Tag: book love

2025 Reading Goals… 1 month to go!

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I have a fraction over 1 month to go to complete the 2025 Reading Goals I set myself at the beginning of the year. Before I drill into each goal, my impression is that progress towards my 2025 reading goals is good. However, the purpose of today’s post is to get into the detail on that and see if I am on track and if not, make plans in my December TBR to get me there.

Shall we take a look at where I’m at?

 

2025 Reading Goals

Read 45 Books

Back when I set my resolutions, I set my goal at 45 books. I’d read 42 in 2024 throughout the year. Hoping o push myself just a little, I set that target a fraction higher. 

As of this 2025 reading goal review, this is the goal I’m the least worried about as I’ve already done it! I thought I hadn’t quite finished this goal as of this post, but I realised when reviewing progress towards my series goal that I’d not marked The Giver by Lois Lowry as read although I finished it in September. So, I’ve already got this goal finished. Having a number helps motivate me. However, I’m going to enjoy reading at a little more of a leisurely pace in December. 

 

Complete Goodreads Challenges Throughout the Year

With new Goodreads Challenges available this year, my plan was to invest time and energy this year on targeted reading towards these goals. 

As of drafting this 2025 reading goals post, I got three challenges between January and May (Community Favourites), three between May to July (Seasonal Challenge) and four achievements for the Summer Challenge. 

The final challenge this year is the Fall Challenge, and I’ve got four achievements to date. This is a goal I’d like to invest some time in. So far this year, progress has been a coincidence and I’ve not given it as much time and attention as I’d have liked. So far, some Fall challenges I could easily progress with are Spine Tinglers and Fiction Faves. I’ve already got books on my TBR for each award. I plan to pick up The Burning Girls and Yellowface in December to get these awards before the end of the year. 

 

Finish or get up-to-date on 10 series 

Of the 45 books I’ve completed so far this year, 24 have been part of a series. You can tell I’m a big series reader at the best of times. The bigger question, however, is whether I’ve completed or got up to date on the ten series goal.

So far this year, I’m up-to-date or finished 7 series and I’m actively finishing an eighth (Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff). It’s solid progress, and there are some books I can include on my December TBR to boost that number. I recently listened to The Housemaid’s Secret, leaving just The Housemaid is Watching in Freida McFadden’s series. 

The only other quick-win book I have on the list, though debatable, is The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi. I say debatable, as the book is over 800 pages! However, it’s the only other book on my list where I have just one book unread in the series. I’m going to try my damned hardest to read both books in December to meet my series completion goal. 

 

Read Out of my Comfort Zone

My last goal is a little less tangible to quantify. I set myself the challenge to read outside of my comfort zone; I would say I have. I’ve read books with our work book club and through The Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up myself (Shuggie Bain, House of Frank, A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison). Also, I’ve read books on American Politics (A Promised Land), which is a topic I usually steer clear of. Finally, I’ve read books about food and sustainable weight management, educating myself on arguably sensitive topics for me but I’ve got something useful out of it. 

Whilst I haven’t read lots of books that are out of my comfort zone, my primary goals of 2025 have involved prioritising books that are. It’s why they’re on my TBR in the first place. However, I’m glad I’ve made space for some new and different books. If I want to add one more book in December that fits this bill, Deep Wheel Orcadia works. It’s on my TBR, but I added it because it’s different. What makes this different is that it’s the first science fiction verse novel written in the Orkney dialect. It’s also accompanied with a translation to English, so I can still read it. I’m intrigued, and it’s not a long read so definitely achievable! 

 

Summary 

I’m happy with my assessment that my reading goals are going very well. It’s been fun to look at where I am to date, as well as make some plans for how I can boost progress with some of my goals. 

Have you completed any 2025 reading goals you set yourself?

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Enjoyed That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday features books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone. I’ve been excited to share this post since I announced it coming up in my Sunday Summary. There were some clear frontrunner books I knew I wanted to feature. There are also some recent reads as well. 

Hopefully you can find yourself a new read in today’s books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone post. Or, if nothing else, I can encourage you to try something new! I used to stick to familiar books in my teens, and I got bored. Now, I pick up all manner of genres. I try books in genres I don’t traditionally read anyway. There’s always a reason to get out of your comfort zone. 

Without further preamble, here’s my list of ten books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone! 

 

Books I Enjoyed That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

Me Before You 

I read Me Before You because I interested in a book with a quadriplegic protagonist. Let’s face it, you’re every day main character hasn’t already gone through an event this horrific in their lifetime by the time you pick up the first page. It’s clearly a life altering event, and I wanted to see what kind of impact this accident had on Will’s life. 

By no means am I a romance fan. However, this book was so well written that despite my predilection for a cold heart, I was invested in this one… so much so I was ugly crying at the end! 

 

My Sister’s Keeper

I really enjoyed the moral dilemma of My Sister’s Keeper. Generally speaking, I don’t read a lot of pure contemporary books, but this one was worth it. 

