Tag: fantasyst95

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’ve Never Reviewed

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If there’s one thing that’s apparent on this Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’ve Never Reviewed post, it’s that the books fall into one of two categories.

I’m proud to say that in the grand scheme of things, I review the vast majority of books I read. There are some I haven’t reviewed dating back to pre-blog days. Maybe I’ll re-read and review some of those whilst they are fresh in my memory. It wouldn’t feel fair to it now when it’s been over 10 years since I picked the books up.

The two categories the remaining books fall into are either those I feel indifferent over, or those I’m intimidated to even try to review!

Shall we take a look at what falls where?

 

Books I’m Indifferent About


Empress of All Seasons

My overall recollection on this book is one of general enjoyment, but nothing stands out In my head as to why I liked this book.


The Ruby in the Smoke

Nothing smacks harder of indifference than not actually being able to remember a single thing about this book or anything that happened in it.

Yikes.


Vox

On a different note, I do remember the plot and premise of Vox. I did enjoy the book, but as a feminist fiction, I feel it could have leant a little harder into the subject than it did. 


Jack the Ripper: Case Closed

I like Jack the Ripper books and stories, but this audiobook just felt a bit ‘meh’. It’s very hard to write a review and talk about a book when you really don’t have a lot to say about it.

Scouse Gothic


If I recall correctly, the author sent me a copy of this book after I read another of his. It was a book I read at my own leisure rather than for review. It was an okay read, if a bit out of my comfort zone. I didn’t have anything especially to say about it then and neither do I now.

 

You Are Not so Smart

You are not so smart

All I recall from this book is a bunch of surprising facts, interlaced with humour. It was a good and informative read, but I certainly don’t have enough to say about it to be able to draft a post dedicated to it.

It’s interestingly the only non-fiction to feature in this Top Ten Tuesday.

 

The Cockroach

This political satire is a short book I was recommended by someone I used to work for. It was an interesting and different short story to read. Again, there’s no way I’d be able to justify a review for it.

 

Books I’m Intimidated to Review

Blackwing

Blackwing

I’ve read and reviewed both Ravencry and Crowfall as part of blog tours. I read the first book in the series, Blackwing, to catch up on the book ready to review Ravencry.

Since I’ve loved the books so much (that I’ve already re-read them within just a few years), any future review has very big shoes to fill.

 


Godsgrave

In a bit of an admin oversight, I reviewed the first and final book of this trilogy on my blog, but not Godsgrave. I’m not sure how I managed that, but there we go!

Like Blackwing, I’m intimidated at the prospect of approaching this review. I adored this series – it’s what got me into Jay Kristoff’s books in the first place. Can I do the book justice and convince readers it lives up to the hype?


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I’m intimidated to review The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time because it’s such a well-known classic! The truth is, I’m probably missing a trick here. Reviews on my blog for classic or popular books, including The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are why my blog gets as many views as it does nowadays (over 71,000 in 2024).

Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and have a go!

 Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. Have you read and reviewed any of the books I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday instalment? I’d love to read your thoughts if you have!

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The TBR Book Tag

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In today’s TBR book tag post, I’m sharing some fun content. Now and then, I like to break up my reviews and reading progress updates. Today, I’m sharing some books on my TBR and tips on how I keep on top of it (ha!).

I found this TBR book tag over on Pastmidnights.com and I thought it was a fun break from my usual content.


How do you keep track of your TBR?

I have used Goodreads to track my reading list since I really started getting back into reading in 2017.

I have tried other trackers like StoryGraph before. However, because I’m so used to Goodreads, I didn’t really get on with it. It would also be such a project to make the transition that I don’t really have the energy for it. Plus, there’s nothing I dislike about Goodreads either. I know some people like to stay away from it because of its affiliation with Amazon. It works for me though…


Is your TBR mostly print or e-books?

I have a number of books across all formats – physical, e-book, and audiobook. However, I’d say the e-book collection is by far the largest.

Arguably, it’s the more convenient format to have books in. It doesn’t take up physical space in the house, which is the most premium resource I have. Not that you’d know it from the stack of books that can’t fit on my existing bookshelves…


How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

It honestly depends.

Sometimes, very occasionally, I’ll have a reading theme. Take this month for example – Black History Month. If I want to pick up books on or around this topic, it’s a much smaller pool to choose from than the 200+ on my list.

