Tag: amreading

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 30th December 2018

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This is the first Sunday Summary post for a couple of weeks; in fact, the FIRST POST in a couple of weeks! I’ve neglected my blog a little over the festive period and I’m sorry. I knew things would get a little tricky. The festive season is a time for family, of course. With my sister coming over for the holidays, I knew I’d be spending a lot of time out of my normal routine. But just as all this was about to start, something else happened.

Less than a week before Christmas, one of my work friends (close friends at that) sadly lost her husband. I don’t want to go into any particular detail here, because it isn’t my story to tell. As I am sure you can understand… she became another top priority for me. When I wasn’t spending time with the family, I was checking in on her. I am only telling you enough so you can understand my absence. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Have you all had a good Christmas? Aside from looking after my friend, I did! It was spent with my loved ones around me and I got some lovely presents too! Did you get anything nice, or anything bookish?

 

Books Read

As I have already explained, I haven’t had the time to blog at all in the past couple of weeks. I have, however, managed to squeeze in a bit of reading. Over the last couple of weeks I have been chipping away at The Cathedral of Known Things by Edward Cox, the second book in The Relic Guild series. Now my Goodreads marks me at 100% done on page 432, but I actually have 40 pages left in the edition I own. That’s tonight’s mission to complete.

 

I would have liked to have made progress on another couple of books as promised, but it hasn’t worked out as planned. One of those reads is The Road to Alexander by Jennifer Macaire. Unfortunately, I haven’t touched this in the past couple of weeks. There is a blog tour coming up really soon, so I am going to step up my game and get this read. I have also promised Shaun Hume that I would read Ewan Pendle and the Castle of Nightmares. This also has ended up on the backburner. I am really sorry I’m delayed in starting this – I’ll get on it.

 

I’ve also decided to put a couple of books that I have been struggling with aside – for now. The first of those books is The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Whilst I am enjoying the story of this book, it is just a bit too heavy going for me. With my other reading commitments the way they are, I am not going to be able to pick this book up for a while. Never say never, but I’m not sure if I’ll go back to finish this.

For the same reason I am also putting aside Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski. I think that events are starting to pick up, but for a while I have felt that this book lacks the momentum of some of his other works. I have only read The Last Wish by way of comparison, which are shorter stories rather than one long one. Maybe that’s it. Either way, it’s not working for me right now. I WILL go back to this one, but I’ll have to play it by ear to see when.

 

Books Discovered

 

Well, aside from a cute notebook from Paperchase from my sister, I didn’t get anything bookish for Christmas. So, no new books on the list this week!

That’s honestly not a bad thing… I have enough!!!

 

Coming Up…

Given what has happened, I am glad I started some of my reading early. My time away hasn’t been too detrimental to my blog so far, but I have plenty of tours in the next couple of months that will keep me busy. If I want to catch up again, I am going to have to put time into it for the next couple of weeks.

What posts can you expect on my blog this week? Well, I cannot think of a better way to get back into the swing of things than a Reading List post! We are starting a brand new year (eek) and I’ll be beginning a new reading challenge. I haven’t decided how many books I want to read quite yet, but I’ll put my thinking cap on and let you know!

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Copper Sky by Milana Marsenich. After doing so, Milana kindly offered me a copy of another book she has written, The Swan Keeper, for review. It took around six months, but I finally got around to reading this one in October. I am looking forward to finally committing my thoughts to a review.

 

So, what reading progress am I hoping to make? Shit loads. Fuck tons. I need a miracle to help me.

A lot.

As I mentioned above, I have a Blog Tour coming up for The Road to Alexander by Jennifer Macaire soon. I’m around half way through the book at the moment, but as I am posting my review in the next couple of weeks, I need to get reading this soon.

I also have another Blog Tour coming up at the end of the month… and in one of next month’s tours I am featuring three books in one post. I’m a busy woman! I’ll be giving you more details on these in my Reading List post in the coming days!

P.s. It’s good to be back!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 16th December 2018

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When I haven’t been at work or reading a book, I’ve spent a lot of this week preparing for Christmas! I’m officially on countdown! I love this time of year and I’m finally getting into the spirit!