I wasn’t particularly aware of this in the storyline before I picked up the book. However, it surprised me in that I really enjoyed exploring this element of the narrative as it was engaging and made me really think about each of the characters, their needs and rights. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a very recent read, but very applicable to this ‘books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone’ list. It’s a contemporary and reasonably light fantasy read. I generally prefer heftier, epic tomes when it comes to fantasy. However, if there is one thing I have come to appreciate whilst moderating the cottage core fantasy book club, it’s that lighter fantasy books have their place on my reading list.

This book also flirts with a light romance I saw coming a mile away. Generally speaking, it’s not something I look for in my books however it’s an element of this story that I didn’t hate. 

 

Gran Familia

I’m not a big manga reader, although I do have a small selection on my reading list to pick up. I can only hope that my experience of the likes of Gran Familia (and the other books I pick up and coming years), inspire me to pick up more of this genre. 

I really enjoyed the fast-paced story. As a fan of mixed media for MacBooks, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to understand why I enjoyed this manga. And, I definitely want to read more  – not just of this serial, but in the genre more widely!

 

A Promised Land 

As a general rule, I stay away from politics. That not just in my reading life, but more widely. I don’t have the energy for it, and the power struggles and spats between alleged adults have my questioning why some people are in power. 

An exception to this rule is Barack Obama. I actually had a lot of respect for him as a person and what he stood for. It’s the only reason I picked up A Promised Land. The material was a little heavy, but I’m glad I read it.

 

A Brief History of Time 

A Brief History of Time surprised me in that I expected the book to be technical. When you think of Stephen Hawking, you think of complex theories like black holes and quantum physics. 

However, it wasn’t unapproachable. Was it the easiest read going? Obviously not. However, I didn’t struggle with it like I anticipated. 

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea 

The slower, more cozy vibe of The House in the Cerulean Sea isn’t my usual read. However, it was fun and I invested in the characters. 

It’s inspired me to pick up more books by T. J. Klune. That’s the level of impression it made! This book has a sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. However, I also plan to try the likes of In The Lives of Puppets. 

 

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow 

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is a very interesting novel. It has a shocking twist you wouldn’t expect from this genre of book. The author portrays an inspiring passion for the country of Syria through protagonist Salama. 

This isn’t what I expected, but I loved this book. It’s a book I’d love to read again and it made my favourite debut novels post. 

 

The Toymakers 

This book is magical and inspiring. I love historical fiction and the magical realism of this book is perfect. If I read a fantasy/magical book, it’s generally not realism. It’s a tough balance to get the realism and magic right. The Toymakers got this so right! 

Also, I don’t often read Christmas themed books but this one was fun. 

 

A Clockwork Orange 

The last book on this books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone post is A Clockwork Orange.

A Clockwork Orange is an unusual book in that a lot of the language is substituted. It doesn’t read like a normal book and when you first start, it doesn’t make sense. 

However, the substitutions are consistent and over time, context fills in the gaps so you can work out the language. 

It’s not something I’ve really come across in a book before. However, considering the slang kids come out with nowadays I could do with brushing up on my skills… 

 

Summary 

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Top Ten Tuesday post exploring books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone. There’s quite the range of books on today’s Top Ten Tuesday, but that’s pretty reflective of my reading tastes in general. 

Can you share any books you enjoyed that were out of your comfort zone?

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Monthly TBR – November 2025

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I’ve got just a few books left to complete my Goodreads reading challenge, and I’m optimistic! I had a bit of a reading lull in October. However, November’s progress is already off to a great start. Long may it continue. The great news is, I’ve got an exciting upcoming monthly TBR to share today!

As of drafting this monthly TBR, I’m still reading one carryover from October. It’s a long audiobook, so not unexpected in the circumstances. Otherwise, though, I’ve already finished two books this month and we’re just a few days in. I’ve already read Wizard of Ends and The Angel Prophecy. 

Let’s take a look at what’s left, shall we? 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The God of the Woods 

I’m not completely out of the woods (pun intended!) with my reading obligations. In order to accommodate both blog tour posts for Wizard of Ends and The Angel Prophecy, I postponed our work book club. As things stand, I have only just started the book today and read the first 80 pages so far. I’ve got a busy weekend ahead! 

Even still, I’m looking forward to reading this one! The synopsis is intriguing and one of the ladies who also comes to book club raved about the book after she finished it. Naturally, I really hope it lives up to expectations now! 

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

My audiobook carryover from October is The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. I’m already about eight hours into the audio and I have about fifteen hours yet to go. 

So far, my experience of the book is a good one. It’s following a bit of a classic ‘coming-of-age’ storyline, and the characters aren’t who we think they are exactly. However, I’ve enjoyed how the main protagonists haven’t been protected from the harshness of the world they live in. It has been wondering what’s next. 

 

Mood Reads 

 

Empire of the Dawn 

I just received my pre-ordered copy of Empire of the Dawn. It’s also the last book of the Empire of the Vampire trilogy by Jay Kristoff. Needless to say, I’m both super keen and also somewhat not looking forward to getting to the end. 