Most of the time though, it’s what I feel like reading. I have some broader reading goals of finishing series. That usually bumps books up the list a bit. Occasionally, I’ll mood read and pick up whatever I want. I can judge that either by synopsis or genre. There isn’t really any rhyme or reason here.

Finally, I might just curveball and pick up something not on the list. Be that for book club or any other reason, I just keep myself on my toes.


A book that’s been on your TBR the longest


The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss – there is another question about unpublished books below in which I feature another I cannot wait to get to. This unpublished book features here though as it is literally the oldest book on my TBR by ‘date added’ and there is nothing I can do about it!

 

A book you recently added to your TBR


I added A Man Called Ove as I love the idea of the character. Although I’m not anywhere near the main character’s demographic (neither male – I hope not shocking news…, or of the elderly generation), I can sympathise with this character.


A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover


Orbital is a fairly recent purchase. However, the cover caught my eye and then I rationalised that some shorter fiction on my TBR isn’t a bad thing!


A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading

Um… none really? I don’t add books to the list if I don’t have any intention of reading them. That may change over time and I take something off the list as I no longer want to read it. But, there’s no point adding something I don’t want to read!


An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for


The Winds of Winter is the most anticipated new release on my TBR. The only problem is, I’m getting increasingly worried that this sequel is still a long way off!


A book on your TBR basically everybody has read but you


I’ve put Throne of Glass on my TBR as a way of trying Sarah J. Maas. I’m not sure I’ll like all her books, but this is the series I’ve been recommended as having the most storyline sans romance to it.


A book on your TBR that everyone recommends


I’d have to go for The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – ironic as I have just been gifted a fancy edition of the book!


A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read


I’m not one for anticipating new releases much. However, I grew up reading The Hunger Games. I’m looking forward to the prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, coming out. It’s the story of Haymitch’s games. He’s a rich character in the later books; I’m interested to see what happened to him to get himself in such a sorry state!


The number of books on your Goodreads Shelf

As of publishing this post, the Goodreads list is 214 books long.

Please send help!

 

 

Thanks for checking out today’s TBR book tag post!

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2025

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The first month of 2025 has flown by! It’s been a fun start to the year. And, as I hoped, I’ve picked up some great books to get me started. Today’s monthly wrap-up post is dominated by books I rated five-stars. What more could I ask for?

I set myself an ambitious monthly TBR, but I’m not going to knock myself down for not being able to match my enthusiasm with results. I still picked up the vast majority of the reading list. What didn’t make it in January is going to come back very shortly.

So, shall we take a look at the books I did manage to pick up in January?


Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree

I started the year with an audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I did this deliberately as I wanted to start the year right. I’ve heard great things about this fantasy, and I wanted to make sure that one of my first reads of 2025 was going to be a four or five-star rating.

At the beginning of January, I had already listened to just over half of this audiobook (55% if you want to get specific). That still left me with around 11 or 12 hours of audio to progress with. Whilst technically this is only half the book, that is more than a whole book’s worth when you think about the average book length I typically read!

Needless to say, my tactic worked. I rated The Priory of the Orange Tree five stars. I loved this fantasy inside out. It was a fun read with compelling characters and an interesting plotline anyway. However, its emphasis on strong female lead characters really made this even better for me.

 

Fool’s Errand

The second and final book I carried over from my December monthly wrap-up was Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Admittedly, I was much less into this book when I started the year. Aside from the first 56 pages, I pretty much read the whole book in January.

Fool’s Errand broke my heart in every way I feared it would. I really enjoyed being back in the world of Fitzchivalry Farseer and seeing how events have moved on from the first trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings series. The foreshadowing at the beginning of this book hammered home my fears about what may happen in this latest instalment.

Can a book be both great and terrible at the same time? It was the events of this book that were tragic. The storyline and writing itself it’s usual fantastic standard. Robin Hobb is not known for pulling her punches when it comes to her main characters. Do we really get invested in them if we know they’re going to turn out right in the end?

Fool’s Errand achieved another five star rating and really cemented a good reading start for me this year.


Shuggie Bain

Back in November, our book club at work decided that we would reconvene in January after reading Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart.

Admittedly, this isn’t the type of book I would’ve picked up of my own volition. That’s the benefit of a book club! It gives you the chance to pick up and read new things and really get out of your comfort zone. Remember, that’s one of my reading goals for this year.

