Tag: fantasy

Top Ten Tuesday – Debut Novels I Enjoyed!

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post I have the pleasure of sharing my list of ten debut novels I enjoyed and would love to pass on to my fellow readers. If you’ve landed on my blog, hopefully you have some overlap in reading tastes to me so some of these recommendations appeal!

I’ve broken down the recommendations by genre, which I hope helps you find the type of book you are looking for. Unsurprisingly, I have most in the fantasy genre, but also a few mysteries and non-fictions as well.

Let’s take a look!


Fantasy

The First Binding – R.R. Virdi

I have only read one book by R.R. Virdi so far, but I will be following his future releases.

I discovered The First Binding through taking part in a blog tour with Gollancz. If you love epic fantasy novels but want something a little different to the traditional Western style, then I can’t recommend The First Binding enough!

The First Binding has a traditionally more Eastern, Silk Road type setting. Combine that with a story structure like other favourites in the fantasy genre (Patrick Rothfuss’ the Name of the Wind and Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire), you can see why I’m a fan.

 

Elantris – Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite all-time authors, so I’m ecstatic to be able to share his debut novel I enjoyed immensely! 

Elantris isn’t the first book of his I read – far from it in fact. I started with his Mistborn series and delved into other works from there. Although Elantris was written earlier, I don’t think that shows too much. It’s a fantastic stand-alone novel, although I do believe there may be a sequel in the pipeline…


Blackwing – Ed McDonald

Blackwing

I also discovered Ed McDonald because of a publisher-driven blog tour. I’ve featured the latter two books of this series (Ravencry and Crowfall) on the blog and I’ve even re-read them once already.

The grittiness of the world and the magical elements to the story appeal to me. The main character, Ryhalt, is far from admirable. He’s a bitter alcoholic, yet in a curmudgeonly way that we can’t help but let him grow on us readers.

Although a trilogy, there is plenty of detail in the stories to get stuck into. It’s an approachable and immersive read. Although I haven’t picked them up yet, I’m looking forward to trying his latest series, The Redwinter Chronicles, soon!

 

The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch

I read this series as a teenager and loved it! As it happens, I want to pick up this trilogy again. There are a real mix of dates online for a release of a fourth book in the series. However, as the new release may be early next year, I want to pick this up again ready for that. It’s been far too long for me to pick it up without a recap!

 

Mystery/Thriller

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

The premise of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a unique one. We witness the murder of the titular character from the bodies/perspective of a new individual every day. Aidan can only move on once he’s identified the killer.

I thought the execution of each character perspective (how they are written – there’s only one murder here!) was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I hope you do too!


The Chalk Man – C. J. Tudor

I’ve recommended The Chalk Man to quite a few people by now. If you haven’t read my review of the book, you can find that here.

I’m pleased to feature C.J. Tudor in this post as she is an author I have gone back to several times since reading her debut. In fact, I am currently listening to a book of hers, The Other People, right now.

If you enjoy books in the mystery or psychological thriller genre with dual timelines and plenty of 11th hour twists, The Chalk Man is a book I would strongly recommend for you!


The Appeal – Janice Hallett

The Appeal introduced me to books written in mixed media format. I absolutely loved it in this book, and I’ve gone onto read several others in the same style since!

If it’s something you haven’t read before I strongly recommend giving it a go. It’s unique – and the ever-changing format keeps your brain engaged whilst making the reading experience a little different. What I particularly enjoyed about The Appeal and this reading format is that you end up reading just as much between the lines. It’s a book I was thinking about even when I wasn’t reading it. If that’s not a compliment, I don’t know what it is!


Historical Fiction

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow – Zoulfa Katouh

I picked up As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow as part of a book club online. Honestly, I went into this book without too much in the way of expectation as it wasn’t something I would’ve picked up otherwise. How wrong I was! I’m glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone because this was one of my favourite reads of 2023.

The book is very cleverly written and I love the perspective it gives. The love of the characters for their home country Syria shines through. It’s not a perspective I read very often, but it’s one I look forward to picking up again!


Non-Fiction

Unmasked – Ellie Middleton

Unmasked is a great practical guide to understanding neurodivergence and how everyone can be a little more accommodating for those who think differently.

Not only that, but it’s a great insight into author Ellie and her life and experiences. She offers the advice she has collected over the years through experience and trial and error. Not everybody should have to struggle, and it is for that reason Ellie wants to try to help those who currently receive little support from the world.

