Tag: George R R Martin

Discussion Post: Favourite Books to Recommend

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As a blogger and book reader/reviewer, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I love to share my love of reading. Or, that I want to press books into your hands. In today’s post, I share my favourite books to recommend. That might be because they are from my favourite genre or author, offer something unique or are great for readers of all levels.

I’ll explain the why’s and wherefore’s for each book as we go. For now, here are my top books to recommend!


Fantasy


A Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire

It shouldn’t be a surprise this series makes it to the top of my recommends list. If I were only ever allowed to read one series again, I’d pick this hands down!

I love the storyline, the complexity, the intricacy and detail we get to enjoy. My only preference would be for the series to be complete… but I’ll just have to wait for that!


The Realm of the Elderlings

Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series is a fairly new discovery and addition to this list. I’d been meaning to pick up Assassin’s Apprentice for a good while before my friend Rachael encouraged me to read it.

Since then I’ve read six out of the sixteen books in the series in the last two years. Considering the number of books I read, I’ve gotten through these comparatively quicker than most other series I’m reading.


Mistborn

Brandon Sanderson is another favourite author. I debated which series of his to feature here, as I’ve read quite a few. At least, in part. However, the one that got me into his writing the most, and the series I’ve read in full, is his Mistborn series.

I was so sad to reach the conclusion but I’d happily re-read this from start to finish again! I especially loved how the timeline change was handled and how we see advancement in the world between the timelines. It’s for that reason that I will recommend this to any fantasy reader!


Harry Potter series

Whatever your feelings are on the author, I think it’s important to separate their work from their personal life. I can’t say I’m all too versed on the controversy about J.K. Rowling. And anyway, I’ll love the Harry Potter books regardless.

The books start off pretty easy to read but get quite dark towards the end. Personally, I love that! I grew up reading these books in my teenage years so I was always the perfect age to read them. Even re-reading them as an adult, I enjoyed each and every book.


Lord of the Rings

Whilst not the easiest books to read in terms of superfluous language and descriptions of food, they make a great storyline. The fact that I intend to re-read the books gives you an idea of how much a fan I am.

They’re also favourite books to recommend as they’re classics in the fantasy genre. I’ve also read The Hobbit and this is a great starting point to the books. However, if you are looking for a classic trilogy of books to immerse yourself into, Lord of the Rings is a natural choice.


Nevernight Chronicles

Nevernight
On the other end of the spectrum, I also can’t recommend this trilogy about a young female assassin with a serious vendetta enough. Mia is quite the character, and her character history, development arc and the setting are all really enjoyable to dig into. The narrative is great, but as a unique addition, the book includes footnotes with everything from contextual information to snarky commentary. They’re hilarious!

Jay Kristoff is an author I’m reading more of, but this was the series that introduced me to his work. I initially listened to this series on audio but I want to re-read with the physical copies I own in future.

 

Blackwing

Blackwing

The Blackwing trilogy is a favourite to recommend because I don’t think enough people have read it! If you love magical fantasies with great, detailed worlds and most of all, non-altruistic main characters, this is up your street.

Ryhalt is a great character because he doesn’t try to be. He’s selfish and rude, lacks optimism in humanity. He is far from your ideal hero, and yet he finds himself wearing these shoes reluctantly.

The storyline, world building and support characters make this a fun and engaging trilogy to read. Seriously, why are you still here? Get reading!


Non-fiction

 

This is Going to Hurt

I recommended this to my work book club as a future read as Adam Kay is hilarious. This is Going to Hurt is a discussion on the state of the NHS as it provides the best care it can for those who need it. However, it’s also full of personal, heartfelt and funny stories too.

If you love a dose of humour, this is a favourite book of mine to recommend. A heads up though – it is an emotional rollercoaster…


Contemporary

 

The Midnight Library

You can also tell that The Midnight Library is a favourite book to recommend as I put it forward as our work book club’s first read. And you know what? It went so well!

