Tag: Stephen King

Monthly TBR – April 2026

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My monthly TBR for April is a little bit different. Normally, I have a set of books that I have in mind to pick up and I largely pick this myself. Sometimes that’s shaped by reading challenges, and that is still somewhat true for this month. However, half of this monthly TBR has been decided by a TBR jar. 

If you want to go and watch me physically pull these out of the jar and share my initial reactions, I recorded this and published the video over on my new YouTube channel. Rather than rehash all the content, what I’m going to do is share a link to that video in this post, and for those of you who don’t want to go and watch that, I will provide a brief written summary of the books on my TBR below.

 

Carryovers from March/Reading Obligations 

Storm of Mercia

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Starting with a carryover that I was actively reading as at the change of month, I have already finished storm of Mercier by MJ Porter as I had a review obligation to share my thoughts on the book on the 2nd of April. 

I’m not going to go into too much detail here, because my thoughts are already live on the Interwebs. You can check out my blog post here for more on this ninth instalment to this epic historical fiction series set in 10th century England. 

 

The Astral Library

 

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Another book I’m featuring because I did carry forward into April, but have already finished as of this April TBR post, is my audiobook lesson of the astral library.

I really enjoyed this contemporary fiction and a story that’s really about the power and magic of libraries. If you like the style of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, it offers a similar feel but a completely unique storyline.

 

1984 / Julia

 

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In March, I started rereading 1984 by George Orwell. At just over 125 pages in, I had to put this down in order to fulfil my reading obligations for reviews for Rose Red and Storm of Mercia. 

Now those are done, I’m keen to get back into my re-read of this dystopian fiction so I can then dabble in a retelling of the same world, Julia by Sandra Newman.

 

Crown of Midnight 

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I am reading Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series in a bit to both try out this author, as well as read some more trendy books. Usually, I just do my own thing, but I’m trying to be a little bit more current and talk about more tropical books.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to start Crown of Midnight , which I was supposed to read in March. Fear not though friends! If you want to join along with my readalong, I am committed to reading the second book in April. 

As well, I will be reading a book a month every month until this is finished later this year. If you want to join in on this readalong, I am digging these on both StoryGraph and Fable, whichever you prefer! My thoughts on book one are also over on my YouTube channel… 

 

Looking at Women Looking At War

 

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The book I wanted to complete before the end of March to contribute towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge is Looking at Women Looking At War by Victoria Amelina. 

Whilst I didn’t get to this book before the end of March, I am intrigued by the story and I want to know about Victoria‘s endeavours to document what was happening at the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia. It sounds awful, and knowing Victoria lost her life in this battle is even more heartbreaking. Not only that, but it offers some very current insight into a conflict. We’re all very aware of (although maybe Israel/Iran and the cost of your petrol has superseded this now…) 

Let’s get it back on my monthly TBR and on the radar! 

 

April TBR picks

Fifty Things You Need to Know About British History

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I’m excited to pick this book up. I love non-fiction, and in particular this book about British history will definitely be appreciated. Unfortunately, a lot of my learnings at school were dominated with the likes of the boom and bust of the economy in the USA, the Cold War etc. 

I think it was a little remiss of my school program to neglect local history in its teaching. Nevertheless, I can remedy that with my own reading on the subject. Fifty Things You Need to Know About British History should give me a launchpad. 

 

Bag of Bones

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I always enjoy a Stephen King novel. In this particular case, Bag of Bones is a chunky Stephen King novel. At around 700 pages on its own, this monthly TBR promises to challenge me. I was going to say take me right up to the wire, but let’s be honest, it will take me into May… 

The TBR jar did me dirty here! 

 

Freakonomics

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I feel like this book could go one of two ways. It’s either going to be really interesting and tie together some unusual behaviours that impact our economy. Or, the synopsis hinting at this is a bit of a gimmick to get you to pick up the book and I’m going to be disappointed. 

Only time will tell I’m intrigued to pick up this book and find out. Fingers crossed, I’m wrong in my suspicion and that this book turns out better than I think it might. 

 

Onyx and Ivory

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I’m glad a fantasy made it to this reading list and came out of the TBR jar. Honestly, I would’ve been surprised if it didn’t. I have a lot of fantasy on my list and by rights, the odds of one not being pulled out out of the jar would have been slim. 

