Tag: amreading

Well, I Didn’t Know That! #12

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I’m excited to explore today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! feature. I recently subscribed to Kindle Unlimited for the very first time. Naturally, I wanted to take the time to explore the content available on the site… and I thought it would be a perfect feature to share in this post.

If you are not a subscriber, then you may be unaware of what Kindle Unlimited gives you access to. Today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! post is about correcting that!

https://www.amazon.com/Browse-Kindle-Unlimited-Books/

Access to Books

Kindle Unlimited is a bit like a digital library. Whilst you can borrow more books at a time than a traditional library would lend you, there is still a limit as to how many books you can borrow at a time. But, there is also the obvious fact that you are borrowing the books. This means these books won’t be in your library indefinitely. On the upside, if you read a lot of books in a month, paying the monthly subscription could save you money compared to buying the books outright!

Another perk of Kindle Unlimited is that readers can access some exclusive books to the service. Some authors have signed up with Amazon to publish exclusively with them. As a result, you won’t find their books anywhere else.

There are some big titles included in Kindle Unlimited. From the Harry Potter series, to J. R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, there are some popular books available. If you are a fan of Colleen Hoover, you are also in luck.

As a sidenote, I’ve always had a bit of a gripe with Amazon’s bias towards advertising and recommending me romance books. It can only be because I’m female. The site literally has access to my reading and purchase history. There are very few books that fall anywhere near the romance category. And yet, they keep recommending them. Before I paid to remove the advertisements on the lock screen, I always got ads for romance books with half-naked men on the cover. Books I have never bought before, nor frankly will I! 

Anyway, I digress…

 

Magazines

Access to magazines recently moved over to Kindle Unlimited when Amazon chose to wind down subscriptions from their Newsstand.

As a baseline for comparison, I was previously a subscriber of a magazine/newspaper service called Readly. That service had very good coverage of magazines. From big titles to some very niche publications (I found a magazine on the site dedicated to Minecraft, which I featured earlier on in this series). Comparing Kindle Unlimited to that offering, I would say it is reasonable. All the big titles that I would actively look for on Readly are also available on Kindle Unlimited. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that some of the niche titles are not available. However, I would say for the average reader, you are going to find the content you’re looking for.

Categories of content include lifestyle, celebrity, hobbies, sport, nature and science, and even a little bit of news and political. Magazines that I was looking for that are available range from The Knitter to The Writing Magazine, BBC History, National Geographic and BBC Science Focus.

In broad terms, if you like to read popular titles, then you’re covered!

 

Newspapers

If you are looking for access to newspaper subscriptions, then I would suggest looking elsewhere. As I mentioned above, I recently made the switch to Kindle Unlimited from a subscription service called Readly. That particular subscription is dedicated to both magazines and newspapers. It has quite a good selection of the daily newspapers.

I have only been able to find an entry for The Evening Standard newspaper in Kindle Unlimited. Whilst the Newsstand FAQ indicated that limited titles would be available under KU, I didn’t really expect it to be that limited! I didn’t trawl through all the listings, as there were over 200 of them. However, I probably went through about 100. 

As it happens, I’m not a newspaper reader anyway. It’s not something I’ve ever done with any regularity, and frankly, the news is just depressing! I even try to avoid watching the news nowadays. 

 

 

So, there is my overview of what is available through a Kindle Unlimited subscription in today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! post.

Are you a subscriber? What benefits do you enjoy from the service? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Sunday Summary – 25th June 2023

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Happy Sunday friends – you know what time it is… I’m back with another Sunday Summary update!

I started off this week by sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. The topic of that post was my top ten reads making up my Summer TBR. The list has a wide range of books and genres on it. They are the books I really want to prioritise reading over the next few months, and I can’t wait to get to each and every one.

Later in the week, it was time to share my next Friday feature with you. This week’s post was a First Lines Friday. I decided to set myself a challenge to feature the introduction to one of the books that made it onto Tuesday’s Summer TBR. You’ll be able to guess the book from the introduction, as it gives it away entirely!

 

Books Read

 

The Lost Metal

I left off last week’s Sunday Summary update with around 100 pages left to complete The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson. I kind of knew that I was going to push through and finish that book last Sunday. By the time I taken the book to bed to read some, I would then be so close to the end that I just wanted to power through and finish it. That’s exactly what I did! I can tell you now that I simultaneously loved the book, but it also made me very mad. If you know, you know.

I’m glad that I have read and finally finished the book. Although I will admit to being a little bit sad that second era Mistborn is now done. I really loved the characters in this series and how the world was developed to build upon the first era. I can only hope that a third era follows in future, and that we can expect even bigger and better things.

 

The Midnight Library

Moving on from The Lost Metal, I then decided to pick up a quick read, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

Having heard a lot of great things about Matt Haig and several of the books he has written and published, I went into this book with high hopes. I’m always wary of hyped books or authors, because it’s so easy to be disappointed. That is not the case with Matt Haig and The Midnight Library. When I bought my copy of this book, the seller in Waterstones told me that it was a book that changed his outlook on life completely. And I can see why. For such a small book, it has a big message to get readers to think about.