 

This is Going to Hurt – Adam Kay

This is Going to Hurt is about demonstrating the dire straits in which the NHS finds itself. However, that is not all. It is a book that will have you in stitches one moment and crying the next. It’s a heart wrencher!

If you enjoy narratives that dig deep to combine both humour and sensitive topics, Adam Kay strikes up the perfect balance. I have since gone on to read his seasonal sequel, T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas. It’s just as good!


Summary

These are some of my favourite debut novels I enjoyed. Now I ask you – what is yours?

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Monthly TBR – July 2024

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Given we’re about a third of the way into July, I’m overdue sharing my monthly TBR, no?

In today’s post I have a great range of books to share that I plan for read in the next few weeks. You’ll have seen a good few of them before as they are carryovers. At the same time, I have a few new faces too, so let’s get stuck in!

 

Fixed Reads


You Coach You

My last current read and carryover is You Coach You by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis.

As of this monthly TBR I have actually just finished this audiobook this morning. However, I spent at least a couple of hours this month getting to that point so it’s going on this TBR to mark that progress effort.

I’ve enjoyed this audio so much and see the value in its content that I’ve just ordered a paperback copy to refer back to and re-read in future!


Master of Sorrows


Master of Sorrows is on yet another monthly TBR… but not as a non-starter this time!

I’ve been trying to read the book since February and I finally started it last month. It is, however, a current read so it makes it onto July’s monthly TBR as a carryover. Can I say, may it please be the last?!

I’m about halfway through the book, so there’s no reason I won’t be completing this soon!


Obsidio

Another carryover from my June TBR is Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman.

I started this last book in the Illuminae files trilogy last month after accidentally leaving Master of Sorrows at work. It’s been a refreshing change to read a mixed media book again! It’ll also be even better to be able to mark this series as complete once I’ve finished it. I’ll be sad to see it end, but there is another sci-fi series they’ve co-written I could pick up…

As of this post, I’m around a third of the way into the book. It’s a quick read, so again, I expect to finish it before long.


Mood Reads


The Other People

The only book on my June TBR I didn’t get to is The Other People by C.J. Tudor. It’s mum’s favourite book of hers so far, so I’m really looking forward to reading it this month instead.

I haven’t picked up a mystery novel at all this year, so it will make a refreshing change! I’ve enjoyed two of C.J. Tudor’s books already, so I have high hopes for this one!


Defiant

With my Mid Year Check In and Summer TBR posts still fresh in my mind, I’m adding a book to this monthly TBR that will earn me another series completion.

Defiant is the last book in Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series. Honestly, I’ll be sad to get to the end of it, but I also want to see how Spensa’s story ends. For a series to which I’m not the target demographic, I’m getting on with it really well. Equally, I haven’t met a Sanderson book I’ve disliked…

Let’s hope I’ve met jinxed it!


The Power of Habit

Another selection with my 2024 reading goals in mind is a recent acquisition. The Power of Habit is both a non-fiction book and will, with any luck, help towards my blogging goal of using social media more!

In theory this is a win-win read, but we’ll see how that works out in practice.


Summary

July’s monthly TBR reflects a reading month in which I plan to catch up with ongoing reads. However, there are also a couple of new books I’m introducing here. I’m not planning a long list that I think is unachievable, so here’s to a productive month! 

 

Have you read any of the books on this monthly TBR? Do you have any tips on how I can get better at making social media a habit?

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Sunday Summary – 30th June 2024

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Good evening friends and welcome to this Sunday Summary catch up! It’s the end of another week and honestly, they are absolutely flying by. We’re at the end of June already! Next week is going to be hectic with work as it’s quarter end, but I do have a little holiday to look forward to.

With that said, check out the coming up section in today’s Sunday Summary below as I’ll let you know about changes to my blogging schedule there. For now though, let’s get into what I shared this week:-

My first post of the week was a book review for Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. I really enjoyed this non-fiction book (with an obvious feminism slant) and it was a real eye-opener in terms of the variety of ways in which women are disadvantaged in today’s society. If you’re interested in this kind of book, above is a link to my review so you can take a look for yourself.

On Friday I shared the next instalment in my First Lines Friday series with the opening lines to the last instalment of a young adult sci-fi series I am currently reading. The author is also one of my favourites of all time. If you’re a regular reader, you may be able to guess who this is. If not, go check out that post here!

