Tag: Heather Morris

Monthly TBR – September 2024

I’m back with my reading list for September in this monthly TBR post!

I’ve been pushing myself these last few months to try and read more, but ultimately not got through the reading list. I now need to consider that I am studying for an exam in November. As a result, I have less time to read than usual, so I’ve tried to shorten the reading list to allow for that and without feeling guilty.

Here are the reads I have been, and will be reading, this month. Let’s get stuck in!


Fixed Reads


Eruption

Eruption is one of the reads I carried over from August. I’m pleased to say that I just finished the book last night. However, it’s only fair to include the 155 pages so I’ve read this month;  the time taken to read that will naturally affect what time I have left for the rest of this TBR.

Undoctored

My second carryover is Undoctored by Adam Kay. It’s another book that I’ve already finished so far this month!

I was listening to the audiobook version and it’s been great to have a humorous non-fiction read for a change. If you’ve already read and loved other books by Adam Kay, such as This is Going to Hurt, Undoctored will offer you the exact same experience with brand-new anecdotes and personal stories. Where the first book focuses on his years as a junior doctor, this latter focuses more towards the end of his doctoring career and his move into becoming a writer and comedian.


The Lost Apothecary

I’m including The Lost Apothecary on my fixed reading list because it is a library loan due back in just over a week.

I picked up this book at the very beginning of the month as I wasn’t feeling the reads I had originally lined up. Instead, I wanted to pick up something a lot lighter, and the synopsis of this book appealed to me.

I’ve only really sat and read this for any length of time once so far at the beginning of the month. I’ve been prioritising finishing Eruption. However, I really enjoyed what I read and I managed to get about 20% through the book in that one sitting. I’m expecting this to be a nice quick read and as it’s now my priority read as of drafting this monthly wrap-up, I hope to get through it soon!


Defiant

The last book I’m including in the fixed section of this monthly TBR is Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. I am determined to finish this series and to make that possible this month, I’ve picked up the audio copy of this book. I’ve read the previous instalments of the series are the physically. However, I currently have no qualms about switching to audio as it’s a form format that means I can access reading at a time where I can’t sit down conventionally. That’s happening more often than it ever used to so it makes sense to adapt.

I’ve not long started the audio of this book, but already I’m getting back into the setting and familiarising myself with where we left off in Cytonic.

I’m looking forward to listening to this audio and finishing this series. It’ll be bittersweet I think.


Mood Reads


Three Sisters

Another audio I’m hoping to pick up this month is Three Sisters by Heather Morris. This is the third book in The Tattooist of Auschwitz series and will mark another series completion for me once read.

I’ve had this audiobook for some time. Given my reading time constraints, having another audio will make the reading list a little easier. It’s also the format I have read the other books in, so it will be consistent.

It’s been a little while since I picked up any books in the series. However, as I don’t think this directly relates or follows on from either of the earlier books, that doesn’t really matter.


The Kingdom

I mentioned in my Sunday Summary last week that I was planning on changing up some of the books I had planned for this TBR. Some of the books stayed on the list, and The Kingdom is the first of these.

The setting of this book is a little whimsical. Combine fantasy theme park with AI and a murder, and you’ll get an idea of what this book is about. I also think the book is told through a variety of formats. I’m excited to pick up something that I wouldn’t typically.


Jingo

Another series I would like to progress with is Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe. The next book on my list is Jingo, which is part of the city watch series. I’m quite looking forward to this book as it deals with the topic of war, and will feature a character I enjoy and find quite relatable – Sam Vimes.

If I recall correctly, the last city watch book I read was Feet of Clay. I wasn’t as much of a fan of this one, but I’m confident this will be a much more interesting read.

If nothing else, Terry’s books usually contain quite a bit of humour and they are relatively light-hearted. Given I’ve got a busy month ahead at work, as well as studying, it will be good to help carry me through. It’s for this reason that Jingo survived the TBR switch up alongside The Kingdom.