Whilst I confess I didn’t love every aspect of Shuggie Bain, that’s not to say I didn’t get anything out of it. The book is very bleak in its outlook, but gives great perspective on quite pivotal problems in our society like alcoholism, addiction and the impact these things have on families.

From our discussion, we came to the conclusion that whilst these things feel like a very distant problem for other people, they’re not so far under the surface. Quite often those afflicted are very good at masking their problems. Also, it’s dangerous that substances such as alcohol are so widely available to trap those trying to free themselves of their addiction.


Firefight

The final book I picked up and read to completion before the end of the month was Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. I appreciate fantasy has featured quite heavily on this month’s TBR, but I’m not apologetic for it. It’s my favourite genre for a reason! Brandon Sanderson is also always a great read. I’ve loved every single one of his books, even when you’re taken into consideration how varied they are.

Firefight is the second book of his The Reckoners trilogy. Part of the reason I wanted to pick this up early in the year is so I have just one book left in the series. You may also recall a featured this series in my Series to Finish in 2025 post.

I didn’t anticipate the ending of this book, but I went into it pretty open-minded. I really enjoyed how events played out in the book and it’s gotten me all the more excited to pick up the final instalment of the series very soon!


A Darkness at Sethanon

The last book I picked up before the end of the month, though admittedly I only got a couple of chapters in, was A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist.

This book is also a final instalment in a series and that is the main reason for picking this book up. I want to make an effort continuously to keep finishing up series I’ve started and get the list back under control.

There’s not much to say as of this monthly wrap-up post, other than to say that I’ve gotten myself caught up on events of the prior books in the series and I’m looking forward to diving into this one in earnest!


Summary

This monthly wrap-up post has illustrated to me that my aims of picking up high-quality reads in my favourite genre for January have set me up in good stead for the rest of the year. With no less than 3 five-star reads already under my belt, I’m looking forward to continuing the positive streak.

Did you pick up any five-star reads in January? Do you have any reading goals you are prioritising for 2025?

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Series to Finish in 2025

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One of my 2025 Resolutions is to give greater priority to finishing book series. I have plenty of series where I only have 1, 2, or 3 books left before I can mark them complete. In today’s post, I feature my list of series to finish in 2025.

My intention with publishing this post is accountability. Not only have I done the work to identify a number of series that are quick completions. This post also makes that intention public – and hopefully makes me commit to reading all these books this year!


Series to Finish in 2025


The Reckoners

I’m currently listening to Firefight with only 1 hour and 16 minutes left. Once that’s finished, I only have the third book of this trilogy, Calamity, left.

Not only is this an easy win because I only pretty much have one book left to read, but because it’s a Brandon Sanderson book, it will be very easy to achieve as well. I always look forward to his books, and when I do pick them up, they are effortless to read. At the point I am in the series, I have well established the world in which this series is set, and so it’s onward with the action!


The Hunger Games


Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel to The Hunger Games. It’s due out in mid-March, and I plan to pick it up shortly after it’s released.

I’m not one for keeping up too closely with new releases. However, as it is the only book in the series I have yet to read, I’m going to prioritise it so that the series returns to a completed status. I confess, I’m also half tempted to re-read The Hunger Games anyway. I loved these books as a teenager, and it’s a great opportunity for a re-read… yes?


Eagle of Mercia

Another 2025 release that takes the Eagle of Mercia series off its ‘up-to-date’ pedestal is Betrayal of Mercia.

Betrayal of Mercia was released earlier this month. I started reading the series whilst taking part in blog tours and I kept up with it. Even though I’ve taken the decision not to take part in blog tours anymore, I’m invested in the series. So, I plan to continue with it in my own time.

Betrayal of Mercia is the seventh book in this series. It’s a historical fiction with a main character I have a lot of respect for. I’m looking forward to getting back into this world.

 

The Riftwar Saga

My current read, A Darkness at Sethanon, also makes this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ list. As it stands, it’s the final book of Raymond E. Feist’s The Riftwar Saga series.

Although there are more series set in the same world should I wish to return, it’s strictly the last book of the trilogy I’ve started. At present, I don’t know if I’m going to go on to read those of the series. Whilst these books have been perfectly acceptable, I equally don’t have the same pull towards it that I have towards other fantasy series. I may be happy to leave it here; that depends on whether I enjoy this last book.


The Dark Tower

The last series to feature in this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ post is The Dark Tower by Stephen King. This series is the longest in terms of books left to completion, with three remaining at the time of this post.

