First Lines Friday – 30/05/2025

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I’ve had a good few days off blogging to catch up on some reading. It’s been fun. However, today I’m back with my next First Lines Friday instalment.

When I shared my Sunday Summary last week, I advised there was no challenge element to this post in the spirit of keeping things easy. That’s still somewhat true. When I was deciding what to look for when drafting this post, I figured that I tend to look forward to upcoming books as opposed to featuring what I’ve already read and enjoyed. So, with this in mind, I set out for one of these books.

Can you guess the book from the introduction?


I walked into the tavern in search of the most important thing in the world. A story. And I ended up swept into the most dangerous one of all.

The worst sort of prison held the Three Tales Tavern.

An emptiness.

A stillness.

And that is always meant to be broken.

It hung like a cord gone taut, quivering and waiting to snap. It was the quiet of held breaths, wanting for a voice, but ready to bite at any that dare make noise. It was the soundlessness of men too tired to speak and with an ear to hear even less. And all the stillness of an audience waiting for the play to begin.

The perfect stage for me. And I had just the thing to rouse them—ensnare them. But all good performances need one thing, and mine required a drink.


The First Binding – R. R. Virdi

Genre: Eastern Fantasy

Pages: 821

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication Date: 18 Aug 2022


Goodreads – The First Binding

 

All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.

I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I’ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I’ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster.

My name is Ari.

And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.

Thus begins the tale of a storyteller and a singer on the run and hoping to find obscurity in a tavern bar. But the sins of their past aren’t forgotten, and neither are their enemies. Their old lives are catching up swiftly and it could cost them the entire world. No one can escape their pasts and all stories must have an ending.


My Thoughts…

The First Binding is the first book of an Eastern Silk Road fantasy series. It was a book I received a copy of to review as part of the publication blog tour. Admittedly, I don’t do many of these anymore, but I did enjoy reading this one even with the page count and deadline!

Of course, if you want to read my full review, you can find that here.

If you’d like a summary version, the way in which the story is told really appealed to me. The style is much like Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind or Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire. From the perspective of older and wiser characters, they narrate the events of the books, warts and all. It does raise the question of bias and whether we can unquestioningly believe all we are told at face value. I enjoy digging into that side of things though.

Featuring this book today has also been a great prompt for me. Last year, the author R. R. Virdi published the sequel to this book, called The Doors of Midnight. No prizes for guessing that it’s just gone onto my TBR, right?

Thanks for reading today’s First Lines Friday. Have you read The First Binding?

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Sunday Summary – 25th May 2025

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Happy late May bank holiday weekend, folks! Normally, when I’m drafting my Sunday Summary, I’m lamenting another weekend being over. This week, though, that’s not the case! I’ve still got another day off, and I’m looking forward to it 😁

So, what have I been up to this week? Firstly, I shared a post this week about the importance of libraries and what we can all do to help them. It doesn’t have to cost money either!

On Friday, I returned with a Shelf Control post. This week’s feature was an upcoming young adult thriller I’m curious to try. The premise is unlike anything I’ve seen before…


Books Read


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World


Prior to today, over the course of this week, I listened to two and a half hours of Crashed. This was mainly when driving into work. However, I had some time at home on my own today and a number of self-imposed jobs to do. To keep me company, I picked up this audiobook again.

… and finished it. I had about five hours of audio left when I started listening today, and I did it! It wasn’t specifically my intention to, but once I realised I only had a small amount left to go, I was on a mission then.

Crashed is an interesting book to listen to. We often think about the multiple financial crises from the early 2000s through to 2016 as separate events. Adam Tooze makes arguments that they’re not. It’s not funny, haha funny, but when you then consider the coronavirus pandemic and yet more turmoil after all that, it’s been a rollercoaster. Turns out Adam has also subsequently written another book about the pandemic.


Ultra-Processed People


In last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only just in a position to share that I’d started Ultra-Processed People. As of this Sunday Summary, I’ve gone on to read 175 pages, bringing me to 45% progress in the book.

