Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Click on the link for more info and to find out about future topics.

This week’s theme is:  New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

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I read quite a few new-to-me authors in 2022, and enjoyed each of the books I read enough that I’d like to check out more from any of the authors listed below. I’ve linked the covers to my reviews (where possible) in case anything catches your attention. On to the books..

This weeks post features books from:

Alice Hoffman | Ray Bradbury | T. Kingfisher | Caroline Mitchell | Louise Douglas | Becky Chambers | Alma Katsu | Chris Carter | Mark Edwards | Catherine Ryan Howard

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So, which books made your list this week?
See you again next time for another Top Ten Tuesday.

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The ‘Good Intentions’ Book Tag: 2023 Edition

It’s Book Tag time!
The first tag of 2023 is an updated version of a tag created by Lynn over at Lynn’s Books and is based on ten popular resolutions/best intentions. Here goes my 2023 attempt at the Good Intentions Book Tag.

Exercise more : This is a book that is a real chunkster, in fact you will need help to even pick this book up:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I have the hardback version, it’s the next book that I want to read. It’s so pretty, but it’s pretty huge too at over 500 pages. That said, I’m really looking forward to starting it.

Lose weight : A book that is not a chunkster; a short story or novella. A book you could probably read in one sitting:

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far and this short story sounds good too. Here’s the description:

The Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdom’s greatest warrior in this short story of love and loyalty by New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow.

Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising—how many times will she repeat her own story?

Eat healthy : A book that is good for you. This is a book that made you feel so happy that you wanted to give it a big hug:

For some reason the first thing that came to mind for this was reading an Agatha Christie. Murder mysteries, for a book that you’d give a hug?! Strange, I know, but there’s something about picking up a Poirot novel. You know they’re not really graphic, and you know that in the end Poirot will come to the right conclusion and sort everything out. There’s a cosiness to them in a way that I do find enjoyable.

Fulfill your ambitions : A book that has a lot going on. Plenty of different threads, points of views and action but everything eventually comes together in a very satisfactory fashion:

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. I read this last year and really need to get on and continue the rest of the series. There are so much going on in the first book, and so much action, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Spend more time with the family : A series of books that you love and that has developed more than you ever anticipated:

This year I’m giving another mention to The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I’m still partway through a re-read of the series and cannot wait to get back to it. Wolves of the Calla is the next on my list.

Tick off an item from your bucket list : Reduce the tbr. Choose a book from Mount TBR that you would like to read this year:

I’m doing a whole reading challenge devoted to this very thing, so here’s some of the books that made my list when I signed up for Beat the Backlist:

The Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Save money : A book that was an absolute bargain – you would have to be crazy in fact not to have bought this book:

The Institute by Stephen King was 99p in e-book recently so I had to have it. Doesn’t matter that I’d read it before, I might want to read it again at some point.

Get Organised : A book with a glossary, maps, useful words, lists of people – this book is one helpful book, it wants you to know ALL the things and it’s not afraid to use footnotes and other devices to help you do so:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. There are maps, there are footnotes, and so far I’m really enjoying discovering this story. I don’t know why I haven’t read it before. I know I’ve seen all the films, but for some reason I haven’t read the books. Am hoping to read the trilogy over the course of this year.

Start a new hobby : A book that is outside your comfort zone. Perhaps everyone was raving about this book, maybe it was over-hyped, you hesitated to pick it up in fact, but when you did – you loved it:

An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) was totally out of my comfort zone but I loved the sound of it so decided to give it a try. Whoever would have though a gruesome serial killer thriller would have grabbed my attention so much that I’ve decided to read the rest of the series, and it’s quite a long series too.

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That’s my top ten Good Intentions Book Tag.
If you’d like to have a go at the tag yourself then please do and I’d love to know what books you chose.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Books of 2022

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Click on the link for more info and to find out about future topics.

This week’s theme is:  Favourite Books of 2022

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Top Ten Tuesday this week gives a chance to look back over last year’s reads and pick out ten favourites. I’ve linked to reviews where possible in case anything catches your attention.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
An Evil Mind and Hunting Evil (Robert Hunter #6 and #10) by Chris Carter
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Billy Summers by Stephen King
The Midnight Man (Slayton Thrillers #1) by Caroline Mitchell
Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower #4.5) by Stephen King

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So, which books made your list this week?
See you again next time for another Top Ten Tuesday.

The End Of The Year Book Tag: 2022 Edition

It’s Book Tag time!
I’ve completed this tag in previous years and thought it would be fun to revisit it again now, so let’s talk books…

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’ve been rereading The Dark Tower series by Stephen King and I’d really like to get back to that soon. The next book I will be reading is Wolves of the Calla and from memory it was a good one, so I’m looking forward to that.

I’ve also started reading the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter and I’d like to try and fit at least one more book from that series in before the end of the year. Next up is The Night Stalker.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I don’t have a specific book but at this time of year I tend to find myself seeking out more Gothic-type tales, which feel suited to the longer, darker, colder nights.

