Tag: jay kristoff

Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2022

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Welcome to today’s Monthly Wrap-Up for May 2022. Another month has just flown by, and it’s time to talk about the books I have read recently.

I set myself a TBR with slightly fewer books this month, purely because one of them was a large one. It’s also the read I enjoyed the most this month! If you’re interested to find out what that is, and you can check out what I’ve been reading below:-

 

Books Read

Crowfall

The beginning of this month I concluded a re-read of a trilogy that I dived back into this year. Around the end of February, I decided to pick up Blackwing by Ed McDonald as a means of escapism. I really loved picking that up again for the first time in several years, and at that point I committed to a full re-read. Given that I had not long finished my Harry Potter re-read, I had no other commitments in that sense. I read the second book of the trilogy, Ravencry, right at the end of April. I immediately picked up Crowfall as I was so invested, and nothing could hold me back!

I read Crowfall in just a handful of days… even quicker this time than the first (which took less than a week even then!) I’m glad I decided to pick up this series on a whim, and even more so that I have read the rest in quick succession. It really gave me the opportunity to delve a little bit deeper into the books. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I could appreciate the writing style and characterisation all the more!

 

The Duke & I

The next two books I read this month were almost read in tandem. I read approximately 70% of The Duke & I by Julia Quinn before going on holiday. I took my kindle with me, but I decided to pick up the physical book designated as my ‘holiday read’ whilst I was away and so The Duke & I was put slightly on the back burner. However, I picked this up again once I came back from holiday and finished the remainder of the book in one sitting.

The Duke & I is a bit of a strange choice for me. I picked it up because I’ve enjoyed the Bridgeton series on Netflix (against all odds). I knew I would go into this book and probably not love it, and I was right. I have niggles with it and I didn’t necessarily enjoy every aspect, but I didn’t hate it either. Obviously, I managed to finish the book, but I won’t be reading any more of the series either. I decided to read The Duke and I as a means of branching out and to explore whether my taste on the genre has changed. It hasn’t. The reading of it has served its purpose and I can say I’ve given it a go.

 

Empire of the Vampire

As I said in the above section, I ended up putting down The Duke & I to read my ‘holiday read’. Most people would probably go for something quite lighthearted and maybe even summery as a holiday read. I chose a big, thick Gothic fantasy. If that doesn’t tell you a lot about me, then I don’t know what does. I’m not normal to say the least!

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff was also a slight branching-out for me. I don’t normally read books based around vampires as characters. I don’t know why, it’s just not something I gravitate towards. However, my love of the Nevernight trilogy, also by Jay Kristoff, was the motivating factor behind me getting this book anyway. I trusted that even though it was out of my comfort zone a little, his writing was going to help me bridge the gap. I’m glad in my resounding faith, because it paid off entirely!

I didn’t read as much of this as I intended to on holiday. I was away with my family and I ended up spending more time generally socialising with them and enjoying other hobbies. I was one of the youngest people there but I’m sure plenty found it funny that I took my knitting on holiday with me. No shame. Anyway, I read around about 300 pages (40%) before returning from holiday and I read the rest of the book the week after (after finishing The Duke & I).

Empire of the Vampire was a resounding five star read, and I can safely say that it has been my favourite read of 2022 so far! Sometimes stretching out of your comfort zone really does pay off!

 

Dune Messiah

The last book I picked up this month was Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. I was hoping to get this finished just before month end, however, I didn’t quite achieve that despite my best efforts. Dune Messiah may be short, but it’s not light reading either. I’m glad it’s not longer to be honest!

I managed to read 245 pages out of 292, so I’m very close to the end. I expect to finish this today (1st June). Although I will technically be reading a portion of it in June I’m not going to include it on my monthly TBR – it’s only 40 odd pages!

 

All in all, May has been a good month of reading. I’m glad I didn’t include quite so much on my list this month as Empire of the Vampire was a large read. I’m really happy with my reading progress and my motivation to pick up a book hasn’t been greater. I’m exactly where I want to be with my reading and I’m looking forward to picking up some fantastic books next month!

What have you been reading this month? Have you got any good book recommendations? As always, I’d love to hear from you!

 

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Sunday Summary – 29th May 2022

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Hello everyone and welcome to my Sunday Summary update, which is now back to usual scheduling!

As I just came back from holiday at the beginning of this week (and already it feels like longer!), I shared a Belated Sunday Summary post on Tuesday this week. In that post, I caught you up with all my reading news from the past couple of weeks… including what reading I took on holiday with me. In that post I also shared a bit of personal news – that I had come back from holiday with Covid. I’m pleased to report I am now officially negative and doing well!

Later this week I decided to break my usual posting pattern and share a book review with you rather than one of my typical Friday features. It was well overdue, and I really wanted to champion something by a local author. There’s something about going on holiday that makes you appreciate home all the more, and this was the inspiration behind sharing this review. The book I featured was Keep You Safe by Rona Halsall, and if you haven’t checked out that review already you can do so with this link. If you love mysteries or thrillers, or are interested in books set on the Isle of Man, then this is definitely for you!

