Tag: Thriller

Sunday Summary – 15th March 2026

Good evening all – I hope you’re looking forward to this latest Sunday Summary update. Whereas the last few weeks have been a little bit crazy, this week I’ve enjoyed some downtime. I’ve enjoyed a week off work with the other half, and we’ve made the most bit by doing as little as possible! Well, that’s not strictly true. We’ve enjoyed going out at leisure, and we made most of some great weather on Wednesday this week and went for walk on an 8 1/2 mile course. Needless to say, I felt that afterwards… 

Although my downtime has taken priority this week, that’s not to say I’ve sacrificed content production. Here on the blog, I’ve still written and posted a book review of The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, as well as a First Lines Friday instalment. This week’s feature was by an author I read as recently as February… and she has a sizeable backlist I had to choose from. Can you guess who? 

On YouTube, I’ve also published two videos with you this week. My first video of the week was a short list of fantasy series I want to start (or in some cases restart) in 2026. The second of my videos was also a review. This was for The Great Passage by Shion Muira which went live yesterday. 

 

Books Read

Throne of Glass

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish my readalong of Thrones of Glass before the end of February. As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was around 60% into the narrative. I made a real push to finish this book this week. With my plan to pick up the sequel, Crown of Midnight in March, I needed to finish this first book so I can move on. 

Admittedly, I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated! For a book with romantic sub-plots, that aspect of the narrative didn’t dominate the plot and/or take away from the fantasy elements of the storyline. When you think Sarah J. Maas, you think romance. That’s what I went into the book expecting, but in reality the balance is far more suitable to my preference of not too much romance. 

I’m glad I took my sister’s advice with this series to try this author with. It was the right choice, and I’m keen to get stuck in with this second book ASAP. 

 

An Arcane Inheritance 

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only a few chapters into An Arcane Inheritance. Over the course of this week, progress has picked up a little and I listened to about 3 hours, or around 25% taking into account the x1.25 speed I’m listening to. Not bad, considering I’ve not really had as much solo time and therefore opportunity to listen. I’ve made up for the lack of solo commutes and gym listening time by instead listening before turning in at night. Overall, it’s worked reasonably well. I did have to go back a couple of chapters one night; I fell asleep unusually quickly that night… 

Now I’m further into the book, I’ve got a better feel of the narrative direction and I like where it’s going. I’m intrigued by the magic, symbolism and occult vibes plaguing Ellory. There’s definitely a mystery to unravel here and I can’t wait to listen on to figure out more. As far as the dark academia genre experience is going, I’m loving revisiting the genre. The character dynamic between Ellory and Hudson is more tolerable than the early chapters. Well, at least a bit healthier. A bit… 

 

1984 

Whilst not strictly contributing to any breeding challenge books, 1984 is on my fixed reading list for 2026 as I set out in my 2026 resolutions. Not only that, but the companion book I want to read alongside it, Julia, does qualify for the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge. Before I go into that retelling, I want to pick up 1984 and refresh myself on the original world as set out by George Orwell.

As of this Sunday Summary, I am currently 126 pages into the book. I’ve enjoyed reading all of the setup in the first section of the book to appreciate the detail and nuances of the dystopian world. When reading these books over a stretch of time, it’s easy to forget the details. That’s precisely why I wanted to pick up the original 1984 novel first before reading the retelling on my March TBR. Although this is my third read of the book, I’m not bored with revisiting the book. I had sizeable chunks of time between the re-reads so it doesn’t feel repetitive. 

 

Wild Dark Shore 

A priority read on this Sunday Summary was starting and finishing Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. 

I had a notification from Libby that my digital download of this library loan was due earlier today. By the time I looked at this notification, I had just over two days left to read the book. But, unfortunately I was unable to extend my loan. How dare other people want to read the same book as me and put a hold on it, right?! 😅

So, with all due haste, I started and finished this 298 page book in a relatively short time. Thankfully, this book and its mystery is very compulsively readable. Did I read it a little quicker than I would have in other circumstances? Probably yes. However, I was gripped by the storyline and having the deadline didn’t jeopardise my enjoyment of the book.

I have to say, this book wasn’t quite what I expected. However, it was also a little bit better. It was very cleverly written, which is what I expected. The storyline and The mystery were a bit of a different angle than I anticipated, but that’s okay! It was nice to be surprised and it helped overall with my wanting to pick up this book. 

The good news is, reading Wild Dark Shore contributes to 2 Goodreads achievements this week. I’m now 8 out of 12 achievements in towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge. 

 

Books Discovered 

Thankfully, this week I’ve ticked a couple of books off my list and there are no new additions. I’ve added quite a few books to the TBR of late. This week, I haven’t added anything new, so I’m making progress back towards the 200 books mark. 

Interestingly, I caught a bit of a milestone when looking at my books recorded on Goodreads. According to my Goodreads records, I’ve got a total of 500 different books ‘Read’ 🎊🎉

 

Coming Up… 

If you were salty with me for revelling in being off work this week, you can laugh now. I’m back to the daily grind in less than 12 hours, and it promises to be busy! Still, it’s no excuse and I won’t be slacking off of content creation…

Blog

On the blog next week, I’ll be taking a look at the longest of books nominated for the 2026 Booker Prize. The list was published last month, and reviewing whether each book is something I want to read or not. I’ve never paid much attention to this list before, so it could be fun. If there are enough books I want to read, maybe I’ll make a readalong or some kind of challenge to incorporate these into my reading list later this year. 

On Friday, my usual Shelf Control feature will go live and share a non-fiction about one of my favourite tv series (based on books, obviously). It’s one I’ve been looking forward to getting to, so it’ll be fun to share this on Friday and get psyched to pick up the book! 

