Tag: sunday summary

Sunday Summary – 14th January 2018

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Today’s Sunday Summary comes with a very grim view out of the window next to me. The Sun is trying its best to make an appearance, but it isn’t succeeding.
It has been a wet, dank and dreary week, and sadly the weekend so far has been no better. There’s also potential snow forecast here for next week – and whilst I am sure school children everywhere will be delighted… I for one don’t fancy the frozen fingers and carnage of trying to drive to work in it on barely gritted roads. Again.
We don’t cope with snow at all. I envy places like Canada that deal with it as a minor inconvenience. If one single snowflake settles on lower ground here, we grind to a halt. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but not much.
 

Books Read

This week I’ve made a lot of progress on reading the second review request I received, being The Fall by Steve Campitelli. When I published my Summary last week, I had read about a quarter of the book. I actually finished reading it last night, so watch this space for an upcoming review.
Having finished The Fall, I made a small start on A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage, but only a small one so far. This is the third and final request I have taken on this month, so I am looking forward to seeing where this book takes us on its literary journey. I don’t normally take on more than two requests – I believe my review policy even says as much. Given that my first request was a children’s book, I felt I could make the exception.
Not so much “reading” per say, but I have also been listening to a few more hours of the audiobook, The Stand by Stephen King. I am working on a DIY paint-it-yourself canvas for my living room, and audiobooks are perfect to listen to when you are doing this! I’ll have to share a photo once it is complete.
 

Books Discovered


 
I have added a few books to the TBR this week. I added The Litigators after seeing it was the deal of the week with O2 Priority. Based on the blurb, I think this is going to be humorous and enjoyable for a number of reasons, but it will also be my first encounter with John Grisham as an author.
I was of two minds about adding The Tattooist of Auschwitz, because it centres around characters that fall in love and build a new life following atrocities of the Holocaust. I am hoping the book focuses more on the historical struggles, because basically I am an unromantic soul and reading about peoples soppy feelings just makes me uncomfortable. There, I said it.
I saw a review for The City of Brass at Hollie Blog and fell in love with the book from there. This also a fantastically written review, so please check it out guys!
 

Coming Up…

On Wednesday I am going to be writing a review of Snobbity Snowman, written by Quiet Riley over at Quiet Blogster, and I can’t wait to share that with you. I am also in the process of working to see if either an interview or guest post is an option to accompany this, so watch this space.
Those of you that follow my blog know that the Sunday Summary is a weekly gig, so I am going to stop writing that I do it in this section. It’s a given.
I am also hoping to take some time to work on my Goodreads account this week, as I am going to set up a shelf to show my actual TBR as opposed to books I have added as they look interesting. That way, you guys get an idea of what is coming up when and then I don’t have to manage my list with several apps!! Win win!
Also, I have just gotten by behind into gear and I am doing my best to get into #bookstagram . I have linked my account to my blog, it can also been found here – so a follow would be appreciated!! I’m still very new to it – particularly with how people who read on kindles or other e-readers manage, so any inspiration is welcome!!
 
I think that is all from me for this week, so until Wednesday, adieu!
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 7th January 2018

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I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!
New Year celebrations are officially over and we are back to the daily grind. That isn’t such a bad thing though – at least for me anyway. Getting back into a normal routine is what I like, and I have a review to catch up with on here so I should have time to do it. The thought that the next bank holiday is Easter is somewhat depressing though!!
 

Books Read


This week I made a good, healthy start on some of the requests I received this month. I have read Snobbity Snowman by Maria Bardyukova & Quiet Riley, a children’s winter-themed tale. After that, I picked up The Fall by Steve Campitelli and so far I have read 26% of the book.
The Stand
I’ve also made further progress on Audible with The Stand by Stephen King. Why have I not tried audiobooks before?! They are so handy to listen to when you are busy doing other things and can’t physically pick up a book.
 

