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Sunday Summary – 24th November 2024

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I’m back with another Sunday Summary post to update you on my latest reads, as well as what I’ve shared on my blog this week!

I’m enjoying being back to my previous schedule of three posts per week. It’s a good amount that I feel like I’m actively working on the blog, but also not so much that I feel overwhelmed. Really, it is good to be able to put some time and energy back into my posts. Before I felt I was just keeping things ticking along.

So, what have I shared this week? The first post that went live on my blog this week was my Ten Ten Tuesday post. In that post, I shared 10 books that are the ‘oldest’ on my TBR in terms of publication year. I had more than I expected, honestly. If you want to find out which books I’ve got coming up on the reading list that were published earlier, check out that post.

Next, I shared my first First Lines Friday post in about three months. I really enjoy these posts. That’s because I get to feature a variety of books – and more often than not, get excited about reading them. This week’s feature was a book I acquired a physical copy of recently. It’s already on my TBR, and I’m hoping to get to it before too long.


Books Read


The Eye of the World

Whereas last week I binge-read after getting my free time back, this week I’ve done the opposite. Not only have I been enjoying some of my other hobbies that I had set aside, such as knitting, but I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here started.

I’m not big on reality TV, but this is the only program I will make an exception for. Because I’ve been watching this, out for a work social and seen a show this weekend, I’ve not been reading much.

Truthfully, I’ve read chapter 14 this week. But, as of drafting this post, I’m planning to pick this up for a bit tonight after publishing this Sunday Summary. I will be looking to return more reading next week too, so stay tuned!


Defiant

Progress with Defiant was a little scuppered this week as well. Whilst I had listened to a little bit of audio in the week, my plan was to finish this audiobook yesterday whilst my boyfriend was at work. Unfortunately though, this didn’t pan out.

Because of storm Bert this weekend, Shane actually got yesterday off work. It meant we got to spend the day together, but it also meant I didn’t get to listen to my audiobook as planned. Instead, I’ll be listening to this over the next few days to get my finish. I’ve got a fraction over 2 hours of the audio left.


Books Discovered


I was a little bit naughty today. We popped into Tesco for a few groceries and the store we went into also has a small book selection. Of course I had to look! I purchased a copy of The Templar Secret by Scott Mariani as I like the sound of the synopsis. I have an interest in the Templars from playing Assassin’s Creed as a teenager; I’ve got a number of books on my TBR featuring them.

 

As well, I also purchased a copy of Think Twice by Harlan Coben. I liked the sound of the synopsis anyway, but I am especially interested to read the book after watching Fool Me Once. They were also 2 for £9.50… so it would have been rude not too, right? 


Coming Up…

I recently read Zee Zee’s anything but books tag. Given I’ve spent the last week or so doing ‘other than books’ things, it might be a fun one to talk about!

On Friday I’ll be back with my next instalment of my Shelf Control series. My next feature is by a big name suspense and thriller writer, an attorney by trade. Maybe you have an inkling of who this could be – either way, check out my post on Friday to find out who!

Last, but by no means least, I’ll be back at the same time next week to tell you what reading progress I’ve made in the last seven days. I’m hoping for at least one finish to share with you in next week’s Sunday Summary – let’s see what I can achieve between now and then!

Until next time, see you around!

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Sunday Summary – 17th November 2024

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

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

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

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

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


Books Read

Carrie

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

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

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

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


The Eye of the World

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

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

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

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


Defiant

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

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

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


Books Discovered

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

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


Coming Up…

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

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

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

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

Happy reading!

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Sunday Summary – 6th October 2024

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Happy Sunday folks and welcome to another Sunday Summary update!

With the beginning of the final quarter of the year, I’ve had a busy week at work. It’s not quite over for me yet, but hopefully I’ll be over the hill in a couple of days time. If nothing else, I certainly will be by the end of the week as I’m then on leave for a week!

Despite being busy at work, there’s been no rest on the blog. This week, I shared my Monthly Wrap-Up post for September on Wednesday. In that post, I recapped reading progress throughout the month. If you haven’t checked that out already, here’s a link so you can!