Some of the books left in this series are chunky. It will probably take me some time to finish this series, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.

The next book I have to read, which admittedly I started the first 20 pages of a few months ago, is Wolves of the Calla. I didn’t properly commit to that one so I’ll likely restart it. That book alone is 765 pages long. After that, Song of Susannah is 434 pages long and lastly, The Dark Tower is 740 pages.


Summary

Have you got lots of ongoing series to progress with? Do you have any series to finish in 2025?

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Shelf Control #85 – 24/01/2025

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Good evening readers and welcome to this Shelf Control post – hope you are well? It’s been a wild one here! Today I’ve been relegated to working from home as the office was shut due to storm Éowyn. All things considered, I’ve not suffered badly. Losing half a roof tile is nothing compared to other people. Someone had half their roof ripped off!

Anyway, less of topical commentary and more of what to expect from this Shelf Control. 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.

In today’s post, I feature the first police procedural in a good while. I enjoy the genre but don’t read a lot of it. No doubt I’ll be changing that soon!


The Whisper Man – Alex North

Genre: Thriller / Police Procedural

Pages: 384

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Celadon Books

Publication Date: 22 Aug 2019

 

Goodreads – The Whisper Man

 

If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…

Fifteen years ago, a serial killer known only as ‘The Whisper Man’ wreaked havoc on the sleepy village of Featherbank.

But with the killer behind bars, the village is now a safe haven for Tom and his young son Jake to make a fresh start.

Until another boy goes missing. It feels like history is repeating itself.

Could the killer still be out there – and can Tom protect his son from becoming the next victim?

 

My Thoughts

I already have a copy of The Whisper Man, so I anticipate I’ll be picking up this police procedural soon. I enjoy picking up books like this, even if I don’t very often. The suspense is already palpable from the synopsis. Once we get into the story, it can only grow from there!

I added this book to my TBR in June 2019 and purchased a copy on Kindle on 2020. Taking advantage of a book being discounted to 99p is always a good idea when you read as much as I do!

Alex North is a new author to me. At the time I added this to my TBR, he had nothing else published under that name. Now in 2025 he has several books out, and another due out in May. What I hadn’t realised is that he’s also published multiple books under the pseudonym Steve Mosby. If I go on to enjoy this book as much as I think I will, then I have plenty more of his to read in future.

Do you like the sound of The Whisper Man? Have you read it and is it worth the positive press it’s received?

Stay safe and I’ll see you in my Sunday Summary in a couple of days!

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First Lines Friday – 17/01/2025

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Good evening and welcome to this First Lines Friday post! It’s the end of another working week for a lot of people (myself included!) and the weekend is finally here. Do you have any exciting plans?

In last week’s Sunday Summary I set myself the challenge of featuring a book I purchased last Sunday in this First Lines Friday. I checked them all out before I made my decision on which was best. You should be able to guess which one from the opening lines.

Let’s get into today’s First Lines Friday introduction, then I’ll follow with the details of the book:


Ove is fifty-nine.

He drives a Saab. He’s the kind of man who points the people he doesn’t like the look of, as if they were burglars and his forefinger a policeman torch. He stands at the counter of a shop where owners of Japanese cars come to purchase white cables. Ove eyes the sales assistant for a long time before shaking a medium-sized white box at him.

‘So this is one of those O-Pads, is it?’ he demands.

 


A Man Called Ove  – Fredrik Backman

Genre:  Contemporary fiction

Pages: 337

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: 15 Jul 2014

 

Goodreads – A Man Called Ove

Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – joggers, neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly and shop assistants who talk in code.

But isn’t it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible . . .


My Thoughts…

There is something about a curmudgeonly main character that appeals to me. We all know how hilarious the elderly and outspoken can be at the best of times.

Now more than ever it must be difficult to live in our modern world. With the only constant being change, I can imagine myself being very sympathetic to Ove and his experience of life in these 300-odd pages.

I’m looking forward to reading a refreshing change in perspective. It’s not very often that I read fiction with a protagonist like Ove. I pride myself on reading diversely, and so I should also read more from all characters, perspectives and walks of life.

Lending to my aims of reading more diversely, this book was originally published in Swedish and translated into English a year later. It’s not often I read translated works, but I’m glad to have gotten a copy of this ready to read.

Have you read A Man Called Ove?

