Category: sunday summary

Sunday Summary – 13th October 2019

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Good evening readers! It’s Sunday night again, so you know what time it is… time for my Sunday Summary post!

Even though I have published posts every day this week, I don’t feel that it has been all that stressful. Now that I’m a little ahead of myself and have gotten into the routine of writing more than one post in a sitting, it’s become easier. I’ve also ended up going to two work social events this week, which has probably contributed as well.

What have I been gracing your screens with this week? I began the week with a discussion post about how to write book reviews, and what I think is important to include. In that post, I talk about why I don’t really use a star rating system on my blog and why it is important to express yourself as honestly as you can, even if you don’t love a book. I published another Top Ten Tuesday post (you guessed it, on Tuesday), in which I list what I think are my top ten achievements since starting my blog. When I started the post I imagined it to be a nice, light-hearted one, but it actually ended up quite personal.

Wednesday was the day for me to publish an audiobook review. This week’s subject was a little okay a lot overdue, having finished listening to it over four months ago. The Painted Man by Peter Brett is an enjoyable read (or listen) for fantasy-lovers and you can find all my views in that post. On Thursday I discussed the results of an experiment I conducted at the end of September. If you are a book blogger and want to find out whether paid advertising is really worth it, I strongly recommend you check out my results before you spend your money. Seriously. Know what you are getting yourself into.

On Friday I shared the introduction to last month’s work book club read (that I didn’t get around to… oops!) in my First Lines Friday post. I definitely want to try and read it on holiday though, so fingers crossed I can catch up with it. Then, yesterday, I shared my list of books I wish I had never read. Thankfully, these are very few and far between; there is nothing worse than investing time in books to end up disappointed.

 

Books Read

Between drafting blog posts, meeting friends for lunch, taking part in a Quiz Night and going bowling with my work friends, it’s amazing I have had time to fit in any reading this week! Following on from last week, I started by making progress with The Haunting at Paradise House by Killian Wolf. You can tell I had a busy week as I only really finished this on Friday after bowling. I had only just about started this last week, so I suppose I almost read it all in a few days.

Yesterday I picked up After Whorl: Bran Reborn by Nancy Jardine. This is my last read of the month for which I have an upcoming blog tour. I have already read 36% of the book and found it quite easy to do so. I can’t see that this will take me too long to finish at all. It’s a lot easier to read than The Beltane Choice, in my opinion. It’s definitely more historical fiction than romantic fiction, which I like.

Visions of Zarua is taking me a lot longer to listen to than I would have liked. My blog tour post is coming up pretty imminently, and I still have seven hours left to listen to. I’m going to put some serious time into listening to it next week to have this completed in time to write my review. I have to. It’s not that I’m not enjoying it, because I am, I just don’t listen to audiobooks very quickly.

 

Books Discovered

 

So, a few books have been added to the TBR this week. My first addition of the week came from a charity stall in my local Tesco, for the benefit of Cancer Research. I managed to pick up a second-hand, but a good-as-new copy of The Forbidden Queen by Anne O’Brien. You can tell it has never been read by the condition of the spine – not only has it not been cracked, it’s not even stretched.

Thanks to Bookbub, I have also added a couple more books by John Marrs to the TBR. I have already added The Good Samaritan to the list. This week, I added When You Disappeared and Her Last Move, because both sound fantastic!

 

Coming Up…

Blogtober continues and I have a mixed line up of posts to keep things fresh for you guys. Here is what to expect popping up in the near future: –

  • Monday 14th October – Quintessential Quotes: Margaret Atwood edition
  • Tuesday 15th October – Top Ten Tuesday: New releases I am excited for
  • Wednesday 16th October – Book Review: Crowfall by Ed McDonald
  • Thursday 17th October – Book Promo: Darkest Hour by Rachel Churcher
  • Friday 18th October – Shelf Control
  • Saturday 19th October – My Holiday Reads
  • Sunday 20th October – Blog Tour: Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson
  • Monday 21st October – Netgalley: Yay or Nay?
  • Tuesday 22nd October – Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Worlds I Love
  • Wednesday 23rd October – Tips to get out of a reading slump
  • Thursday 24th October – Autumn: The Season of Reading (for me!)
  • Friday 25th October – First Lines Friday
  • Saturday 26th October – Blogging and Social Media
  • Sunday 27th October – Sunday Summary

 

I have lots of blog posts in this week’s list as I am going on holiday very soon! I already have four of these scheduled, with a draft for a fifth post well underway. I’m going to be prepping these posts before I go, with the exception of my Sunday Summary on the 27th. Even if it’s a brief list, I am going to do my best to update you on everything I have been reading in the two weeks since my last summary.

