Category: sunday summary

Sunday Summary – 6th April 2025

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Today’s belated Sunday Summary post can only mean one thing. It’s the end of yet another week, and I’m with you today to share my latest reading updates.

Today’s post comes a little later than usual, given I had a blog tour obligation to share on Sunday. So as not to steal the thunder of that post, I’m scheduling this live first thing Monday morning local time. That way, I can give the tour the priority it needs. Speaking of which, if you haven’t checked that out yet, here’s a link for you to do so.

Other posts I’ve shared so far this week include my monthly wrap-up for March and my TBR for April. If you want a quick recap of the books I picked up in March, the monthly wrap-up is where to go. Overall, March was a significantly better month than February; I didn’t DNF any of my reads. I didn’t quite get to all the books on my reading list. But, then again, I never do. If anything, I prefer to set too many because it gives me an aim to work towards.

Similarly, if you want to find out which books will feature in the next few Sunday Summary posts, April‘s TBR is where to look. I don’t have any particular reading plan or theme that I’m working towards. Instead, I’ve decided to try and get those books I didn’t get to earlier this year.

 

Books Read


Calamity

I said in last week’s Sunday Summary post that I only had 50 minutes of listening time left of Calamity by Brandon Sanderson. As you can imagine, I listened to this last portion of the audiobook very quickly, so I started the week with an early win.

Calamity was every bit as good as I expected it would be. Whilst I am sad that this is the end of a trilogy, I’m really happy with the resolution. I may not be able to look forward to more books in this series, but I have plenty more Sanderson’s to crack on with…


The Weight’s Over

An impromptu listen I picked up at the beginning of this week is Sandra Roycroft-Davis‘ The Weight’s Over.

I pre-ordered this book a few weeks ago in anticipation of it coming out last month. I picked it up to understand the science behind weight loss and why it’s actually so difficult to do. In fact, Sandra outlines the ways in which our bodies set out to defy our best attempts.

The Weight’s Over was an informative listen, and I’m glad I picked this up. The audiobook is also relatively short. As a result, I both started and finished this book this week. I’d recommend this to anyone who is interested in the science behind how our bodies work – and why our bodies and brains are determined to prevent us from undertaking a successful diet.


Enemies of the Crown

Another book I picked up and read in full this week was Enemies of the Crown by Peter Gibbons. There is a reason that this book was read so quickly, and that is because I had the blog tour post deadline. I had debated putting this book on the end of March’s list, but ultimately decided not to. Perhaps in hindsight, I should have, but what’s done is done.

Regardless of how quickly I had to read this book, I enjoyed it a lot. This is the fifth instalment of Peter Gibbons’ The Saxon Warrior series, so I had a solid interest in picking up this book in good time anyway. Although I’ll generally be taking part in fewer blog tours in the future, this series is one I would make an exception for as I want to keep up with it anyway.

I really enjoyed the action and, in particular, the character development of the protagonist in this latest instalment. I could waffle on about the book here; however, as it had a whole post dedicated to that, maybe you could go and take a look there?

 

Books Discovered

Unlike the rest of this Sunday Summary post, I only have a small update in terms of new books — there aren’t any!

 

Coming Up…

I can take a bit of a breather this week in terms of the blog schedule. I don’t have any commitments, so I can post the content I want, when I want.

My first post of the week will be a discussion post. It’s been a good while since I did one of those. This week, I want to feature some authors whose books I will always buy – and why!

On Friday, I’ll return with my usual Friday feature post, First Lines Friday. It’s been a few weeks since I shared my last instalment to the series, and I’m looking forward to picking out a new book to feature with a captivating introduction.

Finally, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the last post I’ll share with you will be a Sunday Summary update! Be sure to check in and find out which books I’ve read over the course of the week to get a feel for where I’m up to with progress on my April TBR. Until then, I hope you have a fabulous week and I will see you around.

Have a great week!