 

YouTube

I’ve recorded two videos today that I’ll edit and push out next week. The first of these is my review of Throne of Glass. I wanted to document my thoughts on this first book of the series before I get stuck in to Crown of Midnight. That way, my view can’t be coloured by what I’ve ready later. 

Later in the week, I’ve got a list of dystopian book recommendations if you enjoy books like 1984. In this video, I share what these dystopian books are about, as well as their similarities and differences compared to 1984. Hopefully in this video you can find a recommendation of a new book to pick up. 

 

Summary 

This Sunday Summary is a sizeable update. If you’re still with me – thanks for sticking around! 

Have you read any of the books featured today? If not, what are you currently reading? 

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First Lines Friday – 13/03/2026

***Today’s First Lines Friday contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase.***

 

When I shared my plan for this First Lines Friday in my Sunday Summary, I challenged myself to feature an author I’ve read recently. This author featured on my February TBR.

Why not read the below opening lines and see if you can guess the author! 

“Can you please tell us what happened, Mrs. Cass?” “Am I under arrest?” 

“Why do you ask that?” 

“I know what you found. I know what you must be thinking.” 

“What do you think we found, Mrs. Cass?” 

“A… a dead body.” 

“And can you explain how this happened?” 

“I…” 

“Mrs. Cass?” 

“Am I under arrest? Please just tell me.”

 

 

The Perfect Son – Freida McFadden 

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 320

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Hollywood Upstairs Press

Publication Date: 08 Oct 2019

 

Goodreads – The Perfect Son

Amazon Purchase Link 

All families have secrets. But some secrets are deadly.

Erika Cass has a perfect family and a perfect life. Until one quiet evening, two detectives show up at her front door.

“Mrs. Cass, we were hoping your son could answer a few questions about the girl who disappeared last night…”

A high school girl has vanished from their quiet neighbourhood, and the police suspect the worst. Erika’s teenage son, Liam, was the last person to see the girl alive.

Erika has always sensed something… different in her seemingly perfect oldest child. He’s charming, smart, and popular, but mothers have the best instincts. Erika knows there’s more to her son than meets the eye. 

She wants to believe he’s innocent, but as the evidence mounts, she can’t deny the truth? Liam may have done the unthinkable.

 

My Thoughts…

When I planned this First Lines Friday, I knew I wanted to feature Freida McFadden. I was introduced to her through her Housemaid series. They’re highly popular books, but there is also a film on the first book now if you want to try her work that way. 

In my Highly Anticipated Releases of 2026 video, I shared my first read and release of the year to look at was a Freida McFadden book. The title? Dear Debbie. This read went down every bit as well as I expected. My review will follow on YouTube soon, so if you want to look out for that, I’d suggest subscribing so you get notified when it comes out. 

Needless to say, now I’ve read and loved the latest release by Freida, I’m free to explore her backlist. I sampled a few books before deciding on today’s First Lines Friday feature. All sounded good, but this one had the most gripping intro for the purpose of this post. I also looked at Never Lie and Want to Know a Secret. Over time, I plan to read all of these…  

Have you read The Perfect Son or one of the MANY other reads by Freida McFadden?

Don’t forget, you can support me as a creator and follow this purchase link to get yourself a copy. 😊 If you want to read and discuss the book, let me know you want to buddy read! 

Thanks for checking out today’s First Lines Friday, and I’ll see you in my next post! 

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Shelf Control #101 – 06/03/2026

***Today’s Shelf Control post contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the featured book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this post, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

This latest Shelf Control features a spy thriller. Not a genre I read a whole lot of! However, it’s written by an author I discovered several years ago. The other book I read of theirs, The Dead Tell Lies, was an easy 5* book. I said then I’d have no hesitation reading more for this author. 

Let’s hope that day isn’t too far away! I read my first book from them in July 2020. It’s already been over 5 years… so it’s about time I gave them another try. That’s what I like about these Shelf Control posts; they’re a chance to look ahead at my upcoming reading list and get excited for these books. 

 

66 Metres – J. F. Kirwan

Genre: Spy Thriller 

Pages: 305

Audience: Adult

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 25 Aug 2016

 

Amazon Purchase Link

Goodreads – 66 Metres

 

The only thing worth killing for is family.

Everyone said she had her father’s eyes. A killer’s eyes. Nadia knew that on the bitterly cold streets of Moscow, she could never escape her past – but in just a few days, she would finally be free.

Bound to work for Kadinsky for five years, she has just one last mission to complete. Yet when she is instructed to capture The Rose, a military weapon shrouded in secrecy, Nadia finds herself trapped in a deadly game of global espionage.

And the only man she can trust is the one sent to spy on her…

 

My Thoughts

I added 66 Metres to my TBR after reading The Dead Tell Lies. Whereas this book is a psychological thriller and 66 Metres is a spy thriller, I’m confident that I’ll get on with the book just as well. The Dead Tell Lies is the type of thriller that had me thinking about the plot in overtime. Not only was I fully engrossed reading it, but also trying to work out what was going on even when the book wasn’t open. If I remember rightly, The Dead Tell Lies had an interesting twist to it too. Let’s hope for more of the same in 66 Metres. 

Admittedly, it’s entirely on the merits of this first book I’ve read that I’ve added this second one. However, that means I’m not going into the book with too much of an idea of the plot and can’t be spoiled for it. I have gone into it with an idea of what to expect, though. With such high expectations set in this first book, I can only hope 66 Metres likes up to my expectations. 

 

Summary 

Do you love a spy thriller novel? Want to read along with me? Why not get a copy of the book here and readalong with me! 

