Tag: historical fiction

Sunday Summary – 7th May 2023

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Hello and it’s another happy long weekend! Even if the coronation and royalty aren’t your thing… I think we can all agree that it’s great to have another cheeky day off work. We’re back once again for my weekly Sunday Summary post, in which I take you through the books I’ve been reading and talking about!

This week’s blog schedule was a bit hectic, although a mishap last week actually helped me out in the end! With this week being the beginning of May, I naturally had to share my Monthly Wrap Up post for the month of April. I read four and a half books in the month. It may not sound like much, but the first book I read in the month was 906 pages long!

This week, I also had a blog tour obligation. I had the pleasure of kicking off the tour for Eagle of Mercia by MJ Porter. That post went live on Wednesday, 3rd May. If you’re interested in historical fiction or books about British history and the Viking’s coming to Britain, this is a book in the series. You may be interested in.

On Thursday, I shared my Monthly TBR post covering the books I plan to read in May. It looks like a very ambitious list. However, when you think about it this way, the first book was a carryover from April, which I’ve now finished. Some of the books are relatively short, and another, I am taking on in audio.

On Friday, I shared a First Lines Friday post… The one I accidentally drafted last week when I got my regular features muddled up. Thankfully, I realised before I posted it, and so I scheduled it for this week instead. As I mentioned above, that ended up working out in my favour. Including this post, I’ve posted a total of five blogs this week! Having one prepared a little earlier, did me no harm whatsoever!

 

Books Read

 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

My first priority of the week was to continue with The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. As of my last Sunday Summary, I was halfway through the book. 

I enjoyed the premise and the setting of this book. It is one that doesn’t get explored all that much in fantasy. Having read a couple of fantasy novels with Eastern settings, and really enjoying them, I’m definitely going to be seeking out more in future.

I do have some mixed feelings about this one. I had a vague inkling, but the storyline ended up being quite whimsical. At least, that’s how it came across to me. It was okay, but that did detract a little bit of enjoyment for me.

I wanted to read the book as a standalone before I started another series, written by the author. Having read this one, I’m not sure about the series I had in mind. I’ll probably give the first book a try. However, if it’s much like this one, I’ll probably end up there.

 

Wolf of Wessex

The next book I picked up was Wolf of Wessex by Matthew Harffy. This was the book I was supposed to pick up last month as well, but didn’t quite get around to it.

Wolf of Wessex is much like my recent read, Eagle of Mercia, in setting. I suppose the only difference is that it is set on the other side of the border! I quite liked that the book didn’t dive too heavily into historical element of the Norse coming to Britain. You could easily go into this book not really knowing much, but equally, also having an idea doesn’t really make a difference. As someone who’s read a fair bit of the genre by now, I didn’t feel overly advantaged by this pre-knowledge.

Wolf of Wessex is a fast-paced action novel. I read this book in just a handful of sittings. It ended up being a three-star rating from me because the plot and character development is quite superficial. That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, but these are elements. I really enjoy in a book. They were a little bit lacking here.

 

The Waste Lands

The last physical read I started this week is Stephen King’s The Waste Lands. I made full disclosure in my May TBR post that I was going to have to go back and read up on what has happened so far in the series as a refresher. Rather spookily, I finished the prior book in the series, The Drawing of the Three, on this day in 2019! I haven’t picked up this series on for years, so it’s no wonder I couldn’t remember what was going on.

As soon as I read those summaries, I was fully back up to speed. I’ve only just started this book today, so I’m only 53 pages in as I’m writing this post. It’s a healthy start though, and it’s great to be back. It’s also been a little minute since I’ve picked up any Stephen King novel. I do like his writing style, so I’m enjoying that too.

 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

The last book I have progress on which to report is As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh. As I mentioned in my TBR, this is the chosen book of the month for Ezeekat’s book club. It’s very different from anything I have read for a very long time. It’s also not a book I would have necessarily thought to pick up of my own volition. In that way, I’m glad it’s come up as part of the book club.

Just this week, I have started and made my way through a third of this book on audio. Through the narrative we explore Syria and its people, ravaged by those who would fight to suppress their revolution. I’ll confess that before starting this book, I didn’t really know what the conflict in Syria was about. It is something that has been happening for many years now, and in truth, we hear little of it.

If you are content with the knowledge that the war and conflict is happening, but over there, then this book is not for you. The narrative pulls no punches in highlighting the devastation inflicted on the general population. Pregnant women and children are targeted by snipers. Men who would stand up and protest anre arrested, and death would be preferable to the treatment they receive. It’s probably not a book for everyone, but I don’t shy away from difficult subjects. I for one am enjoying it so far, and I will be making further progress with this soon.

 

Books Discovered

Much as was the case in my last Sunday Summary post, no news is good news! Given that I’ve managed to take a couple of books off the list, we are now back under 200 on my reading list.

Is it bad that I’m excited about that?!

 

Coming Up…

I’ll be slowing down the pace next week when it comes to blogging by returning to my usual three post schedule.