On account of spending time wrapping presents and attending Christmas parties, I only managed one out of the two blog posts I promised you this week. Whilst it would have been nice to make some further progress in whittling down the TBR pile, I feel that posting my review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was more important. I received an ARC back in July this year so my reading and reviewing this title was overdue. The book is published on the 7th February 2019 – I must insist you get a copy!

 

Books Read

 

I have been reading two books concurrently this week. Earlier in the week, I continued reading The Road to Alexander by Jennifer Macaire. When writing my Sunday Summary post last week I had higher hopes of making more progress with this book than I have. Instead, I ended up reading just over 40% a second book on December’s reading list. The Cathedral of Known Things is the second book by Edward Cox in The Relic Guild series. I totally love the magic system and the world-building, so putting this down has proven rather difficult.

 

Books Discovered

 

I have been really tame this week – I haven’t even added any books to the TBR! *And so I shouldn’t – it’s already out of control*

 

Coming Up…

 

down the tbr holeThis week I promised you a review of the TBR pile, which ultimately didn’t happen. I’m sorry; I don’t have any particular excuse. I just didn’t get around to it. However, I will this week – it’s the first post I am committing to.

 

 

 

The second post I want to publish this week is a review of Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett. I am absolutely in love with the Discworld and its various characters. At the time I read this book on a whim – you can’t really go wrong with that, can you? It’s just what I needed. I love Pratchett’s humour and writing style.

 

 

 

On the reading front, I am going to be bold and say that I want to have finished The Cathedral of Known Things by next week. If I get time to read any more than this, I’ll continue with The Road to Alexander.

 

Are you all set for Christmas? Have you planned to read any festive books for the season? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary: 9th December 2018

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Good evening everyone! Have you all had a lovely weekend? I can’t believe it’s Sunday evening already… doesn’t the time just fly by!

I’ve started drafting today’s post a little later than usual because I upgraded to the new WordPress editor. I had heard some bad things about it – it appeared a lot more functional than the previous editor. Haha… what a joke. What started out to be a not-so-bad experience turned horrendous. After about 45 minutes of trying to format my post in the new editor I cut my losses, downloaded the classic editor plugin and started again. It’s the best decision I (and 800,000 other users) have made.

So… what have I been up to this week? I had the pleasure of taking part in an exciting Blog Tour organised by Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources on Tuesday. Facing a Twisted Judgment by K. J. McGillick is a thrilling read. After a newlywed woman disappears along with artwork worth millions, her husband is suspect number one. As the evidence stacks up against him, we dig into the investigation through the eyes of Dalia.

On Thursday I wrote about my recent “more relaxed” approach to reading and how it is working out for me. I’ve decided to stick it out for another month and so I have committed which books I’ll be reading in my Reading List for December.

In between all this, as well as my reading, I have desperately been trying to catch up with watching I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! I love the show, but it is very full on. I might normally turn on the TV once a week or so – having to watch at least one episode every day to try to keep up (not even to catch up the week I was already behind) is tough going. Is anyone else watching it? What do you make of this year’s campmates?

 

Books Read

 

The number one priority at the beginning of this week was to finish reading Facing a Twisted Judgment. I’ll hold my hands up and say I left it too late to read it. I don’t like to cut it that fine, but I have been struggling with some other books lately which delayed starting this book. I had the book read by about 9:30pm the night before my tour post was due to go live, so I just went straight in for the review. If there is one positive that comes out of that, is that my thoughts and feelings were very fresh. I finished drafting that post gone 11pm that night… which was not so good for my sleeping pattern. It’s my own fault so I can’t complain.

With the pressure taken off me, I decided to pick up Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Imagine a world in which the media is designed to only make you happy by indoctrination, emotionally detaching you from other people, war, tragedy etc. Can you imagine a world without books? Nope… me neither. I read this book in a matter of a few evenings just before bed. It is so easy to read and so poignant, I’m glad I picked it up; I’ve wanted to for such a long time!

