Tag: TBR

Monthly TBR – May 2025

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My May TBR is officially here and I have quite the selection of books I plan to pick up this month. There are quite a few non-fictions, but I’m also spending time with one of my favourite genres.

I hope you’re as excited for my May TBR as I am. Well, maybe not quite…

But still, shall I stop stalling and get into it?

Fixed Reads

The Poppy War

Two out of the three fixed reads on my May TBR are books carried over from April. The first of these is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.

If you read my monthly wrap-up for April, you’ll know I’ve only really just started The Poppy War. That said, I’ve really enjoyed the introduction I’ve read so far. I’m looking forward to getting into Rin’s story in earnest.

I’ve been recommended The Poppy War both online and by my sister‘s fiancé. He’s read and enjoyed the whole series already! We have quite similar reading tastes, and my experience so far suggests I am going to enjoy it as much as he’s advised I will.


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

My second fixed read is another book I’ve started. I’m further into Crashed than I am The Poppy War, but I still have a good way to go. As of drafting this May TBR post, I have a little over 14 and a half hours audio until completion.

Thankfully, the second part of this book has been easier for me compared to the first. In fairness to the book, that first part sets down a lot of foundation about the political situation in which the financial crisis of 2007-2008 occurred. It is relevant to events that follow, even if it’s not a topic I find most interesting. Now that we’re over that though, I’m looking forward to and picking up this audiobook on a regular basis.


Sunrise on the Reaping

The last book I’m committing to reading this month is a recent release I’ve been excited for. Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel novel to Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series. I’m looking forward to this book because it‘s the story of the games mentor Haymitch is thrown into. 

I enjoyed Haymitch’s character and development arc in the main series. Naturally, I’m looking forward to seeing how the events of Sunrise on the Reaping shaped him into his future drunken, grumpy, and chronically unpleasant self.

If anyone reading is interested in reading along with me, I’m trying with the idea of hosting an online book club. Please let me know in the comments if you’re interested!


Mood Reads

All the Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See

After reading the three books above, I would like to read two books I proposed in last month’s work book club vote, but weren’t picked.

I feel like I’ve not read much in the way of historical fiction lately. So, I want to change that! I also think this could be a really touching story, and it goes back to a period of history I have read about and enjoyed time and again -World War II.

Not only am I looking forward to reading a book about war through the perspective of children, but one of the main characters is blind. So often I take for granted my ability to see – and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Reading a perspective from somebody without this ability is going to be a complete change… but one I’m looking forward to!


The Anxious Generation

The second book included in our work book club poll was The Anxious Generation. I picked up a copy of this book in December; I’m intrigued by the topic of how modern technology has changed children’s lives.

My upbringing was very different from when my parents were children. Yet again, even just a few years later, I can’t help but think how my experience of school would have been different if social media and smartphones were more readily available.

Has that had an impact on children? Hopefully, I’ll be in a better place to tell you about it once I’ve read The Anxious Generation.


Ultra-Processed People

I suppose you could say I’m undertaking a bit of a health kick this year. In an effort to both try and lose some weight and live a bit healthier, I’m educating myself on eating better. So far, I’ve already come across the concept of ultra-processed foods. I don’t think the impact these can have on the body is readily discussed. I’m looking forward to reading about more of this.

Incidentally, I purchased a copy of this book nearly a year ago. I was intrigued by the topic without really thinking how much attention I’d be paying to the subject now.

Having reduced my own consumption of ultra-processed foods by cooking from scratch in the last couple of months, I can attest to the science through personal experience. The way ultra-processed foods are manufactured means they bypass typical hormone responses of the stomach. As a consequence, people who eat more UPF’s consume more; these foods suppress hormones for satiety and increase hunger hormones.

I’m not going to claim I’m an expert on the subject – but this is why I want to read more. I wasn’t overly aware of the topic until I started looking into it for myself. And, I think it’s stuff more people should be aware of. 


