Tag: Andy Weir

Monthly Wrap-Up – June 2026

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Reading progress in June didn’t go the way I wanted. Whilst that is the theme of this monthly wrap-up, it isn’t all bad. The TBR I set myself in June was a tall order. I set out to try and complete the Goodreads Spring Reading Challenge, having only achieved half of the awards by the beginning of June. The TBR required long reads. Different reads. Too many, if I’m honest. 

I knew it was going to be the most difficult TBR to complete yet. After a gamble on reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea didn’t pay off in qualifying for the Pride Month, it set me on the back foot. It only really carried on from there… 

Less commiserating – let’s at least look at the books I did read. There is good news in this monthly wrap-up – I’m on track with my Throne of Glass readalong for the first time…. And I’ve just read book 4… Not only that, but a completed read and the discovery of a new author I want to read more from was probably the highlight of the month! 

Books Read

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Goodreads Link

My gamble with listening to Somewhere Beyond the Sea, so I could finish it in early June, didn’t quite go to plan. Well, I finished the book on the first of the month. That part was bob-on. My gamble that it qualified for the Pride Month award was scuppered though. 

To be honest, there wasn’t anything I could have done here. I had a few books on my TBR that I felt could fit. As it happens, none of them were on the list. Regardless of what I picked, I wouldn’t have got it. 

However, I have ticked a sequel off my TBR, so it’s not all doom and gloom! I really enjoyed this cozy, wholesome narrative! 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

Goodreads Link

My next carryover from May was a non-fiction about one of my favourite book and TV series of all-time – Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. I love reading about A Game of Thrones, be it the books themselves, the history, lore, or turns out, the drama of filming that which was not meant to be filmable! 

I don’t envy Dan Weiss and David Benioff. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to deliver something we have never really seen on screen before. We are now 6+ years post release of the final, fateful series, and it’s hard to recall that this was a front-runner in terms of scope and size. Now, it feels like GoT set a bar that everyone else has to live up to. We love our epics! 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon is very much all about the behind-the-scenes action – the decision-making, the thoughts of actors and their roles, and the ways in which actors discovered their characters fates. 

All in all, loved this read. There is very little ‘new’ I read about this series now. This hit the mark though! 

Project Hail Mary

Goodreads Link

Mid-month, I finished listening to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I picked this book up as it contributed to two Goodreads Spring Reading Challenge awards – Summer Reading and Escapist reads. Whilst I picked it up more for the awards, it was the best decision I made! 

The audiobook version of the book is phenomenal! It was a great listen, and the characterisation of Rocky wouldn’t have been the same on paper I don’t think. I loved Project Hail Mary so much that I immediately added Artemis and the Martian to my TBR. 

What a happy result from a book that wasn’t necessarily a reading priority but for the challenge… 

Queen of Shadows

Goodreads Link

I tried something different with my readalong book of the month in June. Instead of borrowing a digital copy of Queen of Shadows, like I did for every book in the series so far, I picked up an audiobook copy. An aspect. I struggled with in earlier books is the slower pace of setting the scene a the beginning of the book. In the hopes of getting past that, I hoped the audiobook would smooth this issue. 

I’m pleased to say it did! The other reason I opted for audio was because I was more likely to listen throughout the month and match the pace of my readalong. I generally listen more slowly and consistently. On that front, the audiobook version of Queen of Shadows worked for me as well. 

I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this one over on my YouTube channel later this week. Then, I’ll continue in the same form, diving into Empire of Storms in audio format as well. 

The Pillars of the Earth

Goodreads Link

The main downfall at the end of this month was the size of The Pillars of the Earth overwhelming me. I had set myself a target to read 42 pages a day to get through it. Was that achievable? Sure. However, once you get a little behind, it’s easy to fall off the wagon. That happened for me in June, and really that stalled my reading progress. 

Am I still enjoying The Pillars of the Earth? Yes! It’s a slower read, sure. I can lean into that. I think my expectations to finish this book, as well as pick up three others before the end of the month was just a bit much. In the later half of June, that reality crept up on me. 

