Tag: bookblogger

Sunday Summary – 13th December 2020

Hi guys and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary (aka weekly update) post! How are you all keeping? Well, I hope?

I have shared a couple of posts with you this week, which I hope you have enjoyed reading. On Wednesday I shared a tag post, called Are You a Book Snob. All in all, I don’t think I come out to be a snob… but I think it’s interesting to see how other people’s answers compare!

Then, on Friday, I shared a First Lines Friday post. For a good while, these posts were a regular feature, but in the latter half of this year they dropped off a little due to other blogging commitments, such as tours. This week’s First Lines Friday post was the first in a couple of months, put it that way!

 

Books Read

When I was thinking about what to write in this section earlier on today I was a little concerned I’d be lacking for content. I don’t want to say too much and come across as rubbing it in, but as things are pretty much normal here at the moment I’ve started with the usual plans and stuff coming up to Christmas. I don’t recall getting much reading done, but clearly, I’ve made the most of the time I did!

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was 38% through Auxiliary by John Richter. This week I managed to finish the book in its entirety. I really enjoyed the narrative and the science-fiction element of the storyline. It was intriguing and a little bit unnerving at the same time!

I’ve also managed to start and read around a third of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley this week. So far it is every bit the dystopian novel I expected and I can see just how much the TV series has drawn from the book. I’m looking forward to reading more of this over next week.

 

Books Discovered

For the first time in weeks, I have an addition to my TBR! It feels like ages since I have written anything of note in this section of my weekly update post.

I was browsing Goodreads the other day and I happened to see a post or a recommendation about The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. I’ve seen the film… but I literally had no idea that it was based on a book series! So, I’ve added the first book of the Hannibal Lecter series to my TBR to read!

 

Coming Up…

Next week I am going to share another book review with you all. I have a bit of a backlog of books to review and I want to make sure I continue to chip away at them and keep giving you the content I hope you are here for most – reviews! This week I will be sharing a review of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.

Later in the week, I will be sharing another Friday feature post. This time, I’ll be taking another look at the TBR and sharing a book on my list and all the reasons I can’t wait to read it!

 

I hope you can join me for those posts, but for now, that’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary post and I look forward to seeing you around!

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

First Lines Friday – 11/12/2020

Happy Friday everyone and thank you for joining me in today’s First Lines Friday post! This is supposed to be a regular feature, but since my last First Lines Friday post was published two months ago now, it’s fair to say I’m not doing so well on keeping it regular!

When I shared that I was doing another of these posts last Sunday, I had no idea which book I was going to feature this week. I have combed through the books on my shelf and I think I have found a good one for you.

Can you guess what it is?

 

Great Achilles. Brilliant Achilles, shining Achilles, God-like Achilles… How the epithets pile up. We never called him any of those things; we called him ‘the butcher’.

Swift-footed Achilles. Now there’s an interesting one. More than anything else, more than brilliance, more than greatness, his speed defined him. There’s a story that he once chased the God Apollo all over the plains of Troy. Cornered at last, Apollo is supposed to have said: ‘you can’t kill me, I’m immortal’. Ah, yes,’ Achilles replied. ‘But we both know if you weren’t immortal, you’d be dead.’ Nobody was ever allowed the last word; not even a God.

 

The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker | Goodreads

The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman—Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman—Briseis—watches and waits for the war’s outcome. She was queen of one of Troy’s neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece’s greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles’s concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army.

When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis’s people but also of the ancient world at large.

Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war—the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead—all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis’s perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker’s latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives—and it is nothing short of magnificent.

 

Historical fiction is one of the genres I read most of, and the sound of the book excites me. So much so, I actually bought a physical copy of the book with a voucher I had this year. I tend to reserve buying physical copies of books so that I’m only buying books I am confident I will love. I do spend vouchers on some new reads now and then, with anything I decide to sort and get rid of myself later going to a charity.

The book includes Greek Mythology, which intrigues me. So far I’ve had a bit of a mixed experience with mythology books, so I can’t wait to see what I make of this one!

 

What did you think of today’s First Lines Friday post? Do you like the sound of The Silence of the Girls based on the first paragraph? As always, I would love to hear from you!