Onyx and Ivory is also a good pick for me right now as it leans into the romantic genre – what I’m trying to read more of anyway. I feel like this is the kind of topical/trendy book that I’m actively seeking to engage with fans of. Let’s hope I’m a fan as well! 

Thanks for checking out my latest monthly TBR! What are you reading this April? 

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Books Review: The Waste Lands – Stephen King

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When I started reading The Waste Lands, I’d had a couple of slower reads right before it. It’s not the best mindset to go into a book in, but it happens. Thankfully, The Waste Lands is a sequel to a series I’d loved to date. It felt like a safe option – and rightly so! 

Picking up this book coincided with time off work and long story short, I demolished the book in a matter of days and broke my slump. Stephen King is a pretty safe bet for me in that regard. The Waste Lands was fun, and I particularly enjoyed the ending. 

 

The Waste Lands – Stephen King  

Genre: Fantasy / Horror

Pages: 581

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 

Publication Date: 23 Jun 2003

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – The Waste Lands

In the third novel in King’s epic fantasy masterpiece, Roland, the Last Gunslinger, is moving ever closer to the Dark Tower, which haunts his dreams and nightmares. Pursued by the Ageless Stranger, he and his friends follow the perilous path to Lud, an urban wasteland. And crossing a desert of damnation in this macabre new world, revelations begin to unfold about who – and what – is driving him forward.

 

My Thoughts

Plot 

I started The Waste Lands at a bit of a disadvantage – it had been 4 years since I read The Drawing of the Three. I’d read some recaps prior to starting the book to be on the safe side. However, if you are in this boat, fear not! The book naturally recaps what has happened to date anyway. Although I had prepared myself in case this wasn’t a feature of the book, it wasn’t necessary. It’s a feature I valued a lot picking up this book. 

The plot of this book has a natural and interesting progression as well. Much like the earlier books in the series, The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three, there’s a lot of travel. We also see more characters in this book. It helps set a wider scene for Roland, Jake, Eddie and Susannah. To date, the narrative has felt a little centred on them without too much context or interaction in the wider world of Mid-World. I enjoyed the increased world-building in The Waste Lands, it’s fair to say!

 

Characters 

Roland gets quite complex in The Waste Lands, because he’s suffering as a result of end in the second book. He’s created a paradox, and his personal timeline is impacted as a result. 

Even though our dark, moody gunslinger is the main character, he’s far from a lone beacon in a dystopian world. Eddie and Susannah are coming along in their character arcs, and things get really weird with Susannah. No spoilers here folks! The wider narrative scope and the cast that comes along with it make for interesting reading. Tick tock and the creepy man in Lud are notable on progress with the story and are standouts. 

The character that stole the show for me, however, is Blaine. It’s a mad invention, and one you can only expect from Stephen King. However, it was a fun, nail-biting cliffhanger to the story! Not everyone loves how The Waste Lands ends. Not everyone loves the cliffhanger, and having read Wizard and Glass, it would have made sense just to finish this part of the story. However, it made me pick up Wizard and Glass a lot sooner than the four year gap I left between books 2 & 3. 

 

Setting 

Mid-World is a creepy, Western themed post-apocalyptic world with unusual links to a world not unlike our own. It’s dark, with shattered remains begging you to ask the question of what has happened to Mid-World. That’s no doubt a revelation for a later book, but it captures the interest of us readers early on, and gives us ample time to speculate!  

I really love this setting and the complexities of the ties to other worlds. It’s an interesting aspect of the narrative, that makes the book more relatable through association to worlds we know. 

 

Narrative Style 

Although The Waste Lands is a long book, it’s pretty compulsively readable! Well, I read the nearly 600 page book in four days. Now, I was off work at the time, but even still. It’s unlike me to consistently read 150 pages a day without a deadline. 

I like big and long books, so whether a chapter is long or short doesn’t make much difference to me. The intensity of the action and pacing of events make The Waste Lands a very compulsive read. 

 

Summary 

The Waste Lands was a fun sequel to pick up. We’ve already seen a lot of character progression in the series, and The Waste Lands was a perfect continuation of both plot and character-driven narrative. I love that Stephen Kling’s horror and thriller genius fits into a fantasy. It’s a way he gets to touch one of my favourite genres. It makes The Dark Tower a strong contender for one of the most memorable series I’m reading to date. 