A Day of Fallen Night

Finally, I have one last audiobook on my May TBR. Given I’ve already got several books on the list, I’ve opted for a longer audiobook to keep me occupied. It’s also a sequel, so a great way to continue my ongoing series goal!

I finished listening to The Priory of the Orange Tree in January this year. Whilst events of that first book are fresh in my mind, I want to carry on with Samantha Shannon’s next instalment of the series.

And, like its predecessor, it’s not a small book! A Day of Fallen Night weighs in at just under 39 hours of audio. Depending on the narration style, I may be able to speed that up to x1.2 speed and spend about 31 hours total listening. We’ll have to see though!


Summary

As I mentioned in the introduction to this month’s TBR, I have some great books on this month’s list. I’m excited to pick up each and every one of them — I hope you’re looking forward to hearing about them too!

What are you reading in the month of May?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – April 2025

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April feels like it’s come and gone in the blink of an eye! I can’t believe I’m already sharing with you my monthly wrap-up post for April. It’s been a great month of books, and I can’t wait to share my reading updates with you!


Books Read

Normal Women

I start off this monthly wrap-up post with the slowest mover of all the books I’ve read. As of sharing my April monthly TBR post, I was 30% into Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.

Over the course of the month, I have picked up this book several times and chipped away at the page count. As of this monthly wrap-up, it’s still a current read. I’m finding that I’m reading this in tandem with other books because it’s a little bit intense to try and read in long sittings. Well, that’s my experience of it anyway! I’ve enjoyed dipping in and out of it at leisure, and I fully intend for this to continue through to my May TBR.


The Weight’s Over: Take Back Control

An impromptu listen I picked up right at the end of March and continued through into early April was Sandra Roycroft-Davis’ new book, The Weight’s Over.

I’ve seen her Slimpod program advertised on Facebook. I was interested in her take on the science behind why our bodies set us up to fail when dieting. She also talks about why at predictable time increments we are most susceptible to ‘fall off the wagon’.

If you’re interested in the science behind weight loss, I definitely recommend this book. Not only does it pass on that scientific knowledge but also provides useful tips to help with common problems. Generally speaking, Sandra takes a gentle approach and promotes a very positive message around self-kindness. It makes a change from the condescending tone that is often experienced in the wider community…


Enemies of the Crown

My first physical read of April was one I needed to get my skates on and read. With a blog tour obligation early in the month, I read Enemies of the Crown in a matter of days to be able to provide this review.

Not that it was difficult! Enemies of the Crown is the fifth instalment in Peter Gibbon’s The Saxon Warrior series. When I picked up this book, I already had a good knowledge of what had happened in the series to date. I was able to pick this up and continue on with the series very easily.

I’m not going to spoil my thoughts on this book here, because I dedicated a post to it back at the beginning of April. If you want to check out this book, go take a look at my blog tour review here.


The Perfect Wife

The Perfect Wife was our book club pick for April. Incidentally, the meeting isn’t until Tuesday next week and we can discuss this at lunchtime. It’s also the first time I’ve read the book in good time…

I really enjoyed listening to The Perfect Wife. When I first picked up the book, I wasn’t sure what my thoughts were going to be around a main character built from AI and replacing a human being. However, it was both a really integral part of the narrative, but also really enjoyable to read. If I had any skepticism when I first started the book, that was very quickly dispelled; I really enjoyed this one!

My hope for next month is to choose a genre other than thriller. We’ve had it twice in a row, and I’ve enjoyed them. But, I’m ready for something different too.

 

Elektra

The last physical book I picked up and read in its entirety in April was Elektra by Jennifer Saint.

It’s been a little while since I’ve read Greek mythology. I love going back to the genre though, and I’ll be sure to pick up more in the not-too-distant future.

Elektra was a great reading experience because it focuses on the lives and experiences of three women. The wider backdrop may be the war in Troy, but this is not about the men. It made for a refreshing change, and reminded me of a similar book – The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.


The Poppy War

Briefly before month-end, I started The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. This book has been on my list for a little while, but it was the receipt of a special edition for my birthday that reminded me how much I wanted to pick it up.