The next read (and my current work in progress) is The Road to Alexander by Jennifer Macaire. Having learned my lesson with Facing A Twisted Judgment, I am starting this book early. I’m due to tour with it in the New Year – no one can suggest I won’t be prepared for this one! I’ve made a respectable start (17%) on this one considering I only picked it up on Friday night. I’ve had quite a busy weekend and so I’m looking forward to delving a bit further into this book next week!

 

Books Discovered

I have been very restrained this week in terms of book buying. Well, it is nearly Christmas after all! I have to leave some present ideas for people, right? I probably won’t get any books anyway – it’s only me that has the book-bug in this family.  That’s the whole reason I started this blog! If I don’t have an outlet to talk about it to, I might just burst!! Okay, slight exaggeration… I’d just bore a lot of uninterested people to death instead.

Instead, I have signed up for a number of blog tours coming up between January-March next year. Watch this space for news of those closer to the time!

 

Coming Up…

It has been a long while since I reviewed a book that hasn’t been part of a blog tour. I was going through a phase of being practically caught up on my reviews, but I have plenty of breathing room now. I initially read the book I‘ll be reviewing back in October. The Silent Patient is an ARC I have been sent for review and I really enjoyed it. Again, this was another book I read extremely quickly. If I had the willpower to forego sleep, I would have done so just to finish this book sooner!

 

 

 

down the tbr holeIt has been a couple of weeks since I published a Down the TBR Hole post, so I also plan to whittle down the TBR a little more next week. I have 188 books on the list – it really isn’t going down all that much! I think I am my own worst enemy…

 

In terms of reading progress, I want to finish The Road to Alexander. I am reading this well in advance but I have also made a few commitments in reading terms for next year, so I’ll thank myself for the head start in future.

In addition to this, I also want to start reading Ewan Pendle and the Castle of Nightmares by Shaun Hume. This is the second book of the series he is writing and he has kindly asked for a review. I really enjoyed the first book, Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith (fun fact –the first book I reviewed on request ever) so I can’t wait to give my feedback on this latest release!

 

That is how my week is shaping up… how about yours?

Blog Tour Review: Facing a Twisted Judgment – K J McGillick

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I am really looking forward to today’s blog tour post for Facing a Twisted Judgment by K. J. McGillick. I was kindly invited to the tour by Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources. A massive thank you to both of you for enabling me to enjoy this thrilling read!

 

Purchase Links: Amazon.com  /  Amazon.co.uk

Goodreads – Facing A Twisted Judgment

 

Synopsis

What happens when tunnel vision clouds a police investigation? Is it true that once you are labeled a person of interest you really are the prime suspect? Can you trust the legal system?  Probably not.

After a bitterly contested legal battle over inherited property, the hard-won art collection and its owner Samantha Bennington disappear. Both have vanished without a trace.

When blood spatter is discovered under the freshly painted wall of the room in which two of the paintings were hung, the theft becomes the opening act in a twisted tale of jealousy, revenge, and murder leading to a final judgment for all involved.

As the list of suspects narrows, the focus lands squarely on the husband. Some labeled Samantha’s husband a corrupt attorney, others an opportunist. Either way, he’s in the crosshairs of law enforcement and they are calling him a murderer. But is he the only viable suspect? What about the missing woman’s drug-addicted sister and her convicted felon brother? Both were furious over their loss at court and have more than enough reason to hate Samantha.

Guilty until proven innocent leaves Alexander Clarke facing a twisted judgment.

 

My Thoughts…

Give me a crime novel with any number of suspects and I’ll sit there and try to deduce my way through it like a very amateurish Poirot. The measure of a good crime novel is whether I THINK I’ve hacked it or not. As I said, I’m not very good at these things. I’m always wrong, but I enjoy the attempt nonetheless.

I was kept guessing throughout this book! I doubted everyone and everything I was told, trusting none of the characters…well, except Dalia. Was it truly the cold and calculating husband? Maybe it was the psycho sister or brother serving time for fraud. The investigation targets the husband very quickly and the evidence starts to mount up against him.

