Great fun, but changes might be needed to keep future instalments fresh. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/dd87...

Having complained about the state of a Church House Gardens I didn't have much of an excuse not to turn up to a volunteers day recently. In just three hours we cut back and uncovered the path behind the lake that had been completely lost to overgrown plants. More volunteers days to come.

Sadly unimpressed by this. The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0040...

I think this shortlist might prove controversial. The popular favourite (Seascraper) isn't there, and some less well liked ones are. Personally I'm happy that Audition made it, although not everyone will agree.

Very sweet, but flowery writing isn't for me. A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7cfd...

It took me a while to get on with this book but I'm so glad I persevered. Just wow. We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/671e...

There were a couple of points where I started to get a bit frustrated with this book - it felt much longer than its 200 pages - but I'm glad I persevered. Love forms by Claire Adam. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c7a0...

I didn't dislike it, but I doubt I'll be reading the other three volumes when they come out. The South by Tash Aw. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f2b3...

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon is 99p on Kobo and Kindle today. If for some crazy reason you haven't already read it, I insist you buy it now.

Of the five Booker longlisters I've read so far, this is in equal first place with Audition. Flesh by David Szalay. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/5a3f...

Another novel about an unhinged woman. I enjoyed it for the most part, but the end section stumped me somewhat. The Coin by Yasmin Zaher. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/97bd...

I liked this, but I don't think it's a Booker winner. The Rest of our Lives by Benjamin Markovits. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/af6c...

I'm left a bit confused by this book, and I don't seem to be the only one. Universality by Natasha Brown. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/63c2...

A book that divides people, but I loved it. I suspect skim-readers won't get as much out of this book. The author does tell you what's going on. Audition by Katie Kitamura. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c408...

The first of this year's Booker longlist that I've read. Some excellent parts. Some not so much. Saved in part for me by its setting in Greece, a country I absolutely adore. One Boat by Jonathan Buckley. app.thestorygraph.com/books/11ea8e...

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the hype led me to believe I would. Dusk by Robbie Arnott. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c450...

Went out to watch the Perseids last night. Only saw one, plus a couple of maybes. Loads of satellites/space junk though. Sadly no bats around this year.

Brown hairstreak butterfly just landed next to me in the garden. On the red list and not often seen this far east, I believe.

How sad. Mr Benn was my absolute favourite as a child. Actor Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dies aged 86. www.bbc.com/news/article...

This was one of Amazon's Kindle pre-publication freebies for Prime members. I've never been tempted by any before but this sounded like it could be interesting. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c2ae...

Legend says they’re still looking for the ball.. 😂

Ooh, if I'd been born on Mars, today would be my 31st birthday 🎂 #mathaversaries

Not as horrific, when taken in context, as some reviews would lead you to believe, but still not for the weak stomached. Butcher, by Joyce Carol Oates. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/a4c4...

Lots of Kindle versions of Barbara Kingsolver novels on sale today. Plus There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak and Butter by Asako Yuzuki are 99p on Kindle. Butter is 99p on Kobo too.

I've not read any of these, and only heard of about half. I'm not going to attempt the entire longlist but I'll see how many I can get through. I've maxed out my holds limit at the library!

Rather passive-aggressive of @thestorygraph.com AI 😂

An excellent book, but one I found quite hard work. Brotherless Night by V V Ganeshananthan. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/d000...

NEWS: The leasehold sale of the Regency Café in Pimlico (founded 1946) has just been announced, for an undisclosed sum. C20 Society explored the possibility of a listing application, however it was concluded that the tiled facade and signage, a key feature, was not original but a recent facsimile.

Good grief, it's still July!

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout is 99p on Kindle and Kobo today. Buy it! Now!

Not sure why there's been such hype about this book. Strange Pictures by Uketsu. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f3d6...

Forgot to post this a couple of days ago. Extraordinary writing, but not a pleasurable read. Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/562d...

A DNF for me. I like to give books a reasonably fair crack of the whip but I just wasn't enjoying this one. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/eebe...

Imagine lying in your memoir and still making yourself look like an awful person. Not as awful, admittedly, but still awful. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Meh! The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cba8...

My attempt to stop the squirrels getting at my hazelnuts. It was too difficult to net the whole tree, particularly in a way safe for birds, so I've used organza bags on individual clusters of nuts. Not sure if it'll work, or if the squirrels will just chew through the bags. Time will tell.

Bluewater might have fancy robotic cleaning doo-dads but their air con can't cope with 33° temperatures 🥵. Also, it was completely the wrong day to treat myself at the Lindor pick and mix. The filling turns to liquid in this weather and just squirts into your mouth. (Although you might like that.)

Lovely to see so many swifts this summer after their numbers declined so rapidly in the past few years. We even seem to have some nests nearby. (No photo as they're too, um, swift!)

Far from her best, but I want to be a Claire Keegan completist. And there was a cat on the cover. Antarctica, by Claire Keegan. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/94c3...

Oh, and here's my haul: a jar of guindilla peppers, two rainbow bagels, Belper Knolle cheese, banana cake, smoked sprats in pistachio oil, spicy mackerel, two tins of mini sardines, Turkish delight in a Shard-shaped box (present for Ian), and three cheese straws.

Had a little day out and took myself off to Borough Market today.

I found Part II even better than the first. When Part III is released it might make me do something I rarely do - pay full price for a book. On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Ball, trans: Barbara J Haveland. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2604...

A difficult but compelling read. Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/8e93...

Important stories, but maybe not the best. Stay Dance by Torrey Peters. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c18e...

North Woods by Daniel Mason is 99p on Kindle today. It came a very close second to Glorious Exploits in my top books of last year.

It’s monday. You need this. Trust me.

An important book, but not quite what I was expecting. Small Boat by Vincent Delacroix (trans: Helen Stevenson. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2369...

Geraldine is trying to make pizza for dinner. It does not smell very nice.

Why on earth hasn't this book got more attention? I loved it. Mother Naked by Glen James Brown. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/ce6c...