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Sunday Summary – 30th March 2025

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Happy Sunday friends – happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful and amazing women out there… But especially to my mum! Yes, I’m biased, but this is my corner of the Internet so I’m allowed to be…Today’s Sunday Summary post comes after a bit of a break. I decided to take most of this week off from blogging so I could enjoy the end of some annual leave I had taken from work. However, it was also so I had time for some of my other hobbies. Overall, reading progress has been a bit slower, with today being a bit of an exception to the rule.

Shall we take a look?

 

Books Read

Calamity

The only book I’ve progressed with this week is my audiobook listen of Calamity by Brandon Sanderson.

I didn’t pick up this book until around midway through this week once I was back to work. Before today I had only listened to a little less than two hours of this audiobook. Today, however, I’ve listened to over five hours solid!

In fact, as of this Sunday Summary post I only have 50 minutes left of this audiobook until completion. Given where we’re at in the storyline too, this will absolutely be finished in the next day or so! I’m at the final confrontation, or so I gather, so I’m excited to see how the book ends!


Books Discovered

On Thursday this week, I received a recommendation for a book called The Marriage Portrait. It has a bit of a feminine emphasis, or to use the recommender’s words, was more of a woman’s story. Having looked at the book, I’m familiar with some of the characters from history and I’m intrigued to take a look at it for myself.


Coming Up…

It feels like only five minutes ago we were starting 2025. However, next week it’s the beginning of April already. I’m going into a busy period at work, which is why I wanted a bit of a break from the blog beforehand. That’s not going to stop me from my usual schedule now I’m back.

Firstly, I’ll be sharing my monthly wrap-up for March 2025 on either Tuesday or Wednesday next week. In this post, I look back at the books I’ve read throughout the month just gone and catch you up with my reading progress versus my monthly TBR.

Next on the agenda will be my monthly TBR for April, which will go live on Friday. If you’re keen to see which books I intend to pick up in the next month, this post is to look out for.

On Sunday, there’s a slight change of schedule in that Sunday’s post will be a blog tour for Enemies of the Crown by Peter Gibbons. Taking part in this blog tour was a natural choice, as I’ve already read the prior books in the series to date and I would want to keep up with it anyway.

Then, in the early hours of Monday morning, I’ll schedule my Sunday Summary post to go live.

That’s all for me in today’s Sunday Summary – I hope you’ve had a good one and thanks for reading!

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Sunday Summary – 23rd March 2025

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Happy Sunday readers – welcome to this week’s instalment of my regular Sunday Summary feature! Have you picked up any good books lately? I sure have, but before I get ahead of myself, let’s take a minute to go through what else I’ve shared on my blog this week!

My first post of the week was a book review of the illustrated novel, Rise of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin. If you’re interested in the backdrop to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones), this is the approachable edition. Should you like more hardcore lore, go for Fire and Blood instead. If you’re watching House of the Dragon, this is a fantastic book to explain events.

Next, in this week’s Shelf Control post, I feature a graphic novel retelling – The One Hundred Nights of Hero. It’s unlike a lot of books on my TBR, and it’s for that reason I want to give it a go!


Books Read


The Housemaid

Earlier this week, I finished the final couple of hours of audio of The Housemaid. It took a turn I wasn’t really expecting – and the ending was worth the wait!

I really enjoyed this thriller, and if this is a genre that appeals to you, please read this one. My favourite aspect was the characters and dynamics of the story so much. I wasn’t originally planning on picking up the subsequent series… but I am now!


Normal Women

Picking up where I left off last Sunday, I’ve read another 100 pages of Normal Women this week.

I like how the book recaps how the rights and living conditions of women change across time. The chapters are broken down into recognised periods of history and cover a broad range of topics affecting women. From  legal rights to how they had relationships with each other, Normal Women covers a wide spectrum.

This isn’t the type of book I can binge, so I’ve ended up reading this in multiple short bursts. However, I’m engaged to keep coming back, so I’ll be chipping away at this one in the next few weeks.