 

Books Read


Master of Sorrows

I confess that I haven’t read much this week. Reading has been pretty much limited to my lunch hours, and even then I ran errands on a couple of those days.

Progress in Master of Sorrows this week amounts to only 70 odd pages. However, in the 70 pages also I have read I feel like the story has progressed quite a bit and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in Annev’s final test.

I would have read more of this book this week, but for the fact that I accidentally left it at work twice. I couldn’t pick it up in the evening like I intended twice! Instead, I ended up picking up a second book to read at home…


Obsidio

Obsidio was on my June TBR anyway, so I picked this up on both occasions when I left Master of Sorrows at work.

As such, I’ve read just shy of the first 50 pages of this last instalment in The Illuminae files series. I’m also enjoying this one already. We have some new faces to the story and I hope all the characters we’ve met to date come together for an epic conclusion.

I have the advantage of Obsidio and Master of Sorrows being very different from each other. Where Master of Sorrows is a traditionally written adult fantasy novel, Obsidio is a young adult science-fiction written in mixed media format. Both have been very easy to keep track of in tandem. My intention is to prioritise Master of Sorrows as that was always my original read. However, if I do fancy a change there will be no problem whatsoever in picking up Obsidio in between.


You Coach You

Progress in You Coach You amounts to another hour’s listening time this week.

It’s not a lot of progress, but at least I did pick it up a bit. In some senses, I feel like this book isn’t the type you want to rush through anyway. If you really want to make the most of the content, you have to take the time to go through it and reflect on each chapter rather than just jumping into the next one.

Once I’ve listened to this book, I plan to download the extra content that comes with it and have a go at the exercises in areas I think I would benefit from. I may even end up purchasing myself a copy of this book so I can refer back to it again. It’s that kind of resource book you want to keep hold of!


Books Discovered

I was little naughty and bought myself one book this week, which isn’t too bad. However, I was also gifted three in a series. At the same time, this was already on my reading list so it saves me purchasing a copy later. I’ll justify it anyhow 😁

The book I bought was The Tw*t Files by Dawn French. I bought it on a whim on the basis that it sounded hilarious, but it will also be a good read in terms of building self-confidence. It seems we all muck up from time to time. If someone famous can do it, then so can I!

The series I was gifted is Thomas Harris‘s Hannibal Lector trilogy. I already had Red Dragon on my reading list to pick up at some point in the future. Naturally, enjoying this book would go onto purchasing the rest of the series. My work friend Brita previously owned these books. Rather than taking them to a charity shop, she offered them to me first in case I was interested.. .and I was!


Coming Up…

Next week, due to work commitments and then a long weekend away, I only plan to share one post with you. As it’s the beginning of July, I will conclude June by sharing my monthly wrap-up post. After that, it feels like a good place to stop and enjoy my short break. I honestly don’t know how well I would be able to juggle blogging on the holiday in any case.

Instead, I will be back with you a week later with my monthly TBR for July, a half yearly review of progress in 2024 so far, and finally a Sunday Summary. That will all be in the week commencing the 8th of July. After that, we should be back to usual scheduling!


That’s all from me though in this Sunday Summary post. Thanks for reading! 

What books are you reading/listening to?

 

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Sunday Summary – 23rd June 2024

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It’s the end of yet another week, so I’m back with my next Sunday Summary update to tell you what I’ve been up to this week.

At the beginning of the week I shared a Top Ten Tuesday post. The subject of that post was my Summer 2024 TBR. I quite enjoyed writing these themed posts in 2023, and so I’ve decided to bring them back in 2024! If you want to find out what I plan to read over the next few months, that’s the post to take a sneaky look at…

On Friday, I posted another Shelf Control regular feature. In this week’s post, I featured a Stephen King novel that I’m looking forward to picking up. I want to make my way through his books anyway, but the synopsis of this one particularly caught my eye.


Books Read


Master of Sorrows

In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I shared that I had just started Master of Sorrows by Justin Call. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad I’ve finally picked up this book!

As of today’s Sunday Summary, I am 136 pages, or 30%, into the story so far. What I have read so far has made for an interesting introduction and I’m curious to see where events in the book are going to take us.


You Coach You

Audiobook progress has also been a little slower this week, but also an enjoyable pace. I’ve listened to just over another hour of You Coach You by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. I’ve just finished chapter 3 and ready to move onto the self-belief chapter.