Summary

I’m glad I revised my monthly TBR down a little from what I had originally planned. On the off-chance I get through all of the books on this list then I’ll be able to pick up what I want and when.  However, there’s enough here that should keep me challenged for the month.

I’m also happy that I’ve taken off some of the larger and heavier books out of this monthly TBR. I was originally thinking of continuing with Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King. I also entertained picking up Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Neither are quick reads. Whilst they’re both still on my list, I’ll read them at a time that better suits and give myself plenty of time for them.

What are you reading right now?

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Audiobook Review: Cilka’s Journey – Heather Morris

Today’s audiobook review is for my second historical fiction novel by Heather Morris. I loved listening to The Tattooist of Auschwitz despite its subject matter, so I knew I had to listen to Cilka’s Journey as well!

As if the events of Auschwitz aren’t harrowing enough, Cilka’s Journey centres around a young woman who is imprisoned in a labour camp after being liberated from the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau site. She is imprisoned for helping the Nazis – her crime: prostituting herself to them… like she had a choice!

 

Cilka’s Journey – Heather Morris

Goodreads – Cilka’s Journey

In this follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the author tells the story, based on a true one, of a woman who survives Auschwitz, only to find herself locked away again.

Cilka Klein is 18 years old when Auschwitz-Birkenau is liberated by Soviet soldiers. But Cilka is one of the many women who is sentenced to a labor camp on charges of having helped the Nazis–with no consideration of the circumstances Cilka and women like her found themselves in as they struggled to survive. Once at the Vorkuta gulag in Sibera, where she is to serve her 15-year sentence, Cilka uses her wits, charm, and beauty to survive.

 

My Thoughts…

The first thing I loved about this story is that it taught me something new. I didn’t actually know about the labour camps and the trials men and women such as Cilka went through. So much is known about the conditions and the treatment of prisoners in Auschwitz-Birkenau and I think it’s overshadowed other events following the Second World War. I have read a few books around the subject now, but nothing like this.

As with The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the tale is based on a real person’s account of what happened to them. Reading about it in a fictional sense is upsetting enough, but knowing that many people lived through such a terrible experience is even more harrowing. There is a lot of detail to the narrative, which I really enjoy; it validates the authenticity of the events and conditions people were forced to live in. It also makes it very easy for us as listeners/readers to put ourselves in Cilka’s shoes, feel her pain, sorrow, and a few moments of joy.

The bleak descriptions of the bitterly cold Siberian labour camp are haunting. Living in such cruel conditions made the lives of these women very difficult, especially for those left weak from their time in the concentration camp. It’s frighteningly easy to feel the isolation these women have from the rest of the world. Not all is bleak, however, as many strong friendships are forged between them in their common suffering. They have few personal possessions of their own, but readily give up what they can to help others. They find solace in each other and help one another through their darkest days.

This is an audiobook review, so it’s only fair to comment on how well the audiobook is narrated. The narrator Louise Brealey’s narration style is fantastic. Cilka’s Journey is an emotional account of horrific events and her ability to encapsulate the emotion makes it even easier for the reader (listener) to immerse themselves with the story.

As I hope you can tell from the review, this was a five-star read (listen) for me. I absolutely loved it and I’m sure it’s a book I will go back and read again!

Have you read Cilka’s Journey or The Tattooist of Auschwitz? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 05/01/2020

Good evening readers! It’s the end of another week and time for another Sunday Summary post.

With Christmas over, I’m now back and enjoying the fresh start that comes with New Year! My first post of the week, year and decade too focussed on my goals and reading aspirations for 2020! I have really enjoyed reading other bloggers reading goals for the New Year as well.

On Friday I shared my review of 2019; the books I read and whether I met the goals I set myself. I didn’t complete both of them, but I managed the main one! Again, I’ve read quite a few of these posts by other bloggers too. They must be a popular topic as I have had more likes on that post than a lot of posts I have written previously! So, thank you guys!

