Tag: Boyd and Beth Morrison

Monthly Wrap-Up – August 2026

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Reading progress in August felt like a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst I had plenty of blog tour obligations to keep me turning the pages, outside of these, I don’t feel like I got to as much of my reading list as I wanted. Nevertheless, I have a decent number of books to talk to you about in today’s monthly wrap-up post for August. 

Have you read any of the books I feature in today’s monthly wrap-up? Take a gander below to find out! 

Books Read 

Duel of Beasts

Goodreads Link

With my first blog tour obligation for Duel of Beasts coming out on the 2nd of August, you would think I would have finished this book in July ahead of that to post. Alas, that was not the case. Whilst I had started the book in July, it was barely the case. Rather, I ended up binge reading this book ahead of that review post. Thankfully, I got on pretty well with this book. I don’t know what I would have done if I found reading it difficult, or I didn’t gel with the narrative style.

Thankfully, that’s not the case and I talked about my experience with this book over on my blog to review. If you want to check out more, go and take a look at that review here.

Supremacy

Goodreads Link 

I can’t remember when I started supremacy. It was definitely at some point last month, but it could have even been in early July. Reading progress with supremacy was slower than I would have liked. Even still, I did have a good time with this book. I took advantage of a week off in August to make a solid dent in progress. Even still, I only really finished this book towards the end of the month.

If you’re looking for a book that can tell you more about AI, its birth and the origins of the intentions behind the technology, supremacy is an interesting one. The focus of the book is how altruistically the technology started, but inevitably its growth was hindered by access to data which I could only get from major corporations and therefore lose the altruism and get used for commercial gain. 

Dungeons & Dimwits

Goodreads Link 

Dungeons and Dimwits is by far the shortest and quickest read to grace my monthly wrap-up for August. I read this relatively short graphic novel in the space of around half an hour one evening about 2/3 of the way through August. That’s very specific, but it went some way towards getting me back in the reading mood. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, so I think having a short read to tick off the list and go towards achieving something (I read this for a blog tour obligation, and actually read it in decent time – not something I’ve done very much of lately!)

It also was a very fun and pretty lighthearted read. If you enjoy nerdy games like dungeons and dragons, or generally fantasy of this ilk, then pick up this graphic novel if you want a bit of change.

The Knife Maker of Venice

Goodreads Link 

I went in hard on the blog tours this month. The Knife Maker of Venice is a historical fiction blog tour I took part in later in August. I also ended up reading this book pretty close to deadline. 

However, what I really liked about this historical fiction novel is that it featured a time and setting combination that I have not explored before. We also enjoy a lot of travel, considerably more than the characters who have been enslaved and taken across the world against their will. Within, we get to read deeply personal stories and experience a family bond that chains cannot incumber. 

If you’re interested in picking up this historical fiction book, take a look at my blog tour review here. 

Tower of Dawn

Goodreads Link 

Of all the books I talk about in this monthly wrap-up post for August, I would say Tower of Dawn surprised me the most. 

I’m reading Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series as a way of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It is a romantic series, which is something I don’t traditionally read. I’m not a big romance fan, so naturally I don’t gravitate to these books in the first instance. 

Tower of Dawn varies from the remainder of the series and doesn’t exactly follow on from Empire of Storms. I didn’t read much about the book before diving into it, so this took me by surprise. However, I enjoyed revising characters that branched off from the main series several books ago. It’s going to contribute to the final storyline, so I can’t wait to see how it all comes to an epic conclusion. 

The Midnight Train

Goodreads Link 

The Midnight Train was the second audiobook I completed in August. In all, audiobook progress went pretty well, and I can share in this monthly wrap-up I’m pretty happy with the progress I made. Although at times it felt slow, I should bear in mind I picked up a fairly sizeable audiobook in the form of Tower of Dawn before picking up The Midnight Train. 

Comparatively, The Midnight Train was a very short listen. I also went into this book with some trepidation as to whether this book would live up to my expectations of The Midnight Library. The Midnight Train is the second book set in this universe, and whilst it tackles similar ideas, it does so from a slightly different perspective. 

Personally, I still really enjoyed this audio. Even though I had high expectations, I liked the change in angle on this book and thankfully, the success of the first book didn’t overshadow the message of The Midnight Train. 

The Other Life of Mary English

Goodreads Link 

My final blog tour read to include in my monthly wrap-up was The Other Life of Mary English. Much like my experience with Duel of Beasts at the beginning of August, I ended up reading The Other Life of Mary English pretty last minute. 

As a result, I actually read the majority of the book on the 1st of September. However, I did start this book on the very last day of August, which is why I’m including it here. 

Naturally, I’ll be talking about this one again in my September TBR and wrap up post. However, you have the benefit of a link to check out this review here given I briefly touched on the book in August. As of the end of the month, I hadn’t read very much there wasn’t really in a position to make much comment on it. That will come later, or in that review. 