I like the format that this book is taking so far. The book is well structured and gives plenty of examples and opportunities for readers to coach themselves, and teach themselves how to coach themselves going forward in different circumstances.

I’m looking forward to listening to more of this book in the coming weeks.


Books Discovered

After last week’s deluge of books, I am on a strict buying ban. I haven’t added anything new to my reading list without purchasing them either, so it’s a quiet week!


Coming Up…

My first post of next week is going to be a book review of Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. I already had some idea of the content covered in this book when I picked it up. But, reading this really made me appreciate how much the world isn’t really designed for women. We’ll go into some of that, and more besides in my review in the next few days.

Later this week, I’ll be back with another regular Friday feature. This time, it’ll be the turn of First Lines Friday. Once again, I’m going to keep the post unthemed and not set myself any kind of challenge towards this week’s selection. I hope you enjoy it when that post goes live!

Hardly surprising I know, but my last post of the week will be my Sunday Summary weekly update.

That’s all from me in this week’s instalment though! What are you reading right now?

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Summer 2024 TBR

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’ll be making plans for my Summer 2024 TBR and sharing the top ten books I plan to read this summer season.

Some of the books on this Top Ten Tuesday list carried over from my Winter 2023 TBR. This is the last time I did a post of this type, and given I enjoyed it so much last year, I’m bringing it back. I also want to keep myself accountable to these reading lists, so before publishing the next one I’ll be doing a check-in of what I have actually read from the list I’ve set.

Now, with that out of the way, shall we get into today’s Top Ten Tuesday list?

Summer 2024 TBR


Obsidio

Having nearly concluded The Illuminae Files trilogy, I’m keen to pick up this last book and to be able to mark the trilogy as complete. But, this is more than a tick box exercise. I have really enjoyed reading this young adult sci-fi series and seeing how the storylines come together.

I plan to pick up Obsidio later this month, so watch this space!

 

Wolves of the Calla

Another series I want to progress with him the near future is Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Wolves of the Calla is a chunky instalment in the series, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

Book in the series, Wizard and Glass, did not carry on the present-day storyline like I expected. Instead, it takes us back to the history of events to date and explains a lot about what’s been hinted at in the books. I’m hoping for a jump back to the present day so we can pick up the storyline again.


The Good Samaritan

I enjoyed listening to The Minders by John Marrs towards the end of last year. Having finished that book, I knew I wanted to pick up another of his soon.

The Good Samaritan has been on my reading list for a good while, so that is the book I want to pick up next. I’m also really intrigued by the synopsis and the conflict that I expect in this book.


Undoctored

I love Adam Kay’s writing style for his humour. As of today, I’ve already enjoyed reading both This is Going to Hurt, and his festive themed book,T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas.

I’m looking forward to going back to his non-Christmas themed writing. His books are full of humour, even though they discuss important and very thought-provoking, emotional topics.

 

The Kingdom

I added The Kingdom to my Winter 2023 TBR but never got to it. I’ve decided to carry it forward as I like the sound of the synopsis.

As fiction goes, it’s a little different to what I typically pick up. I was taken with the synopsis after hearing about the book on the Currently Reading podcast. Given it’s been an intention of mine to read the book for a while, I’ll try to include it on July’s TBR.


Jingo

If you follow my blog you’ll know that in the last couple of weeks, I’ve read two books written by, or about, Terry Pratchett. Neither of them were Discworld, but the autobiography has inspired me to continue with the next Discworld book and keep momentum going with the series.


Fool’s Errand

Another series I’m keen to keep progressing with is Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series.

Fool’s Errand is the start of a new mini-series within the wider Realm of the Elderlings collection. It also goes back to a set of characters that we have seen previously in the first miniseries, the Farseer trilogy. I’m excited to see how these characters have moved on since those first books!


Breathtaking

I recently featured Breathtaking in a First Lines Friday post. Honestly, that introduction caught my attention so hard that I really want to read this book. I’ve also recently watched the TV documentary based on it, so it’s a topic that I want to explore more of.

I appreciate not everybody wants to deal with such a topic, but I think it’s important we as a society highlight what went wrong. Why were we were so unprepared, and how can we try and prevent the same mistakes being made in future?


Defiant

Another series I want to catch up on over the course of the summer is Brandon Sanderson‘s Skyward series. Last year I read Cytonic, which at the time was the last book published. However, a couple of short months later, this next instalment, Defiant, was published.

