Monthly Wrap-Up – November 2023

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Happy first of December folks and welcome to my monthly wrap-up post for November! Before that, are your Christmas decorations up yet? I confess I put up my tree and some outside lights today. The rest is to follow tomorrow.

I usually put mine up the first weekend of December. However, as I have been on leave from work this week, I decided to make my life a little bit easier tomorrow and do some of the bigger jobs. Although I say that, the outside lights only took me 10 minutes as I packed them in the same way I strung them up last year – I just had to clip it all back in place!

Anyway, let’s stop talking about the c-word and start talking about the books I read in November. I had a great month of reading! I’ve also varied how I split my reading this month, making the list more manageable. Shall we get into my monthly wrap-up post and take a look at what I picked up?

 

Books Read

 

The Shining

At the start of November, I left off from my last monthly wrap-up having only read 30 pages of The Shining. I’d wanted to read the book around Halloween, but it transpired that I only started the book that night.

So, I read the vast majority of this nearly 500 page book in November. Whilst the timing didn’t quite pan out as expected, it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the book at all. On the contrary, this book was everything I have come to expect from Stephen King. Although I am not a big reader of horror in general, I will always make an effort to pick up his books.

The Shining is a classic novel, and I’m glad I finally got around to it! It was every bit as good as I expected it to be, and I can’t wait to read more of his classics in future.

 

The Vikings in the Isle of Man

It feels like many moons ago, although in reality it is not, that I featured my Norsevember post. As part of my research for that post, I read a couple of books around Vikings and their presents in the Irish Sea, including and surrounding the Isle of Man. I read the majority of The Vikings in the Isle of Man in November. I had to prioritise reading this at the beginning of the month, so I technically completed this book before The Shining.

The Vikings in the Isle of Man was an informative read and touched upon topics and themes I had also read in Vikings of the Irish Sea. It’s quite a niche topic if we’re being honest. It is only because it relates closely to home that I wanted to pick it up and share a little bit of knowledge. I appreciate it’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

Lost Solace

Lost Solace has been on my reading list for quite some time. I’ve attempted to get round to the book for the last two or three months as well, and failed. That is, I’m pleased to say in this monthly wrap-up, until this month. At the beginning of November, I told myself that this month was the month I was going to pick it up. I’m glad I did!

If you enjoy science-fiction, and want a relatively short but action-packed novel, this would be perfect for you. Having read some related books by Karl Drinkwater before (Tales of Lost Solace), some of the characters were already familiar to me. I don’t think that specifically contributed to my enjoying the book anymore, but it was nice to go in with a degree of familiarity.

I won’t be leaving it so long to continue with this series!

 

November TBR Jar – The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz

Historical, whether fiction or non-fiction, is a genre I will enjoy going back to time and again. When I pulled The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz out of my TBR jar at the end of October, I was excited! Although a morbid subject, I have enjoyed multiple books that centre around characters and experiences around the concentration camps in World War II. Heather Morris’ books, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey, are great examples.

Every bit is harrowing,The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz is a true story of a son who could not bear to be separated from his father, and opted to go to Auschwitz with him. They had already spent a good deal of time in captivity before they were transferred to the infamous camp. Shockingly, the treatment there is not the worst they received. Towards the end of the book, I was just begging that the both of them survived. They had already been through so much.

Well researched and written, this is one of the easiest non-fiction books I have picked up in terms of readability this year.

 

Ashes of Guilt

One of the last books I picked up to physically read in November was Ashes of Guilt by Isabella Steele. I had downloaded a copy of this book through Reidy discovery in order to provide a review by the end of the month. If you haven’t yet checked out that post, you can see my thoughts from Wednesday’s review here.

Ashes of Guilt is another relatively short, but equally compulsive, read. The synopsis was a great hook into the narrative, but quickly we worked through that and found ourselves in uncharted territory.

This is the kind of book that would be a great palette cleanser, or if someone wants to dip that to a genre for a reasonably short time before moving onto something else. I read Ashes of Guilt in just a handful of days. At 222 pages, it has to be one of the shortest books I’ve read this year.

 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

For the first time in months, I have a mood read to share with you in this November monthly wrap-up. You’ll see why below.

Picking up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is absolutely because I went to watch the film on Tuesday. It’s been a long time since I went to the cinema and I had a great time watching this film. After spending over 2 and a half hours in a cinema seat, I can remember why it’s not a regular occurrence… But I had a good time nonetheless.

I’ve been threatening to pick up this book since I started re-watching the hunger games films. After watching and loving the film, I literally couldn’t wait. Often, films deviate from content in the books, and I was curious to see what extent this does. As of this post, I am just over a quarter of the way through The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and there isn’t too much variation, which is good!

 

Audiobooks

 

October TBR Jar – The Flood

Carried over from October’s monthly wrap-up post, I still had half of the audiobook of the flood to listen to this month.

