I have finally ticked off another Waterstones store from my challenge. I haven’t been doing very well with my challenge recently so it felt good to tick off another store.
I met my friends in Cambridge today and of course I had to check out the Waterstones store and buy some books.
I actually purchased three books but one was a Dinosaur book for my friends little boy.
Here are the books I bought.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem – I will be honest I bought this book because I absolutely love the film and I have always wanted to read the book.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towless – We have just started watching the new series of this on Paramount Plus and absolutely love it so I decided I needed to read the book.
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of these books or if you have a favourite Waterstones store.
On my recent adventures I managed to tick off another Waterstones store. I found the Gloucester store really nice and I loved the layout of the ground floor. Sometimes the ground floors can be a little cramped like the one in Lincoln but this one was laid out really well with plenty of room to move around and not get in each others way.
I only purchased one book as I am trying to be good as Christmas is just around the corner. However, the book I purchased is rather beautiful and one that I look forward to reading soon.
So there is number 16 off my list. Still many many more to go.
I met up with some friends this week in Lincoln and this meant I could tick off another Waterstones from my Waterstones Challenge. I must admit my challenge has not been going well recently but I’m hoping I can get back into it again properly soon.
This was a lovely store with a very traditional store front. I found the ground floor rather cramped which made browsing rather a trial but the second and third floors were lovely. I especially loved the science fiction and fantasy section which was huge. They also had a dedicated cat section which was brilliant!
Here are the lovely books I purchased or should I say my wonderful husband purchased for me. I must admit social media made me buy The Pumpkin Spice Cafe so hopefully I enjoy it.
I have already started reading Hauntings by Neil Oliver and I am really enjoying it so far.
So there is number 15 off the list. I’m not even thinking about how many I have left.
Today I met up with a friend in Cheltenham and got to tick off number 14 off my Waterstones Challenge. My poor challenge has been rather forgotten about because of covid putting a halt to travelling etc but now I am ready to get ticking off a few more Waterstones stores.
I loved the Cheltenham store, it has three floors and the Science Fiction and Fantasy section was fantastic. I also had a question about a book and the staff were so helpful it was brilliant.
I know you are wondering what books I bought, so here is the list.
Quick Reads
Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins
The Cutting Season by M. W. Craven
Darkness Rising by A. A. Dhand
Witness by Alex Whittle
My husband was overjoyed to see these books because they were only £1 each. He said I could have as many as I wanted but sadly there were only four there. I love the Quick Reads books because I find them great introductions to authors I have never read before.
Books
Witherward by Hannah Mathewson
This is my husbands choice but I hope to read it as well as it looks interesting.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This was recommended to me by my niece so I thought I would give it a try.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
This was recommended to me by a member of my family but I can’t remember who. Either way I’m looking forward to reading it as I love a sci-fi read.
Gallant by V. E. Schwab
I bought this purely because I have seen a lot of people reading and talking about it on Bookstagram.
So there is my book haul. I can’t wait to get reading these books.
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of these books or if you have a favourite Waterstones store.
Happy Reading.
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So, I have a confession. I made rather a mistake on my book buying. I ordered some books off Waterstones and Wordery and didn’t realise that I had several preordered books due at the same time. The poor postman has had rather a lot of parcels over the last few days. This will mean no more books for a while as bank account needs to recover. One of the books is for my husband, so they aren’t all mine.
So here are my new pretty books…
The Royal Secret by Andrew Taylor
Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate – but the task brings unexpected dangers.
Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry House for the woman that the King loves most in all the world.
Unbeknownst to all, at the heart of this lies a royal secret so explosive that it could not only rip apart England but change the entire face of Europe…
This is the book for my husband who has read all of the Marwood and Lovett series so far. I do plan on reading the series at some point because I have read some of Andrew Taylor’s books before and have really enjoyed them.
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.
When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.
In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?
Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.
I’m so excited about this book and can’t wait to read it as I love a retelling of a Greek myth. I also love how pretty this edition is!
Sovereign by C. J. Sansom
Autumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission by his rebellious subjects in York.
Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. As well as legal work processing petitions to the King, Shardlake has reluctantly undertaken a secret mission for Archbishop Cranmer – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator who is to be returned to London for interrogation.
But the murder of a York glazier involves Shardlake in deeper mysteries, connected not only to the prisoner in York Castle but to the royal family itself. And when Shardlake and Barak stumble upon a cache of secret documents which could threaten the Tudor throne, a chain of events unfolds that will lead to Shardlake facing the most terrifying fate of the age . . .
I love this series so hopefully I will get to read the third instalment soon.
Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon
A gripping new translation of the first novel in the famous Inspector Maigret series. What he sought, and what he waited and watched out for, was the crack in the wall. In other words, the instant when the human being comes out from behind the opponent.