 

Books Read

Last week things had been pretty quiet on the reading front, as I was spending a lot of time with family over the festive period. This week, however, has been a COMPLETELY different story! Sorry guys, this is a long section!

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared my current read at the time, Million Eyes. I was only a few percent through the book and mentioned that I needed to get my skates on with it. It’s safe to say I got my skates on – I finished the book within two days and just before the end of 2019!

The next book on my list is one I was hoping to finish in December, but ended up overlapping into January… just! After reading Million Eyes I started Fires of the Dead by Jed Herne. As a novella, it isn’t too long a book, although still plenty that there is ample storyline to it. This is a nice short fantasy story with a variety of characters, an interesting magic system and an unexpected ending. I really enjoyed reading it!

I quickly moved on to my first official read of January, although I haven’t published my list yet… soon friends! The Violinist’s Apprentice is the next unread book on my list of upcoming blog tours. And yeah, I’ve read this one in its entirety this week too. It combines a couple of genres I have enjoyed together before: science-fiction (time travel) and historical fiction. The Violinist’s Apprentice has a well-developed protagonist, beautifully descriptive narrative and a fast-paced plot, so I really enjoyed this one too!

Finally, I’ll briefly mention my current read, which I started this morning. Those that follow my blog may be aware that I have been reading and reviewing Nancy Jardine’s Celtic Fervour series of books. I’ve just started the last book of the series and I’m currently 16% through this book.

Now… onto the audiobooks! On Friday I finished listening to Cilka’s Journey and oh my gosh, I’ll have a lot of fantastic things to say when it’s time to review it! I loved it. It’s a terrible story and as with The Tattooist of Auschwitz, is based on a real woman’s tragic story. It focuses on a Jewish woman who is imprisoned in Auschwitz/Birkenau. Being a young 16-year-old girl in such a place, you can only imagine what happened to her there. She is then imprisoned after the war for, “sleeping with the enemy”… like she had a choice! Terrible story, but well written!

This is the last one… I promise! After finishing Cilka’s Journey, I started listening to Darkdawn! I haven’t listened to much though.

 

Books Discovered

I have read a couple of posts this week that have prompted a couple of additions to my To Be Read pile.

The first book is The Keepers by John Marrs; I think the premise of the story is really interesting and relevant in an increasingly technological world. As a new release this year, there isn’t a published cover for it yet.

The second book is non-fiction and may just help with my blogging. Perhaps not too. There are mixed reviews as to whether it’s helpful or not, but I guess it depends on how experienced a blogger you are. I don’t profess to know everything and/or do what’s best in terms of marketing it. I just write what I want and when I want to and if people like it, then that’s great! Maybe I’ll learn something new?

 

Coming Up…

I have quite a few blog posts to schedule in next week before the main onslaught of blog tours begin.

It’s already several days into January and I haven’t as yet shared my TBR for January! I know I’m late, but I wanted to get my end of year review/ New Year posts out of the way first! If you are keen to find what I am reading this month, I’m sharing the list on Tuesday.

An additional post I have promised to share is my Favourite Reads of 2019. I have seen quite a few of these style posts by other bloggers, for best and worst books. I haven’t read any “bad” books in 2019, so I am just going to share a “best books” post on Thursday.

The first of my blog tour posts will be shared on Friday. I have been promoting a number of Rachel Churcher’s Battle Ground series books. Friday’s post is for the latest in the series, Victory Day.

As always, I’ll be rounding off the week with my Sunday Summary post!