Although Adrian and Claire admitted it wasn’t a book they’d have chosen for themselves, they enjoyed it. We also had a great conversation about it too. It’s focused on mental health, individuality, choices and regrets. It’s a book I’ll re-read over again as it’s a great reminder of what’s important in life. It really puts things into perspective.


Satire

Discworld series

If humour and tackling a multitude of real social issues is your thing, but set in a fantasy setting, may I introduce Discworld by Terry Pratchett. As of this favourite books to recommend post, I’ve read half of this 41 book series. Even so, I’ll happily recommend the whole series!

I love how Terry talks about real world issues in a setting that takes us out of reality. Does a young woman trying to gain admission to university to study magic and being pushed back because she was born a girl instead of a boy sound ridiculous? Well I hate to break it to you, but not so long ago, women faced the same push back.

That’s just one example. The way Terry tackles each societal issue makes adequate light of it to make it funny to read, but also make a point at the same time is entertaining but also interesting social commentary.


So, those are my favourite books to recommend! What are yours?

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Monthly TBR – August 2024

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I’m excited to share my upcoming reading list in this monthly TBR post. I always look forward to planning my reading and sharing the fantastic books I’ve got coming up on my blog.

This month’s list looks a little longer, but I also have some shorter than average reads. Do I think I’ll complete this TBR by the end of the month? Unlikely. However, I’m going to try and stretch myself as always!

Shall we get into this monthly TBR and take a look at what’s coming up?


Fixed Reads


The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit is a carryover from July, but I’m already a good way through this relatively short book.

This book weighs in at just under 300 pages. It’s quite an easy read too, so I should fly through the remainder of it.

So far I’m enjoying the easy writing style, multiple interwoven anecdotes and threads to explain and reiterate the author’s points. I’m hopeful that I can learn from this book and have the ability to be more mindful and influential of my own habits in future.


The Other People

My only other carryover this month is my audiobook listen of The Other People by C.J. Tudor.

I’m even closer to completion with this book. I’m now about 80% done and eager to get to the end and see how the story comes together. I’ve only got just over 2 hours listening time to go; I’m going to try and finish it before the weekend!


The Midnight Library

My last fixed read of August is a re-read of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

There is a new book club at work and this is the selected read. We’re meeting to discuss it on the 13th, so I’ll be getting a wiggle on with it. Thankfully it’s only a short one, and not a new story to me. It shouldn’t take long to read, and I’ve heard it’s better second time around!


Mood Reads

A lot of this monthly TBR has been set with my 2024 reading goals in mind. If you want to recap what those are, check out my Resolutions post I shared in January.


Wolves of the Calla

The first of the books on this TBR which aims to continue/complete series is Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King.

Wolves of the Calla is the fifth book in his The Dark Tower series. I’m enjoying the series so far, although I didn’t expect the last book, Wizard and Glass, to be on as much of a tangent from the ‘current’ storyline as it was. I’m hoping we pick up where we left off and the context we learn in the prior book makes sense in this next instalment!

Wolves of the Calla is the longest book on this reading list at a whopping 800 pages. Depending on how I go, I may end up reading this in tandem with other books and take a little longer to work my way through it. I’ll make a start and see how I get on!


Defiant

The second series related book I plan to pick up is Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. It’s the final book of the Skyward series and the only book I didn’t get to on my July TBR.

I think finishing this series will be bittersweet. I’ve loved it so far and of course I want to know how it all comes together. At the same time, I suspect I’ll be sad at the same time that once I’ve read it, it’s done. Finito.

It’s a good job there are plenty more Sanderson books I haven’t read yet, right?!


Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

I featured Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon in my last First Lines Friday post and I am so intrigued by the beginning that it’s inspired me to read it. As a bonus, it contributes to my reading goal of more non-fiction.

I love A Game of Thrones and everything about it! The series as it is, all the backstory and lore and now (with any luck at least), the behind the scenes of filming the TV show.

It’s very unlike anything I’ve read before, so it will be something entirely new to me!


