Today’s Shelf Control post has helped me whittle three reads off the TBR, as well as share this new fantasy trilogy!
Before we get stuck into the book, here’s a recap on what to expect from my Shelf Control feature.
Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.
Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.
Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.
Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.
Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.
My Thoughts
I added Middlegame thinking it was a standalone fantasy. It’s actually part of a trilogy, so I have the flexibility of reading it either way. I don’t think the books follow the same characters, so it doesn’t really matter.
I’m intrigued by the hinted-at amorality and darker side of magic. It’s giving me dark academia vibes, and that’s a sub-genre I’ve discovered and really enjoyed in recent years. Babel and The Secret History are examples of how much I’ve gotten on with it so far.
I love the emphasis on characters with affinity for language and maths. At school, they were subjects I enjoyed more than most. As to what impact this has on the storyline is anyone’s guess. Well, until I read it that is!
For the most part, I’m going into the book blind. I haven’t seen or heard much about it from other readers or bloggers. The synopsis just caught my attention and I’m always willing to give something new a go.
The topic of today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is my 2024-2025 Winter TBR. I regret this post is coming out a day late just because it ended up a lot longer than I expected. Clearly I’m passionate about the upcoming books and why I want to read them!
I quite enjoy taking part in these quarterly seasonal reading lists. They give me a great opportunity to look ahead and get a feel for the books I want to pick up over the next few months. Next year, I’m going to make an effort to read a little bit more around topical themes and that reflects in this reading list.
So, what’s on my radar for the beginning of 2025? Let’s take a look!
January
With no special theme prevalent in January, my main aim for the books I want to pick up as part of this Winter TBR is to read what I’ve been intending to for a little while. That way I set myself up with some quality reads to kickstart my yearly reading list.
Firefight
Whilst I haven’t officially decided to set myself a goal of continuing series again in 2025, it’s always something I’ll look to do. As a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, it also makes sense to pick up one of his books to really get 2025 and this Winter TBR off to a good start.
Firefight is the second book of his Reckoner series. I really enjoyed the first instalment of the book, Steelheart, when I read it back in September 2020. Maybe considering the length of time it’s taken me to get to this sequel, prioritising started series does need to be a reading goal of 2025. For the third year running…
Rose Under Fire
I recently featured Rose Under Fire in a Shelf Control post. Since then, I knew I wanted to pick this book up soon.
I first experimented with Elizabeth Wein’s writing when reading Code Name Verity. It’s also been a good while since I picked that book up (editing Rebecca here – that was in December 2017! I’m really not good at carrying on series, am I?!)
It’s finally time to continue with this series, albeit I’m reading it out of order. I don’t think it’s the kind of series that has to be read in order though, so in the grand scheme of things that shouldn’t matter. Either way, this is an author I’ve really enjoyed to date, and the book is World War II fiction. It should be a 5 star candidate.
The Bone Collector
I’m embarrassed to admit that my sister got a copy of this book for me as I expressed an interest in it when she was back studying at university. I added this book to my Goodreads reading list in 2017. It seems I have a backlog, wouldn’t you agree? That makes The Bone Collector the perfect candidate for this Winter TBR.
Although The Bone Collector is the first book of a series, I don’t know if I’m going to continue with the series after reading the first book. It’s only really this one story I’m interested in. I suppose it depends on how good it is. That probably sounds like a very weird thing to say, and normally I would be questioning myself on this decision. However, that is my intention at this time. I have a lot on the reading list already without adding more.
February
February is Black History month, and I have added a number of reads on my Winter TBR that fit in with this theme:
In Every Mirror She’s Black
By the time I pick up In Every Mirror She’s Black, I’ll have had this book on my reading list for just over two years. I don’t really have much of fiction fitting the black history theme, but this book is one of a few.
In Every Mirror She’s Black is the book I picked up in the spur of the moment when shopping after Christmas sales a couple of years ago. I really like the sound of the synopsis and how three seemingly very different characters ultimately have similar experiences based on their race.
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
I wanted to pick up Fearing the Black Body for a couple of reasons. Obviously, this looks at the racial themes behind fat phobia. Whilst I can’t say for sure if this is the exclusive reason those of us of a bigger size are judged, it’s a unique and topical perspective. I can also see it in a way.
As a not so skinny person myself, I have some interest in subject for other reasons. Thankfully, I’m beyond the most vulnerable age of giving a monkeys what people think of how I look. Frankly, I care far more about my health than my appearance. If anyone wants to judge me, they’re welcome to do so; I don’t care.