Wish me luck…

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

It has been a few weeks, but here are a few blog posts I have stumbled across and enjoyed reading this week: –

Nope Book Tag

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove Book Review. #BookReview #BookBlogger #BookBloggers #SherlockHolmes @JamesLovegrove7 @TitanBooks @Sarah_Mather_15

Book Review: The Winter Sea

A big bookish discovery

Bookish tattoos and my favourite tv show | The Liebster Award 🌰🍂

What have you been reading this week?

 

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Sunday Summary – 6th October 2019

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My Sunday Summary posts are going to be quite busy for the next few weeks on account of Blogtober. I’m actually feeling quite good about it. At the beginning of the month it felt like a huge challenge, but I have made good progress with it already. That’s not to say it has been easy, but it’s proven how much more productive I can be when I push myself.

Blogtober officially kicked off on Tuesday, and how better than to start the month by sharing my October TBR? It’s one of my longest lists to date, but I am going on holiday shortly and I should be able to get plenty of reading done!

On Wednesday, I shared my thoughts on Thran Book I: The Birth by Brian McLaughlin. I discovered this book through Voracious Readers Only. Then, on Thursday, I published an interview with the author Brian, which accompanies the book well and gives some detail on Brian’s writing process and his advice when it comes to publishing.

Friday’s post is hardly surprising – it was a Shelf Control post featuring a book co-authored by one of my favourite authors. I have already read eighteen of this particular author’s books, compared to only two of his co-author. I am hoping the writing styles of the two complement each other. There’s only one way to find out, right?

Yesterday I published a bit of a fun post, Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Book Blogger. It gives a little insight into how I work such a time-consuming hobby around a full-time job and what fractional social life I have. Obviously, today, here we are!

 

Books Read

In last week’s Sunday Summary post I vowed that I was going to really try to finish Elantris before month-end and that I was going to start listening to Visions of Zarua in the mornings. Well, I achieved one of those things. I finished Elantris on the 1st October, and it did not disappoint! I have loved every Brandon Sanderson novel I have read to date. This was his fifth book, so he’s basically an auto-buy author at this point.

After reading such a lengthy epic, I really fancied picking up something short. To that end, I picked up the shortest book on October’s TBR – To Snare a Witch by Jay Raven. At just over 80 pages, I read this in pretty much one sitting on the 1st October as well.

I picked up Hallowed Ground on Wednesday, the first book on my TBR. I’m still quite a way off my tour date, but I wanted to have it read in good time. All my review tours fall at the end of the month so I had to bear this in mind. I finished Hallowed Ground last night, well in time for the tour date (which makes a change)! Since I am so early, I am tempted to make some notes whilst it is fresh in my head. I also need to add this read to Goodreads, as a record for the book isn’t actually on the site yet.

I have also made a cursory start on The Haunting of Paradise House by Killian Wolf. We’re only talking about 12% off the top of my head. It’s a good start, especially since I am not normally on my third book of the TBR in the first week.

I really need to give myself a kick up the backside when it comes to audiobook progress. Last week I said I was going to start listening to it more, particularly in the morning. That hasn’t consistently happened though. I think I did one day, and that’s it. My review date is getting quite close now, so I am going to have to start listening for an hour a day to have it finished in time to draft my review. Rather than mornings, I’ll see if I can listen to it whilst I am cooking tea, or in the evening before bed. I have to find a way to make it work.

 

Books Discovered

Thankfully I have been too busy to see or hear of anything new. My TBR can breathe a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that it isn’t going to collapse under its own weight for another week.

 

Coming Up…

I feel really good about next week since I have blog posts prepared and scheduled up to and including Friday already! Here is the line up for next week’s posts: –

  • Monday 7th October – How to Write Reviews… and how I write mine!
  • Tuesday 8th October  – Top Ten Tuesday: Achievements
  • Wednesday 9th October  – Book Review: The Painted Man – Peter Brett
  • Thursday 10th October – Advertising: Is it worth it?
  • Friday 11th October – First Lines Friday
  • Saturday 12th October – Books I wish I had never read
  • Sunday 13th October – Sunday Summary

So, that’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary post. What have you been up to this week? Are you participating in Blogtober? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 29th September 2019

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We’re at the end of another week and it’s time for my Sunday Summary post again! Where is this year going? Someone, please tell me… I’m genuinely interested. The nights are drawing in and the clocks will be changing soon. It’s probably my favourite time of year – I like to shut the dark out and get cosy in the evenings. I just wish it was a bit… drier. With the remnants of a hurricane heading our way in the next day or two, it doesn’t look like that is going to happen!!