Books Discovered


From reviews I have seen, written by fellow bloggers, I have added the above two books to the TBR. If you want to read those review posts, you can find them here and here.
 
A King Ensnared.jpg
I also downloaded another book, as it was recommended to me by email from Bookbub and was free for the day. A King Ensnared is a  historical fiction book based on the trials and turmoil experienced by the James Stewart in 1406, heir to the Scottish throne.
 

Coming Up…

On Wednesday I want to share a review of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It was my last read of 2017 and it was absolutely sensational… I can’t wait to tell you why!
As usual I’ll wrap up the week with a Sunday Summary, and hopefully next week I’ll have some news for you in terms of reviewing some of the requests I have been reading.
Until Wednesday, ciao for now!!
Rebecca mono
 

Sunday Summary – 31st December 2017

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Firstly, I would like to wish everybody reading this a Happy New Year!!
Not only is this the last post of the year from me, it also happens to be my 100th post! I never thought I would stick with blogging this long, but thanks to a great community and support, I am glad I have!
New year is the time for making resolutions: swearing never to bite your nails again or starting new diets and inevitably giving up a week later (or is that just me?) I don’t really make resolutions in the strictest sense anymore because I am doomed to fail them. Do you guys make resolutions? If so, what resolutions are you making this year?
 

Books Read


So, this week I managed to finish Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and OHMYGOSH, that was fantastic! Not only that, if anyone happens to follow me on Twitter, you might have seen that finishing Code Name Verity means that I have completed my reading challenge for this year!
self celebrate glitter.gif
Having taken a brief interlude to celebrate that little victory (okay, well it’s a pretty big one considering before this year I sucked at reading regularly), I also made a start on one of my Netgalley downloads, as my rating is not all that good at the moment… aha… oops. I downloaded the books a little while ago and I think I’ve left it too long…
The Stand
I’ve also been listing to more of The Stand by Stephen King via Audible. I really think I am going to take to audiobooks.
 

Books Discovered

This is one of those rare weeks in which I have absolutely nothing to report… I haven’t added any books to the list or bought any – which is a rarity!
Between Christmas and New Year really throws me off my beat…
Equally, I’ve been busy trying to set up a bullet journal for this year. That’s my excuse! I’m looking forward to seeing what people are doing with their own this year – as a newbie, any inspiration is welcome! If you have any tips, tricks, or have written any posts on this, could you pretty please pop a link in the comments? I’ll be forever grateful.
 

Coming Up…

I’m thinking of trying out a slightly different schedule; as much as I love posting on the blog, currently managing things the way I have been last year is hard work and time consuming. I am going to be keeping my Sunday Summary post, because I find it really useful, but I’m thinking of reducing my number of posts a week to two on a regular basis with some other ad-hoc posts interspersed periodically. With that in mind, I am thinking of posting on Wednesday and Sunday.
I’m sorry if that disappoints anyone, but I think it is for the best. I would rather take the time to produce two good posts in a week rather than three or more mediocre ones because I’ve rushed them. I hope you understand…
 

Sunday Summary – 24th December 2017

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IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE!!!
The end of the year is nearly upon us, and with all the festivities going on, this is going to fly by!
 

Books Read


I’ve not read so much this week, as I have had other things going on including a number of blog posts being written, as well as family coming for Christmas etc. What I did manage to do was finish reading Triple Cross Killer by Rosemarie Aquilina ahead of the review I was writing as part of the book’s Blog Tour. If anyone is interested in checking that post out, you can find it here.
Following on from that, I also managed to make a start on Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, but don’t get too excited. I’ve only gotten to about 10% so far, but I am determined to finish this book before the end of the month because this is the LAST book of my reading challenge!!
The Stand
I’ve also been trying something a little different this week on the recommendation of a friend – I have started a free trial with Audible and I am giving audiobooks a try! I downloaded The Stand by Stephen King with the credit I got as part of the trial and so far I am really enjoying it. Not only is it good for me to listen to whilst I am getting ready for bed (it’s helping me wind down – music just makes me lively and I struggle to sleep then), but it’s a great way to still experience a book even if you have other things to do. I am scaling back the reading next year to do other things (and getting off my backside a little more is one of them) and I think audiobooks will be a great compromise for this.
 