That being said, I would stand up for anybody being picked on for the same reason in a heartbeat. That’s why I also think it’s important to read this book and generally make myself better informed on the subject and society.
You’ll see another theme on this Winter TBR of continuing with non-fiction. Again, I don’t know if this will be a goal for next year, but they are definitely a greater part of my reading than they ever were.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
The second fictional book I have that I plan to read during Black History month as part of this Winter TBR is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi.
I fair only slightly better with this book in that I read the first book of the series in 2018 as opposed to 2017. It’s still been a good six years. I really enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, that first book of the series, and I’m looking forward to continuing with it. We also have a third book in the series to date which was published in June this year. It’ll be good to get a wriggle on and get more up-to-date with this series. And hey, that’ll be another completion once I’ve finished the trilogy!
A Promised Land
An unusual selection for my TBR is A Promised Land by Barack Obama. I next to never pick up political reads. I’m just not that kind of person. Broadly speaking, my approach to politicians is one of skepticism.
However, I do think Barack enacted some good changes during his time as President in America. I also think he has a unique perspective on historic events that it will be interesting to read about.
It’s important to read out of your comfort zone now and then, and A Promised Land is going to be that for me. Will I enjoy all the political elements to the book? Probably not. Am I determined to get as much out of it as I can, though? Yes!
March
March is the month in which Women’s History is the prevalent theme. I’m looking forward to reading books in and around this genre. I have no qualms about saying that I am a feminist. I do believe women‘s rights should be bettered to make us equal to men.
Technically March is bordering into my Spring TBR as opposed to this Winter TBR, but I want to cover topics across the whole period up to the next Spring TBR post, which will be mid to late March.
Normal Women
I picked up a copy of Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women comparatively recently to some books on this TBR. Having read some of her historical fiction books in the past, I’m looking forward to this non-fiction where history is told through the lives of everyday women.
So often throughout history, the lives of women do not feature at all or in some cases have been erased completely. That’s the theme for a couple of the books I’ve got on this reading list. I’m especially looking forward to picking up this book as I especially enjoyed listening to a podcast in which Philippa discusses some of her research around one of the chapters in this book. Therefore, I’ve already had a feel for the content of some of the book and I can’t wait!
Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work
It’s well documented that women have come across numerous setbacks at work. From being sidelined for promotions to getting less pay per hour for the same work, it’s a real problem.
I want to read some of these experiences for myself so I can educate myself and others about it.Not only that, but I can recognise any signs of these things happening and advocate for change for myself!
Eve
Eve was a recent discovery in the bookshop, and it fits the theme of Women’s History perfectly. That’s why it’s on my Winter TBR.
Much like Normal Women, the purpose of Eve is to highlight how women have shaped humanity today. Even when we’ve been suppressed, we’ve played a vital role that can’t be scrubbed from the records.
Where Eve differs from Normal Women is that the book takes a more biological lens. Whilst society is touched upon, the focus of the book is on the biological evolution of the female body and how that has contributed towards change in unexpected ways.
Summary
Today’s post is quite a long one (nearly twice the length of my average posts!), but I think you’ll agree I’ve got some great books coming up early next year.
Good evening friends and welcome to my latest Sunday Summary post! As always, I hope you had a pleasant week?
I’ve enjoyed the latter half of this week most, because I have now finished work until after Christmas! It’s been nice to get wrapped up and now I can enjoy the run-up to the festive period. Not only that, I can take time to do the things I like – reading, crafts etc. And get my Christmas shopping finished…
I’ve done pretty well on the reading front too, with one finish to share with you this week amongst other updates.
Before we get to that though, I’ll quickly recap the blog posts I’ve already shared so far this week. The first of those posts was a book review of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. If you want to dive into the realms of Asian fantasy, this is a great book in its own right and part of a duology if you like a series.
Next, I shared a First Lines Friday post later on in the week. In that post, I shared a book that I read and enjoyed nearly 10 years ago now. I set myself the challenge of featuring a book I recommend to my fellow readers. This first book of the seven part Mistborn series is one I recommend to anyone wanting to try Brandon Sanderson.
Books Read
The Eye of the World
As of last week’s Sunday Summary post I was around 50% into The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.
I’ve read 25% of The Eye of the World this week alone. I’ve enjoyed more reading time now I’m a Celeb has finished, but also a little more than usual on Friday after doing some Christmas shopping now I’m on leave.
I’m now further along in the book than I got to in my first read through. It’s a good thing I’ve gone back to it. Now I’m in the mood for a longer read, I’m finding it much more enjoyable to read!