I’m still plodding along with The Pillars of the Earth. My plans are to read this slowly alongside other faster-paced reads. Otherwise, I may just get stuck on it. It’s an interesting book so far, and I don’t want to waste the progress I’ve made so far by putting it down (even temporarily). 

Katabasis

Goodreads Link

In the last couple of days of the month, I needed a change of pace. So, I picked up Katabasis. As expected, this book leans into the dark academia and fantasy magical realism that I wanted. I’ve enjoyed this before in Babel, by the same author. I loved that book, and felt it was the best pick-me-up to round off the month.

And that is true. However, I didn’t read a whole lot of the book before the end of June so there isn’t a huge update in this monthly wrap-up on where I’m up to. Nevertheless, I’ve got plenty of time in July to continue this read and really get into the gritty storyline I’m hoping for. 

Behind Closed Doors

Goodreads Link

My last audiobook of the month that I started was Behind Closed Doors. It’s a pretty short book, but I only started it a few days before month-end. 

Behind Closed Doors qualified for the Community Picks award. These books were in the mystery/thriller genre. Based on the rest of my TBR, it made for a refreshing change. That’s still the case! Looking ahead at books I need to read in the next few weeks, I’m going to enjoy listening to something a little different. It’s apparent from the off that something is off in this family dynamic. But, is it what we think it is? 

Only time will tell! 

Summary

My June TBR was a little unattainable, if I’m honest. However, if I don’t push myself, I tend to fall slack on reading as well. I suppose my take away from this monthly wrap-up is that I need to find the middle ground. Give myself a little challenge, but not so much that I don’t have time for bad days, or wanting to pick up other hobbies. 

Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up! How was your reading month in June? Did you complete any challenges, or discover any new favourite authors? 

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Sunday Summary – 14th June 2026

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This week has been a busy one, and I’m glad to catch you up on my current reads and content shared in this latest Sunday Summary. 

Its felt a little weird this week. Between recent bank holidays and time off work, this was my first full week for a while. No rest for the wicked! I’ve put out a full complement of content despite a full week on my plate. Let’s take a look at what I shared… 

My first post of the week was in response to news that some libraries in the UK are effectively being censored by the councils running them. Here’s my thoughts on why I don’t agree with that. Later this week, I shared a First Lines Friday. This week’s book is a non-fiction book on my physical unread TBR. It’s topical at the moment given it addresses recently available technology. 

Over on YouTube, I shared two book reviews with you, as well as my weekly vlog video just a few minutes ago. My reviews were for books with romance links, so if you enjoy romance you are in for a treat. The first review was for Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman. The second review was for the second book of my readalong series Throne of Glass, being Crown of Midnight. 

 

Books Read

Project Hail Mary

When I caught up with you in last week’s Sunday Summary update, I had a few hours left of Project Hail Mary to finish. 

In the grand scheme, I finished this pretty quickly. I was really invested in learning the ending of the book. One aspect I really loved as well was the nerdy science that occurs naturally throughout the narrative. It’s very clear a lot of time and effort went into the research of the book. Although I haven’t read any books by Andy Weir before this one, Project Hail Mary sold me on his books. You’ll see just how much when I get to TBR additions later… 

Project Hail Mary was a fun listen, and productive in that it ticks off two Goodreads Spring Challenge achievements off the list. 

 

The Pillars of the Earth

Since last week, I’ve read 280 pages towards The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I’m a little behind the 380 page target I worked out in last week’s Sunday Summary. However, I know I can get that read once this post goes live. 

I typically spend weekends at home, with maybe a couple of short errands out and about. However, I wasn’t home most of the day yesterday and that impacted my reading time. Whilst I do read a little at the hairdressers, it’s nowhere near the quality reading time I get at home as it’s busy. Plus, I usually end up yacking with everyone there. 

So, I’m close to where I need to be and the plan is to catch up this evening. As I’m reading this book throughout the remainder of June, I need to be 760 pages into The Pillars of the Earth by my next Sunday Summary. 

