Books Bones and Buffy | Books and travelling with Lynn

Monthly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate April/May

Posted On 4 May 2024

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: April/May, Books, Books Bones and Buffy, Monthly Wrap Up, 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 April and what I’m hoping to read during May.

Here’s what I read during April:

The Gathering by CJ Tudor
The Fates by Rosie Garland
When She Was Good by Michael Robotham
The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé
The Hungry Dark by Jen Williams
The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier
You are Here by David Nicholls
The Silverblood Promise by James Logan
Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham
The Puppet Master by Sam Holland

So I managed to read all my review books last month and have just three reviews to catch up with. I caught up with two books from the Cyrus Haven series and I’m about 50% into my backlist book. In other news SPFBO 9 has concluded and the winner is Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang. This is a great book so if you’re looking for a fantasy mystery with some quirky characters and a slice of chaos, give this a go. I’ll be posting a round up post for SPFBO soon and talking about the other books.

What I’m hoping to read during May.

The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry
Hera by Jennifer Saint
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
Moonstone by Laura Purcell
Cinderwich by Cherie Priest
Backlist book
Backlist book

As with last month, I think this should be manageable and if all goes to plan I’m hoping to squeeze in a couple of backlist titles. BTB

I haven’t completed my book for April but I’m about 50/60% through so should complete in the next couple of days.

Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo

PPBBC

This month I’m again ticking two books off my Picture Prompt bingo card. Firstly, for the cannon picture I’m using The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. This is a fantastic book set during WW1 and so fits the prompt perfectly. My second picture is for the armillary sphere. The sphere was used by ancient Greeks as an astronomical tool therefore I’m going to use The Fates by Rosie Garland which is all about Greek mythology and a story when The Fates try to intervene and stop their meddling once and for all.

PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2024 (TEXT VERSION)

~~A heeled shoe decorated with a bow~~	A microscope	A partially unrolled scroll and a pen	~~A land snail~~
An old Roman coin	~~A fern plant~~	A simple crown	~~An armillary sphere~~
A seashell	~~A cannon on a gun carriage~~	A harp (one of the big ones)	~~Two hands making a shadow puppet dog~~
An old camera and tripod	A dog (a very good doggo)	A beehive (with four bees flying around it)	Fluffy cumulonimbus clouds

How did you get on during April?

Monthly Wrap Up/What’s on my Plate: Jan/Feb

Posted On 1 February 2024

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Books Bones and Buffy, Fantasy, Month in review, SPFBO, What's on my Plate

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I didn’t post a ‘What’s on my Plate’ for January so this will be my first post for 2024.

Here’s what I read during January:

Miss Austen Investigates, the Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Relight My Fire by CK McDonnell
The September House by Carissa Orlando
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Only If you’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook
1 x SPFBO Finalist
What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
1 x SPFBO Finalist

I managed to read and review all my January books and catch up with some late reviews. For the month of Feburary these are the books that I will be reading (in fact I’ve already made a start, I’ve read two, made a start on a third and reviewed one of the books listed. Hopefully I can complete the remaining books and at least one SPFBO finalist (we’ll see, February is a short month but I’d like to stay on track if possible).

Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook – read and reviewed
Only If you’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham – read and awaiting review
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead – currently reading
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan
The Briar Book of the Dead by AG Slatter
What Feasts at Night by T Kingfisher
An Education in Malice by ST Gibson
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

Monthly Wrap Up/What’s on my Plate: December

Posted On 4 December 2023

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books Bones and Buffy, December line up, Monthly Wrap Up, What's on my Plate

Comments Dropped 6 responses

I’m going 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.

I managed to complete eight books during October. I also started Empire of the Vampire and I’m making good progress with that, I picked up Crucible of Chaos and read about 30% but have set that to one side for now as I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. I also picked up The Hacienda and finished it last night as I expected.

So, from my line up for November this is how I’ve got on:

I had four books carried over from October:

Starling House by Alix E Harrow. I’ve read and reviewed this

StarlingHse

A Haunting in the Arctic by CJ Cooke – I didn’t manage to squeeze this one in yet so I’m rolling it forward to December.

A haunting

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. I finished reading this yesterday evening and will be reviewing soon.

Hacienda3

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. Read and reviewed.

TheReform

From My November line up:

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper – read and reviewed

Temple

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez – read and to be reviewed shortly.

River

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry – read and reviewed.

GoodGirls

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan – read and reviewed

Ghosts

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater – read and to be reviewed soon.

witchwood

Here’s my month in covers:

During December I’ll be picking up A Haunting in the Arctic by CJ Cooke. I need to complete Empire of the Vampire and then I’ll be hopefully picking up a couple of SPFBO finalists together maybe with a couple of review books from January to try and get a head start.