Calamity

Finally, I started my next audiobook. I recently listened to Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. Whilst events are fresh in my mind, I wanted to listen to Calamity and finish the trilogy.

So far I’m a little under 3 hours, or just shy of 25%, into the audio. I’m listening to the audiobook at x1.2 speed, so I’ve got just under 8 hours left to listen to.

I don’t think I’ll listen to a lot early next week as I’m off work. However, once I’m back into normal routine later in the week there will be opportunities to keep going and see if Calamity can live up to the rest of the series to date.


Books Discovered

The only book I’ve added this week is The Housemaid’s Secret, the sequel to The Housemaid. I’ve decided to stick with the audiobook format for the series and thankfully I had a credit I could use towards it.


Coming Up…

Next week, I’m leaning into enjoying my time off before another busy stretch at work. I’ve decided that next week’s posting schedule is going to be quite light.

I’ll be back this time next week for another Sunday Summary post, but that’s all. I’m going to enjoy the last few days of my annual leave without obligation to post here and pick up my reads and hobbies as much as I can. That way, I’m fully recharged to pick up again and catch you up on my latest reads in next week’s Sunday Summary.

Until next week, I hope you have a good one!

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Sunday Summary – 16th March 2025

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Good evening friends and welcome to another Sunday Summary! It’s been a fun week and I’ve picked up some good books.

Before we get into that though, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared this week. First, I shared a blog tour review of Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook. It feels weird talking about this in this post because I drafted that post this time last week. However, it went live on Monday… so it counts.

Later in the week, I shared my First Lines Friday post. This week’s feature is one of my current reads. I decided to feature this book having started it this week and really enjoyed the book. The intro really caught my attention, even if I wasn’t reading this for book club, it would have made it onto my reading list anyway.


Books Read

 

A Promised Land

I’m pleased that I can finally report the completion of A Promised Land by Barack Obama this week!

It’s been an interesting read and opened my eyes to perspectives I didn’t imagine. If there was any book on my February TBR that I expected to not finish, it was this one. However, I’d say it was probably one that I enjoyed the most.


The Housemaid

After finishing listening to A Promised Land, I moved on to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.

This is our book club read for March, and I decided to pick it up in audio format as I’m getting through audiobooks a bit quicker than regular ones at the moment.

It’s been a good choice! Although I am spending a good deal of the narrative questioning the actions and reactions of some of the characters, it’s an interesting story. As of this Sunday Summary post, I have listened to the vast majority of The Housemaid and I only have a couple of hours also left.


Normal Women

I’ve picked up Normal Women a couple of times over the course of this week. I haven’t made a lot of progress with the book, but I have moved on from the 20-odd-pages I’d read last week to just over 100.

I like the idea of this book, and I’m looking forward to reading further into more familiar modern history. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, it looks at how women in society shaped Britain’s modern history, even when they were talked about in the history books. It’s not about the famous individuals, but rather women as a whole.


Books Discovered

I haven’t added anything new to the reading list this week, so nothing to update you on here!

 

Coming Up…

The first book post I share next week will be another book review. I confess that as of the point of drafting this post, I haven’t decided which book it is that I will feature all. However, it’s 25 to midnight locally; I’m not going to spend the time looking through my reading list to see what’s coming up next. It’ll be as much a surprise for you as it is for me! 😂

Friday, I’m back with my regular Friday feature, Shelf Control. In this series, I take a look at upcoming books on my reading list, and I’m excited to read them.

Finally, next week, I’m back with another Sunday Summary post. I’m excited to share some more bookish completions with you, so stay tuned!

A fairly quick update from me this week in the interest of time and getting this out on time.

What are you reading?

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Sunday Summary – 9th March 2025

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It’s the end of yet another week, friends! You know what time it is. I’m here today to catch you up on all the details in today’s Sunday Summary update. Grab a cuppa and make yourself comfortable.

