→ Harpa's bookish corner ☼

[harpa]

I haven't posted an update in a month so let's do this!

→ Reading update

I want to focus on these two books this weekend. A Mão Que Mata ("The Hand That Kills") is from a Portuguese author, this a mystery novel. I'm reading it for book club. I only need to read one more chapter this week, and I'll finish it next week. The other one, A Murder is Announced is my Christie novel for this month. I'm participating in Read Christie 2026, where you read one Agatha Christie book per month. I'll post my list for this year soon!

[harpa]

Read Christie 2026 → my picks

Welcome to Read Christie 2026! This year's reading challenge will focus on Agatha Christie's Biggest, Best and Beloved stories! We'll be reading a new book each month, plus throughout the year we will cover An Autobiography.

From the biggest inspiration to the best to read in one setting, beloved in your collection to the best according to Christie, our reading prompts promise to deliver a year of fantastic stories for fans. Plus, we will be providing book club guides, pertinent questions, and plenty of insights to help you get the most out of the challenge.

January: The Secret of Chimneys ✅
3 ⭐️

February: A Murder is Announced ✅️
4 ⭐️

March: The Murder at the Vicarage

April: Crooked House

May: The Mysterious Mr. Quin

June: Parker Pyne Investigates

July: The Burden

August: A Cat Among Pigeons

September: Endless Night

October: Towards Zero

November: 4.50 From Paddington

December: The Sittaford Mystery

I chose the books I wanted for each category. There are suggestions but, whenever I couldn't find a book I own that fit them, I just randomly chose one. You can find out more here.

[harpa]

→ Reading update

I've been reading a lot lately, but nothing that really makes an impression on me... I just started Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney. It was a gift from a friend of mine who loves thrillers, so hopefully it might cheer me up.

The synopsis:

Ten years of marriage.
Ten years of secrets.
An anniversary they’ll never forget.

Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned.

But when their romantic trip takes a dark turn, they both start to wonder – can they trust the one they’re with?

Because every couple tells little white lies. Only for Adam and Amelia, the truth is far more dangerous.

I also started Swift and Saddled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #2), by Lyla Sage, which is a romance; but I usually leave those to read during the week after work, since they're easier to follow.

The synopsis:

She’s the city girl who refuses to be saddled with a man. He’s the cowboy who wants her anyway.

The last thing Ada Hart needs is a man to take care of her. Not anymore. After failing out of her interior design program and the disaster that was her short-lived marriage, Ada clawed her way up from her rock bottom. Now, the only person she trusts is herself, and that has gotten her further than ever before. She has her own business, and one of the largest ranches in Wyoming just hired her for the most important project of her career.

When Ada arrives in Meadowlark, she finds herself in a dive bar where she can’t seem to shake the eyes of a handsome cowboy. When she leads him to the back of the bar, he leaves her with a kiss that most people can only fantasize about. She almost regrets that she’ll never see him again . . . except it turns out he’s her new boss.

Weston Ryder is a happy guy. Even happier now that the mystery woman from the bar is the interior designer for his dream project on his family’s ranch. He feels like he hit the jackpot. It’s too bad she wants absolutely nothing to do with him outside of work. Ada is convinced the pull she feels toward Wes will go away, but Wes can’t stop thinking about her. Even though walls are coming down around Rebel Blue, Ada’s walls are firmly in place.

Can they make it through this project without giving in? Or will they both put their dreams on the line for a chance at love?

[juleic1123]

Ooh both sound really good, I’m tempted now! I really need to check this topic more because I really like some of the synopsis you share here but I never end up going out of my way to read them

I think if I do choose one of those two, I might go with Swift and Saddled first though, I’m kinda in a full Hannah Montana mood lately and the whole ranch/cowboy setting is giving me the movie vibes with Travis and Miley

[harpa]

Ooh both sound really good, I’m tempted now! I really need to check this topic more because I really like some of the synopsis you share here but I never end up going out of my way to read them

I think if I do choose one of those two, I might go with Swift and Saddled first though, I’m kinda in a full Hannah Montana mood lately and the whole ranch/cowboy setting is giving me the movie vibes with Travis and Miley

Ohhh, you should! It's the second book in the series, but you can read them as standalones. It was also my favourite so far! Have you seen the HM anniversary special btw?

[harpa]

I've also been meaning to post more here, but life keeps getting busy and I've just been posting monthly updates lately...

However, I've been reading quite a lot. I've already read 44 books this year. It's the first time I've read these many books such early on in the year, but some of them are really short, like 100-150 pages.