Have you read The Waste Lands, or other books in The Dark Tower series? 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Surprised Me

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post, I’m sharing the ten books that surprised me. Most are for good reasons, although there are a couple of exceptions to that rule.

Very often we go into books with a preconception of what we’re going to make of it. The books in today’s Top Ten Tuesday post are featured today because they didn’t live up to this preconception, for one reason or another. I’ll explain why for each book below.

Books That Surprised Me

A Promised Land

I had my doubts about whether I’d enjoy the A Promised Land and a book with a heavy emphasis on politics. It’s not a topic I’ve ever really taken much interest in before.

I think it helped that the book was written by (and the audiobook narrated by) Barack Obama. I quite like him as a person and I already had an idea of the family history through reading Becoming by his wife, Michelle.

Don’t expect me to be reading books by any and all politicians now. But this was a pleasant surprise.


Ship of Magic

In contrast to Assassin’s Apprentice, I didn’t take to Ship of Magic straight away. Having read three books in the wider series so far and then changing to something set in a world seemingly completely different, it took some time for me to adjust.

I confess I also wasn’t sure initially of how I felt about the magic around the ships. It was a bit of an odd concept, but I came to love it over the course of the trilogy.


Empire of the Damned

Empire of the Damned surprised me in a good way. Having loved the first book of the series as much as I did, I had very high expectations, and therefore doubts, that the second instalment could live up to the first. I’m pleased to say that I was very wrong!

I really enjoyed the further character development and seeing where the plot is starting to go. If there’s one thing I like in my books, it’s feeling a little bit of worry or concern for characters. I never know if they’re going to make it out of a sticky situation or not. It adds tension to an already action-packed and exciting narrative, and I’m looking forward to continuing this series!


The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I confess The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a book that surprised me in a less positive way.

After watching the film at the cinema when it came out, I decided to pick up the book pretty much straight after. However, I struggled a little with motivation to finish the book despite loving the series.

I expect this is because I’d watched the film and didn’t have the anticipation of ‘discovering’ the ending. Still, I got there in the end!


Wizard and Glass

Wizard and Glass surprised me as the vast majority of the book isn’t set in the present day. In contrast to the earlier books in the series, this one largely recounts how characters have ended up where they are to date.

This didn’t really fit with the rest of the series to my mind. Earlier info drops (albeit on the lighter side, admittedly) were interspersed with the present-day action. However, Wizard and Glass provided important context, and in hindsight, this probably couldn’t have been covered in any depth in any other way.


A Brief History of Time

I went into reading A Brief History of Time with the worry that it would be too technical a book for me to understand. That proved not to be the case, though!

I’m by no means a scientific brain, so I’d say this is largely approachable to anyone with an interest in the subject. Whilst there is a good level of detail in the book if you wish to delve that far, it’s not essential to complete the book or understand the topics within.


Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine surprised me because I allowed myself to be disarmed by the main character.  I trusted her perspective more than I think I would and should have in hindsight.

It made for good reading though, and when the twist came I felt a little daft for not seeing it for myself.


The Lost Metal

The Lost Metal finds itself on the list of books that surprised me because I didn’t expect the ending. I both enjoyed and railed at its ending; only a handful of books make me cry. The Lost Metal reduced me to tears at the very end.

The Lost Metal is a fantastic series and one I’ll read again. As much as a part of me was sad it was the end, the way it ended was the icing on the cake.


As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

The book As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow surprised me because it’s a very different contemporary fiction to what I normally listen to/read. Still, I was captivated by the story and the cultural aspect of the book. I loved this book so much that it made my list of debut novels I enjoyed.

Also, as a bonus, I didn’t anticipate an unreliable narrator in this story. It’s a favourite element of mine.


Golden Son

Sadly, I have to end this Top Ten Tuesday post with a book that surprised me in a bad way.

I loved the first book of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series. However, the sequel Golden Son fell very flat for me. The book did not live up to my expectations. It felt like us readers were barely given a moment to breathe before characters jumped from one catastrophe to the next. The pacing felt very off and sacrificed time for world-building. My disappointment in this sequel is strong enough that I doubt I’ll continue the series.


Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. Today I’ve enjoyed bringing to you the ten books that surprised me (and why)!

What was the latest book that surprised you – in a good or bad way? I’d love to hear from you!

