Tag: Barack Obama

Sunday Summary – 15th February 2026

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Today’s Sunday Summary comes after a busy week. Both work and blog deadlines took their toll, so I’ve deliberately enjoyed a more relaxed weekend! 

Early in the week, I started off my blog with a post about books that inspired me to pick up another read. These are less obvious choices rather than sequels to series ands the like. I’ve got three books and what they inspired me to read next if you’re interested. Next, my deadline for reviewing Grace fell on Thursday. It was a pleasure to review this horror novel and launch the tour on a very positive note 😊

Over on YouTube, I published a review of my first 5* read of the year, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Later in the week, details of the Goodreads Winter Challenge I’m looking to complete before 31st March! It’s the first time I’m pushing myself to complete one of these. However, with five of twelve achievements under my belt, there’s no reason I can’t achieve it.. .

The Shelf Control that stayed in drafts last week by accident also didn’t get published this week, but for an entirely different reason. All I have to do is make it live and share the link. However, I unfortunately had to work overtime on Friday and didn’t finish until quite late. After a busy week and then that on top, I decided to just let that post roll to next week. You understand, yes? 

 

Books Read

Dreams from my Father

When I shared last week’s Sunday Summary, I disclosed I had just over 3 hours left of the audiobook of Dreams from my Father to go. Admittedly I finished this on Monday this week. Having enjoyed the audiobook to date, I was keen to reach the conclusion and that shows in how I devoured the last part of the book. 

Dreams from my Father lived up to my expectations. After reading and being pleasantly surprised my A Promised Land, I was excited to delve more into Barack’s personal history and story. It did not disappoint. The book is insightful and somewhat emphasises his priorities as a person and why he stands for the things he does. I had no idea he had lived in Indonesia for a stretch of his childhood, or the path that could have taken him away from the life he lived as we know it. 

Very interesting book – I’m glad I read it! 

 

Grace

Another finish on Monday was Grace by A.M. Shine. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as I needed to prioritise this to share my review on Thursday. 

This horror was totally atmospheric and I loved the small town, dark and supernatural tale. It was twistier than I expected! A fun read, a different read, and one I’d recommend to all fans of the genre. If you want to find out more, my review is live and ready to read here should you want to take a look. Pretty please? 😅

 

Dear Debbie

My planned audiobook listen, which I’ve picked up earlier in the week is Dear Debbie. 

Having enjoyed the Housemaid series in audiobook format, it made sense to me to read this one in the same way! Also, as I have a number of physical and digital books to read this month, it helped the book fit into my schedule. 

I’ve enjoyed the start of this books far, through I wouldn’t call that a surprise. The sarcasm the protagonist shined through in her Dear Debbie column. I love it, and can’t wait to listen on how the story progresses. I’m putting a small pause on it, because I need to prioritise a library loan listen I picked up opportunistically… 

 

An Offer From a Gentleman

A spur of the moment listen is Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman. You may recall I read The Duke and I and DNF’d The Viscount Who Loved Me. After that DNF, I didn’t think I would continue with the series. However, with Bridgerton back on Netflix, I decided to listen to this as I watched the show. I’ve overtaken the series already, having only watched the first episode and most of the second. However, I’m doing alright with this audiobook so far… 

I’ve just extended my loan as the audiobook was due to return on Tuesday. Whilst I managed to listen to over a third of this audiobook yesterday (36%), I’m not going to get a solid opportunity to listen like that before Tuesday. I’ve extended a week, so I can hopefully listen whilst commuting and maybe at the gym throughout the week and finish it next Saturday. 

For a person who doesn’t love romance, I’m not doing bad right now. It goes to show I can read the genre when I put my mind to it… 

 

Throne of Glass

My final read of the week also pushes me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never read Sarah J Maas before. However, I’ll wax lyrical about my being a diverse reader and picking up a variety of books, so why not?! I’m actually reading this for book club later this month. It’s one of two reads I’m picking up to discuss in this month’s club, but this is the book I have a copy of right now. The other is on order 😊

So far, I confess to being pleasantly surprised by Throne of Glass. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve gone into the book with a big question mark over whether I’ll like it. However, as of this Sunday Summary I’m 26% into the book and actually enjoying it! 

I’ve not hit any of the romance aspect of the book yet, although I have my suspicion as to who it’ll be with. Otherwise through, Throne of Glass is proving quite readable and I’m keen to progress with this one to give more of an update in next week’s Sunday Summary. 

 

Books Discovered

The last few weeks I’ve been trickling books onto the TBR. I figured I needed to give it a rest, otherwise this list of mine is never going to go down! 

No new books this week… but I make no promises for next 😅📚

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

My blogging adventures next week begin with a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is ‘Books for Armchair Travellers’. I suspect my version of this topic will weigh a little heavy in historical fiction books, but I will of course try to diversify with genres as best I can. 

The infamously late Shelf Control post will go live next week, even if I have to schedule it in advance! I might do that actually, so then there is LITERALLY. NO. EXCUSE. 

Then, of course, we all know I’ll round up my latest reading updates in another Sunday Summary. Same time next week. Set your watches. 

 

YouTube

I’ve got two long-form videos lined up, as well as some shorts and other social media content planned. The first of those two videos is my next book review from my 2026 January TBR (Notes on a Nervous Planet). Later in the week, I’ve got some book recommendations for Game of Thrones fans looking for alternative series whilst we wait for George R.R. Martin’s next instalment! 