Undoctored

Having read two of Adam Kay‘s books already (This is Going to Hurt and T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas), I’m looking forward to picking up.

My experience of his books so far is that he is great at combining an interesting non-fiction topic with lots of humour. If non-fiction isn’t normally your cup of tea, I would strongly recommend you trying this anyway. Adam’s humour goes along way towards making these books both fun and an emotional rollercoaster. When reading both of his prior books I could be laughing one minute and crying the next.

He has a very candid way of expressing himself and really highlighting where there are major problems with the national health services in the UK through his own experience.


Breathtaking

Another medical based non-fiction book I plan to pick up in August is Breathtaking. For some people, the pandemic may be just a little too recent to read about. However, I’ve never wanted to shy away from such a difficult subject.

If you watched the TV documentary of the same name, I have every reason to believe that you would like this book also. It is because I watched that four part series that I realised it was based on a book. Naturally, I added it to my reading list.

It’s a relatively short book, so it should be quite a quick read. It’s a topic I also find compelling even though it is an event in all of our lives that has changed the way we live.


Summary

I have a fair bit of variety in this monthly TBR and I’m looking forward to picking up each and every book. Whilst the list is on the side of ambitious, I’m hopeful I can make as much progress as possible in the coming weeks. They all sound like great books and I’ll share them with you in my upcoming Sunday Summary posts to let you know how I’m getting on.

Have you read any of the books on this monthly TBR? Would you recommend any of them to myself and/or fellow readers?

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First Lines Friday – 26/07/2024

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Happy Friday folks and welcome to the next instalment of my First Lines Friday series! In my Sunday Summary post last week, I set myself the challenge to feature a non-fiction book with you in this post. I think I found a great one! The introduction is exciting, and this book is on my Summer TBR so it helps psyche me up to read it soon.

Let’s take a look at today’s First Lines Friday feature, shall we?


Hundreds of men are screaming.

The armoured soldiers charge forward, howling with rage, their swords and shields clashing, their boots struggling for purchase in the thick mud. Slowly, agonisingly, some of the fighters are pushed back against a looming tower of corpses. The body pile is a mixture of slain men and horses, gorily intertwined like some gothic rendition of hell. In the distance, flayed men burn on crucifixes.

“You are dying!” yells an assistant director. “That’s the main thing to remember, you are dying!”

 


Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon  – James Hibberd

Genre: Non-fiction

Pages: 464

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Transworld

Publication Date: 06 Oct 2020


Goodreads – Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

 

The official, definitive oral history of the blockbuster show from Entertainment Weekly’s James Hibberd, endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself (who calls it “an amazing read”), reveals the one Game of Thrones tale that has yet to be told: the thirteen-year behind-the-scenes struggle to make the show.

 Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon shares the incredible, thrilling, uncensored story of Game of Thrones, from the creators’ first meetings with George R. R. Martin and HBO through the series finale, including all the on-camera battles, off-camera efforts, and the many controversies in between. The book also features more than fifty candid new interviews, rare and stunning photos, and unprecedented access to the producers, cast, and crew who took an impossible idea and made it into the biggest show in the world.

 

My Thoughts…

As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I was always going to pick this up at some point! I’ve read all the books in digital and paperback format, as well as started listening to the audiobooks. I’ve also watched the TV show, some episodes multiple times. Now, I get to read about that too!

The opening lines introduce the filming of the Battle of the B*stards, which is one of my favourite parts of the TV series. It must have been a logistical nightmare, but on screen it was fantastic.

I’m looking forward to reading more about the overall production of the series. I (not so) secretly hope that it touches on how the TV series overtakes the books and how decisions were made on how to proceed (and how closely it stuck to GRRM’s intentions).

Have you read Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon? Are you as much a fan of the series as I am?

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Shelf Control #79 – 19/07/2024

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Whereas most Shelf Control posts feature me waxing lyrical about being excited to pick up an available read on my TBR, this post is different. I would literally shove my whole TBR aside to pick this up next book. There’s just one problem – it’s not published yet!

