Tag: non-fiction

Sunday Summary – 6th July 2025

Posted on by

Happy Sunday reading friends! Welcome to this Sunday Summary update post. Thankfully, where I live, we have a local bank holiday tomorrow, so my weekend isn’t quite over yet. With any luck, I’ll be spending at least some of tomorrow with a book in hand! 

Before I get ahead of myself thinking about next week, let’s look at what’s happened in the last seven days. 

The first post I shared this week went live on Tuesday. It was my monthly wrap-up post for June 2025. Before I got really busy at work, I wanted to draft and publish this post. Whilst I run my blog out of work hours, if I’ve had a long day, I don’t always feel like doing the blog stuff afterwards. Mindful of my time and energy, I’m glad I got this one done in good time. 

Next, I shared my TBR for July on Friday. With the same in mind, I started this a couple of days before it went live. This gave me loads of time to plan the books I’m picking up this month and prepare that blog post. If you haven’t yet read that, here’s a link so you can find out what I’m reading in the near future.

 

Books Read

 

Saint’s Blood

Picking up from last week’s Sunday Summary update, I listened to the final four hours of Saint’s Blood over the course of this working week. Not that that was difficult to do. I was at a point in the story where I was really engaged with what was going on and I wanted to see how the book would end.

I do a lot of my audiobook listening in the week whilst I’m commuting to and from work. Because it’s been quarter-end at work, I haven’t been going out at lunchtime as usual. So, I’ve managed to fit in a little bit more listening there too! 

I really enjoyed Saint’s Blood and getting back into this series. I’m not entirely sure what the fourth and final book of this series will entail. What I can tell you is that I plan to pick this up before too long so I can finish the series before the end of the year. 

 

The Anxious Generation 

On the physical book front, I have made a real effort to read The Anxious Generation this week. As of my monthly wrap-up post, I had made a healthy thought to the book, but I was only 60 pages in. As of this Sunday Summary update, I have just 30 pages left. 

I’ve made a good push to get the book finished today, but I’ve not quite got there. I am hoping to make the final push with this book before I go to bed tonight so I can start afresh tomorrow! 

The Anxious Generation is an interesting read. Whilst quite factual and somewhat statistical, the book and its narrative are engaging to read. At the moment, I’m reading the author’s practical advice for what government, schools and parents can do to minimise the impact of handheld access to social media and the wider internet. I’m looking forward to seeing how it ends.

 

Alan Turing: The Enigma 

In the last couple of days, I’ve started listening to a biography on Alan Turing.

I wanted to pick up this book since watching The Imitation Game. For a man who had such a massive influence on British history and breaking German cipher codes in WWII through developing a computer, he was very poorly treated.

So far, the audiobook is going through his early life. If I’m honest, I’m finding this a little dry at the moment. Fortunately, I’m listening to this audiobook whilst also doing craft projects so I’m somewhat engaged by those. I’m going to stick with the audiobook a little bit longer and see if things get more interesting. 

 

Books Discovered

This week is another week with no new additions to the TBR. Given I have completed books this week and added nothing to the reading list, we’re heading in the right direction for once.

 

Coming Up… 

With an anticipated busy week next week, I’m going to reduce the pressure on myself to blog. It’s a busy time at work, we’re several staff down and it’ll be myself and my manager largely holding down the fort for our team. 

I’d already earmarked next week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme as one I wanted to feature. That post is about the books I want to re-read. So, I’ll probably draft this post tomorrow ready to go live on Tuesday. Then, I’ll have a short break until the end of the week. 

The final post landing this time next week is another Sunday Summary update. Stay tuned to find out if I stick with Alan Turing‘s biography, as well as which book I pick up next after The Anxious Generation. 

I hope you all have a fabulous week, whatever you have planned! Until next time, happy reading! 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Monthly TBR – July 2025

Posted on by

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

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

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Anxious Generation  

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

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

 

Saint’s Blood

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

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

 

The Measure 

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

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

Win-win! 

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

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

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

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

 

If We Were Villains

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

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

 

The Dragon Republic

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

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

 

Alan Turing: The Enigma

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

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

 

Summary 

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

What books are coming up on your reading list? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Monthly Wrap-Up – June 2025

Posted on by

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

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

 

Books Read 

Sunrise on the Reaping

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

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

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

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

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

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

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

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

 

Little Fires Everywhere

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

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

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

 

A Day of Fallen Night

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

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

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

 

Saint’s Blood

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

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

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

 

The Anxious Generation 

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

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

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

 

Summary 

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

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

Until then, have a good week and happy reading! 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Sunday Summary – 29th June 2025

Posted on by

I don’t quite know how, but we’re at the end of another week already! I hope you’ve had a good week and you’re ready for today’s Sunday Summary check-in. As always, I’m here to catch you up on the blog posts I’ve shared. Not only that, but I have four books I’ve read to update you on. finally, I share any I’ve added to my reading list this week. Make yourself comfortable, and then let’s get stuck in.