I was a little late starting this considering I had already made progress with the book. I only really made progress in the last week of November. That’s because I’m not very good at listening to audiobooks in and around my normal routine. I started listening to The Flood when I was on leave from work last month. This week I have been on leave again (using the last of my holiday, can you tell?). Because I’ve been out of routine again, I’ve been able to make time to listen to the audio.

Overall, I had a good experience with The Flood. I strongly recommend listening to this book as the audio went along way towards my enjoyment of it. I didn’t anticipate the ending and I enjoyed seeing the mystery on full to reveal the truth right at the end.

 

Insta Poll Pick – The Minders

Given I had quite the number of books on this reading list, I decided to pick up the audiobook copy of The Minders. This book won my Instagram poll that I posted at the end of October. I was lucky in that I didn’t already have a copy of the book, so I had my pick of the format I went with.

This book would be great in any format, although I am again enjoying the audio. The book is told through multiple perspectives and these are told through two narrators.

As of this monthly wrap-up post, I am about halfway through The Minders. I still have just over 5 1/2 hours left of listening time, and I hope that time that I start to get some explanations as to what is going on. If you are unfamiliar with the book, it is kind of a conspiracy thriller. I’m deliberately not meant to know too much about what is going on, and I am hooked to find out how the plot evolves and ultimately resolves itself.

As experiences go, this is the first time I have picked up a John Marrs book and I doubt it will be the last!

 

Books DNF’d

 

The Witches – Salem, 1692: A History

We have a rare feature in today’s monthly wrap-up post – a DNF. It was quite a decisive one at that too. I ultimately made it through 30 pages of The Witches before I threw in the towel.

The writing style at the beginning was fine. The opening chapter is an introduction to events as they happened, including the numbers of people who died as a result of the witch trials, and a summary of the evidence available to the author, when putting together the book. In short, not much. It was the next chapter that threw me off completely.

I cannot help but feel that in the absence of tangible information, the author, then decided to fill in the gaps with pure fantasy and presented as. For example, the scene describes how two women flew on broomsticks to a given meeting location. This may be what they have been accused of, but presenting it as fact really didn’t sit well with me. It felt like filler and already had me questioning the information I’d been told.

The book is a reasonably lengthy one for a non-fiction, and I’ve already made my mind up at the 30 page mark that I wasn’t a fan. Had I struggled on, I wouldn’t of enjoyed the experience and could well have put myself in a readings lump because I didn’t want to pick it up. Frankly, life is too short… and my reading list is too long. So, onwards we go. Now you know why I picked up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes instead – the timing of this DNF coincided with me watching the film!

 

Summary

In all, I had a great month. I picked up some varied and interesting reads. That was one miss two, but I didn’t let myself dwell on that one for too long!

In addition to reading some great books, I also met my Goodreads reading challenge of completing 50 books this year very early this month, which is cause for a pat on the back. Last year I read 47 books, so to be going into December having read 55 already is a great achievement. Am I unofficially pushing for 60 by the end of the year? Absolutely!

Here’s hoping for some great reads to get me there. If you’re keen to find out which books I will be picking up in December, I will be sharing my reading list early next week. Stay tuned!

Until then, happy reading!

 

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Book Review: Ashes of Guilt – Isabella Steele

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In today’s book review post, I’m excited to share my thoughts on Ashes of Guilt by Isabella Steele! If you are interested in a fast-paced thriller, full of action and intrigue, then read on!

I disclose here that I received a free copy of the book from Reedsy Discovery for the purpose of review. My review below is my honest opinion.

 

Ashes of Guilt – Isabella Steele

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 222

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Cosmic Phoenix Publishing

Publication Date: 04 Oct 2023

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – Ashes of Guilt

In the chilling heart of a quiet town, Detective Olivia Morgan is thrust into a mystery that’s eerily linked to her darkest secret. At the tender age of eight, an accident led her to mistakenly take a man’s life. Two decades later, as disappearances plague her hometown, Olivia faces a haunting every vanished person had connections to that very man she believed she had killed.

Olivia’s return to her roots becomes a harrowing journey as she grapples with a past that relentlessly shadows her. The town, with its whispers and judgmental glares, doesn’t make it any easier. As the net tightens around the disappearances, the sense of being surveilled grows more acute for Olivia. Mysterious threats, chilling reminders of her traumatic past, and an unexpected appearance by her estranged sister—who seems intent on halting her investigation—makes Olivia question everything she thought she knew. But the most chilling question of all What if the narrative she’d believed for two decades—that she was a murderer—was flipped, revealing Olivia as the victim in a twisted game of deceit and vengeance? Delve into this spine-tingling thriller where secrets of the past entwine with the present’s deadly mysteries. “Detective Morgan’s Haunting” isn’t just a story—it’s an experience you won’t forget. Grab your copy today and unravel the truth alongside Olivia. Can you solve the enigma before it’s too late?

 

My Thoughts

 

Plot

Ashes of Guilt throws you right into a busy narrative. With action kicking off in the first few pages, it sets the scene, and our expectations, for the rest of the book.