The book explores mental health and the impact events can have on our outlook. At a point where Nora is fed up of her current life, she decides to end it. However, in between life and death, she finds herself in an infinite library. A prominent character from her past reappears and gives Nora other chances at life – each encapsulated in a book. At every point where a decision was made, a new life branches off into infinite possibilities. And Nora tries plenty of them!

Ultimately, Nora comes to learn a lot about who she is and what she values. I really enjoyed the book and its message.

 

Children of Dune

Next, I started Children of Dune by Frank Herbert, and as of this Sunday Summary post, this is my main current read.

The Dune series by Frank Herbert is dense science-fiction, and it’s quite political as well. Initially I struggled to get back into this book. However, I think that’s because I tried to start it quite late one evening when I was tired. So, I didn’t quite get off to the best of starts with it. I ended up picking up another book very briefly that night in order to explore that one instead. More on that below.

I went back to Children of Dune the following day and found reading much easier. I’m definitely back into the narrative now that I really given myself the opportunity to do so. As of this Sunday Summary post, I am just over 100 pages into the book.

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea

I briefly dipped my toes into The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. This book is one that has been on my reading list for a little while, and I pulled it out of my TBR jar to read in June.

For now, I’ve only made the briefest of introductions to the book. As I mentioned above, I started it as a trial when considering whether or not to put Children of Dune aside. As it happens, I am continuing with that book as my main read. However, first impressions of The House in the Cerulean Sea are very good.

I like the set up so far. It also proved easy enough to read whilst I was tired! I may end up reading this in tandem with Children of Dune, depending on my reading moods and/or abilities.

 

Books Discovered

With a few reads ticked off my TBR this week, in combination with no new books added, I can say that the reading list is going in the right direction!

For now…

 

Coming Up…

Next week, I want to share another book review with you. Having taken a look at my list of books pending review, I have decided to review Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Whilst this is definitely a book about women and for women in the workplace, I would recommend it to anybody. You can find out exactly why in my review next week!

Later on in the week, I will be sharing another instalment of my series, Well, I Didn’t Know That! Up until recently, I had been using an app called Readly in order to access magazines from different providers for a monthly subscription fee. It was only when I discovered that I could access a similar range using Kindle Unlimited, for a fractionally smaller price, that I decided to make the switch.

In addition to magazines, I can also access books through Kindle Unlimited. Overall, I think it will be a better deal accessing both via this platform. However, I am going to explore some of the content available through Kindle Unlimited with you to make my decision. That way, if you don’t already subscribe, you can find out what kind of magazines are out there… And I’ve got a good reason to explore the range for myself!

Next Sunday, I will be back with another Sunday Summary update post. I’m hoping to have plenty of reading progress to share with you, and I’ll be sharing how I’ll be gearing up for a busy blogging week.

That’s all for today’s Sunday Summary update. What have you read recently?

 

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Sunday Summary – 18th June 2023

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Good evening all and welcome to this week’s Sunday Summary. It’s a special day here, as it is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there. I’ve enjoyed spending the day with mine. I know I’m completely biased in saying that mine is the best, but he is! 

I’ve kept myself busy on the reading and blogging front of this week. I started off the week in sharing my review of a Netgalley ARC I downloaded a couple of months ago – Death Magnanimous by Michael Martin. The book is due to come out around the 1st of July. With that in mind, I wanted to set out my thoughts ahead of publication. Although this is a book that handles some difficult themes, I think it does so very well. I really enjoyed the subject matter (and I hope you do too).

On Friday, I shared a Shelf Control post and featured a book that will be coming up on my TBR shortly. This particular book also made it to my 30 Before 30 list which I shared recently. If you’re interested to find out which of those books I plan to pick up in the very near future, here is a link to this post so you can find out!

 

Books Read

 

A Clash of Kings

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I had just 66 pages remaining of A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. After sharing last week’s post, my plan was to finish the book that night… And finish it I did!

These books are brilliant, and they are books I could go back to again and again and enjoy just as much each time. It goes without saying that I really enjoyed diving back into the series. This second instalment is quite hefty, but it doesn’t really feel like it when you read it. The chapter lengths and changes in perspective suit me really well. I had already read a lot of this book last week, and I was happy to finally finish it off ready for a clean slate on Monday.

 

The Lost Metal

The next book I picked up, and have been reading for the rest of the week, is The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson. I chose this book to read next as it is slightly shorter than A Clash of Kings, and I didn’t want to jump into another chunky read straight after this one. The Lost Metal is still around 500 pages, so it couldn’t be called short. However, compared to A Clash of Kings, The Lost Metal is proving to be an easier read.

It’s been a little while since I last picked up the series, but it hasn’t been difficult to jump right back into the action. I also really love the second era Mistborn characters. Wax and Wayne, and the westernised setting of the books, works really well for me. I know that it’s not well suited to others, but I really enjoy it. The characters themselves also have a great dynamic and I’m enjoying their perspectives once again. I’ll almost be a little bit sad once I finish this book, as this is the end of second era Mistborn.

