It’s time for another Sunday Summary update once again! These posts seem to roll around very quickly. No sooner have I written one than I’m preparing the next! It’s no surprise it’s nearly the end of October already!
I started this week with a top ten Tuesday post. I liked the idea of this week’s theme, which was sharing my top ten online resources for book lovers. Not only was it fun to write, but I hope it proved useful and gave you some insight into the tools I use for my hobby!
I have an apology to make. I decided last week to switch up my blog posting schedule, and I didn’t fulfil my end of the bargain. I was supposed to share my already late review of Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch yesterday. But, I’m a bit of a dozy cow. Changing up my routine is dangerous; I’ll be the first person to hold my hands up and say that I’m forgetful! I remembered that I was supposed to be sharing this post yesterday at 10:10 pm. Needless to say, I postponed this once again, and I’m sorry about that! It will be coming to you next week – I promise!
Books Read
Last week I started reading Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson and had made progress by reading a few chapters. There was a lot to take in and getting started was a little bit slow. I have persevered this week and I feel like I’m coming out the other side now. I’m eight chapters through and I have picked up what I need to know in order to carry on. It’s getting a lot easier to read, which is great news! Eight chapters is about 10% of the way through the book, in case you’re interested. Yeah, it’s a long one…
I’ve also listened to roughly a couple of hours of The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch. In terms of progress that’s about half again from last week, putting me at about 75% of the way through! I’m really enjoying this and since I have next week off work I expect to finish this in the next few days.
Books Discovered
Once again no updates to add here this week! However, as I have an errand to run next week that involves going into a certain bookstore, I make no promises for a similar update in next week’s post!
Coming Up…
I will publish my review of Whispers Under Ground next week. I WILL publish my review of Whispers Under Ground next week. As I said above, I’m off work for a break next week and so I have absolutely no excuse.
None.
I am still going to take a brief break from my regular Friday features next week. It’s nice to have a little bit of variety on the blog, and so I’m going to share a discussion post with you instead.
If you read my blog you may recall that I have changed my stance on how I read this year. Previously, I’d share a reading list at the beginning of the month. This year I’ve adapted to be more of a mood reader. I didn’t want to set myself goals that I couldn’t achieve and as I burned out a bit after last year, I needed the break and a more relaxed pace. In my discussion post I’m going to be talking about the pros and cons of each approach and sharing which is my favourite.
I hope that today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is as informative for one of my readers as I know it would have been for me as a fledgling reader/book blogger. I like today’s subject matter, as not only is it a good way to highlight potentially useful resources to you that you don’t know about, but it is a good way to compare how other people manage their reading hobby!
Goodreads
Whilst I feel that this is an obvious place to start in today’s top ten Tuesday post, it is one of the main online resources I use.
If, on the off chance, you aren’t aware of what this site offers, it is essentially a huge database online in which you can not only discover new books, read (and leave) thousands of reviews, but you could also sort books into lists and record those you have read, want to read and are reading right now using some of their preset options. Your shelves are completely customisable however so you don’t just have to sort them by these criteria. I know people who have shelves set by genre or record it down as the year they read them… The options are endless!
Goodreads also hosts an annual reading challenge. So if you need some motivation, it can be a good way to push you to your next reading goal.
Audible
If you are the kind of person who doesn’t have time to sit down and commit to a book, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy one anyway. I subscribed to Audible a couple of years ago and I haven’t looked back! It’s not my main way of consuming books, however they are great for times when you can’t necessarily sit down and pick up a book in the conventional way.
I personally enjoy listening to audiobooks while knitting or crocheting, but they are also a great companion when doing household chores, decorating (I can attest from experience) or any physical activity. I have a friend who listens to audiobooks whilst she is out looking after horses. There really are no rules and I enjoy the change in medium from time to time.
Spreadsheet
The resources used don’t necessarily have to be anything fancy, and this is one of those. I use Goodreads to manage my reading list, however the CEO at my work uses a spreadsheet to mange his list!
