April Book Blanket Update

This month saw me finally pull myself out of the horrible reading slump that I'd been in all of March. I started strong with a couple re-reads of books that I knew I would enjoy and then let's just say that the month got kind of interesting and I read books that I certainly never envisoned myself reading much less enjoying!

Books Read This Month

     (Title, Author, Format, Rating)

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. Audiobook. 4.5 Stars (re-read)

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Physical. 4 Stars (re-read)

3. Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm by Jeremy Clarkson. Physical. 3.5 Stars

4. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith. Audiobook. 4.5 Stars (re-read)

5. You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero. Kindle/Audiobook. 4.5 Stars

6. Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage. Kindle. 4.25 Stars

7. The Seventh Girl by Andy Maslen. Audiobook. 3.75 Stars

8. Diddly Squat: Til' the Cows Come Home by Jeremy Clarkson. Physical. 4 Stars

9. Stay in the Light by A.M Shine. Audiobook. 3.75 Stars

10. The Witches of Santo Stefano by Wendy Webb. Audiobook. 4 Stars (re-read)

11. 12 Week Year by Brian P Moran and Michael Lennington. Audiobook. 4 Stars

    
    

This makes a total of 53/70 books read this year so far!

You can follow my progress on Fable App!

Best Book of the Month:

I don't really have a stand out favourite book this month, nor was there any particularly bad reads which was nice. What I do have is perhaps the most surprising book that I've enjoyed, or rather the two most surprising books - Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson.

Never did I think I'd be reading a book by Jeremy Clarkson let alone enjoying it! But at the start of the month my husband and I started watching Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime. A bit late to the party as Season 4 is due out later this month (May) but there's nothing unusual for us there! I have absoluetly fallen in love with the show. I've never been a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, I definitely never enjoyed shows like Top Gear but Clarkson's Farm very much shows a different side to him.

I've loved learning more about British farming, seeing just how much hard work and blood, sweat and tears goes into running a farm and of course laughing at the hilarious goings on with Jeremy, Kaleb, Charlie and of course Gerald! If you've not watched it yet then you just need to take my word for it that it is very much worth the watch!

If you have seen it and enjoyed it then I would recommend the books although it's worth noting that they're comprosed of Clarkson's Sunday Times columns that he writes about his farming exploits and it isn't written in. the style of a normal book. Some bits are a bit repetitive, particularly if you've watched the show, but overall I found them to be a nice read. Good for dipping in and out of.

I found a copy of the the first two books in a charming little second-hand bookshop in Huntly for just £2 each...and yes I may have bought the next 2 on Vinted too 🙊 but at just £1.50 each it was hard to pass them by!

Second-hand Books

Whilst we're on the topics of second-hand books let's talk about why I think they're a great way to purchase books and the best places to get them!

Charity shops and Second-hand Bookstores

These are perhaps the most obvious places for second-hand books. They can be absolute treasure troves and I love nothing more than mooching about the charity shops and eyeing up the bookshelves to see what I can find. It feels nice knowing that whilst you're giving a book a second lease of life you are also helping to support a charity too!

Vinted

Now I started off on Vinted with the intention of selling a lot of the boys' outgrown clothes and I do do that regularly but I've found it's a fantastic platform to use for both buying and selling books. I've sold so many books on Vinted, ones that just aren't for me or that I know I'll never read again. I've also bought books from Vinted and whilst they are technically second hand you can get books that are practically brand new for a fraction of the price of a new copy.

Amazon Marketplace

You can buy new books on Amazon, normally at a much cheaper price than in a bookshop but you can also purchase second-hand books via their marketplace. If you scroll down a little you will find a section that says 'Save with Used' or the section that gives other format options and you can see used copies that are available from other Amazon sellers.

Websites

There are second-hand bookstore websites such as World of Books and Awesome Books where you can get great deals on used books, again many of which are actually in great condition.

Buying second-hand/used books is a great way to enjoy your reading hobby sustainably, you save money and are also doing your bit to help the environment by preventing perfectly good books from being thrown away. It’s also a fantastic way to support independent bookstores, community groups and charities - do some good whilst treating yourself! It’s also nice sometimes to have a book that’s already been read because you don’t have to worry about cracking the spine or if a corner gets a little crumpled. A win all round!

So go and find some bargain second hand books and enjoy some quality reading time - you deserve it!

If you want to do decide to join me in making a book blanket then be sure to tag me in your content @brambles.and.hart and use #BookBlanket2025 and #Booksandcrochet. I'm loving connecting with people who love both books and crochet like me!

I will be sharing updates of my book blanket on my Instagram/TikTok and my monthly wrap ups here on the blog so do follow along.

I'll be back with another update on my book blanket next month so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Happy reading and crocheting!

Shelley ♡