It’ll be a bittersweet moment, but I have high hopes the series will have an epic conclusion. The earlier books have set my expectations very high, and I have no idea which way it’ll end up…

 

The Housemaid’s Secret 

With darker nights now in full swing, I’m in the mood for more mystery and thriller books. 

I read The Housemaid earlier this year, and it was a fun read. We picked that up as part of book club and I’m keen to continue the series. 

The last book was also a pretty easy listen, so I’ve already got my audiobook copy ready to go. As I have some longer fantasy books on this TBR, I’m hoping something shorter and a change of genre will make a refreshing change. 

 

The Murder Box

Sticking with the shorter and lighter theme, I’ve added a second mystery to my November monthly TBR. 

The synopsis of The Murder Box caught my eye nearly three years ago now. On the one hand, I’d say it’s time I got to it. However, the reality is that I’ve got books on my TBR that have been there far longer… 

 

Beyond Redemption 

If I get through all of the above books, I’m going to start the next book in my ChatGPT challenge. 

I’ve already got a copy of Beyond Redemption through Kindle Unlimited. Given I’m reading the other books on this list in either physical or audiobook format, it’ll be nice to get my Kindle back out. 

 

Summary 

I’m 41/45 books into my Goodreads challenge. Even if I only make a solid dent in November’s monthly TBR, I’m almost set to reach my target before the end of this month, and definitely by the end of the year. 

I’ve got some great books on the list to help me get there! Have you read any of the books on this monthly TBR? Are any of the books on your list? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – October 2025

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On the surface, I didn’t have as productive a reading month as September. However, as today’s monthly wrap-up post has shown me, it’s still been decent. I wouldn’t have said that before this post. Honestly, I’d forgotten about some earlier progress in the month. After a bit of a lull and a push to meet some deadlines at the last minute, I’d have said it wasn’t the best. 

That said, I’ve actually picked up a few books! Granted, I didn’t get to EVERYTHING on my list. But, frankly, how often does that happen?! 

Let’s recap what I did read and make progress with in today’s monthly wrap-up for October! 

 

Books Read 

 

Among the Burning Flowers

As of the beginning of October, I was 40% of the way through the audiobook Among the Burning Flowers. 

To be fair, I made good progress with this audio, finishing it mid-month. It helps that I was motivated to continue this series whilst it was fresh in my mind. I’ve read all three of the books in this series in the last 12 months. It’s a completely different experience from my usual habit of waiting 2/3 years before returning to an ongoing series. Hazard of the ‘job’ when I have so many on the go, I suppose 😅 

It’s been a refreshing change keeping up, and I’ve loved the stories and wider world of the books. It really appeals to my fantasy-loving, feminist heart! 

 

HR Disrupted 

In last month’s monthly wrap-up, I confided that I’d only just started HR Disrupted. I think my worlds were, “it’s barely worth a mention, but…”. 

Needless to say, most of my progress fell in the month of October, and this was an interesting read. Would I like to see some of the changes to HR practices suggested in this book? Absolutely. Who likes appraisals as they are? If anyone puts their hand up, I’m calling you a liar! 

 

Shield of Mercia

An early book I needed to prioritise on my October Monthly TBR was Shield of Mercia. As of my last monthly wrap-up post, I’d made a cursory start and read the first 13%. 

With my review of the book due on 4th October, I had to get my skates on. Even still, it was a close thing! I was sat up pretty late drafting my post after finishing the book the night before. It’s definitely a key contributor to my overall feelings of not having it together this month. It’s not the only example where I’ve had to rush either. If I had to pick one word to describe October in this monthly wrap-up, it would be ‘oversubscribed’. 

Despite the circumstances, I genuinely enjoyed this latest instalment of M. J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. I’m not going to rehash my thoughts here. Instead, if you want to find out more about this action-filled historical adventure, here’s a link to my full review! 

 

Woden’s Storm 

My repeat performance of rushing a read for a blog tour happened again on the 22nd of the month. I blitzed reading Woden’s Storm between the 19th and 22nd October, with another late (but not AS late) night getting everything ready for that obligation. 

This is no reflection on the book. Again, I really enjoyed this second book in Donovan Cook’s The First Kingdom historical adventure. By this point, I’d had a bit of a slump in reading and I was firefighting to keep up.

Again, if you want to see more on this book, here’s a link to my review. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping 

Last month, I was well ahead reading A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. It’s where I wanted to be, and I’d sorted out my library loan to be able to start this early. 

Alas, it didn’t happen. On the contrary, I had to extend my library loan on the last day before it was due back. I’d tried to read the last half of the book in one sitting, to no avail. 

Technically at the end of the month I had around 100 pages left. However, I finished it on the 1st November. I’ll include in this monthly wrap-up post as it’s not worth mention in my November reading stats given the timing. 

It can also make me feel better about reading progress last month, right?! 

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost 

Finally, the last book to feature in my October monthly wrap-up is my audiobook listen of The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. I started this audiobook after finishing Among the Burning Flowers. 