 

Top Blog Posts Read This Week

https://donjimmyreviews.wordpress.com/2019/11/29/ultimate-book-tag/

https://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com/2019/12/30/most-disappointing-reads-of-2019/

https://thehermitlibrarian.wordpress.com/2020/01/01/the-hermit-librarian-2020-goals/

https://bibliophagistreviews.wordpress.com/2020/01/05/monthly-wrap-up-december-2019/

https://stacked-reviews.com/2019-in-books-reflection-time/

https://booksnest.co.uk/post/4-years-of-being-a-creator-on-instagram-what-ive-learnt-my-struggles-and-successes/

https://gemsbooknook.wordpress.com/2020/01/03/the-golden-rules-of-blogging-by-robin-houghton/

https://thebelgianreviewer.wordpress.com/2020/01/01/10-most-anticipated-reads-of-2020/

That was a long one, but I can finally say that’s all from me in this week’s Sunday Summary post! What have you been reading? What resolutions have you set yourself for 2020? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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Sunday Summary 29/12/2019

It’s been a week since I last published a post, which was last week’s Sunday Summary post! I’ve actually really enjoyed the break over the festive period. I have spent a lot of time with family this week – so much so they must think I have moved in by now!

Have you enjoyed Christmas? Did anyone get any nice gifts? I was very, VERY fortunate to have been gifted a new Kindle as I was looking to upgrade (THANK YOU AGAIN!!!). Also, I received Amazon vouchers to go towards books and a Waterstones voucher too.

I received plenty of non-bookish presents too! From kitchen appliances (I have been eyeing up my parents’ stuff for months) to personal gifts, I have done very well! Thank you to everyone! Of course, presents aside, the best part of Christmas was being able to spend it together!

 

 

Books Read

I’m glad I chose to take a break from blogging over Christmas because honestly, I wouldn’t really have had time for it anyway. As it stands, I only did a cursory bit of reading in the evenings it wasn’t too late by the time I got home.

My main area of progress was in finishing Sixty Minutes by Tony Salter, which I read here and there over the course of the week. I only finished this yesterday evening, having gotten within five minutes of the end at the hairdressers earlier in the day. Typical!

On Christmas Eve I started reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I had forgotten how different Charles Dickens’ narrative style is compared to a lot of modern works. Some time ago now I tried a sample of A Tale of Two Cities and didn’t get on with it. I think knowing the story will help me along with it. I’m looking to finish this particular story in this book before the end of the month. I did read one of the other shorter works also included in this book as a curiosity, but that’s not the goal.

This morning I started reading Million Eyes by C. R. Berry. I’m only a few percent into the book but it’s going to be my main focus for the next few days. I have a blog tour post for the book coming up next month, so I should get my skates on!

It’s been so long since I listened to Cilka’s Journey (five days) that I very nearly forgot to add it to this week’s summary! I’ve only listened to about an hour of this; I only commuted back from work a couple of days this week. Not much progress, but it still counts!

 

Books Discovered

I may have been away from my computer screen blog-wise, but I’ve still been browsing social media and picking up emails. As a result, I have seen and added two books to my To Be Read list this week.

The other day I picked up an email with a deal for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I’ve bought this book as I don’t read much in the way of self-help, yet I think this is one such book I’ll get on with. Well. Very well, in fact.

The second book of this week was actually added today. I saw a promo post for The Choice by Claire Wade and fell in love with the synopsis of the book immediately. I haven’t purchased this one yet but I’ll get it nearer the time I choose to read it.

 

Coming Up…

It’s 2020 in a matter of days, which means I have plenty of ideas for blog post material! I have quite a few blog tours planned for later on in January, so for the first couple of weeks, I’ll be taking the opportunity to fit them in.

Kicking off on Wednesday 1st January, I’ll be posting about my 2020 Reading Goals/Challenges for the year ahead. On Friday I’ll be taking a brief break from my regular First Lines Friday/Shelf Control posts so I can review how I fared in my reading challenges for 2019 and discuss my final book stats.

And last, but not least, I’ll be wrapping up the week with my Sunday Summary post next Sunday!

 

Top Blog Post Reads of the Week

Stephen Writer – Top 10 Books I Read in 2019

Maxxes Booktopia – Most Anticipated Reads of 2020

A Whisper of Ink – 2019 worst books

Laury Reads – Top 5 Fave Book Bloggers

That’s a wrap for today’s Sunday Summary post! Have you had a good Christmas? Did you get any lovely gifts?

