Tag: magical fantasy

Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2025

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The end of March has come and flown by! Where is 2025 going? Regardless of how I feel about being a quarter of the year already, time waits for no man (or woman). And so, it’s time to share my monthly wrap-up for March 2025.

I did pretty well with my TBR for March. I didn’t get to all the books, as I often don’t nowadays. Still, I got to most of them and enjoyed the books I read. That’s a big improvement from February! Shall we take a look at what those were?


Books Read

Woden’s Spear

The first book on my TBR for March was a blog tour commitment. For the first time in a long time, I agreed to take part in some blog tours and help out where they lacked support and needed filling. Woden’s Spear was the first of two books I committed to – the second is coming up later this week. It was also a new author to me. I said yes to it because I liked the setting and genre it falls into.

After weeks of not much luck with the books I’d chosen to read, Woden’s Spear made a refreshing… return. I enjoyed going back to something familiar that I know I like. It kickstarted my reading again in the best of ways. I’d even go so far as to say that having the deadline changed the dynamic and got my focus back on books!

If you want to take a look at my full review of Woden’s Spear, here’s a link to that post.


A Promised Land

A Promised Land was an audiobook carryover from February. It was the one book on my February TBR that surprised me in a good way. I didn’t finish it that month due to the length – over 29 hours total!

As of the beginning of the month, I carried over the final 12 hours of A Promised Land and finished the book 11 days later. A Promised Land was an eye-opener for me in that previously, I’ve avoided politics. It’s not a subject of particular interest to me, but it was good to get out of my comfort zone. Arguably, Barack Obama is one of the few political figures I don’t mind – they’re very few and far between! That made a huge difference to the listening experience. That, and Barack narrating the book himself, made it a lot more personal!


The Housemaid

Next, I listened to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. We picked up this book for our book club, which met on the last day of the month.

It’s the first time I’ve opted to read our workbook club pick in audio format, but it worked! Admittedly, I found myself frustrated with Millie when I first started the book. She didn’t half put up with some bad behaviour; there’s a good reason why, but as someone who wouldn’t, it got to me. However, the book got A LOT more interesting as the narrative moved on, and the second perspective changed the book entirely.

Thriller fans – no spoilers here… but I can’t recommend the book highly enough!


Calamity

One last audiobook I squeezed in before the end of the month is Calamity by Brandon Sanderson. I literally finished this on Monday, squeaking it in just in time.

I picked up Calamity as it’s the final book in Sanderson’s The Reckoners series. After a long break, I picked up the second book earlier this year. I was determined to finish it soon and not leave it years again before finishing the series. The great news is that I have a completion under my belt to go towards my resolutions for the year. The bad news is that the series is done, and there aren’t any more books with these characters…


Normal Women

Finally, the last book I have to share with you in today’s monthly wrap-up is one I’ll carry forward into April.

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory came onto my radar after I listened to a podcast based on the research for this book. I really annoyed that podcast – and I’m enjoying the book too.

It’s a bit of a slow read though, so it’s one I’ll likely end up chipping away at. Throughout March, I read the first few chapters and as of this monthly wrap-up, I’m a couple of hundred pages into Normal Women.

In truth, I think this book would be easier for me to listen to than read. I tend to prefer listening to non-fiction. Even still, it’s been quite informative so far. My perception of history being unfavourable to women isn’t always true – women lost a lot of rights by the time Henry VIII secured the throne.

Here’s to continuing with this book in the next few weeks!


Summary

Thankfully I have better news to share in this monthly wrap-up and reading progress has been better.

If you’re still with me, thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up. Have you picked up any good books recently? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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Monthly TBR – March 2025

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March‘s monthly TBR had better go better than February’s. I don’t think I’ve ever DNF’d half of a reading list before. It wasn’t even anything really to do with the theme of Black History Month.

That’s why I’m not apprehensive about going into another month of topical reads. March is Women’s History Month, and I’ve been planning to pick up a few books on this topic for a while!

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


Woden’s Spear

For the first time in a long time, I’ve got a blog tour coming up!

I’ve not taken part in a tour for around a year now. Initially, I didn’t want to take on the commitment whilst things were up in the air in my personal life. However, now that things have settled down, I have the ability to do the odd one or two of the tours again.

When Rachael asked for my help to fill in some spaces on a historical action adventure novel, I was persuaded. I love the genre and time period this book is set in. You’ll be hearing more on this book very soon, as I’m set to review it early next week.


A Promised Land

Given the length of this audiobook, it shouldn’t surprise you that Barack Obama’s A Promised Land is carried over into March.

Throughout February, I listened to 17 and a half hours of this 29-hour-long audio. I made a good dent. This month, I hope to finish it pretty soon!

A Promised Land was the one book on my February TBR that I thought at risk of DNFing. That it was actually one of my favourites of the month is both a surprise, but also a testament to how diverse my reading can be.