That’s plenty to update you with in this Sunday Summary – I’ll let you get on with the rest of your day, but not before you tell me what you’re currently reading ⏬

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Sunday Summary – 8th February 2026

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My Sunday Summary update can only mean one thing friends… we’re at the end of yet another week! Why do the weekends fly by? Granted, I’ve had a busy one between a hair colour refresh and trying desperately to finish the kitchen off this weekend. Shock horror – still not done! However, I have just one baseboard left so I can see the finish line. 

Other than work and the humdrum of domestic life, I’ve read and blogged and done all my usual content creation. Here on the blog, I’ve shared my monthly TBR for February. I was also meant to share a Shelf Control post featuring a historical fiction classic I can’t believe I’ve not read yet. However, something went wrong there and the post is still just a draft rather than published. I’ll publish that soon, I promise! 

Over on YouTube, I published my video monthly wrap-up for January and my February TBR there. It was fun to record these and share my reads in a video format – if you haven’t taken a look at these yet, I’ve provided links if you want to go and watch for yourself! 

 

Books Read

After the Forest

I started this week continuing with progress with After the Forest. In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was 40% through the book. 

I’m pleased to say I finished the book midweek. After the Forest is a fairytale retelling that spins off of Hansel and Gretel. Greta, or Margareta as she is known in this tale, is viewed with suspicion after she is rumoured to have vanquished an old woman when she was a child. In a setting riven with war and witchcraft trials, she’s in a precarious position. 

Despite the darker aspects of this narrative, this book has its cozy elements. There’s a romance in the book if that’s something you love in your narratives. It also overlaps with another fairytale, which I really enjoyed. After the Forest was cleverly written, and it was refreshing to read something a little bit different. 

Ultimately, I rated After the Forest 3.5 stars. It was a fun read, and nice to pick up something I’ve not really read before. 

 

Grace

Grace is my second phyiscal read of the week. It has a very different tone, and one I’m really getting on with. Set on Croaghnakeela, an island off the west coast of Ireland, feels desolate yet also somewhat familiar. Living on an island not geographically too far away from Croaghnakeela myself, the atmosphere is painted both sinister, but also ringing of truth. 

Grace is a horror novel with a mystery I can’t wait to unravel. I’m 46% into this narrative as of today’s Sunday Summary, and already we have a healthy foundation for the story. However, I feel there is still a lot to uncover. The residents of this island have hidden secrets for a long time, and I can’t wait to find out the island’s past to uncover current events. 

I’m reviewing Grace as part of an organised blog tour next week. Naturally, finishing Grace is my immediate priority. I’m excited to read this book. The tone and events have me keen to find out what’s going on. It’s fair to say I’m hooked – I hope you can check out my post on Thursday. 

 

Dreams from my Father

From the 10% progress of last week’s Sunday Summary, I’ve listened to a further 7 hours of audio this week. Dreams from my Father has proved an interesting listen. I’m not surprised by this fact! After listening to A Promised Land last year, I was confident I’d enjoy Dreams from my Father. 

Well, it’s fair to say I am, given I’ve listened to over half of the book this week. The book ultimately is about Barack’s attempts to discover his identity in a confusing time for him. Born as a mixed race man in a time where society frowned on such relationships, he grew up without a stable father figure in his life. He did meet his father, but only briefly and he spent most of his life not really knowing who he was, and ultimately then, Barack’s heritage. 

As of this Sunday Summary, I have just over three hours left of the audiobook left. If this week’s progress is anything to go by, I’m optimistic I’ll be reporting a finish of this book very soon. 

 

Books Discovered

I added two books to my TBR this week. The first is a book called At Night All Blood is Black. It’s a very short read at 145 pages. But, it’s a powerful one about the exploitation of men of colour during World War 1. After reading more about it in a mailing from The Booker Prizes earlier this week, I knew I wanted to give this short novel a go! 

Next, I added The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. I saw this book featured on Instagram in a post about fantasy written by female authors. This book blends together Irish mythology and history (Vikings) with one of my favourite genres – fantasy. It sounds amazing, and I’m intrigued to read a fantasy based somewhere close to home. 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

Starting early next week, I’ll be featuring a few books I’m planning to read this year that I’ve been inspired to read based on other books. One of these comes from as recently as a book on my January 2026 TBR. I hope you’re as intrigued as I am to explore some of these. 

On Thursday, I’m sharing my thoughts on Grace by A.M. Shine. This is proving a fantastic read. I’m glad I signed up for the tour and I really can’t wait to share my thoughts on this book in the coming days! 

Next, I’ll post the Shelf Control that was meant to go live this Friday. Remember, that’s a historical fiction classic and a well-known title exploring domestic and sexual abuse. Can you recognise the title from that description?

Finally, next week’s Sunday Summary will inevitably roll around quicker than the blink of an eye. I’ll be back with my latest updates, including a I hope a few finishes from my February TBR. 

 

YouTube

On my new YouTube channel, I’ve got details of a reading challenge I’m setting myself in late February and March 2026. I hope you can check this one out, as it explains why my February TBR isn’t too heavy on page-count. 

Then, I’ve got a review of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang lined up. Yellowface was my first 5* read. Check out my review later this week to see why! 

 

That’s everything from me in my latest Sunday Summary update. Thanks for reading! What book are you currently reading or listening to? 

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Monthly TBR – February 2026

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***My February 2026 monthly TBR contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

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

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February’s monthly TBR features seven books, and somehow still manages to leave headroom for a reading challenge I’ll start later this month. I’m ambitious as always! This monthly TBR features two carryovers, two blog tour obligations, two book club reads and one new release I’m hoping to finish this list with. 

