Tag: amreading

My Hefty January TBR!

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Today, I share a hefty January TBR!

I’m hitting the New Year with full force. In this January TBR, I have nine books in total I’m hoping to get through. It’ll require a reading pace of 75 pages a day and 36 hours of listening time to complete! 

 

***This post contains affiliate links to Amazon if you wish to purchase any of the books featured. If you follow any of these links and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no cost to you. 

I would really appreciate you considering following this link to make any purchase as a show of support***

 

My January TBR 

First, A Fresh Start… 

Orbital 

Purchase Link – Amazon

To start the new year with a fresh start, I’m picking up the relatively short, though not especially light, Orbital. 

I can see why the book won the Booker Prize. In such a short read, the book discusses complex concepts and feelings on an intimate level. It’s an inspiring and interesting read— one I’ve finished since recording! I’m glad I made Orbital my first read of the year. 

 

Then, my December Carryovers… 

Beyond Redemption 

Purchase Link – Amazon

My current read as of this January TBR going live is Beyond Redemption. This is a read I started mid-December when I was at the hairdressers. 

By the end of December, I’d read 15% of the book. In the last few days since picking it up again, I’ve doubled that to 30%. I’ve got this book on Kindle Unlimited, but I’m ceasing my subscription in a couple of days, so time to shake a leg, right?! 

 

Empire of the Dawn 

Purchase Link – Amazon

A book I struggled with in December, and put down briefly, is Empire of the Dawn. 

The nature of this book, the size, my hardback copy, the joy and dread of a final book in the trilogy, are all reasons I think I had trouble with it. However, with a short interval, I’m now ready to venture back into this last book of an amazing series!

 

The Doors of Midnight 

Purchase Link – Amazon

My audiobook carryover on this January TBR is The Doors of Midnight. I started this audio in mid-to-late December, but its length meant there was no way I was able to finish it before the end of December. 

I’ll no doubt spend most of January reading this book, but it’s a good one so far. This Asian Silk Road fantasy is a refreshing change on my January TBR, and protagonist Ari is an excellent storyteller. 

 

A Review Obligation 

Dark Chronicles 

Purchase Link – Amazon

I’m reviewing the short story collection Dark Chronicles on the 27th January. It’s full of dark and twisted stories which would maybe be suited to autumn for mood readers. I, however, don’t care!

Given it’s a short book, I’m going to be flexible and throw it in as and when I want a break from heavier reads… and before 27th January, of course! 

 

Book Club Reads… 

I Know I’m in There Somewhere 

Purchase Link – Amazon

I’m trying a new tack with my work book club, and I’m setting a theme as opposed to a set book. 

For my own book towards this month’s “New Year/New You” theme, I’m reading I Know I’m in There Somewhere. It’s a book about how women can find their own authentic voice through acceptance of themselves. 

 

After the Forest

Purchase Link – Amazon

Very different to the other books on my January TBR is my read of After the Forest with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club. This club is also open in terms of book selection, and there is a challenge on StoryGraph with all manner of books on it. 

I want to read After the Forest as it’s based on a well-known fairytale, Hansel and Gretel. Other than that, I’m going in blind! 

 

2026 Fixed List Reads 

Yellowface 

Purchase Link – Amazon

Picking up Yellowface works towards two of my 2026 resolutions – reading from my physical TBR and also one of my 16 books on my fixed read list. 

I’ve enjoyed both Babel and The Poppy War from author R.F. Kuang so far. I’m looking forward to trying this contemporary book to see how it compares! 

 

The Great Passage

Purchase Link – Amazon

Finally, The Great Passage is the audiobook I’m jumping to after The Doors of Midnight. It’s the second book I’m planning to read from my fixed list. It’ll also be a refreshing change in the length comparison with The Doors of Midnight – it’s about a quarter of the length! 

That’s not to diminish it though. It’s a book of language and worlds and passion and all set in a less familiar cultural context. I’m excited to read it!

 

Summary 

I have plenty of books to be getting on with in this January TBR. It’s a new year and I’m keen for a fresh start. 

What are you reading this January? 

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Sunday Summary – 4th January 2026

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The first weekend of 2026 is upon us! Welcome to my first Sunday Summary of the year, and I’m glad for the fresh start. I’ve gotten back into the habit of reading over the last few days, and I’ve enjoyed a fresh, shorter read to get me back into the swing of things. Before that though, what else have I been posting about? 

Well, it’s been a busy week! I started easily doors with posting my ideas for both non-traditional and traditional reading goals. Whilst I’ve written the posts to be timeless and something that can be gone back to year on year, maybe you can take inspiration from these posts for your 2026 reading goals, if you’ve yet to set one. Some of the ideas on these lists are part of MY resolutions, which will be released in the coming days. 

On Thursday I published my monthly wrap-up for December. I confess, I don’t have many ‘finishes’ to my name in the final month of the year, but I did read a good few books at least in part. As I’d completed my reading goal by the beginning of December, I found myself reading less as the month went on. Still, I enjoyed the break, achieved most of what I wanted to do and I’m back raring to go now. 