For a long book, I’m getting on with the narrative. It’s for sure a slow-burn read for me, and it’s working fine. This historical fiction is engaging in its wider backdrop, but also in the scheming taking place between characters. It’s a great read so far, and I’m looking forward to reading on in the next week. 

 

Queen of Shadows

Finally, I started my next Throne of Glass readalong read. Or, in this case, listen. 

Yes, I’m picking up Queen of Shadows in audiobook format this month. Previously, I’ve struggled with pacing in the early days of the books whilst new material is unveiled. To get around the issue of reading on my phone causing distractions, and also to help with pacing, I’m trying audio this month. 

So far, I’m just shy of 20% into the opening of the book. As things stand, I have had no trouble with pacing at all. The audiobook is working well; if things continue, it’s going to be the way I finish this readalong. 

I’m invested in the series and where events are going to take us next. What happens to Celaena returning to Adarlan? I can’t wait to find out! 

 

Books Discovered

In previous weeks I’ve been pretty good for ticking books off the reading list. However, this week I’ve made up for previous good behaviour by adding The Martian and Artemis by Andy Weir. On top of those, I also added The Daughter of Auschwitz, The Twins of Auschwitz and Of Wind and Fate. 

Told you I’ve made up for recent good behaviour, didn’t I?! 

 

Coming Up… 

What I’m Reading… 

Naturally, priority next week goes to keeping pace with The Pillars of the Earth and Queen of Shadows, aka my current reads. On top of that, I’d like to get to a book I intended to get to this week, which is Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs. 

 

Blog

Coming up on the blog next week, I’ve got a different piece of content to share. I’m hoping to build a Game of Thrones related quiz. Want to test your knowledge on all things Game of Thrones? Watch this space and take the test to find out if you are a GoT buff, or if you need to re-read the series. As if you need an excuse… 

On Friday I’m back with a Shelf Control post. If you are unfamiliar with this series, I look at upcoming books on my TBR and share why I’m excited to read them. I look forward to looking ahead and discovering my next feature later this week. 

Finally, Sunday Summary is the final post to wrap-up the week. As always, I’ll recap current reads, content shared, as well as give you insight on upcoming content. Stay tuned for my next weekly update. 

 

YouTube

On YouTube, I’ve got a discussion post on subscription boxes recorded and ready for editing. As well, I have a review video for Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas coming up towards the end of next week. I hope you are as excited to hear about this book as I was to record my thoughts! 

Finally, I’ll post my weekly vlog at the end of the week to share much the same information as I do here in these Sunday Summary posts. 

 

Summary 

Thanks for reading my latest Sunday Summary. It’s been a good week, but I hope I can push on a little and get a couple of finishes in next week. 

What have you read this weekend?

 

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Sunday Summary – 7th June 2026

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Happy Sunday, fellow readers! Today’s Sunday Summary, thankfully, has a few completions and new bookish starts to share. Given the size of my June TBR, which I published earlier this week, it’s the best I can hope for in setting myself up to complete the list. 

Before I get into the reading updates, what else have I published? Here on the blog, my monthly wrap-up of May reading progress went live at the beginning of the week. Then, I shared my blog tour review of Witch Hunt by B.D. Spargo on Thursday. If you’re into thrillers set in the infamous backdrop of Lancashire’s Pendle Hill, this is definitely one to look at! 

Over on YouTube, I shared my monthly wrap-up for May, as well as my June TBR. If you’d prefer to watch or listen to those as opposed to reading the details here, there are links for you to check those out! Finally, I also posted my round-up of this week just a short time ago. I’d like to hope you’ll carry on reading as you’re here. However, if you would prefer to watch or listen to my update instead, you have the option ☺️

 

Books Read

Heir of Fire

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared hopes to finish Heir of Fire after publishing that weekly update. Well, good news, friends – I did! And you know what, it wasn’t too late either. I maybe went to bed around 00:20. A bit later than usual (although that used to be my normal…).

I really enjoyed Heir of Fire. Whilst the beginning of the book was a little slower-paced, the action has us inevitably ramping up pace and eager to get to the conclusion. It’s set up the next book in the series well, and I’m excited to read on and find out more in the very near future! 