Thank you for checking out today’s pretty short but sweet Shelf Control post! Have you read 66 Metres or The Dead Tell Lies already?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – February 2026

***Today’s monthly-wrap-up contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

As of the end of February and this monthly wrap-up post, I am four books ahead of schedule in my Goodreads Challenge for the year to read 60 books in 2026. With seven titles added to my completed list in February, it’s fair to say I’ve had a successful month! 

Compared to my monthly TBR for February, I pretty much got to the end of my reading list for the month with one current read I’m carrying forward into March. I did think I would complete this list this month. However, with a busy work week mid-month taking on a project from a colleague, I didn’t have much headroom to read in my free time for a few days and that did impact my overall progress.

Nevertheless, still managed to pull it out the bag. Two blog tour obligations helped to keep momentum going, and they were both highly-rated reads as well. It always helps when the book you pick up are well received! 

Let’s take a look at where I got to! 

 

Books Read 

After the Forest 

Amazon Purchase Link 

At the end of my January wrap up, I shared that I was part way through after the forest by Kell Woods. I really enjoyed this dark fantasy overlap with a fairytale retailing. The darker tones of the book featuring witchcraft, war and discrimination, combined with the lighter and more familiar base of the fairytale Hansel and Gretel made for an interesting combination.

There is also a romance element to the storyline of this book. Whilst it wasn’t something I actively rooted for (it’s just not my thing, okay?), It was okay to read and didn’t detract from the narrative all my experience of it. It was refreshing to pick up something different, which has been a feature of almost every book I’ve picked up alongside the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club.

 

Dreams From My Father

Amazon Purchase Link 

When I published last month monthly wrap up, I had a really only just started Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama. Needless to say, it was one of my first finishes in February. Having read A Promised Land a year before, it wasn’t really a surprise that I enjoyed Dreams From My Father. 

Whilst this type of writing and subject is enjoyed as an exception rather than the rule, I really like Barack Obama. He’s the only political figure from whom I think I will ever read a book. Or two, as it turns out! 

Dreams From My Father is about Barack’s exploration of his heritage and identity via his race. He had an unusual upbringing and being of mixed-race ethnicity in a society where there weren’t very many kids like him, he struggled with understanding who he was. Dreams From My Father is all about exploring this, and seeing how Barack matures. 

 

Grace

Amazon Purchase Link 

He wouldn’t necessarily describe February as the month to read horror. Nevertheless, I had the pleasure of reading and featuring Grace on my blog by taking part in the publication blog tour this month. What attractive my attention to grace was that the event of the book are set relatively close to Home. Set on a remote island of the West Coast of Island, Croaghnakeela is as miserable and desolate as the worst British weather can make you feel. 

Combined mythology and supernatural and you can get an idea or feel for this book. I loved the links to Irish and Celtic mythology, and I even found out through my research when writing this review that there are somewhat ties to more local mythology in these figures. If you want to find out more about this book, I shared my full thoughts on Grace in my blog tour review.

 

An Offer From a Gentleman

Amazon Purchase Link 

Doing a complete 180° once again, after finishing Grace, I listened to an audiobook copy of an offer from a gentleman from Julia Quinn. I picked this book up on a whim. I’m currently watching season four of Bridgerton on Netflix. Having started this series on telly, I decided to give this third instrument of the books ago. Doing so was a little bit of a risk. Whilst I read the Duke and I and the experience was okay, I didn’t like book two, Anthony and Kate’s story. So much so, I DNF’d it. 

However, I was able to borrow a copy of the audiobook from my library. So, I thought what the hell?

And you know what ended up better than I thought given protagonist from a very different societal background class, I found her more relatable characters in the series. Whilst Benedict is still somewhat insufferable in his behaviour at the beginning, I think persevering was worth the while. My experience an offer for a gentleman was marginally better than the first instalment the Duke and I. Being I’m not a big romance reader, it was always going to be a hard push to get a five star rating. 

It hasn’t put me off trying the fourth book, which is Colin and Penelope’s story however. 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Amazon Purchase Link 

For the first time ever this month, I read a play in the form of Blues for an Alabama Sky. I picked up this book for our work book club, as it also has a romance element to the story. 

However, in the 104 page count, this book covers far more than just a basic romance. Set in depression era America, the book follows the story of Angel and her dreams of getting out of Harlem New York. She meets a man she thinks could be the love of her life. However, throughout the book we see a number of personal differences come to the fore and challenge the relationship.

Blues for an Alabama sky was a very quick read, and I enjoyed the difficult topics that were touched upon in the narrative. It was also really enjoyable to pick up a book in a different format! 

 

The Three Witches

Amazon Purchase Link 

My second blog tour obligation, which landed right at the beginning of March, was for a book called The Three Witches by Elena Collins. I ended up picking up and completing this read pretty quickly because I had the deadline to review. However, The Three Witches was very readable. I loved the angle of the narrative and the attempt to honour historical events as closely as possible. Not only that, but also in trying to give persecuted women their voices back and highlight the true lives of women accused of witchcraft. 

If you’re interested in a historical fiction aimed at telling the real stories of women in a dual timeline mystery, go and read my review of The Three Witches. 

 

Dear Debbie

Amazon Purchase Link 

In a recent YouTube video, I shared some highly anticipated 2026 releases. The first of these books is Dear Debbie, which was released in January. 

It isn’t a surprise I loved this audiobook! I read Freida’s The Housemaid series in this format. Given it worked well for me, I stuck and it paid off. Not that I think reading traditionally would hamper my enjoyment, because i don’t. In order to get through all my reads, I have to pick some up in audio and I know these are easy, engaging listens. 

The twist at the end of this book took me by my surprise. In a way, it shouldn’t have. However, it was very cleverly written and the storyline pulled off well. 

 

Throne of Glass

Amazon Purchase Link

Finally, the one book left that I’m currently reading as if this monthly wrap-up is Throne of Glass. This is a readalong series I’ve started, and I was also reading this towards the romance-themed book club. 