The first of those posts is a book review for The Feedback Loop by Harmon Cooper. I read this short science-fiction/cyberpunk novel last year and enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

Later in the week, I will be sharing the next addition in my Well, I Didn’t Know That! series. As yet, the topic remains unchristened. I have the week off work, so I’ll take some time to read some different material and find something fun to share with you all!

And as always, I’ll be here at the same time next week for another Sunday Summary.

But now, that is all for today’s Sunday Summary. I’m going to watch an episode of The Last Kingdom on Netflix, and pick up The Waste Lands before going to bed.

 

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Monthly TBR – May 2023

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Howdy friends! I’m back with my monthly TBR for May 2023. But, before I begin, I have to say… May the fourth be with you! (This one’s for you Dad!)

In terms of reading progress and my goal to read 50 books by the end of the year, I am currently ahead of schedule. That’s fantastic… especially when we bear in mind that I’ve read some chunky books in the last four months! And that certainly won’t change looking ahead. You know me…

Another goal I set myself at the beginning of this year is to read 15 or more non-fiction books. As of the end of April, I have read 5. So, I’m bang on track for that one too!

That’s enough of looking back at what I’ve already read, because we’re here to talk about my latest monthly TBR … what’s coming up next. Let’s take a look at the reads I intend to get through in May. It’s quite the list, but I have a plan to tackle it.

 

Fixed Reads

 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

It feels a bit daft to list of this book on this monthly TBR, because as of drafting this TBR,  I’ve already finished it. However, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi was a book that I started last month but finished in May, so it gets a mention here.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. There are parts of it I am unsure about though. When I tried to summarise this in my Instagram post the other day, I came to the conclusion that I felt the book was on the whimsical side. If other books by Shannon Chakraborty are the same, I don’t know whether to pick them up or not.

If you have thoughts, please feel free to weigh in in the comments!

 

Wolf of Wessex

You may recall that Wolf of Wessex was on my last monthly TBR as it was last month’s pick from my TBR Jar.

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite get to it in April as intended. Instead, I’ve decided to carry this forward and make a push to try and finish two TBR reads this month.

This may seem ambitious, but as of writing this post, I am currently reading Wolf of Wessex. In one sitting (yesterday), I managed to read just under a quarter of the book. It’s a really easy read, so I don’t anticipate this is going to take long to get through. It’s a fast paced historical-fiction novel set around the time that Vikings came to Britain. So far, it’s reading as a book set in the time period, but not one that particularly goes into the history of what happened. It’s not dense, and even at the quarter way-mark, there is a lot going on for us to unpick.

 

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow is this month’s selection for Ezeekat’s online book club. If I’m being entirely honest, it’s not a book I would have picked up on my own. But, that is exactly why I joined the book club in the first place! I’m trying to broaden my reading horizons. Although I’ve only just started this book, I’m already intrigued as to where it’s going to go.

The reason I’ve already started this book is because part of my plan to tackle my large TBR is to utilise audiobooks. I am making my way through this book in audio. It’s been a few months since I last picked up a book this way, but I’m looking forward to getting back to it. The small section I’ve listened to so far has me wanting to listen more… what more can I ask for?

 

Against All Gods

May’s TBR Jar pick is Against All Gods by Miles Cameron. This is actually a relatively new addition to my reading list, so I’m excited it’s come out already.

When I read the synopsis when first introduced to the book, there were elements to the storyline that reminded me instantly of Terry Pratchett. I like fantasy, and when it involves elements of Greek Mythology too, that has my interest. And that’s exactly what this book is in a nutshell. I’m looking forward to giving it a go!

 

Taking Liberties

Taking Liberties is a short story collection that I have been provided a copy of in exchange for review.

Based on the synopsis I have read so far, the stories within are wide and varied. However, they seem to have a common theme of freedom. I like the sound of this, and I’m keen to take the opportunity to try short stories from the wide range of authors who have all contributed to this anthology.

Taking Liberties is also the shortest book on this month’s TBR, at just 136 pages. Another advantage of a book like this is that it will serve as a good palate cleanser between larger reads.

 

Death Magnanimous

Death Magnanimous is a book I found on NetGalley. If you’re unfamiliar with the site, readers can request to read advanced reader copies of books if they promise to review them.

I confess that it’s not very often I browse the site. However, a couple of months ago I clicked on Death Magnanimous as the cover caught my eye. When I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read it.

It’s already been a couple of months since I downloaded my copy, and I don’t really want to leave it too much longer. Especially as the book is due to come out before too long, I want to review in a timely manner. I’ve not been able to find the book listed anywhere at the moment that would indicate how many pages it is. However, my kindle indicates that it’ll only take me 2 and a half hours to read, so it can’t be that long.

 

Mood Reads

 

Starsight

It’s been a few months since I started the Skyward series. Even though the intended audience for these books is younger than me, I really enjoyed the first book.

The Skyward series is a science-fiction tale. The events are told from the perspective of an angsty teenager, who has dreamed of flying (like her dad used to), since she was a child. However, something happened to her father, which comes to light in book one… but no spoilers here. Spensa has spent her life relatively in the dark, but all she knows is that she is not trusted.