Progress has been slow but steady. I’m enjoying the book and the world, magic and setting that’s unfurling. As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m about 30% or eight hours into the audio. It’s a long one! Needless to say, this will be carried forward and be my majority listen throughout November too.

 

Summary 

In the end, progress was better than I expected. Even if there were some last minute reads to meet deadlines, progress was good overall. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m also in a healthy place with my Goodreads reading challenge. I’m currently set to finish the challenge about a month early. That’s if I keep up current reading progress. 

I wished for that last month and didn’t quite deliver. However, I have a new release in the post coming that I’m excited to pick up, and generally less in terms of obligations. With more time for ‘fun’ reading next month, I’m optimistic for some good news! 

Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up post. 

What have you read recently? 

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Belated Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

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It’s been nearly two months since I shared a Top Ten Tuesday post! It’s not content I share all the time because I like to pick and choose the topics I enjoy writing about. That can be said of today’s post. This week, the theme for Top Ten Tuesdays across the blogosphere is “Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time”. There is value in re-reading books over your lifetime; sometimes there is no replacing that first time. The shocking revelation or profound discovery doesn’t quite have the same wow factor once you know what to expect. 

In today’s admittedly belated Top Ten Tuesday, I share my top ten books I wish I could read again for the first time, and why. Get comfortable and then we’ll get stuck in! 

 

Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

 

Fool’s Errand 

The first book I want to feature in today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a reasonably recent, hard-hitting read. The ending of Fool’s Errand is hardly a surprise, but it is a book I would give my soul to go back and read again for the first time, even if the ending had me in floods of tears! 

So well was the book written that even when the inevitable happened, I was so touched by both the story and the relationship. It’ll obviously never hit so hard again, but well done Robin Hobb. You got me right in the feels with this one! 

 

Empire of the Vampire 

I love the way this first book of the series started. It’s a dark, gothic epic fantasy with a non-altruistic character. It’s rare I start a series and find myself so enthusiastic about the next book. I’ve kept up to date with the series, and the good news is that the next book is out in just a few weeks! 

The bad news… it’s the last book 😭

 

My Sister’s Keeper 

I wasn’t sure what I would make of My Sister’s Keeper. I’m not a big contemporary fiction reader. However, I was blown away by this one! The story wasn’t entirely what I expected, but I enjoyed the story and moral dilemma as it played out throughout the narrative. 

It’s not very often I start a book I expect to be a 3* read and end up so positively surprised! 

 

The Lost Metal 

Finishing The Lost Metal felt like the end of an era. 

I started the early Mistborn books when I was a teenager. I loved them then, and the second half of a series only got better. There was a risk it would flop, given the significant changes in narrative, characters, and timeline compared to those early books. However, they were amazing! 

I’ll never get back to not knowing how it all ends, but that’s okay. My plan is to reminisce by going back to the beginning! 

 

Ordinary Heroes 

Reading, or in my case, listening to Ordinary Heroes is an experience. You’re never quite the same after listening to such a detailed and intimate account of such a horrific event. The bravery and sacrifices people made that day are amazing! 

If you take away any advice from this Top Ten Tuesday – let it be this; if you read just one book about 9/11, please make it this one! 

 

Me Before You 

Again with contemporary books, I thought Me Before You would be an okay read and was so overwhelmed and emotional by the end. 

I wanted to read the book to read about Will and his circumstances. However, I didn’t expect to invest so heavily in the characters and the relationship they have with each other. I don’t do romance. Nevertheless, this book found a place in my heart. 

I read book 2 and it didn’t quite have the same magic. This book had me in tears, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

 

Nevernight

Nevernight

The Nevernight Chronicles was the trilogy that got me into Jay Kristoff’s writing in the first place. I loved the dark humour that came through in these books, but weirdly, also the footnotes. It’s not very often you read a book with footnotes, especially fantasy. However, his witty charm and sarcastic humour really play out and make these enjoyable to read. It was a unique experience. 

Whilst I can’t get the original back, I do intend to reread these books as physical reads as opposed to audiobooks as I did the first time. 

 

Code Name Verity 

‘You can only appreciate how clever the writing of Code Name Verity is until you get to the end. I suspected nothing in this first read-through of the book. Alas, the twist has been unveiled. However, this was a fantastic read. 

Although I can never read it again for the first time, I don’t regret picking it up and ‘spoiling’ myself. This was another easy pick for today’s Top Ten Tuesday.

 

The Green Mile

The Green Mile is an incredibly emotional and poignant story. For me, it’s the book I want to go back and read again, several times in my lifetime. Whilst subsequent rereads may never have the same impact as the first, it’s an important tale to revisit to avoid making the same mistakes in our past.

 

The Housemaid

I really enjoyed reading The Housemaid with book club earlier this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. Whilst I was sure something was amiss, I didn’t expect the story to take the turn it did! 