I’m on a non-fiction roll and enjoying the variety of the genre. When I set out to read this book, I expected it would change how I think about food. In the last few months, I’ve already been consciously trying to cook more from scratch and eat less ultra-processed food (UPF). I’m not looking to put it out entirely – as this book argues – in the UK’s food environment, that’s going to be difficult. However, eating less UPF is an improvement!

Chris is really good at putting into perspective what the ‘ingredients’ commonly found in UPF are, how they got there, and who is most affected by it. It’s a really informative read, and I’m looking forward to reading on.


Books Discovered


Do you recall I mentioned Adam Tooze has published a book about the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s called Shutdown, and I got the audiobook after I finished Crashed this afternoon.


Coming Up…

It’s the last week of May, so I need to get my skates on with my TBR!

With this in mind, I’m taking a few days off to enjoy some reading time and to try and make more of a dent in the list by the end of next week. So, my first post will go live on Friday, and that will be a First Lines Friday feature. In the spirit of keeping things easy, I’m not setting a particular challenge this time.

This time next week, I’ll share another Sunday Summary update, in which I have all the bookish updates for you!

Have you read anything lately that you’d like to recommend?

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Shelf Control #90 – 23/05/2025

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Happy Friday, friends! It’s the start of a long weekend here in the UK, and I’m looking forward to a cheeky extra day off work. We’re not quite there yet, though! In today’s Shelf Control post, I feature the first book in a young adult series with a bizarre premise. 

As always, before I share details of the book, here’s a recap of what Shelf Control is.

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

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


#MurderTrending – Gretchen McNeil

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 352

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher: Freeform

Publication Date: 07 Aug 2018


Goodreads – #MurderTrending

 

@doctorfusionbebop: Some 17-year-old chick named Dee Guerrera was just sent to Alcatraz 2.0 for killing her stepsister. So, how long do you think she’ll last?

@morrisdavis72195: I hope she meets justice! She’ll get what’s coming to her! BWAHAHA!

@EltonJohnForevzz: Me? I think Dee’s innocent. And I hope she can survive.

WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When seventeen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?


My Thoughts

The strange concept behind #MurderTrending is why I added it to my reading list in September 2019. The appeal to a younger audience is apparent in the emphasis on social media. However, with it a more prevalent element of modern life, it’s an idea we are all very familiar with.

Aside from the bizarre premise, there’s a mystery here to draw readers in. Why is Dee being lined up for a crime she didn’t commit? Is she really innocent? There are already a number of unanswered questions before we even get to the first page!

This book has very mixed reviews, so I don’t know what to expect. However, this Shelf Control post has got me keen to try this first book and see what I think. If I like it, there are a couple more books in the series I can dive into.

What do you think of today’s Shelf Control feature? I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post!

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Libraries are so important!

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Libraries are so important for communities. In local news, a charity-funded Family Library has announced that it’ll have to shut for good in July without £100,000 funding. It’s the only library on the island with a mobile to visit and support rural communities, including care homes. If the shortfall can’t be funded, it’ll be a big loss for the island. 

That’s the inspiration behind today’s post. We take for granted having services and local spaces available to the public. However, myself included, many don’t make as much use of these vital services as we should.


Vital Library Services

Borrow Books

Not everyone can afford the luxury of owning lots of books. Especially in today’s cost-of-living crisis. Yet, having an education is an essential skill in modern society. Children and adults alike have so much to gain from books. Where is the middle ground? The answer is libraries. They bridge the gap and provide the vital resources needed to those who need them the most for free.

What’s great about libraries as well is that books can be borrowed in a variety of formats and cater for all abilities. From audiobooks to large print and sometimes braille, there’s something for everyone. I’ve never tried to shop for books in braille as I’ve never needed that. However, it turns out they are not easy to source and are expensive. It’s even less feasible for anyone requiring specialist books to be able to afford their own. Libraries are so important as they have greater access to funds to get these specialist resources.