As of this Sunday Summary update, I have read just over 400 out of 500 pages. I’m hoping to go to bed not too late tonight, because I know I want to make more progress. But once I’ve made some progress, I’ll be keenly aware of how very close I am to the end. I have a bad habit of not being able to leave books once I get that close to the finish. I don’t doubt I’ll be pushing myself over the finish line tonight!

 

Books Discovered

I’m continuing my good streak of not adding any new books to my reading list. I’ve said it more than once but I will say it again. This is not a bad thing! If you take one look at my reading list on Goodreads, you will know I need absolutely zero help with expanding my TBR!

 

Coming Up…

The first post I intend to share with you next week is a Top Ten Tuesday post! It’s been a little while since I shared one of these features, but I’ve been holding out for a topic I’m interested in. Earlier this year, I shared my top ten books on my spring reading list. This time, I will be drafting a similar post, but for my summer reads. Whilst the weather is still looking good into next week, ironically, we’ve probably had our peak summer already! That doesn’t really matter though, as I’m not the type of person to pick traditionally seasonal reads. Not only that, but if the weather turns back cold/rainy/unpleasant, then that’s all the more justification to sit in with a good book, right?

On Friday, I’ll be returning with the next regular Friday feature due to come up on my blog. That post is a First Lines Friday. I’m in the mood to set myself a challenge for this post. I’m not going to set an overly difficult one here. On the theme of summer reads, I am going to feature one of the books that makes it to my top 10 summer reading list which I’m sharing earlier in the week.

As always, I’ll be back at the same time next week with another Sunday Summary to share all my reading updates with you, and let you know what I plan to share in the coming week.

That’s all for now! Have a wonderful evening and week and I will catch you in the next post! Happy reading!

 

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Book Review: Death Magnanimous – Michael Martin

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In today’s post, I’m sharing my thoughts on a book due to be published at the beginning of next month. It is the first book I’ve downloaded from Netgalley, that isn’t for a blog tour, for a very long time!

The cover caught my eye, and then the synopsis grabbed my attention! I’m glad I decided to browse the site and then download a copy of this book, because I really enjoyed it.

I will disclose here and now that the book deals with some difficult themes. The protagonist suffers from significant burns after a plane crash that he later wished ended his life. He tackles chronic pain, and so his intentions are to finish what the accident started.

 

Death Magnanimous – Michael Martin

Genre: Literary fiction

Audience: Adult

Publisher:

Publication Date: 01 Jul 2023

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

 

Synopsis

Burned beyond recognition in an accidental fire, a prominent attorney seeking assisted suicide must decide if the life he can’t wait to end isn’t the life he’s been waiting to begin. 

A criminal defense attorney known for his entertaining and effective courtroom maneuvers, Charlie Chessman was piloting his four-seat airplane on a short hop so routine he could have done it blindfolded. But something went wrong, something so fast, so unexpected, he can only remember the smells from the fire and his screams in the wreckage, pleading with his lifesavers to let him die.

After months of reconstruction and recuperation, Charlie’s mind hasn’t changed. Left with limited mobility and agility, his only option is assisted suicide, an idea his sister Renee and wife Keri roundly oppose. But with Charlie’s persistence impossible to ignore, they hire Dr. Richard Fostris, a physician who specializes in ending, rather than saving, life.

The journey begins, to the one state where assisted suicide is legal for people without terminal illnesses. The state of Texas, and a law named for the country’s foremost quality-of-life advocate, burn survivor Dax Cowart, will legally allow Charlie to make the final call. But the trip isn’t easy, and for none of the reasons Charlie expects. He didn’t expect his care at the Jacobsen Burn Center to overwhelm him with admiration and respect. He didn’t expect his wife — whose candor, confidence, and humor had sustained him — to leave. He didn’t expect to fall in love again.

He wasn’t counting on the support he and his sister would provide each others’ unsteady lives. He never dreamed a caregiver might want him dead. He didn’t think he could rediscover his passions, for the law, for his peers, for defendants in need of quality counsel. The man who had convinced himself living was too hard never dreamed dying would be even harder.

 

My Thoughts

 

Plot

Death Magnanimous is a very personal story. It is one of the few books I have read recently that is very character driven as opposed to plot driven. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t some really good plot points in the book!

Protagonist Charlie was previously a lawyer before his accident. Some of this comes into play in the narrative. I also enjoyed how this is relevant in a slightly more subtle way. At one point in the book, there is a bit of a mystery that affects Charlie directly, and I enjoyed how it unravels. I feel its inclusion gives those who enjoy a plot driven story something to invest into and try to work out for themselves.

There are also some subtle clues about some of the characters hidden in the narrative. I can’t say I picked up on all of them, but I did note the odd peculiarity here and there… and eventually the pieces finally slotted together!