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

My second carryover from February is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. I’ve picked up this series for the first time in a long time.

I confess, as of this monthly TBR, I’m undecided how I feel about the book. I’m yet to feel the same spark of enthusiasm about it as I had for the first. Still, I’ll stick with it a bit longer yet. It may come to me as I get more immersed in the story.


Normal Women

One of my Women’s History Month picks for this monthly TBR is Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.

I originally discovered this book when I featured Philippa’s podcast of the same name on my blog as part of a limited series. The subject generally is a topic of interest, but the podcast episode I listened to went into some of the research Philippa undertook when writing the book. The podcast piqued my attention, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book and the other broad span of topics covered.


Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work

At 254 pages, Narratives is the shortest book on this monthly TBR. Also fitting into my Women’s History Month topical reading, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can relate to any experiences within. Naturally, I hope not. Equally though, if I’m informed on ways women can be held back at work, the better I can approach the situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a career woman. I love clocking out at the end of the day and getting into my PJ’s for a relaxing evening. I still have some ambition to push myself and maybe take on a leadership role in time.


Eve

The potential last Women’s History Month book on this TBR is Eve.

Leaning into some more non-fiction, Eve looks at the ways in which the female body has evolved and shaped humanity as we know it. It’s a little out of my comfort zone, but equally I’m hopeful the book includes a lot of humour and insight that keeps me engaged.


Work Book Club Pick

Lastly, I’ll be picking up one final ‘fixed read’ for our work book club. However, as of this post, that hasn’t been decided. Members had until the end of today to vote from three contenders; I’ll be looking at the results and announcing the winner to members tomorrow.

So, I can’t tell you which it is in this monthly TBR. You’ll have to stay tuned on the blog to see what it is!


Mood Reads


Calamity

I only have one mood read on March’s monthly TBR. Outside of my carryovers for the month, it’s the only book not fitting the theme of Women’s History Month that isn’t another reading commitment.

I recently got back into the series when I listened to Firefight in January. Now that I’m so close to finishing the trilogy, I want to power on and get it finished!


Summary

I have a lot of books to cover this month, but I’m optimistic I can avoid the same reading funk that spoiled February’s monthly TBR.

Here’s to a more successful reading month!

What are you planning on reading?

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Sunday Summary – 19th January 2025

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Happy Sunday, fellow readers, and welcome back to another Sunday Summary post from yours truly. Before we get into it, have you had a good week?

I’ve been back to the usual blog schedule this week. Whilst I had fun sharing posts last week, it’s not a pace I can sustain. I will be doing it a little bit more often though. So, what have I shared this week? Firstly, I put together my review of Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb and published this on Wednesday. Fans will be glad to see plenty of content about her here!

Next, I featured one of my recent purchases in Friday’s First Lines Friday feature. I set this as a challenge for myself in last week’s Sunday summary post; I’m pleased to say I delivered.


Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree

I finally concluded this nearly 26-hour audiobook this week. It’s taken a good few weeks, but at the same time, this is probably the fastest I’ve listened to an audiobook for a little while.

When I first started this audiobook, I had reservations about how much detail I would take in. Fantasy is typically a very dense genre in terms of world building, etc. In the past, audiobooks have not been the best format for me to listen to these in. However, The Priory of the Orange Tree debunked that belief.

Maybe I need to give myself some more credit. Perhaps I’m more used to listening to audiobooks now and picking up the content this way. I’m not entirely sure why this worked, but I’m pleased to say it did.

The bulk of the audio left for this week was the epic conclusion. It was every bit as good as I expected it to be, and I rated this book 5 stars without hesitation. Needless to say, Samantha Shannon is going to be a future feature on my TBR with her other books!


Firefight

I’ve made pretty good audiobook progress this week. After finishing The Priory of the Orange Tree, I started Firefight by Brandon Sanderson this weekend.

Picking up Firefight on audio is a change from the first book. I’m pretty sure I read that one on Kindle. However, it worked well to pick this up in audio and continue listening to fantasy.

I always enjoy picking up books by Brandon Sanderson, regardless of the setting or the magic he has created for the book. Firefight is the second of three books in his The Reckoners trilogy. If you like books about superheroes and epic villains with magic, this is the best way I could describe the series to you. In Firefight, we’ve been introduced to a number of new characters, good and evil alike, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they clash over the remaining pages!

So far, I’ve listened to a two and a half hours of this 12-hour-long audio. Admittedly, I’m listening to this at x1.2 speed, so this works out at 7 hours and 45minutes left of actual listening time left.


Shuggie Bain

I left off from last week’s Sunday Summary update having just started the first 50 pages of Shuggie Bain. Over the course of the week, I have read a further 160-odd pages, bringing me to just over 50% progress on the book as of this Sunday Summary.