Because of my blog tour obligations, Throne of Glass took a backseat. As of the end of February, I was 26% into the book. I’ve read a little more since then, and it’s going down well so far… 

I went into this book with a preconception that I may not enjoy this one. However, the romance element of the book isn’t overtaking the events of the plot and the world-building behind it. So far, so good! 

 

Summary 

February was a successful month by all accounts. No DNF’s to report, which is great news, and seven competed reads in the shortest month of the year is a win. 

How many books have you picked up in February? Have you read any of the books in today’s monthly wrap-up post, or added any to your reading list as a result of today’s monthly wrap-up? 

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Sunday Summary – 1st March 2026

Today’s Sunday Summary comes at the end of another busy week. Well, not quite. Technically, it’s landing right at the start of another one, but that’s intentional. Thankfully, I’ve gotten somewhat more comfortable with everything I’m juggling at work, so I’m pleased to share reading is back on track! And it’s a good job too, especially considering today’s reading and review obligation.

Content-wise, I’ve been quiet on YouTube this week as I didn’t get a chance to record last week. However, things are back to normal now! 

Blog content went out as normal. My first post of the week went live on Thursday, and it was my review of the finale of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, The Lost Metal. I can only hope I’ve done the book justice. It’s a tough one to review. It’s a huge series that’s intimidating to review at the best of times. However, being the final instalment, the pressure was ON!

My First Lines Friday featured an upcoming read on my March TBR. I want to pick this up and read it towards the Tale Spinners reading prompt in the Goodreads Winter Challenge. Also, this book is on my fixed reading list for 2026, so win-win! 

Then, Sunday morning my review of The Three Sisters went live. This blog tour obligation was a delight to read and I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on this book! It’s for this reason my Sunday Summary is going live at a minute past midnight on Monday morning… 

 

Books Read

Dear Debbie

After only touching on Dear Debbie briefly last week, I’m pleased to share I got much further with the audiobook this week. In fact, I finished it earlier today! 

Over the course of the week, I’ve listened to around 5 hours of audio – an amazing improvement on the week before if not exactly groundbreaking. Not like it was hard… Dear Debbie is a really engaging listen and the twist at the end was something else. Not that I should have been surprised having read and loved the Housemaid series. 

It makes a change for me to read such a new release. And, I’m looking forward to sharing what I think about it in more detail in the near future. 

 

Throne of Glass

In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I shared that I’d only read a handful of pages of Throne of Glass. This is the only book on today’s Sunday Summary for which the update is similar. However, I plan to change that once this post is scheduled. 

Hopefully I can squeeze in a few more chapters before bed. Regardless of whether I do or don’t, finishing Throne of Glass is now top of my list; it’s my only carryover from February left. If the books continues in the way it’s started, it’s also surprisingly easy to read. Let’s hope for some quick progress, because then I am back on track to move on to the sequel which I’ve scheduled to read in March. 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

A relatively quick read I devoured in a couple of evenings is a play, Blues for an Alabama Sky. I’ve read plays before, but not for leisure. Rather, I’ve read them as part of my theatre studies at school. However, this week marked a first in picking up a play as a new format of book to read. It went down pretty well actually! At just over 100 pages, it wasn’t exactly a long read. 

Even so, the book discusses a number of societal issues present in depression era New York within the short page count. That’s in part why I wanted to read it. Yes, the book worked for my book club prompt as the main protagonist is involved in a whirlwind romance of sorts. However, with these societal issues plaguing the characters, there was more to the story than the romance, if you know what I mean. 

The book club meet was scheduled for Wednesday, so you can see why Throne of Glass was put on the back-burner. 

 

The Three Witches

Even after I read Blues for an Alabama Sky for book club, Throne of Glass still didn’t stand a chance as the next priority was to read and review The Three Sisters by Sunday. With just a few days (and a Saturday night out with my girl friends planned) that didn’t leave a massive window of opportunity. It’s good job I thrive on a deadline! 

With a relatively free Saturday afternoon, and a slightly late night after watching Guys and Dolls, I finished The Three Sisters in time to review the book yesterday (Sunday). I loved this historical novel and how it tried to stay as true to the history that inspired it. Not only that, but the narrative was determined to give back the lost voices of the women falsely accused of witchcraft and murdered by emphasising their place as normal women in society. Often, they were those that gave most to communities as healers, midwives and wise women. 

I’ve already shared my detailed thoughts on the book, so here’s a link to my full review in case this has piqued your interest. 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added quite a few books to my TBR lately. I’ve read 13 books, but I’ve added an identical number to my reading list as well. So, I’ve not improved the size of the list any. 

And, a recommendation this week for the The Freedom Writers Diary makes another addition. I haven’t purchased any copies yet. It may just be payday, but I’ll wait until nearer the time to find a copy, either at my library if possible or from somewhere else. This addition is a recommendation from a colleague, Nanda. She has either read this book before or watched the TV documentary – I can’t recall which. Either way, she was telling me about it and the way this teacher gave her all to give disadvantaged students a fighting chance when everyone else had given up on them. 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

Staring early next week, my first post will be my monthly wrap-up for February. With seven books completed by the end of the month, and a carryover, there’s lots to discuss in terms of reading progress. If you want a recap of how I got in compared to my February TBR, stay tuned and I’ll take you through the deets on Tuesday. 

On Thursday, I’ll give you the lowdown on my March TBR. I’ve already shared a lot of what I’m reading in my 2026 Goodreads Winter Challenge video on YouTube. However, there are a couple of changes to that list, as well as some other reading obligations I’ve signed up for on top of that. March is going to be no less restful, although thankfully I do have a week of work coming up. Hopefully I can squeeze a bit more reading into that week to make the ambitious TBR possible… 

On Friday, I’ll share my usual Shelf Control feature. In this post, I’ll return to an author I discovered thanks to a blog tour. The previous book of theirs I read got a 5* rating from me. This more recent book is a spy/espionage style narrative, so a bit different from what I’ver read lately. Tune in on Friday to find out more! 