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Are You a Book Snob Tag

I’ve decided to share a bit of a fun post today. I saw the Are You a Snob tag over on Drew’s blog (The Tattooed Book Geek) a couple of weeks ago and I knew I wanted to share my own answers to the questions. It has been a little while since I’ve shared a post of this type, so I hope you have fun reading it. Most importantly though… I want to know what your answers are!

If you want to take part in the tag, please share your post with me so I can see your answers, or drop a comment below with your thoughts!

 

FORMAT SNOB: You can only choose one format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

This is a bit of a toss-up between two formats. Whilst I listen to audiobooks, and they have their conveniences, they aren’t the main way I consume books.

The thing I love the most about books (new ones) is the smell. E-Readers can never replace that. My fellow book lovers will understand that one, but I remember some of my work colleagues having a bit of a giggle at the idea of smelling books. I also love physical books because that was how I learned to read. I didn’t get a Kindle (other e-readers are available) until I was a teenager and so up until that point, I had been a physical book reader.

But I love my Kindle. I love the convenience of having a library at your fingertips. Almost weightless. No taking up half the weight in your suitcase with books (although admittedly, last time I went on holiday I did take two physical books with me as well…). I probably read the most on Kindle overall.

That said, I think if I had to restrict myself to one for the rest of my life it would be physical books. Tapping a screen to turn a page isn’t much of an experience, and I think I would miss the feel/smell of actual books more.

 

ADAPTATION SNOB: Do you always read the book before watching the film/TV show?

No, I don’t. I am currently reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, which has been on my TBR for a few years. What’s prompted me to take it off the pile now? Watching the TV show a month or so ago.

I think I did the same with A Handmaid’s Tale (ignoring my first attempt and DNF at the book as a late teen) and A Game of Thrones after the shows caught up and surpassed the books.

I feel like reading is the better experience of the two. Is it better to watch the show first and then read the book after, therefore letting the book ‘enhance’ the overall experience of the story? Perhaps yes. It seems to be a subconscious decision I’ve made. After all, who wants to have a sub-par TV show spoil the image and experience of the book you already have? No one.

 

SHIP SNOB: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

Absolutely. I’d like to think they would have hobbies of their own and I wouldn’t judge them for theirs.

If they did judge me negatively though or didn’t like it to the point where they tried to make me stop completely, I wouldn’t stand for it. I understand that relationships involve compromises and spending time with each other too, but I do need a bit of ‘me’ time to recharge my batteries. Me time is reading time. Even just 20 minutes here and there would be all I needed. Like it or leave.

 

GENRE SNOB: You have to ditch one genre – never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?

I’m with Drew on this one – if I never read anything Romance-y for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. I don’t really read the genre, although it overlaps in some other genres I do. If I’m honest, I try to avoid anything too sappy as much as I can. I don’t enjoy it, I find it cringy, and I’m about as romantic as a pet rock. Do I want to read mushy narratives with typically indecisive female protagonists? Nope!

 

UBER GENRE SNOB: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?

This is a difficult one. I read a lot of different genres, mainly because reading too much of the same thing gets boring after a time. I used to read a lot of fantasy (and stopped when I got bored of reading the same things over and over (and over) again. But still, it’s a go-to genre for me and probably the one I read the most… so that would be my choice.

I just wouldn’t read as much as I do now as I’d take more breaks.

 

COMMUNITY SNOB: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

Again, I’m with Drew on this and agree that it’s the young adult (YA) genre.

I have read a few titles published in recent years, but it’s not a circle I’m in. I definitely get that impression though… that YA readers deem themselves a bit of an exclusive community within the wider reader group. You’re in or you’re not. I’m not, and that suits me just fine. I’ll read the odd book, but as a whole YA isn’t something I read a lot of.

 

SNOBBERY RECIPIENT: Have you ever been snubbed for something that you have been reading or for reading in general?

Not to my face, but that doesn’t mean anything really. On the whole, the feedback I’ve received has ranged from indifferent to interested. I can imagine a few people I know that probably judge me for spending my time with my head buried in a book. I don’t particularly care though. It’s my time and effort that goes into it, so it’s my opinion that matters and not theirs.

On the other hand, I do appreciate the support I get from my friends and family. I enjoy being able to talk to them about it (even if it’s just a bit)… and I also have a very good boss. He is a bit of a reader himself and regularly chats to me in the kitchen about a book either of us is reading at the time… and he even lends me books which is lovely!