Before we get into the books I’ve read over the course of this week, let’s recap the blog posts I’ve shared. The first of those posts was my monthly TBR for March. In that post, I shared my hopes for a more successful reading month than I had in February. This month, I have a few carryovers, a blog tour commitment, and a book club pick that I need to prioritise. Outside of that, though, I’m looking to read around the theme of Women’s History Month.

Next, I shared a Shelf Control post on Friday. In this regular Friday feature, I shared my excitement to pick up the second book in a sci-fi space opera series. I started a number of years ago. If you’re intrigued to find out which series this is, there’s a link to that post so you can check it out for yourself.


Books Read


A Promised Land

Listening progress with A Promised Land has been much better this week than in the last couple combined. As of this post, I still haven’t quite finished this book, but I only have 2 hours and 20 minutes left.

Listening to A Promised Land has been a great experience. Before reading this book, I have typically stayed away from politics. However, it’s helped open my eyes to some of the issues that being in politics creates and why it feels like things often don’t get done. That’s always been one of my bugbears about people who take this kind of office. However, having seen a lot of the in-fighting and often childish ways politicians block each other, it makes more sense now what happens (even if I want to smack my head against the brick wall for why they’re doing it!).


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared my hopes that this book wasn’t going to be another DNF. Unfortunately, though, after reading a little bit further into the book, I made the decision to put it down.

Honestly, I was struggling to connect with the characters and the storyline. I wasn’t invested in where it was going. Rather than try to slog through yet another book I wasn’t wild about, I took the decision to put it down and instead refocus my efforts on the books in March’s TBR.


Woden’s Spear

The first book on March’s monthly TBR is a book that I am due to review tomorrow. With that in mind, reading this book has been my focus for the week.

I think it’s helped having a deadline. Having had so many books where I’ve not been successful with reading them, and then the one book I am reading in full taking so long, it’s been refreshing to have a quick read. It’s also been great to go back to a genre I know and love. An element I’ve enjoyed historically in the genre is characters who don’t necessarily fit into the setting. I’ve enjoyed that through Octa’s perspective. I don’t want to go into too much detail here and spoil my review tomorrow. You’ll just have to check in for that!


Normal Women

Tonight, just before publishing this post, I started Normal Women by Philippa Gregory. I haven’t got a whole lot to write about given I’m only 26 pages in. However, I wanted to let you know that this is my next read and that you’ll be hearing more about it next week.


Books Discovered

Earlier this week, I was recommended a book called Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. When talking books with a work colleague, I shared that one of the things I try to do with our work book club is read as diversely as possible. Gloria recommended these books to me as she reads from a lot of African writers and she enjoyed these books.


Coming Up…

There is no rest for the wicked, as my first blog post next week lands tomorrow morning. Woden’s Spear has been an enjoyable historical fiction to pick up and I’ll be sharing my full thoughts on the book in that post. Behind the scenes, I’ve actually scheduled this already so I have an easy ride early next week as I’ve no immediate posting commitments.

Later in the week, I will return with a First Lines Friday feature. I’m not going to set myself any particular challenge for this post. Sometimes, it’s nice to leave things open and see what inspires me nearer the time.

Lastly, next week’s Sunday Summary update is my last post on the agenda. Fingers crossed I can finally share a finish of listening to A Promised Land, as well as some more successful reading updates.

I hope you can join me for these posts. Thanks for checking out today’s Sunday Summary and I will see you in the next one!

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Sunday Summary – 2nd March 2025

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Good evening all – welcome to this week’s Sunday Summary instalment! I hope you’ve had a good week?

If nothing else, mine has been a better one in terms of keeping up with blog commitments. My first post of the week was my book review of Becoming by Michelle Obama. I read this book a couple of years ago – that it coincidentally came around as due for review during Black History Month was ideal!

On Saturday, I shared my monthly wrap-up for February. I confess, reading this last month didn’t go as well as I hoped. If anything, the book I didn’t expect to love was one of my best pick-ups. What was more surreal to me was that I ended up DNFing half the TBR…


Books Read


A Promised Land

Listening progress with A Promised Land is up from last week’s two and a half hours. This week, I’ve knocked another 3 and a half hours of audio off the total time left.