Public Spaces

Libraries aren’t just places to borrow books from. They’re community spaces that host events, provide somewhere warm in winter for those that struggle to pay their bills, and social spaces for the vulnerable and youth in society. Parents who spend their days at home caring for young ones have a social lifeline in connecting with other parents in toddler reading groups. These are just a couple of examples, but I think you see where I’m going with this.

 

Technology

Just as not everyone at home can afford books, some can’t afford vital access to technology. You may not think anything of being able to print documents or suchlike at home, but many only have such access via libraries. Even for a fee, it’s significantly cheaper to use a library printer than buy and maintain your own equipment. Especially for jobseekers or those on low income, libraries are so important to help people to get back on their feet.


How Can We Support Our Local Libraries?

I appreciate not everyone will be able to do this first one, but the obvious answer is to donate to them if you can! Many are government-funded so this isn’t strictly necessary, although you can advocate to your government the importance of funding. However, for charity-run or non-profit outfits, you can help fundraise or volunteer time even if you can’t put any pennies or books of your own in.

Next, and the change I plan to make, is actually to use the library! I’ve been a spotty borrower at best. But, I want to try to borrow more books where I can. Services that get used are more easily justified funding for after all… It’s a very simple change to make. Historically I’ve set myself a challenge in 2020 to do this, and maybe I need to revisit that. 

Libraries are so important and we can all make small changes to ensure they continue to serve communities. What other suggestions do you have to support your local library?

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Sunday Summary – 18th May 2025

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Another weekend has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Why do they pass so quickly? Nevertheless, I’m here this Sunday Summary to give you another weekly wrap-up of what I’ve been reading and sharing this week.

The first post of this week was delayed by a day and went live on Thursday. In that post, I shared my review of a book I read over two years ago now – Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell. If you enjoy historical fiction with a setting dominated by Saxon and Viking clashes, this is a series I highly recommend!

On Friday, I featured the introduction to a recent addition to my TBR in my First Lines Friday. This book is a little out of my comfort zone; if you were intrigued to find out more, as always, I provide a link to that post.


Books Read


The Poppy War

Progress with The Poppy War this week has come on leaps and bounds. Initially when I started this book, I wasn’t reading it very quickly. Even as recently as last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only 180 pages into the book.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m pleased to update you that I finished this book today. I read a big chunk of it today, and I couldn’t put it down! I’m so glad I’ve concluded this first book to the trilogy. The world-building and events of the plot are both horrifying and compelling to read.

I definitely won’t be waiting years to read the sequel! Then, no doubt I’ll be reading about the real-life events that inspire the storyline – the Second Sino-Japanese War.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

Again, compared to last week’s Sunday Summary update, I have far more progress to share with you.

I’ve enjoyed listening to more of Crashed this week. I’ve made the most of time commuting to and from work, especially to listen to this audio. All in all, I’ve listened to over three hours of the audiobook during this time this week.

Whilst the book has retained somewhat of an emphasis on politics, I appreciate more now why it is inextricably linked with financial markets and past events. I’ve gotten used to this in the audio and whilst I’m sure I’m missing out on many nuances, etc., I’m still following the book reasonably well.

I like that this book hasn’t just focused on the financial crisis of 2007-2008. That was what I expected from this book, but it’s also giving me an opportunity to learn more about the subsequent Greek financial crisis starting in 2010. I do vaguely recall hearing about this on the news. What had passed me by was the troubles that Ireland also had in the same period. It’s definitely an informative lesson and I’m glad I picked this up in audio format.


Ultra-Processed People

After finishing The Poppy War, I made a brief start on Ultra-Processed People before sharing this post.

So far, I’ve only read the introduction and started the first chapter. However, I can already tell this book is going to change how I think about food. Learning what some of the seemingly innocuous ingredients are and why they are present in modern-day food will definitely change my perspective. I’ve already learned that a lot of ice cream contains xanthan gum. Doesn’t sound too disgusting until you learn it’s a bacterial slime. Needless to say, I didn’t have any for dessert today…


Books Discovered

In the introduction to this Sunday Summary, I alluded to an addition to my TBR this week that I featured in my First Lines Friday. That book is Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

This book is a fantasy romance. Whilst on the surface you may think that’s right up my alley, there is a question for me over the romance element of the book. However, as someone who actively tries to read different things all the time and push myself out of my comfort zone, I’m going to give it a go. I have read other fantasy series with romance elements and enjoyed them. Will Powerless and the whole trilogy join these? I hope so!