My Monthly TBR went live on Friday. I have a mixture of seasonal and non-seasonal reads coming up in the next few months, and I’m leaning into spooky season with some thriller and horror novels on the TBR. Want to see what I’ll be reading this month?


Books Read


The Kingdom

I left off after last week’s Sunday Summary post with 45% progress into The Kingdom. This week, I made great progress and finished the book by Monday night.

The Kingdom is a very quick read and I enjoyed the twist at the end. The elements of mixed media also helped the pace along and vary the narrative style for a few chapters.

As a genre, it’s a fun take on a theme park style location. The writing is perhaps aimed at a slightly younger age than myself, but it was a good jaunt into another world for a little while.


The Rosie Project

As well as progressing with The Kingdom, I made it to 31% of The Rosie Project. We’re supposed to be meeting for book club on Tuesday, so I may not finish it in time. We are holding it a week early in fairness as I’m on leave next week. I might see what the consensus is on postponing to the following week when I’m on leave if we need the time. From chats with a couple other members, we might need an extra week with the book anyway…

For a book that’s really not my go-to genre, I’m having a good laugh with it. Don, the protagonist, makes the whole thing for me. Without his character I don’t think I’d be able to stick with it.


Books Discovered



I made the mistake of going for a mooch in The Works today. I bought 5 books! I’ve shared quite a few Sunday Summary posts with no new books, so I obviously felt the need to make up for that…

It’s fair to say that non-fiction books are more on my radar than they ever have been. I’m looking forward to reading each of these. Bonus that they only cost me £20 for the lot!


Coming Up…

I’m back to my two post schedule and revision time after work this week. With this in mind, my plan is to share a book review of Assassin’s Quest midweek.

You can guess what’s coming next, my good old Sunday Summary this time next week. Find out what I’ve made progress with there, and whether The Rosie Project meet goes ahead or is postponed!

Until then, happy reading!

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Monthly Wrap-Up – September 2024

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In today’s monthly wrap-up post, I feature the books I read throughout the month of September. No surprises here that I didn’t get to everything on my September Monthly TBR. Given that I’ve got into the swing of studying for an upcoming exam, naturally reading progress is a little slower.

However, I have broadly enjoyed the books I picked up this month. That said, I didn’t complete  anything that knocked me out of the park in terms of enjoyment. Still, it was a steady month.

Shall we take a look at what they were?


Books Read


Eruption

Following on from last month’s Monthly Wrap-Up post, I had 35% of Eruption left to finish. Priority was given to finishing Eruption as I was lending my copy of it, once I’d finished with it, to another member of the club. Hats off to Helen for reading it as quick as she did; she was faster than I was!

I picked up this read for our second ever work book club. Overall the general feeling from the group was mixed. There were elements of the book we liked, others less so much.

Overall the book received a verdict of different, but average. I definitely agree with the group’s sentiment.


The Lost Apothecary

After finishing Eruption, I elected for some lighter reading. The Lost Apothecary wasn’t planned, but given that I am trying to allow myself the space for mood reading now and then, I made this choice as I wasn’t in the mood for anything on my reading list.

The Lost Apothecary was also a fairly decent read, but nothing outstanding either. It was a relatively fast paced and interesting historical fiction with the two timelines coming together nicely towards the end of the book. If you enjoy your historical fiction with a slant towards feminism and advocating for women, you’ll get on with this book! I really enjoyed this aspect of it.


Defiant

Audiobook progress over the course of September was a little slow. Although I’m listening to a great audiobook at the moment, I only progress through a third of defiant throughout September.

This is partly victim to the fact that I’m studying and using what was my listening time whilst driving to think about what I’m learning or just have a quiet moment to myself.

I’m loving the storyline so far so the amount of progress I’ve made is no reflection on the book at all! Rather, I’m looking forward to progressing with this one over the next month or so. Hopefully, I’ll have more progress to share…

 

The Kingdom

I just squeezed the last few pages of The Kingdom in at the end of September making 100% completion on the very last evening of the month.

