Author: fantasyst95

Top Ten Tuesday – ‘Oldest’ Books on my TBR

Posted on November 19, 2024 by fantasyst95

In today’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’m sharing a number of classic books. If this post has highlighted anything to me, it’s that generally I read books that have been published within the last decade. This isn’t a surprise. If you read my Sunday Summary post where I shared that I was going to publish this post, I said that exact same thing.

However, I am surprised by how many there are that have an ‘older’ publication date. Honestly, I thought I’d have a handful to share in this Top Ten Tuesday and that would be it. Given that I’ve not been able to sort my Goodreads reading list by the original publication year (I use the mobile app), I’ve had to do a bit of digging comparing the versions I’ve added to my reading list with the original publication date. I’ve done my best to make this list as accurate as possible, but there is a possibility of human error in here.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – 1831

It was almost a given that Victor Hugo was going to be on this list! I also surprised myself because I then expected Les Mis to feature on this list. Only, I realised I’ve not actually added Les Mis to my TBR even though I have a copy of the book…

So, sticking to the rules of the post, I’m not featuring that one here but talking about The Hunchback of Notre Dame instead. This is the kind of book I mean when I talk about being able to tell that it’s written earlier. Personally, I have to have my head screwed on when I try to read a classic. It doesn’t read quite so fluidly and I have to really concentrate.

The Three Musketeers – 1844

The Three Musketeers was also almost guaranteed to make it to this list. I wasn’t sure exactly when this book was published, but I knew for certain it was going to be one of the oldest I had.

Weirdly, I added this to my reading list after watching a show based on the musketeers on Netflix many moons ago. We’ll see how it lives up to expectations.

Jane Eyre – 1847

I haven’t read any books by the Brontë sisters so honestly, I have no idea what to expect with these. Admittedly I’d forgotten I had this one on my TBR at all.

One day I’ll get to it and be able to tell you more about it. Let’s hope sooner rather than later!

The Grapes of Wrath – 1939

The Grapes of Wrath will be my second read by John Steinbeck when I get to it. I had mixed feelings about Of Mice and Men when I first picked it up for school. However, since then I re-read the book in my own time and enjoyed it.

I added The Grapes of Wrath after reading that because I want to try more by this author.

Catch-22 – 1961

Catch-22 is weirdly further down the list than I thought it would be. Equally, it was in the works a while before being published, so maybe that’s why.

Hardly surprising that it’s another classic/iconic read is it?!

The Colour Purple – 1982

I first picked up and sampled a copy of The Colour Purple in my school library a long time ago now. I never really got very far into it, so it is a book I’m look forward to reading properly sometime.

Again, it’s a pretty well known title. If not a classic, it takes on some pretty important themes including religion as well as domestic and sexual abuse.

Why do I want to read this again? It’s not so much that I enjoy reading about such things. I hate the idea of anyone going through that. However, I think it’s important that we do.

A Darkness at Sethanon – 1987

If there was a genre that wasn’t a classic or iconic fiction that still made it into this Top Ten Tuesday, it would be fantasy. There is enough of it on the TBR that something should have made it on here.

And yes, it did! There is only one book that qualifies on account of having read the earlier books in the series already. A Darkness at Sethanon is the final book in the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist. I have mixed opinions on the series so far. But, it’ll be good to see it through to the end and make up my mind on it once and for all!

Pillars of the Earth – 1989

I’m actually excited this is on the list as I purchased a copy of it just the other day. Admittedly, it’s a far more up to date edition than 1989, but it still stands on this list.

The Eye of the World – 1990

It’s a pure coincidence, but also refreshing, that my current read features on this list. I suspected the Wheel of Time series had to have been written some time ago given the length of the series and the fact that it needed to be finished by another author.

I almost didn’t check the date on this one, so that goes to show that the book doesn’t really read as being that old. And it’s not.

In my opinion, I can only really tell when books are written 100+ years ago because the language style is different across the board. There is naturally a bit of this from one author to another, but it’s far broader than that too. Sentences are longer and their structure is more complicated. Word ordering is a little bit different. It’s little things, but the things I can pick up on.

Alias Grace – 1996

It’s great to feature a Margaret Atwood novel on this Top Ten Tuesday list. I have absolutely no idea about the story of Alias Grace other than the synopsis appealed to me. When we think of Margaret Atwood, we think of books like The Handmaid‘s Tale, or more recently the sequel The Testaments.