 

Books Read

I thought I would read quite a lot whilst I was on holiday, but the truth is, I’ve read more now that I’ve come back!

As of my last Sunday Summary update, I was 72% through The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. I knew I wanted to finish reading this one, and with only approximately an hour’s reading time left this was a goal that was fairly easy to achieve. Whilst it was fresh in my mind from talking about my progress in my Belated Sunday Summary post, I decided to pick this up on Tuesday evening and I finished it in one sitting! Overall, it turned out to be an okay read. My impression from my last update hasn’t changed – I neither love it or hate it. I’m firm in my decision not to continue the series.

Next, I moved on to continuing my read of Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. If you are familiar with the book then you know it’s a bit of a chonker at just over 700 pages. As of my Belated Sunday Summary update, I was just under 300 pages into this book. This has been my main read over the course of this week, and I finished reading this one last night. Despite its size, this book was very easy to sink your teeth into (pun intended)! It’s all too easy to be daunted by a book’s size, but I’m glad I didn’t let this stop me.

I didn’t expect this to 100% be my cup of tea because I don’t really read books about vampires. I gave it a chance because it was written by Jay Kristoff and I am so glad I did. It was a very easy five star rating from me and is my favourite read of 2022 so far!

But my reading progress doesn’t quite stop there. I’ve picked up one further book this week, being Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. This is quite a different read compared to Empire of the Vampire. Whilst I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is a light read, it is in contrast, short. At under 300 pages, it gives you gratification in terms of feeling like you make quick progress. I just picked this up today and I am already on page 73 of the book.

 

Books Discovered

I haven’t added any books to the TBR this week, and as I’ve ticked a couple off reading wise, the list is going in the right direction!

Makes a change…

 

Coming Up…

Next week I will be sharing both my Monthly Wrap-Up for May, as well as a TBR for June. I don’t quite know where time is going if I’m honest! I’m really pleased with this month’s reading progress, so I’m looking forward to recapping the books I’ve picked up and telling you what I thought, in summary, about them.

If I’m honest, I have very little idea as to what I am planning to read during the month of June. I’m taking part in one blog tour, so that book will be on my reading list, but other than that I haven’t christened anything. However, I’ll sit down and have a think and I’ll be bringing that list to you towards the end of next week.

As always, I’ll be back next Sunday to share all my reading updates with you and recap my week in the usual format.

That’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary update post – I hope you’ve enjoyed catching up with me. What have you been reading this week? Do you have any good book recommendations?

I look forward to seeing you in my next post!

 

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Belated Sunday Summary Post – 24th May 2022

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Hello everyone and welcome to a belated Sunday Summary update post.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last updated you on my reading progress, and that’s because I’ve been on holiday. I didn’t want to advertise that I was going away ahead of time, especially online. I had a great time away with my family for what was supposed to be our family holiday in 2020, which was cancelled for obvious reasons. That’s not to say it wasn’t without its dampener; I tested positive for Covid whilst we were away. It’s typical, but we didn’t let it spoil the holiday. I’ve managed to dodge it for the last two years, and I’m not too bad with it. I am on the road to recovery now and I’m hoping to be clear of it very soon!

Whilst I was away I scheduled a number of blog posts to tide you over. That first post, which went live not long before I went away, was a Top Ten Tuesday post featuring my top ten bookish characters. That was an interesting post to put together and I actually struggled a little. Surprisingly, there aren’t that many famously bookish characters. That said, I did manage to find enough for this list!

Later that week, I shared a Shelf Control post. In that post I featured The Incendium Plot by A. D. Swanston. I added this book to my TBR because it gives me the opportunity to read about British history – a subject I felt my education lacked. If you want to find out more details about the book and why I wanted to read it, you could find a link to that post above.

The second week I’ve been away, I shared another Top Ten Tuesday post. This one featured my top ten books I was excited to get, but haven’t read yet. This post has reminded me that I have plenty reading to be getting on with, including one book that I’ve had on my TBR for far longer than I would like to admit! If you want to check out the full list, the link is above.

Last Friday, my First Lines Friday scheduled post went live. In that post, I set myself a challenge that was designed to give you some insight into my reading plans; I decided that I wanted to feature a book that I wanted to pick up and read later this year. I am really excited to pick up this book. I have a friend who really loves this author and has recommended her to me in the past. I’ve also sampled this particular book before, but never just quite got round to reading it. That’s going to change. If you want to find out what this book is, you know what to do.

 

Books Read

When I last left you in my previous Sunday Summary update post of the 8th May, I was 15% of the way through The Duke & I by Julia Quinn. I’ve decided to pick up this book based on my enjoyment of the Bridgerton Netflix series. It’s not my usual cup of tea, but I was willing to give it a try in to broaden my horizons. Since that Sunday Summary update I have continued with the book and I’m now 72% of the way through. In terms of reading time left, my Kindle suggests that it’s about an hour’s worth of reading time left.