Even then, I’m hoping to get to another book or two before the end of the month. The successful start I enjoyed in January has lit a fire under my … well, you know. I’m keen to keep up the momentum! February may be the shorter month of the year, but I don’t want it to be my least successful. 

Let’s dive into my planned reads on this monthly TBR. 

 

Fixed Reads 

After the Forest

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Last month I planned to read After the Forest by Kell Woods as part of the Cottagecore Fantasy book club run by cozysabie. Whilst that did happen to an extent, I didn’t get to finish the book before the end of the month. 

With that in mind, After the Forest is my priority finish given its my current read as of the beginning of February. In my January wrap-up post, I shared progress to the tune of 40% of the book. As of writing this monthly TBR I’m already further along (60%) and looking to mark this as a finish within a few days tops. 

 

Grace

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Amazon Purchase Link

Next, I’ve got a blog tour commitment for the 12th February, so that needs to be my next read. Compared to the fairytale retelling (with some darker themes) that is After the Forest, this gothic horror with Irish mythology is likely to feel very different… 

I’m excited though! I’ve not read horror for a while. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever read around the topic of Irish mythology. I like the idea – in fact, its the reason I wanted to try the book. Here’s hoping I enjoy it and I can persuade you to read it in my upcoming review next Thursday! 

 

The Three Witches

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Amazon Purchase Link

Another blog tour commitment, although thankfully not until 1st March, is to review The Three Witches. This book is a historical fiction novel based around the three witch characters from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I don’t know a lot about this book other than the spirits of these characters pop up repeatedly over the course of history – its a timeslip narrative. 

This multi-perspective, multi-storyline book caught my attention and I can’t wait to read it and share my thoughts in the coming weeks!

 

Dreams from my Father

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Amazon Purchase Link

Last month, after DNF’ing The Doors of Midnight and finishing The Great Passage, I picked up Dreams from my Father. I wanted to pick up this audiobook after enjoying A Promised Land last year. I was pleasantly surprised by that audiobook – it turned out to be one of my favourite reads of 2025.

The focus of Dreams from my Father is a little different. Instead of being about Barack’s presidency and his political aims, Dreams from my Father is instead about exploring his heritage and discovering his identity. 

So far, I’ve listened to a couple of hours of this audiobook and I’m keen to continue with it and see where it goes.

 

Throne of Glass

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I announced yesterday that I’m hosting a readalong for Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series. I’ve never tried any of her books before. However, in an effort to try some more mainstream books and make content about them, I’ve chosen to read this series over the next seven months. 

Throne of Glass may well push me out of my comfort zone. That’s not a bad thing though. Even if the book and series doesn’t end up being a favourite, I’m sure I have a lot to gain from giving it a go. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about these books as well. If you wish, join my readalongs on Fable and/or StoryGraph and I’ll post updates on my progress on YouTube. Stay tuned! 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

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Amazon Purchase Link

I run a book club at work, and I’ve set a theme of Love in All Its Forms for our February meet. 

Towards this theme, I’m hoping to read two books this month. The first coincides with my Throne of Glass readalong – it has significant romantic sub-plots after all, so it works. I’m also hoping my reading this one will relate to some different readers amongst my colleagues. Generally, I don’t read a lot of romance. 

However, the second book I’m planning to read also has a romantic relationship at the heart of its story. It’s also a little more ‘academic’ in nature in that this book is on modern school syllabuses. Whereas I are up reading Of Mice and Men, this is a new take on Depression era America. It’s also a good pick for reading around Black History Month. Win-win!

 

Mood Reads

Dear Debbie

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

If I get to the end Dreams from my Father, and there is no reason I shouldn’t, then I’m picking up a 2026 Highly Anticipated Release I shared in a recent YouTue video. Freida McFadden recently released Dear Debbie. With my intentions to feature more topical, current new releases on my mind, I want to read Dear Debbie now. That way, I can share my review on this book whilst its still a hot topic on people’s minds, and maybe encourage you to read this one too. 

All being well and if I enjoy this one as much as I expect, I’ll then be turning to Freida McFadden’s backlist. 

 

Summary 

My official February TBR has a healthy number of books on the list. Stats fans – I’ve got 1,400 pages and 17hrs 40mins on today’s list.

The size of the books on this monthly TBR should give me time towards the end of the month to pick ups some different reads. I have a bit of a reading challenge in mind to take into March. In my 2025 wrap-up post I shared an update on a resolution that didn’t get much focus in 2025. Whilst I’m not planning to revive this goal (I didn’t set it in my 2026 resolutions post), I’m thinking as a one-off I’d like to have a stab at completing the Goodreads Winter Challenge. 

That needs me to read a selection of books not on this list, but I’m no less looking forward to. Not all of the challenges have been revealed. One remains a mystery, but I’ve chosen a reading list that ticks the boxes of all challenge but the last unrevealed challenge. For that one, I’ve planned a read I think will fit the prompt but if nothing else, features on my fixed TBR for 2026. It won’t be a wasted effort in any case! 

So, that’s my February TBR. Have you read any books I feature on this list? Does anything catch your eye? 

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Sunday Summary – 1st February 2026

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Happy Sunday friends! At the end of a busy weekend trying to get the kitchen DIY finished (spoiler alert, we didn’t!), I’m ready to sit down, set down my reading progress for the week and generally have a catch up with you in this Sunday Summary update. 