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Book Review: Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb

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It’s ironic that the timing of this review coincides with my recent finish of reading Fool’s Errand. I’ve loved being back in the world of Robin Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings series. It’s great to be back in the world of Fitz and the Six Duchies. However, Ship of Magic and the ensuing foray into the Liveship traders series was a fun jaunt into a different side of the world!

Let’s take a look at the synopsis, and then I’ll get to my review –

 

Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Pages: 880

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date: 10 Sept 2015

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – Ship of Magic

 

From the author of the classic Farseer trilogy, SHIP OF MAGIC is the first part of the Liveship Traders. Set in a land bordering the Six Duchies, Robin Hobb begins her epic tale of pirates, talking ships, magic, sea serpents, slave revolts, dashing heroes and bloody battles.

On the northernmost point of the Cursed Shores lies Bingtown, a bustling hub of exotic trade and home to a proud merchant nobility famed for its extraordinary vessels.

Only Bingtown liveships can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain Wild River and plunder the riches found upstream, but such vessels are made from the most precious commodity in the world – a material with the ability to become sentient – and so are extremely rare.

The fortunes of one of Bingtown’s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy. But the fate of Vivacia – and the Vestrits – may ultimately lie in the hands of the dark and charming pirate, Kennit, who lusts after such a ship and has plans of his own . . .

 

My Thoughts


Plot

I confess it took me a little while to get into the world and plot of Ship of Magic. Living and talking ships isn’t exactly a natural phenomenon. The greatest hurdle to my mind was how completely different the world was to what I’d read in The Farseer trilogy. Whilst I knew the focus moved away from the characters I was familiar with, I don’t think I expected to start again, as it were.

The Liveship Traders books are worth the investment, however. It’s a great trilogy overall, and it has quite the page count! If you like a sizeable trilogy, this is certainly for you.

Ship of Magic is the start of a trilogy of conflict and suffering. The fate of the Vestrit family lies at its heart. However, within their tale we see how their infighting impacts their community and beyond.


Characters

Unlike the Farseer trilogy which predeceases The Liveship Traders, Ship of Magic enjoys a varied cast. With multiple perspectives painting the tale of the Bingtown traders and their strife, the book has a completely different feel.

I also attribute this to why getting into Ship of Magic took longer. Characters split off quite early and so it takes a good few chapters to get a rounded view on world events.

I confess I didn’t like all the characters we get perspectives from early in the series. Malta in particular was a difficult character for me to stomach. If anyone feels the same way you’ll be glad to know her character growth arc is both fantastic and somewhat redeeming. However, in Ship of Magic she is quite a bossy madam!

It’s not the only book series I’ve gotten through this before; if you are a regular reader you’ll know how much I love A Game of Thrones. I didn’t like Sansa at the start of that one. These kinds of characters do tend to have good storylines, so they are worth reading!


Setting

Like The Farseer trilogy, events of Ship of Magic span geographical locations that give us an opportunity to explore the map (and differences in the people that live there). At first the populace of Bingtown and their customs seem exotic compared to the Six Duchies… and then we meet Rain Wilders.

The variety of the people and places give us plenty to dive into. Ship of Magic feels less of a ‘fill the gaps’ exercise in world-building and more of an exploration. How much more there is to discover remains to be seen!

The plot of the book very naturally allows us to split off and follow different characters across the map. That’s quite different from the earlier books in the series in that we get multiple perspectives as opposed to a single point of view.


Narrative Style

I generally prefer books with multiple points of view. So, Ship of Magic appealed to me because I get to live in so many characters heads. Admittedly, not all of them were desirable. However, as a reader who likes to discover character motives, I had plenty to chew on.

The pacing of Ship of Magic starts slowly as we are introduced to this new side of the world and its customs. I found this got quicker once the groundwork was laid and the storyline could flourish from there.


Summary

Ship of Magic builds on The Realm of the Elderlings series by taking us to new places and exploring new magic. Ship of Magic is very much a character driven tale. I enjoyed delving into the new conflicts that ebb and flow throughout the plot of the whole trilogy, but for which a solid foundation is laid out in Ship of Magic.

Have you read any books by Robin Hobb, or read any part of The Realm of the Elderlings series?

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Shelf Control #84 – 10/01/2025

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Happy Friday friends and welcome to today’s Shelf Control instalment. This is my third post this week – but I’ve enjoyed putting out more content. Although it means I have more to do, and I’m busy at work at the moment, I’ve had fun!