I enjoyed the twists in the plot line for The Kingdom and it was a very fast paced read. If you enjoy a little bit mixed media in your books, there are court transcripts and small variations in the way in which the story is told making it more engaging than just standard pros.

I also found Ana‘s character very compelling and I sympathise with her. There was definitely far more going on than she was initially party too. It had me asking questions throughout and the ending was interesting.

of all the books featured in this monthly wrap-up, it’s the one I recommend the most to you. I loved it!


The Rosie Project

Finally, I made the briefest of starts to my next work book club read, The Rosie Project. We’re only talking 4% here, so I’m only just getting into the narrative and getting a feel for the style.

I was promised The Rosie Project is funny and so far that has already established itself. With the protagonist as he is, there is definitely going to be a lot of humour throughout. I also enjoy reading perspectives from neurodivergent individuals, and Don very clearly is.

We are reviewing this book together in just under a week’s time, so if you want to find out more about my thoughts of this book, check out my blog over the next week to find out more. I’ll be prioritising this book over the next few days so I’ll have something to say in my upcoming Sunday Summary.


Summary

I’m not made the most reading progress this month, but it’s been a good one nonetheless. Remember that I am having to prioritise studying for an exam. That is a short term commitment for long-term gain and that’s going to have a knock on effect on my reading for the next couple of months. Once that’s done, I’ll be back in full swing!


What did you read in September? Do you have any recommendations you would like to share?

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Sunday Summary – 29th September 2024

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Good evening from a slightly damp and very windy island in the middle of the Irish sea! As always, a warm welcome to you in this Sunday Summary update. In today’s post, I take the opportunity to update you on the books I’ve been reading this week. I’m pleased to say I have more progress to report than last week, so make yourself a cuppa and get comfy!

Before I get into the books I read this week, I like to recap the blog posts I’ve shared at the beginning of every Sunday Summary post. That way if you missed anything, it’s a chance to catch up! You may remember that I am studying for an exam that I’m sitting in November. As a result, I’ve temporarily reduced my blogging schedule from three posts a week to two to accommodate my revision time. As such, I’ve only shared one post so far this week, and that was my Autumn 2024 TBR.

Next week I’ll be busier; stay tuned to find out why below. For now though, onto the books I’ve read this week!


Books Read


The Lost Apothecary


Whereas in last week’s Sunday Summary post I lamented having not finished The Lost Apothecary, I am able to confirm in this Sunday Summary that I HAVE now finished it.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but it didn’t rate as highly as I’d hoped. It was perfectly readable – if you enjoy historical fiction with a mystery split across dual timelines then this is a solid recommendation I would make. For me though, it didn’t *dazzle*. I rated this book at a perfectly acceptable three stars, so it’s solid. It just didn’t blow me away.

 

The Kingdom

It’s funny, I’ve only been saying the last couple of weeks that I don’t enjoy reading on my phone. However, the practicalities of picking up The Kingdom this week have meant that I’ve only picked up my Kindle once – today. Instead, I’ve progressed with this book more via the Kindle app on my phone.

I don’t really know why. The only reason I can think of is that I have been reading this book in very short bursts and when opportunity knocks. For example, whilst I’ve been waiting for my boyfriend to finish work, I’ll be sat reading this in the car.

I’ve just picked The Kingdom up properly on my Kindle this evening. I much prefer my Kindle as it’s a lot nicer to look at, especially when reading in longer bursts.

Having said that phone reading is not my preference, I managed to read 30% of The Kingdom that way and I’ve blitzed another 15% on my Kindle this evening alone. It’s a quick read!

The storyline has me hooked and I can’t wait to see what’s going on. I don’t know whether I can trust our protagonist and her perspective at the moment, but there is definitely more going on under the surface that I can’t wait to dredge up…


Defiant

Reading progress with e-books has certainly been better than audio once again. In this Sunday Summary post, I can only share 35 minutes of listening time to Defiant by Brandon Sanderson.