As always, I share a reminder of what the Shelf Control feature is all about before we get stuck in.

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 Winds of Winter – George R.R. Martin

Genre: Epic fantasy

Pages: TBA

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date: TBC


Goodreads – The Winds of Winter


My Thoughts

George R.R. Martin and the A Song of Ice and Fire series, I love unconditionally. I’ll read the series again and again. To date, I’ve already read the first book four times, the second book three times and the rest of the series twice. It’s also one of the only series I own physical, digital ebook and audiobooks of. I’ve also shared content including my favourite quotes from the series. 

Fair to say I’m a bit obsessed?

I’m unapologetic too. In the time it will take for the series to be finished (and I refuse to think this won’t happen, okay?), I’ll have re-read it once or twice more. At least they’re not short books, so each re-read will take a while!

I’m looking forward to this next instalment, however long it takes. I’d rather it be done right than rushed. I’m especially interested to see how The Winds of Winter compares with the TV series and whether there is any material difference.

I’ll just have to wait to find out…

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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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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Didn’t Get to in 2023

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Good evening readers! Posts like today’s Top Ten Tuesday are a great way to remind myself what some of my reading priorities were last year. In today’s post, I feature the books I intended to read over the course of 2023, but didn’t get to. It’s very likely I’ll try to prioritise them this year as a result!

I just about managed to scrape a list of 10 together. If I didn’t get to a specific book on a monthly TBR, I was pretty good at rolling it forward and picking it up in the following month(s) instead. There are some exceptions to that rule, though, and those are the feature of today’s Top Ten Tuesday.

Let’s see what those books were:

 

In Every Mirror She’s Black

This book was last on my February TBR and slipped the net for being rolled over into March. I’d bought my copy of the book on a whim in the 2022 post-Christmas sales. I’d chosen February to read it as February is when Black History month is celebrated.

I’m not intending to theme this February’s reading around Black History month. However, I’m always interested to read from a diverse range of authors and so I will be making an effort to do this throughout the year rather than in just one specific month.

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I purchased a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame after going to watch a local production. This book is a tome, and whilst I had hoped to pick it up last year, I never got to it. It’s the sort of book I think you have to be in the mood for as well. Personally, I find that classics are books you need to have a certain amount of drive to pick up. The narratives don’t flow as well as modern day language; picking them up is a more deliberate action.

I did really enjoy this story, however, so I’m excited to get to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It is just one book by Victor Hugo that I have on my reading list; the other is chunky as well!

 

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath

The next two books in today’s Top Ten Tuesday ended up on my TBR as a result of book clubs.

For a few months last year, I was reading along with an online book club. I discovered some amazing books through that, but in the end I stopped. As much as I was enjoying the books I was picking up, there was rarely any overlap with my existing reading list. Picking these up was taking away from the mountain of my own books I already have to read.

That said, I do like the sound of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath so I’ve left it on my TBR. This coincided was a busy month and so I didn’t get to start it, and the book club had moved on. As a result, there wasn’t any demand to go and read it quickly. Consequently, it temporarily fell off the list. I’ll be sweeping it up onto the list again, that’s for sure.

 

The Last Thing to Burn

The Last Thing to Burn is also a book I intended to read for a book club, but didn’t get to. Somebody in a local bookish Facebook group had posted an intention to start a book club and I was interested. However, it quickly spiralled into a large social group planning a meal out. In my opinion, the idea of the book club itself all but fell by the wayside. I had hoped to join to be able to have a good quality conversation with a few like-minded individuals, but it wasn’t meant to be.

As with To Shape A Dragon’s Breath, whilst the idea of a book club is great, reading books that other people ‘set’ take away from my time to read the books that I want to read for myself. By the end of last year, I wasn’t taking part in or reading books towards any book club at all and I’m happy with that. They are a good way to get out of your reading comfort zone, but I’m pretty good at pushing myself for now. I’ll never say never, but I have no plans to join anything any time soon.