Who is Pietr the Latvian? Is he a gentleman thief? A Russian drinking absinthe in a grimy bar? A married Norwegian sea captain? A twisted corpse in a train bathroom? Or is he all of these men? Inspector Maigret, tracking a mysterious adversary and a trail of bodies, must bide his time before the answer can come into focus.
The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon
In the third Maigret mystery, the circumstances of Monsieur Gallet’s death all seem fake: the name he was traveling under, his presumed profession, and, more worryingly, his family’s grief. Their haughtiness seems to hide ambiguous feelings about the hapless man. Soon Maigret discovers the appalling truth and the real crime hidden beneath the surface of their lies.
The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon
On a trip to Brussels, Maigret unwittingly causes a man’s suicide, but his own remorse is overshadowed by the discovery of the sordid events that drove the desperate man to shoot himself.
The beginning of my Maigret collection! Now Penguin state these are the first three books in the series but Goodreads disagrees so I will have to do some research as I want to read them in order if I can.
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.
But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…
Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?
Now the reason this one isn’t on the picture above is because it hasn’t arrived yet but I am including it because it is arriving tomorrow.
I can’t wait to start reading all these wonderful books!
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of these books.
Happy Reading
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It has been ages since I have visited a new Waterstones and ticked another store off my list but finally I have managed one. This week has been half term so I visited my best friend and her husband and their new little boy who is currently 9 weeks old and extremely cute. This meant I had the opportunity to take the little Book Dragon to his first bookshop and buy him a nice book. He slept through the whole experience but I bought him a book and his parents also bought him some books. A very lucky little Dragon!
The book I chose to buy was Winnie the Pooh! I have a beautiful book of Winnie the Pooh that a work colleague of my mom’s bought me when I was little and she told my mom that no child should be without a copy of Winnie the Pooh so I followed her advice.
I did also treat myself to a book that has been on my wish list for quite some time. I also bought a Waterstones bag that I really liked the look of.
The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths
I really liked the Waterstones in Norwich. It was very nice and the cafe was excellent, one of the best soya hot chocolates I have ever tasted.
Well worth a visit for all Book Dragons.
The photo outside the store features my best friend who you will have spotted in another Waterstones picture and her husband and their little Book Dragon in his pram. Sadly it was raining at the time. Massive thank you to Lord Book Dragon for taking the picture.
To see the list so far of my Waterstones visits please click here
Today I have had a wonderful day off, as I spent the morning reading and then went and spent the day in Birmingham book shopping and exploring the German Christmas Market.
I had a lot of fun in Waterstones and bought quite a few books and my husband also got some as well so the lady on the check out was quite surprised at the varied selection. I also had a lot of fun looking at the children’s section.
Here are my lovely books:-
I bought this book because my best friend, nicknamed Tufty Seal highly recommends Adam Kay as a writer so I am really looking forward to reading this book.
I saw this today and just had to buy it as I absolutely love the film!
I must admit I got this because the cover was pretty, I know very shallow, but sometimes a pretty cover is all you need to buy a book.
I bought this because I loved the last book with Murder Christmas stories I hope this one does not disappoint.
Another book from the Christmas table at Waterstones. I hope it does not disappoint.
This book I got in the children’s section. I always get a version of The Nutcracker each year and this year I got this little one with a pop up surprise at the end!
I also got two very pretty decorations from the German Market.
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of the books.
Well today is my first day of half term and I celebrated by having a lie in and a leisurely day. I had to run into our nearest town to run some errands and my husband suggested visiting Waterstones for a browse. Well a browse is something that never happens with me, it always ends in buying books. I was just going to buy Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths but my husband said that Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver looked good so I ended up buying another book because it was on buy one get one half price.
Not too much damage with just three books bought.
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver
A Keeper by Graham Norton
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of these books. I would love to hear your thoughts.
I have had a wonderful day with my husband, we went to Chirk Castle and then afternoon tea at a Hotel called The Sweeney. Between these two locations we also managed to fit in a Waterstones visit.
We visited the Waterstones at Wrexham and I was really impressed with what I saw, even though we only had a quick ten minutes in the store because we had to get to our booked table for afternoon tea. Everything was laid out well and I loved the genre signs above the bookshelves and the staff were wonderful.
The thing I was really impressed with was that Wrexham store had a big display of the A Very Short Introduction books which are done by Oxford University Press and I needed one of these for a course I am starting in October. So I immediately bought the book and a cute notebook to go with it because I do love a notebook.
The book I bought was Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson.
So after a busy and enjoyable day I am going to have a sit down and read a few chapters of my new book.
Lady Book Dragon 