More often than not these days, I listen to audiobooks whilst I’m driving. I’ve been doing a lot more studying this week than I would typically average. As a result, I’ve been taking those quiet moments (whilst not quite being on autopilot, but you know what I mean) to think over what I’ve been reading and learning instead.

Is managing operational risk in financial institutions anywhere near as interesting as Defiant? Not especially. However, it is necessary for me to go over this content in anyway and shape that I can.

 

Books Discovered


I’m trying to read more non-fiction books this year, and I discovered another non-fiction earlier today that I think may make interesting reading for me.

The Courage to be Disliked caught my attention because it teaches readers how to advocate for their own wishes and overall directional life path, especially when that doesn’t align with societal expectations. Whilst there are many aspects in which I’m perfectly okay with doing my own thing, I feel there are certainly takeaways from this book that I would benefit from were I to read it. Everyday is a school day after all. 


Coming Up…

Although I am for the most part sticking to a two post per week schedule, this week is an exception. I don’t like to wait too long before sharing my monthly wrap-up and monthly TBR posts. With the way the beginning of the month of October falls, I’m going to have to incorporate both of those posts into my week, as well as a Sunday Summary. It’s also quarter end, which is one of my busiest periods at work.

It’s going to be a busy week…

My intended timeline for sharing the posts is for my monthly wrap-up post for September to go live on Wednesday and my monthly TBR on Friday. We’ll see if that pans out… 

Then, of course, I’ll be back at the same time next Sunday with the usual Sunday Summary update.

Still with me? Thanks for reading! What have you read recently… and do you have any recommendations for me?

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Sunday Summary – 22nd September 2024

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Good evening friends and welcome to another Sunday Summary update from yours truly. It doesn’t feel like I have a whole lot to update you on this week. But, we’re both here so let’s make the most of it!

Earlier this week I shared some of my bookish confessions. Whilst I think some of these could be expected from me, there are some here that don’t fit the typical ‘book-blogger’ persona too.

Now, let’s take a look at the books I’ve read this week.


Books Read


The Lost Apothecary

I was hoping for completion of The Lost Apothecary this week. However, I’ve had to extend my library loan once again.

That’s entirely down to circumstance and reflection on the book at all. We’ve been really quite short staffed at work this week and I’ve been covering and plugging gaps wherever possible. As a result, my downtime has ended up being spent on mindless things to take a break. I’ve not read a whole lot as a result.

I have read some more of the book today so as of this Sunday Summary update, I’m now 86% into The Lost Apothecary. I’m hoping for a nice quiet evening, so may get a little further into the book before the end of the day. Maybe a finish?

 

Defiant

As of my last Sunday Summary, I was about an hour and a half into Defiant by Brandon Sanderson.

It’s much the same story with audio – I’ve only listened to half an hour of Defiant this week. I’m enjoying the storyline so far and where it’s going. I’ve just not had the mental energy after work to listen and concentrate on it…


Books Discovered

Updates on additions to my reading list are as quiet as my actual reading progress this week. At least that’s not a bad thing!


Coming Up…

I’ll kick off this week with a Top Ten Tuesday post. I’ve shared a few similar posts before as they relate to my seasonal TBR’s. My last was my 2024 Summer TBR and it’s a great way to share planned upcoming reads.

Finally, next week I am hoping for a more interesting and eventful Sunday Summary to share with you! Things are going to get a bit better at work, but we do have quarter end coming up too. Hopefully it won’t be too busy this time round.

Until Tuesday, have a great one and I’ll see you in that post!

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Sunday Summary – 15th September 2024

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Happy Sunday readers – I’m back with my usual Sunday Summary update! As always, I hope you’ve had a great week?

This week has been a little unusual in that I’ve not really stuck to the regular schedule. On Wednesday morning I took part in a charity event for work that saw me helping to cut down around 150 pine trees. on Thursday I attended one of my school friends weddings, which was really special to share with them.

Combine both of these with a busy week at work and it’s fair to say my plans have been a little affected as a result. I was still able to share my book review for Dark Matter with you, but that came later than intended. I ended up publishing that one on Friday if you’re interested to check it out!