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 22nd December 2019

Good evening everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary – I hope you have all had a really good week? Mine has been really busy in the run-up to Christmas and I imagine a lot of folks are in the same boat! I can’t believe it’s next week… Before we jump into the excitement of next week, let’s take a look and re-cap the week just gone!

Considering the number of things I have had on outside of blogging, I’ve managed to fit in quite a few blog posts. My blogging week began with a Top Ten Tuesday post. It’s the first I have drafted for about two months now and I really enjoyed a more casual post. I also took the opportunity to look back at my blogging journey by discussing the Top Ten Bookish Changes in my Life since my blog began in 2017.

After looking at my backlog of reviews, I found an outstanding audiobook review for Scythe by Neal Shusterman, which has been outstanding since April. Yes, friends, April – you read that right! I have just finished listening to the sequel, Thunderhead, so it was the opportune time to revisit my thoughts on the first book of the series.

Friday’s Shelf Control post explored an unusual classic feminist fiction novel on my To Be Read list. It’s not generally the sort of material I am in the habit of picking up, however as it explores the history of the Feminist movement I would like to read it!

 

Books Read

I feel like I have taken a bit of a break from reading this week. With appointments, Christmas lunches, family coming home for Christmas and other festive plans, as well as the blogging, I’ve been a busy bee! That’s not to say I haven’t had time, because I have. I think with cramming in a lot of reading last week, I just wanted to do some other things. I don’t even feel guilty about it either. I’ve enjoyed adopting a more relaxed pace with it.

In terms of physical reading, I have only read about 20% of Tony Salter’s Sixty Minutes this week. Mostly today, in fact. I do plan to read more of this before going to bed tonight, now I am back in a reading mood. It’s not a very long book and very easy to read, so I’ll have it finished nice and quickly I imagine.

I have made more progress on Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, though. More than usual. I had some extra commute time on Monday with an impromptu appointment, and my car share buddy was off work on Friday. It may not seem like much, but it equates to an extra hour and a half of the audiobook listened to. That means I am over halfway through the audiobook now and it feels like I have only just started it. I am really enjoying it. I loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey is living up to the standard of that book!

 

Books Discovered

So, I have a confession to make.

I got very lucky this week. For Christmas, my company donated 6 x £25 vouchers to a prize draw in which all employees were put into. I won one of those vouchers on Thursday. It never happens to me, but yes, I won! Well, it’s not that I never win anything… I won our Christmas Jumper competition on Wednesday as well! It’s just rare!

I had that voucher spent in about three hours, no word of a lie. That lunchtime I went to my local Waterstones and had a field day! A lot of books I liked the sound off were on offer too, so in all I put about £4 towards this lot!

There are a couple of books by authors I love in here. Stephen King’s Outsider is a reasonably new addition to the TBR, but the premise of the novel sounds great. Some of you may recall that Brandon Sanderson’s novel Starsight has not long been published with Gollancz. I really liked the sound of it, so I picked up its predecessor Skyward to start the series for myself.

There are a couple of new authors here too, because I do like to try new things. I picked up The Silence of the Girls as I enjoyed reading a similar book, Circe, earlier this year. To this day I don’t understand the hype of Circe, but it was still a reasonably good read.

I have never heard of The Ember Blade or its author, Chris Wooding. The synopsis sounds interesting though, and you can’t go far wrong with fantasy novels in my book! I didn’t look at the time, but this book has good reviews on Goodreads. A couple of authors I love, Ed McDonald and Edward Cox have rated it 5* as well, so I have every confidence I’ll enjoy it! It will be nice to try something new.

 

Coming Up…

I don’t think I need to tell you, but it’s Christmas next week! I have a lot of time planned with family, so I have taken the decision to take a brief blogging break for the festive season.

I’ll still be reading and publishing my weekly Sunday Summary next Sunday. I’m going to take the time to chill with the family, recharge my batteries and have a think about some of my plans ahead of the New Year.