Finally, yesterday I shared my wrap-up of 2025 as a whole. In that post, I looked at progress against my 2025 resolutions and where I got to at the end of of the year. If you’ve yet to read that post, here’s a link so you can take a look for yourself. 

 

Books Read

 

The Doors of Midnight 

Progress with The Doors of Midnight is ongoing. You may recall in last week’s Sunday Summary update that I’ll be reading this over the next few weeks. It’s a long book and audiobook! I did make some progress this week, but admittedly not a whole lot. Still, an hour is better than nothing at all. Next week, things will be back to more normal routine. I’ll be going back the gym more, driving to work every day of the week etc. 

I’m still enjoying where this narrative is taking us and I think it’s about to take a turn I wasn’t expecting. That makes it more interesting though, and has me wanting to pick this up more over the next seven days. 

 

Orbital

At the start of the New Year, I took the decision to pick up a short, fresh read to get back into the reading groove with. Rather than starting the year with 2025’s reads that I was a little slow to get going with, starting with something new felt right. 

Although Orbital is short, I wouldn’t say it’s a light read. On the contrary, it asks a lot of existential and heavy questions, and covers everything from life and relationships to politics. Still, it was a great choice to start the year with. Picking up Orbital is also a bonus in that it starts the year ticking off some goals on my upcoming 2026 resolutions. 

As of this Sunday Summary update, I have just finished this book! It’s been a fun and thought-provoking read to start 2026 with, and definitely set me off to a great start. I love that although the page count is small, it’s a slow, thought-provoking and inspiring narrative. It proves we don’t need high-stakes action to drive a plot. Rather, slow, introspective musings make for entertaining reading as well. Orbital is quite different from the usual reads I pick up, but its a prize winner for a reason. It deserves the accolade. If you haven’t read this one and crave a change of pace, Orbital would be a great option. 

 

Books Discovered

 Somehow I’ve refrained from spending my book vouchers, and I’ve also been good and not added anything to my reading list in the meantime either. It’s got plenty enough on it without me adding more to it at this time anyway. 

I’ll take this as good news 🥳

 

Coming Up… 

I’ve got some exciting and slightly scary content coming out next week. Great, because I’m sharing my 2026 resolutions and my January 2026 monthly TBR. Why is that scary Well, I got myself in front of a camera earlier today to record videos for this content to share here and on YouTube for the very first time. Ahhh!

I’ll be posting here as well and if I can manage it, linking those videos into my blog so you can watch if you prefer to reading. Otherwise, I’ll be summarising those videos in written format. Of course, if you consume a lot of content on YouTube already, you can follow me there to keep up with my videos when they are released before I share them here. 

That’s all from me this week! I’m excited to get back into the swing of things and also enjoy putting myself out of my comfort zone and making new forms of content in 2026. 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary update. Have you started any new reads for 2026? 

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My 2025 Wrap-Up!

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It’s 2026 and I’m really excited to share my 2025 wrap-up with you! Overall, I’m pleased with how I did against my 2025 reading resolutions. Back in November, I shared a review of progress and intentions for the final books I wanted to read towards my resolutions. 

Let’s take a look at the final tally 🥳

 

My 2025 Resolutions…

Goodreads Challenge – 45 Books 

For 2025, I set a reading goal of 45 books. It was set as a small stretch goal on top of the 42 books I’d read in 2024. Turns out, I could have pushed a little further on. 

In total, I read 48 books in 2025! Truthfully, I could have completed more as well. With my reading goal done by the beginning of December, reading progress fell away. Once an obligation to review a book was fulfilled, I slowed down dramatically. It didn’t help that I was struggling with a physical read, and of course, time commitments around Christmas. I can’t blame them entirely though. 

With 2025’s reading target being achieved well in advance, it’s convinced me to up my goal again for 2026. This time, I can announce in this 2025 wrap-up that I’m pushing a little harder to get to 60 books. 

 

Complete Goodreads Challenges Throughout the Year

This is the one goal I’d say I didn’t put the most focus on in 2025. I set it to explore a new feature on Goodreads. However, I can’t attest that I have as much focus and attention as the rest of my reading resolutions. 

I did make some progress, with a few achievements in each challenge throughout the year. They were mostly passively achieved as opposed to deliberate choices. 

I set the goal as an attempt to do something a little different and maybe read more topical/seasonal books. It didn’t quite work the way I intended, so I’m going to approach this aim a little differently in 2026. 

 

Finish or Get Up to Date with 10 Series 

I’d argue this reading goal was the most difficult one and took a lot of my attention. To be fair, so it should! I have a lot of ongoing or part-read series I’ve started. For two years now, I’ve set myself this reading goal in order to reduce the amount of series I had ongoing. Overall, it was broadly successful! 

As of the end of December and 2025 wrap-up, I read books from a total of 16 series. A couple of these were new starts, but others were to make further progress in sizeable series. In terms of completions, I finished or got up-to-date on eight series in 2025. I had aimed to finish Empire of the Dawn and The Doors of Midnight in December to get to my final ten. However, these are both current reads carried over into 2026. 