In truth, she’s written many books other than those, but those are the one she’s known for and the ones I know her for. I’m looking forward to branching out a little and trying some of her other reads.

Summary

The fact that I managed to feature 10 books in this Top Ten Tuesday post with an original publication date of pre-2000 surprises me. I thought I’d have a lot more in the way of current books. That’s not a bad thing though! It means I’m reading a little more diversely than I expected, and there is nothing wrong with a backlist book. To be honest, that’s what I read most of!

Do you have any of today’s Top Ten Tuesday features on your TBR?

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Sunday Summary – 17th November 2024

Posted on November 17, 2024 by fantasyst95

Welcome to my latest Sunday Summary update gang! Can I say, it’s good to be back!

I appreciate I’ve been here and posting updates and content to the blog, but it’s not been a focus for a little while. Rather, I’ve kept it going but not put my whole self into it for the last few months. Posts have been quite short and updates on reading progress minimal. Now studying is over and I’m able to dedicate more time to reading and content again, I hope you’ll notice an improvement.

On the reading front I’ve read and listened to nearly 500 pages in the second half of this week alone! It’s fair to say I’m back in the game for sure…

So, what else have I been up to? After sitting my exam midweek I was able to dedicate more time to the blog and so I have two posts to share with you. Firstly, I published a very late monthly TBR on Thursday. With the timing of my exam and a trip away for a gig last weekend, unfortunately this post got pushed back a lot later than I’d have liked. Still, better late than never right?

Then, I posted again on Friday and shared my first Shelf Control post for a few months. My Friday features got axed whilst I was studying to help make time, so I’m glad to be back to doing those. As a result, I trimmed my TBR by two books I’ve changed my mind on since adding them and I featured a historical fiction by an author I’ve only read once so far, but loved!

Books Read

Carrie

I initially picked up Carrie just before Halloween as I wanted an iconic horror to read around spooky season.

In my last Sunday Summary Carrie didn’t feature as I hadn’t gotten any further than the 108 pages I reported the week prior. However, I picked up from there midweek this week and I finished the book by Friday!

Carrie was the first book on my hit list for a couple of reasons; firstly, I wanted to finish this book sooner as Halloween season is over. Secondly, it’s a short book and I only had around 130 pages left. Quick wins are great motivators, and I wanted that to help me get back into the swing of reading regularly again.

A couple of weeks ago I shared that I was unsure about the book. I have to say, once we got past the set up and to prom night it got a lot more interesting. Overall, I rated the book 4 stars and I’m glad I picked it up.

The Eye of the World

This is my second attempt at reading The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan and I’m feeling optimistic.

Last time I tried to read this, I was struggling with the size and scope of the book. I love a chunky read, but sometimes I need shorter or lighter reads. That was my problem last time and because I wasn’t in the mood for the epicness of this story, I DNF’d around 60% in.

This week, I picked up from the start of chapter 2 and as of this Sunday Summary, I’ve read a further 140 pages to get a total of 21% progress.

The reading experience is going much better this time as I am in the mood for a longer read. I’ve had a lot of shorter ones running up to this and I picked it up as a mood read last month. I’m looking forward to seeing how I get on over the next week or so and really getting into the story. All is going great so far. What helps is that this book/series comes highly recommended by my friend Rachael, so I’m very confident I’ll love it!

Defiant

For the last month, or maybe even two, progress in Defiant has been slow. I’ve not been in the mood for an audiobook and so I’ve not listened much. That changed this week. I’ve had a few days home alone on leave from work and so I’ve used that time to make a good chunk of progress.

Since the last time this audiobook featured on a Sunday Summary, I’ve listened to nearly half the audiobook. That’s just in the last few days I’ve done that! It’s getting to the point now where I can’t wait to see what happens, but I’m also sad it’s coming to an end. Defiant is the last book in the series!

Now I’m close, I won’t be long finishing this audiobook. I have less than three hours left – I can fit that into my reading schedule next week. Easy.

Books Discovered

No news is good news again! My TBR has no new additions and since completing Carrie (and removing two books on Friday), it’s going in the right direction.

