Category: Book Related

Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2025

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The end of March has come and flown by! Where is 2025 going? Regardless of how I feel about being a quarter of the year already, time waits for no man (or woman). And so, it’s time to share my monthly wrap-up for March 2025.

I did pretty well with my TBR for March. I didn’t get to all the books, as I often don’t nowadays. Still, I got to most of them and enjoyed the books I read. That’s a big improvement from February! Shall we take a look at what those were?


Books Read

Woden’s Spear

The first book on my TBR for March was a blog tour commitment. For the first time in a long time, I agreed to take part in some blog tours and help out where they lacked support and needed filling. Woden’s Spear was the first of two books I committed to – the second is coming up later this week. It was also a new author to me. I said yes to it because I liked the setting and genre it falls into.

After weeks of not much luck with the books I’d chosen to read, Woden’s Spear made a refreshing… return. I enjoyed going back to something familiar that I know I like. It kickstarted my reading again in the best of ways. I’d even go so far as to say that having the deadline changed the dynamic and got my focus back on books!

If you want to take a look at my full review of Woden’s Spear, here’s a link to that post.


A Promised Land

A Promised Land was an audiobook carryover from February. It was the one book on my February TBR that surprised me in a good way. I didn’t finish it that month due to the length – over 29 hours total!

As of the beginning of the month, I carried over the final 12 hours of A Promised Land and finished the book 11 days later. A Promised Land was an eye-opener for me in that previously, I’ve avoided politics. It’s not a subject of particular interest to me, but it was good to get out of my comfort zone. Arguably, Barack Obama is one of the few political figures I don’t mind – they’re very few and far between! That made a huge difference to the listening experience. That, and Barack narrating the book himself, made it a lot more personal!


The Housemaid

Next, I listened to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. We picked up this book for our book club, which met on the last day of the month.

It’s the first time I’ve opted to read our workbook club pick in audio format, but it worked! Admittedly, I found myself frustrated with Millie when I first started the book. She didn’t half put up with some bad behaviour; there’s a good reason why, but as someone who wouldn’t, it got to me. However, the book got A LOT more interesting as the narrative moved on, and the second perspective changed the book entirely.

Thriller fans – no spoilers here… but I can’t recommend the book highly enough!


Calamity

One last audiobook I squeezed in before the end of the month is Calamity by Brandon Sanderson. I literally finished this on Monday, squeaking it in just in time.

I picked up Calamity as it’s the final book in Sanderson’s The Reckoners series. After a long break, I picked up the second book earlier this year. I was determined to finish it soon and not leave it years again before finishing the series. The great news is that I have a completion under my belt to go towards my resolutions for the year. The bad news is that the series is done, and there aren’t any more books with these characters…


Normal Women

Finally, the last book I have to share with you in today’s monthly wrap-up is one I’ll carry forward into April.

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory came onto my radar after I listened to a podcast based on the research for this book. I really annoyed that podcast – and I’m enjoying the book too.

It’s a bit of a slow read though, so it’s one I’ll likely end up chipping away at. Throughout March, I read the first few chapters and as of this monthly wrap-up, I’m a couple of hundred pages into Normal Women.

In truth, I think this book would be easier for me to listen to than read. I tend to prefer listening to non-fiction. Even still, it’s been quite informative so far. My perception of history being unfavourable to women isn’t always true – women lost a lot of rights by the time Henry VIII secured the throne.

Here’s to continuing with this book in the next few weeks!


Summary

Thankfully I have better news to share in this monthly wrap-up and reading progress has been better.

If you’re still with me, thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up. Have you picked up any good books recently? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’ve Never Reviewed

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If there’s one thing that’s apparent on this Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’ve Never Reviewed post, it’s that the books fall into one of two categories.

I’m proud to say that in the grand scheme of things, I review the vast majority of books I read. There are some I haven’t reviewed dating back to pre-blog days. Maybe I’ll re-read and review some of those whilst they are fresh in my memory. It wouldn’t feel fair to it now when it’s been over 10 years since I picked the books up.

The two categories the remaining books fall into are either those I feel indifferent over, or those I’m intimidated to even try to review!

Shall we take a look at what falls where?

 

Books I’m Indifferent About


Empress of All Seasons

My overall recollection on this book is one of general enjoyment, but nothing stands out In my head as to why I liked this book.


The Ruby in the Smoke

Nothing smacks harder of indifference than not actually being able to remember a single thing about this book or anything that happened in it.

Yikes.


Vox

On a different note, I do remember the plot and premise of Vox. I did enjoy the book, but as a feminist fiction, I feel it could have leant a little harder into the subject than it did. 


Jack the Ripper: Case Closed

I like Jack the Ripper books and stories, but this audiobook just felt a bit ‘meh’. It’s very hard to write a review and talk about a book when you really don’t have a lot to say about it.

Scouse Gothic


If I recall correctly, the author sent me a copy of this book after I read another of his. It was a book I read at my own leisure rather than for review. It was an okay read, if a bit out of my comfort zone. I didn’t have anything especially to say about it then and neither do I now.