I had originally intended to share a review of Stolen Focus by Johann Hari midweek. Whilst I’ve made progress with drafting that review, I’m not yet happy with it. With this in mind, I decided to postpone publishing this post. When I get my review in a position where I’m happy to share it, it’ll go live then. 

Instead, my first post of the week went live on Friday. In my regular Shelf Control features, I look at upcoming books on my reading list and share them with you. I talk about why I’m excited to pick up those books, and often they get me hoped up to read them soon. This week’s feature is a mystery novel in which the book has an interesting psychological thriller storyline. If you have yet to read that post, here’s a handy link for you to take a look. 

 

Books Read

A Day of Fallen Night

Starting off this week with only four hours left of A Day of Fallen Night meant that I didn’t have long left in this audiobook. With the conclusion rapidly coming up, and some well-timed annual leave from work, I blitzed this final stretch.

I really enjoyed getting back into this series. It wasn’t that long ago that I read the first book of the series, The Priory of the Orange Tree. Picking up this next book within a few months of finishing the first book has been a godsend. With so much going on in the subtle hints and clues between storylines, it’s been really helpful to read these closer together to be able to pick up on and appreciate this detail. 

I enjoyed this prequel so much that I am now eagerly anticipating the next instalment of the series, due out later this year. As soon as that book is published, I’ll listen to the audiobook and get stuck back in.

 

Little Fires Everywhere

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared how I’d made light work of the first half of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. That continued to be the case this week. Little Fires Everywhere is the first book I’ve read on my Kindle for a little while, and weirdly I enjoyed the experience. As much as I love physical books, the convenience of a Kindle can’t be downplayed.

I read and finished the second half of Little Fires Everywhere in rapid time. This was an interesting book to read and I enjoyed unravelling the characters’ backstories. Of course I was keen to figure out what was happening in the present day too. I’m looking forward to discussing this in our work book club next week.

 

Saint’s Blood

Given that I’ve been off work for a few days this week, I’ve leaned into audiobooks whilst crafting quite heavily. So much so, I have listened to the vast majority (est. 80%) of the next audiobook on my TBR. 

As of this Sunday Summary, I have just under four hours of Saint’s Blood. As I said to you and last week’s Sunday summary, with only four hours left and the end of the book rapidly approaching, I don’t think this will be long in finishing! 

Unlike A Day of Fallen Night, I’ve left it a considerable amount of time between listening to this audiobook compared to its prequel. To be more specific, I last picked up this series in June 2022 – three years ago!

That said, I haven’t found it too tricky getting into the story. I started the audio without a recap to see if events would naturally come back to me or be recapped within the story. Whilst there wasn’t too much of an info dump, I managed to pick up enough information that I’ve been able to carry on with the book without a recap. Would I have been better picking this up sooner? Absolutely yes. It’s not been a dealbreaker though.

 

The Anxious Generation 

The last book I’ve started this week is the final book on my June TBR, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. 

Progress in this book hasn’t been so fast as the other books in this Sunday Summary update, but it’s been no less enjoyable.

It’s surprising really how many non-fiction books I now read, when you consider I barely picked up the genre even just a few years ago. In fact, it’s becoming one of my most read genres and that’s happened quite naturally. 

What helps in the case of The Anxious Generation specifically is that the book very much talks about people around or very close to my own age. I am someone who is not quite the subject of the book, but I have very close ties to it. I have no doubt that The Anxious Generation will continue to be an interesting read. It will also likely be a book I would recommend to all parents.

 

Books Discovered

This week has been a relatively quiet one. The good news is that I’ve managed to tick a couple of reads off the list and I’ve not added anything new. Yet… 😅 there’s still time!

 

Coming Up… 

The end of the month is back around again! So, next week I’ll be busy initially with sharing my monthly wrap-up post for June. In this monthly post, I recap the progress I’ve made against my TBR and give you a brief review of my thoughts on each of the books. I hope you can check-in with me for that post early next week.

Next, with a new month over the horizon, I’ll share which books I plan to read in July. We’re now officially into the second half of the year. It’s also the second month of the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. The books on this TBR shouldn’t be a surprise, but I’ll be sharing what my reading priorities will be in the near future.