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Monthly Wrap-Up – November 2024

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Today’s monthly wrap-up for November 2024 is the last I’ll share this side of the new year. New Year. 2025 is round the corner and I am not ready 😂

Before I start looking my too far ahead though, we need to look back. Specifically, we need to look back at what I read over the course of November. For the most part, it was a month of catching up on ongoing and upcoming reads after my exam. Nothing too groundbreaking, but after slower reading progress in the last three months or so, it was needed!


Books Read


The Squiggly Career

When I shared my prior monthly wrap-up post at the end of October, my aim was to finish The Squiggly Career by the end of that week.

However, I ended up putting aside for last minute study. Ultimately I think that was the right decision. So, I finished the book around third of the way into November instead.

It was handy actually as the book was a good size to take away with me to London for the weekend. Again, I didn’t do a lot of reading there – mainly on the plane there and back. Still, I’m glad I took it with me. Whilst I had some quality time to sit down and think, it gave me some ideas about things I want to incorporate into my squiggly career.


Carrie

Throughout November I read the second half of Carrie, and once I picked it up I devoured it pretty quickly!

I started Carrie as I wanted to pick up an iconic horror over Halloween (or Hop Tu Naa as it’s known here). As a short book, it also suited my circumstances of being very close to my exam deadline and not being able to take on anything too chunky.

I confess that I didn’t love the first half of Carrie, however the narrative from the point of prom night really picked it up for me. Honestly, I’m not a fan of the way Carrie was described or treated throughout. However, the drama really ramps up in the latter section of the book to make it worth it. I also enjoy the allusion to multiple ‘sources’ compiling the story of Carrie White. It’s a very minimal mixed media set up, but it worked.


Defiant

Defiant was a great conclusion to the Skyward series, even if it did take me a couple of months to listen to it!

Audiobooks are great, but they are also my least ‘read’ format. I don’t listen to books very quickly, and there are some genres I struggle to successfully listen to full stop. Whilst I had no trouble with this side of things with Defiant, time became my biggest constraint.

I started listening to this in early September. However, I’m slow at progressing through audio and the further I got on, the closer I ended up being to my exam deadline. Reading almost fell away during this period as well. Not totally, obviously, but I was doing a lot less of it.

However, after a good couple of months, I’m pleased to share that I have now finished Defiant. Not only that, but I was very satisfied with the ending. Not unexpected for Brandon Sanderson (at least in my book), but it was a great series that wrapped up well. If you enjoy sci-fi or YA fiction, please please please give this a go!


The Eye of the World

I was in the mood for an epic fantasy after finishing Carrie. I do enjoy a short book now and then, but equally I also enjoy an epic! The Eye of the World wasn’t on my TBR, so it’s a surprise feature in this monthly wrap-up post. 

This is the second time I’ve attempted to read The Eye of the World and so far, progress is good. I’m enjoying taking my time over a chunky, in-depth read. It doesn’t feel forced and I’m equally not pressuring myself for a quick completion either. I think that has been my trouble in the past.

Long books naturally take longer to read. The page count alone justifies this, but at the same time the stories are often more complex. They aren’t books I can binge-read quickly and get the most out of. I’d then feel like I wasn’t upholding a standard and get frustrated with myself. It’s silly really.

I picked up The Eye of the World to enjoy it and get started in a brand new series. I’m here for the fun of it, not to count my reading speed or kick myself if it takes a little longer. It’s about the journey, not the destination.


Three Sisters

On the very last day of the month, I made a good couple hours of progress in Three Sisters by Heather Morris.

It’s great to be back with The Tattooist of Auschwitz series. I’ve loved the stories, and especially the audiobooks, so far. Although I’ve just started this book, I’m optimistic it won’t be long on my reading list before I can tick it off as complete. What’s great about that is that it’s also a series completion for me once done.

I’ll be back to talk more about Three Sisters in my upcoming TBR and Sunday Summaries.


Summary

November was a productive month and I’m glad to have time for more reading in my life again.

Thanks for checking out this latest monthly wrap-up instalment! What have you been reading lately? Do you have any recommendations for books to pick up before the end of the year?

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Sunday Summary – 17th November 2024

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Welcome to my latest Sunday Summary update gang! Can I say, it’s good to be back!