Shall we take a look back at what I have been up to this week?

On Monday I had a lot of fun writing my Reader Problems Book Tag. It’s been a little while since I have taken part in a tag and written a little about myself, so it was overdue. I enjoyed reading other bloggers’ responses to the questions asked, so I hope you enjoy reading mine too!

Then, on Wednesday, I shared my book review of Simon Says by Jo Wesley for the organised blog tour. If you haven’t read my review already then please do; I absolutely loved this book and it’s my second favourite of the year (so far)! It covers a harrowing subject but does so really well. I’m already confident that I will re-read this book in years to come.

Finally on Friday, after nearly a month of other commitments, I shared a First Lines Friday post. My chosen book was perhaps a little bit predictable, but I just can’t stop talking about it! I make no apologies!

 

Books Read

I have spent this week with all my attention on Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. As of my last update in last week’s Sunday Summary post, I had read 20% of the book. Considering the length of this book (just over 600 pages) I’ve done well to get to 74%. I’m going to be making a real push to finish this in the next day to two as a new month is upon us. You know what that means… a new reading list!

I’ve been a little better with making progress with Visions of Zarua this week. That said, I am going to have to up my game and listen for longer a day if I want to have my review ready in time for the blog tour. I need to get back into the habit of listening to audiobooks when getting ready in the morning. That extra half an hour really makes a difference. I managed it to finish listening to Six of Crows, so I can do it again.

 

Books Discovered

I have another addition to the TBR this week. After reading some fabulous reviews, and in light of the spooky season, I have added The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware to the list. I have also suggested it to our company’s book club for the October Read of the month as it’s a psychological thriller.

 

Coming Up…

Things are about to go a little bit crazy and I have no idea if I am ready for it. I have been blogging for two and a half years now, and the last couple of years I have laughed at the idea of Blogtober. Who could possibly post every day for a month?

Well, I am hoping I can. I am a more active blogger than I have ever been before, and I like a challenge. So, I’ve decided to try Blogtober! This can either go really well or disastrously wrong, but I want to try. I also have a holiday coming up very shortly to take into account, so… this is going to be fun?

It’s going to be fine. Totally fine. I have a plan. This is how week one of Blogtober is going to look:-

  • Tuesday 1st October – October Reading List
  • Wednesday 2nd October – Book Review: Thran Book 1: The Birth
  • Thursday 3rd October – Author Interview: Brian McLaughlin
  • Friday 4th October – Shelf Control
  • Saturday 5th October – A Day in the life of a Book Blogger
  • Sunday 6th October- Sunday Summary

 

Are you taking part in Blogtober? Do you have any tips for me? Otherwise, what have you been reading this week? Please drop a comment below!

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 22nd September 2019

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Hey guys! It’s me again, back with my weekly Sunday Summary post! Have you had a good weekend? I have spent mine catching up with family, and of course, my fair share of reading too.

What did I get up to during the week? Thankfully I had a brief respite from blog tours so I put the time to good use and reviewed my TBR again. This week’s Down the TBR Hole post presented a regular trend for me – a distinct lack of whittling down the reading list. To that end, I have decided that this is going to be my last Down the TBR Hole post… at least for a while. I think the books are too recent to the list and I still want to read them all. The proof is in the pudding really, so in the fullness of time, I might go back to it with a fresh pair of eyes.

I may not have had a review for a blog tour post, but I still have a little backlog of reviews to write. With that in mind, Thursday’s post was a review of a book I adored reading in June this year – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.

On Friday I returned to my regular posts – and I really enjoyed it! My look back at the TBR on Monday wasn’t all that successful I admit. However, taking the opportunity to share my thoughts on Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker, and why it’s on my TBR, was the focus of this week’s Shelf Control post.

 

Books Read

In between drafting blog posts, I have spent the majority of my week reading/savouring/enjoying The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I was unsure how the different narrative style to The Handmaid’s Tale was going to sit with me, but I loved every second of it! I read an article (linked below) in which Atwood stated she was reluctant to try to write another narrative from the perspective of Offred, which totally understand. Thirty-five years on, a lot has happened and it would be very difficult to do. Given the nature of the book, the multiple narratives really complemented each other.

I finished the Testaments yesterday and pretty much straight away I moved on to my next book. Guys… I have finally started reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson! I have only been attempting to read it for nearly two months at this point… Never mind! I am on it now. I’ve taken to it really well too – I have already read 20% of the book in just a little over 24 hours.

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I reported starting Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson. If I am honest, my audiobook progress has been a little slow this week. There were a couple of evenings where I wanted to listen to music on the way home on account of having the concentration span of a gnat. After a long day at work, that’s allowed right?!