Although it’s early days when it comes to this book, as of this monthly wrap-up post I’ve really enjoyed the introduction and I’m looking forward to reading on next month!


Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

Finally, with all my audiobooks listened to and my TBR read or in progress, I picked up Crashed as a last minute audiobook. I like to have physical books/e-books and audio on the go at the same time. It gives me the most capacity to read because I can do them at different times.

I’ve been doing a lot more walking of late in practice for a non-competitive event I’m taking part in this weekend. Naturally, what better time than to occupy my brain by listening to audiobooks?

Now, I confess the first part of Crashed was a little more in detail when it comes to politics and geopolitics than I initially expected. However, since starting the second part of the book where we actually get to the main financial crisis of 2007-2008… we’re in the territory I was looking for.

Fingers crossed the book continues in this way, because I’m getting on with it more now the foundations have been laid.


Summary

April has been a productive month of reading. I’m surprised I’ve even managed to read books I hadn’t originally planned, even if they only are in part. I’m looking forward to taking my ongoing reads through May and making more progress with them in the next few days.

Thanks for reading this monthly wrap-up post! What books did you read in April? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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Monthly TBR – April 2025

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April comes with no set theme in mind. Rather, this month I’m looking to pick up books that I haven’t gotten to in the last couple of months, as well as pick up some reads geared around the Goodreads challenges. Shall we take a look at the books on this monthly TBR that I’ll be picking up in April?


Fixed Reads


Enemies of the Crown

The first book I’ll be picking up in April is for a blog tour review. It was a natural decision to sign up for this one, given that I’ve already read prior books in the series. That, and I want to keep up with the series anyway. I’ve really come to love Peter Gibbons’ The Saxon Warrior series and I’m invested in the personal journey of the main character Beornoth.

As of this monthly TBR, I’m already making progress with this book. And it’s a good job —my review for this one is due on Sunday!

 

The Weight’s Over

I’m currently reading a newly released book called The Weight’s Over by Sandra Roycroft-Davis. I’ve seen a lot of adverts on Facebook for a slimming programme she’s developed, Slimpod. The reason I’ve picked up this audiobook is that I want to understand some of the science behind weight loss and why our bodies are designed for us to fail.

As of this monthly TBR post, I’ve almost finished listening to this book. It was only a little under 7 hours anyway, and I have just 45 minutes to go.


Normal Women

Normal Women is a carryover from March’s TBR. It’s a current read, and one I expect I’ll be chipping away at over the month of April.

As of this monthly TBR, I’ve already read a healthy 30% and I’m looking forward to reading more. I’m especially looking forward to seeing changes to women’s rights for the more positive— in what I’ve read so far… we’ve gone backwards!


Work Book Club

Although we have yet to christen the chosen book for this month, I’m keeping a placeholder here so that once we’ve selected a book, I’ve dedicated time to read it. At the moment, we have a poll going to choose the current book. The options are The Perfect Wife, The Anxious Generation, and All the Light We Cannot See.

Once we’ve christened the book mid-next week, I will let you know which we will be reading.


Mood Reads


The Poppy War

For a good few months now, I have been intending to start this series by R.F. Kuang. I originally received a copy of this book well over a year ago now. However, I received a special edition copy for my birthday recently. Receipt of that gift has inspired me and reminded me that I am really interested in picking up this fantasy series. So, that’s what I plan to do.

I have high hopes for this book given that I’ve heard a lot of good things. I’m also looking forward to reading something within the fantasy genre and going back to a genre I know and love inside out.


Elektra

Another genre I enjoy is Greek mythology, so Elektra seems a natural choice to pick up. It’s been a little while since I picked up a Greek-inspired story. I also like the idea of picking up Elektra because it follows on nicely from last month‘s theme that focuses on women.

Elektra is a powerful female character in Greek mythology. It’s also quite a short book, so Elektra should hopefully be a nice palate cleanser and give me a chance to pick up something a little different in between larger books.


