Tag: A.M. Shine

My Sunday Summary update can only mean one thing friends… we’re at the end of yet another week! Why do the weekends fly by? Granted, I’ve had a busy one between a hair colour refresh and trying desperately to finish the kitchen off this weekend. Shock horror – still not done! However, I have just one baseboard left so I can see the finish line. 

Other than work and the humdrum of domestic life, I’ve read and blogged and done all my usual content creation. Here on the blog, I’ve shared my monthly TBR for February. I was also meant to share a Shelf Control post featuring a historical fiction classic I can’t believe I’ve not read yet. However, something went wrong there and the post is still just a draft rather than published. I’ll publish that soon, I promise! 

Over on YouTube, I published my video monthly wrap-up for January and my February TBR there. It was fun to record these and share my reads in a video format – if you haven’t taken a look at these yet, I’ve provided links if you want to go and watch for yourself! 

 

Books Read

After the Forest

I started this week continuing with progress with After the Forest. In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was 40% through the book. 

I’m pleased to say I finished the book midweek. After the Forest is a fairytale retelling that spins off of Hansel and Gretel. Greta, or Margareta as she is known in this tale, is viewed with suspicion after she is rumoured to have vanquished an old woman when she was a child. In a setting riven with war and witchcraft trials, she’s in a precarious position. 

Despite the darker aspects of this narrative, this book has its cozy elements. There’s a romance in the book if that’s something you love in your narratives. It also overlaps with another fairytale, which I really enjoyed. After the Forest was cleverly written, and it was refreshing to read something a little bit different. 

Ultimately, I rated After the Forest 3.5 stars. It was a fun read, and nice to pick up something I’ve not really read before. 

 

Grace

Grace is my second phyiscal read of the week. It has a very different tone, and one I’m really getting on with. Set on Croaghnakeela, an island off the west coast of Ireland, feels desolate yet also somewhat familiar. Living on an island not geographically too far away from Croaghnakeela myself, the atmosphere is painted both sinister, but also ringing of truth. 

Grace is a horror novel with a mystery I can’t wait to unravel. I’m 46% into this narrative as of today’s Sunday Summary, and already we have a healthy foundation for the story. However, I feel there is still a lot to uncover. The residents of this island have hidden secrets for a long time, and I can’t wait to find out the island’s past to uncover current events. 

I’m reviewing Grace as part of an organised blog tour next week. Naturally, finishing Grace is my immediate priority. I’m excited to read this book. The tone and events have me keen to find out what’s going on. It’s fair to say I’m hooked – I hope you can check out my post on Thursday. 

 

Dreams from my Father

From the 10% progress of last week’s Sunday Summary, I’ve listened to a further 7 hours of audio this week. Dreams from my Father has proved an interesting listen. I’m not surprised by this fact! After listening to A Promised Land last year, I was confident I’d enjoy Dreams from my Father. 

Well, it’s fair to say I am, given I’ve listened to over half of the book this week. The book ultimately is about Barack’s attempts to discover his identity in a confusing time for him. Born as a mixed race man in a time where society frowned on such relationships, he grew up without a stable father figure in his life. He did meet his father, but only briefly and he spent most of his life not really knowing who he was, and ultimately then, Barack’s heritage. 

As of this Sunday Summary, I have just over three hours left of the audiobook left. If this week’s progress is anything to go by, I’m optimistic I’ll be reporting a finish of this book very soon. 

 

Books Discovered

I added two books to my TBR this week. The first is a book called At Night All Blood is Black. It’s a very short read at 145 pages. But, it’s a powerful one about the exploitation of men of colour during World War 1. After reading more about it in a mailing from The Booker Prizes earlier this week, I knew I wanted to give this short novel a go! 

Next, I added The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. I saw this book featured on Instagram in a post about fantasy written by female authors. This book blends together Irish mythology and history (Vikings) with one of my favourite genres – fantasy. It sounds amazing, and I’m intrigued to read a fantasy based somewhere close to home. 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

Starting early next week, I’ll be featuring a few books I’m planning to read this year that I’ve been inspired to read based on other books. One of these comes from as recently as a book on my January 2026 TBR. I hope you’re as intrigued as I am to explore some of these. 

On Thursday, I’m sharing my thoughts on Grace by A.M. Shine. This is proving a fantastic read. I’m glad I signed up for the tour and I really can’t wait to share my thoughts on this book in the coming days! 

Next, I’ll post the Shelf Control that was meant to go live this Friday. Remember, that’s a historical fiction classic and a well-known title exploring domestic and sexual abuse. Can you recognise the title from that description?

Finally, next week’s Sunday Summary will inevitably roll around quicker than the blink of an eye. I’ll be back with my latest updates, including a I hope a few finishes from my February TBR. 

 

YouTube

On my new YouTube channel, I’ve got details of a reading challenge I’m setting myself in late February and March 2026. I hope you can check this one out, as it explains why my February TBR isn’t too heavy on page-count. 

Then, I’ve got a review of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang lined up. Yellowface was my first 5* read. Check out my review later this week to see why! 

 

That’s everything from me in my latest Sunday Summary update. Thanks for reading! What book are you currently reading or listening to? 

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