 

Incendium

I hoped to read Incedium in November, as the book is loosely based around, or sounds similar to, the real life gunpowder plot. However, due to other reading obligations and carryovers from October, it didn’t happen.

I specifically wanted to read this book around bonfire night. Rather than land myself in the position of going into December trying to wrap up November’s books, I decided to let this one go with the intention of picking it up at the beginning of November this year instead! It’s a good job I published this Top Ten Tuesday as a reminder! 

 

The Black Coats

The Black Coats is my TBR jar pick from December. With the seasonal period, I ended up reading less than usual. As a result, I didn’t get this book before the end of the year.

However, I will be picking it up very soon. I have rolled The Black Coats onto my January TBR… although I’ll have to get a move on so I’m not rolling it on again into February! There’s still just over a week left of the month, so it’s manageable.

 

Firefight

Firefight is another book I intended to read in December but didn’t get to because of timing. There is a lot to do in December. From catching up with friends and family before the big day to actually doing the preparation for said big day… it’s amazing how much time that takes.

Plus, I had already met my official reading goal of the year and so the pressure was off. I think this contributed as well.

Whilst I won’t be reading Firefight in January, I am looking to pick this up next month instead.

 

A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons

The last three books on this Top Ten Tuesday list all tie together. At the beginning of 2023, I set out my intention to re-read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I did read the first couple of books in 2023.

A Storm of Swords is a little bit of a stretch on this list, because it’s more of a book I didn’t get to finish as opposed to get to at all. I ended up putting that book on hold in order to pick up other reading priorities and I never got back to it. Consequently, I never progressed from that point onwards either, meaning that A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons also went unread.

I would like to continue my re-read of the series, however. So, I intend to chip away at these books, either in print or audio, throughout 2024.

 

So, those are the books that make it to today’s Top Ten Tuesday feature.

Have you read any of the books on this list? Are there any books on this list that you haven’t got to yet but can’t wait to pick up?

As always, I would love to hear from you!

 

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Shelf Control #72 – 08/12/2023

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Happy Friday lovely readers and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post. If you are reading this post as it goes live then I am out at a Christmas party. I’ve prepared today’s Shelf Control in advance of those plans… so hopefully I’ve managed to schedule the post correctly!

Shelf Control posts are a great way of taking a look at the books on my reading list, and admittedly, are nice, easy and formulaic post for me to draft on a deadline! Shall we get into it?

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – 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.

Today’s book is an older fantasy novel that incorporates some of the most common tropes of the genre. Let’s take a look at the book:

 

The Dragonbone Chair – Tad Williams

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 672

Audience: Adult

Publisher: DAW

Publication Date: 25 Oct 1988

 

 

Goodreads – The Dragonbone Chair

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!

 

My Thoughts

When I added this book to my reading list, I had no idea that it was published in the 80’s or that it inspired George R.R. Martin. I added the book as I like the sound of the premise, and the fantasy formula is one I like.

Admittedly, there are some tropes in here that are used a LOT in fantasy. Sometimes I get a bored of them. However, as a reader of the genre these are near impossible to get away from. Usually, I try to change up what I’m reading in order to give myself enough of a break before coming back to these kinds of books.

Am I excited to pick up a book by a writer who has influenced more modern works? Yes! I’m also looking forward to reading something a little older than the usual books. I pick up to see how the genre and writing styles in general have evolved over time.

Have you read The Dragonbone Chair, or any others books in Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series? Would you like to? I’d love to hear from you!

 

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Sunday Summary – 1st October 2023

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Good evening readers and welcome to this week’s Sunday Summary update. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week, however you’ve spent it?

It’s been a very busy one here, and that reflects my reading progress, which I’ll touch on later. As a brief recap of what’s been going on outside of my reading and blogging life, I spent a couple of evenings baking for a MacMillan coffee morning held at work. That event was really successful and definitely worth the hours in the kitchen… all five or six of them! As well, I was out with friends on Thursday evening, and hosting family on Saturday. I’ve had an unusual number of plans this week!