 

YouTube

With some free time earlier today, I prepared and recorded my monthly wrap-up for February. So, whilst I’m posting a written version on my blog, if you prefer video/audio content, that will be going live on Tuesday evening on YouTube. 

Then, later in the week I’ve also got my monthly TBR video. This one is recorded and edited; not really sure why I edited this one first, but there we go! It’s not a big deal, and thankfully it means drafting my written version of the post will be a lot easier as I’ve planned it out a little more in advance than I would usually. 

 

Summary 

This Sunday Summary has plenty for you regardless of your reading tastes. Have you read any of the books featured in this Sunday Summary? 

Now, my remaining plans for the night are to get showered, read a little Throne of Glass and then retire. For the night. Sadly I can’t retire full stop and spend all my days reading… 

Never mind, there’s a EuroMillions draw on Tuesday. Who knows, I may get lucky. 

Right! 😂 I’m more likely to see the end of my TBR

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Sunday Summary – 22nd February 2026

Another week’s end can only mean it’s time for my Sunday Summary update. It’s been a weird one, as it’s felt a little hands off. I’ve still published my usual content, but a lot of it was prepared in advance. The exception to this rule was my Top Ten Tuesday post. If you’re an armchair traveller and like to read from a variety of settings, this post is one for you to check out! 

My Shelf Control intended for a couple of weeks ago finally went live this week. As I drafted it a couple of weeks ago but forgot to publish it, it’s fair to say I didn’t need to do much to get it out in the world… 

On YouTube, I shared my review of Notes on a Nervous Planet and a recommendation video for Game of Thrones fans. I’d recorded and prepped these videos by Monday last week, so I haven’t done a whole lot on YouTube content since then…   

 

Books Read

An Offer From a Gentleman

In last week’s Sunday Summary I was 36% into the audio of An Offer From a Gentleman. 

With a week left to listen to this audiobook, it was my priority to finish. And, I’m pleased to share I did! I confess, I wasn’t sure if I’d stick this out. I don’t have the best track record with the novels in this series. Whilst it wasn’t a showstopper and I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, I’m pleased I made it to the end without DNF’ing. 

It wasn’t a sure thing… it wouldn’t be the first book of the series I’ve put down prematurely. 

 

Dear Debbie

I returned to Dear Debbie after finishing An Offer From a Gentleman. That was pretty late this week, so I’ve only listened to this audio a fraction over 20mins. 

Naturally, though, with no other audiobook commitments now I’ll be back on this one full force. Dear Debbie isn’t a long audio, so I’m sure I’ll have this cracked in the next week for sure! 

 

Throne of Glass

I confess I’ve only read a handful of pages of Throne of Glass this week. I’ve not physically read much in the way of books full stop. It’s no reflection on the book, but rather because I’ve been juggling a lot of stuff at work this week. By the time I’m home and ready to enjoy some downtime, I’ve turned to easier hobbies on the brain, like my Rivendell cross-stitch. 

Hopefully more to share on this one soon – book club is fast approaching! With this in mind, the plan is to read as much as I can this evening once this Sunday Summary is live! 

 

Books Discovered

It’s a good job I didn’t promise no more bookish additions in last week’s Sunday Summary. I was found well, until the other half and some friends suggested I go for a ‘look’ in Waterstones this morning. 

Ha, who do they think I am?! Of course I got a couple! The good news is I got them with accumulated points on my loyalty card, so they didn’t cost me anything… 

The books I got were A Mother’s Promise (a WW2 Auschwitz story) and River Kings – about Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Road routes. It’s not often to read about the latter, and well, I’m curious! 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

I’ve got a full week lined up for you, and I’m excited! Kicking off next week, I’m sharing my review of Brandon Sanderson’s The Lost Metal. I loved this series hard and I was both delighted and devastated to get to the end. I’ve been a bit wistful about starting The Way of Kings again lately. Maybe featuring Sanderson and another great series will kick me up the butt.

On Friday, I’ve got a First Lines Friday teed up. Given I’ve got some other bookish priorities on next week, I’m not challenging myself this time. I may need all the reading time I can get 😅

On Sunday, I’ll be publishing a blog tour review of The Three Witches. It’s the last of my bookish commitments this week, but a hard deadline and I’ve yet to start the book… 

Then, my usual Sunday Summary will go live at 00:01 on Monday morning so the blog tour post has its full day and my weekly update isn’t too delayed 😉

 

YouTube

I haven’t recorded anything for YouTube yet, which is unusual for me. However, I’ve had a little more on this weekend than usual. I’ll probably try to get some content recorded tomorrow night so it’s business as usual. 

The plan, because I have a plan at least, is to film a Meet the BookTuber video. Now I’ve got a few vids under my belt and established my content niche, I want to introduce the myself properly! 

Later in the week, I’m curating a list of books I’ve added to my reading list recently that I really think you need too! 

 

Summary 

Now, I’m off to try and make some more progress with Throne of Glass. Book bloggers kind of need to read books now and then, after all….

What are you reading this weekend? 

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Sunday Summary – 15th February 2026

Today’s Sunday Summary comes after a busy week. Both work and blog deadlines took their toll, so I’ve deliberately enjoyed a more relaxed weekend! 

