Tag: Top Ten

Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had

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In today’s Top Ten Tuesday post, we get to talk about a fun topic. Ever wish you had any book themed superpowers? As an epic reader, you can bet that I’ve got my fair share!

Let’s dive into this Top Ten Tuesday post in earnest!

 

Infinity – Book Shelf Space

As a bookworm, I would love to have all the bookshelf space in the world! Whilst my home is my castle, it is not the literal size of one. So, regretfully, I have to curtail the horde.

Fortunately in this digital age, I have the benefit of being able to access thousands of digital books in one place. It’s a compromise…

 

Time Travel – More Time in a Day to Read

There are never enough hours in the day, and as much as I love reading, it’s one of the last things I do. Unfortunately, I have to do boring stuff like go to work to pay bills and keep the house clean and tidy first.

BORING!

So, I would always appreciate an extra hour or two in a day to be able to dedicate to reading. If I could turn back time (and I hope you sang that!) then I would be able to find a way to get even more books read.

See what I did there?

 

Multitasking – The Ability to Read Several at Once

We talk about multitasking in our everyday lives, but it is a bit of a myth. In reality, the brain is chopping and changing between multiple tasks at once as opposed to doing them simultaneously. There are some good arguments out there for this actually being counterproductive, but that’s not why we’re here.

I would love to be able to physically read multiple books at once. Think of all the extra reading I could get done if I could even read two books at the same time!

 

Elemental Manipulation  – Endless Funds

Books cost money. And, a habit of my magnitude costs a good few pennies a month! If I had the means to make my own money though (besides the 9-5 at least), well, then it really would be no object wouldn’t it?!

I feel like that would be dangerous though! I’d be needing the space for all the books as well…

 

Psychic Powers – Recommendations

I love giving others book recommendations, and it’s something that can be quite hard to do. If I had the psychic ability to read minds and work out EXACTLY what someone wanted, well, it would remove a lot of the challenge and anxiety! 😂

 

Speed – Listen to Audiobooks Faster

I currently listen to audiobooks at 1.2x speed, but I would love to be able to follow along faster! Sadly my brain just isn’t that fast, and I can’t retain any information any quicker. Perhaps it comes with practice, but I’m not there yet.

It would have its perks of being able to read faster, but I feel like the audio quality would be compromised at the same time?

 

Eidetic memory – Retain Detail from Books

The most useful superpower I think I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday is all about memory!

For someone who reads with the intent of sharing reviews online, it is shocking how many basic details I will forget about a book. It is not uncommon for me to start drafting a review and have to remind myself of things like the protagonist’s name!

Maybe that’s a consequence of the volume of books I read in a year. Nevertheless, I’m sure there is plenty more detail that I would benefit from retaining if I had this superpower. But I don’t, so Google and Goodreads remain my friend.

 

Invisibility – Read in Peace

Don’t you just love when you’re sat at work in your lunch lunch hour and someone tries to talk to you when you’re reading? That’s maybe not a problem for everybody, but it is a problem for everybody who reads!

The unspoken rule of not interrupting a bookworm on their lunch hour is one that is clearly not very well known. I would love to be invisible so that I don’t have to encounter this problem, and I don’t have to re-read the same paragraph multiple times.

 

Omnilingualism – Read Books in Any Language

Think of all the extra possibilities that are, if you are able to pick up a book in every language and instantly read it!

Whilst I have very limited knowledge of German, I am largely bound to reading books in my native language, or books translated into it by others. There are so many books out there that I could read if I was able to understand the language, but I can’t! The reality of me learning another language at this point is pretty slim.

 

Atmokinesis – Rainy Days

The last superpower I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday is Atmokinesis.

There is nothing more satisfying than sitting at home on a rainy day, cosy up with blankets and tea with a book. If I had the power to alter the weather, I would make it rain every single day to justify not leaving the house.

Damn, books and coziness it is…

 

Are there any bookish superpowers featured in this Top Ten Tuesday that you wish you had? Do you share any of mine?

Let me know in the comments!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Reads to Pick Up This Halloween!

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Hello everybody, and welcome to my Top Ten Tuesday post, with recommendations for books to pick up this Halloween! If you’re not sure what you want to read this spooky season, I have ten recommendations for books that I have read and I think would make excellent reading. There is quite a variety of books in this selection, so there should be something here that meets your needs.

Where I have a live review of each book on my blog, I’ve provided a link to that if you want more information.

So, let’s jump into my recommendations!

 

The Stand

I’m starting off with some of Stephen King’s most iconic books. Aside from The Green Mile, The Stand was one of the first books I read of Stephen King’s. I actually listened to this epic on audiobook due to its size.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of a premise that is a more extreme version of the pandemic we have just lived through, then maybe this one isn’t for you. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this post-apocalyptic narrative.

Full review here

 

IT

Another Stephen King novel I read and really enjoyed is IT. I read this one physically, and I have no doubt that I’ll be going back to my copy on my bookshelf at some point! I really enjoyed the dual-timeline narrative, and at just under 1400 pages, this is the longest book I have ever read. Despite that, I managed to read IT in a couple of weeks.

Full review here

 

Pet Sematary

If you want to try a Stephen King novel that won’t (quite) knock somebody out if you throw it at them, Pet Sematary is shorter than the previous books listed, yet is still brilliant.

I had no idea this book was going to end the way it did. However, it encapsulates the horror genre brilliantly.

Full review here

 

Imaginary Friend

Moving away from Stephen King, I have a number of books on this recommendation list from other authors.