I appreciate I’ve been here and posting updates and content to the blog, but it’s not been a focus for a little while. Rather, I’ve kept it going but not put my whole self into it for the last few months. Posts have been quite short and updates on reading progress minimal. Now studying is over and I’m able to dedicate more time to reading and content again, I hope you’ll notice an improvement.

On the reading front I’ve read and listened to nearly 500 pages in the second half of this week alone! It’s fair to say I’m back in the game for sure… 

So, what else have I been up to? After sitting my exam midweek I was able to dedicate more time to the blog and so I have two posts to share with you. Firstly, I published a very late monthly TBR on Thursday. With the timing of my exam and a trip away for a gig last weekend, unfortunately this post got pushed back a lot later than I’d have liked. Still, better late than never right?

Then, I posted again on Friday and shared my first Shelf Control post for a few months. My Friday features got axed whilst I was studying to help make time, so I’m glad to be back to doing those. As a result, I trimmed my TBR by two books I’ve changed my mind on since adding them and I featured a historical fiction by an author I’ve only read once so far, but loved!


Books Read

Carrie

I initially picked up Carrie just before Halloween as I wanted an iconic horror to read around spooky season.

In my last Sunday Summary Carrie didn’t feature as I hadn’t gotten any further than the 108 pages I reported the week prior. However, I picked up from there midweek this week and I finished the book by Friday!

Carrie was the first book on my hit list for a couple of reasons; firstly, I wanted to finish this book sooner as Halloween season is over. Secondly, it’s a short book and I only had around 130 pages left. Quick wins are great motivators, and I wanted that to help me get back into the swing of reading regularly again.

A couple of weeks ago I shared that I was unsure about the book. I have to say, once we got past the set up and to prom night it got a lot more interesting. Overall, I rated the book 4 stars and I’m glad I picked it up.


The Eye of the World

This is my second attempt at reading The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan and I’m feeling optimistic.

Last time I tried to read this, I was struggling with the size and scope of the book. I love a chunky read, but sometimes I need shorter or lighter reads. That was my problem last time and because I wasn’t in the mood for the epicness of this story, I DNF’d around 60% in.

This week, I picked up from the start of chapter 2 and as of this Sunday Summary, I’ve read a further 140 pages to get a total of 21% progress.

The reading experience is going much better this time as I am in the mood for a longer read. I’ve had a lot of shorter ones running up to this and I picked it up as a mood read last month. I’m looking forward to seeing how I get on over the next week or so and really getting into the story. All is going great so far. What helps is that this book/series comes highly recommended by my friend Rachael, so I’m very confident I’ll love it!


Defiant

For the last month, or maybe even two, progress in Defiant has been slow. I’ve not been in the mood for an audiobook and so I’ve not listened much. That changed this week. I’ve had a few days home alone on leave from work and so I’ve used that time to make a good chunk of progress.

Since the last time this audiobook featured on a Sunday Summary, I’ve listened to nearly half the audiobook. That’s just in the last few days I’ve done that! It’s getting to the point now where I can’t wait to see what happens, but I’m also sad it’s coming to an end. Defiant is the last book in the series!

Now I’m close, I won’t be long finishing this audiobook. I have less than three hours left – I can fit that into my reading schedule next week. Easy.


Books Discovered

No news is good news again! My TBR has no new additions and since completing Carrie (and removing two books on Friday), it’s going in the right direction.

I did buy one book this week during a trip to town, but it’s one that is already on my TBR so it doesn’t REALLY count. I set myself that rule when I went in. I’ve been recommended Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett twice now by people I trust. Plus, I used credit on my Waterstones loyalty card so it was free too!


Coming Up…

I’ll kick off next week with sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is to share the books on our reading lists with the oldest publication date. Personally, I’m interested to see how many I have that aren’t ‘current’. I’m expecting some classics to pop up, but broadly, I suspect my reading list has a lot more recent books.

My next Friday feature is my First Lines Friday post. It’s been months since I shared one of these, so I’m keeping the subject entirely open so I have freedom of choice on the book I feature!

Lastly, you know the drill. Next week I’m back with my next Sunday Summary update post. Find out if I finish Defiant and progress further with The Eye of the World. Plus, catch up on any content you might have missed in the week!

Until next time, have a great week and I’ll see you in my next post!

Happy reading!

