February reading and storygraph 2026

The complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle read by Stephen Fry on Audible Carried over from November 2025 and carried over to February 2026

This was a wonderful listen. Stephen Fry is perfect to narrate these. His introductions to each book show a deep and loving relationship with the stories 
There were some chapter headings mix ups in my copy in the final stories. I also had to knock off a star for the racism. I know the stories were written in different times but I did feel some editing should have been done. Some of the accents were very racist and jarred 4 🌟

Edens legacy by Andrew Cunningham 

Loved this, great addition to the series, lovely to see the continuation to the next generation, so loving seeing the characters develop 4.5 🌟

Thursday murder club by Richard Osman

I know im late to this party but this was a very enjoyable book. Quite thought provoking in some ways. Full of very rounded characters with a twisty but enjoyable plot 4.5🌟

The Chinese gold murders by Robert Van Gulik

I love this series, great plotting good pace and fantastic attention to historical detail 5🌟

Batch mate by Jordan Rivet

Loved this, excellent addition to the series 4.5 🌟

Fawning by Ingrid Clayton

A tough but great read. I like that the books gives practical advice on how to recognise fawning and how to stop fawning. Also the lack of blame for fawning 5 🌟

Five on a treasure island by Enid Blyton

Returning to this series over 50 years since I first read them. Yes there are things which are dated and of their time but my goodness Enid Blyton knew how to tell a story, as enchanting as I remembered 5 🌟

Insider by Jordan Rivet 

Cracking addition the series. The action really hots up in this book. Man more revelations about Jane's batch mates, Jordan Rivet writes such convincing universes with engaging and authentic characters. 5 🌟

Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Great take on the gothic thriller with a really likeable heroine. The wrap up felt a bit "hasty" but overall great plot and good pace 4 🌟

Death and the Chapman by Kate Sedley

Normally I love this kind of story but this didn't really gel with me. There seemed to be a lot of scene setting and some rather implausible plot twists 3.5 🌟

Dog days and murder nights by Vivian Keyes

Yes OK this is fine, nothing inherently wrong with this but its just exactly the same as all the others in the series and not (for me anyway) in an endearing way. I liked the series ok but will stop here it's just too samey 3.5 🌟

She who became the sun by Shelley Parker-Chan 

Just not for me DNF

Death at Diamond Hill by Maisie Graves

Oh its all hotting up! I love the way previous stories weave through the plots, slowly knitting the stories together. This could be read as a stand alone but its great to see elements from earlier stories pop up and add to the ongoing story arc.

This is another great mystery, i love that characters are three dimensional, previous wrong doings are redeemed. People are human and fallible. Can't wait for the next one. 5 🌟

The missing maid by Holly Hepburn

Thoroughly enjoyable cosy mystery. Really novel premise feisty heroine and good well paced plot 4 🌟

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson read by Michael Kitchen  on Audible

Michael Kitchen is a wonderful narrator. The first two stories, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hydevthen the Body Snatchers are the best of the trio. 4 🌟

Exile by Jordan Rivet

This series gets better and better.  5 🌟

Tokyo express by Seicho Matsumoto

Interesting book, quite short but it packs a lot in. Very in depth mystery but I found it hard to care about the characters other than the detectives 3.5 🌟

Tasting menu by Stuart McBride

Pretty enjoyable caper. I found it a bit confusing to begin with but once the action gets going it's quite enjoyable. It has all of McBrides usual humour 3.75 🌟

Snowflakes by Ruth Ware

A very satisfying short story. Well plotted paced and with good believable characters 4 🌟

Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite 

This was an enjoyable but predictable short story 3.5 🌟

Slow burner by Laura Lippman

Twisty enjoyable thriller, the author does well with the very short word count. I liked the used of the text messaging 3.75 🌟

The gift by Alison Gaylin

Absolute cracker of a short story, gripping plot well paced great characters. 5 🌟

Let her be by Lisa Unger

I really enjoyed this last installment of the Hush series. Not totally sure about the ending but the whole story was masterfully done 4 🌟

So! What have I learned this month? I still prefer series to stand alone, also I'm pretty good at picking things I like to read

Some new locations!

I decided to put in a new genre, Post Apocalyptic, I've been reading so many of these now I felt they deserved their own genre

I managed to read a fair few prime short stories which was nice, but I don't like borrowing from libby because I don't like reading in my phone

I got some ARCs from a few of my favourite authors, really chuffed! They were so good too, a complete 5 book box set! 

I eventually finished Stephen Frys marathon reading of the complete Sherlock Holmes which was epic! 

February look back

Well, february has been a funny old month. This is GD, Mark gets him to look out the window each lunchtime to look for the 12.30 freight train. It makes us smile 🙂

I have been sitting out every day this year in the morning aiming to get some sun, its been a sair fecht this year! so blooming wet ...

But we had valentines! I had fizz (plus some dessert wine) and it was a lovely night

Scoobs has been using the power washer we got from our neighbour Alex,  what a difference!

This will really help with the house move.

We have had some sun!

I had a visit from a selkie, Jan! she brought me daffodils, they are so pretty and smell lovely

This kind of sums up February!

GD watching his train 🥰

Im in a bit of a dip just now but its ok, Im learning so much about me about how I feel and what i want going forward, there are things and people I definately dont want to go back to, Im learning a lot. Not just about me but about other people.

February furtle

 Well February got off to a nice start with an easy blocks for my siblings together group

Then I caught up with my phenology wheel, I was using patterns from Cutesy crafts but I wasn't too taken with Februarys one so I substituted a violet which is February birth flower

I had a couple of finishes! I finally got around to quilting the Floral Alphabet sampler

And i finished off the dragonfly embroidery 

Im trying not to but fabric i have way more than enough! But Odille Bailloue had a new line out and aren't these gorgeous 

Finally I have finished January on my pages read tracker. I started off using satin stitched but then moved to Rhodes stitch, Nikki (little light stitchery) had a tutorial for it. I've kept the original satin stitched to remind me but I do love the Rhodes stitch, it took some practice but im happy.  Also instead of outlining in red when I finish a book im using a colonial knot. I think they look a bit like boobs 🤣 but I do prefer it.

And thats it! As ever thank you Archie the Wonderdog for hosting 

Dragonfly

I bought this kit as part of my advent selection. I've never done anytime it before. It's a cute idea, it's almost like paint by numbers, the design is printed on the fabric and you stitch on top a bit like paint by numbers. 

And its done! So pretty im glad I persevered with it. The instructions werent brilliant they didnt really work for me so i ended up doing my own thing.

Floral Alphabet sampler

Goodness I have had this for about 5 years so it's high time it got started

I do love it, the fabric is so very soft to work with its all done in quite subtle shades

I love my shroom needle minder but its not very magnetic, well it is and it isnt,  but it's lovely.

I decided to do all the letters first then do the flowers, that was the right choice

I loved doing the foxglove i do love a colonial knot

And its finished!!!! I managed eventually to quilt and bind this, i used some liberty from my stash. I love this and am so glad to have done this