I read Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chboksy in October 2019. This is also quite a sizable horror, but well worth the investment! Even though I read a good portion of this book on holiday, the narrative was chilling and unnerving enough to give all the autumnal, spooky vibes!

Full review here

 

The Dark Chorus

If you want to pick up a fairly short read this Halloween, then The Dark Chorus may just be the book for you. The narrative focuses on a young boy who can see lost souls. The narrative has a spiritual emphasis and involves this young boy committing terrible, ritualistic murders, towards his end goal.

It was a very creepy read, but one I rated very highly!

Full review here

 

Empire of the Vampire

If you like to read more towards the fantasy genre, Empire of the Vampire is a strong recommendation for you. I read this book by Jay Kristoff on holiday this year. As the name would suggest, this book is about vampires, but also about our main character, who is a vampire slayer.

Empire of the Vampire is a very Gothic style fantasy, with elements such as religion and the undead being at war with each other. I personally cannot wait to pick up the sequel to this book, whenever it is published. In the meantime, I can only recommend Empire of the Vampire to you!

 

The Chalk Man

Coming in at 280 pages, The Chalk Man is a very approachable reader for anybody. With a dual-timeline split between Eddie’s childhood, and his return to his hometown as an adult, a very dark story unfolds.

The benign language a group of friends used to communicate with each other leads to the discovery of a body, and nothing is ever the same again.

Full review here

 

The Taking of Annie Thorne

The Taking of Annie Thorne is another fairly short, but very sinister read. This was the second book. I read by CJ Tudor, and she is an author I will go back to for this kind of read in the future. It is brilliantly paced, the characters are engaging, and the storyline is something else.

This was a five-star read, and now I’m recommending it to you in the hopes that it will be for you too.

Full review here

 

Bell, Book and Candle (To Snare a Witch)

If you are a bit pressed for time this Halloween, maybe a series of short stories would be better suited to you?

I read these short stories back in October 2019 and they are a great way of delving into the dark and sinister without too much investment. They are also very easy to read, and you can read as many or a few of them as you like. The good thing about short stories is that they are very approachable!

Full review here

 

Mort

Lastly, if you’re not much into the Halloween genre and want to read something more satirical, I can recommend Mort by Terry Pratchett. It has a loose tie to the genre in that one of the main characters of this book is Death. In this first instalment of the Discworld series, Death decides to take an apprentice – Mort.

 

So, those are my Top Ten Tuesday recommendations for books to pick up this Halloween! Have you read any of the books listed today? Would you recommend any of them to others?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books on My Autumn To-Read List!

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. In today’s post, I’m going to be talking about ten books that I hope to fit onto my Autumn TBR. The official title for this week’s theme is your ‘Fall TBR’, but I’m a Brit, dammit!

I have been reading quite a lot of late, and I’m excited to continue with some books that make up a series, and pick up some new and more seasonal reads. Now the nights are starting to draw in, we are heading into my favourite time of year. I enjoy the dark nights; it justifies cozying up with a cuppa, a blanket, and favourite books. Let’s dive into today’s Top Ten Tuesday post and get into what I plan to pick up in the next few months!

 

Assassin’s Quest

I have been really enjoying Robin Hobb’s writing of late, and so I would love to pick up Assassin’s Quest in the not-too-distant future. This is the last book of the first trilogy that contributes to the wider Realm of the Elderlings series. Whilst events of the first two books are fresh in my mind, I would like to conclude this opening trilogy.

 

Malice

I recently featured Malice in another Top Ten Tuesday post – that one talking about some of the oldest books on my TBR. This one is the oldest book that I physically own, and I would like to finally get around to it. If I really enjoy it, then it is yet another fantasy series, and new author, that I can dive into.

I did start this particular book between six and seven years ago. However, I only got a handful of pages in and I can’t remember a single thing! It will be great to start this from scratch and see what this book is all about!

 

Blink of the Sun

Blink of the Sun is a fantasy book, of which I own a review copy. I signed up to review this book on BookSirens, and this review is due towards the end of October. The synopsis caught my eye, and as the genre (epic fantasy) is right up my street, I am hopeful that this will be a fun read, as well as a comfort read.

 

Babel

Along with Autumn, Babel gives me dark, moody vibes that I’m really looking forward to exploring. The tone is significantly different from the books I have listed so far in this post. However, Autumn is the best time to read this type of book. Having sampled a very small part of the book, I think Autumn will be the perfect time of year to read it.

The opening involves a child being discovered in a house riddled with plague. Whilst I don’t know the rest of the story, I have been assured that it gets darker from there.

 

A Thousand Ships

I am really into Greek Mythology at the moment. Earlier this year, I read Pandora’s Jar, also by Natalie Haynes. I really enjoyed that particular book, and so I wanted to read another of hers that features the Trojan War. There is another book on that topic that I read after reading Pandora’s Jar (Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker) and both of these books were a pleasure to read. I cannot wait to see how Natalie Haynes’ book on the same topic differs from Pat Barker’s.

 

Dear Child

Dear Child is also the kind of vibe that accompanies Autumn nicely. It is a psychological thriller that is based around a kidnapping and subsequent attempt to escape. Other than that, I have deliberately kept my knowledge of events in this book vague, so I can uncover the story as it develops.

I haven’t read anything like this lately, so not only am I looking forward to the dark vibe, but also for a change of reading scene.