Early in the week, I started off my blog with a post about books that inspired me to pick up another read. These are less obvious choices rather than sequels to series ands the like. I’ve got three books and what they inspired me to read next if you’re interested. Next, my deadline for reviewing Grace fell on Thursday. It was a pleasure to review this horror novel and launch the tour on a very positive note 😊

Over on YouTube, I published a review of my first 5* read of the year, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Later in the week, details of the Goodreads Winter Challenge I’m looking to complete before 31st March! It’s the first time I’m pushing myself to complete one of these. However, with five of twelve achievements under my belt, there’s no reason I can’t achieve it.. .

The Shelf Control that stayed in drafts last week by accident also didn’t get published this week, but for an entirely different reason. All I have to do is make it live and share the link. However, I unfortunately had to work overtime on Friday and didn’t finish until quite late. After a busy week and then that on top, I decided to just let that post roll to next week. You understand, yes? 

 

Books Read

Dreams from my Father

When I shared last week’s Sunday Summary, I disclosed I had just over 3 hours left of the audiobook of Dreams from my Father to go. Admittedly I finished this on Monday this week. Having enjoyed the audiobook to date, I was keen to reach the conclusion and that shows in how I devoured the last part of the book. 

Dreams from my Father lived up to my expectations. After reading and being pleasantly surprised my A Promised Land, I was excited to delve more into Barack’s personal history and story. It did not disappoint. The book is insightful and somewhat emphasises his priorities as a person and why he stands for the things he does. I had no idea he had lived in Indonesia for a stretch of his childhood, or the path that could have taken him away from the life he lived as we know it. 

Very interesting book – I’m glad I read it! 

 

Grace

Another finish on Monday was Grace by A.M. Shine. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as I needed to prioritise this to share my review on Thursday. 

This horror was totally atmospheric and I loved the small town, dark and supernatural tale. It was twistier than I expected! A fun read, a different read, and one I’d recommend to all fans of the genre. If you want to find out more, my review is live and ready to read here should you want to take a look. Pretty please? 😅

 

Dear Debbie

My planned audiobook listen, which I’ve picked up earlier in the week is Dear Debbie. 

Having enjoyed the Housemaid series in audiobook format, it made sense to me to read this one in the same way! Also, as I have a number of physical and digital books to read this month, it helped the book fit into my schedule. 

I’ve enjoyed the start of this books far, through I wouldn’t call that a surprise. The sarcasm the protagonist shined through in her Dear Debbie column. I love it, and can’t wait to listen on how the story progresses. I’m putting a small pause on it, because I need to prioritise a library loan listen I picked up opportunistically… 

 

An Offer From a Gentleman

A spur of the moment listen is Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman. You may recall I read The Duke and I and DNF’d The Viscount Who Loved Me. After that DNF, I didn’t think I would continue with the series. However, with Bridgerton back on Netflix, I decided to listen to this as I watched the show. I’ve overtaken the series already, having only watched the first episode and most of the second. However, I’m doing alright with this audiobook so far… 

I’ve just extended my loan as the audiobook was due to return on Tuesday. Whilst I managed to listen to over a third of this audiobook yesterday (36%), I’m not going to get a solid opportunity to listen like that before Tuesday. I’ve extended a week, so I can hopefully listen whilst commuting and maybe at the gym throughout the week and finish it next Saturday. 

For a person who doesn’t love romance, I’m not doing bad right now. It goes to show I can read the genre when I put my mind to it… 

 

Throne of Glass

My final read of the week also pushes me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never read Sarah J Maas before. However, I’ll wax lyrical about my being a diverse reader and picking up a variety of books, so why not?! I’m actually reading this for book club later this month. It’s one of two reads I’m picking up to discuss in this month’s club, but this is the book I have a copy of right now. The other is on order 😊

So far, I confess to being pleasantly surprised by Throne of Glass. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve gone into the book with a big question mark over whether I’ll like it. However, as of this Sunday Summary I’m 26% into the book and actually enjoying it! 

I’ve not hit any of the romance aspect of the book yet, although I have my suspicion as to who it’ll be with. Otherwise through, Throne of Glass is proving quite readable and I’m keen to progress with this one to give more of an update in next week’s Sunday Summary. 

 

Books Discovered

The last few weeks I’ve been trickling books onto the TBR. I figured I needed to give it a rest, otherwise this list of mine is never going to go down! 

No new books this week… but I make no promises for next 😅📚

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

My blogging adventures next week begin with a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is ‘Books for Armchair Travellers’. I suspect my version of this topic will weigh a little heavy in historical fiction books, but I will of course try to diversify with genres as best I can. 

The infamously late Shelf Control post will go live next week, even if I have to schedule it in advance! I might do that actually, so then there is LITERALLY. NO. EXCUSE. 

Then, of course, we all know I’ll round up my latest reading updates in another Sunday Summary. Same time next week. Set your watches. 

 

YouTube

I’ve got two long-form videos lined up, as well as some shorts and other social media content planned. The first of those two videos is my next book review from my 2026 January TBR (Notes on a Nervous Planet). Later in the week, I’ve got some book recommendations for Game of Thrones fans looking for alternative series whilst we wait for George R.R. Martin’s next instalment! 

That’s plenty to update you with in this Sunday Summary – I’ll let you get on with the rest of your day, but not before you tell me what you’re currently reading ⏬

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2026

***Today’s monthly-wrap-up contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

The beginning of the year and setting my January TBR feels like both yesterday and a distant memory. This month has been a tale of two halves. In terms of reading progress and motivation, January has flown. Financially though, January is the looooongest month of the year. 

I’m pleased with this month’s reading progress. I got to all but one book on my January TBR, and started one extra audiobook after finishing with both the audiobooks I had on the list. 

 

Books Read 

Orbital 

Amazon Purchase Link 

I wanted to start the year with a relatively quick read. Perhaps my choice of Orbital was a little misguided on account of the page count, however it was a fantastic read. 