The narrative is clearly constructed from two perspectives; Dalia, employed by the company trying to recover several pieces of artwork valued at 130million dollars, and suspect number one himself. Dalia’s background as an attorney means she cannot help but take a natural interest in the disappearance of Samantha and subsequent investigation. Her narrative is balanced between developing her character and current events. Of all the characters in the book, I found Dalia to be the most authentic and relatable. As a newcomer to the team and the investigation, we unravel the mystery through her eyes.

Alex is far from a likable character, but his portrayal in the narrative is intriguing and wonderfully written. He is an attorney himself, but with a shady past, a long list of ex-wives and a cold/calculating demeanor, he is far from squeaky clean. When this newlywed’s wife goes missing along with some of her most valuable assets, Alex’s primary concern for the insurance claim on the artwork paints a sinister picture.

I loved reading the chapters from Alex’s perspective because I was intrigued by how emotionally detached he is as a person. Psychology is a subject that I been interested in since the age of 17; Alex makes an interesting test case. His almost split personality can turn at the flick of a switch. His need for control and ability to manipulate people is unnerving. When his wife plans to go against his wishes with the assets he helped her win in court, what lengths will he go to in order to get his way?

A concise narrative makes Facing A Twisted Judgment easy to pick up but hard to put down.

 

About the Author

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right?

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Social Media Links – Facebook   Twitter @KJMcGillickAuth

http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

 

 

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 2nd December 2018

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Hey everyone!! Are you having a lovely weekend? I sure have! Not only have I already had my work Christmas party… I’ve also been putting up various decorations at home and for family. It’s official – Christmas is on the way!

 

 

Last week’s Sunday Summary was a little late, so I only published one post this week – a Throwback Thursday review of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle books. As a young teenager, I really enjoyed Eragon and Eldest, but I still DNF’d the series. If you want to find out why you can check it out in my post!

 

Books Read

I finished it! My 2nd re-read of A Game of Thrones is done! As I expected, I really enjoyed reading this again. I find that it is good to go back to the beginning sometimes to refresh your knowledge… especially for a series as epic in size as this one!

I have also made further progress with I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. This book is so funny and I can see all the general antics and mishaps happening to me if I have kids. I really can. It’s just the right sense of humour I need at the moment.

I have made a start on Facing a Twisted Judgment by K. J. McGillick. It is a book that I am blog touring on really soon too, and I am going to have to cram read some of this tonight in order to get the post together. I have already made good headway and it isn’t a heavy read, so I can do it.

 

Books Discovered

I actually added this book to my Goodreads to-read list a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to tell you all! Shameful, I know. Originally I saw a later book of this series advertised somewhere. From that, I opted to look at Limelight to see where Penny Green’s story begins; a murder of a woman who reportedly died years ago? I’m in for that.

 

Coming Up…

This week is going to be pretty busy blog wise! As I mentioned above, I have a blog tour for Facing A Twisted Judgment coming up soon. Tuesday, in fact. Yes, it’s that soon, so I need to get reading to finish that one!

As it is also the beginning of a new month I’ll be putting together a reading list for the month! I decided to try a new approach in November and not restrict my reading to a set list so much. I’m not entirely decided as to how well that’s working at the moment. I only read one of the two books I set out to, as well as part reading a couple of others. That said, this month was disrupted by a trip away. Things haven’t been the greatest at work either. I’m not writing off the approach yet – I think I need to give it another go.

How has your week been? Are we feeling festive yet?

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 25th November 2018

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Hi guys!

So, some of you may have noticed that I didn’t publish a Sunday Summary post last week. More than likely… no one noticed at all! That’s okay though, I spent some great time with family and got some Christmas shopping done!

Yes, I said it. Christmas. Shopping.

I may have bought myself one or two things whilst away… you know, strictly one or two.

 

I am also a little late in publishing this one. Sorry guys! Unless you have a death wish, going back into the office without treats after a holiday is a dangerous affair. It’s all stares and disgruntled mutterings but you just know you have that black mark against your name. In fairness, it hasn’t been a great week there (not because I wasn’t there – I don’t think THAT MUCH of myself), so I decided to do the best thing I could and baked.