So, I didn’t quite get there, but my intentions and effort were in the right place and that was the point of the goal. It got me picking up sequels in a far more timely fashion than I had been previously, making them much easier to get into, if I’m honest. Like with my non-fiction reading goal of 2024 making a lasting impression on my reading habits, I hope going forward sequels remain a priority. 

 

Read Out of my Comfort Zone

Finally, I set myself a goal to pick up books out of my comfort zone in 2025. 

Book clubs were a great way to achieve this goal. Through my book club at work and the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club I help moderate, I picked up a few books I wouldn’t have chosen for myself but still enjoyed anyway. On top of that, a recommendation from a colleague led me to pick up HR Disrupted. 

However, external drivers weren’t the only means I picked up new books. In February, with Black History Month in mind, I read Fearing the Black Body. I also had my own non-race-related reasons to read it – it’s about the origins of fat phobia. If you’ve seen photos of me on social media, I’m not a small person and I’ve been on the wrong end of fat phobia in the past. I don’t care now, mind, I put myself in positions where I could be judged. I go to the gym and wear sports gear out in public. Do I care if people like it or not? Absolutely not! 

Along the lines of better health, I picked up The Weight’s Over, Ultra-Processed People. These were a stretch from my usual reading, but very much worthwhile. Finally, I picked up a book where US politics is central to the discussion. A Promised Land by Barack Obama wasn’t the easiest of things for me to read, but I’m glad I did. 

 

Summary

All in all, it’s fair to say I enjoyed my 2025 reading and I did a lot of the things I set out to in my 2025 resolutions post. I can only hope I’m as successful in my 2026 resolutions, which I’ll be sharing with you shortly! 

Thanks for reading today’s 2025 wrap-up. Did you set yourself a goal for 2025? How did you do with achieving it? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – December 2025

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Happy New Year friends and welcome to my last monthly wrap-up of 2025! In today’s post I take a look at reading progress in December 2025. In summary, I didn’t touch much of my December TBR. Once my reading obligations were over and I’d completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge, my brain kinda switched off. 

Nevertheless, I have some progress to share and after a slow, steady festive period and end of the month I’m ready to get back into it! 

 

Books Read 

 

Death of a Billionaire 

Early in December I had a blog tour obligation to review Death of a Billionaire by Tucker May. With a number of ongoing books from the end of November, I had to pick up and finish this one pretty quickly. 

One light night and a review later, I safely ticked Death of a Billionaire off the list. It’s a fun, humorous murder mystery and I enjoyed the lighter tone. If you want to take a look at this for yourself, here’s a link to my review. 

 

Empire of the Dawn

A book I made slow progress with in December was Empire of the Dawn. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t working for me as I had hoped. It’s a chunky book, and I think having the limitation of a heavy, hardback copy is the primary reason I struggled to pick this up. 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an alternative copy of this book to carry on in another format without additional cost. After trying p persevere with it a little longer, I ultimately soft DNF’d it partway through the month. I love the series and where the story is going so far, so I WILL absolutely revisit this one in the near future! 

 

A Crucible of Souls

I wrapped up listening to A Crucible of Souls mid-month after starting the book in November. Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy book and it was a decent recommendation I picked up as part of a ChatGPT recommendations challenge I started a few months ago. 

However, I did finish this book a little disappointed. The book has a lot of detail and an engaging storyline. That said, the book is very light on explanation or backstory on Caldan so we finish the book with as many, if not more questions, than when we started. 

No doubt the rest of the series would catch up with this intel later. I, however, have decided not to continue with it.

 

Beyond Redemption 

The final book I have picked up towards my ChatGPT recommendations challenge is Beyond Redemption. Admittedly, progress on this book was also light in December. 

In total, I made it 15% into the book. I initially started reading it on my phone at the hairdressers during my appointment mid-month. However, I prefer to read digital books on my kindle and don’t get it charged up till much later in the month. Also, I’d hit my lull by this point despite enjoying what I’ve read to date. With my Goodreads Challenge for 2025 exceeded, my brain switched off from reading and turned to craft projects and downtime instead. 

So, Beyond Redemption will be carried forward into January. To get my reading mojo back I’ve started a short read today. Once that’s done though, I’m going to launch into Beyond Redemption full force. I’m excited to see where this grimdark fantasy takes us.

 

The Housemaid is Watching

Where progress with physical and digital books has been on the slow side this December, today’s monthly wrap-up features far better news on audiobook progress! 

After listening to The Housemaid’s Secret last month, I added The Housemaid is Watching to my December TBR as a contribution to completing my 2025 resolution of finishing 10 series. 

Thankfully, listening to The Housemaid is Watching proved as compulsive as its predecessor. I listened to the entirety of this audiobook in just a few days – a complete change from the lethargy that I have to hold my hands up to otherwise in this monthly wrap-up! 