 

Am I a book snob? I’m not sure. What do you think?

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Sunday Summary – 6th December 2020

Hey guys! It’s Sunday, so you know I’m back with another Sunday Summary update post. I hope everyone is keeping safe and well?

This week has been a lot busier than last… that’s for sure! I’ve already shared three posts with you this week, making this Sunday Summary my fourth! My first post of the week was a blog tour post for Glimmer of Hope by J A Andrews. If you haven’t read that post yet, please do, as I have taken the time to share my thoughts on the book. Fans of thrillers, this one is for you.

My second post of the week was published the following day and was yet another blog tour post. That review was for The Dark Chorus by Ashley Meggitt and this one is a big recommendation for fans of psychological thrillers to read. I honestly loved this one, so make sure you take a look!

Yesterday I ‘penned’ my Reading List for December… the last one of the year. I can hardly believe it, but it’s true! I only have a small handful of books on this month’s list because December is a bit of a busy month anyway, but also because I’m not reading as much as I used to at the moment.

 

Books Read

I’ve been taking some more time off work this week in an effort to use up my allowance. In previous absences, I’ve been undertaking larger home improvement projects, like painting and decorating. This week, however, I haven’t done any of those things. I’m nearly done with the larger jobs and it was time to take the time for myself. And so I did. I dealt with a few little jobs on a couple of days, but I also took the time to do some fun things, like meet with friends, put up my Christmas decorations etc.

My reading progress was a little light considering I had a lot more time on my hands than usual. That said, I did have a few plans and appointments too, plus all the blog posts to draft… so I don’t mind. I quickly finished off Rags of Time by Michael Ward at the beginning of the week, but then didn’t move onto my next read for a good few days.

I started reading Auxiliary: London 2039 last night and read up to 38% in one sitting – I can’t grumble at that. I’m also going to pick it up again tonight and have a read in bed, so by the end of the night I should have a good deal more progress to that.

 

Books Discovered

 

Once again I’ve been good and not found any books to add to the TBR! I’m sure it’ll thank me later!

 

Coming Up…

I saw a funny tag post over on The Tattooed Book Geek’s blog a couple of weeks ago and I knew then I wanted to do my own take of the post. So, at the beginning of next week I’ll be sharing my own Are You a Book Snob post!

Later in the week, I’ll be bringing back my regular Friday posts. This week, it’s the turn of a First Lines Friday post. I haven’t decided which book to feature yet, but I’ll have something picked by the end of the week and ready to share with you on Friday.

That’s all in today’s Sunday Summary post. Have a good week and I hope to see you around on the blog!

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Reading List – December 2020

Hi guys! Today I’m sharing my last reading list of 2020. Literally, where has this year gone? In some respects it isn’t a bad thing… but still. It doesn’t feel like Christmas should be just a few weeks away.

You may have noticed that my reading pace has dropped off the last few months. I’m not reading as much as I need to for a variety of reasons. I started the year planning to move, which I did in May. Since then, I’ve been putting in the work on the new place to redecorate, fix up and make it my own. In amongst all this, I’ve been studying for work-sponsored exams too. That in itself is quite a bit to juggle, but my blogging on top of that too? It’s a handful.

That’s why my reading and blogging has had to slow down a bit. I was getting a bit burned out with it, but I didn’t want to give it up. I still really enjoy reading and putting in the time to sharing my thoughts with you all, but I’ve had to find a more sustainable pace. Up until this month, I have been pretty ambitious in setting my reading lists and just carrying over what I don’t read. This month, that changes. I’ve come to accept that I am now reading less than I was… and that it’s okay. Maybe that will change again in future, and maybe not. It just depends on what else I’m doing.

This month’s list has a couple of carryovers from last month, plus one seasonal addition. Have you read any of these books?

 

Auxiliary: London 2039 – Jon Richter

Auxiliary: London 2039 by Jon Richter | Goodreads

The silicon revolution left Dremmler behind, but a good detective is never obsolete.

London is quiet in 2039—thanks to the machines. People stay indoors, communicating through high-tech glasses and gorging on simulated reality while 3D printers and scuttling robots cater to their every whim. Mammoth corporations wage war for dominance in a world where human augmentation blurs the line between flesh and steel.