Summary 

So, I’ve had quite a few books to read and report on in today’s monthly wrap-up for August. Hopefully next month I can take it a little easier on the blog tour obligations and instead get back to books I want to read and get back on track. 

What have you read this Summer? 

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Sunday Summary – 2nd August 2026

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Last week’s Sunday Summary post was written ahead of normal time, and this week’s timing is a little off as well. However, we are the other way this time. Whereas last week’s Sunday Summary was drafted in the afternoon because I had friends coming over, this Sunday Summary has been drafted at normal time, but has been scheduled to go live first thing on Monday morning. Why? Because I had a blog tour review post scheduled for Sunday that needed to take priority.

It’s one of two blog tours I have part taken in this week. The first of those was for a book called A Painkiller to Die For, which I reviewed on Tuesday. Then, between these two blog tour obligations, I shared a First Lines Friday feature. Finally, on Sunday I took part in the blog tour for a book called Duel of Beasts.

Books Read

Empire of Storms

In recent weeks, progress with Empire of Storms has been pretty slow. Whilst I have had the time and opportunity to listen to this audiobook, I confess I haven’t made the most of those opportunities.

Truthfully, that’s the same for this week, with the exception of today. Conscious that I am now once again slightly behind on my read along, I made a solid push with this audiobook today. I have only listened to to this audiobook today, but I managed to plough through six and three-quarter hours. The other half was at work today, so I pretty much kept it on for company whilst pottering around the house and enjoying some crafting hobbies.

I’m curious to see how Empire of Storms  will pan out. Whilst there are aspects of this narrative, I’m really enjoying, we are seeing a bit more in the way of romance coming into the storyline. I’m not a huge fan of these sections, so the slightly heavier leaning into the romance aspect isn’t my cup of tea. However, I do want to see where the main plot line takes us and where Empire of Storms  will conclude.

A Painkiller to Die For

I started this week having made a start with a painkiller to die for, but I confess I had a decent junk of the book still to read before sharing my review on Tuesday. Nevertheless, I hunker down on Monday night to finish the remainder of the book before getting my post out on time.

I enjoyed this medical/science themed thriller. It was an interesting book full of characters that you end up with mixed feelings about. They aren’t exactly moral or altruistic, yet we can understand their positions and motives. It’s a complex narrative, and one that has you thinking long after the book has been closed. 

I won’t rehash my whole review here. You can go and find it here if you want to find out more.

Duel of Beasts

I hadn’t started Duel of Beasts before this week, so I’ve dedicated a solid amount of effort into reading this ahead of Sunday’s blog tour post. 

In my review, I talked about how this book started as a bit of a stretch goal for myself, but quickly became a book. I was looking forward to picking up. I’ll admit I had precious little understanding of European Medieval history. So, from this book, I learned that Spain was run by sultans of the Muslim faith between the eighth and 15th century. Duel of Beasts is set in the 14th century, so towards the end of their dynasty and during a time of political intriguing as well as religious conflict.

Historical adventure sums up Duel of Beasts perfectly – full of action, conniving and intrigue, there is action in every chapter and the protagonists Willa and Gerard are out of their depth really. If you’re keen to find out more based on this snapshot, go check out my full review here.

Books Discovered

Another week of no news here – I really do have to be on a record right now. I haven’t added a book to my TBR in seven weeks now! 

Coming Up…

What I’m Reading…

In this section, I give you a heads up on my planned reads for the next seven days. Here’s what I’m hoping to tackle:- 

  • Finish Empire of Storms – I’ve only got 3hrs of audio left
  • Listen to The Midnight Train 
  • Continue The Pillars of the Earth
  • Continue with Katabasis

So, the theme of next week’s reads is to try finish up some ongoing reads ready for a clean slate. 

Blog

It’s the beginning of August, so that can only mean it’s time to share my progress with reading in July. That post will go live on Tuesday. 

Next, I’ve got my August TBR to think about. I’ve got a couple of blog tours later this month, but otherwise, you’ll see some familiar titles on my August TBR… 

Finally, I’ll round up my week with my usual Sunday Summary. There’s nothing special next week, so it should come to you at the usual time! 

Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary! I hope you have a fantastic week coming up and I will catch up with you shortly. 

Happy reading! 

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Monthly TBR – July 2026

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I’ve really had to reign myself in with my July TBR. A theme of every reading list I have set myself so far this year is that the list is a long one, and I don’t get to do every book on it.

My June TBR and the aim to complete the Goodreads spring reading challenge overwhelmed to me. That’s myself get stuck on lack of progress with a chunky book and fell off the wagon, so to speak. 

So, I’ve had a word with myself to shorten this list as much as I can get away with. There were also practical reasons for that decision – I have some blog tour obligations later this month that I can’t skip out on. I cannot have a repeat of last month and let that get in the way of my promise to review these books. 