 

The Doors of Midnight 

Another audiobook I made great progress with in December, but inevitably I’m carrying over into January, is The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi. 

I listened to around 10 hours worth of audio in December (at x1.15 speed for this one, so about 8 1/2 hours of actual listening time). However, as of today, 1st January, I still have 35hrs and 8mins (30hrs 30mins at x1.15 speed) to go! This book is over 800 pages long, so I didn’t really expect completion by the end of December. Still, it was an attempt towards my series completion 2025 resolution. I can’t knock myself given I gave it a good go! 

Now that I’m immersed back into Ari’s life and escapades, I’m excited for this carryover to hopefully be one of my first highly-rated completions of 2026. 

 

Summary 

Audiobooks saved the day again! Whilst I expected this monthly wrap-up to be short (given a lack of reading progress in the second half of December), I haven’t got much to complain about. I picked up a good few, even if they didn’t result in a green, shiny tick before 31st December. 

What was your final read of December? Did you meet your 2025 reading resolutions? I’ll be deep-diving into my progress on last year’s reading resolutions in the next day or two. I hope you can stick around for that! ☺️

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Sunday Summary – 28th December 2025

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Happy Sunday readers! Today’s Sunday Summary post is a quiet kind of update. Christmas has been and gone, and we are now in the lull between Christmas and New Year. I never quite know what to do with myself in this last week of the year. Ultimately, I’ve enjoyed hobbies and some downtime, but not much in the way of reading, admittedly.

I have some small progress to share though, so let’s take a look! 

 

Books Read

The Doors of Midnight 

In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I shared that I had just started listening to The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi. Over the course of this week, I have listened to just shy of seven hours of this audio. As much as I say I haven’t read much this week, this progress isn’t to be sniffed at! 

Whilst doing some errands, chores, and craft projects this week, I’ve coupled each of these with listening to The Doors of Midnight. Now that I’m a little further into this book, I can share that I’m now fully back in with the story after a long break from reading the first instalment, The First Binding. I’m also keen to see where this book takes us. It’s an interesting Silk Road, Asian-inspired fantasy with a protagonist who likes to stir up trouble. 

The narrative style of this book is the protagonist retelling his tale in hindsight. Regular readers will know this style really suits me, and I like this reflective type of narrative. The switching between timelines also helps keep the action interesting and has asked what has really happened for Ari to end up in the situation he’s in at the present day. 

As you can probably tell, I’m getting on pretty well with this audiobook, and progress will continue over the next few weeks. As of this update, I still have over 30 hours of audio time left in this book. It’s an epic… and definitely one that’ll get carried forward into next year! 

 

Beyond Redemption 

Although I’ve had a good degree of downtime in the last few days, I confess I haven’t spent much of it reading traditionally. I think I need a goal or target to work towards with my reading. Now that I’ve read 47 books out of my intended 45 target, my brain thinks I’m ‘done’ and has switched off prioritising reading 😂 

Nevertheless, in the last day or so, I have got myself to pick up my Kindle and make some progress with Beyond Redemption. This is the final book I’m reading towards my ChatGPT recommendations content that’s coming up, and the introduction of this book has me intrigued. We have morally grey characters (that’s a stretch on the generous side) and embodiments of delusion. Honestly, I have no idea where this narrative will take us, but the less than reputable characters and questionable actions have me intrigued as to how dark this narrative will be.

 

Books Discovered

 

I was fortunate enough to receive two books for Christmas. One of which is an illustrative and interactive copy of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It’ll be a fun way to revisit this book in the future! 

The second book I received is a copy of Margaret Atwood’s memoir, Book of Lives.  I very nearly bought this for myself recently, so that turned out well! 

 

Coming Up… 

Next week promises to be a busy one! With New Year goal setting in the pipeline, I’m sharing two posts in the next couple of days. Each of these posts aims to help with ideas of reading goals, whether you want to go down the route of traditional, numbers-based reading goals, or non-traditional ones. 

Personally, I’m planning a mix of resolutions this year. However, if you aren’t sure yet, hopefully some inspiration will follow. 

On Thursday, New Year’s Day, I’m coming in hot with my December monthly wrap-up. I’ve also got a 2025 wrap-up landing this week, but first I need to recap reading progress in December before looking back over the whole year. At least, in my head I do… 

That year-in-review post is planned for Saturday. In that post, I’ll recap my final thoughts on the year and also where I got to with my 2025 resolutions for the year. 

Finally, I’m back with another Sunday Summary this time next week. Fingers crossed I find my reading mojo again and I have plenty more to update you on. 

Have you got any last-minute reads you’re trying to finish before the end of 2025? 

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Sunday Summary – 21st December 2025

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Happy Sunday, friends! Welcome to my latest Sunday Summary post. Have you had a great week? Are you ready for Christmas yet? This week I’ve done the last of my shopping and wrapping, so I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be… 

Onto less festive matters, what else have I been up to this week? Well, other than feeling rough and even losing my voice for a couple of days, it’s been business as usual. My first post of the week was a Top Ten Tuesday. This week‘s subject was books on our Winter 2025/2026 TBR. If you’re curious to see what’s coming up on my reading list in the next few months, you could take a look at that post here.