Books Read


The Lost Apothecary

I haven’t read as much of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner as I thought I would this week. That’s because of those aforementioned changes to my schedule, if you will.

That said, I have read around 40% of the book so far this week, bringing me up to 60% progress in total as of drafting this Sunday Summary. Thankfully, I have been able to extend my digital loan of the book and I still have opportunity to progress with it today. I’m hoping to read more of this and see what starting to unfold in the plot it’s definitely getting interesting!


Defiant

As of my last Sunday Summary update, I had just started Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. Have been listening to more of this book this week, clocking in another hour and a half of listening time.

Already I feel we are getting stuck into the action, so I’m surprised I’m not as far along as I expected given the events. I suppose that can only mean that there is plenty more of it to follow – and I’m looking forward to reading it!


Books Discovered

It’s another week of no news being good news. I’ve not seen anything new or added any new books to the reading list this week!

Thank goodness for that…


Coming Up…

I’m sticking to my slightly reduced schedule next week as it’s going to be busy at work and I need to continue on with studying for an exam.

In an attempt to share some different content with you next week, I’ll be sharing a bookish confessions post with you next week. What are your bookish confessions? You’ll have to stay tuned to see what mine are!

As usual, my last post of the week will be another Sunday summary weekly update.

That’s all for me and today’s Sunday Summary post and I hope to see you around very soon!

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Sunday Summary – 8th September 2024

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Happy weekend folks and welcome back to the latest instalment in my regular Sunday Summary update posts.

I briefly returned to my three post schedule this week as I had both my monthly wrap-up for August and my monthly TBR for September to share with you.

As I wanted to get both you in good time, that meant I had to deliver this week. Thankfully, I’m feeling better after my illness last week and I’ve been able to fit both of those in alongside doing some study for work as well.

 

Books Read


Eruption

I had 155 pages of Eruption to finish, and I completed that in fairly good time this week. I wanted to get back to reading Eruption as soon as I was better; I’m sharing this book with Helen ahead of our book club meet later this month. If I’m honest, I had hoped to get it to her sooner, but sometimes that’s the way things go!

Ultimately, I rated this book 3 stars. It was a perfectly acceptable read and I enjoyed a lot of the information about volcanoes that is embedded within the narrative.


Undoctored

It turns out that I didn’t have a lot left of Undoctored left to listen to because I finished this very early on this week. There is a lot of bonus content at the end of the audiobook which admittedly I haven’t listened to. I quite often don’t in these scenarios.

I really enjoyed this book, and if you enjoyed his earlier works then you will definitely enjoy this follow-up too. Where previous books deal with his life as a junior doctor, Undoctored focuses far more on the end of his career as a doctor and moving on to his current career as a writer and comedian.

I rated Undoctored 4* and I’ll certainly be looking out for anything else he publishes in future!


The Lost Apothecary

As of my last Sunday Summary update I had just started The Lost Apothecary by reading the first chapter.

Admittedly, my focus has been on reading Eruption this week. However, I have read a further few chapters so I am now about 25% through this book. As I’ve got exactly a week left on my library loan now, The Lost Apothecary is my current read and will be my priority over the next few days.

What I’ve read already was done in quite a quick timeframe, so there shouldn’t take me too long to read overall!


Defiant

The last book I’ve started this week is Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. As I mentioned in my monthly TBR post yesterday, I’ve picked this up in audio format.

Even though I’ve read the prior books in the series physically, switching to audio has been seamless. I’ve enjoyed getting reacquainted with the world to see where we are going to go next. I’m not entirely sure where or how this narrative will go from here so I’m excited to listen more and watch this final instalment of the series play out.

I’ll be listening to more of this audio over the next week and I’ll be able to give you a better update next week’s Sunday Summary. I’m only an hour in as of this post. 


Books Discovered

Between keeping up with the blog this week, reading and studying for my upcoming exam in November I’ve not really been looking anywhere I would get a book recommendation. So, the reading list has had a week off of new additions!


