Tag: Fiction

Shelf Control #82 – 29/11/2024

Posted on November 29, 2024 by fantasyst95

Good evening and happy Friday friends! Welcome to today’s Shelf Control feature post!

I’m glad to be back sharing my regular Friday features. Although they are quite easy content for me to do, I do enjoy the benefits of looking ahead and around my TBR to get a feel for what books I have on the list. It helps me get excited for when I finally get to them.

Today’s feature is a pretty big name author. I have yet to try any of his books, which is a reason of itself for why I’m looking forward to giving this a go.

Before I share the deets though, here’s a recap on what my Shelf Control posts look like: –

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Memory Man – David Baldacci

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: 21 Apr 2015

Goodreads – Memory Man

When Amos Decker returned home eighteen months ago to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter, he didn’t think he could carry on living. Overwhelmed with grief, he saw his life spiral out of control, losing his job as a detective, his house and his self-respect.

But when his former partner in the police, Mary Lancaster, visits to tell him that someone has confessed to the murder of his family, he knows he owes it to his wife and child to seek justice for them.

As Decker comes to terms with the news, tragedy strikes at the local school. Thirteen teenagers are gunned down, and the killer is at large. Following the serious brain injury Amos suffered as a professional footballer, he gained a remarkable gift – and the police believe that this unusual skill will assist in the hunt for the killer.

Amos must endure the memories he would rather forget, and when new evidence links the murders, he is left with only one option.

My Thoughts

I’m always willing to try new authors. The great thing about giving them a go is that if you enjoy their books, you’ve got plenty more of their work to try.

That’s especially the case with big names like David Baldacci. Memory Man itself is the first of 7 primary works as of drafting this post. On top of that, he’s published books in 11 other series and a number of standalones! I doubt his fans are bored…

I added Memory Man to the TBR for a few reasons. Firstly, the synopsis caught my eye. Murder and memories best forgotten? Sign me up! Secondly, it’s a reasonably recent book in terms of David’s career as an author. Rather than going back to a book when he first started out, I want to see what his established style is. Then, if I’m happy I like it I can work my way back through his works if I’m interested.

Personally, I’m surprised I’ve gotten so far into my blog and reading hobby and still not picked up books by household names such as David. But then, I guess it’s also personal preference. Eventually I’ll get there, and I’ll always try everyone at least once. That’s only fair, right?

Have you read books by David Baldacci? Do you have any recommendations you would like to share?

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First Lines Friday – 22/11/2024

Posted on November 22, 2024 by fantasyst95

Today’s First Lines Friday feature is on theme with my Top Ten Tuesday post I shared a few days ago. It also features one of the books I shared in that post. For a different reason, admittedly.

I recently purchased a copy of this book and the first line especially caught my attention. I’m looking forward to reading this soon. It’s been recommended to me by two different individuals recently. It’ll also be nice to read something a little ‘older’ on the TBR.

Here are today’s First Lines Friday opening lines, followed by details of the book:-

The small boys came early to the hanging.

It was still dark when the first three or four of them sidled out of the hovels, quiet as cats in their felt boots. A thin layer of fresh snow covered the little town like a new coat of paint, and theirs were the first footprints to blemish its perfect surface. They picked their way through the huddled wooden huts and along the streets of frozen mud to the silent market-place, where the gallows stood waiting.

Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 1090

Audience: Adult

Publisher: MacMillan London

Publication Date: 1989

Goodreads – Pillars of the Earth

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth is Ken Follett’s classic historical masterpiece.

A MASON WITH A DREAM

1135 and civil war, famine and religious strife abound. With his family on the verge of starvation, mason Tom Builder dreams of the day that he can use his talents to create and build a cathedral like no other.

A MONK WITH A BURNING MISSION

Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, is resourceful, but with money scarce he knows that for his town to survive it must find a way to thrive, and so he makes the decision to build within it the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

A WORLD OF HIGH IDEALS AND SAVAGE CRUELTY

As Tom and Philip meet so begins an epic tale of ambition, anarchy and absolute power. In a world beset by strife and enemies that would thwart their plans, they will stop at nothing to achieve their ambitions in a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother . . .

My Thoughts…

That intro really caught my attention. What are small children doing attending a hanging? What kind of life and existence is this?

I’ve been recommended this book twice by people I trust pretty well when it comes to book recommendations. It’s an epic, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by the page I’ve shared above. However, that doesn’t intimidate me. I love me a good chunky book now and then and as a fan of historical fiction, the combo should work well for me.

I’ve read books set around similar time periods and in terms of setting before, so I’m pretty confident this is something I can get on with. Otherwise, I’m pretty oblivious as to the content of the book other than that alluded to in the synopsis.

Have you read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett or any of the other books in the series?

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Top Ten Tuesday – ‘Oldest’ Books on my TBR

Posted on November 19, 2024 by fantasyst95

In today’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’m sharing a number of classic books. If this post has highlighted anything to me, it’s that generally I read books that have been published within the last decade. This isn’t a surprise. If you read my Sunday Summary post where I shared that I was going to publish this post, I said that exact same thing.

However, I am surprised by how many there are that have an ‘older’ publication date. Honestly, I thought I’d have a handful to share in this Top Ten Tuesday and that would be it. Given that I’ve not been able to sort my Goodreads reading list by the original publication year (I use the mobile app), I’ve had to do a bit of digging comparing the versions I’ve added to my reading list with the original publication date. I’ve done my best to make this list as accurate as possible, but there is a possibility of human error in here.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – 1831

It was almost a given that Victor Hugo was going to be on this list! I also surprised myself because I then expected Les Mis to feature on this list. Only, I realised I’ve not actually added Les Mis to my TBR even though I have a copy of the book…

So, sticking to the rules of the post, I’m not featuring that one here but talking about The Hunchback of Notre Dame instead. This is the kind of book I mean when I talk about being able to tell that it’s written earlier. Personally, I have to have my head screwed on when I try to read a classic. It doesn’t read quite so fluidly and I have to really concentrate.

The Three Musketeers – 1844

The Three Musketeers was also almost guaranteed to make it to this list. I wasn’t sure exactly when this book was published, but I knew for certain it was going to be one of the oldest I had.

Weirdly, I added this to my reading list after watching a show based on the musketeers on Netflix many moons ago. We’ll see how it lives up to expectations.

Jane Eyre – 1847

I haven’t read any books by the Brontë sisters so honestly, I have no idea what to expect with these. Admittedly I’d forgotten I had this one on my TBR at all.

One day I’ll get to it and be able to tell you more about it. Let’s hope sooner rather than later!

The Grapes of Wrath – 1939

The Grapes of Wrath will be my second read by John Steinbeck when I get to it. I had mixed feelings about Of Mice and Men when I first picked it up for school. However, since then I re-read the book in my own time and enjoyed it.

I added The Grapes of Wrath after reading that because I want to try more by this author.

Catch-22 – 1961

Catch-22 is weirdly further down the list than I thought it would be. Equally, it was in the works a while before being published, so maybe that’s why.

Hardly surprising that it’s another classic/iconic read is it?!

The Colour Purple – 1982

I first picked up and sampled a copy of The Colour Purple in my school library a long time ago now. I never really got very far into it, so it is a book I’m look forward to reading properly sometime.

Again, it’s a pretty well known title. If not a classic, it takes on some pretty important themes including religion as well as domestic and sexual abuse.

Why do I want to read this again? It’s not so much that I enjoy reading about such things. I hate the idea of anyone going through that. However, I think it’s important that we do.

A Darkness at Sethanon – 1987

If there was a genre that wasn’t a classic or iconic fiction that still made it into this Top Ten Tuesday, it would be fantasy. There is enough of it on the TBR that something should have made it on here.

And yes, it did! There is only one book that qualifies on account of having read the earlier books in the series already. A Darkness at Sethanon is the final book in the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist. I have mixed opinions on the series so far. But, it’ll be good to see it through to the end and make up my mind on it once and for all!