Finally, I’ll be back this time next week with another Sunday Summary instalment. If you want to catch up on the books I’m reading next week, that’s the post to check out. I don’t know how much reading I’m going to get done next week. We are stepping into a really busy period at work, but I’m determined to keep up pace with reading as much as I can! If nothing else, I’m setting myself the challenge of finishing Saint’s Blood.

What is your next upcoming read? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Monthly TBR – June 2025

Posted on by

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

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

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

 

Fixed Reads 

A Day of Fallen Night 

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

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

 

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

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

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

 

Little Fires Everywhere 

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

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

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

 

The Anxious Generation

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

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

 

Saint’s Blood

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

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

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

 

Summary 

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

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

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2025

Posted on by

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

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

Shall we take a look at what I read?


Books Read


The Poppy War

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

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

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

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


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

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

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

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

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


Ultra-Processed People

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

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

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

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


A Day of Fallen Night

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

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

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


Sunrise on the Reaping

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

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

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


Summary

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

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

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Sunday Summary – 1st June 2025

Posted on by

Happy Sunday friends – I hope today marks the conclusion of a good week for you? In today’s Sunday Summary, I have solid reading progress to share with you!

It’s because I wanted to catch up on some reading that I took a break from blogging for the first half of this week. Rather than my first post going live on Wednesday or Thursday as is typical, this week my first and only other post is my First Lines Friday feature.

In that post, I ended up featuring a book I read a few years ago that I recommend to all my fantasy fans. In featuring the book, I discovered the sequel is now out for me to read. Win-win, right?!


Books Read


Ultra-Processed People

As of last week’s Sunday post, I was just under halfway through Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken.

In the first half of the week, I prioritised reading this book and ultimately finished it! I found this book really informative and it has changed the way I think about food. The information in this book should be broadcast more widely to the public; however, for the most part, it’s not.

In recent years, there is more in the way of TV programmes sharing this knowledge, and it needs to be more widely available. I think a lot of people would change the way they eat if they understood what was going into their food and actually how much of it isn’t really food.


Sunrise on the Reaping

The second part of this week, although technically it was mostly today, I’ve been reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

This year, I’ve been looking forward to this newly released instalment in The Hunger Games series. If you are unfamiliar, this book features the Hunger Games in their 50th year, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. More meaningfully for readers though, it is the games in which Haymitch Abernathy features and seals his fate.

Prior to today, I’d read about a third of the book. I have no qualms about confessing that I blitzed the remainder of the book over the course of several hours today. It’s been a long time since I’ve hyper-focused and finished a book this quickly. It’s fair to say it didn’t disappoint in terms of living up to the wider series. It was also intriguing to see Haymitch as a boy before we meet him in the main Hunger Games series, and understand what happens to him to make him the man we see all those years later.


A Day of Fallen Night

Finally, the last book to update you on in this post is my current audiobook, A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. This is also a prequel, so I can’t be accused of not living up to my goal of trying to read more series.

I’m also reading this one comparatively quickly after finishing the first book in January. I am often battle with the self-inflicted problem of leaving too long a gap between book in a series. As a result, I need to recap myself on events of the prior books before starting the next. The Priory of the Orange Tree was still relatively fresh in my mind; picking up A Day of Fallen Night has been very easy.

It’s been so easy, in fact, that I’ve listened to about 12 and a half hours of A Day of Fallen Night as of this Sunday Summary update. Although set several centuries before the main series, there are overlaps and connections to characters from that first book that I’ve appreciated connecting the dots on.

I’m looking forward to listening more over the next few weeks. Like The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Night is a long audiobook. Currently, I have just less than 20 hours left at x1.2 speed.


Books Discovered

If you read my First Lines Friday feature post, you’ll know that I added the sequel to The First Binding to my TBR this week. That book is called The Doors of Midnight.


Coming Up…

Somehow, we’re already at the beginning of June. That means I’ve got a busy week ahead in terms of my blogging schedule!

Tomorrow I’m planning to bring you my monthly wrap-up for May 2025. Although it wasn’t the fastest reading month, and I certainly didn’t get to all the books on my list, it was a good one!

In order to spur on my reading pace and catch up with my Goodreads reading challenge (I’m 2 books behind schedule as of this Sunday Summary), I’ve decided to take part in a summer reading challenge. Stay tuned to find out about the 20 Books of Summer challenge, which I’ll share mid-week.

Next, it only seems natural to share my reading list for June. Usually, I have to leave myself an undisclosed placeholder for our work book club pick. However, this time I know what we’re reading ahead of our meeting towards the end of June. Stay tuned to find out what that is, as well as the other books I intend to read.

