I’ve been sick this past week so spent much of it wallowing and sharing self-pity-ridden updates on social media. It’s still flown by nonetheless so already time to check in on my reading and blogging.

What I read

I started the week with Julian Leatherdale’s Palace of Tears.  At 560 pages it took three baths nights to read. Fortunately it didn’t drag and I didn’t struggle with its length despite not usually reading historical fiction.

I then tackled Judy Blume’s latest, In The Unlikely Event. I was raving last week about how I’d never read any of Blume’s earlier work but when I looked at her bio I realised I had—at some point—read, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret. I had no idea she’d written that and am not really sure when I read it…. although it was definitely years after it came out in 1970.

What I wrote

For reasons unknown to even me, I pondered on whether it’s possible for us to be both cat AND dog people. I’m struggling to publish anything too personal at the moment, so my non-book related posts are all a bit obscure. I’m not sure when that will change. When I feel a bit better, I hope.

As suggested by someone a week or two ago, I shared an interview with self-published author Joanne Tracey about the process. Like me (in my pre-seachange life), Joanne’s a project manager (IRL) so developed a very useful project plan, but also shares info on how to select an editor and the difference between structural and copy edits. And so forth.

And finally I blogged about Palace of Tears, which is out here in Australia in a couple of days. I enjoyed the book and really really really love the richness of its cover.

Other stuff

I’ve been sick. Oh….? Did I already mention that? I felt so miserable mid-week I thought about escaping to my mothers so I had someone to whinge to, but decided it would be irresponsible to share my illness with my 71 year old mum… so settled for self-pity tweets and depressing Facebook updates instead.

I’ve actually just had a cold. Sore throat, sinus pain, cough etc. I’m hoping it’s just a short and sweet change-of-season cold and doesn’t hang around long as I’d forgotten how tired one gets when sick.

What I’m reading this week

Next on my reading agenda is Mark Billingham’s Time of Death. I’ve not read any of his novels before and have no idea why, but am about to rectify that oversight.

And then I’m planning to read Kathleen MacMahon’s The Long Hot Summer. I’m a tad worried it’s a bit too saga-ish for me. The tag line is, “Nine Lives. Four Generations. One Family.” I am however, trying to appreciate books which feature stuff other than murder and mayhem, so….

And then… a book I’ve had sitting waiting for me for MONTHS… What Doesn’t Kill Her by Carla Norton.

And that’s it on the book blogging front for this week. I’m hoping my cold disappears and I’m a tad less miserable on my next check-in.

In the meantime… what’s on your agenda?

Linking up with the Caffeinated Book Reviewer for the Sunday Post and Book Journey, for It’s Monday!