Now that I am reasonably on track with the series, I want to keep up with these as and when they come out. I’m a little late in starting Defiant as this came out in around November last year. But, reading this will mean I am back on track with the series and I can give myself a good old tick against my series goal!


Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

The last book on this Top Ten Tuesday list is another non-fiction. With the next series of House of the Dragon coming out imminently, I want to read my copy of Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon.

If you are unfamiliar, this book is about the main Game of Thrones series. I honestly love it so much that I can read that, any spin off books and any books about the whole process and not get bored. It’s fat to say I am a little obsessed…


Have you read any of the books featured in my Top Ten Tuesday? Have any of them caught your eye and made you want to read them for yourself?

 

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Sunday Summary – 16th June 2024

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Good evening friends! In today’s Sunday Summary post I have the usual catch ups to share with you – books read, a small haul I’ve acquired this week, and lastly, what’s coming up next week.

Before that though, firstly I will say happy Father’s Day both to any dads out there, but especially my own. He really is the best! Yes I’m biased, but I pay for this little corner on the Internet so I’m allowed to be…

Now, onto my usual updates. My first post of this week was my review of Ordinary Heroes by Joseph Pfeifer. I initially intended this review to go out a little earlier than it did. However, to get in a place I was happy with it, I postponed posting until Thursday once the tweaks had been made.

Last week’s missed First Lines Friday became this week’s content instead. In Friday’s feature, I share he opening lines of a post-apocalyptic fantasy I’m looking forward to reading. I’ve recently read other works by the author, and this complete change of genre has piqued my interest.


Books Read


Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes

When I spoke to you in last week’s Sunday Summary update, I shared that I was 75% through Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes. I also expressed my intention to push on with this audiobook over the course of this week as I was close to finishing it.

The good news friends is that I did indeed finish this audiobook. In fact, I finished it on Saturday morning and honestly, I’m glad I was at home for the final chapters. I would be lying if I said I didn’t get teary on several occasions. That’s not unexpected given the circumstances and my family history Alzheimer’s.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and I would recommend it to any Pratchett fan to get some insight on the man behind the Discworld novels.


Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots: A History of Insanity in Nineteenth Century Britain and Ireland

Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots

I didn’t pick up or read any books for the first few days this week. I confess that is because whenever I thought about this current read, I decided to do something else instead.

It became clear by the middle of the week that I didn’t have much in the way of motivation to pick up this book. If you remember my previous Sunday Summary post, you’ll recall that I found the style of the book a little dry.

Given that I have less time to read now than I did at beginning of the year, I decided that there was no point in struggling on with this book. I don’t want to kill whatever reading motivation I have. So, Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots is a DNF at about 25%.


Master of Sorrows

This Sunday Summary post commemorates a milestone. I have been attempting to read Master of Sorrows since February, no less. As of this summary post, I have officially started the book!

Admittedly, I’m only so far as completely the prologue and partway through reading chapter 1. However, it is the start that I have been unable to make with the last four months. Naturally, I’ll be able to give you more of an update next week.


You Coach You

Last, but not least, I started my listen of You Coach You  by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. I knew I wanted to listen to this on audio as non-fiction works really well for me in this format.

Not only that, but I enjoy listening to a podcast that Helen and Sarah put together, Squiggly Careers. It’s because of that podcast that I’m picking up this book at all. I already know I really get on with their content in audio format, so it made sense to me to pick up this book in audio too.

As of this Sunday Summary update, I am an hour and a quarter into the audio and looking forward to getting stuck in properly.

It’s fair to say that audiobook progress has been significantly better this week than physical. I’ve listened to over four hours this week, which has to be up there near the records.


Books Discovered

This week I have been bad. And I mean BAD!

I’ve picked up no less than nine physical books this week. In my defence, I purchased six of them for less than £3 each, meaning that I haven’t forked out a huge amount of money.

Both myself and my mum want to pick up books by Steve Cavanagh, and on Monday I found five I didn’t already own. As well as those five, I also picked up Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig for the same price.

On Saturday, my boyfriend made the mistake of encouraging me to go into Waterstones. In my defence, I was only going to look in the window. Instead, I stumbled across buy one get one half price tables, as well as the sequel to my current read, Master Artificer. At least I had some credit on my Waterstones card…


Coming Up…

I’ll be back with a Top Ten Tuesday post to kick off the new week. This week’s feature is upcoming books on my Summer 2024 TBR. I quite enjoy writing these posts as I get to look ahead at what direction I want my reading to take and get excited about future books… and then making time for them!