I’ve already talked about books coming up in my immediate TBR this week. Today’s post is about looking ahead a little further and getting myself hyped up for future reads. Before we get stuck in, here’s a summary of what to expect from this Shelf Control post.

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.

 

The Song of the Sycamore – Edward Cox

Genre: Fantasy/Science-fiction

Pages: 496

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication Date: 22 Aug 2019

Goodreads – The Song of the Sycamore

 

On the broken world of Urdezha, Wendal Finn died on the hostile plains of the wasteland, one more casualty in the endless war between the city-dwellers and the clansfolk. But now Wendal has returned to his home city of Old Castle, possessed by something he brought back from the wasteland, something old and best left forgotten. The spirits are calling it Sycamore, an ancient entity out to avenge all victims of murder. And in a city like Old Castle, no one is innocent.

With his mind trapped inside a dead body, Wendal can do nothing but watch as Sycamore turns him into a serial killer. Until the magicians take an interest in him. Preserving Wendal’s body and trapping Sycamore inside it, the magicians now have the perfect assassin at their disposal. Whenever they need an enemy removed, they can set the killer loose on Old Castle. Between these moments of horror, Wendal struggles to piece together the remnants of his former life. He wants to know why his wife died while he was fighting in the war, but no one will tell him, no one wants him to know. Left to his own devices, Wendal picks at the scabs that cover the dark secrets of the magicians and reveals a threat to every city on Urdezha.

The clans are massing. A supernatural storm is raging across the wasteland. It has already destroyed one city, and now it is heading for Old Castle. And the only one who might prevent oblivion is the murderous entity who the spirits are calling Sycamore.

 

My Thoughts

Admittedly, I added The Song of the Sycamore to my reading list because I loved the author Edward Cox’s The Relic Guild trilogy. I didn’t pay too much attention to the premise of this book. His writing captured my attention enough that I want to pick up any of his books regardless.

I still stand by that. However, revisiting and actually paying attention to the synopsis of the book this time has gotten me excited to pick it up. It’s a unique idea, and readers of my blog will know how I feel about assassin protagonists. For those not in-the-know, I’m reading Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb right now.

It’s sounds a completely different style to The Relic Guild, but I’m intrigued. It reminds me a little of Crowfall by Ed McDonald in setting. As to whether it actually is similar, or if it lives up to that expectation, remains to be seen.

Have you read The Song of the Sycamore?

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Monthly TBR – January 2025

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Today’s first monthly TBR of 2025 comes to you with the whiff of a fresh start still in the air. My reading goals are still new and shiny…

Okay, enough of the pretentious rubbish!

Welcome to my first monthly TBR of the year. I’m excited to share my planned reads for January. I’m hoping to kick-start the year with some solid 5* reads and some ticks in the ol’ reading goal boxes. Start as we mean to go on, right?

The first two books on this list are carryovers from 2024. I picked these up in the hopes they’d see me right into 2025 and get me hyped for more great books. From there, I plan to pick up book club’s choice for January and some highly anticipated reads.

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


The Priory of the Orange Tree


My first carryover from December is my audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.

It’s been a good while since I listened to fantasy in audiobook format. Despite my reservations about retaining detail given the format of the book, I’m doing pretty well. I suspect it helped that I picked up this audio at a time when I could really dedicate some time to getting introduced to the world and the narrative. Usually, I’m piecemeal with picking up audiobooks. However, I had some time off around Christmas last year and I made the most of it!

As of this monthly TBR post, I have just 7 hours of audio left. This book is nearly 26 hours long, so I’m really getting to the conclusion anyway. I think that’ll help motivate my towards this very close finish!


Fool’s Errand



My second carryover is Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. This book was my only physical read at the end of the year. It was also a mood read I picked up in the final days of December. Knowing I wanted a pretty much guaranteed 5 star read to start 2025 with, Fool’s Errand made logical sense.

Fool’s Errand is living up to its predecessors in the wider series. I’m really enjoying being back in the world of Fitz. He’s one of my favourite characters so far. Although things have moved on a little since the first trilogy, I’m also loving the familiar surroundings.

As of this monthly TBR post, I’m 400 pages into the book. With less than 200 pages left to completion, I’m again hoping this spurs me into action and another finish.