Books Discovered

I’ve treated myself to a few books this week – two of which I had added to the TBR anyway because they sounded interesting!

 
Memoirs of a Geisha is due to come upon a Down The TBR Hole post soon, so whilst I saw the book was on sale for a reduced price I had a look and decided it was something I wanted to keep on the list and read. You may also remember I looked at The Keeper of Lost Things only recently and decided it was a keeper, so I’m pleased with these two purchases.
The final book I bought is called The Incedium Plot by A D Swanston. This was an impulse buy, but again, at a discounted price. From the blurb, it is a historical fiction book and it’s one of my favourite genres, so I’ll give it a try!
The Incendium Plot
 

Coming Up…

This next week coming up is going to be a quiet one, and I am not going to lie. I fully intend to spend this next week with family, attempting to complete my reading challenge and getting through this busy period we have at work.
I only plan to write one post this week, instead of my usual three, and that will be my summary next Sunday.
Until then, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 17th December 2017

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Hi everyone!!
December just seems to be flying by!! Is anybody else finding that time runs away from them lately? Between working, blogging and trying to get ready for Christmas (I am comparatively unorganised this year bearing in mind my usual standard), the weeks just seem to be merging in with one another.
I’m normally one of those people who is ready for Christmas by November. Yep, I am one of those. I hate the last minute panic, and yet this year I am doing just that. I have had problems getting presents when I finally do find something suitable and it’s all one giant mess. I held off buying presents early as I went to some Christmas markets at the end of last month but came back more empty-handed than I expected. If I do that again next year, I think I’ll leave the stocking-filler presents for the markets. Is it acceptable to start Christmas shopping in January?! Aha…
 

Books Read

Triple Cross Killer
This week I’ve been reading Triple Cross Killer by Rosemarie Aquilina. You’ll remember last Sunday that I had literally just started the book. I had hoped to have this read by now, but with department lunches with work and then the Black Eye Friday Christmas party… I had less free time than usual and it didn’t pan out as I’d hoped. I am about 65% of the way through, so I’ll have to pull my finger out and get this read as my review is due on Thursday.
 

Books Discovered


I decided to treat myself to a couple of books since my last update. Well, it is the season of giving after all, and if I can’t give myself a little gift then who can I… right?!
After my last Sunday Summary, I discovered Merchants of Virtue by Paul Monk. It is a true story of religious persecution experienced by the French under the rule of Louis XIV, aka Louis the Great.
I also discovered The Saint’s Rise by Michael John Grist. His bio quotes that he is an author of “dark and weird science fiction and fantasy books“. The Saint’s Rise involves plague and prophecy, so I was curious. This is also a very new release – it was published on 13th December!
 


 
Following my “Down the TBR Hole post, I’ve also added the books I opted to keep to the reading list from my Goodreads “pile”.
 

Coming Up…

Next week is going to be a busy one in terms of the blog!
On Tuesday you can expect a Top Ten blog post, in which I will be picking my favourite books of the year. This was something I was debating about posting last week, and although I technically haven’t finished the year yet, I think we are close enough!
As I mentioned above, I am reviewing Triple Cross Killer on Thursday as part of a Blog Tour arranged with Fiery Seas Publishing… so I really need to go and finish that book!
I’ll also be posting another review on Friday for Seeker by David Noe and Laura Loolaid. This is the second review request I took on this month and I’m glad they approached me with a copy of the book. It was refreshing to read some pure science-fiction for a change! So, watch this space for Friday.
Setting a provisional date for Saturday, David and Laura have agreed to do some extra material with me about the book. They usually work collaboratively and the recordings of such are posted on their YouTube Channel (I strongly recommend you check it out – I loved their outtakes video particularly). Once the video has been uploaded, I’ll be posting a link and for anyone not able to watch, I’ll be working on transcribing it for you too!
AND THEN after we’ve squeezed in all this madness, it will be Sunday, aka Christmas Eve I’ll be doing a wrap up as usual before taking a very short break for the festive season.
Are you ready for it?
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 10 December 2017