I did buy one book this week during a trip to town, but it’s one that is already on my TBR so it doesn’t REALLY count. I set myself that rule when I went in. I’ve been recommended Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett twice now by people I trust. Plus, I used credit on my Waterstones loyalty card so it was free too!

Coming Up…

I’ll kick off next week with sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is to share the books on our reading lists with the oldest publication date. Personally, I’m interested to see how many I have that aren’t ‘current’. I’m expecting some classics to pop up, but broadly, I suspect my reading list has a lot more recent books.

My next Friday feature is my First Lines Friday post. It’s been months since I shared one of these, so I’m keeping the subject entirely open so I have freedom of choice on the book I feature!

Lastly, you know the drill. Next week I’m back with my next Sunday Summary update post. Find out if I finish Defiant and progress further with The Eye of the World. Plus, catch up on any content you might have missed in the week!

Until next time, have a great week and I’ll see you in my next post!

Happy reading!

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Shelf Control #81 – 15/11/2024

Posted on November 15, 2024 by fantasyst95

It’s been a good while since I shared a Shelf Control post… or a regular Friday feature at that! After a brief spell of scaling back the blogging I’m now back to regular scheduling and ready to dive in!

The author I feature in today’s Shelf Control post is one I have read once before. That first book I read was a whopping five star read and I’ve been excited to read more of her stuff ever since!

Before I share the details on this week’s feature, this is what this Shelf Control feature is about.

Shelf Control is 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.

Rose Under Fire – Elizabeth Wein

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 360

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher:Hyperion

Publication Date: 10 Sept 2013

Goodreads – Rose Under Fire

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning World War II thriller where a young female pilot will have to confront the realities of hope and bravery if she wants to survive capture.

While ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot for the Soviet air force.

Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?

The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

My Thoughts

I loved Code Name Verity. It was a fantastic and very cleverly written story set in a World War II setting. Rose Under Fire is a completely new storyline but set in a similar timeframe. It’s also one of my favourites to read about, fiction or non-fiction. Call me weird if you wish, but I love learning about the conflict and listening to the experiences of people who had to endure the worst of World War II. I’m a firm believer of learning from these experiences by educating ourselves about them as opposed to burying them in the sand.

I’m looking forward to reading a second World War II based story from this author. I’m also intrigued on reading books set in specifically a woman’s concentration camp as this is an angle I’ve not yet read about. I’m hoping it’s every bit as engaging and clever as Code Name Verity. As to whether I do enjoy it as much remains to be seen. But, hopefully I’ll be able to answer that question for you shortly!

Have you read Rose Under Fire or Code Name Verity?

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Monthly TBR – November 2024

Posted on November 14, 2024 by fantasyst95

This monthly TBR is late as earlier this month I was squeezed on free time to blog. When I originally planned to share this in my first Sunday Summary of the month, I didn’t take into account that I was away that weekend. Then, I hoped to share this post with you earlier this week before I sat my exam yesterday. In the end, I prioritised revision for that. It was worth it as I passed! So, finally I’m here today, nearly halfway through November, to tell you what I plan to read this month. Apologies this is much later than billed.

I’m not piling loads of books on the reading list this month anyway. I have a chunky book to get through, and I want to wrap-up those I’ve already started and have on-the-go. Plus, I want to ease myself back in now that my free time is my own again!

Fixed Reads

The Squiggly Career

As of drafting this monthly TBR post, I have in fact already finished The Squiggly Career. The Squiggly Career is a non-fiction book I knew I wanted to pick up this year. Having read You Coach You a few months ago, I wanted to continue with picking up content from Helen and Sarah and also doing so in a way that gives me resources to help with my own development at work.

If you are looking for this kind of content, then I cannot recommendThe Squiggly Career enough. It is a fantastic resource giving you the opportunity to challenge yourself and make space for asking questions about what you want to get out of your time at work (aside from the pay check).

Defiant

I’ve had the audiobook for Defiant on the go for a little while now. Last month I didn’t pick it up very much (to a degree just out of preference for physical books), but also because of my exam.

I have already made an effort to start listening to this again. Just today, I have made progress from around a third of audiobook in to halfway complete. Hopefully I’ll have a lot more progress to share with you in the next week or so. I’m not planning on rushing this listen, but I’ll make the most of time I have off and at home on my own to make progress.