Stewart’s memoir is my favourite kind of actors’ autobiography, combining lots of Shakespeare, building from one-liner parts to the title character, then film and TV success, with more …

Annabookbel

08.08.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – Nos 11 & 14 – Newman and Barry – AnnaBookBel

My internet is back, but it’s patchy, so I bought a wireless home hub to fill in the outages! I’ve now read 17/20 books of my 20 Books and have some reviewing catch-up to do. Here&#8217…

Annabookbel

06.08.2025

20BooksofSummer2025 – July Questionnaire – AnnaBookBel

As she did for our June reading, Emma has created another fun questionnaire. Do join in! Get the link here. Now here are my answers this month: Which book surprised you the most this month?I starte…

Annabookbel

06.08.2025

Lay Your Armour Down by Michael Farris Smith – blogtour (belatedly) – AnnaBookBel

Argh – I would have posted this days ago, but I’ve had no internet – the idea of trying to do WP on my phone terrifies me. Sadly, there’s a major fault in the cabinet my wif…

Annabookbel

02.08.2025

Six Degrees of Separation: The Safekeep – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks a starting…

Annabookbel

02.08.2025

Women in Translation Month – #WITMonth2025 – AnnaBookBel

For many years now, August has been Women in Translation Month – #WITMonth, hosted by Meytal. I’m not sure whether she’s continuing to run it formally this year, but I along with …

Annabookbel

01.08.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – The third and final month… – AnnaBookBel

June started the 2025 20 Books campaign off brilliantly and July continued the trend. Emma and I have been delighted with your wonderful response, and we hope you’ve enjoyed visiting some of …

Annabookbel

29.07.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 no 10 – Bad Actors by Mick Herron – AnnaBookBel

I’m managing to keep up with my 20 books – just finishing reading 12 & 13 at the moment, and nos 13 & 14 will be a double bill of Maigrets in new editions which I’ll be re…

Annabookbel

29.07.2025

The Serial Killer’s Party by Amy Cunningham – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

A new to me author, but what a fun sounding thriller! You can’t beat a book about rich people being naughty and profligate with added bodies for a summer thriller read – and on that sco…

Annabookbel

29.07.2025

Divinity Games by Lou Gilmond – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Two years ago, I read Lou Gilmond’s first novel – a near future set political thriller called Dirty Geese, and enjoyed it a lot. It featured Harry Colbey and Esme Kanha, both Tory MPs, …

Annabookbel

29.07.2025

Shiny Linkiness, #parisinjuly2025 #20BooksofSummer2025 #TranslationThursday – AnnaBookBel

Every Thursday it’s #TranslationThursday as founded by Stu (I’m never quite sure if I get that tag right), and this and last week, I posted reviews at Shiny New Books of translated fict…

Annabookbel

10.07.2025

Lost in the Garden by Adam Leslie – #20BooksofSummer2025 No 9 and a DNF – AnnaBookBel

I’m currently reading my 11th book of my 20, loving Sandwich so far – a brilliant summery read. But I had one DNF too – let me get that out of the way with a few comments. The App…

Annabookbel

06.07.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – Nos 7-8, Herron & Osman – AnnaBookBel

Nine books now read, time for reviews of numbers 7 & 8, which just begged to be paired together, as both involve crime / spies, but both later volumes in series, where I don’t want to say…

Annabookbel

05.07.2025

Six Degrees of Separation: Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees p…

Annabookbel

04.07.2025

A Sting in her Tail by Mark Ezra – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

What do old spies do after they’ve retired? If you’re Richard Osman’s Elizabeth, decamped to a retirement village with her husband who has dementia, you keep your hand in, recruit…

Annabookbel

02.07.2025

Murder Tide by Stella Blómkvist – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Quentin Bates This series of crime thrillers by the anonymous author Stella Blómkvist, who shares their pseudonym with the main character has been a big success in Iceland, with over …

Annabookbel

01.07.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – mid-season reading… – AnnaBookBel

June started the 2025 20 Books campaign off brilliantly with tons of you linking, commenting and tweeting etc giving Emma and I, and you, of course, loads of wonderful reviews to explore. It’…

Annabookbel

30.06.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – June Recap & Questionnaire – AnnaBookBel

Emma and I hope you had a great month of summer reading. The July post with the linky for your July reviews will be here tomorrow. Meanwhile over on Emma’s blog, you can join in with the End …