Coming Up…

My first post of the week will be a discussion about why libraries are so important to individuals and communities. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and say I don’t use my library as much as I should, and the ways I’d like to change that.

On Friday, I return with my Shelf Control regular feature post. I’m looking forward to sharing what’s coming up on my TBR and why I’m excited to read it. If you’re interested in a forward glance to what’s coming up on my reading list, this is the post to look out for.

Finally, I’m back with another weekly wrap-up in next week’s Sunday Summary update. Fingers crossed I’ll have more bookish finishes to share with you; if I want to get through my monthly TBR, I really need to pull my finger out!

Until next time, stay safe and well, and happy reading!

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First Lines Friday – 16/05/2025

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In today’s First Lines Friday post, I feature a book I’ve just added to my TBR that will push me a little out of my comfort zone. Part romance and part fantasy, this book looks to have elements of fantasy I love but will push me out of my comfort zone on the romance. This book is widely popular. With over 680k ratings and a 4.17 star score on Goodreads, it seems the right kind of book to push my boundaries with!

Romantasy fans, let’s see if you recognise the intro. Otherwise, the details are below ☺️


Thick, hot liquid runs down my arm.

Blood.

Funny, I don’t remember the guard nicking me with his sword before my fist connected with his face. Despite being a Flash, he apparently couldn’t manage to move faster than my right hook to his jaw.

The smell of soot stings my nose, forcing me to clamp a grimy hand over it to stop a sneeze from slipping out.

That would be a very pathetic way to get caught.

 


Powerless – Lauren Roberts

Genre: Romantasy

Pages: 522

Audience: YA

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 06 July 2023


Goodreads – Powerless

 

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this sizzling fantasy romance not to be missed.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya. . . The exceptional. The Elites. The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are just that, banished from the kingdom and shunned from society.

No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as an Elite. When she unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition to showcase her ‘Elite’ powers.

If the Trials and the opponents don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will if he discovers what Paedyn really is . . . completely Ordinary.

Be swept away by the first in the smash hit, dagger-to-the-throat romantasy trilogy that’s taken the world by storm.

 

My Thoughts…

It’s not very often I go for a book that ‘makes’ it on BookTok (that’s the book community on TikTok). It’s not even something I really look at and certainly not for. I often read what I want regardless of popularity. However, in the spirit of reading out of my comfort zone, I’m going to try Powerless.

Based on the synopsis, there are elements of fantasy that I can find comfort in, but also a romance element that I don’t read very often. It’ll be interesting to see if that affects my enjoyment of the book or not. Thankfully, it’s not a spicy romance. I know a lot of people my age love this, okay, but it’s not what I want out of a book. Think or judge me how you will for this. I’m unapologetic about it.

You never know, with the right books and introduction to the genre, I might change my mind? Only time will tell! It could really go either way. I’ve enjoyed books like Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, but equally struggled with historical romances like The Duke and I. At the very least, let’s hope Powerless is an exception.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s First Lines Friday feature. Have you read Powerless and/or the rest of the series? What did you think?

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Book Review: Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

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My review of Death of Kings comes two years after I read the book. To say I needed to refresh myself on the events is an understatement! That’s why this post is out a day later than usual. Rather than rushing and putting out something I wasn’t happy with, I wanted to take my time and make sure I got it right. This book deserves that justice!

One of the reasons I’m glad to review Death of Kings is that it’ll remind and inspire me to continue reading the series. It’s been two years, but I’m yet to pick up the next book, The Pagan Lord, even when I said after I finished it I wanted to continue on soon. I’m somewhat familiar with the story as a whole as I watched the TV series and final film too. Even so, the books are always better and it was a while ago now since I watched them. As to what specifically happens in the next book, I’m not sure…


Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 335

Audience: Adult

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 29 Sept 2011

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Death of Kings


As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more. For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices.