Fantastic read! The Housemaid holds its own on this Top Ten Tuesday post, but thankfully I have more in the series to read. Will I feel the same about them? Only time will tell! 

 

Summary 

This was a fun list to write. It’s a shame it was a day late. However, I didn’t want to rush it out and not do the books on this Top Ten Tuesday justice. 

Are there any books you wish you could read again for the first time? 

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Monthly TBR – October 2025

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I’m hoping to piggy-back off the success I had in September and planning another ambitious TBR for October. This year, I’m not leaning too hard into seasonal spooky reads in October. That may change in November. However, for now, I have a number of fantasy reads to pick up in this monthly TBR. 

Have you read any of the books on this list? Take a look below to find out! 

 

Fixed Reads 

Among the Burning Flowers

My first read on this monthly TBR is one of my current read carryovers from September. I made good progress with this audiobook last month and I’m looking forward to getting to the end of this audiobook later this week. I’m optimistic to make quick progress with this to keep up momentum. There are just a few hours of this audio left as well, so it should be a nice, quick finish! 

 

HR Disrupted 

The next ongoing read that starts this monthly TBR is HR Disrupted. 

I’ve borrowed this book from our HR lady at work, and so far, it’s proving interesting. I’m 40% into the book as of publishing this post (6th Oct) and already I think there are interesting ideas I’d love to see in practice. 

My plan is to finish this book in the next couple of days. That way, I can return it to Donna when she’s back from leave. 

 

Woden’s Storm

I’ve got one final blog tour planned at the moment, and that’s for Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook. I’ve read and reviewed an earlier book in the series, Woden’s Spear, so it makes sense to carry it on to keep up with the series (you may recall, that’s a reading goal for this year) and review it for publication and help out the author as well. 

It’s another historical fiction book. Honestly, I hadn’t read the genre for ages and recently I’ve read several books in short succession. After this one, I think I’ll give it a short break. At least this time, this will be a change from a fantasy-heavy TBR. 

 

The God of the Woods

Another break from fantasy on this monthly TBR is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. 

I’m reading this book along with my work book club. For the first time ever, I’ll also be reading this book on Fable, so anybody reading this can join along with me. If you’re interested in a spooky read this October, it’s the one and only I’ve got on the list. Fable is free to join if you aren’t already, and I hope to see you there with your thoughts on The God of the Woods! 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Another book club read, although not one I host this time, is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. Instead, I’m coordinating and moderating the chat for this cosy fantasy pick with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club. If this is more your cup of tea, check out host Sabie’s Bindery page to find out more and join the club! 

Again, if you are able, I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on this book either on Fable, Storygraph or in the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club Discord chat. 

 

Mood Reads 

A little while ago, I decided I was going to try AI book recommendations. With some past reads I enjoyed in mind, I asked ChatGPT to make me some recommendations. The three books I’m reading towards this challenge, and I’ll be creating a separate feature on these, are The Shadow of What Was Lost, Beyond Redemption and A Crucible of Souls. 

This challenge entails nearly 1,600 pages of reading. Is it likely I’ll finish this in October? Perhaps not. I’m going to have a good stab at it though, and of course, I’ll keep you up to date with my usual Sunday Summary update posts. 

 

Summary 

Again, today’s monthly TBR is far from shy on page count. Will I get to it all? I can only hope my success in September helps motivate me to read on! I’m also really looking forward to each of the reads on this monthly TBR, which really makes a difference. I have a very fantasy-heavy list, but it IS my favourite genre… 

Have you read any of the books featured in today’s monthly TBR? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – September 2025

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I’ve had a really productive reading month. In a first for this year certainly, I have no less than ten books to discuss in today’s monthly wrap-up!

I suggest making yourself comfortable with a beverage of choice. When you’re ready, let’s take a look at the wide variant of books and genres I read in September.

 

Books Read 

The Atlantis Covenant

I left off from my last monthly wrap-up having read 60% of The Atlantis Covenant. With an imminent blog tour at the beginning of this month, I needed to get my skates on! 

I finished this book the day before my post went live. It meant drafting my review in a hotel whilst on my way abroad (which was far from ideal as it kept dropping out!), but I got there in the end. Since I went to the effort of writing that review, I’ll point you there instead of talking about the book here. What I will summarise though, is that it was a fun, action-packed read! 

 

Sensitive

Also carried over from my August monthly wrap-up was Sensitive. With just three hours left of the audiobook, I figured I’d finish this quickly. 

Admittedly, I didn’t pick this up whilst I was on holiday but when I returned. I’m in the habit of listening to audiobooks as I commute and that’s what I did. 

This book is a great listen, whether you know, suspect, or wonder if you or those around you are sensitive. To clarify, this book is about advocating the benefits of sensitivity and the ways people can benefit from these traits. Granted, there are drawbacks too, as with anything. For that, Jenn and Andre offer practical advice for how to work with your sensitivity superpowers rather than considering them weaknesses. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison 

Our Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read this month was A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. 