We’re close to the point in the book where I’m that close to a finish that I’ll really push for it. Hopefully this time next week I’ll be able to share that completion with you!
Three Sisters
Speaking of completions, Three Sisters has been officially moved to my ‘read’ pile.
I’ve also taken advantage of time this week to get into my audiobooks again. From car journeys to shopping, I’ve wanted to get back into the world of Three Sisters and so I’ve made time to do it. I finished Three Sisters whilst wrapping some Christmas presents yesterday, and I’m glad I’ve done it finally. It’s both a heart-breaking and heartwarming story, for it is naturally filled with loss but also togetherness and determination.
Thousands did not have a happy ending after Auschwitz; neither did the sisters really. However, they survived and built a new life for themselves. I loved listening to this audio – it reminded me of how much I love the genre and subject.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
Whilst I was in the audiobook mood, I got stuck into The Priory of the Orange Tree a few hours after finishing Three Sisters. Already, I’ve listened to the first three hours of audio since yesterday afternoon.
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a big book. Three hours may sound substantial, but this audiobook is over 25 hours long. In truth, I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Although I had reservations about retaining detail on who is who and what’s going on, I think I’m faring okay so far. It’s still all new to me, but I’m enjoying the book and I’m following along just fine.
There isn’t a whole lot to share at this time as I’ve only just started. However, I’m having a good time with it. All I can say is I hope that continues!
Books Discovered
With Christmas now coming up I’m trying to be on my best behaviour. I even went into several shops selling books the other day and didn’t get a single one for myself.
Surely that deserves a reward right? 😅
Coming Up…
So, what’s coming up on the blog schedule in the next seven days?
This week I’ll kick off with a Top Ten Tuesday Books on my Winter 2024-2025 list. I enjoy these quarterly posts. They are a great way to look ahead at upcoming reads and plan for and topics or themes I want to read about.
On Friday I’ll be back with a Shelf Control post to discuss an upcoming read on my TBR. In these fortnightly(ish) posts, I like to share why I added a particular book to the list and why I’m excited to read it.
Finally, I’m back with my next Sunday Summary this time next week. Will I have finished The Eye of the World? Stay tuned to find out!
That’s all from me in this Sunday Summary update – what are you reading right now?
It’s been a little minute since I shared a book review with you guys. Or, rather, six weeks… It’s fair to say I’m long overdue sharing my opinion on a book! Today’s feature is Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan.
This Asian inspired fantasy was already on my radar. However, when a reader and reviewer I follow on instagram read this book with their Fable book club, I wanted to read along too!
The bestselling debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess.
A young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm, setting her on a dangerous path where those she loves are not the only ones at risk…
THERE ARE MANY LEGENDS ABOUT MY MOTHER…
Raised far away on the moon, Xingyin was unaware she was being hidden from the Celestial Emperor – who exiled her mother for stealing the elixir of immortality. But when her magic flares and reveals her, Xingyin is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, Xingyin makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. In disguise, she trains alongside the Emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, despite the passion which flames between them.
Vowing to rescue her mother, Xingyin embarks on a quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, Xingyin must challenge the ruthless Emperor, leaving her torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos…
Inspired by the legend of Chang’e the Moon Goddess, this captivating debut weaves Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of love and family, immortals and magic.
My Thoughts
Plot
I love that the inspiration of the plot is based on Asian mythology. It’s not something I am familiar with, so it was nice to try it in a genre I already know and love – fantasy. As a result of reading both this book and its sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior, I’d like to take a look at Asian mythology in future.
Because it’s based on mythology, the plot is fantastical in nature. However, I loved it! I love fantasy, so that’s hardly a stretch. It’s a well developed narrative and fits the ultimate page count the author developed for it. There is plenty of detail to dive into and immerse yourself into the world and the action taking place.
Characters
Firstly, I love that the main protagonist of the story is female. So often gender bias presents itself in western fantasy; main characters are typically male. I don’t know if this is a thing in the same way with Asian mythology. Is there the same kind of gender bias? Or, maybe it’s the other way? I’m completely uninformed, so that’s something I would like to learn about.
In addition to Xingyin, we have a full cast of characters. Some help her train to become the powerful young woman she is, and others try to hold her back.
I think there is the perfect amount of side characters. Again, not being familiar with Asian mythology or even Asian literature, things like names and identities will be completely different for me to learn. They don’t fit typical norms I expect. Even still, I was able to follow exactly who is who, what their history was and what their relationship was to Xingyin.