 

Books Discovered

After reading a really interesting review, I have added a book called #Murdertrending to the TBR. It sounds very unusual in terms of plot; that is what has drawn to the book. The fact that it is a little grisly doesn’t deter me in the slightest.

 

Coming Up…

I plan to start the week by taking part in a bookish tag. I think they are a fun, light-hearted way of telling everyone a little bit about yourself. So, that’s what I am going to do!

This week has been a free one to post as I please, but I am back on the blog tour bandwagon next week! Next week I am sharing my review of Simon Says by Jo Wesley on Wednesday. This book was so good I actually recommended to our Company book club!

Next week heralds the return of First Lines Friday! I enjoy picking an enticing introduction from my books, although I want to carry on reading the book I choose!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

 

Starlight Book Tales – Book Tag: Reader Problems

The Book Dutchesses – Review of #Murdertrending

The Guardian – Margaret Atwood: Moving Away From Gilead

 

So, that’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary post. What have you been reading this week?

 

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Sunday Summary – 15th September 2019

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Welcome back to my weekly Sunday Summary post! I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief writing this post. I’ve taken part in no less than three blog tours this week. However, it really makes a difference being able to write without thinking about it too hard. I always deliberate over those posts so much to make sure I get them just right. My Sunday Summary posts are a lot more relaxed – just me in full and free flow.

To give myself that time I needed to prepare my blog tour posts, I skipped my usual Monday/Tuesday post. Therefore, my first post of the week was Wednesday’s review of Ring Fenced by Zach Abrams, as part of the blog tour. There was no rest for the wicked, as shortly following that I published another review for the blog tour of The Beltane Choice by Nancy Jardine on Friday. Yesterday’s blog tour post was a little more relaxed, as I shared a promotional post for Faeries of Saizia by Tonya L. Chaves. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to read this as well as Ring Fenced and The Beltane Choice, but I’m glad I got to feature the book on Reviewsfeed all the same.

I had the best day of the week on Tuesday! Regular readers will probably have an idea of how excited I was for the publication of The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I was no-doubt annoying all my work colleagues on Tuesday morning going on about it (and how I had subconsciously dressed in the cover’s colours). I skipped down to Waterstones to collect my pre-order… to be told that won the only signed copy of the book received at our store! If I was annoying in the morning I must have been intolerable all afternoon…

 

Books Read

With the blog tour post being imminently due, my first priority read of the week was to finish the last 30% of Ring Fenced by Zach Abrams. I finished the book on Monday and immediately started drafting my review.

On Monday night I began the next book on the TBR, Simon Says by Jo Wesley. I’ve spent most of the week reading the book, dipping in and out of it around work, furious typing sessions in the evening and A. N Other book (no prizes for guessing which…). I finished it earlier today and wow! I am so glad I signed up for the blog tour for this book too! My review isn’t due for about a week and a half yet, but I will tell you this now; it is my second favourite read of the year (so far!).

So the next book is obviously going to be The Testaments. I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave it alone, although there were times when I picked up Simon Says over it. Yes, friends, it was THAT good. I still managed to read nearly 25% of The Testaments though. It has my sole focus now, so I can’t see it taking much longer to read…

This time last week I was unsure as to whether I would still be telling you I had a little longer left on Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or not. I managed to push myself, however, and finished this audiobook on Friday! Hurrah! I did actually start the next one on my list earlier today, in anticipation for…guess what, another blog tour! That’s not until next month though, so I have plenty of time to listen to Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson.

 

Books Discovered

I have a couple of additions to the TBR this week. The first is a recommendation from Claire at work, so also recommended last weeks’ addition of The Island. This week she was telling me about a series she has started, the first book being The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley.

The second book added to my TBR is Friends Life These by Sarah Alderson. I found this on Bookbub and I like the synopsis. The idea that the image people portray on social media isn’t realistic is absolutely true.

 

Coming Up…

I am free of blog tours so I have full creative license with my blog content next week! I’m not letting up on the book reviews though, as I still have a list of them I need to review. To break up some of my content, I’ll save that post for Thursday.

On Tuesday, I am going to tackle the ever-growing TBR with another Down the TBR Hole post. I’ll take a look at the next ten books on the list and decide whether to keep them or not. It’s getting to the stage where the additions are recent, and by that, I mean about a year ago. I’m not binning off half as many books as I did at the beginning, but never mind. I have to try.