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I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, whatever you have planned today!
The end of this week has been quite enjoyable as I got to go home from work early on Friday. It had snowed the night before and most people hadn’t made it in the next morning as a result. Those of us that did get in just covered the basics and then went home! Result! It’s also the first time I have driven in the snow, (we don’t get it often). I was just happy I didn’t get stuck!

Books Read


I’m pleased with my reading progress this week. For the past few months I have been taking on two review requests, and to make sure I get around to them, I always prioritise reading them first. This week, I have managed to read both of my ARC’s, being Remember For Me by Diana Tarant Schmidt and Seeker by David Noe/Laura Loolaid.
I’m also pleased to announce that I am taking part in a Blog Tour, in conjunction with Fiery Seas Publishing on the 21st December. For this, I will be reviewing Triple Cross Killer by Rosemarie Aquilina. I made a start on reading this yesterday, so I should have it done in plenty of time for the tour! It’s rare that I manage to get onto reading the third book on my list in one week, so I’m am happy with my progress.
I am also two books ahead of schedule in my reading challenge, with Triple Cross Killer being book 59 of 60… so the end is in sight!
 

Books Discovered

The Iron King
So I’ve only added one book to the list this week, and that is The Iron King by Maurice Druon. I found this book via Bookbub and I am so excited to read it, I’ve actually bumped it up quite high on the reading list. Irrespective of the claims to have inspired A Game of Thrones, I love historical fiction so getting a copy was a no-brainer!
 

Coming Up…

I was debating with myself as to whether to do a Top Ten Tuesday or another Down the TBR Hole post this week. I’ve ultimately decided that for me, sorting out my reading list would be more productive. I’m also thinking I’ll save the TTT post until I’ve finished my reading challenge, and then I can share with you my Top Reads of the Year. Is this something you would like to see? Let me know in the comments!!
On Friday I am going to post my review of Remember For Me. Whilst being a fictional novel, it does touch on some sensitive topics and it was because of this that the book appealed to me. I can’t wait to share that with you all!
Lastly, I’ll wrap up the week as usual!!
What have you been reading this week? How is your reading challenge progress going?
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 3rd December 2017

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Hi everyone!!
This week has been a little bit slow on the reading front, as I have had a few other things to catch up with. To that effect, I didn’t get my November Reading List finished. I shouldn’t forget that reading six books constitutes my upper limit in any one month… plus I went away Christmas shopping for a few days. I think I am too hard on myself sometimes.
Over the past couple of days, I have had the creative bug so I’ve been using the time to work on setting up a bullet journal for next year. There are so many different examples out there that it is hard not to get inspired. I’ve set up the key, index page, plus I’ll have a couple of spreads to record the books I am reading (2018-2019), as well as a spread for blog milestones and for any writing competitions I enter. Next, I have completed a cover page for 2018 with a place to write my goals for the year, and my current WIP is a cover sheet for January.
If anyone has any recommendations for me for things to include in my journal, please leave a comment for me! I’d love to know how your journal works for you.
Also, further to publishing my Reading List on Friday, I have now added an additional book. I applied to review a book as part of a Blog Tour, courtesy of Fiery Seas Publishing. As a result, I have added Triple Cross Killer to the list of books to read this month!
Triple Cross Killer
Triple Cross Killer – Goodreads

Books Read


I finally managed to finish The Black Prism by Brent Weeks last night! *victory cheer*
It feels like it has taken forever but I finally got there! I’ll be taking the time to review this next week so I hope you can check that out!
I have also made a very small start on Remember For Me by Diana Tarant Schmidt; by that, I literally mean a few pages… but a start is a start!
 

