When I was much younger I was a voracious reader. Unfortunately when I went to college the amount of reading required killed any passion I had for reading for pleasure and I didn't for a while after. I have gotten back into books over the years but have recently made a conscious decision to spend more time reading. It helps that I now commute one hour each way to work = reading time!

Last year I made the same decision about reading and set myself a reading challenge on Goodreads of 12 books in the year, one per month. I failed with only 11 books . So this year, with the new commute, I was more determined and set it at 15 for 2023. I'm at 11 now already and plan to surpass 15 before the end of the year.

My reading taste is usually fantasy fiction; historical fiction; young adult fiction and a few other random bits thrown in there.

I'll update as I finish each book .

Recently finished Murder Most Unladylike (Robin Stevens). It's a children's book aimed at 8-12 year olds, written from the perspective of Hazel and tells of the adventures herself and her friend Daisy get up to solving mysteries, sometimes murders. I wasn't sure how a children's book would deal with murder, no gore but some mention of bloodstains. It's a long time since I was 8-12 years old but I probably would have loved it had it been around then, was always reading mysteries, Enid Blytons Five Find Outers and Dog being a favourite.

Finished Arsenic for Tea yesterday, the second in the Murder Most Unladlylike series. It was much more enjoyable than the first one ^^, I actually wasn't sure whodunnit til the end myself whereas in the first one I had it pegged quite early on. Anyway, another murder mystery for young girls. The guy who dies is the bad guy so no one has too much sympathy for him

Time to move on to a murder mystery for adults I think.

The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory.

I have been threatening to start on Philippa Gregory for several years now and I loved this, I was completely hooked. I know Gregory herself now recommends reading her books in the chronological order of when they were set not when they were written so I have the earliest timewise, The Lady of the Rivers, in my sights next.

P.S. I watched The Other Boleyn Girl film at the weekend after completing the book - it is absolutely desperate in comparison and I disliked it intensely.