Coming Up…

This week’s blog post schedule was an exception given the timing of August month-end. Next week I’m going back to one midweek post and another Sunday Summary so I’ve got more time to get back to studying for my exam.

Mid next week, I’m back with a book review for Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. For my thriller fans, this one is a five star recommendation for you. I hope you can check out this post!

Finally, I’ll be back with another Sunday Summary update this time next week. Find out which books I’ve read over the course of the week and any other personal updates.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll see you around!

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Monthly TBR – August 2024

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I’m excited to share my upcoming reading list in this monthly TBR post. I always look forward to planning my reading and sharing the fantastic books I’ve got coming up on my blog.

This month’s list looks a little longer, but I also have some shorter than average reads. Do I think I’ll complete this TBR by the end of the month? Unlikely. However, I’m going to try and stretch myself as always!

Shall we get into this monthly TBR and take a look at what’s coming up?


Fixed Reads


The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit is a carryover from July, but I’m already a good way through this relatively short book.

This book weighs in at just under 300 pages. It’s quite an easy read too, so I should fly through the remainder of it.

So far I’m enjoying the easy writing style, multiple interwoven anecdotes and threads to explain and reiterate the author’s points. I’m hopeful that I can learn from this book and have the ability to be more mindful and influential of my own habits in future.


The Other People

My only other carryover this month is my audiobook listen of The Other People by C.J. Tudor.

I’m even closer to completion with this book. I’m now about 80% done and eager to get to the end and see how the story comes together. I’ve only got just over 2 hours listening time to go; I’m going to try and finish it before the weekend!


The Midnight Library

My last fixed read of August is a re-read of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

There is a new book club at work and this is the selected read. We’re meeting to discuss it on the 13th, so I’ll be getting a wiggle on with it. Thankfully it’s only a short one, and not a new story to me. It shouldn’t take long to read, and I’ve heard it’s better second time around!


Mood Reads

A lot of this monthly TBR has been set with my 2024 reading goals in mind. If you want to recap what those are, check out my Resolutions post I shared in January.


Wolves of the Calla

The first of the books on this TBR which aims to continue/complete series is Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King.

Wolves of the Calla is the fifth book in his The Dark Tower series. I’m enjoying the series so far, although I didn’t expect the last book, Wizard and Glass, to be on as much of a tangent from the ‘current’ storyline as it was. I’m hoping we pick up where we left off and the context we learn in the prior book makes sense in this next instalment!

Wolves of the Calla is the longest book on this reading list at a whopping 800 pages. Depending on how I go, I may end up reading this in tandem with other books and take a little longer to work my way through it. I’ll make a start and see how I get on!


Defiant

The second series related book I plan to pick up is Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. It’s the final book of the Skyward series and the only book I didn’t get to on my July TBR.

I think finishing this series will be bittersweet. I’ve loved it so far and of course I want to know how it all comes together. At the same time, I suspect I’ll be sad at the same time that once I’ve read it, it’s done. Finito.

It’s a good job there are plenty more Sanderson books I haven’t read yet, right?!


Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

I featured Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon in my last First Lines Friday post and I am so intrigued by the beginning that it’s inspired me to read it. As a bonus, it contributes to my reading goal of more non-fiction.

I love A Game of Thrones and everything about it! The series as it is, all the backstory and lore and now (with any luck at least), the behind the scenes of filming the TV show.

It’s very unlike anything I’ve read before, so it will be something entirely new to me!


Undoctored

Having read two of Adam Kay‘s books already (This is Going to Hurt and T’was the Nightshift Before Christmas), I’m looking forward to picking up.

My experience of his books so far is that he is great at combining an interesting non-fiction topic with lots of humour. If non-fiction isn’t normally your cup of tea, I would strongly recommend you trying this anyway. Adam’s humour goes along way towards making these books both fun and an emotional rollercoaster. When reading both of his prior books I could be laughing one minute and crying the next.

He has a very candid way of expressing himself and really highlighting where there are major problems with the national health services in the UK through his own experience.