It’s not the easiest of reads in that the characters go through an awful lot. From poverty and alcoholism to death and adultery, the characters in this book don’t have a lot going for them. At the present time in the book, Shuggie is just a child watching this play out. But he’s not ignorant of what’s going on either. He’s all too aware of his mother‘s faults and it’s heartbreaking to see him try to make her happy or help her cope. As an ten-year-old child, he shouldn’t be responsible or feel responsible for his mother in the way that he does.


Books Discovered

Given the mini-haul I racked up last week, I have firmly put a lid on the purse strings, but also kept my head down. As a result, I’ve not added anything new to the reading list this week. I have enough as it is!


Coming Up…

The first post I plan to share with you next week is a Top Ten Tuesday. The feature of that post will talk about recent additions to my book collection. Even just looking back to last week’s Sunday Summary, you’ll see I have plenty to talk about!

Later in the week, I plan to share another Friday feature with you. This week it’s the turn of my Shelf Control post. So, I hope you can join me to look ahead at a police procedural thriller I’m looking forward to reading.

Lastly, you know the drill. Next Sunday will be the return of my Sunday Summary update post. I’m aiming to have a completion of Shuggie Bain in that post, and maybe even Firefight if I can step up my audio listening. Can I do it? You’ll have to check out that post to find out!

Until then, have a fabulous week whatever your plans are, and I will see you around soon!

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Sunday Summary – 12th January 2025

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Good evening friends and welcome to another Sunday Summary update. I have plenty to catch you up on. I have a book completion to talk about and a new start this week. Shall we get stuck in?

So far this week, I’ve already shared three blog posts with you. That’s because I have quite a lot of content to push out at the beginning of the year. I didn’t want to get behind with sharing what my intentions are in 2025. So, my first post of this week was my 2025 resolutions. Some of the resolutions look similar to last year, but there are some new ones too.

Next, I shared my monthly TBR for January. Many of the chosen books in that TBR relate somewhat to my resolutions post; that’s why I wanted to get that post out first. I’ve ambitiously set myself a goal to read seven books in January. Whilst I’m not convinced I will read them all, I’m going to work my damned hardest to get through as many of them as I can!

On Friday, I shared my Shelf Control post. This week’s feature is a book I added to my reading list after enjoying a trilogy written by the same author. I’m also intrigued by this synopsis as it sounds different to most of the books I pick up. But, it does remind me of one other series. One I loved, in fact!


Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree


Reading progress with The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon ticks on at a solid pace. I’ve listened to a few more hours of the audio this week and I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion of the book.

With just over three hours of the audio left to listen to, I’m starting to see how characters should slot into place for what I expect to be an epic conclusion. I’m looking forward to seeing how these final scenes play out. I’m undecided as yet as to whether events are going to conclude quite well, or if things are going to go a bit pear-shaped.

The depth of detail in the characters, places, and religion that defines the overall setting of the book amazes me. A lot of thought has clearly gone into this, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t pick up on or appreciate this much detail in audio format. However, that hasn’t proved to be the case at all. Maybe my reservations about listening to fantasy on audio for fear of missing out on this are unfounded.


Fool’s Errand

I am both excited and really saddened to tell you that I finished Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb last night. I shared in last week’s Sunday Summary that I was hoping to finish with this book this week. It’s been an excellent read, and I would say probably my favourite book in the Realm of the Elderlings series so far.

It’s not without its heartache though. Robin Hobb is excellent at tugging at the heartstrings. I feared something would happen in this book, and I was right. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it, but I confess I shed a few tears last night over it. It didn’t even matter that I expected it would happen. The way it was written was both beautiful and emotional.

I’m glad to be back with reading this series. I’ve also enjoyed being back in the world of Fitz and seeing where his story takes him next.  Arguably, I found this book the easiest to pick up and read out of the seven I’ve read so far. With the other books, the amount of detail and worldbuilding has meant that my progress has been quite slow. The writing is dense and there is a lot to take in, so consequently I’ve only been able to read in short bursts. I’ve not felt that way with Fool’s Errand at all. In fact, I sat and read 100 pages yesterday without really batting an eyelid.

I don’t think it’ll be too long before I pick up the next instalment in the series!


Shuggie Bain

Finally, the last book I have picked up and made progress with so far this week is Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. I’m reading this book as part of our book club at work, which is meeting on the 29th of January.

So far I’m a little over 50 pages into the book so I’m only really just getting introduced to the setting and characters. Although I’m quite early into the book, it’s already an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve laughed at crass comments from matriarchal Glaswegian women, yet equally read through characters enduring domestic abuse and suffering from poor mental health.

My feeling is that this narrative is going to take us into some of the darker sides of society and in particular, watch how that colours the lives of specific characters. I’m going to continue reading this more in the next week or so. Then I’ll be able to tell you more in next week’s Sunday Summary update.


Books Discovered

My wallet has been molested this week, but not for all the books I’ve added to my list since my last Sunday Summary update. I read an article on upcoming releases this year that gave me some book recommendations. These I’ve added, but not purchased yet.