Next, this week’s First Lines Friday post featured a festive read. I managed to meet my challenge of featuring a festive book. And it WAS a challenge for me. I’m not a big festive reader, I found a book that is authentically me whilst meeting the target. Win! 

 

Books Read

The Housemaid is Watching 

With everything going on this week, audiobooks still prevail as my most read format. Funny really. Usually they’re the bottom of the list… 

Nevertheless, it’s been really working out for me this week. Although I’ve not read as much overall this week, I did finish my listen of The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden earlier today.

I enjoyed this (unexpected) conclusion to the series, and I’m glad I decided to pick up more than just the first book. It was a really interesting listen, as always, because the pacing has us asking questions right until the end. However, whilst everything is drawn out nicely, all the questions we do have from this book are answered. I’d have been frustrated if they weren’t, but no concerns on that front! 

 

The Doors of Midnight 

After finishing The Housemaid is Watching, I made a start with The Doors of Midnight by R. R. Virdi this afternoon.

I’m only really so far into this book, so there isn’t a whole lot I can say right now. What I can say is that the first few chapters I’ve listened to have helped me get back into the story somewhat. I really enjoy the narrative style of this book, and enjoying it in audio format as opposed to paperback format is a refreshing change. I enjoy reading it in physical format as well, don’t get me wrong. However, the book is about a storyteller telling his own life story. Listening seems to work a little better.

More on this one next week. It’s a tome, so I’m sure The Doors of Midnight will span a few Sunday Summary posts yet. 

 

Books Discovered

In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I assured you I had been good and not added any new books to my reading list because Santa is on his way. Well, that is true than ever. However, I have added a book to my reading list this week. Don’t worry though, it’s one coming out next year!

When writing my First Lines Friday post, I discovered that my featured book has a sequel coming out next year. Having already enjoyed the first book of the series to date, it’s pretty obvious I’m going to want to continue this one. I’ve got a bit of a wait. The Silent Appeal is due out in September next year. Whilst my bank account remains untouched for now, I’ve added this book to the list to make sure I pick it up at a later date.

 

Coming Up… 

So, what’s coming up next week?

Well, with Christmas upon us and a busy New Year imminent, I’ve decided to take a break for a few days next week. 

I’ll be back with my Sunday Summary update at the end of the week. Until then, though, I’m going to take the time to enjoy some of the festive period, catch up on some reading, and enjoy the downtime. 

I’ll still be active on social media, so stay tuned to see more of my content there. 

What are you currently reading? 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2025/2026 TBR

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday features books I’ve got coming up on my Winter 2025/2026 TBR over the next few months. This list takes into account some books on my December 2025 TBR, and some planned reading goals for 2026.

I’ve got a static list of books I want to pick up throughout 2026, so some of those books feature on this Winter 2025/2026 TBR as well.

Interested to take a look at what’s made it to the list?

 

Books on my Winter 2025/2026 TBR

Yellowface

The first book on this Winter 2025/2026 TBR is also a feature on my December TBR. Keen to kick off early, I’m looking to pick up Yellowface by R.F. Kuang very soon.

So far, I’ve enjoyed two reads by R.F. Kuang and rated them both 5 stars (Babel and The Poppy War).  Yellowface is very different from both of these books, which are also quite different from each other. It goes to show Rebecca is a versatile writer, and I’m intrigued to try this more contemporary book.


I Know I’m in There Somewhere

For my work book club in January, I’ve set a theme as opposed to a ‘set’ book. It’s the first time we’re trying out some flexibility, so we’ll see how that goes. However, in case anyone at work wants to stick with a single book, I’ve committed to reading I Know I’m in There Somewhere.

With New Year and new goals in mind, this will be a timely read. I added this to my reading list fairly recently, but I can’t wait to try it out!


A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove featured on both my TTT Summer 2025 TBR and 20 Books of Summer Challenge. However, as of this Winter 2025/2026 TBR, I haven’t picked it up yet.

I’ve read great things about this book, and I’ve been meaning to read it for a while now. So, with this in mind, it’s time to pull my finger out and start reading it!

A Man Called Ove will also make a change. I read a lot of fantasy, especially lately. I’m looking forward to a more contemporary story as a break from what I’ve been reading of late.


1984

For Christmas last year, I was gifted two books, the first of which is the classic that is 1984. I first read this book at school. Now, admittedly, when I had to study this book for my GCSEs, I hated the experience. The reading in class. The discussion and analysis. Yawn. Bloody. Yawn.

However, I later read this book as an adult, of my own volition. Completely different experience. I loved it. And the scary thing is, there are aspects of the book that probably ring truer than we’d like to think.

It’s a classic that I’ll want to go back to time and again. It’s coming back around!


Julia

Also last Christmas, I received a second book that’s a twist on 1984 – written instead from the perspective of a different character – Julia.