 

You Are Not so Smart

You are not so smart

All I recall from this book is a bunch of surprising facts, interlaced with humour. It was a good and informative read, but I certainly don’t have enough to say about it to be able to draft a post dedicated to it.

It’s interestingly the only non-fiction to feature in this Top Ten Tuesday.

 

The Cockroach

This political satire is a short book I was recommended by someone I used to work for. It was an interesting and different short story to read. Again, there’s no way I’d be able to justify a review for it.

 

Books I’m Intimidated to Review

Blackwing

Blackwing

I’ve read and reviewed both Ravencry and Crowfall as part of blog tours. I read the first book in the series, Blackwing, to catch up on the book ready to review Ravencry.

Since I’ve loved the books so much (that I’ve already re-read them within just a few years), any future review has very big shoes to fill.

 


Godsgrave

In a bit of an admin oversight, I reviewed the first and final book of this trilogy on my blog, but not Godsgrave. I’m not sure how I managed that, but there we go!

Like Blackwing, I’m intimidated at the prospect of approaching this review. I adored this series – it’s what got me into Jay Kristoff’s books in the first place. Can I do the book justice and convince readers it lives up to the hype?


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I’m intimidated to review The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time because it’s such a well-known classic! The truth is, I’m probably missing a trick here. Reviews on my blog for classic or popular books, including The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are why my blog gets as many views as it does nowadays (over 71,000 in 2024).

Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and have a go!

 Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. Have you read and reviewed any of the books I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday instalment? I’d love to read your thoughts if you have!

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Monthly TBR – February 2025

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For February‘s monthly TBR, I’m making an effort to pick up more topical reads. I have read a few books in February before around the topic of Black History Month. Still, I’ve not leaned into it all that heavily – until now.

This monthly TBR post features a carryover from January, as well as our work’s book club pick. After that, my plans are to lean into Black History Month completely. With a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction, it should be a good month of reading. I’m also pushing myself out of my comfort zone this month by picking up a political non-fiction – something I’ve never done before.


Fixed Reads


A Darkness at Sethanon

My carryover from January‘s monthly TBR is A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist.

I set out to pick up the book in January as it’s the final book in his The Riftwar Saga series. If you read my series to finish in 2025 post, you’ll know that this particular book was on my hit list to help me achieve my goal of finishing more series this year.

I’m still pretty early on in this book, so I have the vast majority of it to read in February. It’s a solid start so far, and I’ve caught up with the events of the previous books so I know exactly where we’re picking up from.


The Da Vinci Code

At our book club meeting on Wednesday last week, we decided to pick up The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown next. It’s a mixed bag between us as to whether members have read the book before. Personally, I’m in the camp of having not read it yet.

I do recall watching a series based on the novel. I’m not going into it completely blind, but I’ve also never experienced the book. That’s often a very different experience to watching it!

I’ve only got on till the 26th of February to pick up the book. Naturally, this is going to be a bit more of a priority read. Whilst it doesn’t matter all that much when I pick up the rest of the books on this monthly TBR, this is the only one with an official deadline.


A Promised Land

The anomaly on this monthly TBR is Barack Obama‘s political memoir, A Promised Land.

I have never read anything like it before. Is it likely I ever will again? Well, I suppose that depends on my experience of this book. What I can say for sure is that it meets my 2025 resolution of reading out of my comfort zone. 

I understand that it’s a lot heavier than Michelle Obama‘s autobiography, Becoming. It’s also a lot longer. At 760 odd pages, this is not going to be a light read.

I’m not really invested when it comes to politics. However, I did actually quite like Barack Obama and what he was trying to do in America. It’s completely different to the type of material I would normally pick up. His life experiences are unique and I’m curious to read this memoir to learn a little bit more about him and his presidency.

What makes this a little better is that I’m listening to the audiobook, which Barack narrates himself. It may sound daft, but I think that will make it easier to listen to. It feels more personal somehow…


Fearing the Black Body

I originally wanted to pick up this book for reasons other to its ties to Black History Month. Rather, I have a bit of a personal investment as a larger lady. I wanted to pick up this book for its perspective on fat phobia and why people like me are often judged for the way we look and our lifestyles.

However, the ties to racial discrimination in this do interest me. It hadn’t occurred to me that this may have been an underlying influence to why people are more judgmental for people with bigger bodies. I was curious to read the book and find out more. So much so, in fact, that as of publishing this monthly TBR I have already listened to this audiobook in its entirety!


Mood Reads


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

I can’t have every single book on my fixed reading list this month. There is a chance I won’t get round to it all, on account of the fact that February has only 28 days. With this in mind, I’ve decided to put my fictional Black History Month-related reads here.

In the example of Children of Virtue and Vengeance, I have the incentive of picking this book up to continue with this series. Even if the worst-case scenario is that I don’t get to this book in February, I’m likely to still pick it up this year. Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the second book of the Legacy of Orisha series. There is just one book left after this one; it would make a series completion and help me towards my reading resolutions for the year.

It’s been a good while since I picked up the first book of the series, Children of Blood and Bone. I suspect I’m going to need a little refresher on the events of that first book before I dive into this sequel. It’s been six years since I picked it up after all!


In Every Mirror She’s Black

Lastly, the final book I plan to pick up on this monthly TBR that leans into Black History Month is In Every Mirror She’s Black.