Annabookbel

29.06.2025

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – Book 5 of my #20BooksofSummer2025 – AnnaBookBel

That’s 8 summer books read now, so it’s time for another review, I’m getting behind in them. I’ve been meaning to read more novels by Emma Straub ever since I read her debut…

Annabookbel

28.06.2025

Shiny Linkiness – Kidd & Brown – AnnaBookBel

I’ve had two reviews published at Shiny New Books in the past couple of week, so just highlighting them here. Murder at Gull’s Nest by Jess Kidd This is the first in a new series from t…

Annabookbel

24.06.2025

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey (with Ginny) #20BooksofSummer2025 No 6 – AnnaBookBel

So that’s 7 books read – I hope to fit in an 8th before the month is out, but have a couple of review copies to cover first. But I’m on track for my 20 books with the holidays and…

Annabookbel

20.06.2025

The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw – Alex Cupidi 5 – #20BooksofSummer2025 – Book No 3 – AnnaBookBel

William Shaw is one of my favourite UK crime writers. His DS Alex Cupidi novels which are set in Kent and around Dungeness in particular are particularly strong for their sense of place, but also t…

Annabookbel

14.06.2025

Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Quentin Bates A first novel in translation by an award-winning Icelandic screenwriter, Broken is a police procedural that’s the beginning of a trilogy – translated by Quen…

Annabookbel

12.06.2025

Invisible Kitties by Yu Yoyo, #ReadingtheMeow2025 #20BooksofSummer2025 – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Jeremy Tiang It’s great to be able to cover two challenges with one book – as well as being one of my 20 Books of Summer, Invisible Kitties is also for Mallika’s&nbsp…

Annabookbel

07.06.2025

Six Degrees of Separation: All Fours by Miranda July – AnnaBookBel

First Saturday of the month and time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees p…

Annabookbel

07.06.2025

Oleander, Jacaranda: A Childhood Perceived by Penelope Lively – Book Group report and #20BooksofSummer2025 -No 2 – AnnaBookBel

When our Book Group, which is picking flora or fauna related titles at the moment, didn’t pull this one out of the hat for ‘J’, we recycled it for ‘O’! Published in 19…

Annabookbel

05.06.2025

Dinner Party: A Tragedy by Sarah Gilmartin – #20BooksofSummer2025 no 1 – AnnaBookBel

I read Irish author Gilmartin’s second novel, Service, a couple of years ago, which featured a three part #MeToo storyline involving a chef/patron of a top-end Dublin restaurant, his wife and…

Annabookbel

03.06.2025

Red Water by Jurica Pavičić – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Translated from Croatian by Matt Robinson Earlier this month I read my first novel by a Bulgarian author, now I can add Croatia too to my European lit list with this multi European prize-winning no…

Annabookbel

03.06.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – all systems are go! – AnnaBookBel

Thank you, thank you all for your fantastic responses to Emma and I keeping 20 books going. The number of sign-ups and comments on the planning post is just brilliant. If you still need to pick up …

Annabookbel

28.05.2025

The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Joseph Farrell Back in 2010 I read and reviewed Almost Blue, one of Carlo Lucarelli’s contemporary Italian police procedurals, which was highly original with a blind witness who…

Annabookbel

26.05.2025

An evening with Joe Dunthorne at Mostly Books – AnnaBookBel

Joe Dunthorne is probably best known for his debut novel Submarine, published in 2008, which I read -pre-blog, and the 2010 film adapted from it by Richard Ayoade. Two more novels followed, Wild Ab…

Annabookbel

22.05.2025

Heatwave, The Summer of 1976, Britain at Boiling Point by John L Williams – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

The 1970s was the decade during which I was a teenager, from start to finish – encompassing the whole of my time at senior school and my first years at university. Regardless of all the polit…

Annabookbel

20.05.2025

Hattie Steals the Show by Patrick Gleeson – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Last May I had the pleasure of reading Gleeson’s first Theatreland Mystery, Hattie Brings the House Down, It introduced us to Harriet ‘Hattie’ Cocker, a theatre stage manager with…

Annabookbel

14.05.2025

The Wolves of Staro Selo by Zdravka Evtimova – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Yana Ellis Having read and enjoyed Abandonment by Erminia Dell’Oro earlier this year, I’ve been keen to read more titles from Héloïse Press, an indie based in Canterbury t…