I appreciate I’ve featured this book in quite a few Sunday Summaries now. However, it’s not a quick listen. Of the total 29 hours runtime, I have 11 hours and 20 minutes left. I envisage this book may feature for another couple of weeks; the closer I get to the end though, the more motivated I’ll be to get there!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with this book. That I’ve picked it up in audio format, and before Barack narrates it himself, makes it a more enjoyable listen.


The Da Vinci Code

I read another 10% of The Da Vinci Code last week before DNFing it ahead of our book club meet. As I shared in yesterday’s monthly wrap-up post, I didn’t like the tone and I felt the story too ‘clever’ and farfetched.


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

The final book I started this week is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. It’s the second book of her Legacy of Orisha series.

It’s been a long while since I picked up the first book, Children of Blood and Bone. As a result, I’ve not really gotten into the book that easily. The storyline is okay, but I’m not feeling the same love that I had for the first book. I’m about 20% in so far and I’m going to persevere a little longer. I just hope it picks up and doesn’t end up being my fourth DNF of the year…


Books Discovered

I’ve been good again this week – no news is good news!


Coming Up…

With the beginning of a new month comes a new TBR. Fingers crossed I have better luck with the list I set myself for March. If you want to find out which books I plan to pick up in the next few weeks, you don’t have long to wait.

On Friday, I’ll get to that Shelf Control post I missed a few weeks ago! It’ll be good to take a look at my TBR again and whittle down any books I’m not interested in anymore and feature one I am.

Finally, this time next week I’ll return with my next Sunday Summary. Hopefully I’ll have some more positive reading news to share…

That’s all for today’s Sunday Summary update! Have a good one and I’ll see you in the next post!

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Sunday Summary – 23rd February 2025

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Happy Sunday folks – I’m back with this week’s Sunday Summary post! I hope you’ve had a good week?

Overall, mine has been pretty good. I’ve had a few bits on, but nothing wild. I’ve had fewer social plans than last week, but also more than I expected. As a result, I haven’t picked up my current reads as much as I thought I would. More on that in a minute. First, let’s recap the blog posts, or rather post (singular), I shared this week.

My first and only post that went live this week, before today that is, is a Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s topic was books I’ve never reviewed. Whilst I did just about scrape ten, it’s fair to say I review the vast majority of what I read!

I was supposed to share a Shelf Control post on Friday. However, I confess I completely forgot about it until Saturday afternoon. Sorry folks, I have a goldfish brain…

 

Books Read

 

A Promised Land

Last week I boasted over seven hours of audiobook progress. This week, it’s a more modest two and a half hours.

But you know what, progress is progress. I won’t knock it. I’m enjoying listening to Barack Obama’s A Promised Land. I wasn’t sure what I expected to take from this book, but I’m liking it a lot more than I anticipated.

Things have gotten a little more political in what I’ve listened to this week, but it’s been okay to listen to. I’ve been able to follow what’s going on, with the odd bit of Googling terms to make sure I’m understanding everything. Until this, I’ve never paid attention to politics…

 

In Every Mirror She’s Black

After progressing with another 70 pages of In Every Mirror She’s Black this week, I DNF’d it at 33%.

If I’m entirely honest with you, I was bored. The storyline didn’t seem to be going anywhere meaningful and I wasn’t getting any enjoyment or enlightenment from it. If the book has a message, it takes its time getting there. I ran out of patience for it.

It’s my first DNF in a while. It’s a shame, but I’m not going to slog through a book I don’t like either. I have better things to do.


The Da Vinci Code

With the deadline for reading The Da Vinci Code fast approaching, I made it a priority to start this week. Book club meets next week to discuss the book. As of this post, I’m 20% into it.

I’ve mixed feelings on the book. I’m intrigued as to who is behind the murder. At the same time, though, I can’t shake my first impression that the narrative feels pretentious. There’s a lot of info dropping on cryptology and symbolism, as well as art particularly. No doubt it’s needed for the narrative, but the way it’s done doesn’t strike me as treating the reader as an equal. It feels like it’s talking down to me.