I’m glad I’ve decided to read it and give it a go, but I’ve already made my mind up that I’m not going to read the rest of the series. I’ve picked it up and given it a try. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either. I can’t lie – I have rolled my eyes plenty of times whilst reading this book. I have a real gripe with the male characters being described as roguish, rakish etc in a charming and endearing way, whilst the female characters cannot be anything but proper. Even a kiss is scandalous and ruinous for her. I just can’t deal with the inequality of it all. So, I’ll finish it off and tick my box and say I’ve read it, but I’m not going to subject myself to any more of it either.

In my last Sunday Summary update I confided in you that I had taken another book to bed one evening to sample, that being Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. I couldn’t admit it to you at the time, but I was doing this to make sure I was going to get on with the book as it was my planned holiday reading! I took it away with me but admittedly, I didn’t read half as much as I expected to.

When I last went on holiday with my sister I read the equivalent of Empire of the Vampire, and a bit more. However, as I went away with more people, naturally there was more chatter and socialising going on and so I didn’t read as much! I have read just under 300 pages of the book, which is 40% of the narrative. It’s still a respectable amount to have read, and I’m going to continue to read this one now that I’m back.

I’m loving the story so far and I’m glad that I picked this up even though vampire stories aren’t really my thing. There is so much more to this book and it’s fantastic… to be expected from Jay Kristoff really. I bought this book based on my love of the Nevernight series and I’m not disappointed.

 

Books Discovered

In the time I’ve been away I have added a book to my TBR, and if memory serves, it is a recommendation I’ve taken from the Currently Reading podcast. I really loved the sound of the story behind this book. I’m huge fan of fantasy and the way it’s blended with sci-fi and includes difficult topics such as racism and misogyny, I want to pick this up and give it a go!

 

Coming Up…

Naturally the section is going to be a little bit shorter than usual, as this Sunday Summary update is a belated one.

I will be sharing one other post with you later this week. I’m feeling in the mood to share a review with you, especially seeing as how I’ve been sharing other content with you recently. With that in mind, I would like to take the opportunity to review a book by a local author. I recently read Keep You Safe by Rona Halsall… and it was a surreal experience reading a book set where I live. Having the events of a narrative take place in towns and streets you know like the back of your hand is a very strange experience, but it was a refreshing one. In my review later this week I want to set down exactly why I think you should give this book a read as well!

Naturally, my next Sunday Summary update will return to normal schedule and I will be rounding up my reading progress from the week for you.

That’s all for me in today’s belated Sunday Summary update post – thanks for persevering with today’s very long update and I’ll see you in the next one!

 

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Sunday Summary – 8th May 2022

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Good evening and welcome to my Sunday Summary update for this week. It’s time to share what I have been reading and blogging about over the last week, as well as any books I’ve added to the TBR and finally, what blog posts you can expect on the blog over the next two weeks! Yes, two!

As this week was the beginning of May, I have taken the opportunity to share my Monthly Wrap-Up for April 2022, as well as my Monthly TBR for May on my blog this week. It was fun to look back at the books I’ve read over the course of the month, and as I didn’t get through all of my reading list, you’ll see that some have been carried forward to this month as well as added some new ones. One of those I’ve even read already, so progress is looking good!

If you haven’t checked out either of those posts, I provided links above so you can go and check them out.

 

Books Read

This has to to be one of the most random book combinations, ever.

When I left you in last week’s Sunday Summary update, I had only read the first 30 pages or so of Crowfall by Ed McDonald. I had just finished the previous book in the series, Ravencry, and I was really looking forward to delving into this final instalment of the trilogy. I fully expected this would be a quick read. Not only was I really into it having just finished the second book of the series, but I remember loving and devouring it the first time. And I’ve done it again!

When I last read Crowfall nearly three years ago, I read all 450 pages of the book in six days. This time, I read it in five! By no means was I trying to beat that record, but having looked back to see exactly how quickly I read it the first time, it’s clear that I loved the book both times!

I’m really happy that I decided to re-read this trilogy. Picking up the first book of the series, Blackwing, again was completely on a whim, but it was a good decision. And it’s been great for my reading motivation.

Next, I moved on to my current read, which is The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. Against all the odds, I really enjoyed watching Bridgerton on Netflix, and so I’ve decided to step out of my comfort zone and try the book. When I decided to add this to my TBR I wasn’t sure if this was something I was going to enjoy or not, but I was willing to give it a go. I’m currently 15% through the book and so far, it’s perfectly readable. I’m not going to say I haven’t rolled my eyes once or twice, because that would be a lie, but I’m willing to stick for now and see how it goes.