King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Britain to renewed warfare. Alfred wants his son, Edward, to succeed him, but there are other Saxon claimants to the throne as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north.

Uhtred‘s loyalty – and his vows – were to Alfred, not to his son, and despite his long years of service to Alfred, he is still not committed to the Saxon cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long-lost lands and castle to the north. But the challenge to him, as the king’s warrior, is that he knows that he will either be the means of making Alfred’s dream of a united and Christian England come to pass or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion.

This novel is a dramatic story of the power of tribal commitment and the terrible difficulties of divided loyalties.

This is the making of England, magnificently brought to life by the master of historical fiction.

 

My Thoughts

Plot

King Alfred hopes to leave behind a united England in death. However, with him ailing further, the peace and unity he strives for seems a long shot.

As ever, Uhtred finds himself stuck in the middle. Whilst he has a degree of loyalty to King Alfred, he also longs to undertake his own goal – to return to his homeland of Bebbanburg. He has no fealty or ties to Alfred‘s intended successor, Edward. Whilst Alfred hopes Uthred will support his claim, he doesn’t feel inclined to do so.

The result of all this internal conflict is that the Danes feel like they can take advantage of a weakened England. As in other books, there are numerous battles and skirmishes throughout!


Setting

As a key man taking part as a warrior, messenger, negotiator, and savour, Uhtred gets around a bit. The narrative roams all across the country of England as we know it today. Whilst there is a lot going on, this is well managed in the narrative so it’s easy to follow where events are taking place.

The constant action and changes of location keep the narrative interesting. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of books with a plot line involving politics, there is plenty of action in this book to counterbalance this. The frequent relocations of our main character keep us on our toes.


Characters

In Death of Kings, we get to see a mischievous side to Uhtred. In this instalment of the series, we actively see him undertaking the role of both the Saxon and a Dane and stirring up conflict. I quite enjoyed seeing the side of the story and this aspect of his character. It’s both entertaining to read, but also gives opportunity for a lot of internal conflict within Uhtred and testing where his loyalties lie.

He may have been born Saxon, but he was raised as a Dane, and in today’s society, we would say he identifies as a Dane. As to which side of the fence he should actually sit on is something that thus far in the series has swung backwards and forwards. I expect more of this conflict in future books, and I can’t wait to read on.


Narrative Style

If you like your historical fiction full of action, Death of Kings won’t disappoint. With numerous conflicts, both physical and political, throughout the book, there’s plenty to keep us occupied.

For me, the pacing of Death of Kings and the wider series as a whole suits me; there are moments of intense action, and the pages just fly by. Equally, there is enough time to reflect on what has happened and what the consequences are. The action doesn’t compromise the world-building, and overall, Death of Kings strikes an ideal balance between the two.


Summary

I’m a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell‘s Saxon stories series, and the latest instalment, Death of Kings, has lived up to the high expectations set by earlier books. This review hopefully encourages you to pick up the book but has likely also achieved its goal of reminding me of the series and giving me a nudge to pick up the book soon.

Have you read Death of Kings? What are your thoughts on this book or series?

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Sunday Summary – 11/05/2025

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Good evening, reading friends! I hope you’ve had a fantastic week? I’m looking forward to updating you on my week in today’s Sunday Summary post.

Before we get into my recap of the books I’ve read so far this week, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared so far. The first of those blog posts was a board game book tag. I’d seen this post online and I thought it was a fun idea to share something different. It also worked really well because I got to share a broad spectrum of books all together on one post. If you haven’t seen that post yet, as always, I’ll link to that here.

On Fridays, I typically share one of two feature posts. This week it was the turn of my Shelf Control post. This isn’t just a great way of looking at and getting excited for books coming up on my TBR. In looking at my reading list to decide what was coming up in this feature, I identified and removed four books from my reading list that I’m no longer interested in reading. If you want to take a look at which book did make the cut, there is a link to that here too.