I picked up my copy of this book a few years ago in a Waterstones sale after Christmas. I like the sound of the novel and how it compares the experiences of three seemingly different women… but are they?

From what I gather, the book is some kind of commentary on how the lives of Black women, even though they have different backgrounds,  are often filled with the same themes. That’s my impression, anyway. I’ll see for sure when I pick it up!


Summary

I’m setting a less ambitious monthly TBR than I did for January. I didn’t get to all the books on that list, but those that didn’t will make another appearance on my next TBR. In the spirit of reading more seasonally, I want to lean into Black History Month and pick up topical reads.

Are you reading anything for Black History Month?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2025

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The first month of 2025 has flown by! It’s been a fun start to the year. And, as I hoped, I’ve picked up some great books to get me started. Today’s monthly wrap-up post is dominated by books I rated five-stars. What more could I ask for?

I set myself an ambitious monthly TBR, but I’m not going to knock myself down for not being able to match my enthusiasm with results. I still picked up the vast majority of the reading list. What didn’t make it in January is going to come back very shortly.

So, shall we take a look at the books I did manage to pick up in January?


Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree

I started the year with an audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I did this deliberately as I wanted to start the year right. I’ve heard great things about this fantasy, and I wanted to make sure that one of my first reads of 2025 was going to be a four or five-star rating.

At the beginning of January, I had already listened to just over half of this audiobook (55% if you want to get specific). That still left me with around 11 or 12 hours of audio to progress with. Whilst technically this is only half the book, that is more than a whole book’s worth when you think about the average book length I typically read!

Needless to say, my tactic worked. I rated The Priory of the Orange Tree five stars. I loved this fantasy inside out. It was a fun read with compelling characters and an interesting plotline anyway. However, its emphasis on strong female lead characters really made this even better for me.

 

Fool’s Errand

The second and final book I carried over from my December monthly wrap-up was Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Admittedly, I was much less into this book when I started the year. Aside from the first 56 pages, I pretty much read the whole book in January.

Fool’s Errand broke my heart in every way I feared it would. I really enjoyed being back in the world of Fitzchivalry Farseer and seeing how events have moved on from the first trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings series. The foreshadowing at the beginning of this book hammered home my fears about what may happen in this latest instalment.

Can a book be both great and terrible at the same time? It was the events of this book that were tragic. The storyline and writing itself it’s usual fantastic standard. Robin Hobb is not known for pulling her punches when it comes to her main characters. Do we really get invested in them if we know they’re going to turn out right in the end?

Fool’s Errand achieved another five star rating and really cemented a good reading start for me this year.


Shuggie Bain

Back in November, our book club at work decided that we would reconvene in January after reading Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart.

Admittedly, this isn’t the type of book I would’ve picked up of my own volition. That’s the benefit of a book club! It gives you the chance to pick up and read new things and really get out of your comfort zone. Remember, that’s one of my reading goals for this year.

Whilst I confess I didn’t love every aspect of Shuggie Bain, that’s not to say I didn’t get anything out of it. The book is very bleak in its outlook, but gives great perspective on quite pivotal problems in our society like alcoholism, addiction and the impact these things have on families.

From our discussion, we came to the conclusion that whilst these things feel like a very distant problem for other people, they’re not so far under the surface. Quite often those afflicted are very good at masking their problems. Also, it’s dangerous that substances such as alcohol are so widely available to trap those trying to free themselves of their addiction.


Firefight

The final book I picked up and read to completion before the end of the month was Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. I appreciate fantasy has featured quite heavily on this month’s TBR, but I’m not apologetic for it. It’s my favourite genre for a reason! Brandon Sanderson is also always a great read. I’ve loved every single one of his books, even when you’re taken into consideration how varied they are.

Firefight is the second book of his The Reckoners trilogy. Part of the reason I wanted to pick this up early in the year is so I have just one book left in the series. You may also recall a featured this series in my Series to Finish in 2025 post.

I didn’t anticipate the ending of this book, but I went into it pretty open-minded. I really enjoyed how events played out in the book and it’s gotten me all the more excited to pick up the final instalment of the series very soon!


A Darkness at Sethanon

The last book I picked up before the end of the month, though admittedly I only got a couple of chapters in, was A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist.

This book is also a final instalment in a series and that is the main reason for picking this book up. I want to make an effort continuously to keep finishing up series I’ve started and get the list back under control.

There’s not much to say as of this monthly wrap-up post, other than to say that I’ve gotten myself caught up on events of the prior books in the series and I’m looking forward to diving into this one in earnest!


Summary

This monthly wrap-up post has illustrated to me that my aims of picking up high-quality reads in my favourite genre for January have set me up in good stead for the rest of the year. With no less than 3 five-star reads already under my belt, I’m looking forward to continuing the positive streak.

Did you pick up any five-star reads in January? Do you have any reading goals you are prioritising for 2025?

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Series to Finish in 2025

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One of my 2025 Resolutions is to give greater priority to finishing book series. I have plenty of series where I only have 1, 2, or 3 books left before I can mark them complete. In today’s post, I feature my list of series to finish in 2025.