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Monthly TBR – November 2024

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This monthly TBR is late as earlier this month I was squeezed on free time to blog. When I originally planned to share this in my first Sunday Summary of the month, I didn’t take into account that I was away that weekend. Then, I hoped to share this post with you earlier this week before I sat my exam yesterday. In the end, I prioritised revision for that. It was worth it as I passed! So, finally I’m here today, nearly halfway through November, to tell you what I plan to read this month. Apologies this is much later than billed.

I’m not piling loads of books on the reading list this month anyway. I have a chunky book to get through, and I want to wrap-up those I’ve already started and have on-the-go. Plus, I want to ease myself back in now that my free time is my own again!

 

Fixed Reads


The Squiggly Career


As of drafting this monthly TBR post, I have in fact already finished The Squiggly Career. The Squiggly Career is a non-fiction book I knew I wanted to pick up this year. Having read You Coach You a few months ago, I wanted to continue with picking up content from Helen and Sarah and also doing so in a way that gives me resources to help with my own development at work.

If you are looking for this kind of content, then I cannot recommendThe Squiggly Career enough. It is a fantastic resource giving you the opportunity to challenge yourself and make space for asking questions about what you want to get out of your time at work (aside from the pay check).


Defiant

I’ve had the audiobook for Defiant on the go for a little while now. Last month I didn’t pick it up very much (to a degree just out of preference for physical books), but also because of my exam.

I have already made an effort to start listening to this again. Just today, I have made progress from around a third of audiobook in to halfway complete. Hopefully I’ll have a lot more progress to share with you in the next week or so. I’m not planning on rushing this listen, but I’ll make the most of time I have off and at home on my own to make progress.


Carrie

I started reading Carrie around Halloween because I wanted to pick up an iconic horror for the spooky season. I’m still reading this book as of drafting this post. However, I’m a good halfway through and optimistic that I’ll make some quick progress before the end of this week.

I’m not sure what to make of the book overall at the moment. It’s perfectly enjoyable, but I’m not sure it’s what I expected. At least, not yet. We’ll see if that changes as I progress further through the story to the conclusion.


The Eye of the World

The chunkiest book on this monthly TBR is one I just started before the beginning of the month. I’m in the mood for an epic fantasy and so I took the decision to start The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

You may remember I have picked up this book before. I tried to read it at a time when big chunky books wasn’t suiting me, and so I ended up DNF’ing it at around 60%. However, I always knew I wanted to come back to it. I enjoyed the story I had read up to that point and I’m looking forward to getting back into it properly this time. Fortunately, I own this book both in physical format and also on Kindle giving me flexibility in reading this however best suits me at the time.

 

Summary

For the first time in a little while, I’m not setting myself any particular mood reads this month. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I’d even get to them anyway. My real priority is to catch up on the books I’ve already started so I have a clean slate ready for next month. If I do, I’ll update you as and when. 

Thanks for checking out this very late monthly TBR post. What have you been reading recently? What is on your reading list?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – October 2024

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I’m back with my penultimate monthly wrap-up post to be published this side of the end of the year. It’s crazy how fast this year is flying by!

I’ve accepted that I’m not going to achieve all my reading goals this year, and that’s okay. I’m having fun with the books I have picked up and reading is still a habit I get to enjoy as part of daily life.

Shall we take a look at what books I picked up in October? If you want a reminder, here were the books on my TBR. 


Books Read


Defiant

Defiant is still an ongoing listen in this monthly wrap-up post. I featured it in last month’s post and shared that I was a third of the way through the audio.

Admittedly, I have only listened to an hour of the audio over the month of October. It’s pretty poor progress, but I’ve not really been in the mood for it. As well, I’ve been prioritising studying for an exam and so all my reading has suffered a little until that’s done.

Defiant is still very much on my current reads list and I hope to have more to share with you next month!


The Rosie Project

As of my last monthly wrap-up post, I had barely started The Rosie Project. I read that book for our book club meet in October. Naturally, I had to put my skates on to finish it!

Overall my experience of The Rosie Project was okay. It didn’t quite live up to expectations on the humour side of things. Equally though, for a book from a genre I don’t really pick up myself, it was perfectly readable.

In terms of rating, it got a straight down the middle assessment of three stars.


The Outsider

I wanted to lean into spooky season and pick up a couple of thrillers or horrors this month. The first I completed was The Outsider.