Books Read

The Poppy War

I’ve only really made progress with one physical book this week, and that is The Poppy War.

In the last few days, I have read over 100 pages of this book. That doesn’t include the progress I plan to make after this post goes live either. I really enjoyed getting into the story of The Poppy War and based on what I read so far, I’m looking forward to exploring more of the shamanism Rin had discovered.

Honestly, I have no idea where the plot of this book is going to take us and I’m excited by this fact. I’m grateful it’s not predictable and I love Rin’s character. She’s a bit of a loose cannon and that means anything can happen.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

I’ve not listened to much audio this week. However, I’ve been home on my own today and pottering around. I often listen to audiobooks or music when I’m doing jobs like this. It’s been nice to get back to my audio as I’ve not listened to it for a week. I don’t know why – I’ve had the opportunity.

Nevertheless, today’s one and a half-hour progress is better than none!


Books Discovered

I haven’t added any new books to my reading list this week. Pair that with taking four off the reading list when preparing my Shelf Control post, I’m net down on the TBR as of this Sunday Summary.

I still have 205 on the list, mind…


Coming Up…

For my first post next week, I’ll be sharing my review of Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell. If you are unfamiliar, this is the sixth book in his Saxon stories series, also known as The Last Kingdom. I read this book in March 2023, so I’ve got some head-scratching to do to put my thoughts down. What I’m also hoping this review will do, though, is inspire me to pick up the next book in the series, The Pagan Lord. It’s been a couple of years and I’ve not touched this series…

Next up in my regular Friday feature list is a First Lines Friday post. Given I set myself a challenge for this post the last time I did it a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to keep this one nice and open. Hopefully, I can find another book with a captivating intro to share with you!

Finally, my next Sunday Summary post will round off the week next week. Hopefully, I’ll have more bookish news to share with you, including a finish of The Poppy War as well as some other progress.

What have you been reading?

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Shelf Control #89 – 09/05/2025

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Happy Friday everyone! It’s the turn of my regular Shelf Control feature today, and I have an interesting thriller novel next on my list that makes today’s feature.

Before we get into it, here’s a recap of what my Shelf Control feature is all about.

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

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


Friends Like These – Sarah Alderson

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 320

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Publication Date: 13 Dec 2018


Goodreads – Friends Like These


One wrong click can ruin your life…

Lizzie hasn’t thought about her colleague Becca in years – not since the accident.

Then Becca’s ex-boyfriend turns up on Tinder, and Lizzie’s curiosity is sparked.

It looks like Becca hasn’t changed. She’s still all over social media: #perfectlife, #perfectjob, #blessed. Lizzie can’t resist a dig. But she sends her mean comment to Becca by mistake…

She’s about to find out you can’t always believe what you see online.

And that with friends like Becca, you don’t need enemies…

 

My Thoughts

I quite enjoy books in which the story we’re given isn’t quite what it seems. By the synopsis, that’s the premise of this book. However, we aren’t told much, and so my curiosity is piqued as to just how far this goes.

With the emphasis on social media and image perception, it’s a fairly modern take on a thriller. I’m looking forward to seeing how much this has a bearing on the story. If nothing else, it’s a very relatable occurrence to many people these days!

I also like that this book isn’t too long. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy several hundred-page epics. However, I think thrillers are better suited to a more modest page count. That’s just me, though. This also works out well as it will be a fun read to throw in for a change-up if I do want a change from some larger books. As our work book club can testify, they also make good selections for discussion because it’s a popular genre and can be read quite quickly! We’ve read two lately – The Housemaid and The Perfect Wife.

Have you read Friends Like These, or anything similar you would like to recommend?

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Board Game Book Tag

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Today I’m really excited to share a unique book tag. I found the post on Bewitching Books Ravenous Reads, but it was created originally over on Witty and Sarcastic Book Club.

It’s a unique tag, and I can’t wait to try and come up with books I’ve read or on my TBR to meet the prompts!

Let’s dive into this Board Game Book Tag!