My intention with publishing this post is accountability. Not only have I done the work to identify a number of series that are quick completions. This post also makes that intention public – and hopefully makes me commit to reading all these books this year!


Series to Finish in 2025


The Reckoners

I’m currently listening to Firefight with only 1 hour and 16 minutes left. Once that’s finished, I only have the third book of this trilogy, Calamity, left.

Not only is this an easy win because I only pretty much have one book left to read, but because it’s a Brandon Sanderson book, it will be very easy to achieve as well. I always look forward to his books, and when I do pick them up, they are effortless to read. At the point I am in the series, I have well established the world in which this series is set, and so it’s onward with the action!


The Hunger Games


Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel to The Hunger Games. It’s due out in mid-March, and I plan to pick it up shortly after it’s released.

I’m not one for keeping up too closely with new releases. However, as it is the only book in the series I have yet to read, I’m going to prioritise it so that the series returns to a completed status. I confess, I’m also half tempted to re-read The Hunger Games anyway. I loved these books as a teenager, and it’s a great opportunity for a re-read… yes?


Eagle of Mercia

Another 2025 release that takes the Eagle of Mercia series off its ‘up-to-date’ pedestal is Betrayal of Mercia.

Betrayal of Mercia was released earlier this month. I started reading the series whilst taking part in blog tours and I kept up with it. Even though I’ve taken the decision not to take part in blog tours anymore, I’m invested in the series. So, I plan to continue with it in my own time.

Betrayal of Mercia is the seventh book in this series. It’s a historical fiction with a main character I have a lot of respect for. I’m looking forward to getting back into this world.

 

The Riftwar Saga

My current read, A Darkness at Sethanon, also makes this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ list. As it stands, it’s the final book of Raymond E. Feist’s The Riftwar Saga series.

Although there are more series set in the same world should I wish to return, it’s strictly the last book of the trilogy I’ve started. At present, I don’t know if I’m going to go on to read those of the series. Whilst these books have been perfectly acceptable, I equally don’t have the same pull towards it that I have towards other fantasy series. I may be happy to leave it here; that depends on whether I enjoy this last book.


The Dark Tower

The last series to feature in this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ post is The Dark Tower by Stephen King. This series is the longest in terms of books left to completion, with three remaining at the time of this post.

Some of the books left in this series are chunky. It will probably take me some time to finish this series, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.

The next book I have to read, which admittedly I started the first 20 pages of a few months ago, is Wolves of the Calla. I didn’t properly commit to that one so I’ll likely restart it. That book alone is 765 pages long. After that, Song of Susannah is 434 pages long and lastly, The Dark Tower is 740 pages.


Summary

Have you got lots of ongoing series to progress with? Do you have any series to finish in 2025?

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Top Ten Tuesday – The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post, I share my ten most recent additions to my book collection. Between Christmas and my own wanderings into the book store (always dangerous for my bank account), I’ve not had to look far for the features in this post.

Hopefully this Top Ten Tuesday will give you some bookish inspiration for future reads. It certainly won’t do anything to make me feel better about my bank account balance, but that’s my own problem 😅

Just kidding, I have no remorse!

 

The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection


The Earth Transformed

I recently went on a bit of a spending spree in Waterstones, and purchased a copy of The Earth Transformed. It’s not because I’ve discovered the book before; rather, the premise of the book caught my attention there and then. It’s fair to say it was a bit of a ‘whim’ purchase.


A Man Called Ove

Although not officially on my TBR at the point I purchased a copy, I have been eyeing up A Man Called Ove for some time. In fact, I suggested it as one of our work book club’s first reads mid-last year. Having heard what I have about the book, I have high expectations. I love the idea of the character and if the introduction I featured in last week’s First Lines Friday is anything to go by, it should be a cracker.


Ultra-Processed People

I’ve looked at Ultra-Processed People a few times as well before getting my copy a few weeks ago. It seems especially relevant this year as I’m trying to be more mindful of the food I eat.

It’s easier to make better choices when you’re more informed about what is good and what is not, right?

 

This Book May Save Your Life

The book that’s been the longest on my TBR in this Top Ten Tuesday is This Book May Save Your Life.

I actually added this to the TBR in September 2023. The author has created a lot of short-form content on the likes of Facebook and it was through those I discovered the book.

My expectation is that the author’s humour and quirky fact finding fill make for a fun read. I’m sure the book will also be somewhat useful, but it’s for the humour I’m looking forward to reading it.

 

The Anxious Generation

I had added The Anxious Generation to my reading list a few weeks before picking up a copy. It just happens that Waterstones were doing a buy one get one half price feature and included this particular book.

Thankfully, I’m of an age where I just missed out on technology and social media dominating my childhood. I’m glad that it didn’t! I would’ve hated to grow up in today’s society. It’s going to be interesting to read about the impact that’s had on children today.


Julia

I received a copy of Julia for Christmas. I had asked for a clothbound classic edition of 1984 by George Orwell. I also received a copy of this book as a companion to that.

I’m looking forward to reading Julia as it presents a more modern take on the story with a different perspective on events.