In terms of content I’ve already shared this week, I published my blog tour review of Dark Chronicles by Karmen Spiljak on Tuesday. On Friday, my First Lines Friday featured a read I’m planning to pick up in the near future. Then, yesterday I shared my monthly wrap-up for January. Phew… but that’s not all… 

On YouTube, I shared two videos – my Best Books of 2025 and my review of Beyond Redemption by Michael Fletcher. 

 

Books Read

The Great Passage

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I had just an hour left of The Great Passage. 

Being so close to the end of the book, I was motivated to finish the book pretty quickly. Monday was the day. The Great Passage was a fun and insightful listen and I loved the cultural aspects of the narrative. 

Whilst I wanted to read the book for its focus on language and words, I got so much more out of this book than that. Originally written in Japanese and translated, the book takes a very different line of focus. As someone who reads more Westernised novels, it was both a refreshing change and the type of book I need to broaden my horizons. 

 

After the Forest

Whilst I haven’t made an awful lot of progress this week, I have picked up After the Forest some more. 

I’m still enjoying the book, and I’m around 40% as of this Sunday Summary update. I’m heading into February with about 225 pages left in this book. With where the story has taken us so far, I’m, not entirely sure what to expect next. 

Just a quick one from me on this book. Stay tuned for more on this one next week! 

 

Dreams from my Father

With The Great Passage finished off early doors, I started Barack Obama’s Dreams from my Father. After enjoying A Promised Land this time last year, I knew I wanted to try more of his books. Dreams from my Father was written earlier than A Promised Land, but it still reads just as well. 

Given the audio format worked well for me before, I chose to stick to what I know. Like A Promised Land, Dreams from my Father is also narrated by the man himself. It makes it much more a personal experience. Given he’s focussing on his heritage and seeking his identity in these pages, it works really well. 

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m just over 10% in and looking forward to listening more in the next seven days. I’ll share my next update, and hopefully a good chunk of progress, next week. 

 

Books Discovered

I purchased a copy of a book as a gift this week that I’ve decided to read for myself. I have a good deal of overlap with this particular person, so its no surprise that I ended up adding The Traitor’s Circle to my TBR. 

It leans into my enjoyment of WW2 novels, and its a bit of a different style to those I’ve read more recently. 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

On the blog next week, I’ve got plenty of fun content coming your way! My first post is an announcement for a readalong of a very popular series I’m starting in February. In the spirit of reading a little more mainstream than I ever have before, I’ve got a popular author and series I’m trying for the first time ever. It’s a series and author that puts myself out of my comfort zone. However, I don’t know what I think until I give it a go. I’ve challenged myself and been pleasantly surprised before! 

Then, on Wednesday, I’m publishing my monthly TBR for February. I’ve got a few reading obligations for February, but I’m also not over-subscribing this month. I have another reading challenge in mind that I want to pick up from late February into March. So, I’m deliberately leaving headroom so I can pick books up towards that. 

On Friday, another Shelf Control post goes live. In this week’s instalment, I have a classic historical fiction novel I tried years ago, but didn’t really get into before having to return my library loan. 

Finally, this time next week I’m back with another Sunday Summary update. Fingers crossed I have more of a reading update for you next week. 

 

YouTube

In terms of YouTube content, I’ve got my monthly wrap-up for January coming up, and my February TBR. I hope you can keep an eye out for those coming out. And, if you follow BookTube and BookTubers, please consider subscribing to my new channel 😅 

That’s all from me in this Sunday Summary. What have you read or added to your reading list recently? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2026

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***Today’s monthly-wrap-up contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

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

 

The beginning of the year and setting my January TBR feels like both yesterday and a distant memory. This month has been a tale of two halves. In terms of reading progress and motivation, January has flown. Financially though, January is the looooongest month of the year. 

I’m pleased with this month’s reading progress. I got to all but one book on my January TBR, and started one extra audiobook after finishing with both the audiobooks I had on the list. 

 

Books Read 

Orbital 

Amazon Purchase Link 

I wanted to start the year with a relatively quick read. Perhaps my choice of Orbital was a little misguided on account of the page count, however it was a fantastic read. 

What Orbital lacks in page count, it makes up for in thought-provoking content. From intimate detail on life in space with five other people to the fragility of life and the pull of the Earth, this book appealed to me for its content and didn’t fail to deliver. I’ve already shared my full thoughts on the book on my new YouTube channel. If you’re interested in finding out more about this Booker prizewinner, please take a look at my video 🥺

 

Beyond Redemption 

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I started Beyond Redemption in December but didn’t get too far before the end of the month. After finishing Orbital, I revisited this book. The pacing of Beyond Redemption didn’t quite work for me, so it took me until mid-January to finish it. 

In my recent YouTube review of Beyond Redemption, I shared what worked and what didn’t work for me. Ultimately, I finished the book and rated it three stars. The premise was really appealing and I had high hopes for Beyond Redemption. In practice, it didn’t quite live up to my expectation. Want to deep dive into my thoughts on this one? Here’s my video review. 

 

The Doors of Midnight 

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I made a healthy start to The Doors of Midnight back in December and I was optimistic that it was going to be a five star read of January. However, I ultimately decided to DNF this audiobook. 

When it came down to it, I found the narrative a little repetitive and interest waned. As and when opportunities came up to listen to this book, I found myself making excuses and picking up other things. That says a lot. To take a break, I started my second audiobook of the month and after enjoying that one more, it brought home to me more that I was no longer enjoying The Doors of Midnight. So, that was the decider for me. 

 

Yellowface

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Looking for a pick-me-up after Beyond Redemption, I turned to an author I know I’ve enjoyed historically. Of course R.F. Kuang did not disappoint once again! 