I’m going to stick with the book and read as much as I can before Wednesday. I’m not likely to finish it before we meet. Honestly, I won’t feel too hard up on being spoiled if I don’t either…


Books Discovered

There aren’t any new acquisitions to let you know about this week ☺️


Coming Up…

My first post of the week will be a book review. It’s been a couple of weeks since I shared my thoughts on Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. Next, I plan to share my review of Becoming by Michelle Obama. Ironic timing, but maybe it’s a good thing! And, it’s also topical considering it’s Black History Month!

On Saturday, I’ll share my monthly wrap-up for February. In that post, I’ll take you through the books I read throughout this month and recap what I thought of them.

Finally, I’m back this time next week with my usual Sunday Summary recap. I’ll let you know how I get on with my current reads, as well as what’s coming up on the blog over the next week.

Thanks for reading this Sunday Summary update. Until my next post, I hope you have a great week!

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Sunday Summary – 16th February 2025

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This Sunday Summary post can only mean one thing – the end of another week has rolled around. Doesn’t the time fly?

It’s been a busy week as well! So much so, I’ve only really got the bulk of my reading done this weekend. However, I have managed to make a solid amount of progress. Before we get to that though, here is a recap of the blog posts I have shared so far this week.

First on the list is my TBR book tag post. I had originally intended to share this post on Wednesday, but it ended up being delayed until Thursday. It was a good, fun post to write and it will probably give you some insight into some of the books on my TBR and how long they’ve been there…

Next up was my First Lines Friday post. In the absence of being able to pick a Valentine’s themed book, I instead focused on one that I need to pick up, like, now.

 

Books Read


A Promised Land

Over the course of this weekend, I have listened to 7 hours and 40 minutes of Barack Obama‘s A Promised Land. Even still, combining this with last week’s reading progress of around four hours, I’m still less than halfway through this audiobook!

It’s a sizable book, but one that I’ve been able to chip away at and listen to quite easily. I’ve spent a lot of this weekend home alone, so between doing chores around the house and other hobbies, I’ve been able to listen to this audio at the same time.

For the most part, this has worked quite well. There have been a few sections of the audio where I’ve wanted to pay a little bit more attention to what Barack has been trying to explain. There are a couple of points where I rewound and relisten to small sections without the distraction of another task so I can follow what’s being said. However, these are few and far between. They’ve centred around a topic I already have some prior knowledge of; I wanted to understand the detail from an alternate perspective.

I’m looking forward to continuing on with this listen over the next week. For a book that on paper shouldn’t be my cup of tea, it’s going down very nicely.

 

In Every Mirror She’s Black

The second book to update you on in this Sunday Summary is one I just started last week. I haven’t picked up In Every Mirror She’s Black that frequently this weekend. However, I read another 70 pages yesterday whilst waiting for and at a hair appointment and 20 more tonight before publishing this post.

I still consider myself getting into the storyline at the moment. I don’t really know what to make of the characters or how the story is going to come together. I’m going to keep on with it, because the narrative itself is quite easy to read. If the plot doesn’t get more engaging though, I may make a decision on whether I continue with the book in the next few days.

I guess you’ll have to find out next week how I get on with this book. I’ll be making more of an effort to pick this up in the evenings as my social plans aren’t quite so busy.


Books Discovered

I only have one notable book to share with you this week, and it’s one that’s actually already on my TBR. I was gifted a hardcover special edition copy of The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang. It’s a bonus that I plan on reading this first book soon anyway!

Although I haven’t received or acquired any other books in themselves this week, I have added considerably to my book voucher collection. I’m trying not to let them burn a hole in my pocket though…


Coming Up…

The first post I plan to share next week is a Top Ten Tuesday post. The feature of this week’s post is books that I’ve never reviewed. I have quite the backlog, but even before that, there are books I’ve chosen not to review. There are also books I read in my teenage years that I’ve not re-read or featured on my blog since. Expect those to feature on Tuesday.