And at the center of it all lurks The Imagination Machine: the hyper-advanced, omnipresent AI that drives our cars, flies our planes, cooks our food, and plans our lives. Servile, patient, tireless … TIM has everything humanity requires. Everything except a soul.

Through this silicon jungle prowls Carl Dremmler, police detective—one of the few professions better suited to meat than machine. His latest case: a grisly murder seemingly perpetrated by the victim’s boyfriend. Dremmler’s boss wants a quick end to the case, but the tech-wary detective can’t help but believe the accused’s bizarre story: that his robotic arm committed the heinous crime, not him. An advanced prosthetic, controlled by a chip in his skull.

A chip controlled by TIM.

Dremmler smells blood: the seeds of a conspiracy that could burn London to ash unless he exposes the truth. His investigation pits him against desperate criminals, scheming businesswomen, deadly automatons—and the nightmares of his own past. And when Dremmler finds himself questioning even TIM’s inscrutable motives, he’s forced to stare into the blank soul of the machine.

Auxiliary is gripping, unpredictable, and bleakly atmospheric—ideal for fans of cyberpunk classics like the Blade Runner movies, Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, and the Netflix original series Black Mirror.

 

I’m already a few chapters into Auxiliary and I can tell it’s a read I’m going to get on well with. I like the premise of the book and the narrative style is easy to read. The chapters are also nice and short so it’s easy to pick up. If you enjoy mystery and science-fiction genres, this might be one for you!

 

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley | Goodreads

Brave New World is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, inhabited by genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story’s protagonist.

 

Brave New World has been on my TBR for a number of years, and after watching the TV series recently, I decided it was the right time to pick the book up! I didn’t get around to reading Brave New World last month, so I will be reading the book this month instead.

 

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas – Adam Kay

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay | Goodreads

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas is the hilarious, poignant and entertaining story of the life of a junior doctor at the most challenging time of the year. With twenty-five tales of intriguing, shocking and incredible Christmas incidents, the British public will finally appreciate the sacrifices made and the challenges faced by the unsung heroes of the NHS.

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas will be fully illustrated (as tastefully as possible) and will delight all of Adam’s fans throughout the festive period of Christmas 2019 and for many years to come.

 

I was introduced to Adam Kay earlier this year with This Is Going To Hurt by a colleague. The book was both heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. I found out around the time I read it that there was a Christmas themed book also by him, so I have been planning on reading this book in December since then! If it’s every bit as good as This Is Going to Hurt, which I expect it will be, then this will be a great read to end the year.

 

So, that’s my reading list for the month! Have you read any of these books? What did you make of them if you have, or do you like the sound of them if you haven’t? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Review: The Dark Chorus – Ashley Meggitt

Hello guys and welcome to yet another blog tour post… the second in as many days! Today’s post is all about The Dark Chorus by Ashley Meggitt. As a huge psychological thriller fan, I was really looking forward to reading this last month. The book didn’t disappoint either –in fact, it’s pretty high up there on my best reads of the year!

As always, I take the opportunity here to say a huge thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for organising the tour. It’s a pleasure to be concluding the tour on my blog today.

Would you like to find out more about The Dark Chorus? The details are below: –

 

The Dark Chorus – Ashley Meggitt

The Dark Chorus by Ashley Meggitt | Goodreads

Oblivio salvationem Angelis opperitur

Oblivion awaits the Angel’s salvation

The Boy can see lost souls.

He has never questioned the fact that he can see them. He thinks of them as the Dark Chorus. When he sets out to restore the soul of his dead mother it becomes clear that his ability comes from within him. It is a force that he cannot ignore – the last shard of the shattered soul of an angel.

To be restored to the kingdom of light, the shard must be cleansed of the evil that infects it – but this requires the corrupt souls of the living!

With the help from Makka, a psychotically violent young man full of hate, and Vee, an abused young woman full of pain, the Boy begins to kill.

Psychiatrist Dr Eve Rhodes is seconded to assist the police investigation into the Boy’s apparently random ritualistic killings. As the investigation gathers pace, a pattern emerges. When Eve pulls at the thread from an article in an old psychology journal, what might otherwise have seemed to her a terrible psychotic delusion now feels all too real…

Will the Boy succeed in restoring the angel’s soul to the light? Can Eve stop him, or will she be lost to realm of the Dark Chorus?