On Friday I am getting back into the swing of the fortnightly posts. This week is the turn of Shelf Control, so I’ll be looking back at one of the earliest additions to the TBR and letting you know why I’m excited to read it!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

Owl Be Sat Reading – Book Tag: Inside and Out

Bibliophagist Reviews – Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my TBR That I’m Avoiding Reading & Why

Made Up Book Review: #BlogTour #BookReview The Fourth Victim by John Mead

Feed the Crime – Reviewing Endgame by Daniel Cole…

 

What have you been up to this week?

 

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Sunday Summary – 8th September 2019

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We’re at the end of another week already – so it’s time for my weekly Sunday Summary wrap up! The week was dragging… up until the weekend that is. Isn’t that always the way?

I began the week by sharing my Reading List for the month! With a book untouched from last month’s TBR and no less than three books still to be read for upcoming blog tours… it’s a busy one! In between all that, I am very excited about reading The Testaments, which is being published next week!

On Wednesday I set aside some of the older outstanding reviews and instead reviewed a recent read. After reading a previous book co-authored by him, Seeker, I gladly accepted a copy of Kau D’Varza from David Noë. I really enjoyed delving into the ChaosNova universe again.

On Friday I took a break from the usual Shelf Control post to take part in a book birthday blitz tour of The Fourth Victim by John Mead. As part of the tour, I reviewed the crime fiction novel. In order to make my life a little easier, I thought on and read this last month. What sets The Fourth Victim is its unusual main character Jenny – a sufferer of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

 

Books Read

I have spent the majority of the week reading The Beltane Choice by Nancy Jardine. As of last week’s Sunday Summary post I was 22% through the book. Midweek I felt pretty confident with how I was doing, but it ended up taking me a little longer to read than I wanted. I enjoyed the book overall, but I had a few moments with it. There are elements within that are necessary to the story, but I didn’t love it 100%. I persevered and I’m glad I did because I liked the wider historical fiction setting and novel. I finished reading The Beltane Choice yesterday morning.

As I have a blog tour post scheduled before that of The Beltane Choice, my next priority is to read Ring Fenced by Zach Abrams. I’ve fared a lot better with this book; the urgency of having the blog tour post due next week has spurred me along all the more I think. I started reading this yesterday afternoon and as of right now, I am 70% through the book already. If I push myself, I think I can have this read by the end of the night and be ready to move on to my next blog tour read. Thankfully I have a bit more breathing room before that post is due.

I am back to car-sharing in the mornings now, so progress on Six of Crows has slowed. That said, I have just less than five hours left of the book. If I listen to it in the car on the way home every day, I could have this finished in a couple of weeks. I have the scope to listen to them a little more at home (i.e. in the morning getting ready), so maybe I’ll give that a try again and see how I get on. Maybe this time next week I’ll be telling you I’ve finished it…

 

Books Discovered

I have a confession to make. I’ve added quite a few books to the TBR this week.

I’ve gotten involved with a bookish group of people that work at different offices of my company through our equivalent of a social media platform. In addition to discovering my interest in reading this month’s ‘Book of the Month’, When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen. It’s an office-based thriller and I think it has the potential to be a great read. I am going to see how my reading goes over the next few days to see if adding this to the TBR is feasible or not so I can take part in the conversation this month. It’s not the end of the world if I can’t… I can always read it later. I’d like to try though.

Last week I put out a poll so we could all get to know each other’s reading habits and preferences. We ended up talking about our bias towards fiction novels and our knowledge of history. A colleague mentioned that she keeps meaning to pick up her copy of 50 Things You Need to Know About British History by Hugh Williams. I decided that I want to as well, as my lack of knowledge of British History is pretty embarrassing.

Outside of the book club, my colleague Claire recommended a book she read on holiday to me. The Island by Victoria Hislop is a historical fiction novel about a woman discovering her family history and her ties to Spinalonga – a former leper colony.

This is a real historical fiction week, as my last addition to the TBR is Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris. The book is due to be published on the 1st October and having loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, adding her new book to the TBR is a no-brainer!

 

Coming Up…

Next week is the busiest of this month, with no less than three blog tour posts coming your way.

In order to get myself organised with everything, I’ll forego my usual Monday/Tuesday post. Instead, my first post of the week will be shared on Wednesday. That post will be my review of my current read, Ring Fenced by Zach Abrams.

I’ll be skipping my fortnightly Shelf Control post again this week as I am due to take part in the blog tour for The Beltane Choice on Friday.

It’s not typical for me to post on a Saturday either, but I really wanted to take part in the blog tour for Faeries of Saizia by Tonya Chaves. If I didn’t have two blog tours already then I would have signed up to review this book. However, it is what it is, so I’m publishing a promo post to tell you all about it instead.