On Friday, it’s the turn of my Shelf Control post. In this fortnightly series, I feature upcoming books on my TBR and why I’m still looking forward to reading them.

Lastly, I’ll be back at the same time next week with my Sunday Summary update. As always, I’m here to update you on the books I’ve been reading over the week, as well as giving you the intel on what’s coming up very soon! I hope you can join me!

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Sunday Summary – 9th February 2025

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It’s the end of the week, friends, so it can only mean that it’s time for my regular Sunday Summary update. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week and are looking forward to the next!

What have I been up to this week? I’ve only posted two out of the three blog posts I planned up until this Sunday Summary. The first of those posts was my monthly TBR for February. If you’re intrigued to see which books I’ve got lined up for the month, take a look. 

Next, I shared a review of a young adult science-fiction novel told in a mixed-media format. If you have yet to read Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, I set out in this post why you should!

I was supposed to post a First Lines Friday later in the week. However, I confess I didn’t get time to draft this beforehand, and I was out with friends on Friday night until about 9:30 p.m. After that, I didn’t have much time at home before going to bed ready for an early start the next day. I didn’t want to spend that time blogging and not with Shane; having not seen him all day already, that would’ve been selfish. So, you’ll just have to hang on till next week for that post.


Books Read


A Darkness at Sethanon

I confess that I’ve barely picked up A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist this week.

If I’m entirely honest, the introduction hasn’t gripped me in the way I’d hoped. Combine that with a fairly neutral opinion of the series as a whole, and you’ll maybe see why I’ve not had the same drive to pick it up.

On the one hand, I am not prepared to abandon it entirely yet. I’ve not given it a good chance to get going, but also it would mean abandoning a series with just one book left. Instead, I think I will pick up something else in the meantime and try and come back to A Darkness at Sethanon.

 

A Promised Land

Better progress has been made with A Promised Land by Barack Obama. On the one hand, this is surprising. I’m not one for taking an interest in politics or going out of my way to read about it. However, I’m making an exception for Barack Obama. I like him on the whole, and I also like this as an audiobook because Barack narrates it himself.

It feels so much more like an intimate story of being told about his life as opposed to it being narrated to me impartially by someone else. I’m glad I picked this up in audio format as it’s the kind of content I can listen to quite easily.

Over the course of the week, I have listened to just under four hours of his book so far. It’s a 29-hour affair in total, so I still have a long way to go! However, I’m engaged, and that was always going to be the deciding factor in whether I stuck with A Promised Land or not.


In Every Mirror She’s Black

Instead of A Darkness at Sethanon, I picked up and read the first 30 pages of In Every Mirror She’s Black this evening. Broadly speaking, I’m getting on better with it. I’m still just getting introduced to the characters and what is going on; but I’m intrigued by the overlap in each of the three main character storylines and where they will progress.

Obviously, just scratching the surface of this book, there is very little I can say right now. What I will say is that this book is going to be my priority over the next week. Maybe then I’ll pick up A Darkness at Sethanon for a second go.


Books Discovered

Since I have acquired a number of books lately, I’ve behaved and not added to the TBR this week.


Coming Up…

The first post of next week will be a book tag which centres on my TBR! Just about everyone knows it’s long enough to warrant some attention. It’ll be nice to post something lighthearted and fun too!

This week’s planned First Lines Friday will be coming to you best week instead. It would be cheesy and difficult for me to try and find a Valentine’s-themed book. But hey, maybe that’s a challenge I can take on? I might struggle, but I’ll have a go.

Finally, I’ll be back with another Sunday Summary update post for you. Fingers crossed I’ll have more in the way of reading updates for you ☺️

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary update! Have a great week, and I’ll see you in the next one.

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Sunday Summary – 2nd February 2025

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In today’s Sunday Summary, I have plenty of reading updates for you! I can’t wait to share that progress with you. Before that, though, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared so far this week.