For a change, I finished this book uncharacteristically early. In the last few months, I’ve lagged behind and been scraping finishes around the end of the month. Not very helpful when you’re supposed to be prompting and facilitating conversation, right? 

However, this month I turned over a new leaf, and reading this book in advance paid dividends. It’s set a precedent I’ll be continuing now, and I’ll be starting our upcoming read very soon! 

 

Gran Familia

In a total change of pace, I picked up Gran Familia in order to review the manga to coincide with publication with Titan Comics.   I published that yesterday, which you can find here. 

I read this book within 24 hours. It’s only a couple of hundred pages and mostly images, so very quick and easy to read. Gran Familia was a nice change of format, but also a quick win that helped spur on reading progress this month. Overall, I did very well for reading progress. Having these shorter reads and multiple wins definitely helped on the motivation front… 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

Switching back to audio, I listened to Betrayal of Mercia before starting my current read of the latest book in the series. 

Having read the remainder of the books in e-book format, it was nice to try this in audiobook. It was also convenient for me because I’d finish it whilst reading other physical books on my TBR. Obviously, I couldn’t start the latest book until I finished this! 

Whilst I have a personal preference for reading the books, the audiobook was very good. I’m just used to reading the place names, and the old names are more recognisable to me visually. That’s entirely personal preference. 

This book surprised me in that there was less travel than in previous instalments. However, this book was quite political, and the power plays between characters keep up the action and tension. 

 

The Pagan Lord

Another historical fiction I feature in today’s monthly wrap-up is the better-known The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell. If you are fans of this book, or the Saxon Stories more widely, please also check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles by M. J. Porter. 

I was looking forward to getting back into the series as it’s been a while. Although the book was decent, I didn’t love it as much as previous books in the series. 

Part of the reason I dragged my feet with it was the way I had to borrow it from my library. I’m not a fan of reading on my phone… 

 

Algospeak 

Audiobook progress continued with Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. At just under six hours at normal speed, it wasn’t going to last long. 

I enjoyed the book and its content, but the narrative voice of the author didn’t really come across as relatable. Although he acknowledges it later in the book, his use of generational language and emphasising his ‘tribe’ so to speak, he is quite condescending about earlier generations and their social media use. I’m not that old, but was kind of made to feel that way. 

It was an interesting read, but I probably won’t pick up anything else by this author if he publishes again. 

 

Among the Burning Flowers

A recent release sprung to the top of my TBR after finishing all my planned audiobooks for the month. Among the Burning Flowers came out earlier in September. Having read and enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night this year, I figured it was worth keeping up with the story. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’ve listened to around 40% of the audiobook. Again, it’s not a long one, and certainly nowhere near the length of the earlier books. I’ve enjoyed listening to this latest instalment so far. My initial concern is that the book would follow the format of the others pretty closely and feel ‘samey’. However, I don’t find that to be true at all. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and I want to wait to read on! 

 

HR Disrupted 

It’s barely worth a mention, but I have just started HR Disrupted by Lucy Adam’s before the end of the month. This book is a loan after a conversation at work with our HR lady, who calls herself an HR Disruptor. 

A part of me hopes this book challenges a lot of conventional HR practices and argues what we could do better. I think it’ll be an interesting read anyway, and I’ll update you more next month. 

 

Shield of Mercia

Another late start is my current book, Shield of Mercia. I’m publishing a blog tour post later this week, so I need to get a move on with my read of this.

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m partway through chapter 4, at 13% (unlucky for some…?). I’m looking forward to reading on, and it’s a good job! I’ve only got a few days left before I’m reviewing this read. That’ll be available to all Patreon readers on Saturday – I hope you can join me. 

 

Summary 

I’m not entirely sure how I managed to progress ten titles this month. Yes, there were some shorter books in this monthly TBR. That definitely contributed, but also my reading motivation has been pretty high! 

Have you read any of the books I feature in this monthly wrap-up? Are they on your list to read?

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Monthly TBR – September 2025

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My monthly TBR post is a little later than usual. If you read yesterday‘s Sunday Summary, you’ll know that I’ve just been away. However, now I’m back into full swing and I have a great list of books I’m planning to read in September. Make yourself comfy, and then we can go through the list of books I have been and I’m due to read this month. 

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR? 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Atlantis Covenant

The first book on this monthly TBR was the Atlantis Covenant by Rob Jones. If you are a regular reader here, you’ll know I read this book early as I had a blog tour obligation on the 4th of September. 

If you are a fan of Indiana Jones and like this kind of high-stakes action with history and archaeology combined, go check out my review of this book! 

 

The Giver

The next book on my list was The Giver. You may recall this book was on my August TBR as we were picking it up for our workbook club. Due to summer holidays, we ended up pushing this meet-up back to tomorrow. In the end, I ended up reading this quite last minute. However, I was able to read the book in just a couple of sessions whilst travelling.

I really enjoyed this children’s dystopia. Although this book is aimed at a younger audience, it didn’t oversimplify the dystopian setting or the message behind the book. It was a really easy and interesting read. And, as you can tell by the way, I’m discussing this book, it’s the second I’ve already ticked off this list.