Picking up Yellowface is quite different from the two books I’ve read of hers to date (Babel and The Poppy War). However, she is the type of author who can write from a variety of backgrounds yet also discuss topics that clearly mean a lot to her to feature. 

If you are unfamiliar, Yellowface is heavily about cultural appropriation and the public perception of a white author publishing a story from a minority background. I loved how this was explored, as well as the nature of being an author and the publishing industry as a whole. Needless to say, Yellowface was the hit I hoped for, and needed. 

 

The Great Passage

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The Great Passage is the audiobook I picked up after DNF’ing The Doors of Midnight. I had high hopes for this audiobook already, but I especially wanted to love this book after being disappointed by that audio. 

Thankfully, The Great Passage fared much better. What I really enjoyed about this audiobook is that the setting is culturally very different. It opened my eyes to a completely different way of life. I picked up this book because I loved its passion and focus on words, meanings, and the compiling of a dictionary. It excelled at all those things, but the appreciation for the cultural insights this book gives is what made it a well-rounded experience. 

 

The Courage to be Disliked

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Unfortunately, The Doors of Midnight wasn’t my only DNF of the month. This month, I set a theme including self-help, learning and development for book club. On my January TBR I set out my intentions to pick up I Know I’m in There Somewhere. However, it turns out this book is very hard to get a hold of. Instead, I picked up The Courage to be Disliked…. But only read 21% before DNF’ing. 

The novelty of the dialogue-style narrative quickly wore off. If readers are meant to find the character of the unnamed ‘youth’ relatable, unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark with me. They are argumentative, combative and I didn’t gel with them at all. However, I also felt the ‘professor’ was a little off too. No doubt his role was to teach the principles of Adler, and they are what they are. I didn’t agree with all of what was discussed either. 

Consequently, The Courage to be Disliked didn’t last long under my nose before being set aside. 

 

Notes on a Nervous Planet

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I turned to a well-known and trusted author again after this latest DNF. 

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is one of my favourite books in recent history. His unique insight into mental health difficulties shone through in Notes on a Nervous Planet. This short and approachable read, written in short chapters, informal notes and tips for limiting the impact of our modern world on our mental health was insightful. I practice some of these already, such as limiting exposure to the news. However, it discusses a number of topics, like technology, social media and consumerism to name just a few. 

The format of this book was quite unique, and as a result I flew through this already short book. It’s definitely encouraging me to read more of his books – I have The Midnight Train to look forward to in 2026, but also some backlist titles like Reasons to Stay Alive on my radar as well.  

 

Dark Chronicles

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I signed up to review a collection of suspenseful speculative fiction stories late this month. Admittedly, I was quite late picking up this collection. However, its ease to read world in my favour so I could review these on my blog earlier this week.

For a short book, I still had plenty to say about this 178 page collection. Instead of repeating myself in this monthly wrap-up, instead I’ll direct you to my published review.

 

After the Forest

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Finally, this monthly wrap-up gets to my current and carried forced reads into February. 

After the Forest is my chosen Cottagecore Fantasy read for this month as part of the Cottagecore Fantasy book club. If you like fairytale retellings, this book will also be right up your alley. 

Building upon the well-known fairytale Hansel and Gretel, After the Forest brings darker topics like addiction, war and witchcraft into the future lives of the children. With trouble on their doorstep, Greta is doing everything she can to keep her brother Hans and her afloat. Suspicion is never far away, given her past. 

So far, I’m enjoying this quite dark retelling. As fairytales go, it’s far from light and fluffy anyway. It feels like a great story to use as a launchpad for this type of tale. As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m 40% into the book and excited to see its conclusion. 

 

Dreams from my Father

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Finally, the last book to feature in this epic monthly wrap-up (it feels as long as January did!) is Dreams from my Father. With my audiobooks planned for January either finished of DNF’d, I wanted to pick up my next audio. My preference is to have an audiobook on the go all the time, as it means I can maximise reading time when doing tasks where I can’t read traditionally. 

In the last couple of days, commuting to and from work, I’ve started to listen to Barack Obama personally recount is exploration of his origins and his dream to discover his identity. Dreams from my Father is very much about his heritage and background. About how he felt adrift growing up, given his obvious African heritage but lack of the father who shared it with him. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m only 11% or so into this audiobook. As I said, I only really started this in the final few days of the month, and only whilst driving. I would have been a little further on if I didn’t fluff up earlier today and accidentally skip back to the beginning of my chapter. I couldn’t fix it whilst driving, so that could have been another 20 minutes or so. Never mind… 

 

Summary 

Despite a couple of DNF’s, I count January’s progress a success! I have six completions to my name at the end of this monthly wrap-up, with two more books in progress. In terms of my Goodreads Challenge, I’m getting ahead early. I don’t think I could have asked for a better start to 2026. 

How many books have you picked up this January? Have you had a good start to the year? 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Surprised Me

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post, I’m sharing the ten books that surprised me. Most are for good reasons, although there are a couple of exceptions to that rule.

Very often we go into books with a preconception of what we’re going to make of it. The books in today’s Top Ten Tuesday post are featured today because they didn’t live up to this preconception, for one reason or another. I’ll explain why for each book below.

Books That Surprised Me

A Promised Land

I had my doubts about whether I’d enjoy the A Promised Land and a book with a heavy emphasis on politics. It’s not a topic I’ve ever really taken much interest in before.

I think it helped that the book was written by (and the audiobook narrated by) Barack Obama. I quite like him as a person and I already had an idea of the family history through reading Becoming by his wife, Michelle.