If you love a love triangle, then Daughter of the Moon Goddess will appeal. Personally, this is not something I actively look for in my literature. I would’ve been just as happy with the book without it. However, although I’m not a fan generally, I didn’t hate it. It added tension to the narrative throughout, so even if I wasn’t rooting behind any of the individuals within the triangle, it added to the storyline well.
Setting
The various settings across this book were enchanting, and it’s inspired me to pick up more Asian fantasy in future.
The vivid descriptions made it really easy for me to imagine where we were and what was going on. Although the setting of the book is broadly unfamiliar, there was plenty enough description for me to be able to make my own interpretation. There isn’t any assumed knowledge that leaves holes in understanding.
Moving away from the physical and more towards the cultural differences portrayed this book, I enjoyed this aspect. It’s a completely different experience and perspective to read from somebody who has grown up in a different culture than I. I especially loved the emphasis and adoration of protecting one’s family. That’s something that’s important to me, so even though it doesn’t necessarily fit with my cultural norm in the same way, I found it very relatable.
Narrative Style
Daughter of the Moon Goddess was very easy to read. Although the book weighs in at over 500 pages, this narrative is accessible for teenage readers. The writing style flows nice and easily and the chapters are well broken down so that we’re not taking in too much at one time.
I read the whole of this book in just over a week, coincidentally finishing it nearly two years ago to the day of this review! Spooky…
What I really enjoyed about the narrative is that the way in which setting and plot are balanced well so that we get vivid descriptions of both without compromising on the other. Even though Asian literature and fantasy isn’t something I read a lot of, I had no trouble following where we were or what was going on.
Summary
Daughter of the Moon Goddess has inspired me to pick up more Asian literature in the future. If it’s fantasy, then even better!
Have you read any other Asian inspired fantasy that you would recommend to me based on my love of Daughter of the Moon Goddess?
It’s been a stormy weekend here folks, but I haven’t been blown away thankfully! In today’s Sunday Summary, I’m still here – and I’ll update you on my reading and blogging adventures for the week.
The first post I shared with you was my monthly wrap-up for November. It was a month of catching up with ongoing reads, and getting to those I had already set on previous TBR’s and not started. If you want to find out what my reading progress was like, here’s a link to take a look.
Next, my final TBR of 2024 went live on Friday. Given I’m nowhere near my 2024 reading goals, this TBR is about finishing the year on a high with some good books instead of furiously trying to hit my targets. Again, if you want to take a look, here’s a link to do so!
Books Read
The Eye of the World
Progress continues with The Eye of the World. As of last week’s Sunday Summary I was a third of the way into the book. Over the course of this week, I’ve read around another 120 pages to bring myself to around 50% progress.
Ironically, the storm this weekend helped with that! I stayed in most of Saturday and took advantage of the time to pick up my book. Then, when we lost power last night, plans of catching up with TV (I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here) changed to reading. I swapped from my physical copy of the book to my kindle instead! Fortunately I also have an e-book copy that I bought a few years ago…
I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made so far this week. It’s a chunky narrative and there’s a lot to keep up with. Especially now characters are separated, I have two timelines and settings to keep track of. It does feel a little like one thing is happening straight after another without a breather between, but I’m intrigued by the characters and people in play.
Three Sisters
As of my last Sunday Summary post I was 25% into Three Sisters by Heather Morris.
I’ve made really good headway with this audio, more than I have done of late anyway. The setting and story has gripped me, making me want to keep listening and make the time for it. As a result, I’ve listened to another 3 and a half hours this week bringing me a bit over halfway through.
Three Sisters is everything I expected and I’m loving the book so far! Whilst it’s not a fun narrative given its subject, I’m really invested nonetheless.
Books Discovered
After a few weeks of new books trickling into the household, this week I’ve been good. Hard to believe I know, but Christmas is on the way you know. I have to behave until then at least!
Coming Up…
So, what’s on the agenda next week? I did debate taking part in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday post, as the subject is topical. Books to read during a storm? Well I chose The Eye of the World. It’s dark and atmospheric to go with the weather, but it’s not for that reason I chose it. The easiest choice during a power cut is whatever you have available on a decently charged and backlit kindle!
No. Instead I’ve decided to share a book review with you. I’m overdue one of those. This week’s feature is an Eastern inspired fantasy, which contrasts a lot from the heavily westernised fantasy I read more of generally, but also I’m reading right now. I’m talking about Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan.
On Friday I’ll return with a First Lines Friday post. As for the book I choose to feature, well, you’ll just have to wait to find out. I haven’t decided as yet on either the feature or whether there I’ll get a theme or challenge. We’ll both find out in due course I guess!