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

 

Duffy the Writer – Tidelands: Latest book by Philippa Gregory

The Lone Read Blog – Favorite Books of 2019

Bibliophagist Reviews – Weekly Update

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 1st September 2019

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It’s time to write a Sunday Summary post again. AGAIN! The weeks and the weekends are just flying at the moment. This time last week I was looking forward to enjoying a bank holiday Monday off – and now that’s the last of them until… you know. The C-word. I’ve not had my summer holiday yet so we aren’t allowed to talk about that…

On to more current affairs – what has been keeping me busy this week? On slightly non-blog related events, I unveiled my new hair colour on Instagram and Facebook. You may have noticed some slightly different blog artwork reflecting the change. Let’s just say there’s no chance of losing me in a crowd anytime soon!

I had my first post of the week drafted even before last week’s Sunday Summary post. I am pleased to have hosted a book review for K J McGillick’s latest book in the Lies and Misdirection series, Duality. I’ve really enjoyed the series so far and Duality’s more personal touch was a definite hit with me!

Midweek, I shared a second review – I cannot believe it has taken me four months to get around to reviewing Maskerade by Terry Pratchett. It did though. Slightly shameful I admit, but better late than never, right?

On Friday I really enjoyed sharing a First Lines Friday post with you again. I’m really enjoying these regular Friday features so I’ll definitely be keeping up with them where I can. This week’s featured book is a book talked about a lot in the community and one I will particularly enjoy reading (when I finally get around to it!).

 

Books Read

I feel good about this week’s progress, even though overall I didn’t get to touch one of the books on August’s TBR at all. Since I have a blog tour coming up really soon (more on that below), my focus of the week was finishing The Fourth Victim by John Mead. As of last week’s Sunday Summary post, I was 23% through the book; I finished it on Thursday. I really got into the unusual case and I can’t wait to tell you more about it… but no spoilers, obviously!

Me Before You. Oh, I have so much to say about this book. Thank goodness I had the foresight not to try to finish reading this at work. On Friday night I was an absolute mess. It has been a long time since a book made me cry like that. That said I am glad I took the recommendation of a colleague and read it. I wouldn’t describe it as my usual read but I enjoyed it… every tear-wrenching moment.

After I had slept on the ending of Me Before You (I wasn’t fit to start anything else, to be honest), I picked up one of my first reads of September a day early. I have signed up for a lot of blog tours this month. A lot. Maybe too many, but I’m excited about them all! Since I had no chance of reading an epic 655-page fantasy novel in one day, I was as well getting ahead of the game for September’s TBR. As of right now, I am 22% through The Beltane Choice by Nancy Jardine.

As usual, I’ll wrap this section up with my audiobook progress of the week. I’m coming to the end of my opportunity to listen to my audiobooks in the car on the way to work as well as back, but that’s no problem! I also have the bonus of not needing to listen to the radio some nights due to local events and road closures. I’ve listened to several more hours of Six of Crows this week. I feel like the setup and the plot is finally building up to the main event. I was a little unsure of this title when I started but I’m glad I persevered!

 

Books Discovered

After reading a great excerpt and review shared by Drew over at The Tattooed Book Geek, I have added In the Absence of Miracles by Michael J. Malone to the TBR. If you want to check out the post, I’ve included a link to it in my Top Blog Posts section below!

 

Coming Up…

On account of it being September already (where has that come from?), I’m beginning the week by sharing my reading list for September! As I have mentioned, I have signed up for a number of blog tours this month and three are reviews. In addition to those, I have a couple of reads I am really, really looking forward to. Hint: one of them is being published on the 10th of September.

As you have probably guessed from previous weeks, I am on a mission to work my way through my slight backlog of reviews. I’m going to be putting aside some of the older reviews on my list in favour of sharing my thoughts on a more recent read. Back in my early blogging days, I was approached to review Seeker by David Noe and Laura Loolaid. Well, a few months ago David approached me again with a second science-fiction novel set in the same Universe for review and I gladly accepted. He has been very patient in waiting for a review, so that’s my midweek post.

Normally I’d be sharing a Shelf Control post this Friday, however, I am setting that aside as I am scheduled on the book birthday blitz tour for The Fourth Victim on Friday 6th. I’m looking forward to telling you just why I really enjoyed this unusual police-procedural / crime fiction novel!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

Bibliophagist Reviews – No Disclaimers Book Tag

In the Absence of Miracles by Michael J. Malone Blog Tour: Book Excerpt and Book Review. #BlogTour #IntheAbsenceofMiracles #BookBloggers @OrendaBooks @annecater @michaelJmalone1

 

So, that’s me finished rambling for today! What have you been reading?

