’s lively retellings in Norse Mythology. My favourite Loki, meanwhile, is the witty, chaotic trickster-god found in Joanne M. Harris’ The Gospel of Loki and its sequel, The Testament of Loki.

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: SIX GEESE A LAYING.
Creation is a beautiful thing. What is your favourite world/world-building?

We usually think of world-building as being a fantasy/science fiction thing but I don’t read a lot of either genre. I do, however, read A LOT of historical fiction and I think the creation of an immersive historical world is just as important as the creation of a fantastical or imagined one. Lauren Groff’s Matrix catapulted me straight into twelfth-century England and the life of the indomitable Marie de France. By the end of the novel, I felt as if I had lived, breathed, worked, prayed, grieved, and celebrated alongside Marie and her abbey community – a true feat of world-building from a novelist at the height of her powers.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: SEVEN SWANS A SWIMMING.
Who needs seven swans when all it takes is one good animal sidekick? Who’s your favourite animal sidekick?

I haven’t read a lot of books with animal sidekicks so I’m going to cheat a bit on this one. Jess Kidd’s fabulous Things in Jars features a recently deceased. heavily tattooed, and annoyingly handsome boxer as a sidekick to the brilliant (and brilliantly complex) heroine Bridie Divine. Rudy Doyle is a fantastic creation and his evolving relationship with Bridie one of the highlights of this superb novel.

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: EIGHT MAIDS A MILKING.
Milk is so 18th century. Which book or series takes beverages/food to a whole new level?

Never has a book made me so hungry as Joanne Harris’s Chocolat! The descriptions of delicious treats in Vianne’s chocolate shop made me so hungry that I had to go out and buy some really nice, really posh handmade chocolates. They didn’t have the magical abilities of Vianne’s chocolates, but they were really nice!

ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: NINE LADIES DANCING.
Dancing is just one skill of a Lady! Who is your favourite kickass female lead?

Out of recent reads, I have to say that I really admire Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë from Bella Ellis’s Brontë Mysteries series! One of my favourite things about this particular series is the way Ellis has captured the spirit of the three Brontë sisters. From Charlotte’s carefully considered determination and Emily’s wild ferocity, to Anne’s more gentle but no less courageous personality. All three had to fight for their voices to be heard in a world that frequently dismissed young, unmarried women – and Ellis’s novels, which begin with The Vanished Bride, show that admirably.

ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: TEN LORDS A LEAPING.
How about your favourite leading lad?

Hercule Poirot might not be everyone’s choice of leading man – he’s fussy, somewhat arrogant, and annoyingly clever and, for many years, I greatly preferred the company of Miss Marple. Thanks to the the wonderful gang at The Write Reads and, in particular, Fiona from Fi’s Bibliofiles who organised our Poirot readalong, I’ve discovered the delights of Mr Hercule Poirot’s company. In addition to being the sleuth solving Christie’s deliciously concocted mysteries, I’ve come to love Poirot for his quiet care and attention. Beneath the fussiness is an observant and deeply philosophical man who frequently uses his outward eccentricities to get to the bottom of things. In addition to Christie’s own Poirot novels, Sophie Hannah has written four excellent continuations which start with The Monogram Murders and which perfectly capture Poirot’s voice and mannerisms.

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: ELEVEN PIPES PIPING.
What is your favourite book or bookish thing with musical influence? (It can be about music, reference music a lot etc.)

Oh gosh, this is a tricky one! I don’t really have any musical recommendations so I’m cheating on this one again and going to recommend some stories about things that go bump in the night! Yes, I do love a good ghost story and one of my favourite ghost story writers is the masterful M R James. James’s stories are packed to brimming with strange noises and ghostly apparitions but, for my money, what makes his work truly genius is his ability to challenge the senses and create a real sense of the uncanny. There may even be some stories featuring ghostly music in his Collected Ghost Stories but, even if there aren’t, read it for the otherworldly delights contained within!

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: 12 DRUMMERS DRUMMING.
Drum roll please… what is your favourite read of this year?

I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint and refuse to answer this one…yet. I’ll be putting a Best Books of the Year post up around the New Year so I’ll be holding you in anticipation until then!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this festive book tag. I’m not going to tag anyone in particular but, if you’d like to have a go at this tag, consider yourself tagged!!

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Whether you celebrate or not, I hope you have a peaceful, happy, restful, and bookish festive season and would like to thank you for following my little blog and for sharing and commenting on my posts this year.

Much love and well wishes

Amy x

If you are tempted to order any of my featured book, please consider supporting a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, The Big Green Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, and Berts Books. 

Reviews on The Shelf are free, honest, and unbiased and I don’t use affiliate links on my posts. However if you enjoy the blog please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!