Last, but certainly not least, I’m back again next Sunday with my next Sunday Summary update. Will I finish Three Sisters or The Eye of the World, or at least be close to a finish? Let’s hope so!
Today’s post is my last monthly TBR of the year, so I want to make it great! Rather than quantity, my focus is to enjoy some great quality books to round up a fun year.
There is no way I’m going to be able to meet my 2024 reading goals with what I pick up in December. I’m just too far behind. However, although I am behind on them all, I am ‘proportionately’ behind based on the amount of books I’ve read this year. I’ve been reading the right amount of non-fiction and finishing series to meet my goals were I nearer to my overall goal reading 60 books this year.
However, I’m not. I’m also not going to tailor this reading list to try and get those smaller targets either. It’s more important that I enjoy what I’m reading and the books I share in today’s post reflect that. Two of the books I feature on today’s list are also quite chunky.
Let’s take a look!
Fixed Reads
The Eye of the World
I’ll start off this list by covering my two ongoing reads as of drafting this post.
The Eye of the World is carried forward from November, but I’ve already made a good amount of progress in the book so far. As of drafting this post, I have another 420 odd pages to read to get to the end of the book. That’s not an insignificant amount as it is, but I’m already a good 350 pages into the story. Events of the book are well underway and I’m pretty immersed in what’s going on.
I’m hopeful to keep up progress with this book and be able to complete by the end of the year!
Three Sisters
My second ongoing read, or listen, is Three Sisters by Heather Morris.
I’m really enjoying this third instalment of The Tattooist of Auschwitz series. I love how the characters in prior books tie together. Not only are we seeing characters from the previous books pop into the narratives of the later ones, but I suspect one of the main characters in this book was also in the earlier ones – we just didn’t know it yet.
As this is a kind of narrative I’m really on board with, I’m finding listening to the audiobook quite easy. I’ve been lucky in that in the last few evenings I’ve been able to squeeze in some listening alongside other hobbies. I’ve only got 7 hours of audio left – I don’t think it’ll be long before I share completion!
Mood Reads
The Woman Who Would Be King
I debated what to pick up for this next choice. Originally I was in the mindset for a Greek retelling. However, when looking through my reading list to find one I stumbled upon The Woman Who Would Be King and set my heart on that instead.
The Woman Who Would Be King is a biography of a little known female Egyptian pharaoh. What intrigues me about her story is that a lot of her records in history has been destroyed despite being a successful pharaoh by all accounts. Why would a society who benefited and supported her 20+ year rule at the time then want to scratch her from the record? She is little known to me as a result and so I wanted to read about her.
I’ve also enjoyed narratives (both books and TV) about Cleopatra before, so I have every confidence that I’m going to enjoy reading the short biography.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
Given that I’ve got some time off coming later this month, I want to take advantage and pick up a chunky audiobook. The Priory of the Orange Tree in print format is around 850 pages. In audio terms, that translates to 26 hours. I have a lot of listening to do…
Honestly, I half expect this to run over into January’s monthly TBR, but that’s okay. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to a fantasy on audio. Especially with one so large, my only slight concern is that there is going to be a lot of detail in here for me to follow. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but in the past I’ve struggled to do this with audio and I’m far better at following what’s going on when reading. I can only see how it goes!
I’m also looking forward to trying Samantha Shannon‘s writing. I’ve had the audio of The Priory of the Orange Tree since 2019, so it’s about time I got to it, right? If it’s good, I’ve already got A Day of Fallen Night to listen to and I’m intrigued by The Bone Season.
Summary
Fingers crossed I’m not pushing myself too much for December, because that’s not my goal! I’m mixing up book lengths and formats to make this monthly TBR as approachable as I can with the time I have available in the month.
Thanks for reading this Monthly TBR post! What is your next read? Do you read seasonally for the festive season?
Today’s monthly wrap-up for November 2024 is the last I’ll share this side of the new year. New Year. 2025 is round the corner and I am not ready 😂
Before I start looking my too far ahead though, we need to look back. Specifically, we need to look back at what I read over the course of November. For the most part, it was a month of catching up on ongoing and upcoming reads after my exam. Nothing too groundbreaking, but after slower reading progress in the last three months or so, it was needed!
Books Read
The Squiggly Career
When I shared my prior monthly wrap-up post at the end of October, my aim was to finish The Squiggly Career by the end of that week.
However, I ended up putting aside for last minute study. Ultimately I think that was the right decision. So, I finished the book around third of the way into November instead.