Don’t expect me to be reading books by any and all politicians now. But this was a pleasant surprise.


Ship of Magic

In contrast to Assassin’s Apprentice, I didn’t take to Ship of Magic straight away. Having read three books in the wider series so far and then changing to something set in a world seemingly completely different, it took some time for me to adjust.

I confess I also wasn’t sure initially of how I felt about the magic around the ships. It was a bit of an odd concept, but I came to love it over the course of the trilogy.


Empire of the Damned

Empire of the Damned surprised me in a good way. Having loved the first book of the series as much as I did, I had very high expectations, and therefore doubts, that the second instalment could live up to the first. I’m pleased to say that I was very wrong!

I really enjoyed the further character development and seeing where the plot is starting to go. If there’s one thing I like in my books, it’s feeling a little bit of worry or concern for characters. I never know if they’re going to make it out of a sticky situation or not. It adds tension to an already action-packed and exciting narrative, and I’m looking forward to continuing this series!


The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I confess The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a book that surprised me in a less positive way.

After watching the film at the cinema when it came out, I decided to pick up the book pretty much straight after. However, I struggled a little with motivation to finish the book despite loving the series.

I expect this is because I’d watched the film and didn’t have the anticipation of ‘discovering’ the ending. Still, I got there in the end!


Wizard and Glass

Wizard and Glass surprised me as the vast majority of the book isn’t set in the present day. In contrast to the earlier books in the series, this one largely recounts how characters have ended up where they are to date.

This didn’t really fit with the rest of the series to my mind. Earlier info drops (albeit on the lighter side, admittedly) were interspersed with the present-day action. However, Wizard and Glass provided important context, and in hindsight, this probably couldn’t have been covered in any depth in any other way.


A Brief History of Time

I went into reading A Brief History of Time with the worry that it would be too technical a book for me to understand. That proved not to be the case, though!

I’m by no means a scientific brain, so I’d say this is largely approachable to anyone with an interest in the subject. Whilst there is a good level of detail in the book if you wish to delve that far, it’s not essential to complete the book or understand the topics within.


Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine surprised me because I allowed myself to be disarmed by the main character.  I trusted her perspective more than I think I would and should have in hindsight.

It made for good reading though, and when the twist came I felt a little daft for not seeing it for myself.


The Lost Metal

The Lost Metal finds itself on the list of books that surprised me because I didn’t expect the ending. I both enjoyed and railed at its ending; only a handful of books make me cry. The Lost Metal reduced me to tears at the very end.

The Lost Metal is a fantastic series and one I’ll read again. As much as a part of me was sad it was the end, the way it ended was the icing on the cake.


As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

The book As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow surprised me because it’s a very different contemporary fiction to what I normally listen to/read. Still, I was captivated by the story and the cultural aspect of the book. I loved this book so much that it made my list of debut novels I enjoyed.

Also, as a bonus, I didn’t anticipate an unreliable narrator in this story. It’s a favourite element of mine.


Golden Son

Sadly, I have to end this Top Ten Tuesday post with a book that surprised me in a bad way.

I loved the first book of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series. However, the sequel Golden Son fell very flat for me. The book did not live up to my expectations. It felt like us readers were barely given a moment to breathe before characters jumped from one catastrophe to the next. The pacing felt very off and sacrificed time for world-building. My disappointment in this sequel is strong enough that I doubt I’ll continue the series.


Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. Today I’ve enjoyed bringing to you the ten books that surprised me (and why)!

What was the latest book that surprised you – in a good or bad way? I’d love to hear from you!

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Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2025

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The end of March has come and flown by! Where is 2025 going? Regardless of how I feel about being a quarter of the year already, time waits for no man (or woman). And so, it’s time to share my monthly wrap-up for March 2025.

I did pretty well with my TBR for March. I didn’t get to all the books, as I often don’t nowadays. Still, I got to most of them and enjoyed the books I read. That’s a big improvement from February! Shall we take a look at what those were?


Books Read

Woden’s Spear

The first book on my TBR for March was a blog tour commitment. For the first time in a long time, I agreed to take part in some blog tours and help out where they lacked support and needed filling. Woden’s Spear was the first of two books I committed to – the second is coming up later this week. It was also a new author to me. I said yes to it because I liked the setting and genre it falls into.

After weeks of not much luck with the books I’d chosen to read, Woden’s Spear made a refreshing… return. I enjoyed going back to something familiar that I know I like. It kickstarted my reading again in the best of ways. I’d even go so far as to say that having the deadline changed the dynamic and got my focus back on books!

If you want to take a look at my full review of Woden’s Spear, here’s a link to that post.


A Promised Land

A Promised Land was an audiobook carryover from February. It was the one book on my February TBR that surprised me in a good way. I didn’t finish it that month due to the length – over 29 hours total!

As of the beginning of the month, I carried over the final 12 hours of A Promised Land and finished the book 11 days later. A Promised Land was an eye-opener for me in that previously, I’ve avoided politics. It’s not a subject of particular interest to me, but it was good to get out of my comfort zone. Arguably, Barack Obama is one of the few political figures I don’t mind – they’re very few and far between! That made a huge difference to the listening experience. That, and Barack narrating the book himself, made it a lot more personal!


The Housemaid

Next, I listened to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. We picked up this book for our book club, which met on the last day of the month.

It’s the first time I’ve opted to read our workbook club pick in audio format, but it worked! Admittedly, I found myself frustrated with Millie when I first started the book. She didn’t half put up with some bad behaviour; there’s a good reason why, but as someone who wouldn’t, it got to me. However, the book got A LOT more interesting as the narrative moved on, and the second perspective changed the book entirely.