 

 

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Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 25th August 2019

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It’s the end of another eventful week, so that means it’s time for my usual Sunday Summary post!

In order to get some more reading done, I decided to stick to a three-post week. On Wednesday I shared my review of Seventh Decimate by Stephen Donaldson. I picked up this first book of the series after receiving a copy of The War Within from Gollancz for review. On Friday I shared the next Shelf Control post. In this fortnight’s post, I featured a Stephen King novel. As a crossover into the fantasy genre, it could well have been the book that introduced me to his writing if another hadn’t beaten it to it.

 

Books Read

 

With the end of the month looming I have been really trying to get as much reading done as possible. I think my proudest achievement of the week was finishing Thran Book 1: The Birth by Brian McLaughlin. I’ve been reading this book concurrently with others over the course of the month and I am pleased to say I finished this epic.

Next on the list is The Fourth Victim by John Meads. I am taking part in the upcoming blog tour next month so I have made as much progress as I can in the past couple of days since finishing Thran. I had a very long session at the hairdressers yesterday and I managed to make a very good start on the book. I’m at 23% at the moment and it’s my priority read over the next few days! Fortunately, it’s a bank holiday tomorrow, so I am crossing my fingers that I’ll make a lot of progress then.

In addition to my scheduled books, I’ve also been reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This is a loan from the library so I can’t set it aside for too long. I have around nine/ten days left and I am over halfway through the book, so I have some leeway. I’ll be setting it aside for a day or two to focus on The Fourth Victim, and then I’ll be back to business as usual.

Last but certainly not least, I have been listening to more of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. There have been a couple of nights driving home when it’s been more important to listen to the radio for traffic updates. We have another local motorcycling event on at the moment which closes the roads I drive home on.

 

Books Discovered

Absolutely nothing to report here this week, I’ve been good! Well, on the book-buying front anyway

 

Coming Up…

Next week’s blog material starts… tomorrow! I’ve already scheduled a book review for my blog tour post on Duality by K. J. McGillick, so look out for that!

A little later in the week, I am going to be gracing your screens (hopefully you’ll read it – pretty please?) with another book review from my backlog. This week, I’m going to be reviewing the last Terry Pratchett book I have read in the Discworld series, Maskerade.

On Friday it’s the turn of a First Lines Friday post, so I hope you can join me and see if you can guess this week’s feature.

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

Anna of Kleve Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir

The Blogger Recognition Award Tag

Book Review: Wicked Fox

Examples of Good Book Qualities

The influence of opening lines and catchy beginnings

Who Am I? Book Tag

So, that’s all from today’s Sunday Summary post! What are you reading?

 

 

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Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 18th August 2019

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Welcome back to my blog and my Sunday Summary post everybody! Have you had a lovely week and a great weekend?

I decided to scale back my posting a little this week to three posts instead of four. I have a couple of lengthy books to read – as well as the two additional books I have picked up – a busy schedule! My first post of the week was published on Wednesday. It had been a little while since sharing an audiobook review. With Darkdawn being published next month, I figured a review of Godsgrave was due.

On Friday I shared a First Lines Friday post. This week’s post featured a dystopian classic currently on my reading list. I would imagine a few people have already read this book, willing or not at school. I’m aiming to make my way through all these books at some point.

 

Books Read

As with last week, I have a few books on the list in this Sunday Summary post. Throughout the week I have been reading Thran Book 1: The Birth. Last week I commented that I wanted to make more progress on it this week. I’m pleased to say I have. I’ve read a further 35% of the book, so if I can keep that pace up, I’ll have it finished in time for next week’s post!

The next book on my list is Duality by K. J. McGillick. I had not long started this book at the time of reading last week’s Sunday Summary post, but I finished reading it very quickly. I set myself the target of finishing it by midweek, and indeed I finished it on Wednesday!

In the middle of this week, I was feeling a little restless in terms of reading. I already had two books on the go and I wasn’t really in the mood. I wanted something different. A work colleague has recently read and loved Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, so I took inspiration from that and borrowed an e-copy from my library. It really isn’t my type of read but I have enjoyed the beginning so far. I’ve been dedicating the rest of the week to making progress on Thran, so haven’t got beyond the first 10% yet. It’s been easy and enjoyable to read so far, so I am going to stick with it!

I struggled to get into Six of Crows last week – I actively put off listening to the audiobook on the way home from work in favour of listening to the radio. I’ve been better this week and put about another hour or so into it. It’s picked up, I’m glad to say. I’m not giving anyone a lift into work for the next couple of weeks, so I’ll be able to listen to put more time into Six of Crows. I plan to make use of it now I’ve found the hook.