I use them for more blog orientated things, such as recording the books I have yet to review and keeping a calendar of any blog tour dates. I appreciate these don’t apply to every reader, but as mentioned above they can be used by anyone. Ultimately, the most important thing is to use resources that work for you.
Notes app
It’s no secret that I enjoy sharing my thoughts on the books I read of love. You don’t have to be a blogger to do this as there are plenty of available places to share your thoughts on a book without hosting your own site. Be it Goodreads, Amazon, or any known bookstore, there are plenty of sites in which you can review or recommend a book to others.
I like to jot ideas down for a post before I write it. It helps give me a little bit of structure, and if you’re writing a review then you’ll probably want somewhere to write that down. Again, going back to the fact that it doesn’t have to be fancy, any note taking app on your phone will do. I say this because most people probably have a smart phone nowadays and it’s the kind of device you’ll have on you at all times. It’s accessible and easy to use and it’s what I use to plan and draft my book reviews (and blog posts in general).
Netgalley
Books cost money, and not everyone can afford to read as much as they physically want to. The good news is there are plenty of free books out there, but there are also sites that will provide you with a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
Netgalley is probably one of the biggest of these and most well-known to bloggers certainly. It’s great if you are of a mind to provide a review anyway. But if that’s not your bag then this isn’t for you. Whilst you can get away with not reviewing the odd book, the idea behind giving you one is that you do share your thoughts. Even then you can’t access anything and everything. Certain publishers will put books out there for review without any particular stipulation on who can get a copy. However, books by household authors or larger names in general do have criteria you’ll have to meet in order to stand a chance of getting a copy, so keeping that feedback ratio up is crucial.
Blogs
Obviously I’m a little biased when I say this, but blogs are a great resource. Not only can they provide you with book reviews and recommendations… but they can even provide useful resource posts like this one!
Social Media
Social media is a great resource. It is “THE” place to share your opinion on the internet and you won’t find many other sites that give you access to so many different opinions in one place.
The different platforms also allow you to do you bookish material in different ways. Let’s be honest, we do judge a book by its cover, so social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are great as they’re very photo-content orientated. Twitter on the other hand is traditionally more word-based so it’s a good place to get more in the way of opinions.
Don’t get me wrong, social media has its downsides too. Whether you choose to use it or not is entirely up to you. Generally if you want to avoid any potential drama that goes with sharing your opinion online, I suggest you stick to the likes of Goodreads.
Kindle app
I typically read either a physical book or on my kindle, however the kindle app has come in useful. Sometimes I end up reading somewhere unexpected, or on a tablet as my kindle has run out of battery. Whatever the reason, the accessibility of being able to have a book on your phone or tablet is great! Although, I have the habit of starting or sampling a book on it and never quite getting round to actually reading the whole thing…
But that’s just me! There are plenty of people out there who read exclusively using the kindle app and that’s fine too!
Libby/OneDrive
Both of these apps are great. A lot of libraries (and my local included) may use either of these sites, or equally an alternative, to host their e-book library. I’ve used these apps in order to access books I’m borrowing rather than buying for myself and they are very user-friendly. Using Libby as an example, I know they can host both audiobook and e-book, so if you like having both of those in one place then it may just be worth seeing what your library has to offer.
Local Library!
And of course, at last but not least, check out what your local library has online! Even if you like physical books rather than an e-book library (as above), your library may have a database online of what they have available and whether it’s on loan or not currently. I know mine certainly does, and if ours can do it then I’d be very surprised if yours doesn’t!
You may have a lot more services than I do so it’s hard to tell you to use something when I don’t know it’s available. The best thing you can do if you are unsure is to have a go and look for it. You’ll never discover anything new unless you try!
I hope today’s Top Ten Tuesday post has been useful for you and perhaps you’ve discovered a new resource that you’d like to try. Do use any of the resources I’ve mentioned today? Let me know in the comments, and if you have any alternative recommendations please share them here so we can all learn something new!
Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s update in today’s Sunday Summary post. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week! Mine has ended up being quite busy as I’ve been out a couple of nights this week socialising. I had a really good time, but consequently, this impacted my blogging schedule a little.