From the synopsis, we glean that all that has occurred in the past is not as it seems. When Olivia travels back to her hometown to help local police investigate what appear to be a string of murders, she finds her past lurking around every corner.

Quite quickly we progress through events hinted at in the synopsis, leaving the rest of the book to explore the finer details and range into unchartered territory. Ashes of Guilt had me guessing throughout as to who I could trust, and who I could not. What would happen next?

Whilst I had some ideas, there were plenty of surprises to keep me invested and wanting to find out more!

 

Characters

There is a complexity to each of the characters involved in this book that keep us asking questions. Who are these people? What relationships do they have – and are we getting the full picture? For those who enjoy a character-driven narrative, these are the questions that will hook you into this book.

There is more to this narrative than first meets the eye, and this ultimately colours our perception of some of the characters as event play out.

The plot centres round a select few key characters. I quickly formed opinions on some of these central pillars of the narrative. However, there is a full cast of complementary characters that bolster the narrative and create the small-town vibe that lends itself to the genre perfectly.

Olivia cannot feel more acutely that she is an outsider in a town she once called home. As somebody who lives in a relatively small community herself, I can attest to the attitudes of the people in this book. Everyone knows your business before you do, and are more than willing to weigh in on the subject. This is something that Olivia has to deal with on top of trying to track down a potential serial killer. No pressure…

 

Narrative Style

Whilst the pace of this thriller novel is faster than I would typically read, it was no less enjoyable. The stakes are high and has us readers wondering what was coming next.

The chapter lengths are nice and short, keeping the action snappy and to the point whilst retaining our interest. I also enjoyed how the perspectives changed throughout the book. Each individual main character has a unique perspective on the action as it’s taking place. It’s through these different narratives that we get to see the different pieces of the puzzle eventually come together.

 

Summary

Ashes of Guilt is an interesting and twisty page-turner. Compulsively readable, it is a book that draws into the depths of humanity and has us asking ourselves, what could possibly happen next?

 

Have you read Ashes of Guilt yet?

 

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Sunday Summary – 26th November 2023

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Happy Sunday night (if ever there is such a thing?) and welcome to this week’s Sunday Summary instalment. I’ve had a productive week of reading and listening to audiobooks, which I’ll get onto below!

Firstly, I like to take the opportunity to share the blog posts I’ve already prepared and published this week. My first post of the week was a book review of The Appeal by Janice Hallett. If you enjoy complex mysteries where you need to read between the lines, multi-perspectives and/or mixed media books, then I strongly suggest you check it out!

This week’s Friday feature was a Well, I Didn’t Know That! post. In that post, I revived a habit of listening to podcasts and featured Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women podcast. Philippa is publishing a book with the same name in February next year. If you want some insight into one of the topics of the podcast, or more generally, check out that post!

 

Books Read

 

The Boy Who Followed His Father to Auschwitz

In my last Sunday Summary update, I had about 100 pages left of this historical non-fiction book. That’s where I began reading this week.

The Boy Who Followed His Father to Auschwitz is every bit as good as I thought it would be! Although the tales of this book are harrowing, the narrative is intriguing and I was rooting for Fritz and his father Gustav to make it out the other side.

Although I have read multiple books in the genre, every time it shocks me how brutally mistreated people like Fritz and Gustav were. The book is a great (and well-researched account) of life in multiple concentration camps throughout the Second World War. Although a difficult subject, the book is compulsively readable as the writing and level of investment in the characters was great.

 

Ashes of Guilt

The next physical read I picked up this week, and is my current read as of this Sunday Summary, is Ashes of Guilt by Isabella Steele. I am reading this to review it before the end of the month. Needless to say, I am making all haste with this book!

As of today’s Sunday Summary post, I am exactly two thirds, or 66%, through the narrative. As a relatively short thriller, it is a very fast-paced read. Already, we have worked our way through the points in the synopsis, making me wonder what twists and turns I can expect later in the narrative. It’s a bit quicker-paced than I am used to, but I’m getting on with it reasonably well regardless. I’m looking to finish Ashes of Guilt in the next day or so, so watch this space for my thoughts.

 

The Flood

I finally pulled my finger out and finished The Flood by Rachel Bennett this week. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you’ll know that I’ve been chipping away at this audio for a little while. Back in 2019, I added The Flood to my reading list as the author is currently living locally. I wanted to pick up the book and support her. I pulled this book out of the TBR Jar last month to read. 

Overall, I enjoyed The Flood. Part of the reason it took me so long is that I’m not in the habit of listening to audiobooks that much. The vast majority of my reading is done either through physical books or e-books on my Kindle. I do enjoy audio though, and the narration of this book went a long way towards my enjoyment of it. The story is well told, and I enjoyed how the two timelines ultimately come together to give us the full picture at the end.