It was handy actually as the book was a good size to take away with me to London for the weekend. Again, I didn’t do a lot of reading there – mainly on the plane there and back. Still, I’m glad I took it with me. Whilst I had some quality time to sit down and think, it gave me some ideas about things I want to incorporate into my squiggly career.
Carrie
Throughout November I read the second half of Carrie, and once I picked it up I devoured it pretty quickly!
I started Carrie as I wanted to pick up an iconic horror over Halloween (or Hop Tu Naa as it’s known here). As a short book, it also suited my circumstances of being very close to my exam deadline and not being able to take on anything too chunky.
I confess that I didn’t love the first half of Carrie, however the narrative from the point of prom night really picked it up for me. Honestly, I’m not a fan of the way Carrie was described or treated throughout. However, the drama really ramps up in the latter section of the book to make it worth it. I also enjoy the allusion to multiple ‘sources’ compiling the story of Carrie White. It’s a very minimal mixed media set up, but it worked.
Defiant
Defiant was a great conclusion to the Skyward series, even if it did take me a couple of months to listen to it!
Audiobooks are great, but they are also my least ‘read’ format. I don’t listen to books very quickly, and there are some genres I struggle to successfully listen to full stop. Whilst I had no trouble with this side of things with Defiant, time became my biggest constraint.
I started listening to this in early September. However, I’m slow at progressing through audio and the further I got on, the closer I ended up being to my exam deadline. Reading almost fell away during this period as well. Not totally, obviously, but I was doing a lot less of it.
However, after a good couple of months, I’m pleased to share that I have now finished Defiant. Not only that, but I was very satisfied with the ending. Not unexpected for Brandon Sanderson (at least in my book), but it was a great series that wrapped up well. If you enjoy sci-fi or YA fiction, please please please give this a go!
The Eye of the World
I was in the mood for an epic fantasy after finishing Carrie. I do enjoy a short book now and then, but equally I also enjoy an epic! The Eye of the World wasn’t on my TBR, so it’s a surprise feature in this monthly wrap-up post.
This is the second time I’ve attempted to read The Eye of the World and so far, progress is good. I’m enjoying taking my time over a chunky, in-depth read. It doesn’t feel forced and I’m equally not pressuring myself for a quick completion either. I think that has been my trouble in the past.
Long books naturally take longer to read. The page count alone justifies this, but at the same time the stories are often more complex. They aren’t books I can binge-read quickly and get the most out of. I’d then feel like I wasn’t upholding a standard and get frustrated with myself. It’s silly really.
I picked up The Eye of the World to enjoy it and get started in a brand new series. I’m here for the fun of it, not to count my reading speed or kick myself if it takes a little longer. It’s about the journey, not the destination.
Three Sisters
On the very last day of the month, I made a good couple hours of progress in Three Sisters by Heather Morris.
It’s great to be back with The Tattooist of Auschwitz series. I’ve loved the stories, and especially the audiobooks, so far. Although I’ve just started this book, I’m optimistic it won’t be long on my reading list before I can tick it off as complete. What’s great about that is that it’s also a series completion for me once done.
I’ll be back to talk more about Three Sisters in my upcoming TBR and Sunday Summaries.
Summary
November was a productive month and I’m glad to have time for more reading in my life again.
Thanks for checking out this latest monthly wrap-up instalment! What have you been reading lately? Do you have any recommendations for books to pick up before the end of the year?
Good evening and happy Friday friends! Welcome to today’s Shelf Control feature post!
I’m glad to be back sharing my regular Friday features. Although they are quite easy content for me to do, I do enjoy the benefits of looking ahead and around my TBR to get a feel for what books I have on the list. It helps me get excited for when I finally get to them.
Today’s feature is a pretty big name author. I have yet to try any of his books, which is a reason of itself for why I’m looking forward to giving this a go.
Before I share the deets though, here’s a recap on what my Shelf Control posts look like: –
Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
When Amos Decker returned home eighteen months ago to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter, he didn’t think he could carry on living. Overwhelmed with grief, he saw his life spiral out of control, losing his job as a detective, his house and his self-respect.
But when his former partner in the police, Mary Lancaster, visits to tell him that someone has confessed to the murder of his family, he knows he owes it to his wife and child to seek justice for them.
As Decker comes to terms with the news, tragedy strikes at the local school. Thirteen teenagers are gunned down, and the killer is at large. Following the serious brain injury Amos suffered as a professional footballer, he gained a remarkable gift – and the police believe that this unusual skill will assist in the hunt for the killer.
Amos must endure the memories he would rather forget, and when new evidence links the murders, he is left with only one option.