Next Friday, I’ll be back with a Shelf Control post feature. I’ll take a look at the next upcoming book on my reading list, share some details with you about it and most importantly, why I’m excited to read it. I hope you can join me for that.

My last post of the week, as always, will be another Sunday Summary update. In that post, I will share the books I’ve read over the course of the week, as well as any I’ve acquired and finally, what’s coming up on the blog.

I hope you can tune into those, but until then, that’s all for me and this Sunday Summary update.

What have you been reading of late?

 

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First Lines Friday – 14/06/2024

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Last time I shared a First Lines Friday post I featured a non-fiction novel coming up on my TBR. For this post, I deliberately wanted to feature a recent fiction book I purchased by an author I’ve enjoyed re-reading recently.

I found this book at Waterstones unintentionally, but I loved the synopsis and I’m confident I’ll really enjoy the story. The opening lines below only reinforce that.

Let me share that with you now –


They kill my father first.

Shiny boots ring on the stairs as they march into our cell, four of them all in a pretty row. Blank faces and perfect skin, matte grey pistols in red, red hands. A beautiful man with golden hair says they’re here to execute us. No explanations. No apologies.

Father turns towards us, and the terror in his eyes breaks my heart to splinters. I open my mouth to speak to him, but I don’t know what I’ll say.

The bullets catch him in his back, and bloody flowers bloom on his chest. My sisters scream as the muzzles flash and the shadows dance, and the noise is so loud, I’m afraid I’ll never hear anything ever again.

 


Lifel1k3 – Jay Kristoff

Genre: Post apocalyptic fantasy

Pages: 417

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date: 01 Jun 2018


Goodreads – LIfel1k3

It’s just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever built…

When Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the ones she loves…and learn the dark secrets of her past.


My Thoughts…

I picked up this book entirely because it is written by Jay Kristoff and I have confidence in his writing. After looking at it for content for this First Lines Friday post, I may end up picking it up soon for a refreshing change.  

I’m intrigued by the post apocalyptic setting as this is something I have read in the past, but admittedly, I don’t read a lot of. Combine this with the evident tech that has a place in this world, and we’re in for an interesting mashup!

If I go onto enjoy this first because as much as I think I will, then what a shame that it’s the first part of a trilogy. I’ll just have to conclude the series, right?!

Do you like the sound of Lifel1k3? Have you enjoyed this First Lines Friday post?

 

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Sunday Summary – 9th June 2024

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Good evening friends and welcome to this Sunday Summary update post! As always, I take the time to update you on the books I’ve been reading over the course of this week, as well as the blog posts I’ve shared. Shall we get stuck in?

At the beginning of the week I shared my monthly TBR post with you. If you’re interested to see which books I plan to pick up throughout June, this is the place to go. Naturally, you’ll see some of those books in today’s post. But, if you want the full list, then check out my TBR here.

I was also meant to share a First Lines Friday post, but I confess I completely forgot. In my defence, it was a bank holiday locally and I was out of routine. I was also doing bits around the house as well. So apologies – this completely slipped my mind.

 

Books Read

 

Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes

As of this Sunday Summary update post I have listened to a further 2 3/4 hours of Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes. That’s pretty good going, even if I say so myself! That means that as of this post I am coming up to 75% progress in the audiobook.

With just a few hours left I envisage that I’ll try and push on with this audio in the next week so I can mark it as complete. I’m really enjoying this listen as I’m very interested in Terry and his life, but the narrative style makes this even easier to listen to.

 

The Long Earth

As of last week’s Sunday Summary post I was 290 pages into The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Over the course of this week I picked up the remainder of the book, and I’m pleased to say that I enjoyed it.

I’m curious as to where the later books in the series are going to take the story. At the point of finishing this first book, I honestly don’t know what path it’s going to take. I expect a degree of conflict as this is hinted that at the end of the first book, but otherwise it’s very much open to interpretation.

I enjoyed this co-authored book. Despite not getting on with books Terry has co-authored with other writers in the past, that is not the experience I’ve had with The Long Earth. I think the two writers have come together really well to honour the science-fiction genre whilst also smattering in humour.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

 

Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots: A History of Insanity in Nineteenth Century Britain and Ireland

Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots

The final book I’ve made progress with this week is Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots. This particular book has been on my reading list since 2017 and so I wanted to pick it up at last. It also works really well in contributing towards my non-fiction reading goal for the year.