 

The Minders

Having finally finished The Flood, I moved on to my next audiobook whilst I was in full flow. The Minders is my first ever book by John Marrs. Although I’ve only listened to around an hour and a half of this audio as of this Sunday Summary post, I can say the experience so far is a good one.

I’m intrigued by the narrative and how the story is going to play out. As I’m not that far in, I haven’t got any ideas as to where the story is going to go. I’m looking forward to finding out though!

I’m going to try and keep up the momentum and continue listening to The Minders. Naturally, I want to try to finish the audiobook as close to the end of the month as I can. Fortunately, I have time off work next week, so I have every opportunity to listen to this audio. Let’s see how far I can get in the next week!

 

Books Discovered

There are no new books added to my reading list. Currently, the list sits at 199 still to work my way through. Just a few, eh?

Having floated at just over 200 for some time, I can thank the reading progress I’ve made this week in tipping this under. Let’s hope it stays that way!

 

Coming Up…

On Wednesday, I plan to share my review of Ashes of Guilt. The book launches on Thursday so I want to get it out there ahead of publication and hopefully build some excitement!

On Friday I’ll be parking the regular Friday feature in favour of my month-end review post for November. As always, I’ll be recapping my reading month and sharing all the books I’ve picked up in the prior 30 days.

Finally, I’ll be rounding up the week with a Sunday Summary post. Fingers crossed for a week just as productive as this one!

Have you read any of the books I featured today?

 

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Well, I Didn’t Know That! #16 – Normal Women

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In today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! post, I knew I wanted to feature a podcast. I have gotten out of the habit of listening to them. This post felt like the perfect opportunity to dive back in, find a show/topic that I really enjoy… and feature it! And that I did! In today’s post, I feature Philippa Gregory’s podcast, Normal Women.

The show discusses various topics relating to women throughout the last 900 years. The content stems from research Philippa has undertaken in writing her upcoming book of the same name.

The topic I took particular interest in relates to women, and whether they have been perpetually underpaid for their labour in society.

 

The Statistics

The gender pay gap between young women, whilst it does exist, it far less dramatic than women in later life.

I discovered via this podcast that by the time women are in the 50-59 age bracket, they are paid 80p for every £1 earned by a man. That’s a huge difference! Not covered in the podcast, but when you consider women often lose out on pension contributions if they take a career break to have and raise children – that’s quite a disadvantage!

 

Domestic – Work?

Domestic work used to be classified as work by political scientists (aka economists) in British censuses, even if it wasn’t paid for.

Women either typically worked at home, or assisted their husbands in the labour market. For example, women were the backbone of upholding miners and their labour in the 19th century. They often performed tasks for their husbands that enabled them to do their jobs – mending kit, laundry etc. So much so, wives of miners often experienced more health complications than the men who performed the labour in the dangerous conditions.

Other examples include women working for their husband’s businesses and not being paid equally. As assistants, they were paid for assisting other paid workers… but for some reason, not their husbands. It was also customary to hire men for positions and assume that women would take up ancillary roles (headteacher/matron, priest/pastoral care) to name a couple of examples.

Nowadays, domestic work isn’t taken into account in the modern census even though it’s believed to make up 60% of GDP.

 

History

It may surprise you to learn that there are glimmers of times in history when women could earn as much as men.

 

14th Century

The podcast stated that the Black Death wiped out between 45-60% of the British population in 1340’s. The consequences of that meant that demand for labour skyrocketed. Women not bound into existing working contracts and able to take up casual labour capitalised on the opportunity. They demanded equal pay. Sounds like we’re going in the right direction, doesn’t it? Well, just a few years later in 1351, the government stepped in. To prevent women from being able to demand a fair share, they introduced the Statute of Labourers. This prevented anyone from demanding a wage higher than they earned prior to the epidemic. For women, that meant putting them back ‘in their place’ behind men.

 

16th Century

It’s not the only time the government introduced laws that directly disadvantaged women. The Statute of Artificers 1562 Act meant that anybody, including women doing domestic work around the house, could be called to perform agricultural labour. They couldn’t refuse without suffering imprisonment. Further, women had to be employed year-round – they couldn’t work for themselves. In principle, the law was brought about to control trade and encourage training in skilled professions. In practice, it meant that women were ‘apprenticed’ to domestic chores they were already doing, and not paid a penny for their efforts.

 

Skills women contributed to the economy were also frequently replaced by advances and technology. As they were unable to obtain mortgages or take out loans, they were prevented from starting businesses of any kind of industrial scale like their male counterparts. Their manual labour wasn’t required, and they couldn’t share a slice of the pie either. 

Only in 1919 was UK law was changed to allow women to enter legal professions. Previously, they had been barred from the opportunities for the required education and also to practice.

 

Present Day

Historically, women have been underpaid and severely disadvantaged. Whilst women have significantly more rights than they ever did before, that’s not to say that we’ve caught up.

Normal Women highlighted that in the modern labour force, women hold the majority of low pay jobs even when working – the care sector particularly.