My plan is to read the original, and then jump into Julia so I can appreciate the rewrite and different perspective.


Eve

My Winter 2025/2026 TBR has a lot of books I’ve planned to read already, but not got to! Another such book is Eve.

Eve by Cat Bohannon was also on my 20 Books of Summer Challenge, but I didn’t quite get to it either. What I love about the premise of this book is that it emphasises the importance of women and how biologically, they’ve driven the evolution of the human race.

It’s a niche book for sure, and hopefully, a refreshing change of subject!


The Courage to be Disliked

Self-help reading recs are abound in this Winter 2025/2026 TBR! Another such book I plan to read, and I offered as a suggestion in my work book club, is The Courage to Be Disliked.

Whilst the title of the book comes across as a little clickbait (is there an equivalent term in the bookish world), The Courage to Be Disliked is more of a discourse on why we are influenced by the opinions of others and how we can find the courage to make our own way, for our own reasons.


Deep Wheel Orcadia

Another December TBR pick makes for a change to reading style. This month, I’m looking forward to trying the first science fiction book written in Orkney dialect!

Confused? Perhaps I will be too. There’s an English translation, so I can still appreciate the story. The novelty factor sparked my curiosity, what can I say?


The Burning Girls

The last book of this Winter 2025/2026 TBR that also featured on my 20 Books of Summer Challenge was The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor.

Here’s another author I really like going back to time and again. The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne were fantastic books. It’s been a while, so I’m excited to read this latest book and enjoy some more thriller vibes before the nights start getting light again. It’s more atmospheric, okay? I don’t make the rules 🤷🏻‍♀️


The Pillars of the Earth

A tome, is what this book is. However, it’s a tome I’ve been recommended by two trusted reader friends. So, I have to pick it up!

Next year, I’m planning to set myself a list of books I want to finish before the end of 2026. The Pillars of the Earth is the first book on that list. At a fraction under 1000 pages, it’s a commitment. However, I trust the recommendations I have and so I’ll be embarking on this journey after the new year.

It’s a highly rated book and has been on my list since 2020, so it’s high time I give it a go!


Summary

My Winter 2025/2026 TBR has lots of great books on it. Have you read any of these? Are any of these books on your TBR?

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Sunday Summary – 14th December 2025

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Last week’s Sunday Summary post came to you from a wet and miserable day. Today isn’t any different. With yet another warning for rain in place, winter has truly taken hold. Not only that, but the winter lurgy is also doing the rounds, and it’s officially my turn. Please bear with me for this post. It may not be my best, but it will be the weekly update you expect!

So, what have I been up to? My first post of the week was a book review for Brandon Sanderson‘s second book in his Skyward series, Starsight. I really enjoyed this young adult series, so it was a pleasure to feature the second book and let you know just how much I enjoyed it.

On Friday, I featured a thriller on my TBR. I would not like to be in the shoes of the victims. Deprived of their senses, victims return to society mentally scarred by their experiences. Interested in hearing more about this book? Take a look at my Shelf Control post using this link.

 

Books Read

 

Empire of the Dawn 

I’m struggling to read Empire of the Dawn, and I don’t understand why.

This is the third week in a row in which I have very little reading progress to update you on. At this point, I’m putting this book down for now and trying again later in the month.

I don’t understand why this book isn’t doing it for me right now. I am enjoying it as when I’m reading it, the problem is I’m just not really picking it up to read it! Sometimes having a heavy physical hardback can be a bit off-putting. However, the reason I think I’m struggling with this book the most is that I don’t want to finish the book (and the series) yet. 

It’s silly, I know. However, for the sake of keeping up with reading progress, I’m going to put this down temporarily and pick up another physical read for now. 

 

A Crucible of Souls

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I had already listened to the vast majority of A Crucible of Souls. With just a short way left to go in the book, I finished this audio this week.

If I’m honest, the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I had hoped we will find out more about Caldan and his past. Instead, I finished this first book of the series knowing as much about him as I did at the beginning. A bit disappointing to say the least, because this book leaves a lot of questions unanswered. 

I don’t feel so strongly about this book to continue with the series. It was unacceptable lesson, but I wouldn’t say it was really engaging either. That’s just my experience, and a lot of people are of differing opinions. Don’t take mine as gospel if you want to try this on yourselves. 

 

The Housemaid is Watching 

Audiobooks have been a lot easier for me this weekend. I like to listen to them when I’m busy plotting along with household chores and the lake. However, I’ve also turned to audiobooks today because they are easier to listen to then they are to read physically. 

Over the course of this weekend, I’ve listened to over six hours of audio. In terms of p The Housemaid is Watching, I’m currently at around 60% as of this Sunday Summary update. As I found with each of the books in this series, they are pretty easy to listen to. The narrative is engaging and the plot keeps you gripped. What is happening, and are events as they are portrayed as they seem to be? Very often with these books, the answer is no. Whether that is the same for The Housemaid is Watching remains to be seen.