 

Books Discovered

I’ve been good and not spent any money on books, but I have added one book to the TBR this week. Take It Back has just been published by HarperCollins – it’s a courtroom drama in which four boys are accused of a horrific crime. Tackling racial divisions in society, I think this will prove an entertaining and enlightening read!

 

Coming Up…

If you want to know what posts are coming up in the next week, then you have come to the right place, my friends! With the amount of reading I have on, I have decided that I am going to stick to a three post week again.

In the usual format on these weeks, I’ll be sharing a book review on Wednesday. Earlier this year I received a copy of The War Within by Stephen Donaldson courtesy of Gollancz – the second book of the series. In order to catch up, I borrowed Seventh Decimate from my local library. This first book is the subject of my review. I hope you can check that out!

On Friday it is the turn of my regular Shelf Control post. For those who have not read these before, I feature a book currently on my TBR and tell you a little about it; why I want to read it and such. With this series in its infancy, I am still looking at some really old books on my list. I have found it useful though; it has encouraged me to pick one of these books up later this month!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

SPasciuti’s Blogger Review Feature – Reviewsfeed

Top Six Bookish Pet Peeves

#BookReview The Perfect Wife By J. P. Delaney #Thriller

So, that’s all from today’s Sunday Summary post! What are you reading?

 

 

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Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 11th August 2019

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Welcome back to another Sunday Summary post! Yes, the weekend has come to a close once again. Doesn’t it fly? I hope you have had a good one, whatever you have been up to!

In addition to my reading this week, I’ve also been sharing a variety of bookish related posts. On Tuesday, I undertook another review of the TBR in my latest Down the TBR Hole post. It didn’t turn out to be all that successful in terms of reducing the list, but it was still good fun to look at this list all the same.

On Thursday I reviewed a book I initially read back in May, Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell. I am really enjoying this historical fiction series. By all accounts, I shouldn’t get on with Uhtred’s character, but you cannot help but like him… faults and all!

Friday was the turn of my regular Shelf Control post. Rather than just one book, this week’s post featured three! I’ve read the first trilogy of this series so far, however, with three following books published and one final one yet to be published, I still have a bit of reading to do with this one!

 

Books Read

I’ve dipped in and out of several books this week. I have spent the week reading parts of a long fantasy novel, Thran Book 1: The Birth. As this is a long and detailed read, I think it’s the type of book that I’ll be chipping away at in between other reads rather than binge reading. I’m about a quarter of the way through the book so far, although I am hoping to make more progress on it in the next week.

I’ve also been dipping in and out of reading The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle throughout the week. I finally finished this last night and… wow! The story was so complex! Who knew so much could happen in one day? I knew  this murder mystery was portrayed in several perspectives, but I didn’t expect them to jump around as much as they did. If I had tried to read it faster I would have lost the plot. Don’t get me wrong, it worked, but if you’re not paying attention then you just end up mind-fucked. It deserves the 5* rating I’ve given it, but I’m glad I took my time unravelling the story. I realise that for many 6 days wouldn’t really fall under ‘taking ones time’, but yeah.

On Saturday evening I started my current read, Duality by K. J. McGillick. I’m glad to be back with a number of familiar characters and another, totally unique art theft case. The undercurrents and history of Renaissance art vs Religion is really interesting and I can’t wait to discover more about it as the team work to unravel the case! I’ve managed to read just over a quarter of the book already. I imagine I’ll have this read by mid next week at this rate!

After your results on my Twitter poll last week, I made a very meagre start on listening to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. For one reason or another, I only ended up listening to this on the way home from work one day this week.

 

Books Discovered

The only addition I have to the list this week is a cute little sample my mum got for me! Whilst she was out shopping last week she was offered a sample of One Minute Later by Susan Lewis. Knowing my obsessive reading, she took it and has given it to me this afternoon. Thanks mum!

 

Coming Up…

Since I am free of blog tours and other commitments next week, I have totally free reign as to what I share with you. As I mentioned in last week’s Sunday Summary post, I have a few reviews to catch up on. To that end, on Wednesday I’ll be sharing my review of an audiobook I listened to AGES ago now – Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff.

Later in the week, I’ll be sharing another First Lines Friday post (no prizes for guessing when that goes live). As always, it’s as much a mystery as to which book I’ll be featuring at the moment, but I’ll figure it out closer to the time!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

Okay, so confession time. I’ve been really bad and not read any blogs this week. I’m really sorry – I’ll be back on it next week. I promise!

What have you been up to this week? What books are you reading?

 

 

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