Sunday Summary – 21st May 2023
Happy Sunday everyone and welcome to my weekly Sunday Summary update. I hope you’ve had a good week, as always! Before we dive into the books I’ve been reading this week, let’s recap the blog posts I’ve been sharing.
I started this week by sharing a Top 5 Recommendations post. Inspired by another blog post I had seen recently, I decided to share my top self-help reads that I’d recommend anyone pick up. The list includes everything from improving focus to empowering women in the workplace. As always, I provide a link to that post if you want to go and check that out!
Usually, I share a regular feature on a Friday. However, due to a bit of a lack of forward planning on my part, I didn’t get this ready in time to go out on Friday. I was at a friend’s house on Friday night, and didn’t get home til gone midnight anyway. So, I shared my planned Shelf Control post yesterday instead!
Books Read
Death Magnanimous
Picking up where I left off in last week’s Sunday Summary, I started off the week continuing my read of Death Magnanimous by Michael Martin. As of last week’s update, I was 22% into the book. Already, I was hooked my the story and the circumstances the protagonist found himself in. The split timeline, allowing us readers to explore Charlie’s life before his accident, really added to the narrative and understanding his loss. There is also an element of mystery that comes into the story, which I enjoyed.
I finished this book by midweek, and I really enjoyed this Netgalley ARC (advanced reader copy). As the book is to be published in July, I’m going to try and get my review published on my blog soon.
Taking Liberties
Next, I picked up a short story anthology – Taking Liberties. The anthology includes short stories written by multiple authors, all with a loose theme of freedom. Whilst they have this in common, the stories themselves are wide and varied. The last time I read a collection of short stories, I didn’t love the experience. However, I had a completely different experience with Taking Liberties.
In all, I read the anthology in it’s entirety (which granted, is only roughly 130 pages) in about 24 hours!
Starsight
The last physical book I have picked up this week is Starsight by Brandon Sanderson. I read Skyward about six months ago now and I’m excited to be reading the sequel. So far, I am exactly 100 pages into the book and I like where the narrative is leading us. I’d heard that this book differed from the first, but no real detail as to how. Now I have an idea how… but I’m not spoiling it here!
I’m intrigued to see how the plot is going to develop. I’ve read the first 20% of the book easily, and I imagine the rest will only follow suit.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
This week, I’vve been listening to more of As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow. I was just under half-way through the audiobook in my last Sunday Summary. I’ve listened to another 25% this week.
I’m loving the chaacters, the setting, and the premise of the book. I’m especially invested with the characters. Everything has gone quite well for them up until now (as well as possible in a war-torn country anyway), and I’m almost expecting some kind of disaster to happen!
I have a couple of hours or so left in the audiobook. Once I start listening to it, I imagine I’ll listen through to the end.
Books Discovered
As if I don’t have enough books on the reading list, I discovered and added a couple more this week.
The first book is Spike by Jeremy Farrer with Anjana Ahuja. I discovered the book through inkinsights instagram, who gave the book 5 stars. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on our lives in the last few years, and I thinkwe can talk about it now. I’m intereted to read the insights this book has into the pandemic, written by an infectious disease expert.
The second book I added to my list also comes from another recommendation by a book blogger on instagram, readingmaria. That book is A History of Burning by Janika Oza. I like the sound and scope of the premise. This is a tale about how the decisions one person, as a result of a desperate act for survival, can reverberate for generations.
Coming Up…
I’ll be sharing a book review this week, and it’s for one of the books I picked up earlier this week.
Last month I was approached by Stephanie Bretheron, one of the author’s who contributed to Taking Liberties, for a review. I promised to read and review the book this month, so I’ll be sharing my full thoughts on the anthology in a few days.
On Friday, and it WILL be Friday, is the turn of my First Lines Friday post. I’ve decided on a challenge for this post. Using a prompt list for some inspiration, I landed on a prompt to feature a non-fiction book about a medical subject. Naturally, that means I could feature my my addition, Spike. But then, I have also read some great books also in this genre which I could feature. You’ll have to check out my post on Friday to see what I choose in the end.
Lastly, I’ll be here for another Sunday Summary update next Sunday!
Now, Starsight is calling me. Have a wonderful day, evening and week, and I’ll catch you in the next post!