As of this post, I have read the first quarter of the book. I’m getting on with it okay so far, although I do think it’s a little dry. I have no problem with the subject of the book, but perhaps a little more humour would help it go down. Maybe I’m biased in having read Terry Pratchett recently as he, by nature, is very satirical.

I’m still going to continue with the book as if nothing else, it’s less than 300 pages. I should be able to get through that.

 

Books Discovered

I discovered news that Suzanne Collins is publishing another Hunger Games novel next year, Sunrise on the Reaping.

Having read and enjoyed all of the series so far, I am excited to pick up this prequel novel that features both a significant event in terms of the plot of the story, but also one of the prominent side characters of the main series!

 

Coming Up…

My first post of this week will be another long overdue book review. I have many of those! This week, I’ll review a non-fiction book that I loved in 2022 – Ordinary Heroes by Joseph Pfeiffer.

Since I forgot to share this week’s First Lines Friday post, I’ve decided to defer this until next week so you’re not waiting too long.

I’m sure you’ve already worked out my last post of the week will be another Sunday Summary. I’ll be back to update you on what I’ve been reading and sharing over the next seven days.

That’s all from me in this Sunday Summary post. What are you reading currently? 

 

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Monthly TBR – June 2024

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Good afternoon fellow readers and welcome to one of my favourite posts of the month – my monthly TBR. It’s a post of future plans and looking ahead at exciting books coming up on my immediate reading list!

This month I have a few carryovers (current reads and ones I didn’t get to in May) but also some new titles to feature.

So, shall we get into the details of my monthly TBR?

 

Mood Reads


The Long Earth

The first book I feature on this reading list is actually one I finished last night.

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter was a carryover from May as I hadn’t quite finished the book by the end of the month. Ironically, I have just finished it. So whilst I did technically read some of it in June, I’ll only be talking about it in this week’s Sunday Summary post.

I enjoyed this introduction to the series and I’m curious to see where the later books pick up from this first novel. I’ve gathered the scope gets quite a bit bigger just on the titles alone. I have those books in e-book format so I can pick them up whenever I’m ready!


Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes 

My second carryover from May that is working progress is Terry Pratchett’s biography, A Life With Footnotes.

At the moment I am around 50% through this audiobook, so I’m well on the way to completing this before the end of June. I’ve already enjoyed the first half of this audio, looking at Terry‘s early life, career and establishing himself as an author. We will inevitably move onto the less pleasant side of his later years, his Alzheimer’s diagnosis and ultimate passing, soon. I’m still looking forward to listening to this despite the difficult topic.

I admit I’m curious to see if Terry’s Alzheimer’s affected him in ways that are familiar to me through a family member suffering with the disease also. I’m also interested to see what impact it had on his career. I know in the end he was dictating his books to Rob, but also what other potential impacts there were that we haven’t talked about yet.


Master of Sorrows

I have a couple more carryovers from my May TBR, but these are books I did not get to start.

Are you surprised that once again, Master of Sorrows has been kicked down the line? Well, not anymore! It’s the first physical book I am going to pick up in June now that I’ve finished The Long Earth and nothing. will. stop. me. I have been trying to read this book since February – I’ve waited long enough!


Obsidio

The final carryover from my May TBR is Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman.

Obsidio is the last book in the Illuminae files trilogy. I want to get to it to both finish the series, but also see how the two storylines we’ve enjoyed so far intertwine.

I anticipate Obsidio will be a relatively short read. Although it’s a good few hundred pages, the book is written in mixed media format. It has a lot of imagery so whilst there are some pages of solid text, there are plenty where there are not. I’ve really enjoyed into the world of mixed media from a variety of genres, but I do particularly like it in the science-fiction young adult series. It makes it very approachable to all readers and especially so to those who may be picking it up for the first time.


The Other People

Mum has been making her way through books written by C.J. Tudor after I introduced her to The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne. She has recommended The Other People to me as her favourite book so far. Naturally, I want to see what it’s about!

Especially as I’ve not dabbled in the genre for a little while, I’m looking forward to seeing this book is about. This synopsis sounds as good as ever and I trust my mum’s judgement that I will really enjoy this one as she did!


Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots

Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots

In an effort to keep up with my non-fiction reading this year, I’ll be picking up the e-book Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots. This has been on my reading list since 2017 so is long overdue a read. At under 300 pages, this is also really achievable for me to pick up and make light work of.