Annabookbel

13.05.2025

Watchlist: March into May – AnnaBookBel

Titus Andronicus at the RSC Swan, Stratford I went to the theatre last week to see the latest production of Shakespeare’s bloodiest play – and it lived up to its name! Starring Simon Ru…

Annabookbel

08.05.2025

Update and Book Group report – AnnaBookBel

Firstly a quick update on the knee situation: I had a guided steroid injection last week, but first the doctor took nearly 100ml of murky liquid out of the joint which relieved all the pressure on …

Annabookbel

02.05.2025

#20BooksofSummer2025 – how I pick my 20 books… – AnnaBookBel

Any challenge requiring reading a particular stack of books is a no-no for me. I have enough reading commitments in review copies and blog tours, without adding more. So I use a different way to pi…

Annabookbel

01.05.2025

20 Books of Summer is back! With new hosts – AnnaBookBel

When Cathy of 746 books announced last year that she would not host 20 Books of Summer this year after ten successful years, Emma of Words and Peace and I both volunteered to take it on. Summer rea…

Annabookbel

30.04.2025

Two shorter reviews: Callum McSorley & Hiromi Kawakami – AnnaBookBel

I have two shorter reviews for you today. One short because it is a cracking and direct sequel, so I can’t say a lot about it, and the second because I was disappointed into not having a lot …

Annabookbel

27.04.2025

Maigret’s Revolver by Georges Simenon – the #1952Club – AnnaBookBel

Translated by Siân Reynolds My second read for the #1952Club reading week hosted by Kaggsy and Simon – is a Maigret – there’s nearly always a Maigret that can be fi…

home›Annabookbel›Books & Literature

Annabookbel - Books & Literature

Making It So by Patrick Stewart – #20BooksofSummer2025 no 15 – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – Nos 11 & 14 – Newman and Barry – AnnaBookBel

20BooksofSummer2025 – July Questionnaire – AnnaBookBel

Lay Your Armour Down by Michael Farris Smith – blogtour (belatedly) – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: The Safekeep – AnnaBookBel

Women in Translation Month – #WITMonth2025 – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – The third and final month… – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 no 10 – Bad Actors by Mick Herron – AnnaBookBel

The Serial Killer’s Party by Amy Cunningham – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Divinity Games by Lou Gilmond – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Shiny Linkiness, #parisinjuly2025 #20BooksofSummer2025 #TranslationThursday – AnnaBookBel

Lost in the Garden by Adam Leslie – #20BooksofSummer2025 No 9 and a DNF – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – Nos 7-8, Herron & Osman – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser – AnnaBookBel

A Sting in her Tail by Mark Ezra – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Murder Tide by Stella Blómkvist – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – mid-season reading… – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – June Recap & Questionnaire – AnnaBookBel

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – Book 5 of my #20BooksofSummer2025 – AnnaBookBel

Shiny Linkiness – Kidd & Brown – AnnaBookBel

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey (with Ginny) #20BooksofSummer2025 No 6 – AnnaBookBel

The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw – Alex Cupidi 5 – #20BooksofSummer2025 – Book No 3 – AnnaBookBel

Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Invisible Kitties by Yu Yoyo, #ReadingtheMeow2025 #20BooksofSummer2025 – AnnaBookBel

Six Degrees of Separation: All Fours by Miranda July – AnnaBookBel

Oleander, Jacaranda: A Childhood Perceived by Penelope Lively – Book Group report and #20BooksofSummer2025 -No 2 – AnnaBookBel

Dinner Party: A Tragedy by Sarah Gilmartin – #20BooksofSummer2025 no 1 – AnnaBookBel

Red Water by Jurica Pavičić – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – all systems are go! – AnnaBookBel

The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

An evening with Joe Dunthorne at Mostly Books – AnnaBookBel

Heatwave, The Summer of 1976, Britain at Boiling Point by John L Williams – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

Hattie Steals the Show by Patrick Gleeson – blog tour – AnnaBookBel

The Wolves of Staro Selo by Zdravka Evtimova – AnnaBookBel

Watchlist: March into May – AnnaBookBel

Update and Book Group report – AnnaBookBel

#20BooksofSummer2025 – how I pick my 20 books… – AnnaBookBel

20 Books of Summer is back! With new hosts – AnnaBookBel

Two shorter reviews: Callum McSorley & Hiromi Kawakami – AnnaBookBel

Maigret’s Revolver by Georges Simenon – the #1952Club – AnnaBookBel

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