1984

As I mentioned above, I received a copy of 1984 by George Orwell for Christmas I have read this book a couple of times before school (with admittedly not a great rating from me then. However, I re-read the book as an adult and in the context of not having to study it for an assignment. The experience was a completely different one and I loved the book!

I expect this is a classic I will re-read time and again. Now I have a fancy edition to pick up…


Shuggie Bain

Shuggie Bain is not the type of book I would have picked up of my own volition. Rather, our book club at work are reading Shuggie Bain at the moment. So, I purchased my copy secondhand ahead of the club meet next week.

It’s been good to pick up something different. One of the reading resolutions I set myself this year is to read out of my comfort zone. This book definitely fits into that category!

It’s a shame that children such a Shuggie have to grow up in the way they do. As a young child, he is far too aware of the unsavoury side of life. He is bullied at the age of 8+ because he is gay. I’m not even sure he knows it yet, but other kids do. He is also aware of his mother‘s depression and dependency on alcohol. It’s proving a difficult read for this reason, but it will also make great discussion in book club.


Eve

I bought Eve, again opportunistically, because I like the sound of the book. There’s quite a lot of these in this Top Ten Tuesday. That fact hasn’t escaped me.

I’m sure readers are all too aware that the impact women have had on society historically has been… downplayed.

Eve sets to set the score straight. Even if the impact of women has been written out of the history books, it cannot be excluded from our biology. The human body has a lot to thank women for. From how the female body helps provide immunisation (and thus survival) to infants to why we’re more likely to get Alzheimer’s, I’m looking forward to this scientific angle on why women are who we are today.


Orbital

Orbital was featured in Waterstones (you can tell where I do a lot of my physical book shopping…) as the Booker Prize winner for 2024. I liked the sound of it, so I bought myself a copy.

I also like that it’s a shorter book. I regularly pick up large fantasy novels. When I need something shorter to break up that reading, Orbital will be perfect.


Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday feature. Have you purchased or received any new books lately?

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Monthly TBR – January 2025

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Today’s first monthly TBR of 2025 comes to you with the whiff of a fresh start still in the air. My reading goals are still new and shiny…

Okay, enough of the pretentious rubbish!

Welcome to my first monthly TBR of the year. I’m excited to share my planned reads for January. I’m hoping to kick-start the year with some solid 5* reads and some ticks in the ol’ reading goal boxes. Start as we mean to go on, right?

The first two books on this list are carryovers from 2024. I picked these up in the hopes they’d see me right into 2025 and get me hyped for more great books. From there, I plan to pick up book club’s choice for January and some highly anticipated reads.

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


The Priory of the Orange Tree


My first carryover from December is my audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.

It’s been a good while since I listened to fantasy in audiobook format. Despite my reservations about retaining detail given the format of the book, I’m doing pretty well. I suspect it helped that I picked up this audio at a time when I could really dedicate some time to getting introduced to the world and the narrative. Usually, I’m piecemeal with picking up audiobooks. However, I had some time off around Christmas last year and I made the most of it!

As of this monthly TBR post, I have just 7 hours of audio left. This book is nearly 26 hours long, so I’m really getting to the conclusion anyway. I think that’ll help motivate my towards this very close finish!


Fool’s Errand



My second carryover is Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. This book was my only physical read at the end of the year. It was also a mood read I picked up in the final days of December. Knowing I wanted a pretty much guaranteed 5 star read to start 2025 with, Fool’s Errand made logical sense.

Fool’s Errand is living up to its predecessors in the wider series. I’m really enjoying being back in the world of Fitz. He’s one of my favourite characters so far. Although things have moved on a little since the first trilogy, I’m also loving the familiar surroundings.

As of this monthly TBR post, I’m 400 pages into the book. With less than 200 pages left to completion, I’m again hoping this spurs me into action and another finish.


Shuggie Bain


Next, my plan is to pick up our book club pick, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. We meet on the 29th January, but I don’t want this to be a last minute read. 

To my mind, Shuggie Bain falls into my goal of reading out of my comfort zone. I don’t think it’s a book I’d have discovered and read of my own volition. However, that’s exactly why being part of a book club is valuable. It exposes me to new books and ideas.

To my knowledge, this book addresses a number of social issues. I’m looking forward to seeing what those are and being able to discuss those with our group. When I first put feelers out for members, I thought I might have to be a bit more involved in leading discussions. That’s proven not to be the case at all, which is a bonus. It also means we can dig into topics like this quite easily.


Mood Reads


A Darkness at Sethanon


Whilst finishing series is hot on my resolutions radar, my first intended mood read on this monthly TBR is the final instalment to The Riftwar Saga. I started with Magician back in 2017. It’s been a series I’ve picked up sporadically, so I’m going to have to remind myself on events of the prior books before I jump into this last one.

It’ll be good to give myself a check mark on the completion of series goal nice and early. This one can’t be taken off me later, as the series is published in full.


Firefight

Another series progression pick, although not yet a completion, is Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoners series.

I first read Steelheart in 2020, but unlike The Riftwar Saga I have a decent recollection of what’s happened so far. No refreshers needed here!

Firefight is the second part of a trilogy. Reading Firefight will then enable me to pick up the last instalment in the near future, and that will be another completion.