 

Beyond Redemption 

It barely feels worth a mention, but I have started Beyond Redemption this weekend. I initially started the book at the hairdressers yesterday, but given my decision to pause Empire of the Dawn, I’ve read a little more of this book tonight. I’m really intrigued by The narrative and emphasis on delusions shaping reality. 

It sounds like it’s going to be a very dark book, but I’m looking forward to seeing where this takes us. It’s specifically what I asked ChatGPT for in the final prompt I asked, so I hope it lives up to expectation. 

 

Books Discovered

Once again, I’ve behaved and not added any new books to the TBR, or purchased anything, this week. Well, Santa is nearly here right…?

 

Coming Up… 

My first blog post due next week will arrive in your inbox on Tuesday. A regular post I like to feature on this blog is a Top Ten Tuesday. I’ve also done this theme before. Once a quarter, one of the topics is about books on your next seasonal TBR. In this case, I’ll share which books are on my winter 2025/2026 TBR in a couple of days time. 

My next post is also a regular feature, although this week I am setting myself a festive challenge. For next week’s first lines Friday post, I have to feature something festive. Whether the book itself is festive or is set around Christmas time, anything goes. 

Finally, next week I’m back with my latest Sunday summary catch up. Fingers crossed, I’ll have better physical reading progress to share with you. Hopefully switching up my books will help get reading momentum back on track. I have a lot of books to try and pick up before the end of December, so I’m hoping for a miracle 🤞🏻 

That’s all for me and this Sunday summary update though! What have you read recently? Have you read anything worth recommending, or has a book you recently picked up disappointed you? 

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Book Review: Starsight – Brandon Sanderson

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Young adult science fiction isn’t really a go-to genre and audience I reach for. However, Brandon Sanderson can basically do no wrong in my eyes. After reading several of his books, I branched out and picked up his Skyward series despite not being the intended audience. You know what? It didn’t matter an inch! I loved the first and titular books of the series (which you can read more about here…). 

Naturally, continuing with the series was an obvious choice. That brings us to the second instalment in the series, Starsight. It’s quite a different setting compared to the first book, but that worked pretty well for me. I enjoyed seeing the storyline advance from the introductory plot line of Skyward. Want to find out more? Then read on below!

 

Starsight – Brandon Sanderson  

Genre: YA science fiction

Pages: 461

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co. 

Publication Date: 26 Nov 2019

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – Starsight

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she’s a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.

Spensa is sure there’s more to the story. And she’s sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars—and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself—and she’ll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

 

My Thoughts

Plot 

Starsight is a very fast-paced book, especially for adult readers. 

The wider world in which Spensa’s home planet of Detritus is expanded on immensely in this second book of the series. At the time, not everyone loved the change of focus. However, in my immediate thoughts after finishing this book, I shared my love for how Brandon Sanderson isn’t afraid to break his own moulds and improve his storylines. Talking about this book after finishing the rest of the series allows for hindsight, and the shift now makes a lot of sense. The rest of the series follows suit, and gets bigger and better the further we explore this world! 

If there is any testament to how fast-paced this book is, it’s the speed I read it. I finished the whole book in less than a week; the second half of this book (which is about 200 pages!) got demolished in one sitting. And if I may say, the broader context of reading this book was that I’d picked up some trickier reads just before it. I wasn’t reading quickly until Starsight turned my slump around. 

 

Characters 

Spensa is a sassy, angsty, and headstrong teenage girl. Well, find me one that isn’t, but that wouldn’t make for an interesting story. 

Enter Spensa—a girl who grew up believing her father a hero, only to have her recollection of who he was dashed. A girl who dreamed of following in his footsteps, but finding out he wasn’t the man she idolised. Just about the worst nightmare combination you can cook up for an already turbulent individual, no? 

I listened to the audiobook of Skyward, but read Starsight traditionally. I enjoyed the book in paperback format, and characters still popped for me even without the characterisations of the narrator. Still, I did miss M-Bot’s Scottish accent just a little! It’s not what you expect for that kind of character, but it is a hilarious aspect of the narrative. 

Starsight is an interesting book in that it introduces a broad spectrum of characters. The set list does a lot for broadening your perspective on the world established in Skyward. It’s done gradually throughout the book so as not to be overwhelming. 

 

Setting 

Where Skyward was limited to the setting of Detritus, Starsight takes us… well, skyward. No longer bound, Spensa undertakes a daring mission to find out more about herself— who she is, and about her home. It’s ironic the circumstances she does this in, but no spoilers here! 

The setting of this book does wonders for the rest of the series. Skyward has quite a sheltered setting by comparison, but it’s fundamental to understand before getting to the events of this second book. 

Brandon Sanderson is a great writer, and his worlds are detailed and interesting to learn about. If the plot wasn’t interesting enough, trust me, the world the book is set in is. 

 

Narrative Style 

With such a fast-paced narrative, you need an easy-to-read style to allow the action to flow. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the intended audience of the book and the popularity/success of Sanderson, that he hit the nail on the head. 