 

Starsight

A couple of months ago I read Skyward, the first book in Brandon Sanderson‘s young adult series of the same name. I have been wanting to continue with these books, especially as I already own a copy of Starsight ready to pick up. Whilst the events of the first book of fresh in my mind, it will be the perfect opportunity to pick it up – I already physically own it. It’s also the only science-fiction book on this list. I am really enjoying the genre and even though it’s aimed at a slightly younger audience, this is a really enjoyable read.

 

The Wastelands

There has to be a Stephen King novel on every Autumn TBR, but the book I’m featuring is the third book in The Dark Tower series, The Wastelands. Whereas some of the books on this list have been added because I would like to continue with series that I have been working on of late, The Wastelands is the exception to that group. It has been some time since I last picked up a book from The Dark Tower series. With that in mind, I would like to get started with reading this again. I already own the entire series and it’s sat on my bookshelf begging to be picked up.

 

Queen of Our Times

In light of recent events, I have been inspired to read a book about Queen Elizabeth II, who is arguably one of the greatest and most influential British monarchs. Queen of Our Times is written by the official Royal biographer and it has fantastic feedback. It is also a fairly recently published book, and discusses her reign during the likes of the COVID-19 pandemic and also touches upon her Diamond Jubilee. I fully expect that more books will come out in the future that cover out the entirety of her brain, but I would like to pick up a book about her in the near future. This one looks perfect to me!

 

If We Were Villains

Along the same lines as Babel, dark academia as a genre is appealing to me and Autumn will be a perfect time to pick it up. If We Were Villains centres around a troupe of actors who specialise in Shakespeare. I have heard great things about this book and again, I already own a copy which is ready to read.

 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Top Ten Tuesday post! What books are you picking up as part of your Autumn TBR? Do any of the books in today’s list appeal to you? As always, let’s have a chat in the comments!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Quotes from A Game of Thrones

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Top Ten Tuesday freebie post! With complete discretion this week as to the subject matter, I’ve been looking at some of my highest ranking blog posts in order to decide what I think you would like to see.

Some of my most-viewed post types are about my favourite book quotes – those include my top five quotes from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series so far and my Quintessential Quotes post featuring quotes from Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archives. In addition, one of my top-viewed book reviews is A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.

With this as my inspiration, I’ve decided to combine the two together and share my top ten quotes from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, better known as A Game of Thrones! I previously shared a quintessential quotes post based on A Game of Thrones, over four years ago. However, in that post, I only share five of my favourite quotes. Since I have re-read the series, the quotes I chose to feature have both changed and expanded, although there are some quotes that remain firm favourites! 

I have broken the quotes down into which book they come from, so you can go and find them for yourself if you wish!

 

A Game of Thrones

 

“If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”

 

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

 

“My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”

 

“We all need to be mocked from time to time, Lord Mormont, lest we start to take ourselves too seriously.”

 

“When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”

 

A Clash of Kings

 

“Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.”

 

“The wide world is full of people wanting help, Jon. Would that some could find the courage to help themselves.

 

A Storm of Swords

 

“You are grown so very great now, yet the higher a man climbs the farther he has to fall.”

 

A Feast for Crows

 

“He understood the way that you could sometimes fall right into them, as if each page was a hole into another world.”

 

“I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.”

 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s quick and easy Top Ten Tuesday post! It’s always exciting to feature one of my favourite books and series of all time!

Have you read A Game of Thrones or any other books/short stories by George R. R. Martin? Maybe you’ve watched the TV series? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Wishes!

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Top Ten Tuesday posts were created by The Broke and the Bookish and then hosting moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

When I saw this week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme, I knew I wanted to share my version of this post. It’s a fun way to tell you what I’m really excited to read next, and also to consolidate my thoughts on the books I actually want to spend money on and rather than those purchased in the spur of the moment. I’m also going to include the format in which I want to obtain a copy of the book.

That’s important to me. I don’t have the most space in the world (although I am endeavouring to fill as much of it with books as possible!) and so I try to purchase e-books or audiobooks where possible. I will only buy physical copies of books by authors I really, really love. For the most part. There are some whimsical purchases now and then. As and when I have a clear out, these would be removed if necessary.

As most of these books are very high on my reading list, most of them I will be looking to purchase in print. There may however be a few exceptions.

The original aim of this post is for the blogger like me to include a link to a Wish List so anybody can purchase a copy of these books for me. I’m not doing that. I don’t expect anybody to buy books I want to read, other than myself. If I receive copies as gifts from friends or family for an occasion, then that’s fair and I’m really grateful. I don’t expect anything though, so I’m not setting up this facility.

Anyway, enough waffle. The books on this list broadly fall into two main categories – sequels or books awaiting publication. There are just a few exceptions to this rule and I’ll talk about those later in the post.

 

Awaiting Publication

It’s not very often I find myself waiting on a new release that isn’t a sequel. By far, I read more books in a series than I do standalones. Some of these books have been on my list for sometime, but others are also fairly recent.

The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss is by far the oldest book awaiting publication on my TBR. I remember really enjoying The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’ Fear – the first two books in the series, as a teenager. I have also read The Slow Regard of Silent Things, but I didn’t enjoy this novella quite as much as I did the other books. We have been eagerly awaiting this third novel in the series for so long that I will have to go back to the beginning once we get a publication date so I’m back up to speed; I haven’t read these books in about 10 years. At one point I had physical copies of the series, but I don’t think I do anymore. So, I’ll probably buy a Kindle copy.