Whilst also perfectly readable, I did hope for a different conclusion to this book. Given it’s written by King I really shouldn’t have been surprised it ended the way it did. Even still, I enjoyed the read and taking the chance to pick up this kind of book when the nights are drawing in!


The Squiggly Career

Taking a completely different tack, I picked up a very non-seasonal non-fiction next. Having read You Coach You in the past, I knew I wanted to read The Squiggly Career pretty soon.

It came at a good time actually. Whilst I’m still not finished with the book as at the end of the month, I read it in good time for a conversation I had at work recently. It helped remind me of what my values are at a time when I could have been steered away from them.

I’ll have more to share on this book very soon, as I’m hoping to finish this by the end of this week.


Carrie

The last book I made any degree of progress on in October is Carrie by Stephen King. I wanted to pick up an iconic King novel around Halloween.

As of drafting this post I’m still progressing with the book. I’ve got just over half the book to read, but it’s only 240 odd pages. It won’t take me long!

I’m of two minds about the book so far and how it’s going to go. I’m not a fan of the descriptors used for Carrie, likening her to a cow. However, I’m not going to let it spoil my enjoyment of the storyline. We’ll see how it progresses.

 

Summary

Overall, I’ve not had a bad month of reading. Naturally the page count is a little down whilst I’m required to do some serious reading for my exam. However, I’m looking forward to that all being done with so I can get back to my blog and reading with enthusiasm soon!

What did you read last month?

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Sunday Summary – 3rd November 2024

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Happy Sunday gang – I’m here for my usual Sunday Summary update and I’m looking forward to updating you on my week’s progress.

In last week’s Sunday Summary I had to admit that my review for Dear Child wasn’t ready to share and so I didn’t post midweek as I usually would. However, this week I have better news; I got the review to a place where I was happy to share it… and it went live on Wednesday.


Books Read


The Squiggly Career

In my last Sunday Summary update I left off at 144 pages (60%) into The Squiggly Career. Whilst I had hoped to finish the book, I ended up reading more of Carrie in the downtime I had.

As I’ve shared here before, I’m studying for an exam. As of writing this post, that exam is only 10 days away. Naturally, I’ve been ramping up the revision efforts and so reading has fallen off a little. If not for that, I’d have picked up more than the handful of pages I managed this week.

So, no major completion news to share as I hoped, but fingers crossed I can share that with you in my next update instead!


Carrie

I’m my monthly TBR I shared that I wanted to read Carrie around Halloween. Well, with that goal in mind I picked up this book this week.

I’m enjoying it so far and I’m currently 108 pages into it. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the negative descriptions of her character. Carrie is hardly painted in the best of lights. However, I suppose that may well have a part to play in what comes later. I’m not that far in yet, so we’ll see. Maybe that’ll be easier for us to make judgements on her character.


Books Discovered

Although I went into at least two shops selling books today, I’ve behaved guys. My straining bookshelves breathe a sigh of relief.

I have added a book to my reading list to get a copy of at a future date though. I’ve read a few Peter Gibbons’s books so far, and another series of his has been half on my radar. I just so happened to see an advert for an upcoming sequel (Odin’s Fury) and it looks like it has a local connection! That caught my eye and expedited the series landing on my ‘to-read’ list.


Coming Up…

It’s not really ideal timing with my exam coming up, but we’re in the beginning of November already! That means I need to share my monthly wrap-up for October ASAP and my TBR for November.

I’ll get both of these posts out to you during the week, and then I’ll return with a Sunday Summary at the usual time.

Thanks for sticking with me in today’s Sunday Summary! Enjoy what’s left of your weekend and I’ll see you around!

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Sunday Summary – 27th October 2024

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Good evening folks and welcome to another Sunday Summary from yours truly! I’ve got a little more to share with you in the way of reading progress this week, so let’s get to it!

Before that though, I usually take the chance to share the blog posts I’ve shared earlier in the week. However, this week, despite planning a book review, there isn’t one. Admittedly, I started drafting the review but wasn’t happy it was in a good enough state to publish. Therefore I made the decision to put a hold on it whilst I improved it.


Books Read


The Outsider

As of last week’s Sunday Summary post I had around 170 pages left before completing The Outsider.

