March reading and storygraph

Five go adventuring again by Enid Blyton

I just love this series, I'd forgotten how much I learned as a child from reading these stories 5🌟

The Lacquer Screen by Robert Van Gulik

Another excellent addition to the series 5 🌟

The best of Sherlock Holmes vol 1 read by Sir John Gielguid and Sir Ralph Richardson on Audible 

Fantastic rendition of the stories, Sir Ralph Richardson is a brilliant Watson, Sir John Gielgud is great as Holmes but Richardson steals the show 5 🌟

Five run away together by Enid Blyton

Loved this one! Another adventure on Kirrin Island, the odious Stick family add a different dimension to the tale 5 🌟

The red coffin by Sam Eastland narrated by Stephen Pacey on Audible 

This series just gets better and better. Beautifully written, blending revolutionary history with Stalin era. Stephen Pacey is a wonderful narrator 5 🌟

The Broken girls by Simone St James

Absolutely gripping. I loved the dual time zone element. Believable characters excellent pacing and a fantastic plot 5 🌟

Adversary by Jordan Rivet

Incredible finish to the series, so much action. It was dizzying at times, what a roller coaster! All the emotions for this finale!

Another amazing series by Jorda Rivet. Love her writing so much 5 🌟

Bitter truth by CJ Carmichael 

What a brilliant series. Reminds me so much of Peyton Place all the secrets and lies. Really good mystery too 4.5 🌟

Ghosts are people too by Carolyn Ridder Aspension

I had no preconceptions starting this book but was pleasantly surprised. I hadnt read the first one which might have helped but this could be read as a stand alone 4 🌟

Scienceville and other stories by Gary Gibson

A mixed bag of short stories 3.75 🌟

Plague land by S.D. Sykes

Didn't grab me DNF

The tale of the tailor and the three dead kings by Dan Jones

Enjoyable tale but I didn't really get the point of it. 3.5 🌟

The Island scaregrounds by Eldritch Black

OK these are quite formulaic but still very well written engaging stories with loveable main characters 4 🌟

David Joseph chronicle by Terence Newnes

Just not for me DNF

Checkmate by Mark Dewar

Just didn't grab me DNF

Cupcakes, trinkets and other deadly magic by Megan Ciana Doidge

I was a bit fazed by this to begin with as I thought it was a cosy mystery. It is most definitely no a cosy mystery! 

But I did enjoy it, well written and paced good plot and premise 4 🌟

The bookseller of Inverness by SG MacLean

Beautiful lyrical story. Steeped in history, and written with such affection. The authors attention to historical accuracy is wonderful 

5 🌟

New York cheesecake chaos by Addison Moore

This was a decent enough cosy but just a bit too frenetic for me 3.25

Echoterminus by Gary Gibson 

Cracking final installment of the series. Action packed, edge of the seat stuff. A good ending, not too neat not too ambiguous. 

I did struggle to begin with trying to remember all the different instances of each character but I got into the swing of it eventually  4.25 🌟

Nightshade by ES Thomson 

Fabulous what a great series this is, imaginative plot, great characters 4.5 🌟

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, BBC Classics on Audible

Very faithful adaptation. An older BBC version with a wonderful cast. Some unusual pronunciations of names

C 4.5 🌟allie by Bill Thompson

Just not for me DNF

Remember me like this by Bret Anthony Johnson

Just not for me DNF

Five go to Smugglers Top by Enid Blyton 

Loved this one 5 🌟

Innate magic by Shannon Fey

Just not for me DNF

Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

Interesting to finally read this. The original gothic novel. It is of its time But still a good read 4 🌟

The waxwork man by JC Briggs

A very moving addition to the series 4 🌟

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Hmmmm, I read these stories years ago as an adult so I thought i would still love it over 20 years later. I do still love it, Brian Jaques is a great story teller, he doesn't shy away from hard things, you see death in these stories. But I'm pretty disappointed in the depictions of female characters. Yes there are strong independent females, Constance the badger for example but the depiction of Cornflower disappointed me, hence the lower rating 3.75 🌟

Woolen witness by Fiona Grace

Yikes, is this AI? Another reviewer suggests it is and its so badly written I can believe it. I finished this as its short and I had added it to a reading challenge I seriously wished i hadn't

The slew of knitting related similies and metaphors set my teeth on edge it was just too much. The over use of Yarn, Knit, pattern etc was nauseating  1 🌟

Judge Dee at work by Robert Van Gulik 

I love these stories, a collection of short stories featuring Judge Dee. Perfect 5 🌟

Yule be sorry by Mona Marple on Spotify 

Lovely edition. Ive read the books but wanted to listen to the audio version. A really good narrator 5 🌟

I never did make it back home by William Loeb

Really well written, great characterisation good plot good pace 4.5 🌟

Noose by Sarah Lea

This was just too short, very predictable but with little real substance 2.5 🌟

Not all dragons breathe fire by Naomi Lastrucci

This is a sweet story, it packs a lot into a short space, lovely 4 🌟

So! How was March? A high nono books read but many were shorter, im keeping up my challenge reading as well which is good. No big surprises here. Im still loving post apocalyptic tales but may have caught upbwith all those series. A few good punts on unknown authors which is always nice. All in all a good month