Another big one on my list is The Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin. The good thing with this is that I am far more up to speed with the events of this series. I have read the books multiple times and watched the series as well. It will be interesting to see if the book surpasses my expectation based on the series! As I have the rest of the series in paperback (as well as Kindle and audio), I’ll definitely be looking to purchase The Winds of Winter in the same way.

The last book in the section is one that I’ve added to my TBR recently. I read Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff last month and it has been my best read of 2022 so far. The second book in the series is currently in the works and when I was doing some research, I couldn’t even find a title or cover for it yet. So, as a placeholder, I’m just going to have to call it Empire of the Vampire #2. This is certainly going to be a physical copy, and if I can, I’ll get a hardback so I’m consistent with my existing copy of Empire of the Vampire.

 

 

Sequels

Sequels by far make up of the majority of this list when you include the three books awaiting publication as well. However, the section is dedicated to sequels of books I’m reading that have been published and I am free to get whenever I’m ready.

Golden Son is the second book in the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. As I enjoyed the sound of the first book, I decided to pick this up as something different. It is a dystopian science-fiction novel and it’s one that I enjoyed far more than I expected to. I purchased this original book on my Kindle and so I’ll be doing the same with Golden Son.

Firefight is also the second book of the series, but this one is Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoners series. I’m really loving Brandon Sanderson‘s writing, but if I purchased every single book of his I enjoyed, I would have no room left in the house. Instead, I will probably cherry pick the best of the best once I read more of his work to own in physical copies. So, when I get my hands on Firefight, this will also be on my Kindle.

My second Brandon Sanderson book in the section is Cytonic. Contrary to what I’ve just said above, I already own copies of Skyward and Starsight in physical format. In fact, I am reading Skyward right now and I’m really enjoying the book. It’s different from his usual works as it is written for a younger YA audience. If I go onto enjoy this series as much as I think I will, then this is one of his I will be keeping. However, I’ll see how I go before I commit to purchasing the third book in paperback.

Lastly, I have some books from a reasonably new to me author on this list – Robin Hobb. I have just dived into Assassin’s Apprentice earlier this month, and I’ve already purchased physical copies of the rest of that trilogy ready to read. I fully expect to love these books!

What I also enjoy about the structure of her books is that there are multiple series within the same realm. I have just The Farseer trilogy for now, but there are plenty of other books to dive into later on – and that’s what I’m going to be doing.

I’m going to complete The Farseer trilogy first before I commit to buying any more books, but I fully expect that I’ll get the rest of the series in paperback too.

 

Other

I have a few anomalies on this list that do not fall into the above categories.

Technically, I already own a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. However, I’ve already read this book twice and I know it’s one I would like to go back to time and again. I also have a copy of The Testaments in physical format, and so I would like to backfill and purchase a physical copy of The Handmaid’s Tale (in hardback if possible, to match).

I also have a book that is not directly a sequel, but is part of a series written by Elizabeth Wein. It’s not directly a sequel as it doesn’t follow on from the same characters; instead, it follows events and different characters throughout World War II. I read Code Name Verity on my Kindle (which is technically the third book of the ‘series’) and so I would like to get Rose Under Fire in the same way. Depending on how well I get on with his book, I might go back and read the first two books.

The last book on my list is the real anomaly because it is the start of a series as opposed to a sequel. I’ve read and enjoyed numerous books by one of the co-authors. Not only that, but the way in which the book is written makes me want a physical copy, as the story is told through compiled media. Much like The Appeal by Janice Hallet, Illuminae isn’t straight prose. There is a lot more to take in and it is far more of a visual experience. I’ve known I want a physical copy of this book (and probably the rest of the series if I enjoy it) since I added it to my TBR.

So, those are my top ten bookish wishes! I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post and taking a look at which books I have my sights on.

Did any of the books in today’s post catch your eye? What are your bookish wishes? I’d love to know in the comments!

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer TBR

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Top Ten Tuesday post! Today’s subject is all about my Summer TBR. For those of you who read my blog regularly, you will know that I have taken a bit of a step back with reading this year. I don’t particularly anticipate getting through ten reads throughout summer, but I will certainly do the best I can!

Therefore, this list is going to be the books that I will choose my TBR from, rather than a definitive list of ALL the books I’m going to read in summer.

Does that make sense? I certainly hope so… But without further ado let’s get into the books on my list!

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J. K. Rowling

I’ve been re-reading the Harry Potter series this year and this is the next instalment on my list. I recently finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I really enjoyed that one, and I love that the books are starting to get a bit chunkier! I love a big book and I’m excited that some of the grittier aspects of Harry Potter are going to start creeping in soon. I can’t wait to pick this up!

 

Clarissa – Karl Drinkwater

This book is definitely going to be read very shortly as I am reviewing it for an upcoming blog tour next month. These are only short stories in a universe I’m already familiar with, having read other shorts in the series. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one compares and I have no doubt that I will enjoy it!

 

Ruabon – Karl Drinkwater

As with Clarissa, I am also reviewing the second short story around a week later than the first one. So, again, I will be reading this very very soon!

 

Dune – Frank Herbert

I intended to pick up Dune earlier this year, however, for one reason or another, it didn’t come to pass. I am determined to pick this up properly though, and so I imagine this will be among the next few books I decide to read.

 

Red Sister – Mark Lawrence

It has been several years since I read a book by Mark Lawrence, however, I really enjoyed his Broken Empire series when I was a teenager! So, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m really looking forward to trying something new of his and seeing if it lives up to my recollection of The Broken Empire trilogy.