Monthly Wrap Up/What’s on my Plate: November

Posted On 1 November 2023

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books Bones and Buffy, Monthly Wrap Up, November books, What's on my Plate

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October wasn’t a bad month. I completed three SPFBO semi finalists and reviewed them all. We also chose our finalist – which wasn’t easy because seriously, folks, some good books amongst these. This was my line up last month with an update of which books I’ve read – also obviously plus the 3 SPFBO.:

I read and reviewed :The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey

The paleHouseDevil

I started Edenville by Sam Rebelein but it didn’t quite work for me atm so I’ve put it down for now.

Eden2

I read and reviewed The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan

theWakingof

A Haunting in the Arctic by CJ Cooke – Unfortunately I haven’t managed to get to this one yet but will be intending to do so soon.

A haunting

I read Red River Seven by AJ Ryan – I’ve not reviewed it yet but will be doing so shortly. A pacy and entertaining read.

RedRiverSeven

Starling House by Alix E Harrow – I’m currently reading this one. It’s intriguing so far.

StarlingHse

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – I’m keen to pick this one up soon.

TheReform

I also read one of my November books which I really enjoyed and will be reviewing shortly. The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance sayers

Here’s my month in covers:

During NovemberI have a nice line up planned plus a little catching up to do if possible:

From October:

From my November line up:

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper

Temple

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

River

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry

GoodGirls

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan

Ghosts

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

witchwood

Reading “Firsts” for 2022

Posted On 17 March 2022

Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books Bones and Buffy, Reading Firsts

Comments Dropped 9 responses

I first saw this idea over on Tammy’s Books Bones and Buffy blog last year and thought it was a great idea to highlight some of the books you’ve read during the first quarter of the year. Take a look at Tammy’s answers for this year (here) and now lets see how I’ve got on so far this year. I’ve also sneakily added one extra prompt.

First book read in 2022:

TheMaid

According to my list up on the blog (Books Read In… tab) the first book I read this year was The Maid by Nita Prose and what a great start to the year was this quirky and delightful cosy murder mystery set in a hotel with a maid called Molly who loves to blitz dust and grime.

First (aka Second) review posted in 2022:

RGs

The first review I posted this year was the same answer as above – The Maid. Obviously I was aiming to start the year with some good intentions and post reviews in a timely manner. So, the second review I posted was for Rachel Hawkins Reckless Girls. I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs but had slightly mixed feelings for this one although the author certainly succeeds in creating tension.

First (aka Second) book of 2022 by a debut author:

AFlicker

Well, surprisingly, would you believe the first debut I read this year was the first book I read, yep, The Maid. This post could very soon turn into a one trick pony! A post of firsts all about one book – that would be a first in itself. Anyhow, I’ve again gone for the second debut book I read this year which was a thoroughly gripping, tense, psychological thriller by Stacy Willingham : A Flicker in the Dark.

First (aka ‘not the first) book of 2022 by a “new to me” author:

GWoB

Yep – you know it – none other than the author of The Maid herself Nita Prose. People, this cannot stand. I’m going to randomly choose another ‘new to me’ author (not including Nita Prose and Stacy Willingham!) This is a book that I loved and I will definitely be backtracking to read more from this author. The Great witch of Brittany by Louisa Morgan – so, so good.

First self-published book of 2022:

BurnRed

Finally a prompt that doesn’t take me back to the first book I read this year! The first self published book that I read this year was one of the SPFBO finalists that I’m working my way through. A book called Burn Red Skies by Kerstin Espinosa Rosero. I don’t have a review posted for this one yet so I’ve linked to Goodreads. Fabulous cover.

First book of 2022 that slayed me:

Justice

I’ve read some good books already this year but I think my absolute ‘runaway’ so far has to be The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan. I loved this, it captured my attention so easily and so quickly. Here’s my review.

First book of 2022 that I wish I could get back the time I spent reading it:

Well, I’ve read some chunky books this year (and also a few that didn’t quite live up to my expectations) and I can’t deny that a couple of the chunky books took a good while to complete, but, fortunately, I don’t think I’ve read anything so far this year where I regret the time spent (this could also be linked to the fact that I don’t tend to complete books I’m not enjoying).

First book of 2022 from an author that you already know and love

ParisApart

This is an easy one. The Paris Apartment is the third novel I’ve read by Lucy Foley and I’m just loving her books (The Hunting Party and The Guest List). I’d like to backtrack and read one of her earlier books if I get the chance – maybe The Invitation or The Book of Lost and Found – has anybody read/recommend either of those??