The first of these books is a fiction narrative which explores how life can change depending on very small variables. In this particular case, the variable is the name they were given at birth.

Secondly, I discovered Adam Kay is releasing another book this year. Having enjoyed his non-fiction recount of his life as a junior doctor, I want to read more of his writing. So, I have added A Particularly Nasty Case to my TBR.

Lastly, with my goal of reading out of my comfort zone this year, I’m picking up something I have never read before. In this BBC article, I discovered that a Ukrainian writer took on the role of a war crime researcher after the start of the war with Russia. She has since tragically lost her life in the war, but her works have come together and are being published in Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary.

I was doing pretty well, until I went into Waterstones “for a look” this afternoon. That’s where I fell off the wagon. Two of the books I bought are already on my TBR (The Anxious Generation and This Book May Save Your Life). In addition, I also bought and added Ultra-Processed People, A Man Called Ove, and The Earth Transformed.


Coming Up…

As much as I enjoyed putting out the extra content last week, I can’t do it every week. I might do it a bit more often. However, next week I’ll be putting out my usual three posts.

Firstly, I plan to share a book review with you. Next on the list is ironically another Hobb book. Ship of Magic is the first book of the Liveship Trader trilogy, and book four of the wider Realm of the Elderling series. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on it in the next few days.

On Friday, I’m back with another First Lines Friday post. I’m setting myself a challenge this week. Although I haven’t read any of the intros to the books I bought today, I have to share one of them in that post!

Lastly, next Sunday I’ll share another Sunday Summary post. As always, I’ll update you on my current reads, as well as upcoming posts and other bookish updates. I hope to see you there!

Otherwise, that’s enough from me. Thanks for catching up with me in this Sunday Summary.

What is the title of the last book you bought?

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Sunday Summary – 5th January 2025

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Happy snowy Sunday, my fellow Manxie and UK friends! As always, welcome to my weekly Sunday Summary update 😊 I hope you’ve stayed safe today? We’ve not had as much snow as the UK, and only I saw some today as I live higher up. It is only quite thin and slushy though. I reckon it will be gone by morning. At least, I hope…

It’s my first Sunday Summary of 2025, and I have good updates to share with you! Firstly, let’s take a look at the posts I’ve shared, then get to my reading updates and what’s coming up on the blog next week.

On Wednesday, 1st January, I shared my monthly wrap-up for December 2024. It was a more productive month of reading than I anticipated. I even picked up a mood read at the end of the month! It’s been a while since I had the time to do that!

Yesterday, I followed up with a wrap-up post for 2024 as a whole. I share my reading stats for the year, as well as update you on how I did with my 2024 resolutions. Ultimately, I didn’t meet any of the goals I set myself this time last year. There are reasons though, and I share those in that post.

Books Read

The Priory of the Orange Tree

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve listened to 11 hours of this audio, evenly split about 5 and a half hours each.

Progress has been slower this week. I’m back at work and currently working through a very busy period. Not only that, but I’ve been spending more time working on social media and blog content in my free time. I’ve still made time to listen to The Priory of the Orange Tree in the car, or whilst cross-stitching. However, not as much.

This week, progress stands at 3 hours and 50 minutes. Considering audiobook progress before December was at a crawl, this is still decent!

We’ve covered some interesting plot developments in the audio I’ve listened to this week, so it’s been fun to listen to. I feel like anything can happen in the 7 and a half hours I have left, and I’m curious as to how events across the map are going to come together for the end!

Fool’s Errand

The second current read I’ve made progress with this week is Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Over the course of the week, I’ve read an additional 265 pages. That puts me at pretty much 50% into the book.

I love being back in the world of Hobb. I confess it’s taken me some time to read other books of hers in this series. There’s been a lot of detail and world-building to take in. However, for the first time in this series, I’m back in a familiar setting. We’re 15 years on, so there are some changes to discuss in the narrative. However, I’ve found this book easier to read… and for longer stretches.

I have a suspicion that something later in this narrative is going to break my heart – I can only hope I’m wrong! I guess I’ll find out and tell you more in next week’s Sunday Summary.


Books Discovered

In this section of today’s Sunday Summary post, it’s a case of no news is good news!


Coming Up…

I have lots to talk about with you next week, especially looking ahead at what reading goals I’m striving for in 2025.

I’m following a rare four-post schedule next week to catch you up! As it stands, I’ll be sharing my January TBR nearly a third into the month. I’m keen to get these posts live, so set your watches to check out my next post tomorrow.

That first post of the week will be my reading goals for 2025. Before I share my January TBR with you, it makes sense to explain what I’m working towards and how those selections work toward my goals.

Then, on Wednesday, I’m sharing that TBR. At the moment, I’ve ambitiously got 7 books on the list. I think I may have to defer one to February. But, I’ll see how quickly I can make progress with my current reads and make a decision on Wednesday.

On Friday, I’m back with a Shelf Control post. I’m keen to keep looking ahead and reviewing the upcoming books on my TBR. I hope you can join me for this post as well.