Thriller fans – no spoilers here… but I can’t recommend the book highly enough!


Calamity

One last audiobook I squeezed in before the end of the month is Calamity by Brandon Sanderson. I literally finished this on Monday, squeaking it in just in time.

I picked up Calamity as it’s the final book in Sanderson’s The Reckoners series. After a long break, I picked up the second book earlier this year. I was determined to finish it soon and not leave it years again before finishing the series. The great news is that I have a completion under my belt to go towards my resolutions for the year. The bad news is that the series is done, and there aren’t any more books with these characters…


Normal Women

Finally, the last book I have to share with you in today’s monthly wrap-up is one I’ll carry forward into April.

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory came onto my radar after I listened to a podcast based on the research for this book. I really annoyed that podcast – and I’m enjoying the book too.

It’s a bit of a slow read though, so it’s one I’ll likely end up chipping away at. Throughout March, I read the first few chapters and as of this monthly wrap-up, I’m a couple of hundred pages into Normal Women.

In truth, I think this book would be easier for me to listen to than read. I tend to prefer listening to non-fiction. Even still, it’s been quite informative so far. My perception of history being unfavourable to women isn’t always true – women lost a lot of rights by the time Henry VIII secured the throne.

Here’s to continuing with this book in the next few weeks!


Summary

Thankfully I have better news to share in this monthly wrap-up and reading progress has been better.

If you’re still with me, thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up. Have you picked up any good books recently? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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Sunday Summary – 16th March 2025

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Good evening friends and welcome to another Sunday Summary! It’s been a fun week and I’ve picked up some good books.

Before we get into that though, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared this week. First, I shared a blog tour review of Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook. It feels weird talking about this in this post because I drafted that post this time last week. However, it went live on Monday… so it counts.

Later in the week, I shared my First Lines Friday post. This week’s feature is one of my current reads. I decided to feature this book having started it this week and really enjoyed the book. The intro really caught my attention, even if I wasn’t reading this for book club, it would have made it onto my reading list anyway.


Books Read

 

A Promised Land

I’m pleased that I can finally report the completion of A Promised Land by Barack Obama this week!

It’s been an interesting read and opened my eyes to perspectives I didn’t imagine. If there was any book on my February TBR that I expected to not finish, it was this one. However, I’d say it was probably one that I enjoyed the most.


The Housemaid

After finishing listening to A Promised Land, I moved on to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.

This is our book club read for March, and I decided to pick it up in audio format as I’m getting through audiobooks a bit quicker than regular ones at the moment.

It’s been a good choice! Although I am spending a good deal of the narrative questioning the actions and reactions of some of the characters, it’s an interesting story. As of this Sunday Summary post, I have listened to the vast majority of The Housemaid and I only have a couple of hours also left.


Normal Women

I’ve picked up Normal Women a couple of times over the course of this week. I haven’t made a lot of progress with the book, but I have moved on from the 20-odd-pages I’d read last week to just over 100.

I like the idea of this book, and I’m looking forward to reading further into more familiar modern history. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, it looks at how women in society shaped Britain’s modern history, even when they were talked about in the history books. It’s not about the famous individuals, but rather women as a whole.


Books Discovered

I haven’t added anything new to the reading list this week, so nothing to update you on here!

 

Coming Up…

The first book post I share next week will be another book review. I confess that as of the point of drafting this post, I haven’t decided which book it is that I will feature all. However, it’s 25 to midnight locally; I’m not going to spend the time looking through my reading list to see what’s coming up next. It’ll be as much a surprise for you as it is for me! 😂

Friday, I’m back with my regular Friday feature, Shelf Control. In this series, I take a look at upcoming books on my reading list, and I’m excited to read them.

Finally, next week, I’m back with another Sunday Summary post. I’m excited to share some more bookish completions with you, so stay tuned!

A fairly quick update from me this week in the interest of time and getting this out on time.

What are you reading?

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Sunday Summary – 9th March 2025

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It’s the end of yet another week, friends! You know what time it is. I’m here today to catch you up on all the details in today’s Sunday Summary update. Grab a cuppa and make yourself comfortable.

Before we get into the books I’ve read over the course of this week, let’s recap the blog posts I’ve shared. The first of those posts was my monthly TBR for March. In that post, I shared my hopes for a more successful reading month than I had in February. This month, I have a few carryovers, a blog tour commitment, and a book club pick that I need to prioritise. Outside of that, though, I’m looking to read around the theme of Women’s History Month.

Next, I shared a Shelf Control post on Friday. In this regular Friday feature, I shared my excitement to pick up the second book in a sci-fi space opera series. I started a number of years ago. If you’re intrigued to find out which series this is, there’s a link to that post so you can check it out for yourself.


Books Read


A Promised Land

Listening progress with A Promised Land has been much better this week than in the last couple combined. As of this post, I still haven’t quite finished this book, but I only have 2 hours and 20 minutes left.

Listening to A Promised Land has been a great experience. Before reading this book, I have typically stayed away from politics. However, it’s helped open my eyes to some of the issues that being in politics creates and why it feels like things often don’t get done. That’s always been one of my bugbears about people who take this kind of office. However, having seen a lot of the in-fighting and often childish ways politicians block each other, it makes more sense now what happens (even if I want to smack my head against the brick wall for why they’re doing it!).


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared my hopes that this book wasn’t going to be another DNF. Unfortunately, though, after reading a little bit further into the book, I made the decision to put it down.