You can see the picture on my instagram – they went down a treat at work. Brownie points for Rebecca!

 

So, personal life antics aside… what else have I been up to?

Well, skipping back over the last couple of weeks, I published a review of Frankenstein that was much overdue. I found myself in a little bit of a writing slump, so I can’t say I’m overly thrilled with the review. It passes (I hope)… but it certainly isn’t my finest work.

I also put together a review for Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor! Whilst I was away I had a couple of hours to myself… so I put them to good use. I really enjoyed reading Muse of Nightmares because there is so much more to it than Strange the Dreamer. I expected the book to be different, I’ll add, but the actual story is far better than I could have EVER imagined. Read it. Seriously.

After getting back home from my jollidays, (yes, I really did just say that) I decided to review the TBR again in another Down the TBR Hole post. It’s the sort of thing that you really need to keep on top of, so I like to chip away at it. By that, I really mean that I try to break even. I keep adding new books to the list all the time!

 

Books Read

My time off work this month has been a lot busier than last month, so I haven’t gotten as much reading done. I have made more progress with reading A Game of Thrones. Having looked back at my last Sunday Summary post, I’ve actually read more than I thought! I have jumped from just less than 50% to 88%. I managed to fit a bit of reading in whilst commuting on my trip, but never really for any length of time. Since I have nearly finished this book, I am going to try to finish it tonight – tomorrow at the latest!

Before my trip away, I was also reading Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski. I don’t really feel I have made a lot of progress with this book so far. I’m finding the pacing to be a little slow at the moment, but it should pick up in time. I haven’t actually touched this book since my return yet; I’ll have another bash at it once A Game of Thrones is ticked off the list.

In the times where a lighter read was required, I have been reading I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. I have actually read part of this book before; I borrowed it from my school library years ago! It definitely has the laugh out loud humour I’ve needed. The other two books make for quite heavy reading, so needing a break is not unreasonable. I don’t normally read contemporaries/women’s literature. I have to be in the mood for it. I’ve managed just over a hundred pages last week alone, so that isn’t such bad going either.

 

Books Discovered

My self-imposed book ban is now OVER!!!! Thank goodness for that! I was restraining myself knowing that November was going to be an expensive month. Now it’s over, I can spend however much I like on books hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Obviously, that’s a lie. I haven’t finished Christmas shopping yet so I shouldn’t celebrate too early. But, I don’t have flights, hotels, food and spending money to worry about… so I can breathe a little easier.

On Tuesday, the last day of my trip, I decided to use some of my leftover budget to get myself a copy of Fire and Blood. It was publishing Day and half price. The illustrations are beautiful and so is Martin’s writing. I’d have to be daft not too!

 

Coming Up…

It will be good to finally get things back on track! Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time! I hope to be able to go away and see my sister again before too long. But, it’s nice to get back to the familiar, to get back into routine.

So, what am I posting on my blog this week? Well, this week I want to write another Throwback Thursday Review. I started this series so I had the chance to feature books read prior to starting my blog. They have all played their part in making me the bookworm I am today, so it makes sense to make a space for them here. This week’s post will be a mixed review because it is a series I loved initially, but have stopped reading.

 

In terms of reading progress, I am pushing to finish A Game of Thrones tonight. At the latest, I want to finish this tomorrow.  I am also going to try and finish I Don’t Know How She Does It, because I need to start my next read for an upcoming Blog Tour.

How has your week been? What have you been reading?

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 11th November 2018

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Evening all! Today’s Sunday Summary post is being written in a little haste, so I apologise if it doesn’t live up to the usual standard. I don’t really know what’s happened this week, but it’s just felt a little topsy turvy.

I’ll be the first person to admit that I like having a bit of routine. There isn’t anything particularly wrong with that, but it throws you off the minute the routine is out of the window. This week is one of those, unfortunately.

I promised to post two reviews this week – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. Neither of these happened, and for that I am sorry. I have drafted a review for Frankenstein – I’ve stared at my screen for three nights this week to put it together. I am still not happy with it. That’s why I haven’t published it. I also didn’t want to start writing a review for Muse of Nightmares without finishing Frankenstein. It muddles my head doing that.