I devoured this book, and that’s a compliment considering the page count. It’s just shy of 500 pages, so not exactly short. However, I binge-read the second half of the book to figure out what was going to happen! The flow and style of the writing made that even easier to achieve. 

 

Summary 

Starsight is a fun sequel to Sanderson’s young adult science fiction series. Spensa is a relatable, young, angsty teen who is determined to live up to the reputation of her father. Starsight takes us beyond the horizons and skylines of Slyward, and it’s an exciting, fun-fuelled adventure! 

Have you read Starsight or any other books by Brandon Sanderson? 

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Sunday Summary – 7th December 2025

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It’s a soggy Sunday here, but that won’t put a dampener on today’s Sunday Summary catch-up! Whether the weather is as miserable where you are as it has been here, or if you’ve got off lightly, I hope you’ve had a great week.

This week I’ve posted more than average on the blog. With the timing of a blog tour coinciding with the beginning of the month, I’ve had an increase in post obligations. That said, I’ve managed the extra post pretty easily, and I hope you have enjoyed finding out what I’ve been up to.

My first post that went live was my monthly wrap-up for November. In the end, November was a great month of reading progress. If you have yet to check out that post, or are interested in the books I read last month so you can maybe pick up a recommendation or two, here’s a link so you can take a look for yourself.

Next, I shared my blog tour review for a book called Death of a Billionaire by Tucker May. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted murder mystery, this would be a great pick for you. I read this book very quickly and the lighter tone was very much needed. I’ve been reading a lot of heavy fantasy. The change of genre and tone were much appreciated.

On Friday, I shared my last monthly TBR of the year. With final reading goals to meet, I’ve planned December‘s reading list around hitting those final milestones. Final books in series? Check. Books on the Goodreads Fall Challenge? Check.

 

Books Read

Empire of the Dawn 

I’ve still not really read much of Empire of the Dawn this week. However, with the conclusion of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! tonight, I’ll have less in the way of TV obligations to keep up with and hopefully more time to pick up a physical read. 

I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a digital copy of this book from my local library. Sometimes, I think having a big heavy hardback can get in the way of me getting some reading done. However, I can’t borrow it that way, so I’ll persevere with my physical copy. 

 

A Crucible of Souls

Progress with my audiobook listen of A Crucible of Souls has gone much better. In fact, I have listened to several hours of the audiobook today whilst putting up Christmas decorations. That, and redecorating my Christmas tree every time the cats pull the ornaments off. I have a suspicion I’ll have ‘redecorated’ the tree about 50 times before the 1st of January… 

With progress at around the 75% mark, I’m now intrigued as to whether the narrative of this first instalment of the series will end. Caldan is doing pretty well for himself after his exile from the monastery he grew up in at the beginning of the book. Honestly, I think he’s having too good of a time at the moment and I’m wondering if it’s all going to come crashing down on him. He’s clearly an exceptional person who was undiscovered because of his cloistered circumstances. For a person of his naivety, I can’t help but think at some point somebody is going to take advantage.

Regardless of how the book pans out, with a little under five hours left of progress to make, I anticipate finishing A Crucible of Souls next week. Then, I can tell you more! 

 

Death of a Billionaire 

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I picked up at the beginning of the week with priority going to finishing the last 80% of Death of a Billionaire.

With a review deadline of Wednesday, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I pushed on with this book so I had plenty of time to write my thoughts before that post went live on Wednesday. Not that it was difficult to finish! On the contrary, the change of genre, pace and tone was exactly what I needed. After reading a lot of heavier and longer books of late, I appreciated something shorter and with plenty of humour laced throughout.

This Sunday Summary isn’t the place where I’m going to outline all my thoughts. I’ve done so already in my blog tour review post. If you want to find out more, that’s the place to go.

 

Books Discovered

With a couple of book acquisitions last week, I’ve behaved and have nothing new to add to my reading list. The only update in today’s Sunday Summary is that I actually took a couple of books off my list when looking ahead to an upcoming post next week. It may not be exciting news, but I have plenty enough of my reading list to be getting on with without forcing myself to pick up something I’m no longer interested in. 

 

Coming Up… 

It’s been nearly a month since I shared my last book review with you that wasn’t for a specific commitment. And everyone knows I have a backlist longer than my TBR. Okay, well not quite, but it’s significant! Next on my list of books to review is Starsight by Brandon Sanderson. If you know a fan of young adult sci-fi, you won’t go wrong with this series if you need some Christmas present inspiration 😉 It’s well documented I love Brandon Sanderson, so my review won’t come as a surprise. 

On Friday, I’ll share my next Shelf Control post. If you haven’t seen this before, it’s a series I have ongoing on my blog. In the series, I look at upcoming reads on my TBR to make sure what’s on there is still relevant. This week, I’ve got a sinister thriller lined up for you. 

Finally, this time next week I’m back again with another Sunday Summary. I’ve got plenty of books on my final TBR of the year, so hopefully I’ll have plenty more reading progress to share! 

That’s all from me right now though. Enjoy your week ahead! 

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