Eve

I like to keep a non-fiction book on my reading list. This book is a non-fiction account about the biology of women’s bodies and how they shaped human society as we know it. On the off-chance The Anxious Generation isn’t picked for this month’s book club read, at least I have another non-fiction I’m already interested in on the list!


Summary

Am I likely to get to all the books on April’s Monthly TBR? Probably not. However, I may yet surprise myself! I prefer to set ambitious goals. If I finish a TBR or don’t set one, I find the lack of a goal demotivating and I tend to read less.

Are you planning on picking up any books in April? What are you reading?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2025

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

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


Books Read

Woden’s Spear

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

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

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


A Promised Land

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

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


The Housemaid

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

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

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


Calamity

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

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


Normal Women

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

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

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

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

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


Summary

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

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

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Monthly TBR – March 2025

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

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

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


Woden’s Spear

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

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

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


A Promised Land

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

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

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


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

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

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


Normal Women

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

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


Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work

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

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


Eve

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

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


Work Book Club Pick

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

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


Mood Reads


Calamity

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

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


Summary

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

Here’s to a more successful reading month!

What are you planning on reading?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – February 2025

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We’re now two full months into 2025. I want to get in nice and early with my monthly wrap-up for February to update you on the books I picked up, and in some cases put down, during the last month.

One of my main reading goals for February was to pick up books around the theme of Black History Month. Not all of my books fit into this category, as they were either carryovers from January or I had to read them for other commitments. How I did with February’s TBR surprised me; there were books I wasn’t sure about that but I’ve gone on to really enjoy, yet equally there are books I thought I’d get on with, but didn’t. 

Shall we get into this monthly wrap-up so you can see just how this month has gone?

Books Read


A Darkness at Sethanon

A Darkness at Sethanon was a carryover from January‘s TBR. I was just a couple of chapters in at the point of setting this book on my February monthly TBR.

Admittedly, I didn’t get much further than that before I put it down. Although I had recapped myself on events so far in the series, I was struggling to get into it. If I’m entirely honest, I didn’t love the books before this one. They were okay to read, but I didn’t have any burning desire to pick up this last instalment. If anything, I was motivated to try so I could mark the series as complete.

However, I decided it wasn’t worth slogging through this book in order to give myself that accolade. I have now finished this series, but it has a DNF as opposed to a completion.


Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia

A few weeks ago, I started listening to Fearing the Black Body. I ended up listening to this audiobook over the course of a weekend. I didn’t expect to love this book in the way that I did. It was really interesting, and I liked how the book was broken down and considered different ideas and arguments. I wouldn’t say this book is to be taken as gospel. However, it does consider some interesting ideas on why racism could play a role in our current culture’s fat phobia.

I wouldn’t describe this as a book that I would typically read. However, I’m glad I did. It’s a good way to get an alternate perspective on things, as well as consider things from a non-racial perspective as well. In addition to the race argument, the author also offers religion as a possible source of some of the negativity around larger bodies too.


A Promised Land

The second audiobook I picked up this month, and admittedly I’m still reading as of this monthly wrap-up post, is A Promised Land by Barack Obama. If there’s one book on this TBR I thought I was at risk of DNFing, it was this one. In truth, it’s one of the books I’m enjoying the most this month.

Politics is a subject that is out of my comfort zone. My overarching opinion generally of politicians is that they don’t achieve anything for the masses. instead, they use their office to promote their own self interest. I can be forgiven for this view when you consider the amount of cronyism that gets highlighted on the news.

So far, I don’t find Barack to be your typical politician. My overall perception of Barack Obama when he was in office was that he was a decent president.

Listening to his book, I still have this view. I’ve enjoyed listening to some of his insights on what his priorities were as a president. He also covers a number of different unplanned situations he had to deal with in office.

Naturally, this book is far more involved to the likes of Michelle Obama’s Becoming in describing the politics of his life. He’s not averse to making jabs here and there against other parties and individuals, but for the most part I’m getting on with the book well.

