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What I am reading Wednesday
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 06:39 pmSummer was hot, so I spent it reading and running - and listened to some audiobooks while running. Here's a selection of the ones for which I have something to say.
That'll Teach Her by Maz Evans. I struggled to get through this. I didn't even care whodunnit, I just kept reading to find out how they dunnit (the murder was via a peanut allergy in a cake, which when tested later didn't have peanuts in). Sadly that was the only interesting part of the book.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I had this one on my library wish list for a while and then it came up when I was looking for audio books. I really enjoyed it, it was fun. It's a fictionalised version of Queen Elizabeth II. It was written a while ago, so there's an unintentional joke when at her 80th birthday she mentions that she's seen ten prime ministers since she became queen.
Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin. I've read one of her crime series and enjoyed it, then found this one in The Works. And didn't enjoy it as much. It felt a lot like all of the police officers in it were fancying each other and it felt a bit OTT.
Murder at the University by Faith Martin. Nevertheless, I gave book two a try, in audiobook form. And the fancying each other was a bit less in this one, but I was also distracted by the fact that it was in American, despite the author and reader both being British. I did a lot of complaining out loud while running.
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer. While reading this I kept thinking that he writes some very similar characters. I was about two-thirds of the way through when one of them told a story that I remembered from another book and I realised that The Hotel Avocado is a sequel to this one.
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell. This was not great at all. Not a lot happens, but the main character has two romances and the sex scenes are all written out, which is unnecessary. And to make it worse, one of them involved her needing the toilet and the man not letting her until they'd had sex again. Which is just so wrong in my book.
People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon. When I started this it seemed like another of those general fiction books where nothing happens. But then some things did happen and it was fun.
Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett. I realised I've never read this series. This one I heard a radio adaptation of years ago and enjoyed it. Now I have listened to the audiobook and enjoyed that too.
That'll Teach Her by Maz Evans. I struggled to get through this. I didn't even care whodunnit, I just kept reading to find out how they dunnit (the murder was via a peanut allergy in a cake, which when tested later didn't have peanuts in). Sadly that was the only interesting part of the book.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I had this one on my library wish list for a while and then it came up when I was looking for audio books. I really enjoyed it, it was fun. It's a fictionalised version of Queen Elizabeth II. It was written a while ago, so there's an unintentional joke when at her 80th birthday she mentions that she's seen ten prime ministers since she became queen.
Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin. I've read one of her crime series and enjoyed it, then found this one in The Works. And didn't enjoy it as much. It felt a lot like all of the police officers in it were fancying each other and it felt a bit OTT.
Murder at the University by Faith Martin. Nevertheless, I gave book two a try, in audiobook form. And the fancying each other was a bit less in this one, but I was also distracted by the fact that it was in American, despite the author and reader both being British. I did a lot of complaining out loud while running.
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer. While reading this I kept thinking that he writes some very similar characters. I was about two-thirds of the way through when one of them told a story that I remembered from another book and I realised that The Hotel Avocado is a sequel to this one.
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell. This was not great at all. Not a lot happens, but the main character has two romances and the sex scenes are all written out, which is unnecessary. And to make it worse, one of them involved her needing the toilet and the man not letting her until they'd had sex again. Which is just so wrong in my book.
People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon. When I started this it seemed like another of those general fiction books where nothing happens. But then some things did happen and it was fun.
Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett. I realised I've never read this series. This one I heard a radio adaptation of years ago and enjoyed it. Now I have listened to the audiobook and enjoyed that too.