 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Another finish to report in this Sunday Summary is Somewhere Beyond the Sea. As of last week’s update, I was 80% into this audiobook and I had around two and a half hours remaining. 

Well, I made pretty light work of it, if I’m honest. The office was quieter than usual this week with many people opting to WFH. Locally, we’ve been hosting the TT this week. Whilst I can’t say we had the best of luck with weather and red flags delaying and/or calling off the races, the disruption meant many opted to stay at home and avoid the traffic and general disruption. 

I, however, went into the office. I make no secret of the fact I don’t like WFH and so I continued to go in. As it was so quiet though, and I had some repetitive work to do, I was able to listen to Somewhere Beyond the Sea at the same time. 

This was a fun listen, and I’m glad I am now up-to-date with this series. I’m not sure if any more books are planned, but as of right now I’m caught up. It’s cosy, wholesome and great to see the children come into their own and develop confidence and solidarity. The only downside of the experience is that this book did not qualify for the Pride Month award in the Goodreads Spring 2026 Reading Challenge like I hoped. However, I wasn’t able to tell when I chose my book and on reflection, none of the books on my TBR would have qualified anyway. At least I can tick another book off the TBR though, which is a win! 

 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

Over the course of this week, I’ve progressed with Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon by James Hibberd. This carryover from my May TBR was another great read and well received. If you are unfamiliar, this book is about the challenges and behind-the-scenes detail of filming the TV show. Personally, I enjoyed the commentary on the challenges of filming such an epic show and doing what nobody else has done before. 

However, it’s not just director commentary. We get tidbits from the cast and crew that make up the whole show. Actors’ decisions on changes from the books, as well as how they’ve chosen to portray characters and how they think the characters felt at various and often divisive moments of the plot. 

I loved this book. Then again, I love A Game of Thrones. Hardly surprising the book would go down well, is it?! Since last week’s Sunday Summary, I read the final 350 pages or so to finish Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon yesterday. 

 

Project Hail Mary

I’d only just started Project Hail Mary when I updated you last week. Overall, I’d only listened to the first 1hr 20mins or so when we last chatted. Over the last 7 days, I’ve listened to around 7 hours of audio. In terms of progress, that brings me to around 70% total progress in the audiobook. 

I’ve been listening to the audiobook at x1.4 speed. It’s not often I can listen this fast, but this particular audio works well at this speed. It’s also an engaging storyline. We start the book in the perspective of present-day Ryland, who wakes up on a spaceship with two deceased colleagues. He has no memory initially of how or why he is there, but slowly flashbacks return his memory and remind him of his purpose. 

I had one blip with this book when a certain character is introduced. I felt it was a little farfetched, but it very quickly warmed on me. So, despite my reservations, I’ve really enjoyed the audiobook so far. I’m hopeful I can finish the remaining 3 hrs 40 mins very soon and discover how this book ends. I honestly have no idea where this is going to go at present! 

 

The Pillars of the Earth

Finally, I’ve started The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett this weekend. Given I only finished Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon yesterday, I’ve not had a lot of time with this book as yet. 

So far, I’ve only read the first 42 pages. It’s a token start, but one I’m hoping to build on in coming weeks. My plan for this book is to read it slowly over the course of the month. To achieve that, I need to read a minimum of 42 pages a day. I still need to read today’s quota of pages, but I’m hoping I can read a little beyond that tonight and get a little ahead. 

 

Books Discovered

This week has given the type of progress I can only hope for – several books off the TBR and no new additions! It doesn’t happen very often, let’s be honest. 

 

Coming Up… 

What I’m Reading… 

So, reading plans for next week! In terms of audiobook listens, my plan is to progress with and finish Project Hail Mary in the first half of the week ideally. Then, I’d like to move on to start Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas and start the next phase of my readalong ☺️

In terms of physical reads, I’m hoping to maintain progress with The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett so I can complete this ahead of the end of June. That means reading around 42 pages a day, so I need to be around 380 pages in time for my next Sunday Summary. That’s not the only book on my physical TBR I’d like to pick up this week. Around that, I’d like to break this up with Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs. 