I always look forward to picking up more Brandon Sanderson books. It made sense to add one to my first monthly TBR of the year to hype myself up. He’s such a diverse fantasy author; how he’s managed to write so many books in the genre (and overlapping others), all with their own magic systems and rules, amazes me. It’s what I look forward to when reading his books.

What else can he come up with?


Rose Under Fire

In my Top Ten Tuesday – Winter TBR post, I shared that I wanted to read Rose Under Fire. Again, this is another book that’s part of a series. However, I don’t believe these books tie together in the same way that a traditional series does. Each has their own main characters, but there are overlaps.

I loved Code Name Verity, another book in this series. It was the perfect introduction to Elizabeth Wein’s writing. Verity was a character I could get behind even before we got to see all aspects of her. Now, I’m intrigued to read other historical stories! Whilst I’m not so fussed on the sound of The Pearl Thief (book 3), I may be inclined to read book 4 (The Enigma) if I enjoy Rose Under Fire as much!

We’ll have to see… 


The Bone Collector

The last book to feature in this monthly TBR is technically part of a series. However, it’s not one I’ve already started and I intend to read the book as a standalone.

The Bone Collector has been on my TBR for a long time! Of the 211 books on my TBR right now, there are only 12 books that have been on it longer. Even then, some of those only stand as they haven’t been published yet…

I enjoyed watching a TV series featuring the events of this first book a few years ago. It’ll be exciting to see if the book is even better. I hope so!


Summary

This monthly TBR is AMBITIOUS. But, it’s a new year and I’m excited to get reading. Plus, it’s cold and miserable in January. What else have I got to be doing?

Thanks for reading today’s monthly TBR. Are you planning to pick up any particular reads in January?

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My 2025 Reading Resolutions!

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Good evening everyone and welcome to my 2025 reading resolutions post! I’ve been thinking about my 2025 reading resolutions for a couple of weeks now. So, it’s nice that I finally get to talk about what I’ve decided ☺️

If you take a look at my 2024 wrap-up post, you’ll see that I didn’t complete most of the resolutions I sent myself for 2024. Life changed since setting those goals, so it’s understandable why I didn’t.

I’m setting my 2025 reading resolutions around those changes. So, unless something drastic happens yet again, I should be able to meet these goals.

Shall we take a look?


Read 45 Books

In 2024, I completed 42 books in total, with two ongoing reads as at the end of the year. I wouldn’t even call setting a challenge of completing 45 books a stretch goal. It’s more of a maintenance goal.

I read a good amount last year and still had time to enjoy my other hobbies, as well as time with friends and family. What’s most important to me at the moment is keeping all of that going. That’s why I’m not looking to push myself on the book count this year. If I do end up reading more, then great! However, I’m not going to overcommit myself and then feel like I’m missing out on other things I want to do.


Complete Goodreads Challenges Throughout the Year


Goodreads has recently introduced some new reading challenges. I’ve taken a look at the first ones released for this year, and they coincide with another goal I was going to set myself. So, I’ve merged the two to fall under this one!

I want to read a little bit more seasonally this year. As and when themes or topics come up, such as Black History Month in February, I’d like to pick up some books around those themes. It’s not something I’ve really focused on doing before. It’ will either encourage me to focus on existing books on my TBR that fit the theme, or push me to read something different. I’ll talk more about that later.

What’s nice about these challenges is they update every quarter. Even if I don’t succeed in getting all the achievements in a quarter, the counter resets. Then, I’ll have a fresh point to restart from throughout the year. It also means I can’t plan too far ahead, and I’ll need to be a little bit agile when picking my TBRs.


Finish or get up-to-date on 10 series

I’m bringing forward a goal from 2024 as it’s something I really need to focus on. I have a LOT of ongoing series. Unfortunately, I’m not the type of person to read a series in full once I’ve started it. Rather, I benefit from taking a step back and enjoying something else and coming back to the series later.

Consequently, I have a ridiculous number of ongoing series. Whilst I did get myself up-to-date on 7 series last year, which isn’t a bad thing, it wasn’t the intended target of 10. I want to keep existing series I’ve started as a priority; that’s why setting myself the target of finishing or getting up-to-date on 10 series by the end of the year is something I want to keep on my radar.

Checking back to my series tracker, which doesn’t yet include any new series I started in 2024, I still have over 10 series where there are less than three books to completion. This is definitely an attainable target!


Read Out of my Comfort Zone

Lastly, tying in to my Goodreads Challenges goal, I want to read things that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up before in 2025. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s my reading diversity. Even still, there are books that I feel are out of my comfort zone. My final 2025 reading resolution is to change that through exposure to new things.

For example, one of the books I’m planning to pick up for Black History Month in February is The Promised Land by Barack Obama. I have never read a book that entails any kind of political manifesto before. Politics is a subject I try to stay away from, generally. At least, until this year!

I can’t promise I’m going to love each of the books that take me out of my comfort zone. However, I’m sure I can get something out of them nonetheless. In some ways, I don’t want to get too comfortable in my reading. If it helps me keep learning and expanding my boundaries, then reading out of my comfort zone is going to be a worthy goal!