Even tonight, I would normally dedicate my time to writing my Sunday Summary post, but instead, I am baking for a charity cake sale at work tomorrow. Half of this post was written this morning ready. You can tell I’m not a baker. My victoria sponge is taking longer to cook than I anticipated and I am literally sat on the edge of my seat, paranoid about leaving it longer. Fingers crossed it turns out okay!

 

Books Read

This week I have been focusing on reading more of A Game of Thrones. As with things going out of the window, my original plan to finish Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski didn’t happen. Next week, I promise. Honestly! Still, I made a lot of progress with A Game of Thrones though. It’s a long book and now I’m just shy of 50% through!

 

Books Discovered

I’m still on my book ban. I’m surprised I have managed to stick to it too! Maybe being busy has helped; if I don’t see books I want I can’t buy them, right?

 

Coming Up…

I am going to fulfill the promises I made earlier last week. I’m going to give myself a kick up the behind and get my review of Frankenstein published! I am nearly there, so it shouldn’t take too much work to complete.

I’ll also publish my review of Muse of Nightmares. I won’t struggle to review this book at all – I think I could gush about it all day!

In addition to these posts,  I want to draft another post in anticipation of next week. Why? Well, I am taking another trip to visit family and I won’t be back until Wednesday. I need to fill the void somehow. My going away means that there won’t be a Sunday Summary post next week! Sorry guys! Hopefully I will have a massive update for you all when I get back!

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 4th November 2018

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Good evening ladies and gents! It’s time for another Sunday Summary post, in which I reflect on a very busy week!

This will be my fourth post of the week; normally I don’t schedule in so many posts, but a couple of reviews and a new reading list for the month were all due at the same time. It has been fun, although I can practically see steam coming off my hands from typing so much!

On Monday I posted my review of The Hidden Face by S. C. Flynn. The author kindly offered me a copy of the book in exchange for review; it’s been the first direct request I have had for a little while, so it made a refreshing change to read.

Then, on Wednesday I shared my (very short) TBR for the month. It’s not that I am not planning on reading this month… don’t be silly. That would be like telling me not to breathe! This month, I decided to give myself a little more freedom in the books I read as opposed to a full, set list.

Friday was my stop on the Blog Tour for Another Kind of Magic, the third and final book of the Caitlin series by Elizabeth Davies. As an avid reader of historical fiction and a great lover of magic, this series was a treat for me. If you haven’t read any of these books, please go and read my reviews… or better yet, give them a try! If you do, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 

Books Read

Following on from last week’s Sunday Summary post, I began the week by finishing reading The Swan Keeper by Milana Marsenich. I reviewed Copper Sky, another of Milana’s books back in March this year. After doing so, Milana kindly asked if I would accept a copy of The Swan Keeper to read and review at a later date. Naturally, I accepted. I really enjoyed both the plot and the characters.

Also featuring today (and in my Sunday Summary post last week) is Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski. I confess though I have read less of this book than last week. I have made some progress here, so I include it, but not a lot. The majority of my time has been spent on another book this week.

A Game of Thrones – how I love this series! I have already read this book twice over, but it really doesn’t matter. It’s the kind of treasure you could never get bored of. A Game of Thrones is one of two books I have set myself the task of reading this month; considering its size and the fact that I only started reading this on Thursday, I’m impressed that I’m already 25% through. I can, and have, literally sat with this book for hours. I look forward to many more!

There is something else. The desperate urge to include a GoT pun in this post is overwhelming. I apologise in advance.

I decided to take a little break from the book last night by taking up a hobby I haven’t really touched in a year or so. Given that my current woolly hat is a little old, used and is showing its age, I decided to test my crochet skills by making one! I haven’t made anything in a while, but I found a reasonably simple pattern online and I started to make it. Why? Well the answer is simple.

Wait for it…

Source: Giphy

 

I SAID I’M SORRY – Okay!!