I was supposed to share a review of Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch this week, however, this post didn’t go live. I’ve got it prepared to a certain extent, but it was this time that the socialising events I went to ate into. I hope to be able to share this with you next week instead and I am very sorry that this didn’t go ahead as planned!
Later in the week, I was able to publish the planned Shelf Control post. In this week’s post, I featured a book that I remember talking about with my dad after I added it to my TBR. Turns out he has read this book so I’m interested to see how my thoughts compare to his!
Books Read
My reading has also been impacted a little by the social events I ended up going to. However, I will admit that I have lacked a little motivation as well this week. I’m starting to think that perhaps I’ve taken on a lot by jumping into a Brandon Sanderson novel. At over 1000 pages Words of Radiance isn’t a small read. As it’s been a while since I read the first book, it’s been a bit of a learning curve picking the series back up. I have, however, read a few chapters and I am starting to pick it back up.
I’ve also been listening to an audiobook this week for the first time in quite a while.
I wasn’t particularly enamoured by A Suitable Lie by Michael J. Malone so I decided to stop listening to this one. It’s okay, but I really don’t like one of the characters and as a result I’ve lost motivation with it. Perhaps inspired by my intended review, I decided to pick up The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch. It’s a series I know and love by now and consequently I’ve listened to around half of this audiobook (about 5 hours worth) this week alone. Audiobooks are a great knitting companion too, in case anyone is interested!
Books Discovered
I have absolutely no news on this front this week, which is always good news when your list to read is as long as mine!
Coming Up…
I like the idea of next week’s Top Ten Tuesday post. It’s a little bit different as the feature topic is sharing my top ten online resources for book lovers. I think it’s a great one because it can be useful for absolutely anyone to read. As someone who reads more than most, I probably have more experience with using some of these things, or even just knowing that they exist, and it may help you out!
I’m in the mood to change my post order a little. I’ve been following the same structure for a few weeks now and I’m thinking it’s getting a little bit stale. So, with that in mind, I’m giving my usual Friday features a brief break and instead I’m going to share a post on Saturday. Seeing as how I wasn’t able to get my review of Whispers Under Ground ready in time this week, I’ll be sharing this with you then. I hope it’s worth the wait.
However, that is all for me in today’s post. As always I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update, and I look forward to seeing you in my next post!
Sunday evening can only mean the end of another week… and that it’s time for my Sunday Summary post! It also means I have to get up early for work in the morning, but let’s not dwell on that bit! Instead, let’s look at what I’ve done this week!
Earlier this week I shared my Monthly Wrap-Up post for September 2021. This type of post has replaced my previous reading list; instead of sharing my planned reads for the month ahead of time, I’m recapping what I have read instead. I currently prefer this format as it puts less pressure on me to get through a certain number of books a month. In that post, I also take the opportunity to share links to the posts I’ve shared on my blog over the period. So, if you want a reminder of what I’ve read this month, and want to make sure you haven’t missed any blog posts, go and check out that post now!
On Friday I shared a First Lines Friday post. For this post, I hadn’t set myself a challenge to feature a certain type of book. Instead, I had a full rain did use whatever I like, and I ultimately chose a book based on a recommendation on my Goodreads discover tab. Whilst the book isn’t on my TBR, I have considered it. I like the sound of the premise and it’s recently been made into a popular film. Can you guess what it is based on the shared introduction?
Books Read
As of last week’s Sunday Summary update post, I was a third of the way through Red Rising by Pierce Brown. It’s fair to say from the pace in which I read the book that I really enjoyed this, because I finished this on Thursday! The next book in the series is already on my list to pick up. I really enjoyed the narrative and the combination of science fiction, action and it’s dystopian vibe.
After Red Rising I was at a bit of a loss as to what to read next. After reading such a great book it’s intimidating to find something else that will live up to it. After some deliberation I decided to turn to a firm favourite. I had to read a little reminder as to what happened in the previous book first, but I have decided to pick up Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.
I deliberately didn’t read this too quickly after the first book. The Stormlight Archives series is planned to be ten books and currently only four (or so) are published. I didn’t want to read this too quickly and end up waiting a long time for the subsequent books. However, I think it’s been a couple of years since picking up The Way of Kings. That’s a decent amount of time to wait to be able to enjoy the next book. And it’s an epic. I’ve just over 1000 pages I have plenty to dive into!
Books Discovered
Aside from adding Golden Sun (the sequel to Red Rising), there’s nothing to add here. And since I ticked Red Rising off the list when I finished it, does this count as it nets off?
Coming Up…
It has been a few weeks since I shared an audiobook review with you, and so my plan is to share my thoughts on Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch this week. I remember listening to this last year whilst I was doing some redecorating round the house. Sometimes this doesn’t feel like it was over a year ago and yet it certainly was! So it’s definitely time for me to share my review with you.
Later in the week I’ll be back with a Shelf Control post. This week’s featured book has a sci-fi theme with an interesting premise. I can’t wait to share with you!
However, that is all from me in today’s post. As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update, and I look forward to seeing you in my next post!
Hello everyone and welcome to today’s wrap up post for September 2021.
I feel like I’ve achieved a good balance in both reading and other hobbies. For the most part, I’ve been enjoying the books I’ve picked up and I’ve been doing so at a pace that suits me!
Books Read
As of my last monthly wrap-up post, I was halfway through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I’m pleased to say that I went on to finish this before we were halfway through the month, so pretty quickly. Although it’s the longest book of the series I didn’t let that daunt me in anyway. On the contrary, I was looking forward to picking this up each and every time!
After reading this I decided to pick up something different. I’d been recommended The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis to read by my boss at work. I’m obviously familiar with the story, but I’ve never picked up the book itself. I managed to borrow a copy of this electronically from my library and I read it all in one sitting. That wasn’t particularly the plan, but it just worked out that way! Needless to say, I definitely enjoyed it (despite the slightly sexist views of the author dropped in… and not so subtlety).
After that I struggled a little to choose what my next reach should be. I wanted something different again, and so I turned to a genre that I pick up rarely – non-fiction. One of the earliest books on my TBR to read was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I picked this up with enthusiasm and I didn’t take long to read this either! Whilst it’s not a genre I pick up often I admonish myself for that fact. I really do need to pick it up more often and the fact that I enjoyed this book so much is testament to that. Even if you think you have nothing to learn about yourself, you should challenge yourself on that because books like that prove to you that’s not the case at all.
Open till this point I was making really good progress. But alas, I fell a little flat at the end.
The next book I picked up was Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. I was loaned a copy of this book by my friend who has also read it recently. I really wanted to like it. Truly, I did. I like the idea of it, however, in the practical sense the narrative style and the characters were not working for me at all. I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t enjoying reading this, and that’s ultimately why I made the decision to DNF this. There’s no point trying to force myself to read something if I’m not enjoying it. And it’s not like I didn’t give this a chance either. Whatever it was, this just wasn’t working for me.
Don’t worry though, I haven’t lost my mojo! The reading progress that comes next will fall into next month’s monthly update, but all is well; I haven’t been put off.
Blog Posts
Over the last month I’ve shared a variety of blog posts with you. If you have missed any of my content and see something you like the look of, you will find a handy link here!
Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary post!
I started this week by sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week‘s topic was a freebie, so I went back through some of the post topics I’ve missed previously to decide what I wanted to share. Ultimately, I chose the topic that jumped out at me almost straight away, being “books that everyone has read but me”. It’s apparent that I read a lot; more than most in fact. However, there is plenty that I haven’t read (in some cases not yet). Those books were featured on Tuesday.
Later in the week, I shared a Shelf Control post. This week’s featured book was Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. It isn’t exactly going to be light reading in any sense of the word, but I’m still interested anyway.
Books Read
I’ve officially given up on Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo.
I did pick this up again this week, despite the fact I wasn’t particularly feeling inclined to. I gave this my best shot but decided to DNF after around 80 pages. The writing style didn’t work for me. The idea of the book is a good one, but it just wasn’t working for me. If I’m entirely honest, I also didn’t like how shallow the characters I’ve read so far were explored. I just wasn’t able to invest with them very much. Given that the plot doesn’t have much in the way of action (at least as far as I read), you would think this aspect would be all the more important. Also, does anyone else think all the characters are obsessed with sex or is that just me?
I’ve gotten to the stage now where I’m not going to force myself to read a book if I don’t particularly enjoy it. Frankly, I have better things to do with my time.
So, I swiftly moved on to Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I first picked this book up yesterday afternoon and I’m currently a third of the way through. If you needed proof of what the sapping my reading energy, well, I think you’ve got it.
I’m really loving the book so far! When I was trying to decide what to pick up next I got to thinking about this book based on what I remembered from my Shelf Control post back in April. You know me – I am a dystopian fan and combining this with science-fiction is a fun concept! Maybe the fact that I’m playing Horizon: Zero Dawn at the moment (a game of similar genre) planted the idea in my head. Whatever the reason it’s proving to be a great decision!
Books Discovered
Still nothing to add here this week, which can only mean the number of books on my list to read is going in the right direction!
Coming Up…
I cannot believe it is October already, but here we are! So, naturally I will be sharing my wrapup for September at the beginning of next week. Reading progress in the month has been reasonably average, but I still have plenty to share.
Then, I will be back to sharing a First Lines Friday post with you. Last time I set myself a challenge to feature a non-fiction book, which was fun. However, this time I’m going to keep my options open this time.
I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!
Hello and welcome to today’s Top Ten Tuesday post!
This week’s choice of topic is a freebie and I’ve been looking back at previous weekly topics that I haven’t yet covered. The first one that caught my eye is the topic of today’s post. I may read a lot, but there’s also so much more that I haven’t read, or haven’t read yet!
So, here is my top 10 list of books/series I think that everyone has read but me!
Twilight series – Stephanie Meyer
Whilst there are a few exceptions to the rule, I’m not really a ‘vampire’ person. I never really understood the hype as a teenager, and if I’m perfectly honest I still don’t now. This is a series that a lot of people have obviously read, but I don’t feel inclined to try at all.
A couple of years ago there was huge hype for Cassandra Clare. Personally, her books never appealed to me. I suppose I’ve always felt that they were aimed at a slightly younger audience. Either way, I’m not particularly inclined to pick these up and give them a try based on what I’ve read. I just don’t think it’s my cup of tea.
Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
Jane Austen is probably a bit too romance-y for me. At least, that’s how I perceive the book based on what I know of it. I love historical fiction and I am trying to read more in the way of classics, but this one is a bit of a tough one. It’s the kind of book where you feel like you probably shouldn’t judge it until you tried it, but I do have a lot of trepidation. I just don’t think I’d like it!
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
I never read this book as a child and following through to adulthood this hasn’t changed as yet. I did recently read and enjoy The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, so maybe I don’t have to be young to appreciate this one either. Never say never, but I don’t currently have any plans to read this.
Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
This is such a well known book, but as yet I haven’t read it. Based on the synopsis I think this is something I would really enjoy.
Perhaps I will change this in future. But not now. My TBR is long enough!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
I think my grandad bought this series for my mum years and years ago, but she wasn’t fussed on them. I’ve trusted her judgement on that and stayed away.
Bridget Jones Diary – Helen Fielding
I’m not really a chick flick kind of person, but I have watched part of a Bridget Jones movie before. It was actually okay! There is the odd chick-lit book that I will pick up, but they are few and far between. As I didn’t hate the film I’d be inclined to give the first book a go – at least to test the water.
But again not now!
The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
This particular book is actually on my TBR. I’m a huge fan of historical based novels, fiction and non-fiction. I don’t tend to read biographies very often, but the ones I have picked up in the past I’ve enjoyed. Obviously, the subject matter of Anne Frank‘s is more harrowing than most. But, that doesn’t put me off in the slightest and I can’t wait to pick this particular book up!
A Brief History of Time – Stephen Hawking
I am by no means a science geek, but I’m curious to see what this book is like. I think it will be really interesting and appeal to the part of me that enjoys learning new things. I only hope is that it isn’t too science-speak, because that might make it a little bit difficult for me to read. However, since it’s such a popular book and it’s been read by many I’m sure it will be fine!
The Wheel of Time – Robert Jordan
I really want to read of love this series. However, to date, I picked up the first book and read about 60% before I had put it down. It was quite heavy going and I don’t know if the timing was just wrong, or it wasn’t working for me. My friend Rachael absolutely loves and advocates the series and so I want to feel the same way. I will definitely give this a go again because it has the potential to be a brilliant series.
So, those are my top ten books/series that everyone has read but me! Have you read any of these books? Are they on your list to read as well? Let me know in the comments!
Good evening and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary post! The wind is howling and the rain pouring down outside. The weather is becoming more autumnal… and what better way is there to spend our time on nights like these than reading or talking about books!
This week I shared a couple of book-related posts with you. My first post of the week was published on Thursday. In that post, I talked about a couple of the different ways in which you might go about giving a book a rating after you’ve read it. It’s an entirely subjective thing, but some people have different ways of going about it. Whether you read a book emotively or consider several different factors and rate the book on each of these by averaging the score, everyone has their ideas about what suits them. In that discussion post, I talk about the benefits of both as well as sharing how I rate a book.
On Friday I shared a First Lines Friday post. In last week’s Sunday Summary post I set myself the challenge of featuring a non-fiction novel. I had already featured the first couple of ideas I came up with previously, but in the end, I was able to complete the challenge and feature a historical novel on my TBR!
Books Read
Over the last week, reading progress has been a little slow.
I was getting on really well with finishing The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. So much so, I actually finished this last Sunday after I shared my Sunday Summary update with you. But from there things went a bit awry.
I decided to pick up a book that I have been loaned by my friend, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. One of the points I talked about in my discussion post on Thursday is how I value different factors of a book more than others and that’s why I don’t review a book rigidly on several factors and average them. More specifically, if I can’t get on with the books narrative style, I can then struggle to read it. It’s even reason enough for me to DNF a book. And that’s exactly what’s happening to me with this one.
My friend did warn me about this. It’s something she struggled with a little when she read it, but I was willing to give it a go anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t given up on it yet. However, I’m only on chapter 3. It’s not very many pages in, so not very good I know. I’ll keep trying and fingers crossed I have more of an update next week!
Books Discovered
I have absolutely nothing to add here this week, which I’ll take as good news!
Coming Up…
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday post theme is a freebie, and so I’ve been looking back at some of the previous posts I’ve missed to see if anything caught my eye. One such post topic is “popular books/series everyone has read but me”. There is so much I haven’t read and I think it would be a really interesting topic to share with you.
Later in the week, I will be sharing yet another Shelf Control post. This is the second of my regular Friday features, in which I take a look at my TBR and tell you why the featured book of the week is on my list. As part of the series I’ve been taking the opportunity to review my list and if something no longer appeals, I’ve taken it off. It’s a good way to review what’s on my list and to make sure it’s still relevant to me. I also hope that the books I feature might appeal to you.
I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next post!
Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary update! As always, I hope you’ve had a fantastic week wherever and whatever you have been up to! My week has been pretty run-of-the-mill. It’s been the usual work and home, except for going out with some friends for tea last night and going to visit my family today.
In terms of blogging, I’ve stuck to my typical schedule this week. In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I told you that I was going to share a book review as it had been some time since my last one. I did indeed go on to share my review of Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson as planned. You may be aware that I am a huge, huge fan of Brandon Sanderson and Steelheart did not disappoint in the slightest! I’ve loved every one of his books to date.
Later in the week, I shared a Shelf Control post. This is a regular feature here on Reviewsfeed, in which I review my TBR and feature the next book on my list, explaining to you just why I can’t wait to read it! This week’s featured book isn’t a typical choice for me. I don’t read much in the way of young adult, however, I like the sound of the premise of this one. With that in mind, this was a definite keeper on my list.
If you haven’t checked out either of those posts, you can find a link to each above.