Board Game Book Tag 


🕵️‍♀️Clue: A Book Featuring a Mystery

A fun book I read recently with a compelling mystery is The Perfect Wife. I read this book ready for book club at work, which is now being held on Monday.

The mystery behind this book is what happened to the ‘real’ woman on which the protagonist has been modelled. She’s an AI simulation of Abi’s personality. It’s an interesting idea and I loved the story as we got further into it.

If you want an early preview of my thoughts on this book, I shared that on Patreon. My review will follow on my blog, but I have quite a few to catch up with first! I’ll be publishing my thoughts on books I’m reading nearer the time over there. If you want to keep more up-to-date reviews, that will be available to subscribing members.


💸Monopoly: A Book Focused on Treasure or Money

If you want a swashbuckling fantasy, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi may just be for you.

Retired pirate Amina is tracked down with one final job to make her rich and powerful; rescue a kidnapped daughter. On paper, it shouldn’t have been a difficult task, but quickly Amina learns there is far more to this job than she was told.

Whilst it didn’t knock it out of the park for me, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi was a fun and different read.


🚂Ticket to Ride: A Book Featuring Travel

The vast majority of the story of The Wastelands involved travel. On their way to The Dark Tower, Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake cross differing terrain and even find themselves on a riddling, suicidal locomotive by the end of the book.

It’s quite different, especially when you compare it to the backstory tale of Wizard and Glass. In this sequel to The Wastelands, very little movement happens in the present day. Wizard and Glass so far is the exception in the series. Broadly, the encompassing story is full of travel towards what we can presume to be an epic battle!


🐏The Settlers of Catan: A Book with a Lot Going On

The Eye of the World is the introduction to the epic 15-book Wheel of Time series. This first book sets down a lot of ground as to the history of the world, and then throws us into modern-day action.

The first time I tried this book, I ended up putting it down. It was a lot to take in. At the time, I was struggling with longer reads. When I came back to it at a time when epics were what I was looking for, I really got on with The Eye of the World. 

There is a lot going on in this book, but it’s worth the investment!


⚔Risk: A Book in Which an Attempt at Domination is Key to the Story

The Illuminae Files is a great sci-fi trilogy geared for a young adult audience. At the start of The Illuminae Files, Kady and Ezra find their home planet of Kerenza invaded by BeiTech for its resources.

It’s a multimedia book that goes on to compile interviews and other mixed media formats as a case against the corporation in a bid for justice.

That’s my short summary – if you’re interested in a more comprehensive review, you can find that here.


🍏Apples to Apples: A Book that Makes You Laugh

Witches Abroad is one of my favourite Discworld novels to date. I love the characters Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax, and Magrat. They are all funny but bounce off each other in hilarious ways. Granny Weatherwax is my favourite because she’s a “do as I say, not as I do” character. She’s a law unto herself.

Terry Pratchett is very funny naturally. Yet, as well as his humour, he’s good at conveying his thoughts on a particular topic too. He balances this so well, and it’s why I look forward to reading his books.


🔠Scrabble: A Book with Beautiful Writing

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. I’m more than happy to hold my hands up here and say that I went into this book with a bit of a preconception about the story. What I didn’t expect was how much the writing would get me invested in the characters.

Whilst I may not be the equivalent of a magical social worker, I could really relate to Linus. His character is quite rigid at the start of the book, but his growth throughout is heartwarming. The way in which the book is written really helps us bridge the gap to put ourselves in Linus’ shoes.


✨Indie Board Game: An Indie Book that Everyone Should Read

It feels a bit cheaty listing The Atlas Six as the last book in my board game book tag. Whilst the book was originally self-published, it has more recently been traditionally published because of its popularity.

If there is anything that the section has proven to me, it’s that I have a bit of a gap in my reading. It seems I don’t pick up very many indie books, so that’s maybe something I can work on.


Summary

If you think today’s board game book tag post has been a fun one to read, I’d love to hear from you. If you have a blog yourself and you’d like to take part, I would love to see your answers! Otherwise, take part in the comments ☺️

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