Last, but by no means least, I’m back next Sunday with another Sunday Summary catch-up post. Even if you can’t check out any of my other posts mid-week, be sure to read this weekly recap so you don’t miss anything!

Until next time, happy reading!

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Sunday Summary – 25th May 2025

Posted on by

Happy late May bank holiday weekend, folks! Normally, when I’m drafting my Sunday Summary, I’m lamenting another weekend being over. This week, though, that’s not the case! I’ve still got another day off, and I’m looking forward to it 😁

So, what have I been up to this week? Firstly, I shared a post this week about the importance of libraries and what we can all do to help them. It doesn’t have to cost money either!

On Friday, I returned with a Shelf Control post. This week’s feature was an upcoming young adult thriller I’m curious to try. The premise is unlike anything I’ve seen before…


Books Read


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World


Prior to today, over the course of this week, I listened to two and a half hours of Crashed. This was mainly when driving into work. However, I had some time at home on my own today and a number of self-imposed jobs to do. To keep me company, I picked up this audiobook again.

… and finished it. I had about five hours of audio left when I started listening today, and I did it! It wasn’t specifically my intention to, but once I realised I only had a small amount left to go, I was on a mission then.

Crashed is an interesting book to listen to. We often think about the multiple financial crises from the early 2000s through to 2016 as separate events. Adam Tooze makes arguments that they’re not. It’s not funny, haha funny, but when you then consider the coronavirus pandemic and yet more turmoil after all that, it’s been a rollercoaster. Turns out Adam has also subsequently written another book about the pandemic.


Ultra-Processed People


In last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only just in a position to share that I’d started Ultra-Processed People. As of this Sunday Summary, I’ve gone on to read 175 pages, bringing me to 45% progress in the book.

I’m on a non-fiction roll and enjoying the variety of the genre. When I set out to read this book, I expected it would change how I think about food. In the last few months, I’ve already been consciously trying to cook more from scratch and eat less ultra-processed food (UPF). I’m not looking to put it out entirely – as this book argues – in the UK’s food environment, that’s going to be difficult. However, eating less UPF is an improvement!

Chris is really good at putting into perspective what the ‘ingredients’ commonly found in UPF are, how they got there, and who is most affected by it. It’s a really informative read, and I’m looking forward to reading on.


Books Discovered


Do you recall I mentioned Adam Tooze has published a book about the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s called Shutdown, and I got the audiobook after I finished Crashed this afternoon.


Coming Up…

It’s the last week of May, so I need to get my skates on with my TBR!

With this in mind, I’m taking a few days off to enjoy some reading time and to try and make more of a dent in the list by the end of next week. So, my first post will go live on Friday, and that will be a First Lines Friday feature. In the spirit of keeping things easy, I’m not setting a particular challenge this time.

This time next week, I’ll share another Sunday Summary update, in which I have all the bookish updates for you!

Have you read anything lately that you’d like to recommend?

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Sunday Summary – 18th May 2025

Posted on by

Another weekend has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Why do they pass so quickly? Nevertheless, I’m here this Sunday Summary to give you another weekly wrap-up of what I’ve been reading and sharing this week.

The first post of this week was delayed by a day and went live on Thursday. In that post, I shared my review of a book I read over two years ago now – Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell. If you enjoy historical fiction with a setting dominated by Saxon and Viking clashes, this is a series I highly recommend!

On Friday, I featured the introduction to a recent addition to my TBR in my First Lines Friday. This book is a little out of my comfort zone; if you were intrigued to find out more, as always, I provide a link to that post.


Books Read


The Poppy War

Progress with The Poppy War this week has come on leaps and bounds. Initially when I started this book, I wasn’t reading it very quickly. Even as recently as last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only 180 pages into the book.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m pleased to update you that I finished this book today. I read a big chunk of it today, and I couldn’t put it down! I’m so glad I’ve concluded this first book to the trilogy. The world-building and events of the plot are both horrifying and compelling to read.

I definitely won’t be waiting years to read the sequel! Then, no doubt I’ll be reading about the real-life events that inspire the storyline – the Second Sino-Japanese War.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

Again, compared to last week’s Sunday Summary update, I have far more progress to share with you.

I’ve enjoyed listening to more of Crashed this week. I’ve made the most of time commuting to and from work, especially to listen to this audio. All in all, I’ve listened to over three hours of the audiobook during this time this week.

Whilst the book has retained somewhat of an emphasis on politics, I appreciate more now why it is inextricably linked with financial markets and past events. I’ve gotten used to this in the audio and whilst I’m sure I’m missing out on many nuances, etc., I’m still following the book reasonably well.