Starsight has a lot to live up to based on the ending of the first book. My understanding is that the perspective shifts slightly in this book (although I’m unsure who to and why), so I don’t know if that is going to alter my opinion compared to the first book. However, you don’t know until you try, do try it I will.

 

The Waste Lands

The last book I would like to pick up in May is another book I listed on my 2023 Spring TBR post.

I’m sure when I drafted that post, I checked the last time I picked up a book from The Dark Tower series and was immediately embarrassed. I will be honest and say that I am going to have to refresh myself on events from the first two books before I pick up this third one. However, my intention is to continue with this series once I have re-familiarised myself. It makes sense to keep up with it, and if nothing else, it goes towards my goal for reading and finishing sequels this year, rather than new books.

 

Summary

That looks to be a hefty list for my monthly TBR! Some of those books are the traditional chunkiness you can expect from me. However, they do appear to be some slightly shorter ones as well.

No one can say that there isn’t a good deal of variety on this list.

Have you read any of the books? I’m picking up this month? Have any of them caught your eye? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Blog Tour Review: Eagle of Mercia – MJ Porter

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Hello everybody and welcome to today’s blog tour review of Eagle of Mercia by MJ Porter.

Eagle of Mercia is the fourth book in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. If you are interested in catching up with the earlier books in the series, you can find my reviews of Son of Mercia, Wolf of Mercia and Warrior of Mercia by following each respective link.

I always like to thank the author MJ Porter, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the tour. It is a privilege to take part. Not only that, but I am really excited to be one of the bloggers kicking off this tour… and on publication day no less! So, let’s get into it!

 

Eagle of Mercia – MJ Porter

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 03 May 2023

Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

 

Goodreads – Eagle of Mercia

A mercy mission in the heart of Wessex is beset with deadly, bloody dangers.

Tamworth AD831

Icel’s profile continues to rise. Lord of Budworth and warrior of Mercia, he’s acknowledged by King Wiglaf and his comrades to keep Mercia safe from the ravages of Wessex, the king-slayer of the East Angles, and the Viking raiders.

But, danger looms. Alongside Spring’s arrival comes the almost certain threat of the Viking raiders return.

When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Icel is implored by Lady Cynehild to rescue her husband.

To rescue Lord Coenwulf, Icel and his fellow warriors must risk themselves twice over, for not only must they overpower the Viking raiders, they must also counter the threat of Mercia’s ancient enemy, the kingdom of Wessex as they travel through their lands.

Far from home and threatened on all sides, have Icel and his fellow warriors sworn to carry out an impossible duty?

 

Purchase Link – Amazon

 

My Thoughts

I say this with each book I have reviewed in the series so far, but my favourite thing about this series is the protagonist Icel. Way back in book one, Icel was a young boy who had been raised in a small village, assisting the local healer. He quailed at the thought of having to raise a weapon… even in his own defence. Throughout the series, he has matured and developed into the warrior of renown he is in Eagle of Mercia. Through the development that has already occurred, we see a very different young man. His fundamental values and beliefs are still there. He doesn’t necessarily enjoy being a warrior, but he is more than capable and steps up to his duty to protect others.

Eagle of Mercia is an action-packed addition to the series. In this book, we are taken off Mercian soil as a group of Wessex warriors attempt to rescue own of their own, Lord Coenwulf. The rescue attempt is already fraught with danger, as the promise of battle with Danish Vikings looms heavy. However, the band also risk discovery and a further fight from Wessex men. As a result, the urgency of the mission and danger element make for a fast-paced narrative, which I liked.

Eagle of Mercia is a perfect size to book for anyone to read. Each book in the series has been approachable so far, and this one is the same. At 320 pages, there is plenty of capacity for all the political intrigue, action and character development to unfold in the narrative. At the same time, it isn’t so chunky that the narrative becomes dense or unapproachable. So much so, I read Eagle of Mercia in just a few days. All in all, the pace of the book and the natural flow of the writing style make this very easy to pick up and devour!

If you enjoy historical fiction set on English soil, or are set around the time Vikings came to Britain, then this book/series won’t disappoint! An example of popular books with a similar setting is Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom series. Without a doubt, I strongly recommend this series to fans of Bernard Cornwell’s series. 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s blog tour review. Don’t forget to check out the other posts that form part of the tour over the coming days. If you are interested, I share some details of other bloggers taking part below.

Thanks for reading!

 

Author Bio

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia – so their writing destiny was set. The first novel in their new Anglo-Saxon series for Boldwood, Son of Mercia, was published in February 2022.

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Sunday Summary – 30th April 2023

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Happy long weekend all! It’s time for my weekly Sunday Summary post, catching you up on all the latest reading progress and bookish news of the week.

The first post I shared this week was published on Wednesday. In that post, I reviewed the very first book I read in 2022. Yes, that is how far behind I am on reviews! The book is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay; one I wouldn’t necessarily have discovered/picked up on my own, but it was recommended to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

On Friday, I shared the next instalment of my series, Shelf Control. For this week’s post, I featured a legal thriller written by a prominent author in this genre. I have featured one of his books before, as that is also on my reading list to pick up! However, I am still yet to read any of these books. Check out this week’s post to find out who I’m talking about.  

 

Books Read

 

Stolen Focus

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was a third of the way through Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. Naturally, I have been progressing with this book throughout the week, and I finished it on Wednesday.

I like how this book discusses some individual things we can do in order to improve our own focus, but also highlight that we’re up against it. It seems that a lot of self-help books try to point the finger at individuals for a lack of focus. However, as this book rightly points out, we live in a world where increasingly, everybody is vying for attention. I mean, look at me – even by writing this blog post, I’m hoping to take a small portion of your attention. Hopefully, not in an aggressive or distracting way… but still.

This book covers both sides and it’s packed full of research that has been collated in order to educate us about our focus. It was a really informative read, and the narrative style was enjoyable.

 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

Next, I decided to pick up my book club read, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. I am enjoying this book, but at the same time, it’s not one that I am being successful in reading very quickly. When I was getting my facts together for this post, I surprised myself when I saw that I’d finished Stolen Focus on Wednesday. That’s not that long ago, but it feels like I’ve been working through The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi a lot longer than that.

It’s a fun book. In essence, we follow an adventure led by Amina, an infamous pirate. Through her quest, she seems to be getting together old friends in order to help her find a rare treasure and uncover what is currently a bit of a mystery. I won’t say any more than that, so as not to spoil the book. I am at the halfway point right now, and I’m interested to see where this is going to lead.

One of the elements I have liked very much is that the book is set in the Middle East. Quite often in fantasy, the setting is either entirely fictional, or heavily westernised. That clearly isn’t the case in this book! I like that it explores what it is to be a Muslim. The protagonist has clearly not abided by that faith in her past, but she is trying her best now. It is a perspective I don’t see very often, and I read a lot of fantasy! I’m enjoying this change of scenery and focus when it comes to religion.

 

Books Discovered

I have absolutely no news in terms of additions to my reading list, or book purchases this week.

 

Coming Up…

It is the beginning of a brand-new month next week. So, that means it’s going to be a busy one!

I’m taking advantage of the bank holiday tomorrow in order to update you with my monthly wrap-up for April. Most of that reading progress has already been covered in my Sunday Summary post. However, I do intend to make further progress in my current read tonight, so that will be included in that post.

On Wednesday, I’m taking part in the blog tour for Eagle of Mercia by M.J. Porter. I read the book earlier this month in advance of the tour, and I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you. Eagle of Mercia is the fourth book in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. I’ve had the pleasure of touring for each of these books so far. I’ll be continuing by sharing my thoughts on this latest book next week.

I also have my May TBR to squeeze in. I already have quite a full schedule planned this week, but I don’t want to leave it until next week to tell you what I’m reading. So, I am going to share my May TBR on Thursday.

On Friday, I am sharing a First Lines Friday post with you. When I drafted my blog post to go live this Friday, I made a bit of a boo-boo. I only realised that I drafted a First Lines Friday post in error, thinking that was the post due this week, until I was setting the post up on my blog. So, I decided not to waste the effort I’d made so far and I’ve already scheduled it to go live this Friday. With all the posts I’m sharing in addition to this next week, maybe that’s not a bad thing that I’ve already done it…

And of course, I will end my marathon run with another Sunday Summary at the same time next week! It’s a good job we have another bank holiday next week, because I’ll need the rest!

 

For now, that is all from me in today’s Sunday Summary post. I am going to make a little more progress with The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi before turning in.

What are you reading?

 

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Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon

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Today’s book review is for the first book I picked up and finished in January 2022 – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.

The book was recommended to me (and a copy loaned to me) by my sister’s boyfriend, Chris. I will be open and honest and say that I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. It sounded good, but it combines a theme and a setting that I wouldn’t necessarily expect to go together… World War II and comics.

Even though I’m not a comic book fan, I actually enjoyed it’s inclusion and emphasis in this narrative. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with this particular theme, but it ended up working out really well. Even if you’re not sure about it, I would recommend giving it a go anyway!

If you want to find out more, here are the details of the book!

 

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon

Book cover - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & ClayGenre: Historical fiction

Pages: 639

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Picador USA

Publication Date: 19 Sept 2000

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

Joe Kavalier, a young Jewish artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdini-esque escape, has just smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague and landed in New York City. His Brooklyn cousin Sammy Clay is looking for a partner to create heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit America – the comic book. Drawing on their own fears and dreams, Kavalier and Clay create the Escapist, the Monitor, and Luna Moth, inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men. With exhilarating style and grace, Michael Chabon tells an unforgettable story about American romance and possibility.

 

My Thoughts

 

Plot

I really enjoyed this multifaceted novel and all the different elements and subgenres it brings together. It combines historical fiction, which I already love, with an emphasis on living in times of war. There are parts which touch on direct conflict, but the emphasis is more on the average Joe (no pun intended) and life during the period of World War II.

A subject that played heavily in the narrative, which was completely new to me, was comic books. Our main protagonists, Sam and Joe, become famous for producing new comic books and characters. This is a combination of genres which I have never seen before. If you’d asked me if I thought I would enjoy them together, I would have been sceptical. But, they go hand-in-hand very well in this book.

Whilst the subject of comic book producers could be seen as whimsical, in the wider landscape of World War II, it’s easy to believe these creations become a tonic for both the populous and the protagonists looking to escape their everyday lives, and enact a form of justice which they will never see in their lifetimes.

 

Characters

Naturally, this book does not shy away from difficult subjects. Joseph Kavalier escapes the clutches of the Führer when he is sent to America. He has a distant familial link to the country and narrowly manages to get in. He hopes to save enough to be able to pay for the rest of his family to join him the US. However, not all goes as planned. Adversity and strife are no strangers to the characters in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Sam experiences his own difficulties. For a long time, he struggles to come to terms with his identity, in a world which isn’t very accepting of him, or others like him. He may not have had to flee for his life from a sadistic individual who would end it, but instead, he would face more widespread persecution if people knew his secret. 

Both of these characters come from very different backgrounds, and yet we see a lot of similarities between them. Whether they know it or not, I think these similarities draw them together… even more so than the family link they have. Yet at the same time, their differences create conflict in the narrative.

 

Narrative Style

The American Dream and escapism are the main themes of this novel. From Joe smuggling himself in to US, and his obsession to Houdini-esque escapes, to both protagonists escape attempts from the oppressive forces in their lives, the author has created a realistic narrative and setting.

The narrative combines a fast-paced plot line with an immersive story. From the busy streets of New York to an isolated army base and a mission to defeat the enemy, there is a depth to this novel which is difficult to describe, yet easy to appreciate when reading the book.

 

Summary

Had The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay not been recommended to me by my sister’s boyfriend, it is unlikely I would have read this of my own accord. However, I’m glad I did! It was refreshing to try something new and to push the boundaries of my usual reading repertoire!

Have you read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, or any other books, written by Michael Chabon?

 

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Sunday Summary – 23rd April 2023

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Good evening and welcome back to another Sunday Summary update from yours truly. It’s been a great week, and I hope you’ve had the same!

I began my blogging week with a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s particular theme was a non-bookish freebie. So, I decided to share some of the other hobbies I enjoy other than reading! I hope it helps you get a feel for the kind of person I am and gives you a chance to learn a little bit more about me.

On Friday, I shared another post in my Well, I Didn’t Know That! series. For this week’s post, I decided to take a look at features I am yet to explore on StoryGraph, an alternative to Goodreads. Inevitably, I ended up comparing the two sites a little bit in the post. If, like me, you are a Goodreads veteran and are interested in seeing more about the StoryGraph, check out that post!

 

Books Read

 

Eagle of Mercia

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was just one chapter into Eagle of Mercia by M.J. Porter. It was a start, but I hadn’t really gotten that far into the book. That’s not the case now. I managed to read the entirety of Eagle of Mercia this week, and it’s been good to get back into the series.

I really enjoy the perspective of the protagonist in this series. In the three books we have read so far, we have already seen a great deal of character development. That continues throughout Eagle of Mercia, but in a way that feels natural to the storyline.

I also like how the narratives in this series vary quite significantly from each book. It would be quite easy to fall into a trap of similar events, or at least the same structure of narrative. I don’t really find that with these. They are quite action-driven books, but they don’t feel repetitive or like a regurgitation of a previous story.

 

Stolen Focus

Next, I decided to pick up a non-fiction read for a bit of a change. Stolen Focus has been on my TBR for about a year now. I initially heard about it via a podcast, and was shocked at some of the statistics that are discussed in this book. I’m still shocked reading them for myself.

I am a third of the way through this book as of today’s Sunday Summary post. I’m already thinking about some of the ways I can change my behaviour to do what I can for my focus. There was a bit of irony in that I was reading the chapter about the detriment of ‘multitasking’ (called switching in the book) yesterday morning, whilst simultaneously trying to make breakfast.

The one thing I would point out to anybody interested in this book, is that it’s message is that it’s not all about you. Yes, there are small improvements we can all make in order to preserve our focus. However, its key message is that we are in a society full of competitors furiously vying for our attention. If you enjoyed watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, this book touches on some of the themes explored in that docu-film.

 

Books Discovered

Just after I drafted last week’s Sunday Summary post, I read about a book that I’ve decided to add to my reading list. The book is called Sensitive by Jenn Granneman. It doesn’t seem to be that well-read yet, but it was recommended on LinkedIn by somebody I follow.

I am sensitive person. If I do say so myself, I am quite good at picking up on peoples emotions. So much so, being around negative emotions can have a negative impact on me. I want to explore the subject further, and I hope to do so with this book.

I also saw another book in our local The Works store today that caught my eye. If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know that I enjoy books based around World War II. Unsurprisingly then, I have added The Auschwitz Photographer by Maurizio Onnis (translated by Luca Crippa) to my reading list. Whereas previously I have read fiction based on experiences of those in the camp, the Auschwitz photographer is a non-fiction book.

 

Coming Up…

It’s been a few weeks since I shared a book review with you all. Now that I’m finally done with documenting my thoughts on the Harry Potter series, you can expect to find some variety in my reviews going forward! This week’s review will be for the very first book I read in 2022, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

On Friday, I’ll be sharing my next Shelf Control post with you. If you are unaware, this is the series in which I feature upcoming books on my reading list that I’m excited to pick up. Naturally, I tell you all about these books in this post, and why I can’t wait to read them. This week’s book is a legal thriller by a big-name author who I’ve yet to read any books by!

Finally, I’ll be back with another Sunday Summary post in a week’s time. In that post, I’ll tell you about the books I’ve been reading, and all my other bookish updates.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary!

Have you read any of today’s featured books? What are you reading now?

 

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Sunday Summary – 16th April 2023

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Good evening and welcome back to another Sunday Summary update post. As always, I’m looking forward to sharing all my bookish updates with you in this post! Before we dive into the books I’ve been reading this week, let’s take a quick recap of the blog posts I have shared with you.

I began the week with a discussion post, which I shared on Tuesday. In that post, I share the benefits I have enjoyed by joining an online book club. I also talk about why I think anyone can also benefit from joining a similar group… whether online or in person. 

Next was the turn of my First Lines Friday feature post. For this particular feature, I shared a historical fiction novel sat on my bookshelf and begging to be picked up. A word of warning that it is an introduction from a book set in the Auschwitz-Birkenau, concentration camp during the Second World War. Naturally, it very quickly establishes the way in which those interred were treated (which is to say, abysmally) very early on. If that’s the sort of thing you’re not comfortable with reading, then by all means skip this post. However, if you’re intrigued by books in this setting as I am, there is a link for you to check out that post above!

 

Books Read

 

The Mad Ship

I didn’t appreciate how much of a push I’ve made with this book until I took a look at where my progress was this time last week! As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I was around 350 pages into this book. That alone is the length of some of the other books on my April TBR all by themselves. However, these books are incredibly chunky. The Mad Ship weighs in at 906 pages… and I finished the remaining 550 odd pages over the course of this week!

I only finished The Mad Ship last night, so it is taking me most of the week to do that. But, that’s crazy progress! It’s a significant page count, but it’s also a very dense storyline. It’s not something you can read that quickly. Well, it’s not something that I can read that quickly. Needless to say, I am both really happy and a little bit amazed that I’ve been able to make such progress and finish this book. Not that it’s been any effort – in fact, it’s been quite the opposite. The narrative got to a point where I really got into it and I’ve wanted to pick it up and see what happens next!

 

Eagle of Mercia

Since I have a couple of books with a similar setting on April’s TBR, I decided to pick the first of these two books next. My logic behind this is that I can separate the two books with another genre in between so I don’t mix them up on my head. I’ve also picked this first one in particular as I have to have this read by the beginning of May to review for the upcoming blog tour. I have only read the first chapter so far, but it is a start.

I’m hoping this will prove an easy and relatively short read in comparison to The Mad Ship. If that proves to be the case, then I may find myself in a similar situation last month. I spent a good deal of time reading A Game of Thrones, but then whipped through several shorter books in the latter half of the month. That may yet happen again this month. 

 

Books Discovered

On the book acquisition front, it has been a quiet week! Well, technically I did have a book turn up on my doorstep earlier this week, but it wasn’t for me so it doesn’t count!

 

Coming Up…

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is a non-bookish freebie. That means I have free rein on the topic, and I plan to use that post to tell you a little bit more about me. I’m not going to reveal any more than that at the moment in case I decide to change the angle in which I tackle this post. 

On Friday, I plan to share another Well, I Didn’t Know That! post. In a previous post in the series, I took a look at the Goodreads website and talked about some of the lesser explored features. For this post, I am going to be doing a similar take, but this time with StoryGraph. I am relatively new to StoryGraph, so I’m sure there is plenty I am yet to have discovered about the site!

You know the drill by now. My final post of the week will be at the same time, because it’s my Sunday Summary update.

 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary post and have had a fabulous week.

Are you reading anything at the moment? Do you have any book recommendations for me?

 

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First Lines Friday – 14/04/2023

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Good evening and welcome to this week’s feature post – First Lines Friday!

For today’s post, I feature a book with difficult themes. The book is set in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Second World War. The narrative jumps straight in to discuss the treatment and deaths of those interred in the camp (which sadly was one of many such sites). What makes this narrative even worse is that it is heavily based on a true story. An individual who was unfortunate enough to have spent time in Auschwitz came forward with her story, her experience.

So, consider yourself warned. If this is a topic that you don’t feel comfortable with reading, then stop reading this post here. If, like me, you do not shy away from this theme or setting in history, then read on below for today’s excerpt and find out what my featured book is!

 

 

The Nazi officers are dressed in black. They look at death with the indifference of a gravedigger. In Auschwitz, human life has a little value that no one is shot any more; a bullet is more valuable than human being. In Auschwitz, there are communal chambers where they administer Zyklon gas. It’s cost-effective, killing hundreds of people with just one tank. Death has become an industry that is profitable only if it’s done wholesale.

The officers have no idea that in the family camp in Auschwitz, on top of the dark mud into which everything sinks, Alfred Hirsch has established a school. They don’t know it, and it’s essential that they should not know it.

 

The Librarian of Auschwitz – Antonio Iturbe

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 445

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Ebury Press

Publication Date: 04 April 2019

 

 

Goodreads – The Librarian of Auschwitz

Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust.
Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz.Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.

My Thoughts…

Despite the awful events that occurred in Auschwitz-Birkenau, or any other concentration camp that was established during the Second World War, I’m fascinated by the subject. To date, I have read numerous books that explore the tragedy and cruelty that those interred experienced.

I am a firm believer that we should not blinker or censor our history. It is only through reading books like this, and learning from those who had to suffer, that we can ensure the same mistakes do not happen again. I was initially interested in this book for its setting alone. However, to understand that the fiction is heavily based around the real life experience of a woman called Dita Kraus makes it all the more heartbreaking.

The Librarian of Auschwitz is a rare book on my TBR, in that it was initially written in another language (Spanish) and then later translated into English. I don’t have many books of this nature, and historically I haven’t read that many either. That’s not really a conscious decision on my part. So much so, I didn’t even realise this book wasn’t originally written in English until I picked up my copy of it today to feature the book!

Have you read The Librarian of Auschwitz, or any of the other books in this period and setting? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Monthly TBR – April 2023

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It’s the Easter weekend and I’m excited to share my monthly TBR post for April 2023!

March was a bit of an unusual one in that I read lots, and had a very successful month that way. The reads I picked up weren’t as highly rated as those I picked up earlier in the year. However, I’m really happy with the overall experience.

This month, I’m aiming for a repeat of that… albeit if I rate these books higher than those I did in March, that’s a bonus. I have a very different selection of books to pick up, but I’m looking forward to them all!

Enough waffle – let’s dive into this monthly TBR!

 

Fixed Reads

 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

I am back to taking part in the online book club run by Ezeekat. This month’s featured book is a relatively new publication – The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. I really like the sound of this new fantasy novel. It sounds like a little bit of an epic fantasy in setting, but with strong piracy themes. It’s a little bit different to the sort of fantasy book. I will pick up under normal circumstances, and that’s why I would like to give it a try!

 

Thanks for Sharing

As of writing this post, I’ve already read and reviewed Thanks for Sharing for a blog tour.

I wanted to pick up the book as a means of getting some inspiration for ways we can live a more sustainable lifestyle. It was an interesting read all about the various ways we can adopt a sharing economy for goods that are infrequently used, or by goods with expiry dates coming up.

If you want to check my review, you can find that here.

 

Eagle of Mercia

Another book I’m reading for an upcoming blog tour is Eagle of Mercia by M.J. Porter.

So far, I’ve already read the first three books in this series, Son of Merica, Wolf of Mercia and Warrior of Mercia. I’ve really enjoyed reading and reviewing the series so far, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

I’ll be sharing my review for the upcoming blog tour on 3rd May, so I’ll be reading this in April ahead of that date.

 

Wolf of Wessex

Once a month I pull a book out of my TBR Jar (aka an owl mug sat on my bookshelves). This month, I pulled Wolf of Wessex by Matthew Harffy.

It’s pure coincidence that I’ve ended up with two historical fiction novels in a similar time period on my TBR this month. Based on the synopsis, the setting of Wolf of Wessex is slightly different. The narrative doesn’t deliberately allude to conflict between Saxons, but that may well presented self in the narrative. The book is very highly rated, and as this is a period of history that I clearly enjoy as I read it a lot, I’m looking forward to seeing how the narrative unfolds and whether I wish to pick up more books by this author.

 

Mood Reads

 

The Mad Ship

A bit like last month, I’m not really reading my books in the typical order. In previous months, I have prioritised my fixed reading list, and then move onto my mood reads later.

This month, I started the month with 120 pages of progress into The Mad Ship. Starting this book was my stretch goal outlined in March’s monthly TBR post. I then had to put this down temporarily in order to prioritise Thanks For Sharing for the blog tour. Now that obligation is complete, I am back with continuing with The Mad Ship.

Hardly unexpected, but I’m really enjoying this book so far. The first book does a lot of the ground work in the setting of this new trilogy. Now that is all set out, we can dive into the narrative and further the storylines quite quickly. I am already a third of the way through the book and enjoying it completely.

 

Stolen Focus

I wanted to read another non-fiction book this month. Looking through my TBR, I decided to get my hands on a copy of Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.

Some days, I am really good at setting myself goals and achieving what I set out to do. Other days, I can be really distracted. I am the type of person who will do multiple things at once in the name of multitasking, but really, am I achieving much? No, most often.

One of the things I’m working on is trying to pinpoint where the distractions come from so then I can limit them. I’m hoping this book can help with some insight as to why this happens, what circumstances may cause this in order to work on it.

 

Stretch Goal

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

As I did last month, I am setting myself a stretch goal of starting The Hunchback of Notre Dame before the end of the month.The average page count per day required this month is slightly higher. As of writing this post, I’m also slightly behind on my daily target. With that in mind, I might not get there. But, it is a goal to aim towards.