Another niche angle I enjoyed, courtesy of the protagonists links to the legal world, relate to the laws in the US surrounding treatment in his scenario. The book makes no secret of the fact that Charlie wished to be allowed to die. However, there are various laws in the US that determine if and when patients have sufficient capacity to refuse treatment. Those laws meant that Charlie was treated, against his will. The book explores the reasons that he wasn’t deemed to have capacity to refuse (burn victims suffer a lot of pain, and this is believed to cloud judgement). It also shares what variations there are to that rule in different jurisdictions. Naturally, it’s not something I’ve ever really considered before.

 

Characters

Death Magnanimous is a very personal story of the experiences and suffering Charlie endures after his accident. It is a story of a man trying to learn how to live his life after it has been turned upside down. He is no longer able to live independently. Any small health set back to you and I could mean death for him. Simple tasks, such as bathing, are excruciatingly painful experiences.

Charlie wants to end that suffering, and goes out of his way to explore his options that won’t implicate his family or anyone else in his decision. Through the other characters (in similar circumstances) we meet in the book, we share their struggles and see the outcome of their decisions.

Whilst the majority of the story is told from Charlie’s perspective, we have the odd chapter from other perspectives, which add depth and world-building to the peripheries of Charlie’s life. My personal preference is to read books from multiple perspectives, so I enjoyed these being interwoven into the story. They also help us see Charlie in a different light. It’s fair to say that each of the characters within the book are biased in some way (as we all are), piecing all of these together helps us get an overall more objective understanding of Charlie.

 

Narrative Style

Although the book has some darker themes, there is plenty of humour and wit throughout. I found this made an excellent balance to the overall tone of the book. Generally speaking, the narrative is really easy to read. The chapters flow nicely and are a good length each.

Chapters in the book are split between two timelines. The first of these is immediately around and after the plane crash that changes Charlie’s life forever. The second perspective is also from Charlie, however, he has undergone most of his treatment after the crash and is out of hospital.

The structure of splitting these two timelines and then interspersing them with each other works really well. It would make sense of the earlier timelines chapters are a bit sporadic. Charlie wouldn’t have been lucid for quite some time after his accident. He has experienced major trauma, and so having a solid block of narrative from him at this time wouldn’t really make sense. Equally, looking at it from the other side, going back and reminiscing on those chapters helps us to understand Charlie’s perspective.

 

Summary

Death Magnanimous is not a book for the fainthearted.However, I think it is an important one to pick up if you are interested in the moral aspect of euthanasia and treatment… or if you enjoy a very personal character driven story.

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 11th June 2023

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Good evening and welcome to this week’s Sunday Summary update post! I have a lot of reading to share with you in today’s post. All that progress has been in one book, but it is a chunky one! More on that later. As always, let’s take a look at the blog posts I shared throughout the week.

The first blog post I shared this week was my 30 Before 30 list. Having been inspired by another book lover recently, I’ve decided to set down a list of 30 books I would like to try and read before I turn 30. I’ve left this a little bit late to set out, so I don’t expect to get through all 30 books. However, the post is my expression of intent to prioritise these books and read as many as possible before then.

The next post I shared with you was a new instalment to my Well, I Didn’t Know That! series. In that post, I featured a service that I discovered at the end of last week. If you are a history fan that likes to learn across multiple platforms (documentaries, podcasts, and more) then this post may be of interest to you.

 

Books Read

 

A Clash of Kings

In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I was 280 pages into A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. Over the course of the week, I have read and listened to the equivalent of another 530 pages. That leaves me with just 66 pages until the end of the book! This week has been a bit of a funny one in how I’ve made my reading progress. Typically, I only own one copy of the book. However, as this is a much loved series, I own this in e-book, audiobook, and physical format.  I’ve ended up dipping in and out of all of these this week.

For the most part, I have been reading the physical book. However, there have been times where I’ve not been able to sit down and read traditionally. As and when needed, I have switched to the audiobook and listened whilst doing jobs around the house to continue with progress. Yesterday, I even dipped into the e-book format briefly. As it is not really practical to take a 900 page paperback with you to the hairdresser, I decided to pick up where I left off on my phone for a couple of chapters.

A Clash of Kings is a very chunky book. I typically find that larger books take me longer to read… not just because there’s more pages. They’re often far more dense and so I can’t binge read them in the same way. Although I am technically behind my page per day target, there is every chance I could catch up with other shorter reads throughout the month.

Even though I’m not here saying I haven’t finished the book this week, I’m confident that I will finish it tonight!

 

Books Discovered

Much as last week, there are no new additions to my reading list to share with you this week.

 

Coming Up…

Next week, the first post I plan to share with you is a book review for an advanced reader copy that I read last month. As the book is coming out at the beginning of July, I want to get my review published ahead of release. Death Magnanimous is the first book I have downloaded from Netgalley for a while. At least, it is the first download I have made in a while that hasn’t been for a blog tour. Not only do I want to get my review out there for the sake of the book, but it will also boost my rating on the site and give me access to request more, if I find something else that catches my eye.

On Friday, i’ll be back with my Shelf Control regular feature post. In that post, I’ll be talking about one of the books that made it to my 30 before 30 list, and that I’m planning to pick up as early as next month!