 

Sensitive 

Switching to audiobooks, my next and current read is Sensitive. 

Admittedly, this book is near completion as well. I have just a couple of hours of audio left and I expect I’ll make light work of it. 

I’m interested in reading this book as I am pretty sure I fit into the classification of a ‘highly sensitive person’. As the book iterates, there are different ways people can be sensitive and some overlap with other traits. I’m pretty confident I’m an emotionally sensitive person, so it’s been validating to know my feelings and experiences aren’t unique. 

We’re getting to a useful section of the book shortly – the authors share strategies for sensitive people to put into practice. That’s one of the main takeaways I’m looking for from this book, so I’m keen to progress with this audiobook! 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

Another fixed read for the month is the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read, A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. As progress goes, I’m already halfway through this book as of sharing this monthly TBR. 

Whilst I’m already ahead, I’m going to prioritise this book so I can encourage conversations about the book in the Discord group. For the last couple of books, I’ve been behind and it’s made the job a little easier. As I picked this up as an ‘easier’ read whilst away, I’m going to keep going. 

 

HR Disrupted

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to HR Disrupted last month. As it’s a loan, I can’t put this book off. 

It’s also a short one, so it’s carried forward from August but will absolutely be read soon! 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

Ahead of another upcoming blog tour review next month, I need to catch up on the prior book of the series. 

Somehow, I missed reading Betrayal of Mercia as part of the publication blog tour at the beginning of the year. In fairness, I’ve been doing a lot less in the way of tours, so it’s not a surprise I missed this email. 

Regardless, I didn’t miss the email for book eight, Shield of Mercia. So, first things first, I’m revisiting the series with Betrayal of Mercia and then heading into book eight. 

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

Another carry forward, but this time originally featured in my July TBR, is The Pagan Lord. 

Historical fiction is more prominent towards the end of this monthly TBR. This isn’t the first historical fiction on this list. But, in practice, I think I’ll start with this well-loved and reasonably short seventh instalment in Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories series. 

 

Gran Familia

In a completely different change of pace, I’m hoping to read a manga and feature/review the book ahead of its official publication at the end of the month. 

As it’s a 200-page manga, I expect it will be a very quick read. It’s also a complete change of pace to the other books on this monthly TBR. I don’t read manga very often, but I think it’ll be nice to introduce some to my reading and my blog content. 

Stay tuned for more about this manga in due course. 

 

Shield of Mercia

If I get time at the end of the month, my aim is to start Shield of Mercia ahead of next month’s blog tour review date. It’s early next month that I’m due to review this book. So, it makes sense to start as early as I can! 

 

Summary 

I have a large number of books on September’s TBR, but thankfully they are shorter than a lot of the books I have on my wider reading list… 

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – August 2025

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Hot off the press, I’m here to share my reading progress in today’s monthly wrap-up! I hope you enjoy today’s catch up post and can take some book recommendations away. 

In my August TBR I shared an extensive list of books I hoped to pick up. As usual I didn’t get around to it all. My plans also had to change a little as I agreed to take part in a blog tour later this week after sharing the TBR. 

Shall we take a look at what I did get to? 

 

Books Read 

House of Frank 

My first carryover from last month was the July Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read, House of Frank. I only had a third of the book left and I was determined to finish it even after the readalong was officially finished. 

It was a pretty decent read and I’m glad I got to see the final character progression. The book didn’t end entirely as I expected, so it did have a little twist. Whilst I did enjoy the book, it was a pretty average read. 

In fairness, even at this state of affairs it fared better than the August book… but more on that below.

 

Stormdancer 

Even closer to the finish line than I was with House of Frank, I completed the final two hours of audio for Stormdancer in early August. 

I enjoyed this book a lot and I’m really interested to see where the rest of the series will take us. The good news is that I have the other two books in audio format so I can pick these up at my leisure. The steampunk and Asian fantasy mash-up is truly an interesting genre to read. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Then again, so far Jay Kristoff hasn’t put a foot wrong and I’ve enjoyed all his books.

The first book ends on quite a cliffhanger. What happens next? I can’t wait to find out! 

 

If We Were Villains 

This book has been sat on my bookshelf for the longest time. I found out this month why I’d been holding out on myself! 

If We Were Villains is a fantastic, suspenseful read. Although the book and narrative owes a lot of its influence to Shakespeare, you don’t need a wealth of knowledge on his plays to enjoy this book. Sure, I think there are probably smart references and Easter eggs fans could pick up on. From someone not well-versed though, it really doesn’t affect your overall enjoyment of the book. 

This is quite an interesting one. Whilst from the beginning we think we know what happened (the tale is told by a single narrator after the event, after all), that turns out not to be the case at all really. It was an interesting way to play out the narrative. Fans of dark academia books will definitely love this one!

 

The House Witch

I have a DNF to share this month, which was August’s Cottagecore Fantasy Book club read. 