I like that this book hasn’t just focused on the financial crisis of 2007-2008. That was what I expected from this book, but it’s also giving me an opportunity to learn more about the subsequent Greek financial crisis starting in 2010. I do vaguely recall hearing about this on the news. What had passed me by was the troubles that Ireland also had in the same period. It’s definitely an informative lesson and I’m glad I picked this up in audio format.


Ultra-Processed People

After finishing The Poppy War, I made a brief start on Ultra-Processed People before sharing this post.

So far, I’ve only read the introduction and started the first chapter. However, I can already tell this book is going to change how I think about food. Learning what some of the seemingly innocuous ingredients are and why they are present in modern-day food will definitely change my perspective. I’ve already learned that a lot of ice cream contains xanthan gum. Doesn’t sound too disgusting until you learn it’s a bacterial slime. Needless to say, I didn’t have any for dessert today…


Books Discovered

In the introduction to this Sunday Summary, I alluded to an addition to my TBR this week that I featured in my First Lines Friday. That book is Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

This book is a fantasy romance. Whilst on the surface you may think that’s right up my alley, there is a question for me over the romance element of the book. However, as someone who actively tries to read different things all the time and push myself out of my comfort zone, I’m going to give it a go. I have read other fantasy series with romance elements and enjoyed them. Will Powerless and the whole trilogy join these? I hope so!


Coming Up…

My first post of the week will be a discussion about why libraries are so important to individuals and communities. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and say I don’t use my library as much as I should, and the ways I’d like to change that.

On Friday, I return with my Shelf Control regular feature post. I’m looking forward to sharing what’s coming up on my TBR and why I’m excited to read it. If you’re interested in a forward glance to what’s coming up on my reading list, this is the post to look out for.

Finally, I’m back with another weekly wrap-up in next week’s Sunday Summary update. Fingers crossed I’ll have more bookish finishes to share with you; if I want to get through my monthly TBR, I really need to pull my finger out!

Until next time, stay safe and well, and happy reading!

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon

Sunday Summary – 11/05/2025

Posted on by

Good evening, reading friends! I hope you’ve had a fantastic week? I’m looking forward to updating you on my week in today’s Sunday Summary post.

Before we get into my recap of the books I’ve read so far this week, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared so far. The first of those blog posts was a board game book tag. I’d seen this post online and I thought it was a fun idea to share something different. It also worked really well because I got to share a broad spectrum of books all together on one post. If you haven’t seen that post yet, as always, I’ll link to that here.

On Fridays, I typically share one of two feature posts. This week it was the turn of my Shelf Control post. This isn’t just a great way of looking at and getting excited for books coming up on my TBR. In looking at my reading list to decide what was coming up in this feature, I identified and removed four books from my reading list that I’m no longer interested in reading. If you want to take a look at which book did make the cut, there is a link to that here too.


Books Read

The Poppy War

I’ve only really made progress with one physical book this week, and that is The Poppy War.

In the last few days, I have read over 100 pages of this book. That doesn’t include the progress I plan to make after this post goes live either. I really enjoyed getting into the story of The Poppy War and based on what I read so far, I’m looking forward to exploring more of the shamanism Rin had discovered.

Honestly, I have no idea where the plot of this book is going to take us and I’m excited by this fact. I’m grateful it’s not predictable and I love Rin’s character. She’s a bit of a loose cannon and that means anything can happen.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

I’ve not listened to much audio this week. However, I’ve been home on my own today and pottering around. I often listen to audiobooks or music when I’m doing jobs like this. It’s been nice to get back to my audio as I’ve not listened to it for a week. I don’t know why – I’ve had the opportunity.

Nevertheless, today’s one and a half-hour progress is better than none!


Books Discovered

I haven’t added any new books to my reading list this week. Pair that with taking four off the reading list when preparing my Shelf Control post, I’m net down on the TBR as of this Sunday Summary.

I still have 205 on the list, mind…


Coming Up…

For my first post next week, I’ll be sharing my review of Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell. If you are unfamiliar, this is the sixth book in his Saxon stories series, also known as The Last Kingdom. I read this book in March 2023, so I’ve got some head-scratching to do to put my thoughts down. What I’m also hoping this review will do, though, is inspire me to pick up the next book in the series, The Pagan Lord. It’s been a couple of years and I’ve not touched this series…

Next up in my regular Friday feature list is a First Lines Friday post. Given I set myself a challenge for this post the last time I did it a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to keep this one nice and open. Hopefully, I can find another book with a captivating intro to share with you!

Finally, my next Sunday Summary post will round off the week next week. Hopefully, I’ll have more bookish news to share with you, including a finish of The Poppy War as well as some other progress.

What have you been reading?

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads | Patreon