That’s all from me in today’s post. I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Sunday Summary post!
What have you been reading this week?

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 15th December 2019

Good evening everyone and welcome back to this week’s Sunday Summary instalment! Have you had a good week? Between going back to work, getting ready for Christmas and reading/blogging, I definitely haven’t been bored!

My first post of the week was a book review of Moroda for L. L. McNeil. I received a copy of Moroda in exchange for review. After being really conscious that I had promised to read the book in October/November, but finished it earlier this month, I managed to get a quick turnaround on reviewing it. If you are a fan of classic fantasy novels and haven’t taken a look at my review yet, I really recommend it! The book, (and the review) that is.

The next day, Wednesday, I shared yet another book review. This time, my post was for the blog tour of After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks by Nancy Jardine. This is the third instalment of the Celtic Fervour series, which is predominantly historical fiction with the odd element of romance. Thankfully the later books of the series have less romantic emphasis than the first book. If you know me or read my blog regularly you’ll know that just isn’t my cup of tea! I love the history behind the novels as I am a newbie to the history of the Roman invasion of Britain. It’s never too late to learn something new!

Friday’s featured novel in this week’s First Lines Friday post has a little of a festive theme to it. I almost featured the book a couple of weeks ago; however, I decided to save it for December as it does have Christmas ties. This is also a fabulous historical fiction novel. I’d go so far as to say that it’s my favourite Netgalley download ever!

 

Books Read

I have some fantastic news to share with you all – this week… last night in fact, I completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2019! I’ve read 70 books. Somehow, I’ve managed to beat my all-time record and with two-and-a-half weeks to spare! I’m amazed, but I’m also not done yet! If I finish this month’s TBR then my new record to beat will be 74 books. Do you think I can do it?

I also really like that the book that completed the challenge was the conclusion to Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, Dreams of Gods and Monsters. I don’t normally devour books like this, but it was worth it! Her writing is so funny, engaging, entertaining. I just love it! I’ve been reading this all week, pretty much, between everything else going on. Sometimes I put myself down a little if I have spent all week on a book (bear in mind my average is 1 book every 5 days). I shouldn’t though. I think I had read about 100 pages when I wrote last week’s Sunday Summary, so that means I’ve still read 500 pages this week alone!

This week I started a new audiobook – Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris. I listened to The Tattooist of Auschwitz last year. It was fantastically written, yet hauntingly devastating to hear what horrors people had to live through. The reminder at the end that it was a work of fiction but based on a real experience had me in tears. Cilka’s Journey is the same, but focuses on the treatment of women in Auschwitz/Birkenau and also in Soviet Russia after being convicted of assisting the Nazi’s later on. I have listened to nearly three hours of the audiobook already… which is a little more than average.

 

Books Discovered

I have been too busy to be looking for books, however, I have managed to acquire a couple this week. Lauren, the author of Moroda really liked my review published this week and has asked if I will read and review the next two books in the series, Palom and Amarah. I enjoyed the book, the fantasy world and the characters. Naturally, I said yes!

 

Coming Up…

It has been a little while since I drafted a Top Ten Tuesday post, so that’s my first post for next week coming up! For this post, I actually want to pick a topic that The Artsy Reader girl posted a few weeks ago – Top Ten Changes in my Bookish Life!

I have a few book reviews to catch up on and since I am finished with blog tours for the year, it makes sense to get some of those outstanding reviews done! On Thursday I am reviewing Scythe by Neal Shusterman, as I finished listening to the audiobook in April this year. Yep, it’s a late review guys. Sorry! Having just listened to its sequel though, I’m in the right headspace to review this.

On Friday I’ll be taking another look at the TBR pile and telling you about the next book on the list; what it is, what interests me about it and why, overall, I want to read it. I hope you can check-in for this post!

So, that’s all from me in this week’s Sunday Summary update! What have you been reading? Have you set a reading challenge or have you completed it? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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