Summary

Some of the goals on this reading list will look familiar, whilst others are a little bit different this year. I’m looking forward to taking on these challenges and letting them shape a great reading year for 2025.

What are your 2025 reading resolutions?

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My 2024 Wrap-Up!

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As we wave goodbye to 2024 and look forward to a brand new year, today I’m looking back at the reading progress I made last year. In today’s 2024 wrap-up post, I’ll be taking you through some of my key reading stats from last year. As well, I cover how I progressed with the resolutions I set this time last year.

Overall, I had a great year. Although you’ll see in the resolutions section of this post that I didn’t technically meet most of the goals I set, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. When I set out my goals for the year, I had no idea that change was on the horizon. Just a month after I set those goals, I took a step out of my comfort zone. I asked a boy I was chatting to casually a couple of times a week out for a coffee. Now we live together.

Naturally, last year did not go as I’d expected it to in the best of ways. Whilst I’ve still had time to enjoy all the hobbies I have in good quantity, it was always going to be a less. Priorities shifted. Not only that, but I stepped back on both reading and blogging obligations for three months whilst I studied for a professional qualification.

So, now that I’ve made my excuses (I jest – I don’t think that’s the case really), let’s get into my 2024 wrap-up in earnest and talk numbers!


Reading Stats

Resolutions and Goals


Goodreads Challenge – Read 60 Books

 


At the beginning of 2024 in my resolutions post, I set myself the goal of reading 60 books. Whilst I have met this once and exceeded it twice before, in truth, 60 was supposed to be a maintenance goal. In 2023, I read 60 books after setting a challenge of 50. I felt it was a good amount to stick to. As I’ve explained earlier, I have exceeded this twice before, reading 62 books in 2017 and 72 in 2019. Certainly in 2019 I was feeling a little bit burnt out by the end; so I didn’t want to push myself that hard.

In the end, I completed 42 books in total in 2024 and carried forward two ongoing reads into 2025. Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon will now count towards my 2025 total.

I did start and put down one book in the year, christening it a DNF at 26%. In the grand scheme of things, only putting down one book without finishing it in a year is pretty damn good! There is no point forcing myself to finish something I’m not enjoying. Coupled with the other statistics I shared this post above, it goes to show that I focused on finishing books I enjoyed in 2024.


Read >15 non-fiction

The second goal I get to talk about in this 2024 wrap-up post was my intention to pick up more than 15 non-fiction books by the end of the year. This is a reading goal I set myself in 2023 as well. Whilst picking up non-fiction that year in order to meet that goal was a very deliberate and intentional thing, it felt far more natural this year.

It’s fair to say I now choose to read non-fiction on a semi regular basis. As I started getting into the habit of reading more of the genre in 2023, I’ve been adding more books from it to my reading list and generally taking more of an interest in this subject.

Over the course of 2024, I finished 11 non-fiction books, with that one DNF I mentioned earlier also being a non-fiction. I’m not counting that one, but adding it here to show you that non-fiction has been prevalent on this reading list, and it’s been a very natural process. I’ve picked up these books around the year because I want to, not because I feel like I have to in order to meet this goal.

So, I didn’t beat my target of more than 15. However, that’s okay! My target in another context was for non-fiction to make up 25% of my reading list throughout the year (15/60). In the end, 11 out of 42 of my completed books were non-fiction, which is a percentage of 26%. Although I’ve not read as many as I wanted to do this year, the percentage of non-fiction books I’ve picked up is as intended. I’m reading the genre as often as I wanted to. It’s not a complete pass, but I’m not going to mark this as a total failure either…


Finish 10 series by end of year

When I shared my resolutions post with you last year, I confided that I had a vast number of ongoing series. I had at least 18 where I only had a maximum of 3 books left in order to finish them. That’s ignoring the likes of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series where I have several books to go before I’m anywhere near the end.

I set myself a target of finishing 10 series; the definition of finish being either to get entirely up-to-date with a part-published series, or to finish it if the author has completed it.

I got pretty close to this goal in the end. As of this 2024 wrap-up post, I have to give myself 7 out of 10. I would have been one closer but for the fact that one of my ongoing series published a new book in November. I’ve had to dock myself a point for that…

The series I completed in 2024, for a quick recap, were:-

  • The Illuminae Files (full completion)
  • The Tattooist of Auschwitz (full completion)
  • Skyward (full completion)
  • The Celestial Kingdom (full completion)
  • The Saxon Warrior (up-to-date)
  • Empire of the Vampire (up-to-date)
  • Eagle of Mercia (up-to-date)

Overall, a completion rate of 70% is still very good, and also in line with my Goodreads reading challenge. 42 books out of 60 is also 70%. So, it’s fair to say that I’ve been prioritising finishing series in equal proportion to my reading list. Again, I won’t call it a success or failure in this 2024 wrap-up. 


Blog Goals – Make Social Media a Habit

This is the point in today’s wrap-up post where I have to be completely honest. I cannot blag this one. I did not make social media habit in 2024.

It is a goal I will be working on forever more because I am not drawn to social media. I recognise that it can be a useful tool, but I don’t love using it. Making content for it is a completely different ballpark to posting on the blog, and I would say it’s harder. At least, for me.