 

Purchase Link – http://mybook.to/thedarkchorus

 

My Thoughts…

Firstly, I can’t believe that The Dark Chorus is a debut novel. The story, narrative style and character development in The Dark Chorus are absolutely fantastic. I was under the impression from the book that the author was an experienced writer – the book is that well written!

I enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of a teenage boy. That might sound strange, but it was a refreshing change to have a main character with a bit of youth and naivety. The vast majority of books I read are written about and told from the perspective of adults. That’s perfectly okay, but I enjoyed seeing the Boy’s world from a younger perspective. There are only a couple of books now that I have read from juvenile main characters, and I have loved those too.

The Boy’s background is unique, and as a result of that and his abilities, he is perceived as being mentally ill. He can see and interact with The Dark Chorus, the souls of those that have been unable to pass on into the afterlife. After rescuing his mother’s soul from the cacophony of the asylum, he discovers his calling and sets out to fulfil his duty – to cleanse the soul of the angel inside of him.

The Dark Chorus lives up to its name. As the synopsis indicates, death and violence are significant in the narrative. There is also a particular scene that’s a near miss on sexual abuse, so that’s a word of warning to anyone in case you’re not comfortable with reading it. The main characters of the book, the Boy, Makka and Vee are all troubled individuals. They have each gone through their own trials before meeting, and together, the three of them are formidable. As a former psychology student, I enjoyed the back story of each character and how it shaped the characters we see in the narrative today.

Regardless of the dark subject matter and theme, The Dark Chorus was really easy to pick up and enjoy. If like me, you are a huge fan of psychological fiction then I strongly recommend you give this book a try. You won’t regret it!

 

 Author Bio

Ashley Meggitt lives near Cambridge, UK, with his wife Jane. He left school to join a psychedelic rock band when he realised that sex, drugs, and rock and roll was a thing. Subsequently he went back to education and became head of IT for a Cambridge University College. In recent years Ashley has retrained in psychology and is now an associate lecturer in sports psychology. He is studying for his PhD. He also holds an MA in Creative Writing. The Dark Chorus is his debut novel.

Social Media Links –

www.ashleymeggitt.com

www.facebook.com/ashleymeggittbooks

twitter.com/CallMeReg

www.instagram.com/ashleymeggitt39/

Blog Tour Review: Glimmer of Hope – J. A. Andrews

Hello everyone and welcome to today’s blog tour review of Glimmer of Hope by J. A. Andrews. I am really glad to have been offered to take part in this particular blog tour. As always, I’d like to say a huge thank you to both the author and to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to be sharing my review of Glimmer of Hope with you today.

Glimmer of Hope turned out to be a book that pushed my boundaries – but in a good way. More on that below; now, here are the details of the book: –

 

Glimmer of Hope – J. A. Andrews

Glimmer of Hope by J.A. Andrews | Goodreads

Sometimes chasing a dream can become a nightmare…

Alecia Preen is living in poverty and desperate to make a better life for herself. Having moved to a new area for new beginnings after being disowned by her family, money was fast running out. She is struggling to make ends meet.

With the intention of charging lonely men online for her services, Alecia realises she can supplement her income by being unscrupulous. In meeting Jake Parker he requests that she role-plays as a psychiatrist, but he makes her aware of an underground millionaires playground called Sordida. He warns her to stay away.

As Alecia’s curiosity gets the better of her, she is amazed by the wealth and decadence on offer. Sordida is not the club she had anticipated because behind the legendary name lurks a very dark secret. A secret that could cost her everything.

He pays by the hour and Alecia pays in ways she had never imagined.

 

Purchase Links –   Amazon UK     Amazon US

 

My Thoughts…

Glimmer of Hope wasn’t the book I was expecting it to be. In reality, it was so much better! With a fast-paced, intriguing narrative and an unexpected plot twist at the end, it’s definitely a novella for fans of thrillers. This book is the first I have read by J. A. Andrews, but I would definitely read his other two based on Glimmer of Hope.

One word of warning is that the book is NSFW. I had anticipated from the synopsis that there may be some parts of the book that had mature content. If I’m perfectly honest, had I known the prevalence of it in the book, it would have made me think twice before picking it up. It’s not really my cup of tea, but in moderation, I can handle it. Despite that, I still really enjoyed the novella. I only mention this to make potential readers aware of it so they can choose whether it’s their cup of tea or not. As I said, it isn’t mine, but it still worked for me so it might for you too. Either way, you can make an informed decision.