The only reason I’m still listening to this audiobook at the end of February is because it is so long! The audiobook is just over 29 hours long. As a drafting this post, I have just under 12 and a half hours left to listen to.


In Every Mirror She’s Black

Another read I intended to complete as part of this February TBR relating to Black History Month is In Every Mirror She’s Black. A few years ago I acquired my copy of the book in a Waterstones sale after Christmas. I liked the sound of the book and I thought it was going to have something quite prominent to say when it comes to race – how seemingly different black women end up experiencing the same treatment in life.

However, having gotten a third into this book, I still couldn’t tell where the storyline was intending to take us or what message it was trying to put out. So, I decided to DNF it. I was bored. The plot was meandering between the three female perspectives and not really giving any context as to what it was trying to say. Nothing significant was happening and I wasn’t enjoying reading it.

It’s a shame, because I think it could’ve been a good book if it started to get to its point a little quicker.


The Da Vinci Code

If you are a regular reader, you will know that I host a book club at work. We meet once a month, typically towards the end of a month, and discuss a book of a members choice.

A couple of months ago, we came up with the idea of reading The Da Vinci Code. Some members had already read the book a long time ago, whereas others like myself had not read it before. It sounded like a good book for discussion, so we decided to pick that up.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like this one either. I read 29% of the book before I DNF this one too. Whilst I enjoyed the ideas of symbolism and the murder mystery aspect of the storyline, I felt overall that it was a very pretentious book. There is a lot of detail on symbolism and at times, I felt the narrative was talking down to me to have to explain some of it. I also found the idea of these clues being left for Robert too far-fetched.

In principle, one of the characters had approximately 15 minutes to lay down all these clues before he passed away from a fatal injury in order to point Robert to his murderer. After discussions with another book club member, there are perhaps reasons why this was plausible for the character to do given his position and preplanning for such an eventuality. However, it just felt far-fetched to me and I wasn’t a fan of the tone of the book.


Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Lastly, we get to the final book of my February TBR, Children of Virtue and Vengeance. I am still reading this book as of publishing this monthly wrap-up post, but I confess I’m not loving this one either. At this point, I don’t think it’s the fault of the book, but more to do with the fact that I’m in a reading funk.

As of this monthly wrap up post, I’m 20% into the book and I’m going to keep going with it for now. I probably not help myself in that it’s been a good number of years since I read the first book of the series. I have recapped myself on events, But leaving it so long is probably acting as a blocker helping me immerse myself back into the storyline.


Summary

It’s fair to say that reading progress in February didn’t end up going so well. Whilst I have read some enjoyable books in the month, I DNF’d three books – basically half the list!

I may need to reconsider my reading plans for March to help get myself out of whatever reading funk I’m in right now.

Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up! Have you read any great books recently that you can recommend to help?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2025

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The first month of 2025 has flown by! It’s been a fun start to the year. And, as I hoped, I’ve picked up some great books to get me started. Today’s monthly wrap-up post is dominated by books I rated five-stars. What more could I ask for?

I set myself an ambitious monthly TBR, but I’m not going to knock myself down for not being able to match my enthusiasm with results. I still picked up the vast majority of the reading list. What didn’t make it in January is going to come back very shortly.

So, shall we take a look at the books I did manage to pick up in January?


Books Read


The Priory of the Orange Tree

I started the year with an audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I did this deliberately as I wanted to start the year right. I’ve heard great things about this fantasy, and I wanted to make sure that one of my first reads of 2025 was going to be a four or five-star rating.

At the beginning of January, I had already listened to just over half of this audiobook (55% if you want to get specific). That still left me with around 11 or 12 hours of audio to progress with. Whilst technically this is only half the book, that is more than a whole book’s worth when you think about the average book length I typically read!

Needless to say, my tactic worked. I rated The Priory of the Orange Tree five stars. I loved this fantasy inside out. It was a fun read with compelling characters and an interesting plotline anyway. However, its emphasis on strong female lead characters really made this even better for me.