If you’ve looked at any of my socials in the last week or so, you can see some kind of renewed effort on trying to use and post on social media more often. As to how long it will last remains to be seen. I’m doing my best in these next few weeks to start making a habit of creating content ahead of time and doing so in a concentrated block. We’ll see if it sticks.


Summary

Even though I didn’t strictly meet any of the goals I set myself at the beginning of 2024, I’m still happy with the progress I’ve made with them.

It’s clear that I have continued to make the progress I wanted to throughout the year and that both finishing series and reading non-fiction have become a habit.

Thanks for taking the time to read my 2024 wrap-up! How did you fair against any resolutions you set yourself in 2024?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – December 2024

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December’s monthly wrap-up is here, and I have great books to share with you! For the first time in a while, I had time left over at the end of the month to choose a mood read! It was a novelty, actually…

Shall we take a look at what I read in December?


Books Read


The Eye of the World

As of my December Monthly TBR post, I had 420 pages of progress, or 55%, left of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. It is not a small book— in fact, it is the longest I read in 2024.

It took me until 20th December to read The Eye of the World, but I had a great time. Fortunately, I had time off work and some time to kill when out Christmas shopping. Then there was a morning spent in town waiting for work to be done on my car. You can be sure I brought my book or Kindle with me to pass the time. Otherwise, I’d probably have only just finished this by the end of the month.

I enjoyed The Eye of the World, and I’m curious as to where the rest of the series will take us. This first book has set down a good foundation. But, there is a lot that has yet to be explored. It’ll be good to see some of that fleshed out in its sequel, The Great Hunt.

I expect I’ll pick this up before long— especially as I have a copy already!


Three Sisters

Leaving off from my last monthly wrap-up post, I had just started and listened to the first 2 hrs of Three Sisters before the end of the month.

Truly, I devoured this audiobook. Especially when you consider how long it took me to listen to Defiant, I finished Three Sisters in record time.

Again, I took advantage of being on leave and listening whilst performing the usual Christmas preparations like wrapping presents. I recall doing that last year, and honestly, it makes the task more enjoyable. It’s a bit of a strange combination; listening to a fictional story about the institutionalised suffering of Jews and prisoners of war (among others) during the festive period isn’t exactly typical. However, it’s one of my favourite genres and topics.

I loved Three Sisters, and rated it 5 stars accordingly. It was also a success on completion as it’s a trilogy I’ve now completed 🥳

Next, I have a book written by Heather Morris called Sisters Under the Rising Sun, which I’m sure I’ll pick up soon too.


The Woman Who Would Be King

The Woman Who Would Be King was my first foray into non-fiction Egyptology and is my only non-fiction in this monthly wrap-up. I was originally drawn to the book as I wanted to learn more about this little-known female King and how she was erased from history.

Having never read anything like this before, I had no idea what to expect. However, in all, I considered it a well-rounded book.

Naturally, with the nature of Hatshepsut’s erasure from history (which I found out in this book isn’t necessarily personal), there are a lot of unknowns and conjecture. But, all in all, I think the author did well to explore a few different options or interpretations of what is known.

Given my experience of this book, I plan to read and watch more documentaries on the subject. Reading The Woman Who Would Be King really emphasised how different civilisations were then, and I’d like to learn more.


The Priory of the Orange Tree

Before the end of the month, I made a solid 55% progress with The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. As with Three Sisters, I made the most of time off and opportunities where I couldn’t sit down and read conventionally to listen to this book. Think driving in the car, etc. I’ve also been working on a cross-stitch project I’ve had ongoing for a while; these two hobbies go well together!

It’s been a good while since I listened to a fantasy audiobook. I don’t do it too often as I find I take in details better by reading rather than listening. However, as I’ve not been doing anything too taxing and I’ve made the progress I did in a smaller window, I’ve got a better grasp of the world and events than anticipated.

The Priory of the Orange Tree continues to be a current read, and I’m looking forward to this being one of my first finishes of 2025. I have high hopes for it being a highly ranked read!


Fool’s Errand

The last book to feature in this monthly wrap-up for December is my last current read. I picked up Fool’s Errand in the final days of December. I didn’t set a large TBR for December, and as a result, I saw the end of it for the first time in a while.

Honestly, I’ve enjoyed having the time to pick up a mood read. I nearly picked up Fool’s Errand in late November (I picked up The Eye of the World instead). It’s good to be back in the world of Hobb and another very different style of epic fantasy.

Robin Hobb is a favourite, and I picked the next book up in her Realm of the Elderlings series for two reasons. One, it will help me make progress in that ongoing series. Two, and more importantly, I expect to love this book, and I’ll start my 2025 reading list on a high.

As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m 56 pages in. It’s a solid start, and I have plenty of reading ahead of me!


Summary

The fantasy genre dominated this monthly TBR, and it’s been a fun month of reading for it. I do love how diversely I read as a whole. However, it’s my favourite genre and will always be my baby.

As well, it was a novelty to finish my Monthly TBR and give myself a chance to pick up a mood read at the end of the month. As well, I’ve lined myself up with some great reads to take forward into January and 2025 as a whole.

What did you read in December? What was your best read of the year?

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