The main character Alecia is a young woman, down on her luck with life after starting again away from her family. Money is tight and stacking shelves at the local supermarket hardly provides a cushy lifestyle. Those personal circumstances are very easy to relate to, and the poverty cycle is something we are all familiar with. When Alecia is presented with an opportunity to earn more money and sustain a better quality of life, of course, she takes it. The events that follow and the consequences are far from expected and spiral out of her control.

Alecia is a likeable character and I loved her determination and spirit to better her life. Whilst they are not choices I would ever make, I can appreciate that she is being opportunistic where she can to try to get herself out of a grotty bedsit and into a place of her own. It shouldn’t be too much to ask… and it’s no more ambitious, greedy or selfish than the rest of us.

Glimmer of Hope was a reasonably quick read for me. The narrative and pace of the novella had a good flow, so it was easy to get engrossed and read chapter after chapter and lose awareness of time. At 205 pages, it’s approachable for all readers to pick up.

 

Author Bio

J.A. Andrews is the author of gripping twisty psychological thrillers. Mummy’s Boy, and You Let Him In, are his full-length novellas, while Glimmer of Hope is a shorter story as a Kindle exclusive.  As well as writing fiction, JA Andrews enjoys reading a mix of genres, watching various reality TV and spending time with family and friends.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JasonA1980

Sunday Summary – 29th November 2020

Hi guys – I can’t believe I am here again with another weekly update! I hope you all had a good week?

I shared just the one post with you this week, aside from today’s Sunday Summary update that is. Earlier in the week, I published my review of City of Stairs, a novel I read back in January this year. Writing this review was more challenging than I expected. Me being me, I didn’t take any notes. In my defence, I wasn’t expecting for it to be this long between reading and reviewing… but there we are. It’s my own fault.

Nevertheless, I managed to get all my thoughts together in the end. If you haven’t read that post yet, you can find it here.

 

Books Read

With taking the time to write my review earlier in the week, amongst other things, I have been light on reading this week. I have picked up Rags of Time again and I am very close to the conclusion now. I’m hoping to finish this imminently. Instead, I’ve been doing some other bits and pieces with my evenings.

I’ve brought my old 3DS out of retirement and been playing a game I loved and invested many hours into as a teenager. Of course, I’ve wiped the game history and started again… you have to, right? I’ve also been watching a bit of TV. That might not sound like anything special to you… but it’s a bit of a rarity in my house. The TV series I’m watching at the moment is called For Life. Four episodes in and I’m really enjoying it!

Lastly, the most time-consuming hobby of the week has been knitting. Some of you may know that I’ve taken up knitting in the last few months. Recently, I’ve taken on the ambitious project of knitting a jumper. I wasn’t sure how well I’d get on, being so new to it, but I’m pleased with how it looks so far! Fingers crossed it fits when I’m finished! Here’s a picture of my progress so far.

 

Books Discovered

 

As above, I’ve not really had the time to discover anything in the way of new books this week! My TBR will thank me later!

 

Coming Up…

Next week is certainly going to be busier in terms of the blog posts I have lined up for you all. I have no less than two blog tours this week.

On Wednesday I am taking part in a blog tour for Glimmer of Hope by J. A. Andrews. You may remember I read and loved the book at the beginning of this month. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you on this particular novel. In terms of subject matter, it was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I still enjoyed it!

There’s no rest for the wicked, as my next blog tour post goes live on Thursday. This time I will be sharing a review of The Dark Chorus by Ashley Meggitt. I also adored this book. As a huge fan of psychology and thrillers, The Dark Chorus was really up my street. I hope you can join me and check out my review later in the week.

So, I have two fabulous reviews coming up this week, but that’s not all!  I’ll also be sharing my reading list for December towards the end of the week. My last reading list of 2020 – I can’t believe it! Where is this year going?!

 

So, you’ll be hearing a lot more from next week! Fingers crossed I’ll see you around!

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Book Review: City of Stairs – Robert Jackson Bennett

I read City of Stairs at the beginning of the year and I am only just getting around to my review now in November. That’s pretty bad, isn’t it? I think it is because I have taken part in a lot of blog tours and such this year, as these books get priority reviews. Oh well! It is what it is! I haven’t done myself any favours and made notes, so today’s review is completely from memory.