Books Read
This week’s reading list has fewer books on it than last week, however, I’ve made solid progress with The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. For the second half of this year, I’ve set myself a goal to try and pick up a book more regularly again. I’m not trying to read any set number of books or anything like that, however, I am trying to make reading a regular thing. That is the case and I am picking up books because I want to and not to because I feel obliged to.
When I started reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck last week, it was because I wanted to read something non-fiction. I wanted something very different to my usual and this has suited me very well. As a result, I wanted to pick it up and carry on making progress. I also agree with a lot of the things said in the book.The logic makes sense and it’s made me think about the way I sometimes think about myself.
Having taken the time to think about what’s been written, there are things that I’m changing my perspective on. If you asked me a couple of weeks ago I’d have told you things I didn’t think I gave a damn about, but now I’m starting to question whether that’s true, and more importantly, whether I should be giving a damn about it!
The main message from the book is to encourage you to question yourself. Your thoughts, your opinions and your values. It’s the tricky bit but if you can ask yourself the difficult questions and give yourself an honest answer, then you’re only going in the right direction!
Books Discovered
This week’s section is significantly shorter than last week’s. Given that I’ve added several new books to the list lately, I’m deliberately not trying to find anything. I have more than enough on my plate already!
Coming Up…
For next week, I’m planning on sharing a discussion post with you. In this post, I want to share with you how you can rate the books you read, as well as how I do it. Everybody has different ways of doing it. Some might score a book on several aspects and then average it, and others might do it completely emotionally. There is no right or wrong way and if you are a fellow book blogger, I want to make your ratings consistent then this may be a topic of interest to you.
Later in the week, I will be back with another First Lines Friday post. I’ve decided this week I’m going to set myself a challenge to feature a non-fiction book. It’s a genre that doesn’t get a whole lot of love on my blog (for the moment) and so I want to take some steps to change that! If you have any ideas or recommendations, I would love to hear them. Alternatively, if there are any other challenges you’d like to see me do as part of this series I would love to hear those ideas as well!
I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next post!
It’s been a little while since I shared a book review with you all. So, today’s post is to share my thoughts on Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.
I am a huge fan, and I really wanted to try this first book of The Reckoners series. To date, I haven’t found a book of Sanderson‘s I don’t like. Maintaining a record like that is a challenge and a very big expectation to live up to. But Steelheart did not disappoint!
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.
Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
My Thoughts…
When I picked up Steelheart I was safe in the knowledge that I was going to enjoy this book. Not only is Brandon Sanderson becoming one of my favourite authors, but it’s also a genre that I go to again and again! Where fantasy is normally filled with classic tropes and repetitive storylines, I don’t find this at all with Brandon Sanderson‘s writing. It has always amazed me how varied his different narratives and series are. He has so many of them and yet manages to keep them all unique in their own way. They all have similarities in that some form of magic is involved, but the similarities end there!
I enjoyed the narrative of Steelheart as the book is written from the perspective of an underground organisation plotting and killing Epics. Brandon Sanderson builds this epic world over which his ‘superheroes’ (turned overlords) preside, but we get to see the gritty, dark side of things. The world is not perfect with this power. Those who wield it are corrupted. The Reckoners, trying to stop them, hide in the shadows… the dark underbelly of cities. There is something about an author who builds such a fantastic world, to then base the story out of the ‘worst’ parts of it and pull it off.
The Reckoners are the key to the story and as a group, they have a great dynamic. I really enjoyed each individual character and personally, I loved their geekiness. The technology they’ve been able to build with next to no resources is phenomenal and their determination is something else entirely. Who else would think to take on the equivalent of a superhero and win? These guys… and boy, do they do it with style!
I really enjoyed the ending of this book. I wasn’t sure how the book was going to be wrapped up, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It was action-packed, very cleverly done and I don’t think I could’ve asked for any better! And the best bit is, it’s not even over yet! With additional books in the series, there is plenty of scope to take this further and I can guarantee you that I will be picking these up! Equally, I think you could read Steelheart as a standalone if you really wanted to. But why would you want to when it’s just this good?!
Have you read Steelheart, or does my review make you want to consider reading it? Let me know in the comments!
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