 

The Talisman – Stephen King & Peter Straub

I haven’t picked up a Stephen King book for a little while, and this is the oldest one on my TBR. It’s my mission to get through some of the oldest books on my list this year and so this one is definitely in scope. I’m reading The Dark Tower series at the moment and I love how Stephen King dabbles in a little bit of fantasy. This is completely different, to the best of my knowledge, but I’m willing to give anything a go…

 

The Feedback Loop – Harmon Cooper

The Feedback Loop is another reasonably old item on my TBR. Given that I’m really enjoying more in the way of science fiction at the moment, this is definitely one to consider picking up soon. I think it’s quite a short one compared to my typical average, so it shouldn’t take too long to read once I do pick it up.

 

The Keeper of Lost Things – Ruth Hogan

The Keeper of Lost Things is a lot more contemporary than I typically pick up, however, I love the premise. As a sentimental person, I can see the appeal of the book and the narrative! With this one I was wanting to push my boundaries and try to read something new… so I hope I can get round to this before too long!

 

Hild- Nicola Griffith

It feels like an absolute age since I read a historical fiction novel. I’d say it’s my go-to genre that I haven’t picked up the longest. I’ve definitely been reading more in the way of science fiction and fantasy instead. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to getting back into historical fiction as it is one of my favourite genres. Having taken the break, I think reading Hild will be refreshing.

 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

A summer TBR isn’t complete without a dash of humour, and this is what I expect and more from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. I read a similar book recently, which blended psychology and humour. This also dabbles in a bit of self-help, which isn’t something I read much of, but I think this appeals to me for a lot of reasons!

Not giving a **** sounds like a plan to me!

So, there you have my Summer TBR (or at least the books I will be choosing my Summer TBR from). Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations? Please let me know in the comments!

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Top Ten Tuesday – Spring 2021 TBR

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is all about my Spring 2021 TBR.

If I’d have been writing this post this time last year, I would’ve been picking the ten books that I absolutely would be reading during spring. However, now I have changed to a more relaxed approach, today’s list is my top ten books that I will be choosing from rather than just reading the lot. It could well be subject to change. If there’s one thing I am enjoying this year it’s having the freedom to choose what I read when I want rather than setting rigid reading lists that I didn’t always stick to.

So, which ten books on likely to appear on my Spring 2021 TBR? Read on below to find out!

 

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Easter is around the corner and the daffodils are out in force, despite the cold weather persisting. So, I suppose I should count now as spring and in that vein, I am featuring my current read on this list. I’m about halfway through The Book Thief right now and I’m really enjoying it so I hope to have it finished soon!

 

Fire and Blood – George R. R. Martin

Fire and Blood is also a current read. I’m a couple of hundred pages in at the moment and I’m intending on picking this up again as soon as I have finished The Book Thief. It’s a heavy read in case you haven’t seen it before. If you have you’ll know it weighs in at about 700 odd pages. It’s a big one but you know me – I love the realm of Westeros and all the history that goes with the Game of Thrones series.

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J. K Rowling

I’ve read the first couple of Harry Potter books this year to date. If you follow my blog you’ll know that I committed to doing a re-read of the series this year! The first couple of books have been really easy to pick up and get back into the story from the start. I haven’t read these books since I was a teenager so going back to them is truly a blast from the past. I’m keen to keep up the momentum with this and so I’m fully intending on reading this next instalment very shortly!

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J. K. Rowling

And following on from my last book on this list, depending on how quickly I get around to reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I may just get around to reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before the summer. Maybe, we’ll see.

 

A Clash of Kings – George R. R. Martin

Similar to my featuring The Book Thief and Fire and Blood, it’s only fair that I feature my current audiobook as well. I really love the Game of Thrones series (as I’m sure I have established by now) and so I have been listening to this audiobook as a way to touch base with the series. This is also a long one and so I don’t really expect to get this listen to too much. I don’t want to commit to it just in case I don’t!

 

The Psychology Book

This book is one I have picked up previously and made a degree of progress with, however, I ultimately ended up putting it down and I haven’t read it in its entirety. It has been on my TBR for a number of years now and so I want to set aside the time to pick this up. As a former psychology student, I do find the content quite interesting and I like the diversity within this book!

 

Dune – Frank Herbert

I was gifted a copy of Dune years ago for my birthday by work colleagues and I think it’s about time that I get around to giving it a go! I love the sound of the premise and given that I’ve been reading more science fiction in recent years, I’m hoping that I really get on with this one. Only time and picking up the book itself will tell, but I’m optimistic.

 

Silverthorn – Raymond E. Feist

I first read Magician, the first book of the series, as a teenager. A couple of years ago I revisited this first book in an attempt to make a more serious go off reading the series. As with my first attempt, however, I didn’t really follow through and pick up this next book. I do plan on doing the shortly though, although I won’t be picking up the first book a third time – at worst I will have to try and recap the events of the first book online.

 

Words of Radiance – Brandon Sanderson

I am a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson and a reading list wouldn’t feel right without a book of his on it somewhere. I read The Way of Kings, the first book of this series (that is ultimately going to be around ten books long), a couple of years ago. Since then I have been deliberately putting off delving into this series further, despite the fact I really want to do having loved the first book. Brandon Sanderson has only published four of the ten at the moment I don’t want to be disappointed by catching up and having to wait for the last few to be published. As it stands book five scheduled for publication in two and a half years time! With that in mind, I think I have left at a decent time to be able to pick up the next book and halve another break before the next; it gives him a chance to keep writing the series so I don’t catch up before he finishes it!