 

Blog

I’ve got a couple of fun posts planned for you next week. One of these is on the back of news I read towards the end of last week about some UK libraries not being permitted to promote events around the likes of Pride Month and Black History Month. I have thoughts on the move by Reform UK who run Essex County Council, so I’ll share more on that in the coming days. 

On Friday, I’ll return with another First Lines Friday feature. One thing I’ve become very aware of recently is the size of my unread physical TBR. My plan is to take a look at some of those and find a suitable feature from the ranks. Hopefully, it inspires me to pick it up soon! 

Finally, I’ll return with another Sunday Summary update. I can only hope for another week of similar reading productivity. If I can, June’s TBR will be a breeze. 

 

YouTube

Today I recorded two review videos for next week. I want to be sure I don’t get behind. So, next week I’m sharing my thoughts on the second book of my Throne of Glass readalong, Crown of Midnight. 

I’ve also recorded a review for another romance genre novel. That one is An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. I hope you can take a look at those videos as they go live in the coming days. 

Like here, I’ll also share the equivalent of my Sunday Summary video update next Sunday. 

 

Summary 

Thanks for reading this Sunday Summary. I’m glad to share such a productive week, and can only hope it continues! 

What book have you finished recently, and what did you make of it? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2026

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***Today’s monthly wrap-up contains affiliate links to Amazon if you wish to purchase any of the books featured. If you follow any of these links, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of any book based on this post, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

I’m never not ambitious when it comes to setting a TBR. May proved to be no exception! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to all the books I planned in that TBR. Of the four TBR jar picks I pulled out, I only got to one. Even then, it’s being carried over to June and it’s a current read as of drafting this monthly wrap-up post. 

Nevertheless, I’ve had a productive month of reading! There were a couple of moments where I pushed hard to complete some of the reads for deadlines. It’s kept me on track so I have no regrets.

Let’s take a look at the books I picked up in May! 

 

Books Read 

Crown of Midnight

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

When I published last month’s monthly wrap-up, I had to hold my hands up to some pretty poor reading progress with Crown of Midnight. Given I was meant to finish the book in April, I went into May having only started the first 14%. 

Pathetic, right? Well, needless to say, my first focus of the month was to catch up with Crown of Midnight. I confess, even after all that, it still took me until mid-month to finish this second book of the Throne of Glass series. Slack, I know. However, I made good, not only on Crown of Midnight, but the sequel too. More on that one later… 

I enjoyed Crown of Midnight. A theme across the latest books I’ve read is that I start off quite slow. However, once the action is really established and starting to go down in the second half of the book, I’ll fly with it. I’d say part of that is due to the events of Crown of Midnight building significantly on Throne of Glass. The magnitude of the series gets bigger with every instalment. I love it, even if it means taking time over the detail of the book to start with. 

 

Why We Get Sick

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Amazon Purchase Link

Why We Get Sick was an impulse audiobook listen towards the end of April. After a tricky month, I pretty much wrote off my TBR in the end. Instead, to get myself out of a slump, I picked up Why We Get Sick as a change-up and to enjoy a topic I have an interest in. 

In the last couple of years, I’ve been more serious about my health. I’ve read a few books around the subject. Ultra-Processed People. The Weight’s Over. A couple of other examples. Hoping to gain information about insulin resistance and the longer-term health consequences that causes, I picked up Why We Get Sick. And you know what, it was an interesting read. The book has a focus more on the biological aspect of insulin resistance, which to be fair, is what I asked ChatGPT for when looking for a book rec on the subject. It lived entirely up to my expectations. 

Readers looking for more in the way of practical tips or lifestyle changes to make might benefit from a different read. This has a couple, but the emphasis is more on how it occurs rather than giving detailed advice on how to reverse it. 

An insightful read nonetheless! 

 

The Eagle Will Rise

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I took part in the blog tour for The Eagle Will Rise. This book is the first of a new series featuring a character I love from M.J. Porter’s The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. 