July is a busy month at work, and typically I work overtime in the early days of the month. Leaning into audio allows me to read when still doing other things, from going to the gym or driving, or enjoying my crafty hobbies! I’m back into crochet lately, as well as cross-stitch! 

So, what’s the theme for July’s TBR? Completing June carried forward June reads, revisiting my highly anticipated 2026 releases and three blog tour obligations at the end of this month into early August. 

Let’s dive in!

Carryovers from June

The Pillars of the Earth

Goodreads

My first carryover from June to include in this July TVR is the read I made the most progress with of all my carryovers. Yes, I am talking about The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. As of drafting this July TBR, I am X pages into this book. That sounds significant, but when you consider this book is 1070 pages long in total, you’ll easily see that I still have some way to go! 

It’s this book that tripped me up in June. When I started it, I set out with the intention to read just over 40 pages a day. That would have seen me to the end of this book. However, I can’t always read every day. That means very quickly you can get behind, and I let this mindset get in my way of making the progress I could and ultimately I stopped reading this book towards the end of June. 

However, now I have no deadline. I am enjoying this book, so it’s one I’m going to continue with my own time rather than pressurising myself. Whilst I would like to complete this for the end of July, anything goes!

Katabasis

Goodreads

This is the book I started at the end of June to get myself out of the rut caused by The Pillars of the Earth. I have enjoyed books by R.F. Kuang several times now. Babel, The Poppy War and Yellowface all grace my ‘read’ shelves. No doubt Katabasis will be among their number shortly.

I only made a token start to this book before the end of June. However, I enjoyed the set up of the storyline so far. I’ve also enjoyed other dark academia themed books earlier this year. Another notable mention in this genre is An Arcane Inheritance if you are looking for something of this ilk. 

Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype I’ve heard and expect from R.F. Kuang and it can get me back into the reading groove! 

Behind Closed Doors

Goodreads

My audiobook carryover into this July TBR is Behind Closed Doors. This is a relatively short book. I have only listened to this for around an hour for a couple of evenings so far, and that puts me about a third of the way into the book. 

Again, I have enjoyed the set up for this one. There is definitely more to the story than meets the eye. It’s currently being portrayed as a fairly typical story of a man controlling a woman in a new marriage. But is that really the case? It seems an obvious set up. I’m either hoping for a complete role reversal or some kind of twist that flipped this on its head. Either that, or a revenge arc for Grace. 

Reading Obligations

House of Twisted Shadows

Goodreads

A blog tour review opportunity came up for a book with a mystery and thriller leaning, but also ties to World War II. You know me, I love my historical fiction based on this time period! I’m excited to try a book from a different genre with this same leaning and ties to Nazi Germany.

I’ve got most of the months to pick up this book, as my review is due to take place on the 25th of July. Given that it’s an obligation though, I’m going to prioritise this book and hopefully read it sooner. I’m looking forward to picking this up and sharing my thoughts with you very soon! 

A Painkiller to Die For

Goodreads

My next tour follows just three days after House of Twisted Shadows. So, I need to get my skates on. I’ve often said that having a reading deadline helps motivate me. Whilst that didn’t especially help me last month, this time it’s a bit different in that I would be letting somebody else down rather than just myself.

What drew me to A Painkiller to Die For is the book’s pharmaceutical leaning. It’s not a common topic I read about, so it had novelty factor. Not only that, but there is clearly some mystery aspect to the storyline. Are the characters all who they say they are? 

Duel of Beasts

Goodreads

My final blog tour obligation on my July TBR is a medieval adventure set in Spain, of all places. Rachel was looking for people to take part in the tour, and I was intrigued. 

It seems there’s some kind of religious aspect to this book. It’s not my typical setting of novel, but that’s precisely why I want to read it! I’m always trying to diversify the books and settings I pick up. Duel of Beasts definitely fits that bill! 

2026 Releases

The Midnight Train

Goodreads

A couple of new releases on my 2026 highly anticipated releases list came out in April. However, with reading priorities and challenges to date, I’ve not yet got to them. It’s now time! This July’s TBR has lots of exciting new releases on it when you take into account my three blog tours. 

I’ve come to love Matt Haig’s writing. However, I’m a little apprehensive of this book given I’ve read less favourable reviews of this latest book. Still, I won’t know for definite until I pick it up for myself. Nevertheless, I want to give it a go and see if I agree or have my own opinions… 

The Language of Liars

Goodreads

This book is all about words, their power. It leans into my own personal love of language, and that’s why I’m not so quietly optimistic that this will go down well with me. 

The sci-fi spy narrative is also a little unusual. I’ve read something similar before (Starsight) and really enjoyed it. It’s a bit of an unusual one, but all the same, I’m keen to get stuck into this one and see if it’s just as good. 

Summary

I’ve got considerably fewer books on my July TBR, and I’m planning to pick up as many as I can in audio format to make the most of reading opportunities I have. I’m ready for a fresh start, and I’ve got plenty of new releases to dive into and get excited about! 

What new release have you read recently?

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