I’m sure you know what is coming by now. The last post I’ll share next week will be my next Sunday summary update. How many books will I have picked up between now and then? Only time will tell!

Until next time, happy reading!

 

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Well, I Didn’t Know That! #11

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For today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! feature, I am sharing a streaming service dedicated to history lovers. I had no idea it existed until I got an offer on a reduced subscription for six months through a professional membership body.

Naturally, as a fan of history, I’ve decided to give it a go – and today’s post is all about making you aware of it!

If you are interested in reading more posts from this mini-series on my blog, here is a link to the original post and an index of the posts I have shared so far!

 

What is History Hit?

The service I’m talking about in today’s post is called History Hit. In reality, it is more than a streaming service… but I’ll talk about more of that below. It also seems to be continually growing, so the features I outline in today’s post could become outdated quickly!

History Hit was set up in order to make history accessible to everybody across modern platforms. And the site does so across a variety of mediums.

Whatever period of history you’re interested in, you can easily find it on the site. Across all of its mediums, different periods of history are segregated by time period accordingly. If you want to read about the ancients, or watch a documentary about the medieval period, they each have their own designated section. Multiple periods of history are covered; from ancient history to 20th century, revolutions and world wars… there is something for everyone!

 

Features

 

Documentaries and Podcasts

Regardless of how or when you like to dabble in history, there is a medium for each occasion. If you enjoy watching documentaries, then there are hundreds available on the subscription service. Again, all of these are broken down by category based on their time period. For example, I recently explored the Ancient section and watched a couple of documentaries on the last days of Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the town in 79 A.D.

The documentaries available vary in length. The shortest documentary I have seen whilst browsing is just 20 minutes long. In contrast, the second Pompeii documentary I watched was around 55 minutes.

If you aren’t in a position to be able to watch anything, then good news! There are thousands of podcast episodes already available on the site, and they are updated each week with brand-new ones. Earlier this week, I listened to a couple of very different podcasts. The first of those was about Tutankhamun and Ancient Egypt. The second was about one of the most famous buildings in Greece, the Parthenon.

Although I have definitely shown a bias towards ancient history here (it’s a period I enjoy, clearly), there is the variety in time periods I’ve already discussed. I’ve only been using the site for a few days, so I still have plenty to explore myself.

 

Articles & Travel Guides

If you only have a few minutes, then there are plenty of articles on that website that you can access and read instead! As a reader, this is obviously something that will appeal to me. I’m hoping the site will be a good way of gaining an introduction to a topic that I might then go away to find out more about. That may be finding other media on their site about it (such as a podcast or documentary) or by going away and reading something else.

One further avenue they seem to be branching out into is travel. Anybody wanting to go and visit key historic sites as part of their holiday travels can also consult the site in order to get recommendations and expert advice. This is something I haven’t explored, but it’s not something I’ve seen elsewhere either. It’s definitely a unique selling point if this is the sort of holiday you like to plan!

 

How can I access it?

History Hit have their own app that can be downloaded on smart devices. I have the app downloaded on my phone so I could watch documentaries or listen to podcasts on the go. They also have an app that can be downloaded onto newer smart TVs, or through services such as the Amazon fire stick, Chromecast or similar.

They also have their website for articles and the travel guide information.

 

I wanted to feature History Hit in this Well, I Didn’t Know That! post as it has such variety in its media. It touches on reading, but also other media to explore depending on personal preferences or situation. I’ve also enjoyed using the site and plan to continue exploring new time periods, whether that’s watching a documentary at home or listening to a podcast at work. 

I hope I’ve been able to share something new with you in today’s Well, I Didn’t Know That! post.

Had you heard of History Hit? Do you subscribe?

 

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30 Before 30!

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Inspired by a bookish vlogger I follow, today’s post is about setting down thirty books I would like to prioritise reading before I’m 30. She has been challenging herself in a similar way for a few years, and has just turned 30.

Like her, I don’t expect I will get through this full list by my 30th birthday. However, it is an expression of intent that I would like to try and prioritise these books and read as many as possible before then!

I feature a number of genres in this post. There are a number of classics on this list, as you would probably expect. Not only that, but there are also books from favourite authors, some from lesser read genres, or books that have been on my list a long time. For these reasons, I would like to make the effort to pick up. I’m not including any big series or ongoing reads in this list. These are all new books I would like to pick up in the next couple of years.

I’ll keep checking in with myself periodically to make sure I’m keeping to this aim and myself accountable if I’m not. In those posts, I’ll discuss the books from the list that I have read since my last review.

Well, I suppose you are now wondering which books have made it onto my 30 Before 30 list? Let’s check them out!

 

30 Before 30

Classics

 

Thriller/Horror

 

Contemporary

 

Science/Science Fiction

 

Non-Fiction

 

Fantasy

 

Historical Fiction

 

My first check-in post will be in six months time! I hope I’ll be able to tick off a few before the end of the year! Which books should I prioritise on this list? Have you read any of the books on my list?