In all, The House Witch was fine, but I lost steam with it. It’s quite long-winded and takes time to get going. A few of us in the group agreed that the book read like an indie, even though it has been traditionally published. 

I was struggling with motivation to pick up the book. Eventually, I decided it wasn’t worth trying to force myself through it so took the decision to write-off the couple hundred pages I read. It’s a shame, as that’s effort that doesn’t count towards any of my stats. But, I made the right decision as reading progress picked back up again with a fresh read, and a very drastic change of pace… 

 

The Atlantis Covenant

The final book I picked up physically at the end of August is The Atlantis Covenant. As I mentioned near the top of this post, I signed up for this blog tour at quite short notice, well, at least for me. Rachel dropped me an email asking for help with the tour and I did like the sound of it. So, I agreed to read it for the tour! That tour date is in just a few days time. In the spirit of not leaving things too late, I picked this up with a few days left in August. 

As of drafting this monthly wrap-up post, it is still a current read but I am 60% through and the reading time estimate puts me at less than two hours to complete the book. It’s significantly faster paced and action-packed, which is a direct contrast with The House Witch. Think if Indiana Jones was a book, that’s the kind of experience I’m having right now. It’s fun and there are some interesting theories coming up in the narrative. Will they be true, or is there another twist yet? I suspect there is! I’ll be reading this in the next day or so in order than my blog tour post is ready to go live early on Thursday. 

Stay tuned!

 

Tyrant’s Throne 

This monthly wrap-up includes updates on two more audiobooks yet, so don’t be too hasty with scanning down the post! 

In August I listened to Tyrant’s Throne in its entirety. It feels like it’s been a while since I completed an audiobook within a calendar month. However, this was the final book of its series and after listening to Saint’s Blood pretty recently, I was keen to get to the end of this book! 

Often when I’m finishing a good series, I get sad towards the conclusion and start putting up resistance to actually finishing the last book. However, as I shared in my Sunday Summary yesterday, I didn’t get to that point with this book for the best of reasons! I’m so glad I finished the book and I hope to see more stories from Falcio, Kest and Brasti in future. 

 

Sensitive

The final audiobook and book to feature in this monthly wrap-up post is Sensitive by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo. 

I started this relatively short audio with jut a couple of days left in the month. The other intended reads on my August TBR are owned in other formats already, so I didn’t start audiobooks of those deliberately. Instead, I turned to my 20 Books of Summer Challenge for inspiration and chose Sensitive. 

As of this monthly wrap-up I’ve already listened to a healthy chunk of this audiobook. As at the end of the month, I officially carried over just under five hours of the audiobook to listen to. In practice, I’ve listened to a couple of hours today, so I have a little under three hours. I expect I’ll make light work of it so I’ll be starting a  new audiobook soon! 

 

Summary 

So, I picked up no less than seven titles at some point over the course of August. In terms of my 20 Books of Summer Challenge, I finished the season having read seven of the original books in total, as well as DNFing and subbing out another. I had hoped for more progress, but then again, I couldn’t always allow for book club or blog tour commitments in my reading list. I’ve still read a decent amount over the last three months. The unread books on this list aren’t going away. I’m putting them on a ‘priority’ list and I want them all finished before the end of the year. 

 That’s everything to catch you up on in this monthly wrap-up update! 

Have you read any of the books in today’s post? 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books with a High Page Count

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If you’re looking for a chunky book recommendation, then today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is for you! This week’s featured topic is Books with a High Page Count. Given I read a lot of fantasy, I knew I wouldn’t struggle with the topic. 

However, in the spirit of appealing to a wider reading audience, I feature books from the following genres in today’s post: – 

  • Fantasy
  • Historical Fiction 
  • Classics
  • Horror
  • Non-fiction

If you’re a fan of any of these genres, take a look below for some of my recommendations that have a high page count. 

Half of this list tops 1,000 pages – have you read any of these? Are you brave enough to give them a go? 

 

Books with a High Page Count

 

Classics

War and Peace

1,024 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review – War & Peace

 

Lord of the Rings (bind up edition)

1,209 pages

Rating: – Book 1 🌟🌟🌟🌟/ Book 2 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/ Book 3 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My reviews: – 

Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – J.R.R Tolkien

Review: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – J. R. R. Tolkien

 

Horror 

IT

1,376 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review: IT – Stephen King

 

The Stand

1,348 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Audiobook Review: The Stand – Stephen King

 

Imaginary Friend

720 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: Imaginary Friend – Stephen Chbosky

 

Fantasy 

The Way of Kings

1,007 pages 

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review: The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson

 

The Mad Ship

906 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: The Mad Ship – Robin Hobb

 

Non-fiction 

A Promised Land

768 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – To follow

 

Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

720 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Patreon

 

Historical fiction 

 

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

639 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon

 

Summary 

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday post hopefully features a book that appeals to everyone, regardless of the genres you read. If you are looking for your next read with a high page account, this Top Ten Tuesday can scratch the itch.

Have you read any of the books on today’s list? Are any of them on your reading list? 

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