 

If We Were Villains – M. L. Rio

I’ve owned a copy of this book for quite a few years now and it’s one of the older books on my TBR. So, this is another book that I intend to read shortly. Realistically, being at this end of the list, it is more likely being a summer read. That’s not the end of the world though, as it’s quite a nice manageable length it could make for quite an easy light read! Maybe in the garden –  although thoughts like that whilst it’s a tropical 8°C currently feels a little optimistic…

 

So, these are my top ten books I’ll likely be choosing from for my Spring 2021 TBR! Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments. 

 

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To

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Hey guys and welcome to today’s Top Ten Tuesday post! Today’s topic is Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To… and if that doesn’t sum up 2020 for me then I don’t know what does! I made ambitious plans last January, ignorant of how the year was going to pan out for me. I’ve already talked about the reasons a lot, but ultimately I didn’t meet any of my goals.

The most important goal in relation to today’s post was my aim to read the 25 oldest books on my TBR. I made a noble attempt and managed to read 7 in full, but I also DNF’d 3. A lot of these were old additions to the TBR… we’re talking 2014/2015 when I first started using Goodreads. That’s why I wanted to get around to them, but also to see if my reading taste has changed. If anything, I think I’m a lot more open to different genres when I was then. Some of the books added were pushing the boat out on what I normally read so I’m happy to accept some of the DNF’s. Others had every right to be firm favourites but just didn’t work for me at all (Good Omens by Terry Pratchett – I’m looking at you!)

So, as you can see I have plenty of material for the Top Ten I didn’t get around to! I also wanted to write this post about it as my new goal for this year is to pick up where I left off and read more exclusively from the TBR… no ARCs, no new review requests etc. So, which ones am I looking forward to the most? Let’s get into it! Rather than a paragraph for each book, I’ve split my ten into genres groups that I’ll talk more generally about.

 

Fantasy

 

It’s hardly surprising that a number of books on this list are from the fantasy genre. As a teenager, it was pretty much all I read. These books are all by authors I love. I have already read at least three books by each and I’m confident that I’m going to really enjoy the books listed above. Brandon Sanderson and Stephen King I have read more recently. It has been a number of years since I read a book by Mark Lawrence, so I’m excited to get stuck in!

I think it’s funny that I am coming to this Stephen King novel now having read several of his other books in different genres. I’m pretty sure I added The Talisman with the intention of using it as a ‘step into’ trying his writing before exploring his more extensive horror genre books! Look how that worked out!

 

Science-fiction

 

Science-fiction is another genre that pops up again and again. I didn’t read a lot of it when I was younger, but I definitely have a healthier appreciation for it now. I added Dune to my TBR after being gifted a copy for my birthday a few years ago. I’m glad it was given to me as I really like the sound of it. I have had an experimental skeet at the first few pages before and I’m hopeful I’ll be enjoying this one too.

The Feedback Loop is quite short compared to my average read, but still, I love the sound of the plot. It will be the first thing I have read by this author too, so it’ll be a completely new experience for me.

 

Classics

 

If someone had told me ten years ago that one day I would be reading classics by choice, I’d have laughed at you. If you also told me that I’d re-read and come to enjoy the classic novels I hated studying for school, I wouldn’t believe you. And yet, I am reading them. For the most part, I am enjoying them. I’ve only DNF’d one so far and that’s The Catcher in the Rye. I’m not put off by this though and I’m looking forward to trying more classics!

 

Historical Fiction

I love historical fiction novels too, so their inclusion on this list shouldn’t be a surprise either! The two locations and time periods for each book’s setting are very different, but I have read similar books before that I’ve really enjoyed them. The Book Thief is set in Nazi Germany in WW2 and Hild in 7th century Britain.

WW2 is one of my favourite historical time periods to read about. You could call it a bit of morbid fascination given the atrocities real people lived through in these times. It’s horrible to think about but equally, I think novels set in this period have a lot to tell us. It’s a reminder not to make the same mistakes again.

 

So, those are my Top Ten Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To. Have you read any of them, or do you intend to in 2021?

 

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Reasons I Love Being a Book Blogger

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Hello lovely readers and welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday post! It’s been three months since I put together my last TTT post. They’re a favourite to read and a lot of fun to write!

Today’s post is all about celebrating what I enjoy about being a book blogger. If you think it’s easy, think again – it’s like a part-time job! I probably average around 6-8 hours a week writing blog posts, never mind the number of hours reading the books I feature. That being said, I love it. It doesn’t feel like a job when it’s something you love to do and it comes with a lot of perks.

Here are my favourite things about being a book blogger!

 

Lots of reading!

It goes without saying, but if you want lots of material for your book blog you have to read. The backlog of books you read as a child/teenager will only go so far. Talking about the same books all the time makes for stale content too.

I’ve always loved reading – a good thing, I suppose. It was actually my love of reading (and getting back into it after a long while) that prompted me to think about starting Reviewsfeed. I couldn’t tell you how many hours a week I spend reading. It’s such a habit that I couldn’t imagine not reading. I can probably count on one hand the number of days a year I don’t pick up a book all day.

 

Book recommendations EVERYWHERE!