Lastly, it’ll be the turn of my next Sunday Summary update. Fingers crossed I have a lot of reading progress and insights into my posts (just shared and coming up soon).

For now though, I’m ready to put my feet up and enjoy some more reading before bed!

What are you currently reading?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – December 2024

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December’s monthly wrap-up is here, and I have great books to share with you! For the first time in a while, I had time left over at the end of the month to choose a mood read! It was a novelty, actually…

Shall we take a look at what I read in December?


Books Read


The Eye of the World

As of my December Monthly TBR post, I had 420 pages of progress, or 55%, left of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. It is not a small book— in fact, it is the longest I read in 2024.

It took me until 20th December to read The Eye of the World, but I had a great time. Fortunately, I had time off work and some time to kill when out Christmas shopping. Then there was a morning spent in town waiting for work to be done on my car. You can be sure I brought my book or Kindle with me to pass the time. Otherwise, I’d probably have only just finished this by the end of the month.

I enjoyed The Eye of the World, and I’m curious as to where the rest of the series will take us. This first book has set down a good foundation. But, there is a lot that has yet to be explored. It’ll be good to see some of that fleshed out in its sequel, The Great Hunt.

I expect I’ll pick this up before long— especially as I have a copy already!


Three Sisters

Leaving off from my last monthly wrap-up post, I had just started and listened to the first 2 hrs of Three Sisters before the end of the month.

Truly, I devoured this audiobook. Especially when you consider how long it took me to listen to Defiant, I finished Three Sisters in record time.

Again, I took advantage of being on leave and listening whilst performing the usual Christmas preparations like wrapping presents. I recall doing that last year, and honestly, it makes the task more enjoyable. It’s a bit of a strange combination; listening to a fictional story about the institutionalised suffering of Jews and prisoners of war (among others) during the festive period isn’t exactly typical. However, it’s one of my favourite genres and topics.

I loved Three Sisters, and rated it 5 stars accordingly. It was also a success on completion as it’s a trilogy I’ve now completed 🥳

Next, I have a book written by Heather Morris called Sisters Under the Rising Sun, which I’m sure I’ll pick up soon too.


The Woman Who Would Be King

The Woman Who Would Be King was my first foray into non-fiction Egyptology and is my only non-fiction in this monthly wrap-up. I was originally drawn to the book as I wanted to learn more about this little-known female King and how she was erased from history.

Having never read anything like this before, I had no idea what to expect. However, in all, I considered it a well-rounded book.

Naturally, with the nature of Hatshepsut’s erasure from history (which I found out in this book isn’t necessarily personal), there are a lot of unknowns and conjecture. But, all in all, I think the author did well to explore a few different options or interpretations of what is known.

Given my experience of this book, I plan to read and watch more documentaries on the subject. Reading The Woman Who Would Be King really emphasised how different civilisations were then, and I’d like to learn more.


The Priory of the Orange Tree

Before the end of the month, I made a solid 55% progress with The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. As with Three Sisters, I made the most of time off and opportunities where I couldn’t sit down and read conventionally to listen to this book. Think driving in the car, etc. I’ve also been working on a cross-stitch project I’ve had ongoing for a while; these two hobbies go well together!

It’s been a good while since I listened to a fantasy audiobook. I don’t do it too often as I find I take in details better by reading rather than listening. However, as I’ve not been doing anything too taxing and I’ve made the progress I did in a smaller window, I’ve got a better grasp of the world and events than anticipated.

The Priory of the Orange Tree continues to be a current read, and I’m looking forward to this being one of my first finishes of 2025. I have high hopes for it being a highly ranked read!


Fool’s Errand

The last book to feature in this monthly wrap-up for December is my last current read. I picked up Fool’s Errand in the final days of December. I didn’t set a large TBR for December, and as a result, I saw the end of it for the first time in a while.

Honestly, I’ve enjoyed having the time to pick up a mood read. I nearly picked up Fool’s Errand in late November (I picked up The Eye of the World instead). It’s good to be back in the world of Hobb and another very different style of epic fantasy.

Robin Hobb is a favourite, and I picked the next book up in her Realm of the Elderlings series for two reasons. One, it will help me make progress in that ongoing series. Two, and more importantly, I expect to love this book, and I’ll start my 2025 reading list on a high.

As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m 56 pages in. It’s a solid start, and I have plenty of reading ahead of me!


Summary

The fantasy genre dominated this monthly TBR, and it’s been a fun month of reading for it. I do love how diversely I read as a whole. However, it’s my favourite genre and will always be my baby.

As well, it was a novelty to finish my Monthly TBR and give myself a chance to pick up a mood read at the end of the month. As well, I’ve lined myself up with some great reads to take forward into January and 2025 as a whole.

What did you read in December? What was your best read of the year?

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Sunday Summary – 29th December 2024

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Welcome to my last Sunday Summary of 2024. I can’t believe how quickly the year has flown!