I had hoped to start this book a little earlier and not be so last-minute with reading this book. However, I found myself in a position where I only had a couple of days to pick up the book ahead of my review deadline. For the post part, that was due to taking longer to read Crown of Midnight than initially planned. 

Nevertheless, reading The Eagle Will Rise was a breeze. I’ve now read around ten books by M.J. Porter. I know her writing style, the format. What to expect, and the book 100% lived up to expectations. Thank goodness I work well under pressure, because the pace I needed to maintain for this one involved reading around 150 pages a day. This is one of two hard pushes I made with a particular title this month. 

If you want to find out more about this book, you can find my review here. 

 

Witch Hunt

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Another blog tour commitment I read towards in May is Witch Hunt. I picked this up in audiobook format well in advance of the tour. So much so, my post is due in the coming days and thankfully, I finished this book a couple of weeks ago. 

My motivation to read Witch Hunt comes from the book’s overall setting. In the shadow of Lancashire’s Pendle Hill, infamous for its associations with witchcraft and trials. Amidst modern-time accusations, the murder of one such accused woman appears all but an open and shut case. However, of course, it’s not that simple… 

My review for Witch Hunt goes live on Thursday. So, I’m going to keep my thoughts pretty short and sweet here. If you want to find out more, I hope you can come back for that review post. 

Makes a change for me not to be confessing to chasing my tail in a monthly wrap-up. Well, not for every book anyway… 

 

Heir of Fire

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Amazon Purchase Link

For the second half of the month, I made a concerted push with Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas. Heir of Fire is the sequel to Crown of Midnight and the planned reading book for May. Now obviously, I started this readalong late. In fact, I started the book mid-month. So, in fairness to fellow readers, I have this readalong open on Fable and StoryGraph until the 7th June. 

However, I got it in my head this weekend that I wanted to get back on track. So I can start Queen of Shadows nice and early, I was determined to binge-read the final 250 pages I had left in Heir of Fire yesterday. And you know what, by the skin of my teeth, I did it! I finished Heir of Fire at 00:15 last night. Technically 1st June, but before I went to bed for the evening. So, it counts in my book 😂

Heir of Fire was a repeat of Crown of Midnight in that the early events of the book invest time in expanding the places, world building, and characters we get to know in the book. 

 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

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Amazon Purchase Link

Over the course of May, I’ve been slowly progressing with Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Unlike other books on this monthly wrap-up feature, I’ve been deliberately making slow progress with it. When I planned my Completing the Goodreads Spring 2026 Reading Challenge post, I had to take a stab at an LGBTQ book I thought could qualify.

Given the final prompt was labelled Pride Month until today, I had no way of knowing what would qualify, or if it specifically needed to be a completion in June to count. So, I took a punt, and listened to this audiobook with the aim to complete it in early June. In fact, I finished it earlier today! 

The good news is that this sequel lived up to its predecessor, The House in the Cerulean Sea. It’s cute, wholesome, and charming. The characters are funny, if a little ridiculous. But that’s the fun of it. The bad news is that it doesn’t count towards the Goodreads challenge after all. Then again, nothing I have on my TBR with LGBTQ themes does, so I don’t feel too hard done by! At least I got up-to-date with the series. 

 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

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Amazon Purchase Link

The penultimate book to feature in today’s monthly wrap-up is my physical current read, Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon by James Hibberd. 

This read came out of my TBR Jar in my May TBR video on YouTube. It’s also the only TBR jar pick that made it anywhere near my ears or eyeballs this month. Don’t Fix Women, Sleeping Beauties, and The Great Hunt will just have to wait for another day… 

I picked up Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon as a breather from Heir of Fire. I needed a different subject. Something lighter. A topic I was confident I’d love. Well, we all know A Game of Thrones ticks all those boxes for me! 

Rather than a return to the main series that inspired it all, Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon is about the filming of the TV series and how HBO and the directors Dan Weiss and David Benioff achieved what had never been done before – took a series deliberately written to be larger than the screen and put it there. At times, heavily constrained by budget. The book features interviews and commentary from cast and crew on all things from casting to creative decision-making progress. It’s insightful, new to me and so entertaining yet informative, and has only tempted me to pick up the first book again a few times. 