The advantage of being part of a book-loving community is that we are all talking about fantastic books. Pretty much any blog hopping session results in stumbling across someone’s great review for a book that’s right up your street. I think it’s great. My TBR list not so much… but what book blogger doesn’t have a humongous list of books to read? It wouldn’t be natural…

 

Trying new things

Since starting my blog I have been a lot more adventurous in my choices in reading material. I basically only used to read fantasy novels… maybe the odd science fiction or rarely a historical fiction if I really wanted to push the boat out. Thing is, I’d get bored of the same old tropes and it felt like reading the same books over and over again. It’s one of the reasons I let my reading habit slip after I left school.

Before my blog started, I had never read a horror novel. Stephen King was a name I was well familiar with (obviously), but I hadn’t even entertained reading one of his books. I’m an idiot, I see that now! If you had told me I would go on to re-read books I hated at school, like Of Mice and Men and 1984, or I would read more such ‘classics’, I’d have laughed at you. Having an audience to write for, and encourage you, makes a huge difference. Without it I think I would be just as unadventurous as before.

 

Hot off the press

The great thing about working with publishers (or even just following them) is knowing what new releases are coming out, and when!

I hardly read them straight away, but there is the odd exception to the rule. My point is, I have the choice to drop every book on my TBR for a new one if I really want to. It has been known and I didn’t feel remotely guilty!

 

Taking part in blog tours

I’ve discovered a love for taking part in blog tours. That probably won’t come as a surprise to you if you know how many I take part in. This partly links to the above point, because it’s a great opportunity to try something new. Through taking part in tours I have read books that I wouldn’t have necessarily discovered myself.

I also enjoy tours as I get to support new or indie authors. I have many favourite big-name authors that I read as well, but I try to balance my content to feature lesser-known or upcoming names as well. They have great books and it’s a pleasure to recommend them to others with similar reading tastes to me!

 

Collaborating with authors

Honestly, working with indie authors is the best! I have worked with many authors through direct requests and through tours now. A good number of them have come back to me to ask for further reviews as well. It’s satisfying, and they are truly so grateful that you want to work with them. I love getting feedback from them.

I’ve given up tagging well-established authors in posts unless it’s for a tour because it won’t get acknowledged anyway. They don’t ‘need’ your publicity. Indie authors are the complete opposite end of the spectrum though. They’ll keep re-posting your material for months afterwards – and not necessarily just your reviews of their book(s). They are the heart of the community.

Collaborating with authors is just part of the process. This point is more broad-based though. By supporting authors, I mean helping them to by sharing my reviews on other sites than my blog. The more reviews a book has on Amazon and the like, the more likely they are eligible for promotions and increased exposure.

 

Being part of an amazing community

Sticking with the theme of community, everyone’s great really! There’s no rivalry or bitterness over viewer numbers or content. Everyone is so supportive and engaging with your content as well as their own. Sure, you get the odd spanner making ridiculous claims that book bloggers aren’t ‘real readers’ and such, but they are few and far between.

We are all around because we are doing something we love – sharing our love of books with each other!

 

Getting the odd “free” book

I say “free”, but they aren’t really free. There are two main ways of getting books for no cost in this community – winning it in a promotional competition or by receiving it with the expectation of a review. It might not seem like much, but it’s actually several hours of my time in reading the book before spending a couple more drafting and editing my post before it goes live.

Everyone likes a freebie, I’ll be honest. However, I take issue with those that automatically assume that a review following receipt of a “free” copy is a dishonest one – that I’ve been bribed with it. I’m looking at you Amazon. My hobby is all about sharing my honest thoughts about (and recommending) books with a community of readers. If I lie and my opinions can’t be trusted by the very people I am putting them too, I’m ruining my reputation and integrity. It does me literally no favours to lie.

 

Freedom to speak my mind

It’s not very often that you can speak your mind freely about something. I try my best in everything I do, but sometimes there’s a time and a place and it’s not it. The advantage of having my own little corner on the internet is that I can share my thoughts freely. Fact is, I like offering my opinion (whether you like it or not). Here, no one tells me to shut up or keep my opinions to myself!

 

Sense of achievement

I’ll be the first person to hold my hands up and say that I am awful for starting new things and not seeing them through for very long. I get bored or lose interest. My blog is the exception to that rule. Even when I started it, I didn’t know how long I was going to stick at it for. I started with a completely free one at first while I tested out my initial commitment. As I found my feet, I decided to invest in it and it’s taken off from there.

I couldn’t tell you how much of my time I have funnelled into my reading and my blog to date. A lot! It’s rewarding though. To be able to say I stuck at something, and to be proud of my blog is a great feeling. If even one person reads my content and decides to buy a book based on it, that’s all the satisfaction I need.

Are you a book blogger? What are your favourite things about being one?

 

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – A Game of Thrones Characters

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Now that the finale of A Game of Thrones has come and gone, I thought it the perfect opportunity to talk about my favourite characters of the series! There are a lot of mixed reviews about that last episode and I’m not surprised. I have no problem with the ending, but I feel there could have been a little more drama or tension in between. Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic series and for us book-lovers, it isn’t truly over yet!

I’ll be taking the books and the TV show into account for this list, (spoiler-free) since up until A Dance of Dragons, they are close to one another. I’ll also be ranking my characters from number ten to one… so here we go!

 

10.   Tormund Giantsbane

Source: HBO

Tormund Giantsbane… he’s not so much a friendly giant if you cross him. He is formidable to his enemies and fierce friends with those that see past the furs and wildling exterior. He’s a bit of a drunkard and apt to boasting, but if you can beat anyone who says otherwise into the dirt then why not?