This week has been a relatively quiet one on the blog. I took a few days off to celebrate Christmas with friends and family for the first half of the week. I don’t know about you, but I had a really great day. It’s the first time we’ve done it a little differently this year, but it worked out really well.

Back to business for the second half of this week, I shared a First Lines Friday post featuring a historical fiction novel I devoured recently and I expect to feature on my upcoming best reads of 2024 list.

 

Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree

I’m nothing if not consistent, as I’ve listened to another 5 and a half hours of The Priory of the Orange Tree this week. Admittedly, I’ve done most of that today whilst taking down Christmas decorations and generally pottering around the house. Call me Scrooge if you wish for taking them down so early, but I was planning on doing it no later than New Year’s Day anyway. I love Christmas, but when it’s done, I’m ready for it to be done with as well.

Overall, I’m now 55% of the way through The Priory of the Orange Tree. I feel like I’m getting a better grasp of characters, events, and how things are going to tie together a little bit. When I first started, there was quite a lot to take in and especially in audio format. Broadly, it’s a format that I really need to pay attention to in order to take up such detail. Naturally, in a fully invented fantasy world, there’s a lot to take in! However, I’m confident I’ve got the grasp of things now and I’m really enjoying this audio.

Story aside, I can recommend this audiobook for its production; I am really enjoying the narrator and how she is portraying characters through her voice. She’s making the job of following along with her a lot easier.

You can probably tell that I’m looking forward to continuing with this listen, and I expect to take this through into the beginning of the New Year. If my first impressions are anything to go by, this is going to be a highly rated book to kick off 2025 with!


The Woman Who Would Be King

As of my last Sunday Summary post, I had only just started The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney. To be more precise, I’d only made progress with the first 12% of the book.

I unexpectedly finished this last night. I say unexpectedly because the end of the book is actually 68% of the way through the e-book’s total page count. There are a lot of references and notes that go along with this book, and they take up the last 30%.

I confess, I’m not one to particularly go through these notes and verify the sources and assumptions that have come from them. I have better things to do… like read more books! That said, it is the kind of book that you could take from it what you will. If you want to engage in further reading, you absolutely can. I remember watching some television documentaries years ago that touch on some of the key individuals within this book, and reading this has inspired me to go and watch more.

I enjoyed the content of The Woman Who Would Be King. Whilst there are naturally some assumptions and opinions shared throughout this book based on scant detail available, I think those presented aren’t unreasonable, and counterarguments are provided. The author doesn’t assume authority on the subject but does offer the facts and a reasoned opinion.

It’s the first time I’ve picked up a non-fiction book on ancient Egypt, and I would definitely like to read more of the subject in the future.


Fool’s Errand

Finally, the last book I’ll feature in this Sunday Summary post is my current read, Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb.

After finishing The Woman Who Would Be King last night, I found myself in a bit of a strange position. I’ve not really finished a monthly TBR for quite some time. Having gotten to the end of my prescribed list, I had full freedom to pick up whatever I wanted to do next. My main priority was picking up a fantastic read to get started with the new year.

I had debated picking up Fool’s Errand instead  of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. In fact, I got somebody else to pick out of the two for me. Robin Hobb is fast becoming one of my favourite fantasy authors. I have every confidence that I’m going to enjoy this first book of her next trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings series. Picking up this book is also going to fit in well with some of my upcoming reading goals that I’ll be sharing in the next week or so. Plus, it’s exciting to get back to visiting, or rather revisiting, some characters from the first trilogy in the wider series.

I confess that isn’t too much to tell you at this point given I’m only 25 or so pages into this narrative. However, I have enjoyed the introduction and I’m looking forward to catching up with all my favourite characters!


Books Discovered

I received a couple of books for Christmas in addition to vouchers to spend at a later date (amongst other lovely gifts – thanks to everyone for them).

The first of these books is one I have already read at least twice and will no doubt go back to again in the future. I received the Penguin clothbound classic edition of 1984 by George Orwell, which is a book I’d asked for.

However, in addition to this, I received a copy of a book set in the same place but offers a different perspective. I had no idea Julia even existed or that it offered a more feminist take on the classic world originally set out by George Orwell. Rather than telling an alternate version, this works alongside 1984 and offers a different perspective. I suspect I’ll end up reading the two side-by-side so I can appreciate the original again before taking a look at this companion narrative.


Coming Up…

New Year is fast approaching, so that means it’s going to be a busy time coming up on my blog. Not only do I have the impending monthly wrap-up and January TBR to share with you, but I also have a recap of the year to share and new reading goals to set. I’m not going to get all that done next week. It’s a lot to do anyway, but it’s also one of the busiest times I have at work. So, to avoid burnout or overcommitment, some of these posts will drag out into the following week.

So, what is actually on the agenda for next week? My first post of next week will go live on Wednesday, the 1st of January. That will be my monthly wrap-up for December.