But I’m not really…

 

Books Discovered

So, this is one of those rare weeks when I literally have nothing to say in this section! As I think I mentioned in a previous Sunday Summary post, I am on a book ban.

Why do I do this to myself?

 

Coming Up…

Although I had a fabulous week with lots of posts, I’m scaling back to my usual schedule next week. It gives me enough breathing space to produce some decent content.

So, what posts can you expect? Well, I am going to post two reviews this week, because I have a few to catch up on!

At the end of September, I attended an event as part of the local Manx Litfest – a storytelling of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I adored the show so much that I picked up the book as soon as I got home. I’m not even kidding. I had read the book just shy of ten years ago at school, but I wanted to read it again and form a second opinion. To that end, I am going to be sharing my thoughts with you about my re-reading of this book.

 

 

 

 

My second review of the week is going to be for a book I devoured in a matter of days. Muse of Nightmares – what a fabulous read this was! I could read both Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares all over again.

Don’t encourage me, seriously.

Naturally, I’ll conclude the week in the usual manner.

 

 

 

Instead, let’s talk about what I SHOULD be reading! I want to make more progress in reading both A Game of Thrones and Season of Storms this week. Preferably, I would like to finish SoS by Andrzej Sapkowski by the end of the week to keep momentum. A Game of Thrones is going to take longer – it’s a huge book. I’ll keep chipping away though!

 

What are you reading this week?

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Another Kind of Magic – Elizabeth Davies

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Caitlyn is back once again for another historical adventure; embroiled in a narrative laced with political intrigue, love and devious plotting! A huge thanks to Elizabeth Davies and Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the tour!

 

Pre-Order Link: Another Kind Of Magic

“I am a cat. But I am no ordinary cat. I am a witch’s familiar. I am also a woman, with a woman’s heart and a woman’s frailty.”

Nearly two hundred years have passed since Caitlyn was trapped by supernatural forces and black magic, and she has known many mistresses. This time, the witch she is enthralled to is Joan, wife of Llewelyn, Prince of Wales.

At first, this mistress appears no different to any of the others Caitlyn has served – until Llewelyn captures William de Braose, and Joan falls in love, risking everything, including Caitlyn, to fulfil her desire.

Caitlyn, meanwhile, has her own cross to bear in the form of the gallant and reckless Hugh of Pembroke…

 

My Thoughts…

Magic has kept Caitlyn alive for nearly 200 years. Enthralled to the whims of another witch, she finds herself in the middle of Welsh court – almost back where she started all those years ago! Caitlyn lacks some of her previous fire for life, which is only understandable. Living for so long at the beck and call of other women willing to risk your life to better their own position must be tiresome. In timed of need, however, she really pulls herself together. She has some brilliant moments; I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some of her antics.

Caitlyn (being Caitlyn) lands herself in some precarious situations in this last installment of the series. Her skills of discretion and subterfuge escape her and she finds herself being watched far more carefully than she would like.

There are many “minor” characters that shine through in this book. Caitlyn has a strong personality, but I find it is her relationships and interactions with others which make her so. This naturally draws attention to the other characters of the book as well as Caitlyn. They are very distinct individuals as well, so even though they only provide a supporting role, they don’t fall flat on the page.

For a while after reading A Stain on the Soul, I wondered how Elizabeth Davies was going to conclude the series. The magic binding Caitlyn, so far as we know, is absolute and powerful. Will she be freed of her burden? Will she die whilst doing the bidding of her mistress? I had so many questions and a desperate need for answers.

I got them.

Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing the book any justice if I spoil it for you. You’ll just have to read it for yourself. What I will say is that Elizabeth has, in my opinion, ended the series well. Some books can leave you walking away unsatisfied or with unanswered questions. For me, Another Kind of Magic ended as it should have; loose ends are tidied up nicely. It is rare that I can finish a series and be completely satisfied with how everything turns out… but I have.

 

If there is any higher praise I can give, I cannot find the words to express it.

It;’s a fantastic series – and once again a huge thank you to Elizabeth Davies and Rachel’s Random Resources to have had the opportunity to read it!

