Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
27 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: book-blog, Booking Ahead, Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Fantasy, reviews, Sunday Post, Weekly wrap up
Books read this week:
This week has been another busy one. I went off track a little with my reading, well, not off track exactly as the books were still from my October list, just a little out of order, a bit of mood reading. I completed Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan. This one didn’t work out quite as well as I was anticipating, particularly after I loved her last book, Bless Your Heart, perhaps my expectations were out of kilter. I hadn’t realised this was a novella and I rarely request shorter books or collections as they’re not really my go to. I also read, loved and reviewed Magic by Sarah Pinborough, this was so good and I have another from the collection still waiting to be read that I can’t wait to pick up. And, as I’m writing up this post I’ve just completed Hear Him Calling by Carly Reagon – if you want scaring half to death then I suggest giving this a read, seriously this gave me the heebies. It’s the perfect time for a haunting story and Hear Him Calling delivers this without a shadow of a doubt.
Next Week’s Reads:
I’m going to get back on track and pick up The Coven by Harper L Woods and The Book of Witching by CJ Cooke. In fact I’ve already started The Book of Witching, it’s early days but so far so good.
Reviews Posted:
- Cold Snap by Carly Ryan
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Through Blood and Dragons by RM Schultz (SPFBO)
- Magic By Sarah Pinborough
Outstanding Reviews
- The September House by Carissa Orlando
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- 1 x SPFBO book
- The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
- 1 x SPFBO book
- Hear Him Calling by Carly Reagon
That’s it for me this week, what have you been up to, any good books to shout out about. Let me know.
Friday Face Off : The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning
25 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Books, Friday Face off, Karen Marie Moning, reading, The House at Watch Hill
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
This week I’ve chosen another book that is on my shelf waiting to be read. The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning. I’m looking forward to picking this one up soon. Only two covers, take a look:
My favourite this week:
Have you read this book already? What did you think and which is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
20 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Booking Ahead, Caffeinated Book Reviewer, reading, Weekly wrap up
Books read this week:
This has been a funny month so far. I have a lot going on and my reading has not been as good as in previous months. Plus, I seem to have an awful lot of books this month – it’s like I tried to deliberately sabotage myself (too many good books is the thing – I couldn’t resist). I was determined to stay on track this year and apart from 3 or possibly 4 books that I’ve set aside (to be returned to) I was pretty much staying on track. Anyway, long story short, on top of everything else going on I’ve started a language course in Portuguese, this is adding to my lack of personal time because it’s a bit intense and requires quite a lot of homework! So, this week I read my final SPFBO book which means my reading for Phase 1 is now complete. We’ll be posting our semi finalist post tomorrow and that will be followed up by the announcement of our finalist (as soon as all have completed their reading). I also read a special edition of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. This is a collector’s edition that I requested from Netgalley. I really enjoyed this. The book is incomplete – you have to try and guess the outcome following which the solution is sent to you (via email) in the form of a letter (I’m not sure how this will work with the final edition – but I liked this element) Anyway, to satisfy your curiosity I guessed incorrectly – I’m kicking myself now because I did have a niggle irritating me but I didn’t trust that little warning bell.
Next Week’s Reads:
The Coven by Harper L Woods and The Book of Witching by CJ Cooke
Reviews Posted:
- The Wilding by Ian McDonald
Outstanding Reviews
- The September House by Carissa Orlando
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- 1 x SPFBO book
- The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
- 1 x SPFBO book
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Friday Face Off: Run by Blake Crouch
11 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blake Crouch, book-blog, Books, Friday Face off, reading, Run
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
This week I’ve chosen a book that is on my shelf waiting to be read. Run by Blake Crouch. I like the sound of this one and the covers are very ominous:
My favourite this week:
They’re all different and yet similar – if that makes sense. I quite like the blue and the yellow but that sticker annoys me. I also like ominous feel of the bottom left. But I think my favourite this week is:
This cover feels out of focus and fuzzy but I feel that gives it an edge and I also like the grey title. This one definitely gives the feeling of trying to run away. Which is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Monthly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate September/October
1 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, book-blog, Books, Monthly Wrap Up, reading, September/October, What's on my Plate
I’m trying to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.
In this post I shall be looking at the reading I completed for September and what I’m hoping to read during October. I hit a bit of a shady patch this month and didn’t quite finish all my planned books – and looking at October, well, I seem to have turned into a raging maniac requesting ALL the books and literally I don’t know what I was thinking. Well, I do. I just wanted them all, they all looked so lovely and they were calling to me. Anyway. This month I have two review books that I’ve not managed to complete but I’m still aiming to pick them up when I have a quieter month (November/December). I have two reviews to catch up with at the moment and then onwards to my October books.
Here’s what I read during September:
- Fortitude’s Prize by Ceril N Domace (SPFBOX)
- The First Assignment by Billy Kramer (SPFBOX)
- River of Crows by NP Thompson (SPFBOX)
- This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C Wells
- So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
- Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
- Touched by Magic by Celine Jeanjean (SPFBOX)
- Smile and Be A Villain by Yves Donlon (SPFBOX)
- Gorse by Sam K Horton
- The Ravening by Daniel Church
- The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier – review to follow
- The Wilding by Ian McDonald – review to follow
This month I had nine review books and five SPFBO books. I have two review books to complete, I started both but put them down temporarily as I don’t think I was in the right headspace. So, twelve books all together.
What I’m hoping to read during October(with links to Goodreads) (although I realise this is a tall order and probably unlikely – but I can roll some books over to November).
- The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
- The Coven by Harper L. Woods
- The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning
- Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne
- The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
- The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
- Run by Blake Crouch
- Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan
- Hear Him Calling by Carly Reagon
- Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris
- The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne
- Here One Minute by Alex Lake
- The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H. G. Parry
- The Queen by Nick Cutter
- Magic by Sarah Pinborough
I also have a couple of books sent to me directly by the authors and three potential SPFBOX Semi Finalists. So, realistically, there’s no way I’m going to complete them all. But, in my defence some of these were requests that came in late. Oh, who am I kidding – there are some great books on here so I couldn’t resist. And, just look how lovely they all look:
This month I read no Backlist Books -boo (I am still reading The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie – which is very good but I simply keep forgetting to listen to the audio version).
Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo
This month I’m ticking off the ‘clouds’ prompt from my Picture Prompt bingo card.
I’m using Fortitude’s Prize by Ceril N Domace – a story that predominantly takes place in the sky so seems quite appropriate.
PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2024 (TEXT VERSION)
| A microscope | A partially unrolled scroll and a pen | ||
| A beehive (with four bees flying around it) |
So far this year I’ve read a total of 94 books.
How did you get on during September?
Books and travelling with Lynn 