Okay, that’s a lie… more than a few! 

As of this monthly wrap-up, featuring progress up until yesterday, I got to 116 pages in during May. I’ve already picked it up today and blitzed 30 pages over lunch. Now Heir of Fire is done, 100% of my focus is on Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. It won’t last long! 

 

Project Hail Mary

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Amazon Purchase Link

My final read of the month is my current audiobook listen, which admittedly I only just touched on in May. 

It hardly feels worthy of mention in this monthly wrap-up given I only sampled the first few minutes, then a couple of chapters, this weekend just gone. Planning ahead on how to tackle my June TBR (coming out in the next few days… stay tuned!), I decided to try Project Hail Mary in audio format. This book will do me some wonders in my efforts to complete the Goodreads Spring reading challenge. Perhaps now in jeopardy thanks to Pride Month not working out, but I may claw it back yet. We’ll see! 

With this in mind, I need to fit this in to make my book choices work harder for me. I like the narration, and I’m intrigued by the introduction. It’s the best thing I can ask for, really. More to follow on this book over the course of the month as I progress with it. 

Again, now I’ve finished Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Project Hail Mary has my full, undivided attention! 

 

Summary 

At times, May didn’t feel like a super busy or productive month. However, as this monthly wrap-up post has reminded me, that’s really not the case at all. I picked up a number of reads, some of them not small either. A few had deadlines, self-imposed or otherwise. And I hit all those targets. 

So, this monthly wrap-up is a bit of a success story, even if I didn’t get to the whole TBR. It was a long shot anyway, and regardless, I had a great time with these reads! 

What did you read over the course of May – any recommendations for me? 

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Sunday Summary – 31st May 2026

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Somehow we’re at the end of another week… and the end of May! How has it gone this fast? In my latest Sunday Summary, I catch you up on the books I’ve made progress with this week and what content I’ve shared. As well, I update you on one book I’ve added to my TBR this week, and finally, what to expect coming up over the next seven days. Buckle up and get comfortable! 

First, let’s recap content I’ve shared this week. On the blog, I shared a Top Ten Tuesday in which I featured My Favourite Reads by My Favourite Authors. On Friday, I shared my latest Shelf Control post, looking at an upcoming historical fiction on my TBR with a strong female lead. 

Over on YouTube, I published two videos for your entertainment. The first of those was a book review of a book I read back in February – Grace by A.M. Shine. If you enjoy Gothic horror with an Irish mythology twist, or at least the idea of that, go check out that post! Yesterday, I then published My Must-Read Recommendations. If you want a feel for my reading taste, as well as a chance to get some varied book recommendations, go check out that video! 

I’ve also published my Sunday Summary video equivalent of this post, if you want to take a look at that. 

 

Books Read

Heir of Fire

I’m on a mission to finish Heir of Fire before I turn in tonight. This morning, I started off at 63% progress in the book (compared to 20% as of last week’s Sunday Summary). Right now, around 8 p.m. as I’m drafting this post, I’m 81% in. The action is KICKING OFF – I’m 100% finishing this book tonight if it’s the last thing I do. I’m hooked, keen to find out not only how this book ends, but also how it queues up the next book. Where do we go from here? 

For a series I didn’t anticipate enjoying, I’m getting on well with it. Sometimes getting into the books is a little slow, but once all the plot points start to come together, I find the books easy to run with. 

I’m also set on finishing Heir of Fire tonight so I’m on time with my own readalong, for once! I’ve been running late the whole time so far. The books get even longer after this one, so I can’t afford to run late.

Wish me luck on finishing this one tonight – my final motivator is that my library loan is due back tomorrow… 

 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Over the course of this week, I’ve listened to around 45% of Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Add that to the 33% progress I was at last week, and you can see I’m nearly done with this audiobook. 

You may recall in last week’s Sunday Summary that this lines up with what I wanted to achieve. I’m reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea in the hopes it qualifies for the Goodreads Spring 2026 Reading Challenge Pride month prompt. Not knowing if I needed to finish this in June, Pride month itself, I’ve deliberately paced this to finish the audiobook in early June. 