My first post of the week was a post outlining a number of series I want to finish in 2025. With many series so close to completion, I’ve outlined those I plan to prioritise to help meet my goal this year.

Next, I shared my monthly wrap-up for January yesterday. Whilst I didn’t get to all the books on my January TBR, I read no less than 3 five-star reads in the first month of 2025. If you’re curious to see what those books were, that’s the post to check out!

 

Books Read

Firefight

I achieved the completion of Firefight that I hoped for last week! Listening to Firefight on audiobook has been a great experience – so much so, I’ve got the final book in the same format.

Firefight was every bit as good as I expected. I had no idea what was going to happen, but that was half the fun. I always had doubts on certain characters and perspectives, so it was interesting to see some of those twists play out.

Brandon Sanderson is always a great author to pick up. He’s one I can always rely on if I need a pick-me-up or if I’m looking to guarantee a great read. Part of the reason I picked it up so early in the year was to have a great start, but also set myself up for a series completion this year.

If you read yesterday’s monthly wrap-up, you’ll know I rated this book five stars.


A Darkness at Sethanon

Next, I picked up and read the first few chapters of A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist. As I mentioned in my monthly wrap-up as well, I have only just started this book this week.

At the present time, I’ve gotten to grips with where I’m at in the series so far. It’s been a while since I picked up the earlier books. I’ve had to remind myself of what’s happened to date. However, that’s now been settled and now I’m ready to dig into this last instalment of the series.


Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia

In what has to be a record, I have listened to the entirety of Fearing the Black Body this weekend! I’ve made the most of the time I’ve had and listened to several hours of the audio both yesterday and today.

I’ve picked up this book as February is Black History Month. However, I had my own incentives to listen to it. As a larger woman myself, I’m not a stranger to ridicule and judgement for my size. Thankfully, I’ve long left the negativity and judgement of teenage peers in my schooldays behind. Nowadays, it’s more the case that whenever I go to the doctor, my weight is mentioned. Still, it’s a topic of interest to me as it’s influenced my life growing up.

It hadn’t really occurred to me before that fat phobia could have origins in racial discrimination and religious segregation. What this book is one argument towards this, that’s not to say it is indefinitely. I can see the logic in it though, and the author puts forward solid historical facts and studies that support this argument.

Clearly, the speed at which I’ve listened to this audiobook will tell you that I found this engaging and a topic of interest.


Books Discovered

As I mentioned earlier in this Sunday Summary, I have acquired a copy of Calamity in audiobook form this week. Thankfully, I already had the Audible credits to do it with, so it didn’t cost me anything.

Aside from that, I’ve also gotten copies I need for February’s TBR. If you want to see what those are, read on to find out when that post goes live!


Coming Up…

The first post I’m sharing next week is my Monthly TBR. You don’t have long to wait for it either, because it’s coming out on Monday. In fact, as of drafting this post, I already have that one drafted and ready for editing. If you’re looking forward to seeing which books I plan to pick up in February, as well as the theme for this month’s reading, come back tomorrow and all will be revealed.

Next, I plan to share a book review with you on Thursday. In that post, my intention is to review the first book in a mixed-media series co-authored by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. Do you know what it is? If not, you don’t have long to wait to find out!

I’m back again on Friday, so not long to wait once again. In Friday’s regular feature, it is the turn of my First Lines Friday post. With plenty of other content to think about already this week, I’m not going to restrict myself by setting any challenges. As of this Sunday Summary, I have absolutely no idea which book I’m going to pick either. We’re both in the dark as each other.

Lastly, I’ll be back with another weekly update in the form of my Sunday Summary post. Will I have as much reading progress to share with you next week? That remains to be seen. I could always be hopeful, but I do think this week has been a bit of an anomaly. Let’s not write myself off though, and we’ll wait and see.

That’s all from me in this weekly Sunday Summary, so consider yourself duly caught up with all my reading going on. What are you currently reading?

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