Moving continues! As of last night we were done with the old flat, but there are many boxes, much new furniture, and many flatpacks in our future. I’m still at my parents’ house for now, but this week we’ll probably get my office set up and then I’ll move in too.
For now though, this weekend we’re collectively taking as much of a break as we can. Monday’s soon enough to do more, now we’ve finally finished up with the old flat.
Books acquired this week
Nothing major this week, but I did get my British Library Crime Classic book for the month, and I snagged a manga to read when I wasn’t feeling up to anything else.
I’ve warmed up to John Dickson Carr’s work over the years, but I prefer the Gideon Fell books, so we’ll see how I get along with this one. The manga was a bit of a random choice, recommended by a friend from another site.
Posts from this week
There’s been a lot of activity this week, so let’s do the roundup!
- Classic crime: Payment Deferred, by C.S. Forester (1/5 stars)
- Poetry: A Shropshire Lad, by A.E. Housman (2/5 stars)
- Non-fiction: Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day, by Peter Ackroyd (1/5 stars)
- Graphic novel: Fence, vol 2, by C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad (4/5 stars)
- Fantasy: Siren Queen, by Nghi Vo (4/5 stars)
- Fantasy romance: The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter, light novel vol 1, by Yatsuki Wakutsu (4/5 stars)
But also some other posts:
Busy, as I said!
What I’m reading
It’s been a bit of a hectic week, but I did get some reading done… partly due to rereading Tove Jansson’s Moomin books! Here’s the covers of the books I read this week which I intend to review on the blog eventually:
Over the weekend, I’m not sure. A bit more of the Moomin books, most likely, and probably I’ll read Freya Marske’s Cinder House, but… mostly I’ll just follow my whim.
Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!
I’m glad moving is going well! I’m curious to hear your thoughts on What Stalks the Deep. I wasn’t crazy about the last book but I do want to keep going with the series.
I liked it more than the second book — it feels more like a return to the same principle as the first book, where the threat is sort-of plausible, there’s a whole biology worked out for it. And I really enjoyed a new character, Ingold.
As I remember it, moving is exhausting. We last moved our things—books (mine) and rocks (spouse’s)—forty years ago, and we swore we’d never do that again. Good luck with your move.
The Moomin books sound ideal for a busy time.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz recently posted…The Sunday Salon: A Tale of Two Cities—Done!
Thank you! My wife and my dad have done a lot of the work (for health reasons on my part, plus I’m a contractor and don’t get paid leave, so it was a sensible decision to keep me working throughout), but it still is exhausting somehow.
And yes, they’re lovely and light.
Moving is exhausting….I feel for ya. Question about the British Library Crime Classic. Is it a physical book in the mail or a Kindle delivery?
In the mail! I get a bookmark and sometimes some other goodies too. Sometimes it’s just promo stuff, but there have been some neat things.
Sometimes you just need to let go of release dates, obligations, and plans to just follow your whims – that’s where the joy of reading is rekindled.
Eh, I pretty much always do ignore release dates etc. The most I try to do is finish books I’ve started, which, ahaha, not so much at the moment.
Good luck with carrying on the move. I need to read The Moomins. I used to watch it on TV when I was younger and I like visiting the shop in London
Have a great weekend!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2025/07/12/stacking-the-shelves-113/
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog recently posted…Stacking The Shelves
The Moomin novels are very sweet, I really like them.
Lots of reviews this week. Nicely done.
I hate moving. I hope to never do it again.
Enjoy your new books.
I write them as I go along, so really it’s just remembering to post them that’s the problem, ahaha…
Oh my. Several 1-2 star books? I can’t believe you finished them.I hate it when I am stuck in the middle of books I don’t like.
Anne@HeadFullofBooks recently posted…Sunday Salon — Mid summer and a few more highlights from Montana
Given two-stars means “it was okay”, that’s not too odd — but mostly sometimes it’s hard to see that something really was just one star until the end. You’ve inspired me to write a discussion post about it sometime soon!
Moving is the worst! Glad you are taking a break from it this weekend. Ugh! Sorry you had so many 1 or 2 star books this week.
To be fair, that’s just the way trying to vary my reviews have come out — I didn’t read those books at the same time. But two stars means “it was okay”, which isn’t so bad. Just means something didn’t match up with my personal taste.
I can’t imagine ever moving again, but it sounds like the new space will be sweet! The Moomin books look amusing – I don’t know that I’ve seen them before.
Becki recently posted…Sunday Salon/Sunday Post – July 13, 2025: 637 months old!
I have a reading nook all planned, it should be great!
The Moomin novels are lovely, I’m really enjoying the revisit.
Third most stressful life event behind bereavement and divorce – that’s moving. So I’m not surprised you’re feeling shattered. Be kind to yourself and do the unpacking in bite-sized pieces. And have a less stressful week!
Yep, and I lost my grandmother only a couple of months ago, so… there’s a lot going on! Still, the new place is going to be nicer in so many ways.
I think it’s a great idea to take a break for the weekend. There was a point in my life where I moved six times in three years, twice overseas, and I’m over it. I just want to be as sedantary as possible now! I hope you get lots of rest and reading this weekend! ❤️
Haze @ The Book Haze recently posted…Sunday Post | 13 July 2025
Thank you! Not much reading this weekend, but plenty of rest at least. 😀
Good luck with the moving!
I have been buddy-reading all the Moomins recently, it was a great experience. You can check our posts here: https://wordsandpeace.com/tag/moomins/
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Sunday Post #145 – Coughing and reading streak
Thank you!
Great that you got a break mid moving and that your dad and wife are so capable. You managed lots of reading too. Stay cool.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…2025 Mid-Year Library Love Challenge Check-In & Savings #LibraryLoveChallenge #Giveaway @booksofmyheart.bsky.social @angelsbooknook17
Thanks! The weather’s cooled down a bit this weekend, thank goodness.
Glad your move is going well. I know that is a a huge undertaking and it is always so stressful. Comics and Graphic Novels have always helped me through moves because they are quick and easy and you feel like you have succeeded when you are done.
Steph recently posted…Building the Book Pile #945
I should find some more manga to read, I think! Though I have a couple of volumes of the Solo Leveling manhwa lined up already…
Glad to know the move is going well and in between, you’ve done well with your reading (jealous here who is still stuck with Kdrama. )
Tracy recently posted…Stacking The Shelves| JULY 12
I was surprised to see how much I’d read, to be honest! I thought I was being quite slow (which is fine, it happens).
Queer City sounded good so it’s too bad it was really disappointing! I keep hearing great things about the Fence graphic novels and I want to read it too 😀 Oh wow I didn’t realize that there was gonna be a 3rd book in the What Moves The Dead series, I’m super curious about it 🙂 Here’s what I’m reading/STS: https://darkshelfofwonders.com/its-monday-lets-catch-up-%e2%94%826/
Veros @ Dark Shelf of Wonders recently posted…Summer of Horror Cover Friday: Medieval Horror
Fence is really fun, I do recommend! I want more of it.
I hope the rest of the move goes / went well! It’s always such a process…
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…WIP Wednesday for 16 July 2025
A never-ending process, it feels like. But we’ll get there!