Pillars of the Earth – 1989

I’m actually excited this is on the list as I purchased a copy of it just the other day. Admittedly, it’s a far more up to date edition than 1989, but it still stands on this list.

The Eye of the World – 1990

It’s a pure coincidence, but also refreshing, that my current read features on this list. I suspected the Wheel of Time series had to have been written some time ago given the length of the series and the fact that it needed to be finished by another author.

I almost didn’t check the date on this one, so that goes to show that the book doesn’t really read as being that old. And it’s not.

In my opinion, I can only really tell when books are written 100+ years ago because the language style is different across the board. There is naturally a bit of this from one author to another, but it’s far broader than that too. Sentences are longer and their structure is more complicated. Word ordering is a little bit different. It’s little things, but the things I can pick up on.

Alias Grace – 1996

It’s great to feature a Margaret Atwood novel on this Top Ten Tuesday list. I have absolutely no idea about the story of Alias Grace other than the synopsis appealed to me. When we think of Margaret Atwood, we think of books like The Handmaid‘s Tale, or more recently the sequel The Testaments.

In truth, she’s written many books other than those, but those are the one she’s known for and the ones I know her for. I’m looking forward to branching out a little and trying some of her other reads.

Summary

The fact that I managed to feature 10 books in this Top Ten Tuesday post with an original publication date of pre-2000 surprises me. I thought I’d have a lot more in the way of current books. That’s not a bad thing though! It means I’m reading a little more diversely than I expected, and there is nothing wrong with a backlist book. To be honest, that’s what I read most of!

Do you have any of today’s Top Ten Tuesday features on your TBR?

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Shelf Control #81 – 15/11/2024

Posted on November 15, 2024 by fantasyst95

It’s been a good while since I shared a Shelf Control post… or a regular Friday feature at that! After a brief spell of scaling back the blogging I’m now back to regular scheduling and ready to dive in!

The author I feature in today’s Shelf Control post is one I have read once before. That first book I read was a whopping five star read and I’ve been excited to read more of her stuff ever since!

Before I share the details on this week’s feature, this is what this Shelf Control feature is about.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Rose Under Fire – Elizabeth Wein

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 360

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher:Hyperion

Publication Date: 10 Sept 2013

Goodreads – Rose Under Fire

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning World War II thriller where a young female pilot will have to confront the realities of hope and bravery if she wants to survive capture.

While ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot for the Soviet air force.

Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?

The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

My Thoughts

I loved Code Name Verity. It was a fantastic and very cleverly written story set in a World War II setting. Rose Under Fire is a completely new storyline but set in a similar timeframe. It’s also one of my favourites to read about, fiction or non-fiction. Call me weird if you wish, but I love learning about the conflict and listening to the experiences of people who had to endure the worst of World War II. I’m a firm believer of learning from these experiences by educating ourselves about them as opposed to burying them in the sand.

I’m looking forward to reading a second World War II based story from this author. I’m also intrigued on reading books set in specifically a woman’s concentration camp as this is an angle I’ve not yet read about. I’m hoping it’s every bit as engaging and clever as Code Name Verity. As to whether I do enjoy it as much remains to be seen. But, hopefully I’ll be able to answer that question for you shortly!

Have you read Rose Under Fire or Code Name Verity?

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Monthly TBR – November 2024

Posted on November 14, 2024 by fantasyst95

This monthly TBR is late as earlier this month I was squeezed on free time to blog. When I originally planned to share this in my first Sunday Summary of the month, I didn’t take into account that I was away that weekend. Then, I hoped to share this post with you earlier this week before I sat my exam yesterday. In the end, I prioritised revision for that. It was worth it as I passed! So, finally I’m here today, nearly halfway through November, to tell you what I plan to read this month. Apologies this is much later than billed.

I’m not piling loads of books on the reading list this month anyway. I have a chunky book to get through, and I want to wrap-up those I’ve already started and have on-the-go. Plus, I want to ease myself back in now that my free time is my own again!