 

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Sunday Summary – 4th June 2023

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It’s the end of another glorious weekend, and as always, I’m here to tell you about the books I’ve been reading in this Sunday Summary update!

Before we get into the books I’ve been reading, let’s take a quick look at the blog posts I’ve shared over the course of this week so far. On Wednesday, I shared my Monthly Wrap-Up post for May 2023. May was a fantastic month on the reading front! I picked up a total of eight books throughout the month, and finished seven.

On Friday, I talked about the books I plan to read throughout the month of June in my Monthly TBR post. I don’t intend to pick up half as many books as I did throughout the month of May. However, I am picking up lengthier books this month. If you want to check out what I’m reading, you can find a link to that post above. I’ll also discuss my first read of the month later in this post. 

 

Books Read

 

Against All Gods

As of my last Sunday Summary update, I had just started to read Against All Gods by Miles Cameron. I couldn’t really make too much comment in that post as I’d only just started the book. Unfortunately, I have more to say now, and it’s not great news.

I only made it to 20% into this book before I decided to DNF it. My main problem with it is that the book lacks any substantial plot line, in my opinion. As of the point at which I put the book down, we were introduced to a plethora of characters at a very superficial level. So much so, that I couldn’t really invest in any of them. Not only that, but very little had happened in the book to capture my interest.

We have been introduced to a lot of characters that for one reason or another had taken up issue with the gods. And I don’t blame them. Very reminiscent of gods in Greek mythology, those we are introduced to condone and encourage violence and debauchery amongst themselves and mortals… but other than that, there was very little about them.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I found the book a little bit boring. It took me at least four days to read the 20% I got through before putting it down. Ultimately, I made the decision to stop reading, and I’m glad I did. There’s nothing worse than forcing yourself to a book you’re not interested in.

It is a bit of a shame as the synopsis of the book caught my attention. It is a story that could have a lot of promise. However, I found it a little failing in the execution. That is just my personal preference though.

 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

On a better note, I finished listening to As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow this week! I loved this book. It is not a book I would have picked up of my own volition. Instead, I read it as part of an online book club… And I’m glad I did!

The book and the author does a fantastic job of reminding us of the human face of the conflict in Syria. If you hear about it at all, it is about boats of refugees that sank when trying to flee for safety. They are numbers, not people. We do not hear about the civilians trying to live their daily lives being shot at. We do not hear about the fates of those who dared to protest against the regime and are arrested for their ‘crime’. Most are not seen again… but what they have to live through first in captivity is often worse than death.

Whilst this narrative does have its darker side, it is captivating in its description of the people and the countryside that make up Syria. I really enjoyed listening to the stories of the characters that touch the protagonist Salama, as well as her own.

It is definitely one of the most memorable, if not one of the best reads of the year so far!

 

A Clash of Kings

After the disappointment of Against All Gods, I was glad to be returning to a firm favourite for my first read of June. A Clash of Kings is the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire (aka A Game of Thrones) series. I have decided to re-read this series this year as there is rumour about the next book in the series being published soon. I have seen a date as early as November this year, but that could still be subject to change. Regardless, I want to be prepared for when that book comes out.

As of drafting this Sunday Summary post, I am 280 pages into the book. That might sound a lot. However, when you consider that this book is 873 pages long, I still have a substantial way to go.

Even so, I am really enjoying the book. This series is one that I could read on loop and never get bored of. Whilst this book does have a lot of characters and perspectives, it does not work for plotline whatsoever. Quite the opposite, I enjoy the intricacies of all the threads between each character… and it is one of those series that you can always pick up on something else with every re-read.

 

Books Discovered

It’s another quiet week on the TBR, with no new additions… for now!

 

Coming Up…

I wanted to share something a little bit different this week. A book vlogger I follow has been running series called 30 before 30. The concept of this post is pretty much what it says on the tin. It is a list of the 30 books she wanted to read before she turned 30. I have decided to put together a similar list. I probably should’ve done it sooner, but better late than never! On this list, I’ll be featuring a number of books that I’ve been wanting to read for a long time (and so I’m taking this opportunity to prioritise them). If you’re interested to find out what these books are, check out my post on Wednesday.

On Friday, I’ll be sharing the next post in my series, Well, I Didn’t Know That. I’m keeping my cards close to my chest for this week’s topic. I have an idea for the post, but I want to explore it in a little bit more detail to see if I can make the content I want out of it!

To round off the week, I’ll be back with another Sunday Summary update this time next week!

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary post! What are you reading?

 

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Monthly TBR – June 2023

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Happy Friday and welcome to my monthly TBR post for June 2023.

Summer is here, and we’ve had a glorious stretch of weather for over a week now. So far, it looks set to continue! For motorbike fans, this is also good news as it means the TT is set to have a good run this year. I’m not one for bikes, but I’m not going to complain about the sunshine. I plan to enjoy some of it tonight whilst sitting out in the garden reading.

Speaking of which, how about we jump into the books I plan to read over the course of June?