 

Fool’s Errand

The second and final book I carried over from my December monthly wrap-up was Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Admittedly, I was much less into this book when I started the year. Aside from the first 56 pages, I pretty much read the whole book in January.

Fool’s Errand broke my heart in every way I feared it would. I really enjoyed being back in the world of Fitzchivalry Farseer and seeing how events have moved on from the first trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings series. The foreshadowing at the beginning of this book hammered home my fears about what may happen in this latest instalment.

Can a book be both great and terrible at the same time? It was the events of this book that were tragic. The storyline and writing itself it’s usual fantastic standard. Robin Hobb is not known for pulling her punches when it comes to her main characters. Do we really get invested in them if we know they’re going to turn out right in the end?

Fool’s Errand achieved another five star rating and really cemented a good reading start for me this year.


Shuggie Bain

Back in November, our book club at work decided that we would reconvene in January after reading Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart.

Admittedly, this isn’t the type of book I would’ve picked up of my own volition. That’s the benefit of a book club! It gives you the chance to pick up and read new things and really get out of your comfort zone. Remember, that’s one of my reading goals for this year.

Whilst I confess I didn’t love every aspect of Shuggie Bain, that’s not to say I didn’t get anything out of it. The book is very bleak in its outlook, but gives great perspective on quite pivotal problems in our society like alcoholism, addiction and the impact these things have on families.

From our discussion, we came to the conclusion that whilst these things feel like a very distant problem for other people, they’re not so far under the surface. Quite often those afflicted are very good at masking their problems. Also, it’s dangerous that substances such as alcohol are so widely available to trap those trying to free themselves of their addiction.


Firefight

The final book I picked up and read to completion before the end of the month was Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. I appreciate fantasy has featured quite heavily on this month’s TBR, but I’m not apologetic for it. It’s my favourite genre for a reason! Brandon Sanderson is also always a great read. I’ve loved every single one of his books, even when you’re taken into consideration how varied they are.

Firefight is the second book of his The Reckoners trilogy. Part of the reason I wanted to pick this up early in the year is so I have just one book left in the series. You may also recall a featured this series in my Series to Finish in 2025 post.

I didn’t anticipate the ending of this book, but I went into it pretty open-minded. I really enjoyed how events played out in the book and it’s gotten me all the more excited to pick up the final instalment of the series very soon!


A Darkness at Sethanon

The last book I picked up before the end of the month, though admittedly I only got a couple of chapters in, was A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist.

This book is also a final instalment in a series and that is the main reason for picking this book up. I want to make an effort continuously to keep finishing up series I’ve started and get the list back under control.

There’s not much to say as of this monthly wrap-up post, other than to say that I’ve gotten myself caught up on events of the prior books in the series and I’m looking forward to diving into this one in earnest!


Summary

This monthly wrap-up post has illustrated to me that my aims of picking up high-quality reads in my favourite genre for January have set me up in good stead for the rest of the year. With no less than 3 five-star reads already under my belt, I’m looking forward to continuing the positive streak.

Did you pick up any five-star reads in January? Do you have any reading goals you are prioritising for 2025?

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Monthly TBR – January 2025

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Today’s first monthly TBR of 2025 comes to you with the whiff of a fresh start still in the air. My reading goals are still new and shiny…

Okay, enough of the pretentious rubbish!

Welcome to my first monthly TBR of the year. I’m excited to share my planned reads for January. I’m hoping to kick-start the year with some solid 5* reads and some ticks in the ol’ reading goal boxes. Start as we mean to go on, right?

The first two books on this list are carryovers from 2024. I picked these up in the hopes they’d see me right into 2025 and get me hyped for more great books. From there, I plan to pick up book club’s choice for January and some highly anticipated reads.

Shall we take a look?


Fixed Reads


The Priory of the Orange Tree


My first carryover from December is my audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.

It’s been a good while since I listened to fantasy in audiobook format. Despite my reservations about retaining detail given the format of the book, I’m doing pretty well. I suspect it helped that I picked up this audio at a time when I could really dedicate some time to getting introduced to the world and the narrative. Usually, I’m piecemeal with picking up audiobooks. However, I had some time off around Christmas last year and I made the most of it!