Books Discovered


When I saw Too Like the Lightning come up on one of my daily emails from Bookbub, I knew the name was familiar. When I looked into it, I realised that it was a book I had requested to read via Netgalley and was declined for! I’ve not let that put me off though – the book does sound good! All the better for being able to get a copy of it at a discounted price!
Living on A Rainbow is a book that explores the impact of mental health and that is something I think we could all benefit from educating ourselves a little more about. The author approached me about it and having read the sample on Amazon, I knew this was something I was going to enjoy.
Kings of the Wyld is a book that I came across in discussion with H.P in relation to my Reading List: December 2017 blog post. He advised that this was a book he was going to try and read by the end of the year. Whilst there is no chance I am also going to achieve that, it is something I am adding to the list for future reading!
 

Coming Up…

So next week I am taking part in another blog tour, so look out for that post on Tuesday!
On Friday, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, including what I think of this different style of magic system.
On Sunday I’ll wrap up the week as usual!
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 26th November 2017

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This week has been a pleasant one, for the reason that I got to take a step back from the reading challenge and the blog for a few days. I absolutely love running it – but it was great not to have to think about writing the next post for a little while. I went on a mini holiday to visit some Christmas markets with some friends – the first time I have ever been to any! We all enjoyed it so much I hope it is a tradition we keep up!

Books Read

The Black Prism
So as I mentioned above, this has been a reasonably light week on reading. There were some days I didn’t even pick up a book or my kindle, which is most unlike me! I was busy though… we hardly stopped! I did manage to make a little progress on The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, but I am far from finishing it yet.

Books Discovered

The Templars
Goodreads
Although I was away for some of this week, I did manage to buy a book for my kindle. Of course I did. This one happens to come with a funny story.
So whilst we were away some of my friends really had to stop somewhere to visit the ladies room and we were close to a large Waterstones. As they have cafe’s we decided they usually have those facilities. So whilst I was waiting for my friends I was having a look around, as you do, and found a book I was interested in – The Templars by Dan Jones. Since we had flown to the area we were visiting and had limited space for shopping, I opted not to buy the book there and instead get it once I was home.
Fast forward to several hours later, approximately midnight. I was lying in bed awake and was catching up with emails, notifications etc from having intermittent connection all day. I get daily emails from Bookbub with discount deals – guess which book was featured as a deal.
Yes – the one I was looking at in Waterstones earlier that day!! I was amazed at such a coincidence, so I purchased it straight away! So not only did I manage to get it whilst I was away, I saved £9.00 on it too!  The Crusades is a period I first discovered through Assassins Creed, of all things, so I want to learn more about the history of the period.
I also noticed now that the author has also written books about the period of the Wars of the Roses, so if his writing is any good, I might just have to check those out too…
 

Coming Up…

For the first time in a little while, I will have a review for you on Tuesday, for Zero Debt by Neeraj Deginal. This is the last book I read last week and I was kindly provided with a free copy by the author via The Book Club.
Dare I say it… on Friday it’s the 1st December!!! Panic stations!! Christmas will officially begin in my house and I still have loads of presents to buy. I am far less organised this year than usual. More importantly for you guys, I will be sharing with you the last few books on the TBR for this year! I’m pleased to say I am on target to complete my reading challenge so I am super excited for that!
I’ll wrap up the week on Sunday as usual and hopefully I will have managed to finally read the Black Prism by then – it’s only a month overdue…
Rebecca mono

Sunday Summary – 19th November 2017

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Good morning everybody!!
The Sunday Summary is a post I like to put together every week to let you guys know what I have been doing behind the scenes. It’s also surprisingly effective at keeping myself organised when it comes to books I have added to the TBR in making sure they have been added to all the right lists etc.
So without further adieu, here is how my week has gone:-