 

Fixed Reads

I only have two fixed reads on my June TBR. Normally, I would have a minimum of two fixed books on a monthly TBR. However, I am not reading along with Ezeekat’s book club this month, as the particular book chosen is not my taste at all. I have no qualms with pushing boundaries, as I did last month even. However, this book has been chosen with Pride Month in mind. It’s a YA romance… which is just not my thing at all. I’ll keep an eye on the selection for next month and hopefully I’ll be back with the club soon.

Instead, my other fixed reads of the month hav only been put into this category as I have pulled them from myy TBR Jar or borrowed the book from the library. As it has a deadline to go back, I want to prioritise it.

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea

The first fixed read I will be picking up this month is The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. I have seen a lot of press and good reviews about this book… this author, in fact!

I am yet to try any of his books. It is the synopsis of The House in the Cerulean Sea that has appealed to me the most. That’s why I’d like to start my journey with this author by trying this book. I added this to my TBR last year, and as a result, it has come up as this month’s TBR Jar selection.

 

The Lost Metal

As I mentioned above, I have borrowed a copy of The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson from my local library. Judging by the return card in the front of the book, this has been a popular one to take out!

I have read and enjoyed all of the Mistborn novels in the series so far. in particular, I really enjoy how the series has been split into two separate eras, and that there has been a lot of change between the two. Of the two series, I would say that the second era is my favourite. Naturally, I’m looking forward to continuing that era in picking up this fourth book.

I’ll be honest and say that until I read the synopsis of this book when I took out the loan, I didn’t really know much about what this story entailed. I’m reading this book as its continuing a series I already know I love!

 

Mood Reads

 

A Clash of Kings

My first mood read of the month also happens to be my current read. This year, I am setting out to re-read the Song of Ice and Fire series as we are expecting the publication of the sixth book in the series before too long. Naturally, I wanted to bring myself back up to date and with a refresh of the series.

A Clash of Kings is one of the two chunky reads on my June TBR. This one is no less than 873 pages, and as of this post, I am just about 100 in. I really enjoyed the introduction I’ve had so far, and I’m hoping to be able to make more progress quickly!

 

Ship of Destiny

The second chunky read on my June TBR is Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb. Regular readers on my blog will know that I have been reading books from the Realm of the Elderlings series since June last year.

Ship of Destiny is the sixth book in the overall series, and the final book of The Liveship Traders trilogy. I have been reading the books from the series at a reasonable pace. I’ve been able to keep on top of what is going on and who the characters are, but I’ve not sacrificed all reading in favour of these books alone. It’s a pace that I hope to continue, and I’m looking forward to seeing how events in The Liveship Traders trilogy so far, conclude.

As I said, Ship of Destiny is the second chunky book on this TBR. Weighing in at just over 900 pages, it’s safe to say I could double this up as a weapon and knock somebody out with it if required…

 

Children of Dune

Another series that makes it onto this monthly TBR is Dune by Frank Herbert.

Children of Dune is the third book of the Dune series. I confess it has been a little bit longer since I read Dune Messiah, but I’m confident that I will get right back into it as soon as I pick this up. With having multiple fantasy books on this TBR, I’m looking forward to picking up a science-fiction novel for a change of genre. This book selection also goes towards my overarching goal for 2023 of continuing ongoing series as opposed to picking up new books.

 

The Midnight Library

The last book on my monthly TBR I’m hoping to read in June is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This is another book that I have heard rave reviews about, and significant praise for the author across multiple books. When I purchased my copy of this book, it came highly recommended by the bookseller. He said that this book changed his outlook on life. If I wasn’t intrigued already, and you can be sure that captured my interest even more.

The Midnight Library is the shortest book on my June TBR, at just under 290 pages. I don’t think it will surprise you when I say that I will be looking forward to a shorter read at some point this month… considering the epics I already have on this list!

 

That is my monthly TBR for June – wish me luck! In order to get through this months reading list, I need to average reading 113 pages a day. Am I confident I’ll do it? No. Am I willing to push myself and rise to the challenge? Yes!

Have you read any of the books I feature in my June TBR?

 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2023

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I’m excited to share today’s monthly wrap-up post for May 2023! I’ve had a fantastic reading month with lots of books, so make yourself comfortable!

In my May TBR post, I shared that I will be picking up no less than eight books throughout the month. The first of those was a carryover from April. But, the rest were from scratch. In the end, I read all but one of the books on my reading list; I do have a DNF to tell you about this month.

Shall we take a look at what I’ve been reading?

 

Books Read

 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

Picking up where I left off last month, my first aim was to finish The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. As of the beginning of the month, I was approximately half way through the book.

It ended up being an okay read, but nothing spectacular either. I wanted to pick up this book to read as a standalone before committing to trying another series by this author. Based on my experience of this book, I’m not sure if I’ll go ahead with that series. As I say, it was okay to read. It was fun, and I enjoyed that the setting is Eastern inspired as opposed to Western. Overall, I found the book a little bit too whimsical to my taste.