Last night I went to bed early with a cup of tea and I decided to sample the first few pages of my next read, which is Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. I bought this book purely for my love of the Nevernight series. Vampire stories aren’t typically something that I read much. However, again, I’m willing to go out of my comfort zone. Before I delve into the 700 page epic properly, I wanted to make sure that I thought I’ll like it. I’ve only read the first 20 odd pages as a sample, but it’s looking very good! I can already see in the little bit I’ve read that it definitely has a ‘Name of the Wind’ vibe in its narration style. I can’t wait to pick this up properly!

 

Books Discovered

I went to my local Waterstones this week with the aim of finding myself a new bookmark. Naturally, I walked out with said bookmark and also two books as well.

I noticed that they had stock of the second and third book in the Dune series by Frank Herbert, and so I decided to pick those up. I read and loved the first book of the series earlier this year, and even watched the film recently. Given that I have a paperback copy of the first book of the series anyway, I’m naturally going to continue to read the series this way. Thankfully, these books combined make up the rough length of the first book, so they’re not quite so big. I can’t wait to read these either!

 

Coming Up…

This week I’m taking part in a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s theme is ‘Bookish Characters’. Although I’ve read a lot of books, I’ve struggled a little bit to come up with a full list of ten. There aren’t many books I’ve read with characters as devout to reading! Nevertheless, I have just about come up with ten for the list and I can’t wait to share that with you on Tuesday!

This week there was a temporary hold on my usual Friday feature post, however, I am back next week and it is the turn of my Shelf Control feature post. I’ll be taking a look at the next book on my TBR, deciding if I want to read it still, and sharing the details with you!

Normally I’d be telling you that I’ll be back next week with a Sunday Summary update post, however I will not be sharing Sunday Summary posts for the next couple of weeks. With that in mind, I’m also going to share with you what posts are going live on my blog the following week as well, so you know exactly what to expect!

The following week I’m taking part in another Top Ten Tuesday post. The theme for the 17th of May is ‘Books I Was SO EXCITED to Get, but I Still Haven’t Read’. I didn’t struggle with this list; I have so many books on my TBR and my bookshelves that I have plenty of inspiration to choose from. I’m embarrassed to say that the first book on my list is over six years old! Even that’s an estimate because I can’t exactly date when I purchased my copy.

Unexpectedly, I’ll be back with a First Lines Friday post as my next Friday feature. Last time I did this post I set myself the challenge of featuring a book I read before I started my blog. I am going to set myself a challenge again, but not this one. Instead, I am going to feature a book on my TBR that I plan to read sometime this year. This is a new challenge, and one that gives me the chance to consider what my future reading plans are and give you a little bit of insight into them!

That’s all for me in today’s Sunday Summary update post. I hope you have a great week ahead and I’ll see you in the next post!

 

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Audiobook Review: Darkdawn – Jay Kristoff

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Hi everyone and welcome to today’s review of Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. Apologies I haven’t posted for a few days. You may remember in my Sunday Summary post last weekend I mentioned that I was sitting an exam yesterday and that I wouldn’t be posting for a few days whilst I focussed on my exam revision for a couple of days. Well, the good news is I passed and so the hard work paid off. So sorry, not sorry for the brief wait for today’s post.

Given that circumstantially my posting schedule is light this week I wanted to fit in another review I have on my list to write. The next on my list is Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. Also, coincidentally, it has been nearly three months to the day since I shared a review of an audiobook! I’m being really careful in this review to be very general and therefore not spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the book yet.

If you haven’t checked out my previous reviews, now might be the time to go and check those out before today’s review.

Anyway, enough preamble… shall I get into it?

 

Darkdawn – Jay Kristoff

Goodreads – Darkdawn

The epic conclusion to the internationally bestselling Nevernight Chronicle from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.

The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.

Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run. Pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion, she may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic.

But beneath the city, a dark secret awaits. Together with her lover Ashlinn, brother Jonnen and a mysterious benefactor returned from beyond the veil of death, she must undertake a perilous journey across the Republic, seeking the final answer to the riddle of her life. Truedark approaches. Night is falling on the Republic for perhaps the final time.

Can Mia survive in a world where even daylight must die?

New York Times and internationally bestselling author Jay Kristoff’s writing has been praised by critics and readers alike and has won many awards, including four Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, and David Gemmell Morningstar and Legend awards.

 

My Thoughts…

I had no idea how Jay Kristoff was going to round off what had already become an epic series, but Darkdawn didn’t disappoint! I’m not generally in the habit of pre-ordering titles before they are released, but I happened to see the book available to pre-order on Audible with only a couple of months to wait until its release. So, needless to say, I spent that credit without a second thought!

I am a huge fan of the series – the narrative, the characters… the whole package! It is unlike anything else I have read or listened to and I absolutely want to read it again. Since I listened to the audiobooks and love the series so much, I would like to get a paperback copy of the series to read for myself next time. Maybe that’s a Christmas present idea!