Fixed Reads

The Squiggly Career

As of drafting this monthly TBR post, I have in fact already finished The Squiggly Career. The Squiggly Career is a non-fiction book I knew I wanted to pick up this year. Having read You Coach You a few months ago, I wanted to continue with picking up content from Helen and Sarah and also doing so in a way that gives me resources to help with my own development at work.

If you are looking for this kind of content, then I cannot recommendThe Squiggly Career enough. It is a fantastic resource giving you the opportunity to challenge yourself and make space for asking questions about what you want to get out of your time at work (aside from the pay check).

Defiant

I’ve had the audiobook for Defiant on the go for a little while now. Last month I didn’t pick it up very much (to a degree just out of preference for physical books), but also because of my exam.

I have already made an effort to start listening to this again. Just today, I have made progress from around a third of audiobook in to halfway complete. Hopefully I’ll have a lot more progress to share with you in the next week or so. I’m not planning on rushing this listen, but I’ll make the most of time I have off and at home on my own to make progress.

Carrie

I started reading Carrie around Halloween because I wanted to pick up an iconic horror for the spooky season. I’m still reading this book as of drafting this post. However, I’m a good halfway through and optimistic that I’ll make some quick progress before the end of this week.

I’m not sure what to make of the book overall at the moment. It’s perfectly enjoyable, but I’m not sure it’s what I expected. At least, not yet. We’ll see if that changes as I progress further through the story to the conclusion.

The Eye of the World

The chunkiest book on this monthly TBR is one I just started before the beginning of the month. I’m in the mood for an epic fantasy and so I took the decision to start The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

You may remember I have picked up this book before. I tried to read it at a time when big chunky books wasn’t suiting me, and so I ended up DNF’ing it at around 60%. However, I always knew I wanted to come back to it. I enjoyed the story I had read up to that point and I’m looking forward to getting back into it properly this time. Fortunately, I own this book both in physical format and also on Kindle giving me flexibility in reading this however best suits me at the time.

Summary

For the first time in a little while, I’m not setting myself any particular mood reads this month. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I’d even get to them anyway. My real priority is to catch up on the books I’ve already started so I have a clean slate ready for next month. If I do, I’ll update you as and when.

Thanks for checking out this very late monthly TBR post. What have you been reading recently? What is on your reading list?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – October 2024

Posted on November 6, 2024 by fantasyst95

I’m back with my penultimate monthly wrap-up post to be published this side of the end of the year. It’s crazy how fast this year is flying by!

I’ve accepted that I’m not going to achieve all my reading goals this year, and that’s okay. I’m having fun with the books I have picked up and reading is still a habit I get to enjoy as part of daily life.

Shall we take a look at what books I picked up in October? If you want a reminder, here were the books on my TBR.

Books Read

Defiant

Defiant is still an ongoing listen in this monthly wrap-up post. I featured it in last month’s post and shared that I was a third of the way through the audio.

Admittedly, I have only listened to an hour of the audio over the month of October. It’s pretty poor progress, but I’ve not really been in the mood for it. As well, I’ve been prioritising studying for an exam and so all my reading has suffered a little until that’s done.

Defiant is still very much on my current reads list and I hope to have more to share with you next month!

The Rosie Project

As of my last monthly wrap-up post, I had barely started The Rosie Project. I read that book for our book club meet in October. Naturally, I had to put my skates on to finish it!

Overall my experience of The Rosie Project was okay. It didn’t quite live up to expectations on the humour side of things. Equally though, for a book from a genre I don’t really pick up myself, it was perfectly readable.

In terms of rating, it got a straight down the middle assessment of three stars.

The Outsider

I wanted to lean into spooky season and pick up a couple of thrillers or horrors this month. The first I completed was The Outsider.

Whilst also perfectly readable, I did hope for a different conclusion to this book. Given it’s written by King I really shouldn’t have been surprised it ended the way it did. Even still, I enjoyed the read and taking the chance to pick up this kind of book when the nights are drawing in!