Around that, I squeezed in a book tag post on Wednesday. In that post, I touched upon my firsts of 2023. Coming up to the three-quarter mark in the year, it was nice to go back and recap some of my milestones of the year.

On Friday, it was the turn of the next instalment in my Shelf Control series. This weeks feature was a young adult novel by one of my favourite authors of all time!

 

Books Read

 

A Storm of Swords

Last week, I shared with you how my reading progress was down, and that I thought that was partly down to a lack of urgency as I was re-reading a book. That’s definitely the case this week again, although it has been compounded by the additional plans and obligations I’ve had!

In all, I’ve only read a couple more chapters of A Storm of Swords this week. Progress isn’t going great, and so yesterday I made the decision to pick up a book I haven’t read yet in the hopes that it would spur me back into reading. I’ll try reading the two books in tandem, but if necessary, I’ll make a call next week as to whether I set aside A Storm of Swords. It’s not like I haven’t read it already…

 

Priest of Bones

I’m not a fan of reading via the Kindle app on my phone, but that is how I started this book yesterday. That was for practical reasons; I was at my hairdressers and my phone is honestly the easiest way to take books with me for the appointment.

I managed to read the first three chapters of the book whilst I was there. I’m already a fan of the writing style and the characters, so we’ve got off to a good start here. I’m hoping this is the book that will give me a kick up the bum to get back on with reading. Failing that, I’ve got some reading obligations coming up – a deadline might be what I need!

 

Books Discovered

Having added a couple of books to the reading list last week, I’ve decided to behave and I’ve not added anything new this time!

 

Coming Up…

With the beginning of a new month, next week promises both my monthly wrap up post for September on Tuesday, as well as a brand-new reading list on Friday. Out of necessity, this month’s list is probably going to include some carryovers from September, as well as three books that I need to review before the end of the month as I’ve signed up to do so. I hope you’re as excited for those posts as I am!

You know the drill – I will round off the week with another Sunday Summary update.

Hopefully I’ll have considerably more news to share with you next week! Now that I’ve decided to change tack a little, and gotten through the period of other obligations, I’m optimistic for a better run next week. You’ll have to tune into next week Sunday Summary to find out if that is the case though!

Until then, I hope to see you in the next post.

 

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Sunday Summary – 24th September 2023

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Today’s Sunday Summary comes from a rather miserable evening here on the Island! It’s blowing a hoolie out there, as we often say, and I’m grateful to be tucked in at home!

What’s been happening this week? Well, I started off the week with a Top Ten Tuesday post. In that post, I featured some of the books I anticipate to read over the course of autumn. there are a number of seasonal reads in this list. If you are interested or looking for some inspiration yourself, take a look at that post and see if anything catches your eye!

On Friday, I shared my next instalment in my ongoing series, Well I Didn’t Know That! When I wrote to you this time last week, I had no idea as to what the topic of that feature was going to be. Thankfully, not christening this enabled me to feature some topical news that came up earlier in the week. If you’re interested in reading about the recently filed lawsuit by big-name authors against ChatGPT owner OpenAI, then take a look at that post.

 

Books Read

 

Twelve Years a Slave

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update post, I was just under 70% through Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. When I left you, I had around 40 minutes reading time left in the book in order to make it to completion. I can’t recall how long it actually took, but it didn’t feel too far off that.

I’m glad I persevered with the nrrative style of this book. I won’t lie – at first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to stick with this book. It is written in quite a different style. When you consider the book was published in 1853, that shouldn’t be a big surprise. However, I’m glad I was able to get used to the style and finish it through to the end.

Twelve Years a Slave it’s quite a difficult book to read in terms of subject matter. To think that so many people were treated as badly as, and if not far worse than Solomon, is a difficult truth to swallow. However, I am a firm believer that we cannot learn from our past if we refuse to acknowledge that it happened. I found the story really insightful not only from a historical point of view, but also considering the ability of humans to endure in times of extreme hardship.