It’s a small thing to enjoy, but I like how the narrative has footnotes to clarify some points. As I listened to the audiobook, reading these little notes is mandatory, but I suppose if reading the book for yourself you could not read them if you weren’t interested. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be though – a lot of the author’s humour and own narrative voice shines through in these sections, as well as provides the necessary background information to events in and around the narrative. Regular readers will know that I love fictional worlds with a lot of history and detail, so this is a big plus for me as a reader!

As can be expected in this epic conclusion, all our favourite characters are back and more determined than ever to upend the Republic as we know it. Mia is her usual dark, hell-bent, sarcastic self and I loved every second of it. She is a unique character, if nothing else because she defies the trope of being the “Chosen One”. She isn’t looking out for anyone’s interest but her own. She is everything a hero isn’t and it’s refreshing to read something so unlike a lot of modern fantasy.

This audiobook was everything I was hoping and expecting it to be. As the conclusion drew closer I found myself listening to it every second I could, whilst simultaneously hoping it would never end. Of course, all good things come to an end and once I finished this, I had no idea what I could read next. The book hangover was real. Nothing could live up to what I had just listened to then, and even now I think I will struggle to find anything just as good!

If you haven’t read this series yet, please, please do! I don’t think you will regret it for one second.

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 16th February 2020

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It’s Sunday evening, so it can only be time for this week’s Sunday Summary post!

I feel really good about this week’s progress. Not only have I shared two book reviews with you, but I have also done well on reading during the week too! My first post of the week was a review of Fires of the Dead by Jed Herne. I really enjoyed this short story courtesy of the author and BookSirens. If you want to check out my full review, here’s a handy link.

My second review of the week was shared on Wednesday. I shared my review of this sinister thriller novel as part of the blog tour that has been running with Blackthorn Book Tours. It was my first time working with them and I really enjoyed reading The Mentor!

On Friday, I published a First Lines Friday post loosely themed on Valentine’s Day. It features a very funny opening about a relationship (of sorts). It’s the funniest take I could find on the subject of romance; I don’t read romance so in my defence, I didn’t have much to work with. I’ve had some great comments on it though, so I think it’s been well received!

Something else happened this week, which I haven’t really shouted about – I celebrated my birthday! I got some really lovely presents that I wanted, as well as gift cards that I can put to good use! I also got some book vouchers, so I’m sure you can imagine how happy this gal is right now!

 

Books Read

As promised in last week’s Sunday Summary post, I did finish The Mentor after my post went live. I didn’t have too long left and I was desperate to find out how this ended!

My main read of the week has been The Girl from the Workhouse by Lynn Johnson. I did actually start this last Saturday (I needed a wee break from the intensity of The Mentor) but hadn’t gotten too far into it. I finished this yesterday and it’s a lovely, albeit slightly sad story. The reason I picked this up is becuase of its historical fiction element, but I ended up enjoying it for many more reasons than that!

I also started reading another book yesterday – Unborn by Rachel McLean. I’ve managed to read a lot of this considering I’ve only just picked it up too! I’m currently at 58% and hoping to finish this in the next day or so.

And now, onto the audiobooks! I finished listening to Darkdawn on Monday night and can I say, wow! This series is absolutely fantastic. I’ve already decided I am going to be spending some of my book vouchers on buying these in paperback. I have to wait until June for Darkdawn to come out in paperback. I think I am going to wait and see if I can get them as a set. That way I can be sure they all match!

I couldn’t listen to another audiobook straight away, so I didn’t start listening to Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo until the next day. I haven’t long finished listening to Six of Crows so I’ve managed to get into it really quickly!

 

Books Discovered

Since the TBR has topped 200 books, I’m trying not to add anything really. It’ll get out of control otherwise.

That said, my colleague Brita did make a recommendation for me this week. She was more recommending the TV series that has been made based on the book, but you know me. I am going to watch the series on catch-up if I can, but I have also added this epic book to the TBR.

 

Coming Up…

Next week is also going to be one where I share a couple of reviews. I have a few waiting in the wings to be written, so I’ll be starting the week by taking on one of these. My first review of the week is for a book that I was kindly sent by Gollancz last year. The War Within is the second book of a series and is set on a grander scale to its predecessor, Seventh Decimate. I hope you can check out my review!

On Friday I’ll be taking a break from my usual posts to take part in the blog tour for The Girl from the Workhouse by Lynn Johnson. I finished reading this family saga yesterday and can’t wait to share my thoughts with you all about it!

Last, but by no means least, I’ll be sharing next week’s Sunday Summary at the usual time.

That’s all from me today folks! What have you been reading this week? Have you read any of the books on my list?

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 9th February 2020

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It’s that time again folks! Yep, it’s time to write my Sunday Summary post and wrap-up everything that has been going on during the week. I hope you have all had a good one?