My Thoughts
I’m always willing to try new authors. The great thing about giving them a go is that if you enjoy their books, you’ve got plenty more of their work to try.
That’s especially the case with big names like David Baldacci. Memory Man itself is the first of 7 primary works as of drafting this post. On top of that, he’s published books in 11 other series and a number of standalones! I doubt his fans are bored…
I added Memory Man to the TBR for a few reasons. Firstly, the synopsis caught my eye. Murder and memories best forgotten? Sign me up! Secondly, it’s a reasonably recent book in terms of David’s career as an author. Rather than going back to a book when he first started out, I want to see what his established style is. Then, if I’m happy I like it I can work my way back through his works if I’m interested.
Personally, I’m surprised I’ve gotten so far into my blog and reading hobby and still not picked up books by household names such as David. But then, I guess it’s also personal preference. Eventually I’ll get there, and I’ll always try everyone at least once. That’s only fair, right?
Have you read books by David Baldacci? Do you have any recommendations you would like to share?
I’m back with another Sunday Summary post to update you on my latest reads, as well as what I’ve shared on my blog this week!
I’m enjoying being back to my previous schedule of three posts per week. It’s a good amount that I feel like I’m actively working on the blog, but also not so much that I feel overwhelmed. Really, it is good to be able to put some time and energy back into my posts. Before I felt I was just keeping things ticking along.
So, what have I shared this week? The first post that went live on my blog this week was my Ten Ten Tuesday post. In that post, I shared 10 books that are the ‘oldest’ on my TBR in terms of publication year. I had more than I expected, honestly. If you want to find out which books I’ve got coming up on the reading list that were published earlier, check out that post.
Next, I shared my first First Lines Friday post in about three months. I really enjoy these posts. That’s because I get to feature a variety of books – and more often than not, get excited about reading them. This week’s feature was a book I acquired a physical copy of recently. It’s already on my TBR, and I’m hoping to get to it before too long.
Books Read
The Eye of the World
Whereas last week I binge-read after getting my free time back, this week I’ve done the opposite. Not only have I been enjoying some of my other hobbies that I had set aside, such as knitting, but I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here started.
I’m not big on reality TV, but this is the only program I will make an exception for. Because I’ve been watching this, out for a work social and seen a show this weekend, I’ve not been reading much.
Truthfully, I’ve read chapter 14 this week. But, as of drafting this post, I’m planning to pick this up for a bit tonight after publishing this Sunday Summary. I will be looking to return more reading next week too, so stay tuned!
Defiant
Progress with Defiant was a little scuppered this week as well. Whilst I had listened to a little bit of audio in the week, my plan was to finish this audiobook yesterday whilst my boyfriend was at work. Unfortunately though, this didn’t pan out.
Because of storm Bert this weekend, Shane actually got yesterday off work. It meant we got to spend the day together, but it also meant I didn’t get to listen to my audiobook as planned. Instead, I’ll be listening to this over the next few days to get my finish. I’ve got a fraction over 2 hours of the audio left.
Books Discovered
I was a little bit naughty today. We popped into Tesco for a few groceries and the store we went into also has a small book selection. Of course I had to look! I purchased a copy of The Templar Secret by Scott Mariani as I like the sound of the synopsis. I have an interest in the Templars from playing Assassin’s Creed as a teenager; I’ve got a number of books on my TBR featuring them.
As well, I also purchased a copy of Think Twice by Harlan Coben. I liked the sound of the synopsis anyway, but I am especially interested to read the book after watching Fool Me Once. They were also 2 for £9.50… so it would have been rude not too, right?
Coming Up…
I recently read Zee Zee’s anything but books tag. Given I’ve spent the last week or so doing ‘other than books’ things, it might be a fun one to talk about!
On Friday I’ll be back with my next instalment of my Shelf Control series. My next feature is by a big name suspense and thriller writer, an attorney by trade. Maybe you have an inkling of who this could be – either way, check out my post on Friday to find out who!
Last, but by no means least, I’ll be back at the same time next week to tell you what reading progress I’ve made in the last seven days. I’m hoping for at least one finish to share with you in next week’s Sunday Summary – let’s see what I can achieve between now and then!
In today’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’m sharing a number of classic books. If this post has highlighted anything to me, it’s that generally I read books that have been published within the last decade. This isn’t a surprise. If you read my Sunday Summary post where I shared that I was going to publish this post, I said that exact same thing.