 

A Storm of Swords

When it comes to my main read for this week, I confess that I haven’t done all that well. Over the last few weeks I’ve been maintaining a reading pace of around 500 pages a week. I certainly haven’t done that this week!

I started off reading my paperback copy of A Storm of Swords. However, I found myself struggling with this a little. Some books are easier to hold than others. I’ve also been reading a lot from my Kindle, so switching from that to a paperback can be a bit of a challenge.

I ended up switching to my Kindle edition with this in order to keep making progress. That has still only worked so far, as I’ve only read 200 pages of the book this week. I will be looking to read more tonight, but in all, progress is down. Perhaps if I’d spent a bit less time playing Horizon Forbidden West this week, then I could’ve made some more progress. But then again, I had a good time so who am I to deny myself that?!

I also find that when I am re-reading books, any sense of urgency to get through them seems to disappear. If this continues to be the case, I may decide to read this book in tandem with another… but we’ll see.

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added a couple of non-fiction reads to the reading list this week. The first of which isn’t out yet, but I’m adding it so I can pick it up when it does.

The first book I have added is This Book May Save Your Life by Dr Karan Rajan. If you spend any length of time on TikTok, Facebook or Instagram watching reels, then you’ll have seen videos by Dr Rajan. I really like the humour that comes through in his videos, and when I watched one of him reading an extract of this book, it had all the elements of humour we have come to know and love. And if you wanted a fun fact, that particular extract discusses how we all begin our lives as a*seholes… literally!

The second book was also added as a result of a recommendation via Facebook reel. I’m trying to read up more on personal development and when I saw the recommendation for Radical Candor, I decided to give it a go!

 

Coming Up…

Next week is going to be a busy one, so I’m deliberately not going to do anything to onerous when it comes to my blogging commitments. Early in the week, I am going to be spending a couple of evenings baking for a Macmillan Coffee Morning that I’ve organised at work. I’m also out for several evenings this week, which is most unlike me!

With this in mind, on Tuesday, I’ll be sharing a booktag post. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve done one of these, and I haven’t really seen many about. The theme of this tag is my ‘firsts’ in 2023.

On Friday, it’s the turn of my Shelf Control feature post. In this series, I feature books coming up on my reading list and why I’m excited to pick them up! This week, I feature a young adult book by one of my favourite authors, Brandon Sanderson. Having read and enjoyed the first three books in his Skyward series so far, I’m confident that I will enjoy this one as well!

As always, I’ll be rounding off the week with another Sunday Summary update post for you all. Fingers crossed for more reading progress, although with the plans I’ve set, maybe not! 

In the meantime though, that’s it for today’s Sunday Summary post. I hope you have a fabulous week and I will catch you in the next post!

 

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Monthly TBR – September 2023

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Hello fellow reading friends! I hope you’re as excited for my September Monthly TBR as I am!

I usually set myself a challenge every month and that’s no exception here! However, this month the stretch is more achievable. The books I set out on this list come out to around 2500 pages in total. Over the course of the month, that works out at needing to read an average of 83 pages a day. That’s about what I’ve been doing anyway.

I do have a small stretch in that in addition to the books shared on this list, I also need to finish my carryover book from August, Wizard and Glass by Stephen King. That adds an additional 400 pages to the monthly total, and ups the daily page count to 97 pages. As I say, a bit of a stretch, but not unachievable!

This month, I have a fairly even mix of fixed reads to pick up, as well as some that I have some freedom to change if I need to. Let’s get into this monthly TBR and take a look at what’s coming up reading-wise…

 

Fixed Reads

My first reading priorities of September are to pick up and finish two blog tour reads. I’m hoping to have both books finished by the 10th of September (at the latest, the first review is due on the 10th). I’ve already made a healthy start into the first and I won’t be hanging around to start the second.