 

City of Stairs – Robert Jackson Bennett

Goodreads – City of Stairs

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions — until its divine protectors were killed. Now, Bulikov’s history has been censored and erased, its citizens subjugated. But the surreal landscape of the city itself, forever altered by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it, stands as a haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov’s oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country’s most accomplished spies, dispatched — along with her terrifying “secretary”, Sigrud — to solve a murder.

But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem, and that Bulikov’s cruel reign may not yet be over.

A tale of vast conspiracies, dead gods, and buried histories, City of Stairs is at once a gripping spy novel and a stunningly original work of fantasy.

 

My Thoughts…

I hadn’t picked up any books by Robert Bennett Jackson before reading City of Stairs, so he was a completely new author to me. Whilst I enjoy re-visiting favourite authors, I enjoy the variety of new ones too. My read of City of Stairs at the beginning of the year was long overdue. I added the book to my TBR way back in 2015… it was about time I got to it really!

Fantasy is my all-time favourite genre. I read a lot of it, and so I’ve got pretty firm ideas about what themes within fantasy novels I really enjoy. The first thing I always look to is the world-building and development of the setting of the story. City of Stairs certainly didn’t disappoint in this sense. Before the story even really begins, the author sets up the political divides and complex relations that are pivotal to the narrative. I personally love this sort of thing in fantasy books, but even if you don’t, it isn’t so overwhelming as to be difficult to read.

I’m also a huge fan of magical elements in fantasy novels, and there is plenty of it in City of Stairs. I think it is really cleverly woven into what is a spy thriller/mystery novel. They aren’t genres I would have thought to put together, but I really think the risk of doing it paid off because, in my opinion, it worked really well.

The main characters in this book have been written very well. I got on very well with Shara and felt for her being in the awful position of navigating treacherous ground in search of the truth. She’s complemented by a host of minor characters that come together to create a world fizzing with tension and intrigue.

At 450 pages, City of Stairs is a solid fantasy novel, although not an epic compared to plenty of other fantasy novels I know and have read. There is plenty of content and the story unfolds at a good pace. It keeps you interested in finding out what happens next but doesn’t drag on either. It suited me well at least. If you like fantasy but the idea of committing to 700-800 page novels, this book gives you all the great elements of those books… but with fewer pages.

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Sunday Summary – 22nd November 2020

Hey everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary post! I hope you have all had a good week? It feels a little strange to be back here I have to say. Having just had a week off blogging (my first of the year!), I almost feel a little out of practice – haha! I can’t lie though; I did actually enjoy having the evenings to myself this week. When you are in the habit of it, you don’t think about how long it takes to prepare a post.

Instead, I have spent the week catching up with a job or two around the house and even starting to knit a jumper. Of course, I’ve kept up with my reading too!

 

Books Read

AS of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was just starting The Dark Chorus by Ashley Meggitt. I had literally read the first few pages to get a feel for the book before starting in earnest. It has been my main read of the week and I actually finished this fantastic book yesterday. It has been really easy to pick up and read. It’s not very often you come across a novel told from a child’s perspective. I personally really enjoyed this aspect of the book and it was done really well! I’ll be publishing my full review at the beginning of next month, so if you want to find out more that’s when you can expect my thoughts on the book in full.

I’ve also picked up and read another 10% of Rags of Time by Mike Ward this morning. You may recall that I started this book a couple of months ago, but I had to put it aside to fulfil some more time-sensitive reviews. Well, I have picked up the book again and read a decent chunk in one sitting. It’s been on my mind that I needed to pick this up again, so it feels good to have finally gotten back around to it!

 

Books Discovered

Yet another week goes by and there are no new additions to the TBR. It’s long enough, so I’m grateful to have my nose buried in other things at the moment!

 

Coming Up…

I’m back to blogging next week, and I am planning on throwing myself back in the deep end with a review of a book I picked up at the beginning of this year. I think my getting around to reviewing a book read in January now says a lot about 1) how behind I am on reviews and 2) how many blog tours I take part in (which effectively jump the queue!) Oh well, at least I am round to it now! I plan on sharing this particular post midweek, so keep an eye out for that!

I’ll round off the week as usual with another Sunday Summary weekly update!

Until next time, have a good one and stay safe.

 

 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads