Tag: historical fiction

Monthly TBR – July 2025

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The books in today’s monthly TBR are all part of my 20 Books of Summer Challenge. It shouldn’t be a surprise, in a broad sense, what I’ll be reading over the next few months. In my recent Top Ten Tuesday post, I shared which books on that list I’m prioritising soon. 

The culmination of both these lists is my July Monthly TBR. Take a look at the books coming up on this month’s list – I’m very excited to pick each and every one of these up! 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Anxious Generation  

The first of my carryovers from June is The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. As of my monthly wrap-up post, I’d read the first 60 pages. As of drafting this monthly TBR, I’m another 100 pages along. Progress therefore stands at about 50%. 

The Anxious Generation has proven to be an interesting and relatively easy read. For a non-fiction, informative book, it’s not dry. The facts and figures are easily spelled out and backed up. Perhaps I’m biased by the subject matter meaning so much to me. Either way, I’m really enjoying The Anxious Generation so far and hopefully I’ll blast through the last half before the end of the week! 

 

Saint’s Blood

The second and final carryover onto this monthly TBR is my audiobook listen, Saint’s Blood. I’m even closer to the finish line with this book, with just 45 minutes listening time left as of drafting this post. I will absolutely finish this book tomorrow at the latest! 

Saint’s Blood has been a great listen and I’ve loved getting back into this series. With just one book left after this one is finished, it makes sense to pick the sequel up soon and finish the series. That way it’s fresh in my mind, and it’s a tick in the ol’ box for my series completion resolution 😅

 

The Measure 

I’ve convinced book club to pick up The Measure this month. I was a little worried about squeezing in book club reads on top of my Summer Challenge TBR. However, it was my turn to pick a book and so I made it work to my advantage! 

I think this will be a good fit for the group as well. The story type appeals to the reading tastes of several in the group. That’s a great start. Also, I think this will have some really interesting talking points for our meet-up. 

Win-win! 

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

I’ve convinced my boyfriend Shane to start watching The Last Kingdom. We’ve recently finished watching Vikings (which he introduced me to), and he’s liking it so far. 

I reviewed Death of Kings recently and shamed myself a little over how long it’s been since I picked up the series. It’s quite a long one, so not a likely candidate for a finish this year. Pagan Lord is book seven of the series. I think there are 13 in total off the top of my head. That’s no reason not to make progress with it though! 

At around the 300-page mark, The Pagan Lord will make for a good recap to the series. I have watched the series, so I should be able to pick up the storyline quickly enough despite the reading gap. It should also be a relatively quick read – helpful to getting caught up with my reading goal! 

 

If We Were Villains

The oldest book on this monthly TBR, in terms of how long it’s been on my TBR, is If We Were Villains.

I’ve had a copy of this on my bookshelf for years. It’s finally time to get to it! Although I’m not a big Shakespeare fan, I do love literature and drama. This combination means I’m looking forward to this book. In the past, I’ve enjoyed dark academia books. If We Were Villains falls into this category. It all bodes well – let’s just hope the book lives up to my expectations. 

 

The Dragon Republic

Whilst events of The Poppy War are fresh in my mind, I want to pick up the sequel. As the second book of a trilogy, progress with The Dragon Republic means I’ll have just one book left in the series once it’s done. Naturally, I’ll then look to finish the trilogy this year! That’ll be another series ticked off my list ☺️ 

The Poppy War was a great read. It wasn’t the fastest because the story was quite dense. Not in a bad way. I enjoyed taking my time over it. I don’t know if The Dragon Republic will be the same. Having laid the groundwork, events could go either way. Things could speed up now the world-building is established. Equally though, if there is more to lay down it could be a repeat of the same. I’ll just have to see how it goes. If I expect the latter then I won’t be disappointed if reading progress is a little slower.  

 

Alan Turing: The Enigma

Another chunky read on this monthly TBR is in the form of an audiobook. I’ve deliberately chosen to listen to the book for this reason. As I’m so close to finishing Saint’s Blood, I should have plenty of time to listen to Alan Turing. 

I added this book to my reading list after watching The Imitation Game. I’m intrigued to learn more about the person who had such an important influence on history. What shocked me most was how Alan Turing was treated after all he did to end WW2. I’m hoping this is covered in the book, because it’s a significant part of Mr Turing’s story. I’ll let you know in due course whether it does and what my thoughts are on the book. 

 

Summary 

I have a good number of books on this monthly TBR. However, given I’m close to finishing the carried over books from June, I think this is achievable. Even if I have a repeat of this month and get very close, I’ll be happy. 

What books are coming up on your reading list? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – June 2025

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In today’s monthly wrap-up for June 2025, I recap great reading progress over the last month. With my 20 Books of Summer Challenge well underway, I’ve made a respectable start to getting through the books featuring in that challenge. 

Want a reminder of what books those are? Let’s dive into this monthly wrap-up post and I can catch you up on what I’ve picked up so far 😌

 

Books Read 

Sunrise on the Reaping

At the very beginning of this month, I devoured the final 2/3 of Sunrise on the Reaping. This book isn’t on my 20 Books of Summer Challenge – it was just a carryover from my May TBR. 

This was such a highly anticipated read for me, and it’s fair to say the book didn’t disappoint! I love The Hunger Games books so much and this one was fantastic for giving backstory to Haymitch’s character.

Just when you think the hunger games couldn’t be any more dark or dystopian, Suzanne Collins surprises us once again. No character is safe in this world. That’s something I love! Weirdly, I love to be fearful for the characters I’m reading about and routing for. I don’t want to think they’re safe, especially in the world where that’s not realistic. 

It was fantastic to get back and up-to-date with the series. I definitely anticipate a full re-read later this year!

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

The book that took me the longest to read this month was All the Light We Cannot See. I was really looking forward to reading All the Light We Cannot See and I did enjoy picking up this book. If I’m entirely honest, I didn’t love it as much as I expected I would. 

Given the premise of the books is sold on two very different characters coming together, I thought this would happen earlier in the storyline. Not only that, but the way the book is structured into super-short chapters didn’t suit me. I like to get into a character perspective and take time in a scene to figure out what’s going on. The stories of Marie-Laure and Werner kept chopping around so much that you didn’t really get this chance. I understand why this works in the context of the story, but it did detract from my personal reading experience of the book a little.

What I did enjoy reading was a perspective from a character who is blind. So often when we read books, we are introduced to a setting by the way it looks more than any other sensory input. To instead be introduced to a setting by touch and sound was a change of perspective I enjoyed.

 

Little Fires Everywhere

One of the fastest books I read this month, maybe except for Sunrise on the Reaping, was Little Fires Everywhere.

Admittedly, I did have a deadline for this book, but that was today’s work book club meet. Even beyond the deadline, I found myself devouring this book, partly because it was on my Kindle and very convenient to pick up and put down, but also because the storyline hooked me.

Book begins with a present day fire, and then spirals to the events leading up to it happening. There is a good deal of mystery around several of the characters. Finding out what was going on motivated me to finish this book more than anything. Little Fires Everywhere was also a very easy read. The book was very easy to pick up and put down at will. I picked it up for good long stints at a time, and progress was fast! 

 

A Day of Fallen Night

The biggest book on this reading list was a carryover from my May TBR. As of last month’s monthly wrap-up, I had listened to around 11 hours of A Day of Fallen Night.

I listened to the remaining 28 or so hours over the course of this month. I finished this book last week whilst on annual leave. One of my favourite hobbies aside from books is crafting. Knitting, crochet, cross-stitch – that kind of thing. A hobby I can do with my hands works well with listening to audiobooks. Last week, I made the most of it with both A Day of Fallen Night and the next books on this list, 

As I shared in my Sunday Summary instalment just before the end of the month, I really enjoyed getting back into this series not too long after starting it. Picking the second book up within reasonable time to the first meant I could appreciate overlapping details; if I’d left it too long I was far less likely to pick up on and appreciate this detail. 

 

Saint’s Blood

In the last week of June alone, I listened to 80% of Saint’s Blood. That’s a lot of audiobook progress and I wouldn’t have been able to do it so easily if I wasn’t off work. 

Getting back into Saint’s Blood hasn’t been too bad. I thought it would be more difficult, given I haven’t picked up the series in three years. Even so, the book has recapped the broad points of the narrative so I’ve been able to follow along well. 

As of this monthly wrap-up post, Saint’s Blood is still a current read and I anticipate finishing the book in the next few days. The narrative is starting to come together, but I feel there is more to explore as well. Will there be another revelation? At the point of the book I’m at, I’m getting the enjoyment of the main characters being in a lot of danger. Going back to what I said about Sunrise on the Reaping, I like to be scared into thinking the main characters aren’t safe. 

 

The Anxious Generation 

The final carryover I have in this monthly wrap-up post that I’ll pick up in July is The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. As at the end of June, I’d read the first 60 pages of the book and I’m enjoying it so far. 

The Anxious Generation is an informative read for all. However, as someone who is and has family of age with the population featured in the subject of the book, it has a personal connection. 

The research of the book so far is well backed up by facts and figures. At the moment, that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Later in the book we get to actions we can take. I’m intrigued on the author’s take on this and I’ll update you in the near future. 

 

Summary 

This monthly wrap-up post includes all the books I set out to pick up in my June TBR. Whilst I had hoped it finish all the books on this list and maybe start another, I came very close to completing June’s reading list. Admittedly, All the Light We Cannot See took a little longer to read than I expected and A Day of Fallen Night is a very long audiobook. Equally though, I’ve listened to Saint’s Blood very quickly too. 

On balance, I think I can achieve reading 5-6 books a month at the moment. So, I’ll set my July TBR accordingly. If you want to see what I’m picking up this month, I’m publishing my July TBR in the next couple of days! I hope you can take a look and maybe find inspiration for your next read. 

Until then, have a good week and happy reading! 

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Sunday Summary – 22nd June 2025

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It honestly feels like I’ve barely finished one Sunday Summary post before I’m starting the next. Where are the weeks going? 

Happy Sunday friends and welcome to my weekly catch up post! As always, in this Sunday Summary, I’ll recap the blog posts I’ve shared so far this week, then jump into my reading updates. 

My first blog post of the week was a Top Ten Tuesday post. I’ve shared a few books around this week’s theme in the past as it’s a quarterly re-occurring post. This week, it was time to share my top ten books on my summer TBR. As I’m taking part in the 20 Books of Summer Challenge, I decided to use this post to share which books I’ll be prioritising from that challenge after my June TBR.

On Friday, it was the return of my First Lines Friday feature. This week’s feature was a completely novel choice that I added to my reading list; normally I’m featuring one already on there. If you’re also looking for a quirky way to discover your next read, take a look at that post, as I share an interesting resource I stumbled upon via my local libraries website.

 

Books Read

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

This week, I read the final third of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I was pleasantly surprised actually. Overall, I found myself reading this book in lots of short stints. The pacing of the book meant that I was picking it up and putting it down often, not reading very many pages in one go.

However, I got to a point in the book where I was determined to finish it, and so I did. I spent a couple of hours one evening this week and I read between 120-140 pages in one sitting. 

I enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See, but it didn’t wow me either. Based on the write up, I’d hoped that Marie-Laure and Werner spent more time together once they finally met. In the context of this 500 page story, they meet quite a long way down the line, and for what feels like a very brief period of time. I had high hopes for this book, and if I’m entirely honest, it didn’t quite live up to expectation. It is still a decent read – I rated the book 3 stars.

 

A Day of Fallen Night

In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I shared that I’d made only a little progress with A Day of Fallen Night. 

Compared to last week’s one and a half hours progress, I’ve made an additional five hours progress on top of that benchmark this week. If I had listened to this book just a little bit more throughout the course of the week, I could’ve been sharing a completion with you here. As it stands, I only have four hours of this audiobook left as of this Sunday Summary update. I may not be able to share a completion of this with you this week, but the six and a half hours I’ve listened to this week sets me up so I can share it with you next week! 

Events are now bringing characters together for the conclusion. I’m really interested to see how this book wraps up. If nothing else, that’s my motivator to pick up this book. 

 

Little Fires Everywhere

The final book to update you on in today’s Sunday Summary post is my current read, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. 

This is our work book club book. We’re next meeting at the beginning of July. I haven’t got the most time in the world to finish this book. Equally, I’ve read 45% in just the couple of days. Compared to All the Light We Cannot See, Little Fires Everywhere is progressing much quicker; the pacing of the book suits my reading preferences better. It’s a lot easier to sit and read in longer settings. I’m not worried about finishing it on time.

I’m starting to see where character conflicts are building. Do these explain the events at the very start of the book? Is it going to be as transparent as we think? I’m not so sure at the moment. I hope there is a bit of a mystery for me to unravel here. Hopefully, I’ll be talking more about that in next week’s Sunday Summary. Given how quickly I’m progressing with this book, I am optimistic for a completion very soon.

 

Books Discovered

If you read my First Lines Friday post (either on Friday or if you followed the link above) you’ll know that I added a book called The Great Passage to my TBR on Friday.

Books about books make for interesting reads. What also intrigues me is that the author and setting is based on Japanese language and culture. I read a lot more Westernised narratives but that’s something I’m looking to address. I’m intrigued as to whether that will be prevalent in the book and educate me on differences between my more familiar Western culture compared to Eastern. 

 

Coming Up… 

Given I have a number of book reviews to catch up with, I’ll tackle one of these early next week. The next book on my review list is Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. This was an interesting read; I’d recommend it to anyone who feels they struggle with their focus or attention span. It’s scary to realise what impact technology has had on our brains!

As I’ve just shared a First Lines Friday, that means this week’s Friday feature will be a Shelf Control post. I enjoy using this series as an opportunity to look forward to upcoming reads on my TBR. This week I’m featuring a psychological thriller with an element of mystery. I hope you can tune in to that upcoming post to see what it is. 

Finally, I’ll be back at the same time next week with another Sunday Summary catch up. Fingers crossed, I’ll have at least two completions in that post. We’re rapidly approaching the end of the month! I hope to get through my reading list before the start of July, so I’m making a push between now and then.

What book have you read recently that you would recommend to me? 

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First Lines Friday – 20/06/2025

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When looking up whether my local library had a copy of a book I wanted to read, I spotted an interesting resource that I used to choose today’s First Lines Friday feature. It came in good time too. Rather than featuring yet another book on my list or already read by me, I wanted to feature something different. Thankfully I didn’t restrict myself in last week’s Sunday Summary post so I was able to make the most of today’s discovery.

My local libraries’ website links to a site called WhichBook as a novel way of helping choose your next read. You can search by emotion, geographical locations, characters and plot types. When playing with the customisation of the searches I cam across today’s feature. If you are a fan of words and language as I am, you might appreciate today’s book! 

 

Kohei Araki had devoted his entire life—his entire working life—to dictionaries. Words fascinated him, always had. 

He had learned early on that dog contained other meanings besides the four-legged animal. Once when his father had taken him to the movies, a blood-spattered gangster, betrayed and dying on screen, spat out the words “Damn that dog!” So an enemy spy was a dog. The gang boss, upon receiving word of the gangster’s demise, jumped up and shouted, “What are you all standing around here for? Polish your daggers! Don’t let him die a dog’s death!” So the word could also mean “pointless.” 

Dogs were faithful partners—trustworthy, intelligent, endearing—yet dog could also refer to a traitor or a condition of meaninglessness. How strange! In his child’s mind he tried to work out how this could be. Faithfulness to the point of servility, devotion going pathetically unrewarded—all the more pathetic as it increased in intensity. Perhaps such canine traits were responsible for the negative associations attached to the word.

 

 

The Great Passage – Shion Miura

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Pages: 224

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Amazon Crossing

Publication Date: 01 Jun 2017

Goodreads – The Great Passage

 

An award-winning story of love, friendship, and the power of human connection.

Kohei Araki believes that a dictionary is a boat to carry us across the sea of words. But after thirty-seven years of creating dictionaries, it’s time for him to retire and find his replacement.

He discovers a kindred spirit in Mitsuya Majime—a young, disheveled square peg with a penchant for collecting antiquarian books and a background in linguistics—whom he swipes from his company’s sales department.

Along with an energetic, if reluctant, new recruit and an elder linguistics scholar, Majime is tasked with a career-defining accomplishment: completing The Great Passage, a comprehensive 2,900-page tome of the Japanese language. On his journey, Majime discovers friendship, romance, and an incredible dedication to his work, inspired by the words that connect us all.

 

My Thoughts…

The Great Passage appeals to me for several reasons. Firstly, I love language. Words and meanings and the play off of expressions to make different meanings interests me. Call me sad, or frankly whatever you like. I enjoy what I enjoy. 

However, as well as that, I’m intrigued by the books Japanese origins. The Great Passage is translated from Japanese originally and is written by an author who is just as passionate about language. Does this book indicate if there is a cultural difference in language, or are some things universal? That’s what I’m also curious to read about. 

I’ve regularly shared that I tend to read western books. I’ve more said this in the context of fantasy, but this is probably true across the board. Picking up The Great Passage would be a great way to lean into different histories and cultures and read a brand new narrative. 

I need to be careful – I almost sound like I’ve used this First Lines Friday post to talk myself into reading this book. Who am I kidding – of course it’s now on my TBR! Maybe WhichBook is just as dangerous for my reading list as it is good at being a useful tool for picking something in a different way.

Care – use with caution. My mum joked once that I’d make my out of this world suffocating under a pile of books. She probably isn’t wrong… 

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s slightly different First Lines Friday feature!

What are you reading this weekend? 

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Sunday Summary – 15th June 2025

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Happy Father’s Day to the most amazing dad out there! I obviously couldn’t start this Sunday Summary post any other way. I’ve had a great time spending time today with my family… even if my day didn’t get off to the best of starts.

In today’s weekly update post, I’ll catch you up on the blog posts I’ve shared so far this week, as well as where I’m up to with reading progress. Make yourself comfortable and get a cuppa. When you’re ready, let’s dive in!

My first post of the week was a book review of The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb. In this post, I talk about why The Mad Ship was a great second instalment to this trilogy and why you should read it too.

On Friday, I featured my regular Shelf Control post and a mystery/thriller novel I’m keen to read. I’ve featured and read this author once before, and I added his debut book to my reading list to pick up next… 

 

Books Read

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I had read a little over 160 pages of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

This week, I was secretly hoping to be sharing a completion of this book. That hasn’t quite happened, although I have managed to practically double my progress.

I’m now around two thirds of the way through this book, so I will be very surprised if I’m not sharing a completion with you next week. I’m still loving this book for all the reasons I stated in last week’s Sunday Summary. If there is an element of the story I’m not keen on, it’s that the chapters are not very long at all. It barely feels like we get into a character perspective before we jump to the next one. It’s not a dealbreaker though, so I am continuing with All the Light We Cannot See into next week. Fingers crossed for a completion in next week’s Sunday Summary update!

 

A Day of Fallen Night

Compared to recent progress with A Day of Fallen Night, I’ve made pretty poor progress with this audiobook this week.

Over the course of this week, I’ve only listened to a little over one and a half hours. Although I do listen to audio in the week, I would say the vast majority of audiobook progress usually happens at the weekend. This weekend has been a little bit special. Not only was I out of the house meeting family today for Father’s Day, but I was also out yesterday wedding dress shopping with my sister during th day and out at a show last night. It’s been a busy weekend, and I’ve been out of normal routine. Fingers crossed, I’ll get back on track next week.

 

Books Discovered

 

This week, I read a review for A Language of Dragons online. The idea of the books appeals to be on both counts – firstly, dragons. Enough said. But also, I have a bit of a nerdy interest in language and the origins of language. The synopsis of this book reminds me a little of Babel, so I reckon I’ll really enjoy this one! 

I also purchased a copy of a book written my the author and creator VirtualAstro, Adrian West. The show I went to last night was his The Night Sky Show. It was quite different to anything I’ve watched before. When I saw his book being sold in the foyer, it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. Getting in there early meant I got a pre-signed copy instead of having to wait afterwards like most people…

 

Coming Up… 

This week I have a Top Ten Tuesday post lined up. I’ve recently shared my June TBR and my 20 Books of Summer Challenge. In this week’s post, I’ll be using the topic of books on my Summer TBR to share which books I’ll be prioritising after my June TBR. 

On Friday, I’m back with a First Lines Friday post. As usual, I’ll find an interesting introduction to share with you and then give you details on the book. I hope you can check in and take a look! 

Finally, this time next week I’m back with another Sunday Summary catch up. Will I finish All the Light We Cannot See and recover progress on A Day of Fallen Night? Find out in next week’s post! 

Until then, happy reading!

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Sunday Summary – 8th June 2025

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I’ve enjoyed another long bank holiday weekend this weekend. I’m trying not to lament that I’m already at the end of it; instead, let’s make this Sunday Summary a positive celebration of what I’ve achieved this week! 

Over the course of this week, I’ve shared three posts with you so far. The first of these posts went live on Monday this week. Having just started the month of June, I shared my monthly wrap-up and a summary of the books I read last month.  

Next on the agenda, I shared a post mid-week talking about a reading challenge I’m taking part in this year. The 20 Books of Summer Challenge is hopefully going to help me catch up with my Goodreads reading challenge. I’m a couple of books behind but eager to get myself back on track. If you want to find out which books I’ll be reading over the next three months to help me get there, that’s the post to look at.

Finally, I shared my official June monthly TBR on Friday. There is a bit of repetition in that the books on my June TBR are included in the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. I’ve only officially set myself five books this month, but I am secretly hoping to complete this list and be able to read more books from that challenge before we get into July. 

 

Books Read

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

After I published last week’s Sunday Summary update, I started the historical fiction novel All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. 

It feels like it’s been a little while since I picked up a historical fiction. What I’m loving about this book so far is that it’s set around one of my favourite periods of history, World War II. Don’t ask me why, because it’s not the nicest period of history going. 

What’s refreshing is that a main perspective in this book is a child who has been blind since the age of six. In what must already be a disorienting setting, Marie-Laure (with assistance from her father) has to navigate rebuilding a life after fleeing Paris and the Germans. As you can probably expect, Marie-Laure‘s perspective is unique. It focuses on completely different senses. When we’re introduced in new settings, books normally relate what things look like. Instead, Marie-Laure is only able to share with us the sounds around her, or what something smells or feels like.

Over the course of this last week, I have read a little over 160 pages of All the Light We Cannot See. I’m looking forward to continuing with this book over the next week and I’ll let you know where I’m up to in next week’s Sunday Summary.

 

A Day of Fallen Night

In this Sunday Summary update, I have yet another good week of progress to share with you. In last week’s update I had listened to a little over 12 hours A Day of Fallen Night. Whilst progress this week isn’t quite so high, I’ve still listened to over 7 hours of audio this week. Overall, this puts me at 60% progress through the audiobook as of this Sunday Summary update. 

I feel like I’m really getting into A Day of Fallen Night now. Whilst I was enjoying the narrative before, it felt like there was quite a lot of set up happening. Now, I genuinely feel like I’m in the middle of the book and events are actually happening. Things are starting to go wrong for the main characters and there’s a bit of a scramble to try and resolve the situation. I have no problem with a lot of buildup, because you’re well know I enjoy my world-building. I’ve enjoyed seeing events start clicking into place.

If I can manage another week similar to last week’s progress, be telling you in next week’s Sunday Summary update that I’ve finished it. Is that achievable? Yes, at a push. Am I going to commit to that? Probably not. It’s hard to say. Once you get so far in an audiobook and get towards the end, it does inspire a little bit of a push to see how it ends. If I’m enjoying the narrative, I may yet surprise myself.

 

Books Discovered

I considered adding a book to my reading list this week, but I’ve behaved! The reading list remains at a steady 205 books as of this Sunday Summary update.

I won’t be bored anytime soon anyway… 

 

Coming Up… 

My first post of next week will be a book review. In that post, I feature the second book in Robin Hobb’s The Liveship Trader series. I reviewed the first book of this trilogy back in January this year, and it’s always a pleasure to feature this series on my blog. I hope you’re looking forward to hearing my thoughts on this book. It was a fabulous five-star read!

On Friday, I return with my Shelf Control regular feature post. I’ll feature the next book on my TBR and share why I am excited to pick it up.

Finally, this time next week, another Sunday Summary post will land on your digital doorstop. I hope you can join me for that and fingers crossed I’ll have some book completions to share with you! 

That’s all from me and today’s Sunday Summary update! I hope you’ve had a fabulous week and weekend and I look forward to catching up with you soon. 

Happy reading! 

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Monthly TBR – June 2025

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In today’s post, I share the books I plan to pick up throughout the month of June. This monthly TBR isn’t too heavy on the book count front, but that’s not to say I won’t be reading more if I manage to get through each of these. 

If you read the post I shared on Wednesday, you’ll know that I’m taking part in the 20 books of summer challenge. In that post, I set out 20 books I hope to read before the end of August. Should I get to the end of these five before the end of June, I’ll be picking up one of those to keep up momentum with the challenge.

Let’s take a look at what’s on my official June monthly TBR! 

 

Fixed Reads 

A Day of Fallen Night 

This book is the only carryover that I started in the month of May. That’s hardly surprising, given that this audiobook is a little under 40 hours long in total. 

I started A Day of Fallen Night as part of my May TBR but only started it around a week before the end of the month. In that first week, I listened to a good portion of this audiobook – over 12 hours – so I can’t grumble on progress. If I’m able to keep up the pace, then I should have plenty of time to read the second audiobook I’ve planned for later this month. 

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

I had originally planned to read All the Light We Cannot See last month. However, as it took me longer to read The Poppy War than I expected, I didn’t get to the mood reads on my May TBR. 

Instead, I incidentally picked up this book for the first time last Sunday, being the first of this month. Already I’m enjoying the book and keen to see where the set-up is taking us. I’m also intrigued by how the lives of the characters are going to intersect. That can only remain to be seen and I’ll be updating you on progress in my usual Sunday Summary posts.

 

Little Fires Everywhere 

Our work book club is meeting later this month, and for that meeting we have agreed to read and discuss Little Fires Everywhere. 

I was aware of the book before it was suggested, but as yet hadn’t made a decision on whether I was going to read it or not. That’s the great thing about a book club! It’s through picking up books that you wouldn’t necessarily read for yourself that you get to push yourself out of your comfort zone. 

I don’t know if Little Fires Everywhere is going to do that for me, but I’m intrigued to find out. And no, I won’t be cheating and watching the Netflix series instead 😂 

 

The Anxious Generation

Another book I didn’t quite get to on May’s TBR was The Anxious Generation. I’m still keen to pick up this book, so I’ve carried it forward onto this monthly TBR. 

I’m still looking forward to picking up this book. The Anxious Generation is the only non-fiction on my official reading list this month. When I get to it, it will be a refreshing change from this fiction-heavy list. There’s absolutely no reason why I wouldn’t get to this book, but on the off chance I don’t, I’ve made it a part of my 20 books of summer challenge so I have to read it to complete that! 

 

Saint’s Blood

It’s been a long time since I picked up Sebastien de Castell’s The Greatcoats series. It’s been three years, to the month, in fact. 

Given I’ve enjoyed the series to date, it makes sense to get myself back into it. I also want to read it because it will help me towards my reading goal of completing series this year. After Saint’s Blood, I only have one book left in this series until I’ve finished it. 

Given it’s been so long, I will definitely have to refresh myself on what’s happened to date. I do have some vague recollection, so I don’t think I’m going to have to spend too long doing that. However, that refresher is much needed. Once I’ve read Saint’s Blood, I won’t leave it too long before finishing the last book. If nothing else, I want to finish it before the end of the year towards my reading goal completion! That also means I won’t need to refresh myself again on what’s happened.

 

Summary 

I’m hoping setting myself a slightly less ambitious list will help me towards completing my June monthly TBR. As I’ve already shared, I know which books I want to read this summer, so I have a selection to choose from should I exceed expectations and get through this list. 

Thanks for checking out today’s monthly TBR post! What upcoming reads are on your list? Is there any particular book or series you’re looking to pick up this summer?  

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Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2025

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In today’s monthly wrap-up post, I recap the books from my May TBR that I picked up over the course of last month.

Whilst I didn’t get to all the books on my reading list, I still had a great time with interesting non-fictions and epic fantasies. They’re very different genres, but I’ve read a variety this month.

Shall we take a look at what I read?


Books Read


The Poppy War

When I shared my May TBR I had just started The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.

I really enjoyed The Poppy War and I’m delighted I’ve now started this series. Given I have completing series as a resolution for this year, it gives me every freedom to binge-read the remaining two books in the series!

As much as I loved it, it did take me longer to read than I anticipated. The plot is quite dense, and the history the narrative is based on is not something I’m familiar with. As a result, I think I ended up taking my time mostly to enjoy the world-building and take time to understand what was going on.

Now that I’ve got this far though, I think I’ve set myself up in good stead for the remainder of the series!


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

Picking up where I left off in my April monthly wrap-up post, I’ve continued listening to Crashed throughout most of May.

I initially wasn’t sure what I made of the book because it had a lot of political discourse throughout the first part. Although this did ease a little, I came to see why this was an important part of the narrative. I got used to this style throughout the course of the book.

Whilst I picked up Crashed in order to learn more about the 2007 to 2008 financial crisis, in truth it is covered far more than that. It argues why the subsequent eurozone recessions and bailouts are inherently linked to the American markets that caused the initial crises in 2007-2008.

I confess this isn’t going to be a book for everybody. It’s only because of my working background that I have an interest in the subject. However, if this sort of thing is your cup of tea, Crashed was an enjoyable listen and I’ll recommend it.


Ultra-Processed People

Another non-fiction I read in May is a book called Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken.

Honestly, Ultra-Processed People was an eye-opener. I had a suspicion it would make me re-think my perception of food, and I wasn’t wrong. One of the greatest traps with ultra-processed food (UPF) is that we don’t look or understand what’s in it. Things that seem harmless are cast in a different light once you know why they’re there.

Not only does Ultra-Processed People discuss what’s in food, but also the impact it’s having on people. UPF is no stranger in UK markets, but how its introduction into new Latin American markets has impacted society should be ringing alarms to everyone.

Again, Ultra-Processed People was a really informative read and I really wish more people could get their hands on a copy.


A Day of Fallen Night

Before the end of the month, I managed to listen to about 11 hours of A Day of Fallen Night. When you consider the audiobook is around 39 hours long, it doesn’t seem like massive progress. However, it works out about 34% or just shy of 300 pages. That’s a shorter book!

This book is one of two books I’m carrying forward from this monthly wrap-up post. So far, I’ve enjoyed the story unravel and learn about the history of the world in which The Priory of the Orange Tree is set. Taking place five centuries before that book, there are plenty of ties to that main book that add familiarity to the book whilst also standing alone.

A Day of Fallen Night is one of the first books I’ll be finishing in June and it will carry forward onto my June TBR.


Sunrise on the Reaping

At the end of the month, I had started and read about a third of Sunrise on the Reaping. It’s fair to say I enjoyed this book; I binge-read the remainder of the book on the first day of the month.

As such, it won’t feature on my June TBR because it’s already finished. However, what I can say is that this book lived up to my expectations of the series. Also, it means I’m now fully caught up on the series until or if another book comes out 🥳

Haymitch is quite a complex character even from the first series. What I love about Sunrise on the Reaping is that it unveils what happened to Haymitch. It explains what happened to make him into the rough character he starts out as in The Hunger Games. From a historical point of view, the world-building opportunity it filled in was perfect. If you love the main series, it’s a great way to enjoy the world again without re-reading.


Summary

May was a good month of reading overall. Although some books took longer for me to finish, a last-minute binge-read saved the day!

Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up post. What have you read recently? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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Book Review: Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

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My review of Death of Kings comes two years after I read the book. To say I needed to refresh myself on the events is an understatement! That’s why this post is out a day later than usual. Rather than rushing and putting out something I wasn’t happy with, I wanted to take my time and make sure I got it right. This book deserves that justice!

One of the reasons I’m glad to review Death of Kings is that it’ll remind and inspire me to continue reading the series. It’s been two years, but I’m yet to pick up the next book, The Pagan Lord, even when I said after I finished it I wanted to continue on soon. I’m somewhat familiar with the story as a whole as I watched the TV series and final film too. Even so, the books are always better and it was a while ago now since I watched them. As to what specifically happens in the next book, I’m not sure…


Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 335

Audience: Adult

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 29 Sept 2011

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Death of Kings


As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more. For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices.

King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Britain to renewed warfare. Alfred wants his son, Edward, to succeed him, but there are other Saxon claimants to the throne as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north.

Uhtred‘s loyalty – and his vows – were to Alfred, not to his son, and despite his long years of service to Alfred, he is still not committed to the Saxon cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long-lost lands and castle to the north. But the challenge to him, as the king’s warrior, is that he knows that he will either be the means of making Alfred’s dream of a united and Christian England come to pass or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion.

This novel is a dramatic story of the power of tribal commitment and the terrible difficulties of divided loyalties.

This is the making of England, magnificently brought to life by the master of historical fiction.

 

My Thoughts

Plot

King Alfred hopes to leave behind a united England in death. However, with him ailing further, the peace and unity he strives for seems a long shot.

As ever, Uhtred finds himself stuck in the middle. Whilst he has a degree of loyalty to King Alfred, he also longs to undertake his own goal – to return to his homeland of Bebbanburg. He has no fealty or ties to Alfred‘s intended successor, Edward. Whilst Alfred hopes Uthred will support his claim, he doesn’t feel inclined to do so.

The result of all this internal conflict is that the Danes feel like they can take advantage of a weakened England. As in other books, there are numerous battles and skirmishes throughout!


Setting

As a key man taking part as a warrior, messenger, negotiator, and savour, Uhtred gets around a bit. The narrative roams all across the country of England as we know it today. Whilst there is a lot going on, this is well managed in the narrative so it’s easy to follow where events are taking place.

The constant action and changes of location keep the narrative interesting. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of books with a plot line involving politics, there is plenty of action in this book to counterbalance this. The frequent relocations of our main character keep us on our toes.


Characters

In Death of Kings, we get to see a mischievous side to Uhtred. In this instalment of the series, we actively see him undertaking the role of both the Saxon and a Dane and stirring up conflict. I quite enjoyed seeing the side of the story and this aspect of his character. It’s both entertaining to read, but also gives opportunity for a lot of internal conflict within Uhtred and testing where his loyalties lie.

He may have been born Saxon, but he was raised as a Dane, and in today’s society, we would say he identifies as a Dane. As to which side of the fence he should actually sit on is something that thus far in the series has swung backwards and forwards. I expect more of this conflict in future books, and I can’t wait to read on.


Narrative Style

If you like your historical fiction full of action, Death of Kings won’t disappoint. With numerous conflicts, both physical and political, throughout the book, there’s plenty to keep us occupied.

For me, the pacing of Death of Kings and the wider series as a whole suits me; there are moments of intense action, and the pages just fly by. Equally, there is enough time to reflect on what has happened and what the consequences are. The action doesn’t compromise the world-building, and overall, Death of Kings strikes an ideal balance between the two.


Summary

I’m a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell‘s Saxon stories series, and the latest instalment, Death of Kings, has lived up to the high expectations set by earlier books. This review hopefully encourages you to pick up the book but has likely also achieved its goal of reminding me of the series and giving me a nudge to pick up the book soon.

Have you read Death of Kings? What are your thoughts on this book or series?

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Monthly TBR – May 2025

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My May TBR is officially here and I have quite the selection of books I plan to pick up this month. There are quite a few non-fictions, but I’m also spending time with one of my favourite genres.

I hope you’re as excited for my May TBR as I am. Well, maybe not quite…

But still, shall I stop stalling and get into it?

Fixed Reads

The Poppy War

Two out of the three fixed reads on my May TBR are books carried over from April. The first of these is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.

If you read my monthly wrap-up for April, you’ll know I’ve only really just started The Poppy War. That said, I’ve really enjoyed the introduction I’ve read so far. I’m looking forward to getting into Rin’s story in earnest.

I’ve been recommended The Poppy War both online and by my sister‘s fiancé. He’s read and enjoyed the whole series already! We have quite similar reading tastes, and my experience so far suggests I am going to enjoy it as much as he’s advised I will.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

My second fixed read is another book I’ve started. I’m further into Crashed than I am The Poppy War, but I still have a good way to go. As of drafting this May TBR post, I have a little over 14 and a half hours audio until completion.

Thankfully, the second part of this book has been easier for me compared to the first. In fairness to the book, that first part sets down a lot of foundation about the political situation in which the financial crisis of 2007-2008 occurred. It is relevant to events that follow, even if it’s not a topic I find most interesting. Now that we’re over that though, I’m looking forward to and picking up this audiobook on a regular basis.


Sunrise on the Reaping

The last book I’m committing to reading this month is a recent release I’ve been excited for. Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel novel to Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series. I’m looking forward to this book because it‘s the story of the games mentor Haymitch is thrown into. 

I enjoyed Haymitch’s character and development arc in the main series. Naturally, I’m looking forward to seeing how the events of Sunrise on the Reaping shaped him into his future drunken, grumpy, and chronically unpleasant self.

If anyone reading is interested in reading along with me, I’m trying with the idea of hosting an online book club. Please let me know in the comments if you’re interested!


Mood Reads

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

After reading the three books above, I would like to read two books I proposed in last month’s work book club vote, but weren’t picked.

I feel like I’ve not read much in the way of historical fiction lately. So, I want to change that! I also think this could be a really touching story, and it goes back to a period of history I have read about and enjoyed time and again -World War II.

Not only am I looking forward to reading a book about war through the perspective of children, but one of the main characters is blind. So often I take for granted my ability to see – and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Reading a perspective from somebody without this ability is going to be a complete change… but one I’m looking forward to!


The Anxious Generation

The second book included in our work book club poll was The Anxious Generation. I picked up a copy of this book in December; I’m intrigued by the topic of how modern technology has changed children’s lives.

My upbringing was very different from when my parents were children. Yet again, even just a few years later, I can’t help but think how my experience of school would have been different if social media and smartphones were more readily available.

Has that had an impact on children? Hopefully, I’ll be in a better place to tell you about it once I’ve read The Anxious Generation.


Ultra-Processed People

I suppose you could say I’m undertaking a bit of a health kick this year. In an effort to both try and lose some weight and live a bit healthier, I’m educating myself on eating better. So far, I’ve already come across the concept of ultra-processed foods. I don’t think the impact these can have on the body is readily discussed. I’m looking forward to reading about more of this.

Incidentally, I purchased a copy of this book nearly a year ago. I was intrigued by the topic without really thinking how much attention I’d be paying to the subject now.

Having reduced my own consumption of ultra-processed foods by cooking from scratch in the last couple of months, I can attest to the science through personal experience. The way ultra-processed foods are manufactured means they bypass typical hormone responses of the stomach. As a consequence, people who eat more UPF’s consume more; these foods suppress hormones for satiety and increase hunger hormones.

I’m not going to claim I’m an expert on the subject – but this is why I want to read more. I wasn’t overly aware of the topic until I started looking into it for myself. And, I think it’s stuff more people should be aware of. 


A Day of Fallen Night

Finally, I have one last audiobook on my May TBR. Given I’ve already got several books on the list, I’ve opted for a longer audiobook to keep me occupied. It’s also a sequel, so a great way to continue my ongoing series goal!

I finished listening to The Priory of the Orange Tree in January this year. Whilst events of that first book are fresh in my mind, I want to carry on with Samantha Shannon’s next instalment of the series.

And, like its predecessor, it’s not a small book! A Day of Fallen Night weighs in at just under 39 hours of audio. Depending on the narration style, I may be able to speed that up to x1.2 speed and spend about 31 hours total listening. We’ll have to see though!


Summary

As I mentioned in the introduction to this month’s TBR, I have some great books on this month’s list. I’m excited to pick up each and every one of them — I hope you’re looking forward to hearing about them too!

What are you reading in the month of May?

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