Women are being actively recruited into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions, providing opportunities for specialisation that hasn’t always been available. However, statistically, it has been proven that when women are brought into a profession, the remuneration for these jobs goes down over time. It’s proof of women being paid less than their male counterparts, otherwise the average wouldn’t come down!

 

Summary

If you have enjoyed the content of the podcast and this post, then keep your eyes out for Philippa Gregory‘s book of the same name being published in February 2024.

If you’re interested in other books on this theme, I can also recommend Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Pérez.

 

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Book Review: The Appeal – Janice Hallett

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I’m excited to bring you my thoughts on a fun mixed media book I read in June last year – The Appeal by Janice Hallett. It’s the book that introduced me to this narrative style, and I loved it! I’ve gone on to read other books in this style since and I’m still a fan, regardless of genre.

Shall we take a look at the details?

 

The Appeal – Janice Hallett

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 432

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Viper

Publication Date: 14 Jan 2021

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – The Appeal

 

Dear Reader,

Enclosed are documents relating to the events surrounding the Fairway Players’ staging of All My Sons, and the tragic death of one of its members. Another member is currently in prison for the crime. We have reason to suspect that they are innocent, and that there were far darker secrets that have yet to be revealed.

We believe that the killer has given themselves away. It’s there in writing, hidden in the emails, texts, and letters. Will you accept the challenge? Can you uncover the truth? Do you dare?

 

My Thoughts

 

Narrative Style

The selling point of this book is the format in which the story is told. Written in mixed media, we unravel the lives of a wide cast of characters through emails, texts and posters, to give just a few examples. 

The interesting thing about this format is that you experience a lot of different voices and perspectives. As a result, a lot of the story is told in subtext and us readers need to pay attention to what isn’t said as much as what is.

The opening media is a letter to the junior lawyers, who are in the same position as the reader. We are reviewing the evidence of a murder case, we’re invited to scrutinise everything. We’re told at the beginning that the senior lawyer believes the wrong person has been arrested, and so our journey into the mystery begins…

 

Plot

The Appeal unveils an intricate mystery that starts off quite simple, but quickly branches out. The local Theatre troupe, Fairway Players, pull together when they receive the news that their star performer’s grandchild is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. However, not all is as it seems. Whilst we discover in the opening pages that at some point, a murder takes place, this doesn’t happen early on in the narrative. We spend a good portion of the book getting to the point of this event, and naturally, wondering who the victim is.

The Appeal has a clever, complex and twisty narrative. Nothing is as it first appears. As we delve deeper into the narrative, we uncover truths and deceptions that keep us compulsively turning the pages. Honestly, it is a book where you are best off not believing what you are told and making up your own mind.

Whilst had worked out something fishy was going on pretty early on, there are plenty of false trails planted that kept me from uncovering the truth entirely. I’m sure that will be the same for most readers. I can honestly say that when I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it and trying to unpick the tangled threads that create this fantastic read!

 

Characters

The cast of characters is vast and complex. Couple that with a small town like community, who are distrustful of newcomers by nature and wreathed in gossip, subterfuge and scandal, and this is a simmering pot begging to overspill!

The two-facedness we see in some characters and their relationships with others is relatable. Sadly, it’s something we’re all too familiar with. Naturally, as we experience the narrative through multiple subjective points of view, we rarely get an unbiased view of events. Characters either colour themselves and their actions through rose-tinted spectacles, or alternatively, we get equal or opposing biased viewpoints from others.

Some characters seem more independent and objective than others. But, with questionable pasts, are we getting the truth? Equally, there are blantant attention seekers and liars. For those types, any readers like me will quickly formulate their own opinions as to who to take with a pinch of salt, and those to disregard completely! With a full spectrum of characters and underlying motives, readers can experience every emotion going in this book. The question is, who do we believe?

Imagine trying to unpick a murder mystery from suspects that are in your social circle. You already have your opinions of people; who is most likely to have an agenda, who wouldn’t harm a fly etc. It’s all subjective and consequently full of bias. The same goes for The Appeal! With over 20 characters to keep tabs on at a semi-intimate level, it’s a lot to digest. But, that’s fun if that’s your bag.

 

Summary

The Appeal is a fun and intriguing mystery with a lot of layers and complexity. With questionable characters, events and a narrative style that keeps readers engaged, it’s the perfect read for anyone looking for a change of pace!

Have you read The Appeal, or any other books by Janice Hallett? I own a copy of The Curious Case of the Alperton Angels, but I haven’t read it yet.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts or comments!

 

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Sunday Summary – 19th November 2023

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Good evening everyone and welcome to another Sunday Summary post. If you’re off watching I’m A Celebrity, then I’ll understand! I’m watching it as I write, which is why this post is a bit shorter than normal!

So, what have I been up to this week? The first post I shared with you was a Top Ten Tuesday post, discussing which mainstream authors I have not (as yet) read any books by.