As of this Sunday Summary I’m 80% through. So, all-in-all, I’ve largely achieved that goal of lining this up for an early June finish. The final 20% will take around 2 and a half hours to finish. I’ve consistently been listening to 45 mins of the book before bed on average. Now though, I can listen to an hour for the next couple of evenings and polish this off promptly! 

I had some concerns that Somewhere Beyond the Sea may be a little repetitive of the first book in the series, The House in the Cerulean Sea. However, I’m pleased to say that’s proven not to be the case at all. It’s charming, funny, and I can’t wait to see how the book wraps up. I guess I’ll find out in the next couple of days… 

 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I’d just started Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon as a change-up from Heir of Fire. I’ve been solidly reading Sarah J. Maas for most of May, so I appreciated the change of genre and style. 

Over the course of this week, I’ve continued to turn to Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon to take a break from Heir of Fire. I’ve loved the tidbits of detail that unfurl throughout this behind-the-scenes account of the filming of A Game of Thrones. From cast interviews and commentary to editorial decisions on how things were filmed and why, it’s been insightful. It’s also a fun way to enjoy the series I love whilst also reading something new. Once I’ve finished Heir of Fire, I’m excited to make Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon my reading priority. 

 

Project Hail Mary

Finally, I started Project Hail Mary this week. Planning ahead for my June TBR, I sampled the audiobook before getting a copy to make sure the narrative style was something I could gel with. I’m happy with it, and I continued listening on for a couple of chapters. 

Listening on gave me a chance to get into the first couple of chapters and get a feel for the introductory setting of the book. I’m intrigued, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into Project Hail Mary properly once I’m done with Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon! 

 

Books Discovered

Whilst doom-scrolling on Facebook this week, I came across the author page for today’s addition to my TBR. I’m intrigued by the premise of a book featuring a dragon that’s based on the author’s experience of disability. It’s a unique idea, and one I’m keen to explore more when I read it for myself! So, I’ve added Wing Weaver by A.P. Beswick to my TBR. 

 

Coming Up… 

What I’m Reading… 

Naturally, reading progress the rest of tonight is going to be Heir of Fire. After that, I’ll plough on with Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. Likewise on the audio front, Somewhere Beyond the Sea is my priority listen and I should make light work of it. Then, I’m on to Project Hail Mary. 

However, I’m sure you’re keen to get a feel for what comes up next. With that in mind, the physical book I’m going to start after Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It’s the chunkiest book on my upcoming June TBR. Coming in at over 1000 pages, I’m going to need plenty of time to get stuck in. 

On the audiobook front, what comes after Project Hail Mary? Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m toying with a couple of options right now. Do I try Throne of Glass in audio format, or try to hit some of the lesser page count reads that’ll contribute to the Goodreads Spring 2026 Reading Challenge that way? Honestly, I haven’t decided yet. 

 

Blog

We’re in for a busy week next week. With the end of the month looming, it’ll soon be time for my monthly wrap-up post to recap progress in May. I enjoy these posts, but they are usually lengthy. I’m looking forward to sharing my progress in May, as well as letting you know for sure if I finish Heir of Fire! 

Next, I’ve got an audiobook review of Witch Hunt due on Thursday. I’ve listened to this audiobook already, so I can start preparing my thoughts ahead of time. Makes a change to be able to not write this last minute! 

After that obligation is taken care of, my June TBR is my next priority. It’s largely shaped by my Completing the Goodreads Spring 2026 Reading Challenge. Where before I kept my options open with book choices, I’m nailing those down in my June TBR based on page count and reading preferences. 

It hardly feels worth mentioning as it’s a given at this point. But, to be clear, I’m back with another Sunday Summary to roundup the week. No surprises there… 

 

YouTube

Today I recorded two videos that I’ll edit and release next week. In line with expectations of my blog content next week, I’ll release my monthly May wrap-up first and then my June TBR shortly thereafter. 

 

Summary 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary. It feels like a long one, but I’m pleased to have plenty to share with you! Have you read any of the books I feature today? What are you reading in the coming days? 

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