I kicked off the week by sharing my reading list for February. Just like last month, I have a number of blog tours that I am taking part in. So, this month’s list consists of four ARCs and two books for my Beat the Backlist challenge.

Next, I published a Shelf Control post on Friday. This week’s featured book has been on the TBR for nearly three years. Not as old as some of the books on my list, but still old enough! It reminds me a lot of a book I read and enjoyed not that long ago – Ctrl+S by Andy Briggs. If you enjoy science-fiction that focuses on virtual reality, you might be interested in checking it out!

Yesterday’s blog post was my second blog tour of the month. Regular readers of my blog may recognise the name of the author, as I have read and reviewed a number of her books now. One: Rage Vengeance Murder by K. J. McGillick is the epic conclusion to her Path of Deception and Betrayal series. If you haven’t read my review yet, well, why not – haha!

 

Books Read

My top priority this week was finishing reading One, for what I hope are obvious reasons! I had only just started this last week, so I needed a reasonably quick turnaround. Thankfully, K. J. McGillick’s books are really easy to get into, so I finished on Thursday – well in time to draft my review.

The next book I picked up was The Mentor by Lee Matthew Goldberg. I have read most of this book as of writing this post. I’m now 75% of the way through and eager to get to the sinister conclusion of the novel. I really have no idea where it’s going to go so I’m crossing my fingers I’ll have the time to finish this tonight!

I did also start another book yesterday. Having read quite a bit yesterday after all the housework and boring jobs, I needed to change things up. So, I started the next book on my TBR. The Girl from the Workhouse is a historical saga novel as opposed to a dark psychological thriller. It was exactly what I needed. I only read the first few chapters, but I’ve made a decent start. As soon as I have finished reading The Mentor, I’ll be picking this up full-time.

Darkdawn – oh my goodness guys!! I must only have about two hours left and I can’t wait to finish it. I actually listened to a couple of hours or so today because I knew I was near the end. I’ll definitely have finished it by this time next week guys. Heads up, I’ll probably be gushing over it and equally really sad it’s over!

 

Books Discovered

I’ve been naughty nice and added a few books over the last few weeks. However, I have been good this week and not added anything new. I should hope so too since my TBR has just topped 200 books again!

Less time adding and more time reading, eh?

 

Coming Up…

I’m looking forward to next week for a number of reasons. I’m going to be sharing four posts over the course of the week, which I hope you can join me for.

One of my reviews is the first ARC I downloaded from a provider called Book Sirens – Fires of the Dead. I’ll be posting this on Tuesday. The other is for my third blog tour of the month – The Mentor, which will be published on Wednesday.

On Friday I’ll be sharing a First Lines Friday post. As always, the subject matter has yet to be decided, but I enjoy going through my books to find interesting intros to catch your eye!

Last but not least, I’ll be rounding up the week as I am now with a Sunday Summary.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary post. What have you been reading this week? As always, I love to hear from you!

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 2nd February 2020

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Today’s Sunday Summary post is coming to you a little bit late, but that’s totally intentional! When taking part in a blog tour, it is general etiquette not to post anything that might take the spotlight off of the tour post. So, this is being published a whole minute after midnight. I hope you haven’t been waiting up for this post. I doubt it!

So, what have I been up to this week? Well, the main focus was to catch up with some reading, but I did manage to squeeze a few blog posts in too! My first post of the week was published on Monday. I have read and loved a number of books by K. J. McGillick now, and Monday’s post featured my latest read of hers, Two: Mind Games and Murder.

I then took a break for a few days before posting a First Lines Friday post. This week’s featured book is one I have had on the TBR for around six months, but bought a copy of at the beginning of the week. I know I said I was going to be buying fewer books this year, but cut me some slack – I had credit with Waterstones. If I don’t have to spend my own money then it doesn’t count, right?

Finally, I’m rounding this week off not with a Sunday Summary, as mentioned above, but with a blog tour post for A Crown in Time by Jennifer Macaire. Jennifer Macaire is also the author of several books I have read and really enjoyed. If you enjoy time travel/historical fiction novels, I recommend you give this a look!

 

Books Read

In last week’s Sunday Summary post I said I wanted to make more progress on Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. True to my word I did; I got to around 30% of the way through the book before I had to DNF it. It’s rare that I can’t finish a book, but I could not keep track of what was going on in this at all. Don’t get me wrong, each chapter was great, all written well. The problem I found is that it jumps around an awful lot and it’s disjointed. I get that it’s all world-building, which is usually a huge positive. I just couldn’t follow it and consequently, I wasn’t enjoying it. It’s a huge disappointment since it’s taken me so long to get around to but never mind…

I had much better success with the next book on January’s TBR, which goes towards my Beat the Backlist challenge. Not that I had any doubts about this book at all. I read the first trilogy of the Mistborn series several years ago. Even though the next set of books take place a long time after the original trilogy, reading this felt nostalgic. The Alloy of Law was really easy to pick up compared to Gardens of the Moon as well, so I flew through this book in a few days.