Another reason for doing this is that splitting down larger books intentionally over a couple of months makes them a little bit more manageable. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is quite a hefty book. Don’t get me wrong, I can read chunky books over the course of a month. I did it last month, and I’ll be doing it this month as well. However, with this being a classic as opposed to a book from my favourite genre, I will find this more approachable to read if I’m splitting over the two months.

Even if I can just start the book, I’ll be happy bunny!

 

Those are the books on my monthly TBR for April. 

Are you reading anything over the Easter weekend?

 

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Sunday Summary – 2nd April 2023

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Good evening and welcome to today’s weekly catch up post – aka my Sunday Summary! I hope you’ve had a good week? I’ve had a good one as I took the latter half of the week off work. I did a couple of small jobs around the house. Otherwise, I dedicated my time to reading, gaming and some cross stitch!

Naturally, I’ve also been posting bookish content for you. On Wednesday, I shared my last review of my re-read of the Harry Potter series! I really enjoyed reading these books again as an adult. If you want to read all my thoughts on the books and the wider series, there is a link above to that last post. That also contains links to the previous reviews if you want to catch up from the beginning.

On Friday, I shared a Shelf Control post. In this series, I feature books coming up on my TBR and share them with you. I also talk about why I’m interested to pick these books up. I confess that behind the scenes, I’ve even whittled down my reading list by doing this series. This week’s featured book is a work of classical fiction by a Russian author and philosopher. No, not Leo Tolstoy. I was inspired to pick this up based on my experience of War and Peace though!

 

Books Read

 

Soul Identity

I picked up from last week’s Sunday Summary post by finishing Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder. As of that post, I was 71% through the book. My plan was to finish the book on Sunday after my Sunday Summary post went live, which I did.

Two small comments I would make is that I don’t feel the relationship between the protagonist Scott, and Val, was necessary. Also, I didn’t like how the majority of female characters were introduced by their appearance. They’re not deal-breaking things, but it did bring my review down to 4 stars.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the book overall. It explores some interesting spirituality and religious concepts of reincarnation from a scientific perspective. I knew that was the premise of the book, but had no idea how the story would go about it. It was perfectly enjoyable and quite an easy read.

 

Death of Kings

Another easy read I picked up this week was Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell. This is the sixth book in his Saxon Stories series, also known as The Last Kingdom.  At around 350 pages, this book is a good length to progress the story without getting bogged down in too much detail.

There is still plenty of action that takes place in these 350 pages. As ever, we see the conflict Uhtred has between his Saxon birth but Norse upbringing. Needless to say, it gives a unique perspective to this historical fiction narrative… and he gets up to a lot of mischief!

It was good to finally go back to this series. I read the previous book, The Burning Land, back in 2020. Now I’m back into the series, and actively looking to read sequels this year, you can expect I’ll be picking more of these books up soon!

 

The Mad Ship

So, with the last of the books on my ‘set’ TBR read, I achieved my stretch goal this month by starting The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb. Before the end of the month, I read the first 120 pages of this 906 page epic! As of this post, I am now 174 pages in – a healthy start!

In what I’ve read so far, we are only really just getting caught up with all the plot-driving characters in their various locations. Robin Hobb isn’t exactly known for short chapters. It’s taken that time to pick up where we left off in the last book. I can’t wait to see where the narrative takes us from here!

 

Thanks for Sharing

In addition to the above, I’ve also started a book on my April TBR. That’s because I’m taking part in a blog tour for the book next week. I signed up for it just a couple of weeks ago, so I need to get a shift on with it!

Thanks for Sharing is a short non-fiction book about sharing rather than purchasing new. The author spent about a year experimenting with different ways to share various goods and reduce consumerism/waste. I’ll admit I was inspired to take up the offer of this blog tour as I’ve recently taken up the mantle of sustainability champion at work.

I picked this book up just this morning and I’ve already progressed through the first chapter. That’s about 15% progress. Given the deadline, I’ll be prioritising this read in the short term and then going back to The Mad Ship once I’ve finished this one. Given that it’s only 250 odd pages, I should have this finished in a day or two.

 

Books Discovered

I’m back to a week of no news this week. Since I added four books last week, I haven’t been out or particularly looking for anything new.

So, no news is good news!

 

Coming Up…

I’ve enjoyed a three post per week schedule for the last fortnight, but out of necessity, I will be sharing four posts next week.

Since we are already into the beginning of April, my first post of the week will be my monthly wrap-up post for March. I’ve had a great reading month, so I have plenty to share with you in that post. I hope you can log on to check that out in the next couple of days.

Next, I have my blog tour post for Thanks for Sharing going live on Thursday next week. As I mentioned above, I’ve only just started the book today. However, I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on the book and whether I’ll be trying anything featured in the book for myself. 

I also have my monthly TBR for April to publish. I’ve already christened the list, so I know what I’m picking up this month. You can expect that list later this week. I’ll be aiming to publish the list on Friday, but I won’t kick myself if it gets pushed out to Saturday.

I’ll round up the week with my usual Sunday Summary update, with all my reading progress in the usual format.

For now though, that’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary.

What are you reading?

 

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