What Orbital lacks in page count, it makes up for in thought-provoking content. From intimate detail on life in space with five other people to the fragility of life and the pull of the Earth, this book appealed to me for its content and didn’t fail to deliver. I’ve already shared my full thoughts on the book on my new YouTube channel. If you’re interested in finding out more about this Booker prizewinner, please take a look at my video 🥺

 

Beyond Redemption 

Amazon Purchase Link 

I started Beyond Redemption in December but didn’t get too far before the end of the month. After finishing Orbital, I revisited this book. The pacing of Beyond Redemption didn’t quite work for me, so it took me until mid-January to finish it. 

In my recent YouTube review of Beyond Redemption, I shared what worked and what didn’t work for me. Ultimately, I finished the book and rated it three stars. The premise was really appealing and I had high hopes for Beyond Redemption. In practice, it didn’t quite live up to my expectation. Want to deep dive into my thoughts on this one? Here’s my video review. 

 

The Doors of Midnight 

Amazon Purchase Link 

I made a healthy start to The Doors of Midnight back in December and I was optimistic that it was going to be a five star read of January. However, I ultimately decided to DNF this audiobook. 

When it came down to it, I found the narrative a little repetitive and interest waned. As and when opportunities came up to listen to this book, I found myself making excuses and picking up other things. That says a lot. To take a break, I started my second audiobook of the month and after enjoying that one more, it brought home to me more that I was no longer enjoying The Doors of Midnight. So, that was the decider for me. 

 

Yellowface

Amazon Purchase Link 

Looking for a pick-me-up after Beyond Redemption, I turned to an author I know I’ve enjoyed historically. Of course R.F. Kuang did not disappoint once again! 

Picking up Yellowface is quite different from the two books I’ve read of hers to date (Babel and The Poppy War). However, she is the type of author who can write from a variety of backgrounds yet also discuss topics that clearly mean a lot to her to feature. 

If you are unfamiliar, Yellowface is heavily about cultural appropriation and the public perception of a white author publishing a story from a minority background. I loved how this was explored, as well as the nature of being an author and the publishing industry as a whole. Needless to say, Yellowface was the hit I hoped for, and needed. 

 

The Great Passage

Amazon Purchase Link 

The Great Passage is the audiobook I picked up after DNF’ing The Doors of Midnight. I had high hopes for this audiobook already, but I especially wanted to love this book after being disappointed by that audio. 

Thankfully, The Great Passage fared much better. What I really enjoyed about this audiobook is that the setting is culturally very different. It opened my eyes to a completely different way of life. I picked up this book because I loved its passion and focus on words, meanings, and the compiling of a dictionary. It excelled at all those things, but the appreciation for the cultural insights this book gives is what made it a well-rounded experience. 

 

The Courage to be Disliked

Amazon Purchase Link 

Unfortunately, The Doors of Midnight wasn’t my only DNF of the month. This month, I set a theme including self-help, learning and development for book club. On my January TBR I set out my intentions to pick up I Know I’m in There Somewhere. However, it turns out this book is very hard to get a hold of. Instead, I picked up The Courage to be Disliked…. But only read 21% before DNF’ing. 

The novelty of the dialogue-style narrative quickly wore off. If readers are meant to find the character of the unnamed ‘youth’ relatable, unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark with me. They are argumentative, combative and I didn’t gel with them at all. However, I also felt the ‘professor’ was a little off too. No doubt his role was to teach the principles of Adler, and they are what they are. I didn’t agree with all of what was discussed either. 

Consequently, The Courage to be Disliked didn’t last long under my nose before being set aside. 

 

Notes on a Nervous Planet

Amazon Purchase Link 

I turned to a well-known and trusted author again after this latest DNF. 

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is one of my favourite books in recent history. His unique insight into mental health difficulties shone through in Notes on a Nervous Planet. This short and approachable read, written in short chapters, informal notes and tips for limiting the impact of our modern world on our mental health was insightful. I practice some of these already, such as limiting exposure to the news. However, it discusses a number of topics, like technology, social media and consumerism to name just a few. 

The format of this book was quite unique, and as a result I flew through this already short book. It’s definitely encouraging me to read more of his books – I have The Midnight Train to look forward to in 2026, but also some backlist titles like Reasons to Stay Alive on my radar as well.  

 

Dark Chronicles

Amazon Purchase Link

I signed up to review a collection of suspenseful speculative fiction stories late this month. Admittedly, I was quite late picking up this collection. However, its ease to read world in my favour so I could review these on my blog earlier this week.

For a short book, I still had plenty to say about this 178 page collection. Instead of repeating myself in this monthly wrap-up, instead I’ll direct you to my published review.

 

After the Forest

Amazon Purchase Link 

Finally, this monthly wrap-up gets to my current and carried forced reads into February. 

After the Forest is my chosen Cottagecore Fantasy read for this month as part of the Cottagecore Fantasy book club. If you like fairytale retellings, this book will also be right up your alley. 

Building upon the well-known fairytale Hansel and Gretel, After the Forest brings darker topics like addiction, war and witchcraft into the future lives of the children. With trouble on their doorstep, Greta is doing everything she can to keep her brother Hans and her afloat. Suspicion is never far away, given her past. 

So far, I’m enjoying this quite dark retelling. As fairytales go, it’s far from light and fluffy anyway. It feels like a great story to use as a launchpad for this type of tale. As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m 40% into the book and excited to see its conclusion. 

 

Dreams from my Father

Amazon Purchase Link 

Finally, the last book to feature in this epic monthly wrap-up (it feels as long as January did!) is Dreams from my Father. With my audiobooks planned for January either finished of DNF’d, I wanted to pick up my next audio. My preference is to have an audiobook on the go all the time, as it means I can maximise reading time when doing tasks where I can’t read traditionally. 