Honestly, I was struggling to connect with the characters and the storyline. I wasn’t invested in where it was going. Rather than try to slog through yet another book I wasn’t wild about, I took the decision to put it down and instead refocus my efforts on the books in March’s TBR.


Woden’s Spear

The first book on March’s monthly TBR is a book that I am due to review tomorrow. With that in mind, reading this book has been my focus for the week.

I think it’s helped having a deadline. Having had so many books where I’ve not been successful with reading them, and then the one book I am reading in full taking so long, it’s been refreshing to have a quick read. It’s also been great to go back to a genre I know and love. An element I’ve enjoyed historically in the genre is characters who don’t necessarily fit into the setting. I’ve enjoyed that through Octa’s perspective. I don’t want to go into too much detail here and spoil my review tomorrow. You’ll just have to check in for that!


Normal Women

Tonight, just before publishing this post, I started Normal Women by Philippa Gregory. I haven’t got a whole lot to write about given I’m only 26 pages in. However, I wanted to let you know that this is my next read and that you’ll be hearing more about it next week.


Books Discovered

Earlier this week, I was recommended a book called Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. When talking books with a work colleague, I shared that one of the things I try to do with our work book club is read as diversely as possible. Gloria recommended these books to me as she reads from a lot of African writers and she enjoyed these books.


Coming Up…

There is no rest for the wicked, as my first blog post next week lands tomorrow morning. Woden’s Spear has been an enjoyable historical fiction to pick up and I’ll be sharing my full thoughts on the book in that post. Behind the scenes, I’ve actually scheduled this already so I have an easy ride early next week as I’ve no immediate posting commitments.

Later in the week, I will return with a First Lines Friday feature. I’m not going to set myself any particular challenge for this post. Sometimes, it’s nice to leave things open and see what inspires me nearer the time.

Lastly, next week’s Sunday Summary update is my last post on the agenda. Fingers crossed I can finally share a finish of listening to A Promised Land, as well as some more successful reading updates.

I hope you can join me for these posts. Thanks for checking out today’s Sunday Summary and I will see you in the next one!

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Monthly TBR – March 2025

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March‘s monthly TBR had better go better than February’s. I don’t think I’ve ever DNF’d half of a reading list before. It wasn’t even anything really to do with the theme of Black History Month.

That’s why I’m not apprehensive about going into another month of topical reads. March is Women’s History Month, and I’ve been planning to pick up a few books on this topic for a while!

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


Woden’s Spear

For the first time in a long time, I’ve got a blog tour coming up!

I’ve not taken part in a tour for around a year now. Initially, I didn’t want to take on the commitment whilst things were up in the air in my personal life. However, now that things have settled down, I have the ability to do the odd one or two of the tours again.

When Rachael asked for my help to fill in some spaces on a historical action adventure novel, I was persuaded. I love the genre and time period this book is set in. You’ll be hearing more on this book very soon, as I’m set to review it early next week.


A Promised Land

Given the length of this audiobook, it shouldn’t surprise you that Barack Obama’s A Promised Land is carried over into March.

Throughout February, I listened to 17 and a half hours of this 29-hour-long audio. I made a good dent. This month, I hope to finish it pretty soon!

A Promised Land was the one book on my February TBR that I thought at risk of DNFing. That it was actually one of my favourites of the month is both a surprise, but also a testament to how diverse my reading can be.


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

My second carryover from February is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. I’ve picked up this series for the first time in a long time.

I confess, as of this monthly TBR, I’m undecided how I feel about the book. I’m yet to feel the same spark of enthusiasm about it as I had for the first. Still, I’ll stick with it a bit longer yet. It may come to me as I get more immersed in the story.


Normal Women

One of my Women’s History Month picks for this monthly TBR is Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.

I originally discovered this book when I featured Philippa’s podcast of the same name on my blog as part of a limited series. The subject generally is a topic of interest, but the podcast episode I listened to went into some of the research Philippa undertook when writing the book. The podcast piqued my attention, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book and the other broad span of topics covered.


Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work

At 254 pages, Narratives is the shortest book on this monthly TBR. Also fitting into my Women’s History Month topical reading, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can relate to any experiences within. Naturally, I hope not. Equally though, if I’m informed on ways women can be held back at work, the better I can approach the situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a career woman. I love clocking out at the end of the day and getting into my PJ’s for a relaxing evening. I still have some ambition to push myself and maybe take on a leadership role in time.


Eve

The potential last Women’s History Month book on this TBR is Eve.

Leaning into some more non-fiction, Eve looks at the ways in which the female body has evolved and shaped humanity as we know it. It’s a little out of my comfort zone, but equally I’m hopeful the book includes a lot of humour and insight that keeps me engaged.


Work Book Club Pick

Lastly, I’ll be picking up one final ‘fixed read’ for our work book club. However, as of this post, that hasn’t been decided. Members had until the end of today to vote from three contenders; I’ll be looking at the results and announcing the winner to members tomorrow.

So, I can’t tell you which it is in this monthly TBR. You’ll have to stay tuned on the blog to see what it is!


Mood Reads


Calamity

I only have one mood read on March’s monthly TBR. Outside of my carryovers for the month, it’s the only book not fitting the theme of Women’s History Month that isn’t another reading commitment.

I recently got back into the series when I listened to Firefight in January. Now that I’m so close to finishing the trilogy, I want to power on and get it finished!


Summary

I have a lot of books to cover this month, but I’m optimistic I can avoid the same reading funk that spoiled February’s monthly TBR.

Here’s to a more successful reading month!

What are you planning on reading?

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