We get to see an intimate friendship between Tormund and Jon. It’s the kind of friendship I think we all look for.

 

 

9.   Brienne of Tarth

Source: HBO

I really love Brienne for her loyalty and her confidence to follow an unconventional path in life. Brienne is one of the few female warriors of the series, and she is frequently bullied for her choice. That, and her appearance. I guess I relate to her in a way because I have been in her shoes – not a sword-wielding knight, obviously, but I’ve been bullied for my appearance too. In my teenage years, I opted for similarly short hair (as Brienne in the TV series). I couldn’t tell you how many unpleasant comments and assumptions were made about me. I didn’t care all that much – I kept it for five years before I decided to grow it back.

If there is one thing I would like to have in common with Brienne more than anything, it’s the drive to do whatever you want regardless of other people’s approval. It’s too easy to fall victim to peer pressure. I think if we were all a little more like Brienne, the world would be a better place.

 

8.   Littlefinger

Source: HBO

Littlefinger’s cunning and intelligence win him a place on my top ten list. An advanced player in the political scene, Littlefinger came from pretty much nothing. He’s a self-made man… but not necessarily the type you want to be if you plan on making any friends in life.

Not all his personality traits are admirable by any means, but becoming the Master of Coin proves he has some skill. Deception and manipulation are never far around the corner where Littlefinger is concerned, but these don’t fail to stir up relations and events throughout the series!

 

7.   Samwell Tarly

Source: HBO

Sam is just so cute! He’s scorned by his father and forced into a life that without the help of his friends, he’d have no hope of surviving. Thankfully he is the type of person you cannot help but like. Before joining the Night’s Watch, he enjoyed singing, dancing and burying his nose in books… much to his father’s distaste. I don’t profess to be any good when it comes to the singing and the dancing (alcohol is required for the latter), but a serious love of books and studying is something we share in common.

Sam is a bit of a softy and socially awkward, but he is also very intelligent. He’s the type of man I’d like to meet really.

 

6.   Olenna Tyrell

Source: HBO

Perhaps there aren’t as many sword fighting women in A Game of Thrones, but plenty have other weapons of choice. Olenna is a wiser and more experienced player of the great game. She won’t have any trouble land on her doorstep, that’s for sure. With a look that could wither anyone less adept at dreading the murky waters of politics, she is a force to be reckoned with!

I love her ferocity in defending her own too! Nothing means more to Olenna Tyrell than looking out for her family, her granddaughter Margaery especially. In what is probably one of my favourite scenes ever, we find out what happens to those that threaten Highgarden’s little flower!

 

5.   Cersei Lannister

Source: HBO

Cersei Lannister is a character that we love to hate, wouldn’t you agree?! It’s easy to point out all her murderous, incestuous flaws, but the one thing we cannot discredit her for is her fierce love for her children. She is, above all, a mother.

Cersei’ s roots in one of the most powerful families make her a formidable foe. Being the Queen definitely has its perks. Being in the spotlight also has its dangers too; it can win you many enemies. Cersei is no stranger to this and uses everything she has about her in order to stay on top. Treading on a few toes to do so is child’s play, let’s put it that way!

 

4.   Jon Snow

Source: HBO

Jon is a Bastard by name, if not so much by his nature.

He has spent his life on the back-foot, all-too-aware that he doesn’t fit in. He has grown up believing that he embodies all that is wrong in a family, which I think is one of the reasons he is driven to always do the right thing. Jon will even sacrifice himself for the greater good – somewhat noble, but I wish he would have some self-worth. That said, however, I think we all love Jon’s almost constant state of brooding. Jon is inarguably one of the kinder, more honourable men in Westeros, but as Ned Stark learned very early on, that doesn’t always serve you well.

 

3.   Daenerys Targaryen

Source: HBO

Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, The rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Queen of Dragonstone, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons. So many titles… all of them are applicable.

Dany is probably one of the better character arcs we follow throughout the series. We get to watch her blossom from a meek child into a strong, commanding, dragon-taming woman.

I wouldn’t want to cross her, just saying…

 

2.   Arya Stark

Source: HBO

Here is another lady I wouldn’t cross. Arya transforms from a young, wilful girl struggling to master the etiquette required to become a lady into a woman that re-writes the rules, her way. Arya isn’t one to be told what she can or cannot do – if she sets her mind to it, it’s as good as done.

In the beginning, Arya’s survival was a bit of potluck. She is lucky to fall into the hands of friends in the immediate aftermath of her world being turned upside down. Her fortune doesn’t last, however. She quickly learns how to defend herself after being thrust out into the wide world alone. It’s a learning curve that really defines her character. She is my second favourite character of the series. At one point reading the books I thought she had been killed. I had a tantrum for days and refused to read on, sulking. It was unfounded, but still.

 

1.   Tyrion Lannister

Source: HBO

Finally, we get to my favourite character in the series! A Lannister, I hear you gasp! Yes, you’re reading this right.

I’ve always enjoyed Tyrion’s wit and dry humour. There are so many great quotes in the books that are from this character’s lips. Aside from Arya, he is the only character I wanted to make it through the coming turmoil. As long as he lives, I’m happy.

Tyrion is very intelligent but massively underappreciated. The vitriol and scorn he experiences as a result of his deformity have instilled in him a strength that few characters can match. He is also a great lover of books, which always gets you brownie points with me.

 

So there you have it – my top ten characters of the series! What do you think? Do you agree with me? Who is your favourite character, and why?

 

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