However, I am surprised by how many there are that have an ‘older’ publication date. Honestly, I thought I’d have a handful to share in this Top Ten Tuesday and that would be it. Given that I’ve not been able to sort my Goodreads reading list by the original publication year (I use the mobile app), I’ve had to do a bit of digging comparing the versions I’ve added to my reading list with the original publication date. I’ve done my best to make this list as accurate as possible, but there is a possibility of human error in here.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – 1831
It was almost a given that Victor Hugo was going to be on this list! I also surprised myself because I then expected Les Mis to feature on this list. Only, I realised I’ve not actually added Les Mis to my TBR even though I have a copy of the book…
So, sticking to the rules of the post, I’m not featuring that one here but talking about The Hunchback of Notre Dame instead. This is the kind of book I mean when I talk about being able to tell that it’s written earlier. Personally, I have to have my head screwed on when I try to read a classic. It doesn’t read quite so fluidly and I have to really concentrate.
The Three Musketeers – 1844
The Three Musketeers was also almost guaranteed to make it to this list. I wasn’t sure exactly when this book was published, but I knew for certain it was going to be one of the oldest I had.
Weirdly, I added this to my reading list after watching a show based on the musketeers on Netflix many moons ago. We’ll see how it lives up to expectations.
Jane Eyre – 1847
I haven’t read any books by the Brontë sisters so honestly, I have no idea what to expect with these. Admittedly I’d forgotten I had this one on my TBR at all.
One day I’ll get to it and be able to tell you more about it. Let’s hope sooner rather than later!
The Grapes of Wrath – 1939
The Grapes of Wrath will be my second read by John Steinbeck when I get to it. I had mixed feelings about Of Mice and Men when I first picked it up for school. However, since then I re-read the book in my own time and enjoyed it.
I added The Grapes of Wrath after reading that because I want to try more by this author.
Catch-22 – 1961
Catch-22 is weirdly further down the list than I thought it would be. Equally, it was in the works a while before being published, so maybe that’s why.
Hardly surprising that it’s another classic/iconic read is it?!
The Colour Purple – 1982
I first picked up and sampled a copy of The Colour Purple in my school library a long time ago now. I never really got very far into it, so it is a book I’m look forward to reading properly sometime.
Again, it’s a pretty well known title. If not a classic, it takes on some pretty important themes including religion as well as domestic and sexual abuse.
Why do I want to read this again? It’s not so much that I enjoy reading about such things. I hate the idea of anyone going through that. However, I think it’s important that we do.
A Darkness at Sethanon – 1987
If there was a genre that wasn’t a classic or iconic fiction that still made it into this Top Ten Tuesday, it would be fantasy. There is enough of it on the TBR that something should have made it on here.
And yes, it did! There is only one book that qualifies on account of having read the earlier books in the series already. A Darkness at Sethanon is the final book in the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist. I have mixed opinions on the series so far. But, it’ll be good to see it through to the end and make up my mind on it once and for all!
Pillars of the Earth – 1989
I’m actually excited this is on the list as I purchased a copy of it just the other day. Admittedly, it’s a far more up to date edition than 1989, but it still stands on this list.
The Eye of the World – 1990
It’s a pure coincidence, but also refreshing, that my current read features on this list. I suspected the Wheel of Time series had to have been written some time ago given the length of the series and the fact that it needed to be finished by another author.
I almost didn’t check the date on this one, so that goes to show that the book doesn’t really read as being that old. And it’s not.
In my opinion, I can only really tell when books are written 100+ years ago because the language style is different across the board. There is naturally a bit of this from one author to another, but it’s far broader than that too. Sentences are longer and their structure is more complicated. Word ordering is a little bit different. It’s little things, but the things I can pick up on.
Alias Grace – 1996
It’s great to feature a Margaret Atwood novel on this Top Ten Tuesday list. I have absolutely no idea about the story of Alias Grace other than the synopsis appealed to me. When we think of Margaret Atwood, we think of books like The Handmaid‘s Tale, or more recently the sequel The Testaments.
In truth, she’s written many books other than those, but those are the one she’s known for and the ones I know her for. I’m looking forward to branching out a little and trying some of her other reads.
Summary
The fact that I managed to feature 10 books in this Top Ten Tuesday post with an original publication date of pre-2000 surprises me. I thought I’d have a lot more in the way of current books. That’s not a bad thing though! It means I’m reading a little more diversely than I expected, and there is nothing wrong with a backlist book. To be honest, that’s what I read most of!
Do you have any of today’s Top Ten Tuesday features on your TBR?
What book blogger wouldn’t proclaim themselves an avid reader?
If found without a book in hand, send for medical aid!
My name is Rebecca; welcome to my humble little blog.
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