Breathtaking

Another medical based non-fiction book I plan to pick up in August is Breathtaking. For some people, the pandemic may be just a little too recent to read about. However, I’ve never wanted to shy away from such a difficult subject.

If you watched the TV documentary of the same name, I have every reason to believe that you would like this book also. It is because I watched that four part series that I realised it was based on a book. Naturally, I added it to my reading list.

It’s a relatively short book, so it should be quite a quick read. It’s a topic I also find compelling even though it is an event in all of our lives that has changed the way we live.


Summary

I have a fair bit of variety in this monthly TBR and I’m looking forward to picking up each and every book. Whilst the list is on the side of ambitious, I’m hopeful I can make as much progress as possible in the coming weeks. They all sound like great books and I’ll share them with you in my upcoming Sunday Summary posts to let you know how I’m getting on.

Have you read any of the books on this monthly TBR? Would you recommend any of them to myself and/or fellow readers?

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Monthly Wrap-Up – June 2024

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It’s scary how we’re back for another monthly wrap-up post already. Not only that, but we’re now halfway through the year! I’m curious to see how my half year stats and progress look compared to my reading goals. If you are too, I’ll be posting that update next week. Stay tuned.

For now though, we’re limiting scope to my reading progress against my June TBR. I don’t feel I’ve done that well this month as reading has been slow, but let’s see…

Books Read

Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes

When I left off in last month’s monthly wrap-up post, I had just under 50% of the audiobook to go. It was more than I remembered, so I don’t feel so hard on myself for reading progress any more!

I loved this audio, although naturally the content at the end of the book was very sad. Still, I’m glad I read it! I really admire Terry and now I know more about his life beyond the documentary I’ve watched. That was interesting too, but this audio was far more intimate and knowledgeable over a longer stretch of time.

The Long Earth

Another Terry Pratchett book I carried over into June is The Long Earth. As of my last monthly wrap-up I was 65% into this book.

I enjoyed this jaunt into science-fiction with Terry and Stephen Baxter and I’m interested to see where the rest of the series takes us. From where we left off in The Long Earth, the series could really go anywhere. I’m interested to see where that is!

The talents of both authors shine through in this book as the lighthearted humour contributed by Terry blends well with the science-fiction elements that can only come from Stephen.

Master of Sorrows

I have intended to get to Master of Sorrows since February this year. June is finally the month I started the book. It’s been a long time coming, and so far I’m really enjoying the story.

As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m just over 200 pages, or 45%, into this book. I’m so glad I’m now reading it and that I picked up the sequel a couple of weeks ago. That can be risky business, but fellow bloggers I follow have raved about these books so I was always confident I’d enjoy it!

I can’t wait to share more as I make further progress.

You Coach You

After finishing my listen of Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes, I started You Coach You by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis.

I love these pair! I listen to a podcast they run called Squiggly Careers. If you ever want a resource for developing skills personally or at work, this is where I would point anyone. I’ve obviously paid for the audiobook, but they share a lot of free content as well. It’s approachable and engaging to all!

I’m 60% through the audio at the end of June. I love the formatting of the book and how it’s come together. I’ve already decided I want a copy in physical format to refer back to again in future as and when I need it! The audiobook also comes with a lot of supplementary content. Admittedly I’ve not looked at it all yet – that’s for after listening 😊

So far it’s proving a good resource and an engaging listen!

Obsidio

I always intended to pick up Obsidio this month… however not in the circumstances I did.

There were a couple of days last week when I had left Master of Sorrows on my desk at work. As a result, I couldn’t read it during the evening. So, instead I picked up Obsidio. It’s a nice light read, a conclusion of a series I’m part-way through and it was on my TBR already. Win-win!

As of this monthly wrap-up post to the end of June I’m 95 pages in and looking forward to reading more very soon!

Summary

Admittedly I’ve read more than I thought. On my June TBR I haven’t made a whole bunch of progress. However, I wasn’t taking into consideration the books I carried over from my last update.

What have you read this last month? Do you have any recommendations?

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