On Saturday, I’ll be back on the blog sharing a wrap-up for the year and a review of where I got to with my 2024 resolutions and goals.

Finally, on Sunday, I’ll be back for the usual weekly round-up, also known as my Sunday Summary post, to update you on my current reads.

If you’re still with me, thanks for taking the time to read today’s Sunday Summary catch-up. I hope you have had a great week yourself and that I will see you around very soon! What is the last book you’ve picked up in 2024?

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First Lines Friday – 13/12/2024

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Happy Friday 13th folks and welcome to today’s First Lines Friday feature.

I didn’t explicitly set myself a challenge when I talked about posting this First Lines Friday in my Sunday Summary. However, given it’s been a little while since I did, I want to set myself one. More often than not, I’ve been forward-looking in these posts and sharing books I’m looking to read soon. Instead, I want to use today’s post to feature a book I recommend to you fellow readers!

So, without any more preamble, here’s today’s First Lines Friday introduction, then details of the book:-


ASH FELL FROM THE SKY. Vin watched the downy flakes drift through the air. Leisurely. Careless. Free. The puffs of soot fell like black snowflakes, descending upon the dark city of Luthadel. They drifted in corners, blowing in the breeze and curling in tiny whirlwinds over the cobblestones. They seemed so uncaring. What would that be like?

Vin sat quietly in one of the crew’s watch-holes—a hidden alcove built into the bricks on the side of the safe house. From within it, a crewmember could watch the street for signs of danger. Vin wasn’t on duty; the watch-hole was simply one of the few places where she could find solitude.

And Vin liked solitude. When you’re alone, no one can betray you. Reen’s words. Her brother had taught her so many things, then had reinforced them by doing what he’d always promised he would—by betraying her himself. It’s the only way you’ll learn. Anyone will betray you, Vin. Anyone.

 


The Final Empire  – Brandon Sanderson

Genre:  Fantasy

Pages: 541

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: 17 Jul 2006

 

Goodreads – The Final Empire

 

What if the Dark Lord won?

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on a criminal no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy – the magic that lies in all metals.

 

My Thoughts…

It’s almost a shame that I read the early Mistborn books before I started my blog. I absolutely love this series by Brandon Sanderson. He is an absolute legend of a man anyway, but he very quickly became one of my favourite authors of all-time.

He’s in the bookish socials lately for encouraging readers of all genres not to discriminate against others for sub-genres they read (particularly romantasy). I’m all for that even though it’s not a genre I read. It doesn’t matter. I don’t discriminate – if that’s what you like to read, I’m all for you enjoying whatever books you like. I’m just glad people are finding joy in reading.

A part of me wants to revisit these early Mistborn books and review them on my blog in time. They are what I recommend as a starting point to new readers of Brandon Sanderson. In fact, I recommended them on Threads to readers interested in trying his books very recently. Shameless plug – I’m on Threads – pretty please follow me, you know… if you want…

It means that I’ll also have the whole series reviewed on my blog eventually. Plus, I remembers loving these books. I read the first at the age of 21, so maybe I can schedule in a revisit as it’ll be nearly 10 years ago since I first read the books.

Have you read any of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series? What do you think of it?

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Sunday Summary – 18th August 2024

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It’s Sunday night again, so I can only be back with you for another Sunday Summary update! I hope you’ve all had a great week?

I’ve shared my usual two posts so far with you this week. The first of those was my Favourite Books to Recommend discussion post which went live on Thursday. I shared books I love to recommend to others for a variety of reasons. If you want to find out more, or are looking for recommendations yourself… take a look here!

The second post I shared was my First Lines Friday feature. In this week’s post I featured one of the two new additions to my TBR (which I share below). Take a look to find out which one and what it’s all about.


Books Read


The Power of Habit

I’d temporarily put The Power of Habit on hold as I needed to finish The Midnight Library before Tuesday lunchtime. Once that was completed though, I got stuck back in and finished the book within a couple of days!

I enjoyed the different angles and examples of habit-building at individual, corporate and societal level. Some the examples also go to show that you can start to build habits in unanticipated ways – by starting small or looking at a habit that seems unrelated but has a knock on effect.


Breathtaking

My main audiobook listen this week was Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke. If you watched the four part TV series of the same name, it was inspired by this book.

As of last week’s Sunday Summary I was 60% into the book. This week, I made it to the finish! It’s quite a short read or listen, but no less impactful. Whilst it didn’t make me upset, it is a book of emotional ups and downs.

The perspective is told from that of a hospice nurse who volunteers part time to help on Covid wards between January and April 2020. In the grand scheme, it only covers the early pandemic. However, it is a good insight and commentary on the state of the NHS during one of its busiest periods to date.


The Midnight Library

My reading priority at the beginning of this week was to finish The Midnight Library ahead of our book club meeting on Tuesday.