If you would like the chance to read the series, then there is an opportunity to enter a giveaway in which you could receive signed copies! Please see the details below:-

 

 

Giveaway – Win Tote bag and a signed paperback copy of each of the three books in the Caitlyn series. (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize

Enter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494152/?

 

Author Bio –

Elizabeth Davies is a paranormal author, whose books have a romantic flavour with more than a hint of suspense. And death. There’s usually death…

Social Media Links –

Website – www.elizabethdaviesauthor.co.uk

Twitter  – @bethsbooks

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethDaviesAuthor/

Instagram – @elizabethdavies.author

 

 

Reading List – November 2018

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November’s Reading List is going to be a slightly unusual one. Why? Well, compared with previous months, there is going to be a distinct lack of books on it! Here me out.

For over a year now I have been planning out which books I am going to read on a monthly basis; sometimes I’ll be scheduling these a couple of months in advance. The system works, I’ll give it that. I haven’t missed a deadline for blog tours or other fixed commitments.

It’s just that sometimes, (but not always), it can feel stifling.

Don’t get me wrong. I love books and reading and that hasn’t changed, but I want to try allowing myself a little more flexibility. There are moments when it feels like I am running my hobby like a military operation. In October I read three books outside of my TBR as I had the time to do so; and do you know what I enjoyed most about that? Being able to pick anything I wanted. ANYTHING!!! The freedom felt amazing!

So, I want to try something different with my TBR this month. The idea is to set only a couple of books to read now. Then, I’ll allow myself to pick up what I want, when I want it, for the rest of the month! I’m hoping I’ll read more that way. If the speed I went through books this month is anything to go by, then I expect I will. Of course, I will keep you up to date via my weekly Sunday Summary posts.

So, which books am I committing to in November?

 

The Mansions of Murder – Paul Doherty

Mansions of Murder

Goodreads – The Mansions of Murder

Synopsis

A murdered priest, a missing body, stolen treasure: Brother Athelstan tackles his most challenging investigation to date.

October, 1381. Brother Athelstan is summoned to the church of St Benet’s in Queenhithe to investigate the murder of a priest. Parson Reynaud has been found stabbed to death inside his own locked church. Other disturbing discoveries include an empty coffin and a ransacked money chest. Who would commit murder inside a holy church? Who would spirit away a corpse the night before the funeral – and who would be brave enough to steal treasure belonging to the most feared gangleader in London?

Meanwhile, the death of one of Athelstan’s parishioners reveals a shocking secret. Could there be a connection to the murdered priest of St Benet’s?

Athelstan’s investigations will lure him into the dark and dangerous world of the gangmaster known as The Flesher, whose influence has a frighteningly long reach …

 

There is a particular reason I am setting myself the task of reading this book this month. That is, it’s been outstanding a review on Netgalley for around six months now. Oops! It’s the last book I have to read and review there. I don’t really use the service anymore – I can’t say I warmed to it. Before, I was quite adamant in saying I was going to delete my account once I had fulfilled my obligations, but I’ve changed my mind. Best to keep my options open, yes? I don’t see myself using Netgalley all that frequently going forward, however.

I had actually intended to read this book back in March, but didn’t get around to it. It also made it onto July’s TBR… but guess what? It’s still unread. Not for much longer.

 

A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin

Goodreads – A Game of Thrones

Synopsis

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall.

At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

 

I have been playing around with the idea of re-reading this series for so long, I think it’s time to bite the bullet and get on with it. I don’t need to tell fans out there that the last season of the TV show airs next year. That’s my target – I want to have re-read the books by then! It’s only just shy of around 5,000 pages… no sweat…

 

Source: Giphy

 

So, that is LITERALLY all I am including on the list! I have some other books in mind – ones I have only part read and another ARC that I am all-too-aware I have had for a few months now! Once caught up with these though, I’m as free as a bird!

Fellow bloggers, how do you manage your time? Does a TBR work for you? Do you find it helpful, or can it be restricting? I’m really interested in your thoughts. Obviously we all work in different ways and I am trying to work out what is best for me right now.