Another book I read really quickly and finished last night is These Are Not the Trinity Papers by Vale Zalecki. This book surprised me for a number of reasons: it was more horror than I expected, and yet, it has touching moments too. I would argue it brings together a lot of ideas and genres but does so really well. I really enjoyed reading something different.

My current read is One: Rage Vengeance Murder by K. J. McGillick. It is the last book in the Path of Deception and Betrayal series and I can’t wait to see how it concludes. I’ve only just picked this up really – I’m around 10% of the way through. I’m looking forward to sharing my review very shortly for this book!

The last book to feature in this section is my audiobook adventures with Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. I have just less than six hours left and boy it’s getting good! I have no idea how the book is going to end and I can’t wait to see what happens!

 

Books Discovered

So, I went to Waterstones on Monday. I remembered that I had some credit on my membership card and a gift card from Christmas. Naturally, I did what any booklover would and decided to spend it! I also took advantage of their sale and got four books. It didn’t cost me a single penny!

The first book I picked up was The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield. I really love historical fiction books, but particularly those about WW2 and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Call me morbid, perhaps you’re right!

The second book I picked up was The Taking of Annie Thorne by C. J. Tudor. I really loved reading The Chalk Man last year – it even made my Top Reads of 2019 post. I knew the moment I finished The Chalk Man that I wanted to read more by this author!

The third book I picked up is one I have had on my TBR anyway – Vox by Christina Dalcher. I read a review of this book ages ago and decided then that I wanted to reading. I saw it in the sale and figured, why not?

Lastly, I picked up a psychological thriller novel that caught my attention called Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey. I hadn’t seen or heard of this before, but I’m really intrigued by the synopsis, so I want to give it a try.

 

Coming Up…

 

It’s a brand new month, so it’s only fitting that I start the week by publishing February’s TBR. You already know the first book on this month’s TBR, as I am currently read it! I have plenty more on the list though, so I hope you can check out my post and find out what other books I am picking up this month!

On Friday I want to publish another Shelf Control post. This week’s featured book is a science-fiction/fantasy novel that is heavily based on the concept of virtual reality. I really like the sound of it, but I’ll tell you more about why I want to read it on Friday.

On Saturday I am taking part in the blog tour for my current read, One by K. J.McGillick. As I said above, I have only just started this particular book, but I have loved the wider series to date and I have no doubt I’ll enjoy One as well.

Finally, I will be rounding off this week with my Sunday Summary post, scheduled as the name implies!

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

 

http://ishouldreadthat.com/2020/01/31/weekly-wrap-up-31-january-2020/

https://bibliophagistreviews.wordpress.com/2020/01/31/tag-bookish-would-you-rather/

https://realmsofmymind.wordpress.com/2020/01/31/monthly-wrap-up-january-2020/

That’s all (like this post isn’t long enough!) from me in today’s Sunday Summary – what have you been reading this week? As always, I would love to hear from you!

 

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Sunday Summary – 26th January 2020

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Hello, bookworms – I’m back with another Sunday Summary post! I hope you have had a lovely week? For personal reasons, mine has been very busy and consequently, the blogging and reading ended up on the back burner this week. From unexpectedly visiting neighbours and blogging in the evenings to appointments and such during the day, it’s been mad.

Even today has been totally different; I normally visit my parents on a Sunday but instead, I was helping my friend Vicky Quayle with her travel consultancy stall at a wedding fair. This is a plug, guys. Totally check her out – she can organise anything, whether you are local or not!

Amongst all this, I still managed to share a few posts this week! Firstly, I shared a guest post for 133 Hours by Zach Abram on Monday. In that post, the author talks about the event that inspired the book and how he had to alter the perspective to fit his main character, a twenty-five-year-old woman. Secondly, I shared another promo post on Tuesday. This post was for The Profit Motive by David Beckler. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to read and review this book for the tour, however, I have downloaded a sample to try it!

On Thursday I shared a review of Agricola’s Bane by Nancy Jardine. This is the fourth book in The Celtic Fervour series and I have really enjoyed reading them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Agricola’s Bane isn’t the last book of the series, which I expected it was. I can’t wait to see how Nancy wraps the story up. On Friday I shared another Shelf Control post, one of my regular Friday features. This week’s featured book is a sinister mystery novel set in a historical plague-ridden London. If that intrigues you, you can find out which book I am talking about by following the link above!

 

Books Read

This week hasn’t been the best for reading progress, but never mind! As I said above, I have had some other things on my plate that unfortunately take priority. So, this week I’ve only read around 15% of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. That takes me to just over a quarter of the way through. It’s not that much progress compared to my normal reading speed, but I’m definitely hoping to get back on track next week.

As much as progress has been lacking for Gardens of the Moon, I have actually done well with listening to Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. I have definitely listened to more than usual this week! I’m over halfway to the end now – both a good thing and a bad one! Once it’s over… it’s over!