On Friday, I shared a First Lines Friday post. I kept my options open for this post, and in the end, I featured a book related to a series I read years ago and I’m looking forward to reading.

 

Books Read

 

Lost Solace

As of last week’s Sunday Summary post, I had only read the first chapter of Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater.

I really enjoyed this break and change of genre. Having read books in Karl’s Tales of Lost Solace series, I already had some knowledge and high expectations of the book.

It didn’t disappoint! I read Lost Solace very quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed it! There is plenty of action to keep us entertained, and just the right amount of detail/jargon so as not to overwhelm a non-techy reader.

 

The Boy Who Followed His Father to Auschwitz

After Lost Solace, I moved on to my current read, The Boy Who Followed His Father to Auschwitz.

It’s a difficult book to read for its topic, but it is compulsively readable in style. I’m really enjoying this book. It’s a harrowing topic, and awful to think that so many people lived through the horrors this book touches on! Even so, this is a fantastic book.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m 240 pages into the book. Ignoring the appendices, that leaves me with another 100 pages to go. Already so much has happened in the narrative. A part of me wants to find out what happens to the titular Gustav and his son, Fritz – how their story ends.

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added one book to my reading list this week as a result of Friday’s post. I want to re-read the whole series again, this time including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

 

Coming Up…

On Wednesday, I plan to share a book review with you. This week, I’m reviewing The Appeal by Janice Hallett.

On Friday I’ll be back with a Well, I Didn’t Know That! post! It’s been a while since I made a habit of listening to some podcasts, so I might try to incorporate that into this feature. Stay tuned to find out more!

Last, but not least, I’ll be returning with a Sunday Summary post. As always I hope to have plenty to catch you up on in that post.

In the meantime, that’s all for this Sunday Summary post!

What have you read recently?

 

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First Lines Friday – 17/11/2023

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Happy reading friends! Welcome to my First Lines Friday post to wrap-up this working week. I hope it’s been a good one?

When I decided I was going to be sharing another First Lines Friday, I decided to keep my options open. The last few times I have published this feature, I have set myself a challenge. Not so this week. Honestly, I had no idea of what I wanted to feature in today’s post. In hindsight, I can see why I left my options open and today’s feature feels like a natural choice. All will make sense if you’ve been reading my blog in due course.

Shall we get to today’s opening lines so we can enjoy my featured First Lines Friday extract together?

 

Coriolanus released the fistful of cabbage into the pot of boiling water, and swore that one day it would never pass his lips again. But this was not that day. He needed to eat a large bowl of the anemic stuff, and drink every drop of broth, to prevent his stomach from growling during the reaping ceremony. It was one of a long list of precautions he took to mask the fact that his family, despite residing in the penthouse of the Capitol’s most opulent apartment building, was as poor as district scum. That at eighteen, the heir to the once-great house of Snow had nothing to live on but his wits.

 

 

 

 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 541

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher: Scholastic Fiction

Publication Date: 19 May 2020

 

 

Goodreads – The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

 

My Thoughts…

I first read The Hunger Games series in my later teenage years. I can’t pinpoint the exact date I read these books as it predates my Goodreads account. Looking back on my Amazon order history (as I read the books on my Kindle), we are looking at dates between 2012 and 2013 for me reading this series. At that time, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes had not been published. In fact, it is quite a recent addition to the series.

This may not come as a surprise feature. If you have been reading my blog in the last few weeks, I’ve mentioned that I have been watching The Hunger Games films on TV. I hadn’t really considered why they were airing them, until I found out that there is an upcoming film release for this prequel. Then it all made sense!

Those films have made me want to re-visit the series anyway. However, when I do so, I am also going to read this prequel novel. Initially I had reservations as the reviews weren’t great. However, as a fan of the universe, I am willing to give it a try!

Have you read The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or both? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Mainstream Authors I Haven’t Read

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post, I’m sharing a list of ten mainstream authors I have not yet read. Some of the authors in today’s post are ones I intend to read in future, but there are some that I don’t as well. Never say never though.

Let’s take a look at my list of authors!

 

Sarah J Maas

I’m of two minds whether to try Sarah J. Maas. As a fan of epic fantasy, I’m intrigued as to how these books sit in the genre. On the other hand, I’m not sure about the romance elements of the book.

I might try the first book and see how I get on from there.

 

Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare is another author I don’t have a particular plan to pick up as of writing this post. She is one I may try in future as an experiment though.

If I were to pick her books up, I feel like I’d start with what appears to be her core series, The Mortal Instruments. The rest seem to spin off in either direction from there, so that feels like the logical option.

 

John Grisham

I have 3 John Grisham books on my TBR as of writing this post – Rogue Lawyers, The Litigators and The Rainmaker. However, I’m yet to read to have read any.

I’ve featured some of these books on my blog via Friday features like Shelf Control and I’m excited to read them. If I go on to enjoy these, then John Grisham is an author I can go to town with reading more from. He has a lot of books!