 

Wolf of Wessex

Looking for a complete change, I then decided to pick up Wolf of Wessex as my next read.

This also ended up being a middle of the road book. Wolf of Wessex was a really quick read, in part because it is full of action. However, in my opinion, it is a little lacking in plot in character development. I still enjoyed the book as a light read.  Maybe I’ll pick up more books by the author if I was looking for a light read from a genre I’m familiar with.

I generally prefer a bit more depth to the books I pick up, but this kind of read definitely has its place as well!

 

The Waste Lands

My luck turned around when I picked up The Waste Lands by Stephen King. Rather spookily, I started this book exactly 4 years after I finished the previous book in the series. It was quite a long time since I finished that book, so I had to refresh myself on the events that have taken place so far before diving in.

Thankfully, the edition I have recaps events in a dedicated section in the first few pages. That was a great help. What also made this really easy to get back into is that the events in the third book naturally reminisce on what has happened before. Although it had been a number of years since I started this series, that ultimately didn’t matter. I got back into this book very quickly… and I read it just as quickly!

Thanks to some scheduled time off work, I was able to pick up and read good chunks of this book in one sitting. I read this near 600 pager in just four days. Needless to say, I loved it!

 

Death Magnanimous

My next read was Death Magnanimous by Michael Martin.

I got my hands on a copy of this book via Netgalley, a site I don’t use much outside of blog tours nowadays. I ended up browsing the site on a whim, and it was the cover and synopsis of this book that caught my attention.

The rest of the book lived up to the expectation. This is not a light read by any stretch of the imagination. It is a book that deals with difficult themes, including, but not limited to, chronic pain, trauma, and euthanasia. Despite these difficult topics, I really enjoyed how they came together in this narrative.

There is a good level of humour, as well as an element of mystery, that also add to this this narrative. Death Magnanimous sits outside of the conventional genres I read, but it is a good example of why it’s important to push the boundaries now and then.

 

Taking Liberties

After quite a few longer reads, I then decided to pick up a short story anthology. I had already committed to reading the book this month in order to provide a review (which you can find here if you are interested).

Taking Liberties proved to be a great palette cleanser. Especially after reading such a ‘dark’ book just before, it was a great experience to flit between little characters and shorter stories. All of these stories are loosely based around the theme of freedom. However, that is where the comparisons end. Each contributing author in the anthology has taken a completely different perspective on that theme. I read this book in approximately 24 hours. It was just what I needed.

 

Starsight

Another book I picked up this month, with my 2023 goal of continuing series in mind, is Starsight by Brandon Sanderson.

I just started his Skyward series fairly late on last year and I really took to the first book. Spensa is an interesting and captivating protagonist. Although Starsight differs from the set up of Skyward significantly, I think the second book excelled for jumping out of the boundaries already built up.

An experience I’ve had with many Sanderson books is that he’s not afraid to take a world, book or setting he’s already established, and then push the boundaries to make it better. I’ve readily enjoyed his second era Mistborn books for the exact same reason. It’s great to see him doing it again!

A huge indicator of just how much I enjoyed Starsight is the fact that I read the second half in one sitting alone! I was really invested in Spensa’s mission and I had to know how it all went down. Based on this latest book, I expect I will pick up the next in the series, Cytonic, before long!

 

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

I listened to the audiobook version of As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow, as this was the book chosen for Ezeekat’s book club this month. I will hold my hands up and admit that I probably wouldn’t have picked up the book where it not effectively chosen for me. I’m glad that it was! As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is probably one of my favourite, or at least standout, books of the year.

The book is set in Syria, and puts the human face back onto the conflict we are aware of at a distance. The protagonist Salama is thrown into the thick of chaos, when she is effectively promoted from a pharmacist to a doctor due to a shortage of medically trained people. Whilst she continues to treat the victims that come through the hospital doors, she is also battling against her conscience in wanting to leave her country for safety.

I really enjoyed this change of setting, and the author certainly did her job in making me as a reader aware of what exactly is going on in Syria! The book is beautiful in its descriptions of Syria and the people that make her.

 

DNF

 

Against All Gods

The last book I picked up this month was a little disappointing. I really liked the sound of this book based on the synopsis. Greek mythology mixed with fantasy could have been a great combination. However, in the 20% of the book I read before ultimately putting it down, it didn’t work for me. Other than one character’s personal mission for vengeance against the gods, as well as a general simmering of discontent among mortals, very little happens. As far as the gods go, there is the usual murder and debauchery that Greek myth has taught us to expect… but again, little else.

The seeming lack of plot was disappointing. I had far higher hopes for the book. I was struggling to read it for days, and I had no inclination to find out what was going on. So, I ultimately made the decision to stop. I think I’ve made the right choice for me.

Summary

I’m really pleased with the reading progress I made this month, even if it was tarnished slightly by ending with a DNF. It’s not the end of the world though, because I’ve moved on to my first read of June… and it is a re-read of a favourite!

If you want to find out what else I’m going to be reading throughout the month of June, I will be sharing my monthly TBR on Friday!

 

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