I’ve already started this e-book as it was a convenient one to pick up after finishing a physical read of The Long Earth. I want to read on my Kindle for a bit! Aside from audiobooks, I’ve picked up a lot of physical read lately.

In just the half hour I started this last night, I am already well into the first chapter and intrigued as to where this book will take us.

If you are unfamiliar, this is a non-fiction book about how treatment for individuals in the UK and Ireland with mental health issues has changed in the last 200 or so years. By all accounts, we start this book with a lot to be desired in terms of treating people humanely and with dignity.


You Coach You

The last book on this monthly TBR is also a non-fiction and a book I intend to pick up via audio after finishing Terry Pratchett’s biography. The book is You Coach You.

I want to pick up this book for a couple of reasons. The first of these is that coaching is a skill I’m working on personally this year. I totally understand that not everyone is interested in personal development, but I’m still young and haven’t lost interest yet at the very least. On a serious note, I’m the kind of person who believes there is always more to learn. I can always improve.

So, coaching is a skill I want to work on. The other reason I want to pick up You Coach You in particular is because I listen to Helen and Sarah‘s podcast, Squiggly Careers. I already love their content and their style, so picking up their book makes infinite sense! They also narrate the audiobook, so I know exactly what I’m getting into when I start listening to this.

I can’t wait!


Summary

With a few shorter books on my monthly TBR, and a plan to pick up Master of Sorrows as a priority, I have confidence that June is going to be a productive reading month!

That’s all for my Monthly TBR post.

What are you reading?

 

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Sunday Summary – 2nd June 2024

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It’s the end of another week (already!) so that can only mean one thing… I’m back with my Sunday Summary weekly feature to catch you up on the books I’ve been reading over the course of the week.

Before we get there though, let’s briefly recap the blog posts I’ve shared with you so far. My first post of the week was a discussion post providing tips I’ve implemented in the last few months in order to make time for reading. If you want to find the time to read but are struggling due to other commitments or time pressures, then something in this post may be useful for you.

Yesterday I published my monthly wrap-up for the month of May. If you want to find out which books I read in comparison to those I had on my reading list for May, that’s the post to go and look at.


Books Read


Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes

This week has been a very Pratchett week in terms of reading! As of last week’s Sunday Summary update I shared that I was a third of the way through this audiobook.

I’ve listened further over the course of this week and I am now just over 50% through. In the first part in the audio we have covered all of Terry early life and how he became an author.

I’ve just started part two and we are closer to his later years. I think soon we will get to the point of Terry’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s and the impact that had on his life. I think this is going to be a little bit difficult to listen to, even though I am interested too understand what he went through. Having witnessed a family member suffer with Alzheimer’s, I’m already familiar with the condition and how it can affect people. I’m still interested to hear the end of his story, so watch the space for future updates.

 

The Long Earth

As well as his biography, I’ve also been reading a science-fiction novel Terry Pratchett, co-authored with Stephen Baxter.

As of my last Sunday Summary I was only 50-something pages in. Beyond the general impression of enjoying the set up, I hadn’t really decided too much in the way of the book other than I was happy to keep reading.

Over the course of the week I’ve read a further 240 pages, taking me to chapter 35, or page 290. I am still very happy with the story and intrigued as to how this first book is going to end. Especially as I know this is a series, it could be anywhere. I still haven’t made up my mind on Lobsang and his intentions right now. He is a bit of an enigma, but one I am looking forward to unpicking a little further.


Books Discovered

No news is good news, or so they say. As of this Sunday Summary update I have no new additions to my TBR or on my bookshelves to update you on.


Coming Up…

The first post I have coming up next week is my June TBR. I have a couple of books I’m carrying over from May, but otherwise I have yet to decide what else I plan to read over the course of the month. If you have any recommendations for me, I’ll be more than glad to hear them!

I’ll be back with the First Lines Friday feature post towards the end of this week. It feels like it’s been a while since I last did this feature and I’m looking forward to sharing another book and interesting opening lines with you.

Lastly, another Sunday Summary post will be winging its way to you at the end of the week. As always, I’ll share the books I’ve been reading over the course of the week and any other notable news. I hope you can join me once again.

That’s all for today Sunday summary update.

How are you spending your Sunday night? Are you reading or watching anything interesting on TV? I’m always interested to hear, so do let me know in the comments.

 

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