In the last couple of days, commuting to and from work, I’ve started to listen to Barack Obama personally recount is exploration of his origins and his dream to discover his identity. Dreams from my Father is very much about his heritage and background. About how he felt adrift growing up, given his obvious African heritage but lack of the father who shared it with him. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m only 11% or so into this audiobook. As I said, I only really started this in the final few days of the month, and only whilst driving. I would have been a little further on if I didn’t fluff up earlier today and accidentally skip back to the beginning of my chapter. I couldn’t fix it whilst driving, so that could have been another 20 minutes or so. Never mind… 

 

Summary 

Despite a couple of DNF’s, I count January’s progress a success! I have six completions to my name at the end of this monthly wrap-up, with two more books in progress. In terms of my Goodreads Challenge, I’m getting ahead early. I don’t think I could have asked for a better start to 2026. 

How many books have you picked up this January? Have you had a good start to the year? 

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First Lines Friday – 30/012026

***Today’s First Lines Friday contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

A recent addition to my TBR makes it onto today’s First Lines Friday. I was drawn in by the mysterious synopsis and all-too-familiar closeted setting. As a resident of a smallish island myself, I love a setting like this one. There really are no keeping secrets, so I’m intrigued to watch this tale unravel. 

Here’s today’s First Line sFriday opening, and then I’ll tell you more about the book! 

 

I have hated my mother for most of my life but it is her face I see as I drown. 

The face I see when I wake from drowning is different. It is rough and wind-bitten and scratchy. It is what I’m looking at when the sudden arrival of pain overcomes me, and I know the image of him will forever be as one with this pain. Whenever I see this face I will remember the burning sting of being dragged upon rocks and flayed open, left raw, I will feel the bursting pressure in my chest; the sensation will be so vivid it will be like it’s happening all over again. His face, a return. A drowning. 

 

 

Wild Dark Shore – Charlotte McConaghy

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Pages: 298

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publication Date: 04 Mar 2025

 

Goodreads – Wild Dark Shore

Amazon Purchase Link 

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late―and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

 

My Thoughts…

I love a mystery. Wild Dark Shore is also a pretty short mystery, so this size of book should be approachable to readers of all commitment levels. Small town settings are also great for mysteries. In such communities, there isn’t really such thing as a well-kept secret. Great for us readers, not so much for the characters involved… 

The opening to this book caught my eye. Why would a person you hate be the person you think of in mortal danger? Why does Rowan feel so strongly about he mother? Already the mystery opens in the first sentence – does this have any part in the central narrative at all? There’s only one way to find out!

What’s fun about this book is that it actually qualifies for two Goodreads Challenges right now – Star Selections and Lasting Reads. Whilst I didn’t focus on the Goodreads seasonal challenged as much as I would like this year, maybe I can have a solid go at completing the Winter challenge as a one-off? 

Have you read Wild Dark Shore? Does this type of thriller/mystery appeal to your reading tastes? If so, here’s a purchase link to get yourself a copy and read along with me 😊 I’m planning to pick this up very soon – I hope this First Lines Friday has tempted you too! 

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Shelf Control #99 – 23/01/2026

***Today’s Shelf Control post contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

Today’s Shelf Control post features another thriller novel with a kind of murder mystery aspect. This section of my TBR suggests I was really into thrillers. My prior feature was about a serial kidnapper and torturer. This book is about a murder investigation involving the accessing digitised memories of the deceased to discover the identity of the killer. I hinted at this in my Sunday Summary last week, so you’ve had five days to make your guesses as to what the title of today’s feature is.

Psychological thriller fans, this post is for YOU! And me! 

Before I share the details of the book, here’s a recap of what Shelf Control is all about. Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Access Point – Tom Gabbay

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Pages: 217

Audience: Adult

Publisher: JMS Books

Publication Date: 05 Apr 2020

 

Amazon Purchase Link

Goodreads – Access Point 

“A psychological thriller with compelling explorations of memory, obsession, and identity. Readers will find it an intriguing and entertaining read.” – BlueInk Review

When American art student Mia Fraser is brutally murdered steps away from her London house she shares with computer genius Ula Mishkin, it leaves the socially inept scientist heartbroken. When it becomes clear that Detective Sarah Boyd is making no progress in solving the crime using traditional methods, Ula creates a software program that allows her to reach into her dead housemates memory in order to reveal the identity of the killer. Entering the dead girls life through the echo of her memory, Ula learns that sometimes the past is best left undisturbed.

 

My Thoughts

Psychological thrillers are my favourite type of thrillers. Plus, this narrative has some novelty in the plot line I’m excited to read more on. The concept of accessing digitised memories to discover the identity of a killer has me intrigued. Are we talking about accessing digital diary entries. A digital persona/caricature of the real person uploaded into some futuristic (although not a leap away) technology? The synopsis is pretty vague on this point, but I’m curious to see where this angle takes us. 

Of course, Ula may find out far more than she wants to. The premise hints at that, but honestly it could go in any direction… from those she knows to maybe even herself. That would be an interesting twist, wouldn’t it?! 

Access Point hasn’t got a load of reviews on Goodreads yet, but the rating indicates the book has been well-received by the that have picked it up. Honestly, I’m looking forward to getting around to this one and being able to share my two-pence worth. Hopefully, also inspire some other readers to give it a go! 

I hope today’s post has inspired you to give Access Point a try along with me. It’s a short and purportedly fast-paced read. At a fraction over 200 pages, this is an approachable read. Whether you are looking for an approachable book or just want a change of genre and pace between longer books, Access Point is the perfect choice. Also, for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, you can access it with your membership. Otherwise, you can get a copy here. 

If you’re still with me, thanks for checking out today’s Shelf Control feature. Have you read Access Point? Do you fancy giving it a go along with me?

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