Books Read


This week really feels like it has been a productive one when it comes to the books read. I finished reading “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson finally and OH MY GOD!! It’s a series I could very easily binge read but I am going to restrain myself… otherwise, this will be yet another series I am caught up with and waiting for the next release. Patience is a virtue, so they say?
The next book I picked up this week was The Weight of Shadows by Karl Holton. I managed to struggle on to about a third of the way through the book before I put it down again. It wasn’t for me. The book is about 300 pages long so why the author thinks it needs 50 chapters, I’ll never know. It quite literally does change perspective every five minutes and rather than integrating important information, it is just periodically dumped on you.
To my mind, there are some epic crime stories in books and TV at the moment so if it isn’t done exceptionally, I don’t think it compares to everything else out there. This wasn’t cutting it for me, so I decided I wasn’t going to force myself through it.
Lastly, I read Zero Debt by Neeraj Deginal. This is a short account of how one man fought his way back from the brink of financial collapse and how he now plans for the future. I figured this would be an interesting read as I am of the age where I am just setting myself up in life. Everyone makes mistakes, but if we can learn from others, that’s better.
 

Books Discovered

Words of Radience
This is the only book I have added this week as it follows on from The Way of Kings and so far it is AMAZING!!! Ahem. I really need to calm down, haha!
 

Coming Up…

I have some fun posts lined up for you this week!! I have another Top Ten Tuesday (no prizes for guessing when that will be posted) and I am also taking part in my first Blog Tour!! Look out for that on Wednesday!
On Friday, I’m going to rant at you just how much I loved the first book of the Stormlight Archives series and why I am glad I persevered even though I didn’t finish it when I intended to!
On Sunday, well, I think you know the drill by now…
Rebecca mono
 

Sunday Summary – 12 November 2017

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Today is Remembrance Sunday here; a day to remember those that have lost their lives defending our country and protecting our interests. I just wanted to take a moment here to reflect on this, because those people have far more courage then I could ever have.
In Flanders Fields.JPG
Source
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Now, on to cheerier topics!

Books Read


Following my last Sunday Summary, I finished My Life as Steve Keller by Zach Baynes. If you want to check out my review, you can find it here. There is also an open giveaway on a copy of that book which ends 11:59pm local time tonight, so get yourself into the draw. If you aren’t on Twitter and want a chance to enter, drop a comment below!
I also started and finished my next ARC for this month, being Aaru by David Meredith. It’s a book that challenges the concept of death by, in essence, scanning a person’s brain and then uploading it to a server so they live “virtually” instead. I was interested in the concept and it didn’t disappoint. One thing I was shocked about was how dark it gets towards the end! I wasn’t expecting anything like that! No spoilers though… Review to follow!
 

Books Discovered


 
I can tell I am making a conscious effort to save money for my upcoming trip, as I haven’t purchased any books this week! My sister is attempting to get a copy of I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson for me, as it is the O2 Priority deal this week, but I don’t know if she has been able to yet.
A Suitable Lie is a book I have seen a couple of reviews for and added to the TBR, as not only do I think I will really enjoy the book, it about a topic that really needs more exposure. All too often we hear about domestic violence in which men are the perpetrators and women the victims, but the statistics show that for every two female victims, there is one male victim. I think this is massively ignored so I would like to educate myself on the subject!
 

Coming Up…

On Tuesday I have decided to bring you another Down the TBR Hole post, in an effort to clear out my reading list of unwanted books! I want to try and make a real push on this so basically, I can add more books. Sounds productive, right?
On Friday I will be posting my review of Aaru by David Meredith, and there is also an anticipated interview I will be doing with David about his inspirations for the book. The date is still TBC, but please look out for that!
Finally, the week will close with a wrap-up, as ever!
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I hope you’ve enjoyed my Sunday Summary!! If you want to enter the competition mentioned above, you can enter via Twitter or drop a comment here!! So tell me, what have you been reading this week?
Rebecca mono