The deadlines then slacken a little, as the remaining books on my ‘fixed’ reading list come from my monthly TBR pick, and a new feature, a book chosen by my Instagram followers.

 

Protector of Mercia

Protector of Mercia is my current read (Wizard and Glass is still ongoing, although I will be reading it around PoM if I can).

Protector of Mercia is the fifth book in M.J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia series. I’ve already read and reviewed the first four books on my blog (review of Eagle of Mercia, book four linked here as that contains links to all prior books). Having really enjoyed the unique perspective these offer, I’ve been looking forward to taking part in that over the latest book… which incidentally was published today.

As I’ve already briefly alluded to above, the review deadline for this book is the 10th of September. With just a few days left before that review was due, I am making all haste through this narrative and enjoying every second of it!

 

The Trail

The next book I will be picking up straight after Protector of Mercia is The Trail by M.A. Hunter.

The review deadline for The Trial comes thick and fast after Protector of Mercia, being just two days later. I’m sure you can see why I’ve put down Wizard and Glass for now in favour of these books. I decided to take part in the blog tour for this book based on the sound of the synopsis. I haven’t read anything by this author before, so it will be a new experience for me. having not read a thriller for a little while, I’m looking forward to a change up in genre as well.

 

Twelve Years A Slave

September’s TBR Jar pick works really well with my goal of reading more non-fiction. I happened to pull Twelve Years a Slave from the jar.

I feel like I featured on my blog not that long ago, but in reality, it’s probably longer than I thought. Already, I’ve downloaded a digital copy of this book from my library already, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in! Although I am familiar with the title, and I know that there has been a film based on this true story of the author, I am very ignorant of what actually happens. It’s for that reason that I am looking to pick this book up.

It offers a perspective I have never read before, and provides the educational aspect that I need. I’m a firm believer that we shouldn’t shy away from even the nastiest parts of our history. How can we learn from such things if we try to hide from them?

 

Priest of Bones

The last book on my fixed reads list of this monthly TBR is Priest of Bones by Peter McLean. In order to choose two books from my reading list, from which to poll my followers, I used a random number generator. This month, my followers had the choice of picking either Priest of Bones, or the runner-up, Killing for Company. I would have been happy with either choice, but I’m excited that this particular book won. I am predominantly a fantasy reader, yet I only have one other fantasy on this TBR (excepting Wizard and Glass once again!)

I suspect I’ll be reading the runner-up selection next month, as I’m keen to get to that one as well. If you want to have a say in my future polls, be sure to follow me on Instagram ahead of the next vote.

 

Mood Reads

 

A Storm of Swords – part 1

One of the things I set out to do earlier this year was to re-read the A Song of Ice and Fire series (aka A Game of Thrones), ahead of publication of the sixth book in the series. There were rumours that this was going to be towards the end of this year, although I’ve heard very little since.

That works out for me, because I am nowhere near as far along with the re-read as I initially planned. Instead, I’ve been picking up some other great reads, and this has fallen by the wayside a little.

In September, I’m going to be reading the first part of A Storm of Swords only. That’s hefty enough at about 600 pages. This is also the longest book on this monthly TBR… by a long shot! More typically, I would read books closer to an average of 500 pages. This month I’m uncharacteristically less at 357!

 

Lost Solace

The one book I didn’t touch at all in August is Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater. I’ve read a number of books related to this main series and reviewed them for blog tours in the past. Lost Solace has been on my backlist to read. Since I didn’t get to this book in August, I am making it the highest priority mood read of the month.

 

The Last Thing To Burn

I’ve been a member of a local bookish group on Facebook for a while, and another member recently suggested starting a book club. There’s nothing set in stone as yet. But, I quite like the sound of the book that’s been chosen. So, I’ll read it in case an event (virtual or not) goes ahead.

 

Summary

As if quite often the case nowadays, I have quite the range of books and genres in this list!

Have you read any of the books listed in today’s monthly TBR? Are any of them on your reading list?

 

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