Shuggie Bain


Next, my plan is to pick up our book club pick, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. We meet on the 29th January, but I don’t want this to be a last minute read. 

To my mind, Shuggie Bain falls into my goal of reading out of my comfort zone. I don’t think it’s a book I’d have discovered and read of my own volition. However, that’s exactly why being part of a book club is valuable. It exposes me to new books and ideas.

To my knowledge, this book addresses a number of social issues. I’m looking forward to seeing what those are and being able to discuss those with our group. When I first put feelers out for members, I thought I might have to be a bit more involved in leading discussions. That’s proven not to be the case at all, which is a bonus. It also means we can dig into topics like this quite easily.


Mood Reads


A Darkness at Sethanon


Whilst finishing series is hot on my resolutions radar, my first intended mood read on this monthly TBR is the final instalment to The Riftwar Saga. I started with Magician back in 2017. It’s been a series I’ve picked up sporadically, so I’m going to have to remind myself on events of the prior books before I jump into this last one.

It’ll be good to give myself a check mark on the completion of series goal nice and early. This one can’t be taken off me later, as the series is published in full.


Firefight

Another series progression pick, although not yet a completion, is Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoners series.

I first read Steelheart in 2020, but unlike The Riftwar Saga I have a decent recollection of what’s happened so far. No refreshers needed here!

Firefight is the second part of a trilogy. Reading Firefight will then enable me to pick up the last instalment in the near future, and that will be another completion.

I always look forward to picking up more Brandon Sanderson books. It made sense to add one to my first monthly TBR of the year to hype myself up. He’s such a diverse fantasy author; how he’s managed to write so many books in the genre (and overlapping others), all with their own magic systems and rules, amazes me. It’s what I look forward to when reading his books.

What else can he come up with?


Rose Under Fire

In my Top Ten Tuesday – Winter TBR post, I shared that I wanted to read Rose Under Fire. Again, this is another book that’s part of a series. However, I don’t believe these books tie together in the same way that a traditional series does. Each has their own main characters, but there are overlaps.

I loved Code Name Verity, another book in this series. It was the perfect introduction to Elizabeth Wein’s writing. Verity was a character I could get behind even before we got to see all aspects of her. Now, I’m intrigued to read other historical stories! Whilst I’m not so fussed on the sound of The Pearl Thief (book 3), I may be inclined to read book 4 (The Enigma) if I enjoy Rose Under Fire as much!

We’ll have to see… 


The Bone Collector

The last book to feature in this monthly TBR is technically part of a series. However, it’s not one I’ve already started and I intend to read the book as a standalone.

The Bone Collector has been on my TBR for a long time! Of the 211 books on my TBR right now, there are only 12 books that have been on it longer. Even then, some of those only stand as they haven’t been published yet…

I enjoyed watching a TV series featuring the events of this first book a few years ago. It’ll be exciting to see if the book is even better. I hope so!


Summary

This monthly TBR is AMBITIOUS. But, it’s a new year and I’m excited to get reading. Plus, it’s cold and miserable in January. What else have I got to be doing?

Thanks for reading today’s monthly TBR. Are you planning to pick up any particular reads in January?

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My 2024 Wrap-Up!

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As we wave goodbye to 2024 and look forward to a brand new year, today I’m looking back at the reading progress I made last year. In today’s 2024 wrap-up post, I’ll be taking you through some of my key reading stats from last year. As well, I cover how I progressed with the resolutions I set this time last year.

Overall, I had a great year. Although you’ll see in the resolutions section of this post that I didn’t technically meet most of the goals I set, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. When I set out my goals for the year, I had no idea that change was on the horizon. Just a month after I set those goals, I took a step out of my comfort zone. I asked a boy I was chatting to casually a couple of times a week out for a coffee. Now we live together.

Naturally, last year did not go as I’d expected it to in the best of ways. Whilst I’ve still had time to enjoy all the hobbies I have in good quantity, it was always going to be a less. Priorities shifted. Not only that, but I stepped back on both reading and blogging obligations for three months whilst I studied for a professional qualification.

So, now that I’ve made my excuses (I jest – I don’t think that’s the case really), let’s get into my 2024 wrap-up in earnest and talk numbers!