As of this monthly TBR post, I have just 7 hours of audio left. This book is nearly 26 hours long, so I’m really getting to the conclusion anyway. I think that’ll help motivate my towards this very close finish!


Fool’s Errand



My second carryover is Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. This book was my only physical read at the end of the year. It was also a mood read I picked up in the final days of December. Knowing I wanted a pretty much guaranteed 5 star read to start 2025 with, Fool’s Errand made logical sense.

Fool’s Errand is living up to its predecessors in the wider series. I’m really enjoying being back in the world of Fitz. He’s one of my favourite characters so far. Although things have moved on a little since the first trilogy, I’m also loving the familiar surroundings.

As of this monthly TBR post, I’m 400 pages into the book. With less than 200 pages left to completion, I’m again hoping this spurs me into action and another finish.


Shuggie Bain


Next, my plan is to pick up our book club pick, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. We meet on the 29th January, but I don’t want this to be a last minute read. 

To my mind, Shuggie Bain falls into my goal of reading out of my comfort zone. I don’t think it’s a book I’d have discovered and read of my own volition. However, that’s exactly why being part of a book club is valuable. It exposes me to new books and ideas.

To my knowledge, this book addresses a number of social issues. I’m looking forward to seeing what those are and being able to discuss those with our group. When I first put feelers out for members, I thought I might have to be a bit more involved in leading discussions. That’s proven not to be the case at all, which is a bonus. It also means we can dig into topics like this quite easily.


Mood Reads


A Darkness at Sethanon


Whilst finishing series is hot on my resolutions radar, my first intended mood read on this monthly TBR is the final instalment to The Riftwar Saga. I started with Magician back in 2017. It’s been a series I’ve picked up sporadically, so I’m going to have to remind myself on events of the prior books before I jump into this last one.

It’ll be good to give myself a check mark on the completion of series goal nice and early. This one can’t be taken off me later, as the series is published in full.


Firefight

Another series progression pick, although not yet a completion, is Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoners series.

I first read Steelheart in 2020, but unlike The Riftwar Saga I have a decent recollection of what’s happened so far. No refreshers needed here!

Firefight is the second part of a trilogy. Reading Firefight will then enable me to pick up the last instalment in the near future, and that will be another completion.

I always look forward to picking up more Brandon Sanderson books. It made sense to add one to my first monthly TBR of the year to hype myself up. He’s such a diverse fantasy author; how he’s managed to write so many books in the genre (and overlapping others), all with their own magic systems and rules, amazes me. It’s what I look forward to when reading his books.

What else can he come up with?


Rose Under Fire

In my Top Ten Tuesday – Winter TBR post, I shared that I wanted to read Rose Under Fire. Again, this is another book that’s part of a series. However, I don’t believe these books tie together in the same way that a traditional series does. Each has their own main characters, but there are overlaps.

I loved Code Name Verity, another book in this series. It was the perfect introduction to Elizabeth Wein’s writing. Verity was a character I could get behind even before we got to see all aspects of her. Now, I’m intrigued to read other historical stories! Whilst I’m not so fussed on the sound of The Pearl Thief (book 3), I may be inclined to read book 4 (The Enigma) if I enjoy Rose Under Fire as much!

We’ll have to see… 


The Bone Collector

The last book to feature in this monthly TBR is technically part of a series. However, it’s not one I’ve already started and I intend to read the book as a standalone.

The Bone Collector has been on my TBR for a long time! Of the 211 books on my TBR right now, there are only 12 books that have been on it longer. Even then, some of those only stand as they haven’t been published yet…

I enjoyed watching a TV series featuring the events of this first book a few years ago. It’ll be exciting to see if the book is even better. I hope so!


Summary

This monthly TBR is AMBITIOUS. But, it’s a new year and I’m excited to get reading. Plus, it’s cold and miserable in January. What else have I got to be doing?