 

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is a classic author, a defining voice in detective novels. However, I am yet to read any!

I don’t even have any on my TBR. Were I to try any of her books, I’d probably go with the one I’ve heard of the most… Murder on the Orient Express. Based on what I’ve read, I believe her books can be read reasonably standalone. If anyone has an alternative recommendation I’d be interested to hear it!

 

James Patterson

Although I don’t currently have any James Patterson books on my TBR, I don’t really know why not. I enjoy the genre he writes in, and he clearly does well for himself in terms of popularity.

Where would I even begin here? I honestly don’t know what book would be best, so any advice would be welcome here!

 

Patricia Cornwell

There is yet another crime fiction writer on this list. Seems like a trend at this point. Do I not read enough?

Post-mortem is probably the first book of hers I would read. The plot seems to have a forensic emphasis, which I would (morbidly) enjoy reading! I have a lot of appreciation for the discoveries that can be made as such a level. Is it a job I’d want? No. But, it’s compelling in fiction all the same.

 

Lee Child

My grandad was fond of the Jack Reacher books, and it’s for this reason that I have Killing Floor on my TBR. However, as of this Top Ten Tuesday post, I’m still yet to try this book and therefore this author!

If I go on to enjoy this book, it’s another expansive series to make my way through. Maybe it’s not want to start yet as I’m trying to reduce the number of series I have ongoing. But, I can pencil in for future!

 

Dan Brown

I’m familiar to some extent with The Da Vinci Code, and it’s the book that would immediately spring to mind if you asked me to name one written by Dan Brown. Although I think I would quite like the book, I haven’t as yet got any plans to pick up any books by this author.

In order to read The Da Vinci code, I’d have to read the first book in the series, Angels and Demons. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I don’t particularly have any burning desire to either.

Maybe it’s one, I’ll get two in future, or perhaps not. Only time will tell!

 

David Baldacci

David Baldacci is another author that you could end up down a rabbit hole of all the books he’s written. As of writing this post, I do intend to pick up this author, and in particular, Memory Man.

Again, as I’m not looking to start any new series just yet, this is one I will park for now and come back to you later. I’m excited by the prospect of having lots of books his to read over time if I enjoy the first one.

 

John Green

The last author I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday is John Green. He has written solo and co-authored a number of books in his career. If asked to name one off the top of my head, I would naturally come out with The Fault in Our Stars. It’s the book, he is really well known for and received such such a good reception of that it has been made into a film.

Based on the sound of the synopsis, I’m not sure it’s a book I would pick up. Then again, I read Me Before You by JoJo Moyes as it is in the same realm of topic. I suppose you can never say never, but we’ll see.

 

I hop you have enjoyed today’s Top Ten Tuesday feature!

Have you read any books by the authors I’ve shared in today’s Top Ten Tuesday post? Are any of them on your reading list?

 

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Sunday Summary – 12th November 2023

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It’s the end of another weekend (boo!) so that can only mean one thing – it’s time for my Sunday Summary! I hope you’ve all had a great week?

Aside from the 9-5, I’ve spent mine reading and preparing/sharing blog posts. Oh, last night I watched the last Hunger Games film – I really want to re-read those books now! Anyway, let’s get into my recap of the week’s posts so far.

My first blog post of the week was my Norsevember feature – Vikings of Mann: Ancient History or Modern Enigma. I really enjoyed writing this post, although it felt like I poured a lot more effort into than my usual content! As a post with some special meaning for me, it was great to be able to share it, and to take part in a reading event I have seen on the blogosphere in recent years.

I waived my usual Friday feature, Well, I Didn’t Know that! as the Vikings of Mann post is very similar in nature. Given I knew I’d already committed to the first post, I didn’t want to overwhelm myself by completing this feature on top. Instead, I moved onto the next in the rota, being a Shelf Control. In these posts, I take a look at upcoming books on my reading list and share why I’m excited to read them. For this week’s feature, I shared the first omnibus in an expansive fantasy series by an author I’m yet to try. I’m not allowed to start it until I’ve wrapped up some more of my ongoing series though. If you’re curious, check out that post to see what it is!

 

Books Read

 

The Vikings in the Isle of Man

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was 10% into The Vikings in the Isle of Man. Given that I wanted to finish this book as part of Norsevember, but also to include any relevant content in my blog post that went live on Wednesday, this was my priority of the week. I had also borrowed this book from the library, and it was due back on Wednesday. There was no pressure at all to get this finished up…

The Vikings in the Isle of Man isn’t an overly long book, and it provided some useful content for the blog post and taught me some things I didn’t know. It also expanded on some of the topics I originally explored in The Viking’s of the Irish Sea (read last week), so it was an ideal book to pick up.

In the nick of time, I finished The Vikings in the Isle of Man on Tuesday evening. I’m glad I chose to pick up a local history book and learn something new about my home.

 

The Shining

The second read I had ongoing as of last week’s Sunday Summary post is The Shining. As of that post, I was around 50% through the book.