Reading Stats

Resolutions and Goals


Goodreads Challenge – Read 60 Books

 


At the beginning of 2024 in my resolutions post, I set myself the goal of reading 60 books. Whilst I have met this once and exceeded it twice before, in truth, 60 was supposed to be a maintenance goal. In 2023, I read 60 books after setting a challenge of 50. I felt it was a good amount to stick to. As I’ve explained earlier, I have exceeded this twice before, reading 62 books in 2017 and 72 in 2019. Certainly in 2019 I was feeling a little bit burnt out by the end; so I didn’t want to push myself that hard.

In the end, I completed 42 books in total in 2024 and carried forward two ongoing reads into 2025. Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon will now count towards my 2025 total.

I did start and put down one book in the year, christening it a DNF at 26%. In the grand scheme of things, only putting down one book without finishing it in a year is pretty damn good! There is no point forcing myself to finish something I’m not enjoying. Coupled with the other statistics I shared this post above, it goes to show that I focused on finishing books I enjoyed in 2024.


Read >15 non-fiction

The second goal I get to talk about in this 2024 wrap-up post was my intention to pick up more than 15 non-fiction books by the end of the year. This is a reading goal I set myself in 2023 as well. Whilst picking up non-fiction that year in order to meet that goal was a very deliberate and intentional thing, it felt far more natural this year.

It’s fair to say I now choose to read non-fiction on a semi regular basis. As I started getting into the habit of reading more of the genre in 2023, I’ve been adding more books from it to my reading list and generally taking more of an interest in this subject.

Over the course of 2024, I finished 11 non-fiction books, with that one DNF I mentioned earlier also being a non-fiction. I’m not counting that one, but adding it here to show you that non-fiction has been prevalent on this reading list, and it’s been a very natural process. I’ve picked up these books around the year because I want to, not because I feel like I have to in order to meet this goal.

So, I didn’t beat my target of more than 15. However, that’s okay! My target in another context was for non-fiction to make up 25% of my reading list throughout the year (15/60). In the end, 11 out of 42 of my completed books were non-fiction, which is a percentage of 26%. Although I’ve not read as many as I wanted to do this year, the percentage of non-fiction books I’ve picked up is as intended. I’m reading the genre as often as I wanted to. It’s not a complete pass, but I’m not going to mark this as a total failure either…


Finish 10 series by end of year

When I shared my resolutions post with you last year, I confided that I had a vast number of ongoing series. I had at least 18 where I only had a maximum of 3 books left in order to finish them. That’s ignoring the likes of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series where I have several books to go before I’m anywhere near the end.

I set myself a target of finishing 10 series; the definition of finish being either to get entirely up-to-date with a part-published series, or to finish it if the author has completed it.

I got pretty close to this goal in the end. As of this 2024 wrap-up post, I have to give myself 7 out of 10. I would have been one closer but for the fact that one of my ongoing series published a new book in November. I’ve had to dock myself a point for that…

The series I completed in 2024, for a quick recap, were:-

  • The Illuminae Files (full completion)
  • The Tattooist of Auschwitz (full completion)
  • Skyward (full completion)
  • The Celestial Kingdom (full completion)
  • The Saxon Warrior (up-to-date)
  • Empire of the Vampire (up-to-date)
  • Eagle of Mercia (up-to-date)

Overall, a completion rate of 70% is still very good, and also in line with my Goodreads reading challenge. 42 books out of 60 is also 70%. So, it’s fair to say that I’ve been prioritising finishing series in equal proportion to my reading list. Again, I won’t call it a success or failure in this 2024 wrap-up. 


Blog Goals – Make Social Media a Habit

This is the point in today’s wrap-up post where I have to be completely honest. I cannot blag this one. I did not make social media habit in 2024.

It is a goal I will be working on forever more because I am not drawn to social media. I recognise that it can be a useful tool, but I don’t love using it. Making content for it is a completely different ballpark to posting on the blog, and I would say it’s harder. At least, for me.

If you’ve looked at any of my socials in the last week or so, you can see some kind of renewed effort on trying to use and post on social media more often. As to how long it will last remains to be seen. I’m doing my best in these next few weeks to start making a habit of creating content ahead of time and doing so in a concentrated block. We’ll see if it sticks.


Summary

Even though I didn’t strictly meet any of the goals I set myself at the beginning of 2024, I’m still happy with the progress I’ve made with them.

It’s clear that I have continued to make the progress I wanted to throughout the year and that both finishing series and reading non-fiction have become a habit.

Thanks for taking the time to read my 2024 wrap-up! How did you fair against any resolutions you set yourself in 2024?

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