Thanks for reading today’s monthly TBR. Are you planning to pick up any particular reads in January?

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My 2025 Reading Resolutions!

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Good evening everyone and welcome to my 2025 reading resolutions post! I’ve been thinking about my 2025 reading resolutions for a couple of weeks now. So, it’s nice that I finally get to talk about what I’ve decided ☺️

If you take a look at my 2024 wrap-up post, you’ll see that I didn’t complete most of the resolutions I sent myself for 2024. Life changed since setting those goals, so it’s understandable why I didn’t.

I’m setting my 2025 reading resolutions around those changes. So, unless something drastic happens yet again, I should be able to meet these goals.

Shall we take a look?


Read 45 Books

In 2024, I completed 42 books in total, with two ongoing reads as at the end of the year. I wouldn’t even call setting a challenge of completing 45 books a stretch goal. It’s more of a maintenance goal.

I read a good amount last year and still had time to enjoy my other hobbies, as well as time with friends and family. What’s most important to me at the moment is keeping all of that going. That’s why I’m not looking to push myself on the book count this year. If I do end up reading more, then great! However, I’m not going to overcommit myself and then feel like I’m missing out on other things I want to do.


Complete Goodreads Challenges Throughout the Year


Goodreads has recently introduced some new reading challenges. I’ve taken a look at the first ones released for this year, and they coincide with another goal I was going to set myself. So, I’ve merged the two to fall under this one!

I want to read a little bit more seasonally this year. As and when themes or topics come up, such as Black History Month in February, I’d like to pick up some books around those themes. It’s not something I’ve really focused on doing before. It’ will either encourage me to focus on existing books on my TBR that fit the theme, or push me to read something different. I’ll talk more about that later.

What’s nice about these challenges is they update every quarter. Even if I don’t succeed in getting all the achievements in a quarter, the counter resets. Then, I’ll have a fresh point to restart from throughout the year. It also means I can’t plan too far ahead, and I’ll need to be a little bit agile when picking my TBRs.


Finish or get up-to-date on 10 series

I’m bringing forward a goal from 2024 as it’s something I really need to focus on. I have a LOT of ongoing series. Unfortunately, I’m not the type of person to read a series in full once I’ve started it. Rather, I benefit from taking a step back and enjoying something else and coming back to the series later.

Consequently, I have a ridiculous number of ongoing series. Whilst I did get myself up-to-date on 7 series last year, which isn’t a bad thing, it wasn’t the intended target of 10. I want to keep existing series I’ve started as a priority; that’s why setting myself the target of finishing or getting up-to-date on 10 series by the end of the year is something I want to keep on my radar.

Checking back to my series tracker, which doesn’t yet include any new series I started in 2024, I still have over 10 series where there are less than three books to completion. This is definitely an attainable target!


Read Out of my Comfort Zone

Lastly, tying in to my Goodreads Challenges goal, I want to read things that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up before in 2025. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s my reading diversity. Even still, there are books that I feel are out of my comfort zone. My final 2025 reading resolution is to change that through exposure to new things.

For example, one of the books I’m planning to pick up for Black History Month in February is The Promised Land by Barack Obama. I have never read a book that entails any kind of political manifesto before. Politics is a subject I try to stay away from, generally. At least, until this year!

I can’t promise I’m going to love each of the books that take me out of my comfort zone. However, I’m sure I can get something out of them nonetheless. In some ways, I don’t want to get too comfortable in my reading. If it helps me keep learning and expanding my boundaries, then reading out of my comfort zone is going to be a worthy goal!


Summary

Some of the goals on this reading list will look familiar, whilst others are a little bit different this year. I’m looking forward to taking on these challenges and letting them shape a great reading year for 2025.

What are your 2025 reading resolutions?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – December 2024

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

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


Books Read


The Eye of the World

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

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

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

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


Three Sisters

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

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

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

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

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


The Woman Who Would Be King

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

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

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

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


The Priory of the Orange Tree

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

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

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


Fool’s Errand

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

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

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

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


Summary

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

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

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

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