 

Books Discovered

I found a book I really liked the sound of on an email from Bookbub with daily deals. Wolf of Wessex sounds very similar to something else I read and enjoyed previously, so I have added it to my list to read. I won’t be getting around to it anytime soon, mind, but you can never have too many books lined up…

 

Coming Up…

My first blog post of next week is due to be published tomorrow. I am taking part in the blog tour for Two by K. J. McGillick, which you may remember I read last week. I am really looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this book, so I hope you can check that post out!

In a bid to catch up with my reading, I am going to take a few days off the blog and share my next post on Friday. As always, when I don’t have any obligations I share a regular feature post. This week, it’s the turn of a First Lines Friday post. Which book will I be featuring? Your guess is as good as mine right now!

Normally I post Sunday Summary’s at the end of the week, but I actually have a blog tour on Sunday. I have read a number of books by Jennifer Macaire already (The Road to Alexander series). Sunday’s review is for a related series, but instead of focussing on the life of Alexander the Great, this one is set in a completely different time period. If you want the details, you can find them in my review next week.

As a result, my Sunday Summary post will be shared first thing on Monday.

That’s all from me for this week’s Sunday Summary post – hopefully next week I’ll have a little more to talk about! What have you been reading? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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Sunday Summary – 19th January 2020

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Hello, bookworms! It’s the end of another week, so of course, it’s time for another Sunday Summary post!

It’s been quite a busy week with plenty of blog tour posts to keep you entertained. On Monday I published my review of Million Eyes, a sci-fi conspiracy thriller novel. If you like science-fiction with elements of time travel, then I definitely recommend checking out my review!

Tuesday’s post was also a review, this time for The Violinist’s Apprentice by Isabella Mancini. This book also has elements of time travel but differs from Million Eyes in that it has a more historical fiction feel, with a focus on Italy in 1660 throughout.

I took a break from reviews on Friday and shared a First Lines Friday post. I featured a book that is on my TBR from a well-known author I am looking forward to trying!

Then on Saturday, I shared yet another review; this post was sharing my thoughts on a book read last month, Sixty Minutes by Tony Salter. This particular book is an exciting contemporary psychological thriller with a diverse variety of characters.

 

Books Read

Two was the first book I finished this week. I had not long started this book as of last week’s Sunday Summary post, but this didn’t take me long to read. Being familiar with a number of the characters from previous books made this really easy to get into. K J McGillick also has a really easy-to-read style of writing, so it’s no wonder I blitzed this.

The next book I picked up was A Crown in Time by Jennifer Macaire. I’ve read several books of hers in the last year or so, but A Crown in Time is a new interlinking series with a common theme to The Time for Alexander books, being time travel governed via the Tempus University. I actually finished reading this yesterday and I really enjoyed the focus of a different time period (the Crusades). The main character of the books couldn’t be more different from each other either. It was refreshing!

I started reading Gardens of the Moon yesterday as well. The oldest book on my TBR has finally been picked up. Seriously, I added this to my list over five years ago now – it’s overdue, majorly! I’m currently 11% of the way through the book, which is about sixty-odd pages.

I’ve listened to more of Darkdawn this week and even put in half an hour to an hour in the evenings before going to bed for a change. I did it on a whim on Friday night and it was actually a great way to wind down before going to sleep. So much so, I did it again on Saturday night too! Now, don’t try to tell me I’m not a twenty-something-year-old woman with an exciting nightlife, okay?!

 

Books Discovered

I’ve been pretty good this week and only added one book to my TBR. Following my blog post for Tony Salter’s Sixty Minutes, I added his debut novel to my reading list. I really like the sound of it and since I enjoyed the writing style of Sixty Minutes, I think I’ll enjoy this one too!

 

Coming Up…

I’m back on the blog tour blitz next week! My first post is scheduled for tomorrow, so we’re jumping straight into it! I’m excited to be sharing a guest post written by Zach Abrams about his book, 133 Hours. You may recall I reviewed another book of his, Ring Fenced, not too long ago! I would have liked to read and review 133 Hours too, however, I already had a lot of reviews for other blog tours I’d agreed to at this point.

I’m sharing a second blog tour post on Tuesday. I know – so many tours lately! I can’t help myself, honestly. This post is a promo, as again, I had no more time for reviews. This post will be featuring a book called The Profit Motive by David Beckler.

That’s me done for blog tours this week, so I’ll be sharing a lighter, fun post on Friday. It’s time to take a look at the TBR again and feature the next book on the list. This week’s book is a historical fiction novel with a sinister mystery plotline in the plague-ridden city of London.

 

Top Blog Posts of the Week

https://comfortreads13.wordpress.com/2020/01/16/book-review-long-bright-river-by-liz-moore-new-release/

 

And that’s a wrap for today’s Sunday Summary post! What have you been reading?

 

 

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