After concluding The Vikings in the Isle of Man, I reverted back to prioritising The Shining. It’s not unexpected at all, but I really enjoyed this King novel! It’s been awhile since I picked up one of his horrors, and picking this up as reminded me just why I like his writing. I love how his horror plays upon natural and relatable things as opposed to delving too far into the realms of the fantastical. It makes his books feel all the more real and at the same time, more harrowing.

I certainly won’t be leaving it so long before I pick up another, regardless of the season! I am glad I picked this up around Halloween though – it felt apt.

 

Lost Solace

The last book I have picked up physically this week is Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater.

As of this Sunday Summary post, I’ve only read the first chapter of the book so far. However, already the book draws on characters I have met through Karl’s Tales of Lost Solace series, which is set in the same universe. The writing style is also very familiar and easy to pick up, so I’m already settled in and ready to see where Lost Solace takes us! Given I’m not that far into the book, there really isn’t a whole lot I can say at this point. I’ll give you more of an update next week.

 

The Flood

In addition to the physical reads I’ve picked up above, I also listened to about 40 mins of The Flood by Rachel Bennett when waiting for Tesco’s Christmas slots to open. Yes, I legitimately put this on at 5:30am on Tuesday morning to stop myself falling back asleep and missing out on my Christmas food shop! It worked though… 

I had hoped to listen to a little bit more of the audiobook this week, but it wasn’t meant to be. I will be making more of an effort to listen to the last few hours this week.

 

Books Discovered

No news is good news once again this week – the reading list is still heading in the right direction.

 

Coming Up…

On Tuesday, I’m looking forward to sharing my top ten list of mainstream popular authors I haven’t read yet. There are some very popular authors I haven’t read books by, and you may be surprised. Or not, it depends how well you know me I guess!

On Friday I’ll be back with a First Lines Friday post! The last few times I have done this feature. I have set myself a challenge. I’m in the mood for keeping things open this time, so you’ll have to tune in on Friday to see which book I feature and why.

This time next week I’ll be returning with my Sunday Summary and all my bookish updates for the week. I hope you can return to check that post out too!

That’s all for this Sunday Summary though!

What are you reading?

 

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Shelf Control #71 – 11/10/2023

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Happy Friday lovely readers and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post. Honestly, I’m glad I’m featuring a Shelf Control instead of a Well, I Didn’t Know That! post. Wednesday’s Vikings of Mann post, in terms of content, is very similar to this feature. I wouldn’t have been able to commit to undertaking a Well, I Didn’t Know That! as well.

Shelf Control posts are nice and easy… and give me a chance to get excited about the books I’m going to read! As always, let’s recap the purpose of these posts.

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Today’s book is actually an omnibus, and currently the first chronologically in a developing, epic scale series. How epic you ask? Well, it has the same number of primary works as Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Intrigued as to what this is? Let’s take a look!

 

The Mage Wars – Mercedes Lackey

The Mage WarsGenre: Fantasy

Pages: 784

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Titan Books

Publication Date: 06 Sept 2016

 


Goodreads – The Mage Wars

 

Set around three thousand years before the rest of the Valdemar series, this is the ancient history of Velgarth and the story of Skandranon Rashkae, a gryphon with gleaming ebony feathers, keen magesight and acute intelligence. He is the fulfillment of all that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm – a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Ma’ar.

Together with Amberdrake, a Healer of body, mind and spirit, Skandranon will defend his nation from his evil counterparts created by Ma’ar, the makaar. The glorious city of White Gryphon will rise from the ashes, but it will take careful negotiation, spying and terrible war against the mysterious Black Kings to secure the stronghold. Even then, the elite guard force, the Silver Gryphons, will discover a greater terror lurking in the forests beyond the city walls…

The Mage Wars omnibus follows Skandranon and his lifelong friend, Amberdrake, and their children, as they seek to establish and defend a Kingdom of peace and tranquillity.


My Thoughts

I’m not committing to starting such a large series when I already have several ongoing. Maybe, because of the size, I should try to finish Discworld before I take this on.

Confession time – I picked up The Mage Wars, together with two other omnibus collections at Waterstones, on a whim. I did check out the books and the author enough to know that these books are very highly rated. I have never read any books by Mercedes Lackey before, but I can recognise potential in the general consensus of the reviews! Flicking through the other books she has written, and looking the average Goodreads rating – she has a good run! 

I love fantasy that involves complex magic systems and plot lines. This omnibus feels like it has all the components of a grand epic fantasy that I enjoy. Personally, I can’t wait to dive in and find out!

The other two omnibus books, I bought at the same time are The Mage Winds and The Mage Storms. I didn’t realise it at the time, but these books chronologically fall later in the series. It’s one of those scenarios where you could read the books in the order they are published, or in chronological order.

I haven’t decided which I’m going to do yet, so if you have any opinions and or experience with these books, I’d love to see what you think I should do? Which should I pick up first?

 

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