I did so quite quickly actually – partly because Monday evening was spent restoring my phone. It took a good few hours and I couldn’t do much else. I got so close to the end that there was no way I was putting the book down.

As I suspected, the book took a supernatural route to the conclusion where my own preference would have been for a logical one. But, it’s Steven King so what did I expect?

Still, I enjoyed the book overall. It’s not what I expected for the premise either, but it’s good to be kept on your toes.


The Squiggly Career

Next, I picked up a non-seasonal read for a break. The Squiggly Career is quite a short read and a nice, digestible format. As such, as of this Sunday Summary I’m already 144 pages (60%) in.

I’m reading this now with a view to completing the exercises over time to see how my perspective and progression changes. Already I’ve found it useful in getting to understand what I value about work, what my skills are etc.

My aim is to finish this in the next couple of days; I’ll give you an update this time next week and let you know if I achieved that.


The Eye of the World

I fancied picking up a mood read, so this week I started The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. This is the second attempt at this book; I originally started it a few years ago but I was struggling with long books at the time. Now I’m in a much better frame of mind to take on a long epic – and a good job too! This is a long series, but one I’m looking forward to reading.

I’m just a few chapters in so far, but this is one you’ll see more progress on in the near future. So, stay tuned!


Books Discovered

Thankfully, I have no new bookish additions to share this week. I think I’ve had enough lately… don’t you agree?


Coming Up…

I’m revisiting my review of Dear Child this week and hoping to get it finished and published by midweek. At least I have a solid foundation down, so I’m optimistic for better luck this time! Given we’re celebrating Halloween (or Hop Tu Naa) later this week, I want to share this seasonal read whilst it’s relevant!

Then, I’m back with a Sunday Summary next weekend as usual. Find out what I’m reading next week in that post!

Until then, have a fabulous weekend and I’ll see you again very soon!

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Sunday Summary – 20th October 2024

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In today’s Sunday Summary post I’ll update you on the books I’ve read, some I bought, and  as well, what I’ve got planned for next week. Make yourself comfortable and we’ll dive in!

As always, before I get into what I’ve read this week, here’s a cheeky recap of what else I’ve shared on the blog. If you didn’t see my Top Ten* Tuesday post, this week’s theme was books assigned at school. Guys, I couldn’t even recall a full list of ten. I only scraped together six, so it’s a nice short read. Go on, give it a quick look if you haven’t already and tell me if you read any of them.


Books Read


The Outsider

I started off this week with 100 pages of progress into The Outsider. Considering I’ve been off work this week, I’ve not read a whole lot.

As of this Sunday Summary post, I can share a couple of hundred pages of progress with the book. I’m not sure what to make of it at the moment. A supernatural element to the storyline isn’t out of the realms of King’s writing, but I’m not sure what I think of it here. Secretly I’m hoping for a logical explanation for the murder and why there is proof of the accused being in two places at once. That would be a more clever ending in my opinion.

I’ll keep reading along and update you on progress in next week’s Sunday Summary post.


Books Discovered


I said last week I’d be mortified if I had more books to share. Good job I feel no such qualms this week, because I had a sneaky look in Waterstones yesterday. Well, what were the odds of me coming out empty handed? Slim to none. Clearly. 


The first book is a copy of Carrie, which I intend to pick up later this month. I also own a good few King books now as physical copies. He’s an author I’ll almost auto-buy at this point.

All The Light We Cannot See

Secondly, I got a copy of All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It’s a book I’ve looked at several times, both online and a couple of times in store. This time I decided to commit and get it! I’m tempted to propose this book to the work book club next time it’s my turn. I’ll have to see how folks feel about the page count though!


Lastly, I picked up something I first started looking for in July (in Liverpool) as something new to try. Death Note is a manga novel, so completely out of my comfort zone, but with an interesting premise. I’ve heard great reviews and particularly school friends of mine love it. So, why not give it a go?


Coming Up…

My midweek post coming up is a review that’s seasonal. If you are looking for a book that fits into the horror and thriller genres, Dear Child might just be for you. I’ll share my thoughts in a few days time on why I think you should pick it up!

Finally, I’ll return with a Sunday Summary this time next week. I’ll still be studying for my upcoming exam, but I made the big push I wanted this week. So, I’m hoping to finish The Outsider and start my next read.

Until the next one, I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary and I’ll see you around!

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