As of last week’s Sunday Summary I was about 50% into the book. It’s quite a short one, and familiar to me so therefore quick to read. I blitzed the last 50% on Sunday night and Monday so I was able to go to our meet fully prepared.

It was our first club meet and you know what? It went really well! We all enjoyed the book and had a great chat about it.


Wolves of the Calla

I’m including Wolves of the Calla in this Sunday Summary so you know what I’m reading in the next week or so. I’ve only just started the prologue so I have nothing significant to report… just that this is my next read!


Undoctored

Another book I feature in this post as I’ve just started it is Undoctored. I’ve only listened to the first half an hour, but it’s been a good listen.

That’s hardly unexpected! Adam Kay is funny and his humour is shining though already. I’m looking forward to listening to more over the next week or so.


Books Discovered



I’ve added two books to my reading list this week after I read about them and they caught my attention.

I was recommended Curious Tides on Threads by a fellow reader after asking for recommendations for books in the dark academia genre. This also blends with fantasy, so it sounds like a perfect type of book for me!

I read about The Memory Police in an article about translated books. The Memory Police was originally published in Japanese. I like the dystopian nature of the synopsis and I’m intrigued if there are any cultural differences to the narrative given the difference in setting etc.

 

Coming Up…

On Wednesday this week I plan to share my review of The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. I read this back in August 2022 and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on this 5* read!

I would usually share three posts a week and have a regular Friday feature. However, as I’m about to start studying for a qualification for work I’m going to cut the blog schedule from three posts a week to two until that’s done.

So, my next and last post of the week will be another Sunday Summary catch up. Will I feature as many books in next week’s post? Not likely – but I’ll update you all the same.

Until then, happy reading and I hope to see you in the next post!

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Sunday Summary – 11th August 2024

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Good evening fellow readers and welcome to my Sunday Summary update for this week. I have a great week of reading progress and content sharing to cover with you. As regular readers will know, I always like to recap those before diving into the reads I picked up this week. Let’s take a look at those now.

My first post of the week was a book review of Golden Son by Pierce Brown. I’d originally held off reviewing the book as I had mixed feelings about it. My review was originally meant to go live on Wednesday but I ended up taking an extra day to edit and perfect it.

My next post went live on Friday and that was a Shelf Control post. In that post, I featured a young adult magical fantasy sequel that I really need to pick up soon. It’s been a while since I started the series, let’s just say that…


Books Read


The Power of Habit

Reading progress on The Power of Habit started strong earlier this week. Over the course of the first half of the week I read another 80 pages, bringing me to around 180 in total.

I ended up temporarily putting this aside for another book as I need to have read that second one by Tuesday next week. As soon as that’s done I’ll be back to reading and finishing The Power of Habit.


The Other People

This week I made the final push on The Other People and finished this audiobook on Monday. In reality I had less to read before the end than I expected as the audiobook had a sample of another book on the end.

I enjoyed this story and how it all unfolded. I understand completely why The Other People is a favourite of mum’s. The storyline is gripping and full of revelations. I had a theory there was one more revelation to come about the Samaritan, and it became apparent who he was at the end!

If you enjoy mysteries or thrillers, I can strongly recommend The Other People.


Breathtaking

After completing The Other People I started listening to Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke.

A non-fiction about the Covid-19 pandemic may not be up everyone’s alley right now. I’m sure it feels far too raw for some, but I was ready to read this hands-on experience.

Rachel is a hospice nurse who ends up volunteering to help in Covid-19 wards at her local hospital. In the 60% of the audio I’ve listened to so far, we see her and other medical professional’s perspective of the pandemic unfolding and how the NHS transforms to meet the crisis head on.

I’m really enjoying this audio so far. The fact I’ve listened to so much in one week testifies that! I hope to finish this over the next week, so stay tuned to see if I do.


The Midnight Library

I’ve temporarily put The Power of Habit on hold so I can re-read The Midnight Library ahead of book club on Tuesday. As of this Sunday Summary I’m 148 pages, or 51% through. 

As I’ve already read the book before it’s been a breeze so far. I had also been told it’s better second time around, and so far I agree!

I have more to read before that chat on Tuesday with my work colleagues, so I’m going to spend less time talking about it here so I can get back to reading it 😊 I’ll give you the details in next week’s Sunday Summary. 


Books Discovered

I’m on a good run here as I haven’t bought any books or added anything to my reading list in about a month now! Given that last haul was about 14 books though, I still have some way to go on the buying ban yet!


Coming Up…

Mid next week I intend to share my first post of the week. In that post, I’ll be collating my favourite books to recommend to readers and why!

On Friday I’ll be back with a First Lines Friday post! I’m not setting myself any particular goal or challenge for this post. I’m keeping it entirely open so I have full freedom of choice on the book I select.

Last, but not least, I’ll be back with another Sunday Summary update this time next week. Find out where I’m up to with my latest reads in that post!

Until then, have a fabulous week however you spend it and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!

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