I also usually try to pick something seasonal around Christmas time so any recommendations would be welcome.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

It’s already published but I haven’t read it yet – Fairy Tale by Stephen King. It sounds so good.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

• I might try to read something else by T. Kingfisher as I’ve just finished and loved What Moves the Dead.
• Perhaps another of the Dark Tower books by Stephen King.
• I’m being very vague with my last choice and simply saying ‘something festive’ as I have no idea what this might turn out to be yet.

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

Anything is possible. I haven’t picked my favourite read of the year so far yet but I do have a few in mind. Anyone who’s been reading my recent posts will probably not be surprised to hear the Robert Hunter series mentioned here, particularly An Evil Mind. It’s not the first in the series, but it’s the first book I read and I do think so far it’s my favourite, mostly because Lucien is a truly brilliant (or awful, depending how you look at it) villain.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2023?

Not really! I imagine the usual Goodreads challenge will feature, with a typically low starting number. If there’s a new Beat the Backlist challenge I may be tempted with that too. That’s about all in the way of plans at the moment.

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Are there any books you’re really hoping to read before the end of this year?
As always, feel free to consider yourself tagged if you fancy having a go at this one.

The Finally Fall Book Tag: 2022 Edition

Its Book Tag time. What better way to enjoy my favourite season than with an autumn themed tag? It’s Finally Fall! This tag was created by Alina on her booktube channel Tall Tales.

It’s become something of a tradition on the blog to complete this tag each year. I’ve done it at least a couple of times before, but I think there’s still room for another autumn-themed post, so here it is, same tag, new books. The 2022 edition of the Finally Fall Book Tag…

In fall, the air is crisp and clear: Name a book with a vivid setting.

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie. I thought the setting of Egypt and the closed-in feeling of the Karnak river cruiser were really vivid in this book. Definitely one to consider when you’re looking for some escapism.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley featured an apartment building that had massive amounts of mystery and atmosphere.

Nature is beautiful… but also dying: Name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

I couldn’t think of anything for this at first but I’m going to say Witch by Finbar Hawkins, mainly because it is the loss of Evey’s mother that spurs her on to seek revenge on those who harmed her and who would do further harm if only they could locate Evey and her younger sister Dill.

Fall is back to school season: Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.

I feel like I give the same answer each time I do this tag but I haven’t read any non-fiction this year… yet.

In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: Name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow has a wonderful group at it’s heart made up of the three Eastwood sisters and the friends they make as they strive towards a better future.

The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: Show us a pile of fall-colored spines!

I can offer up some autumnish-colour-inspired covers?

 

Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

Billy Summers by Stephen King. In this story an assassin agrees to one last job. It requires him to go undercover for a while and assume the identity of a writer. While he waits for his target to come to him, Billy takes the idea of writing to heart and tells the story of his past, so there’s a story within the story and I really liked the way it all tied together towards the end.

The nights are getting darker: Share a dark, creepy read.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. Look at that cover! With a cover like that you can imagine that the story inside is definitely going to be a little creepy.

Also, an honourary mention to ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. I actually reread this at the end of 2021 so it’s a little far back but that book had some of the creepiest scenes I’ve read in a while. So creepy in fact that I can still remember how unsettling they were at the time, especially one involving a certain basement in a certain house.

The days are getting colder: Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers. Okay, I admit that this book certainly isn’t short, but looking back through my books read so far this year, I apparently haven’t really been in a ‘heartwarming read’ mood very often, so this is the closest I could find. The friendships and found family aspect of the Wayfarers crew did make for nice reading though, so I think it counts.

Fall returns every year: Name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.

It was around this time last year that I finally read The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I’d owned the book for years at that point but never got around to reading it. I enjoyed it so much that it was on my mind as soon as autumn started to approach, and for a while I considered a reread. I’m not sure that will happen this year now but it’s definitely a book I’d like to read again.

Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: Share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”!

A massive mug of tea and some chocolate biscuits.

Spread the autumn appreciation and tag some people!

As always, if you’ve not had chance to do this tag yet, or you’re seeing it for the first time and fancy giving it a go please consider yourself tagged.

The Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag: 2022 Edition

It’s Book Tag time.

It’s that time of year. The Mid-Year Freak Out tag is back for a 2022 update.
I’ve enjoyed many of my recent reads, so here’s to remembering a few of them in this tag.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022:

I’ve read some great books this year so I can’t pick just one for this. I must mention…

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie
Foundryside (The Founders trilogy #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

2. Best sequel of 2022 so far:

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King. It’s book 4.5 of the Dark Tower series and was written after the rest of the series was completed. I think it may also be the only sequel I’ve read this year actually, but I think I’d have chosen it anyway as I really like this series.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison. I enjoyed both The Goblin Emperor and The Witness for the Dead, and this book is a sequel to the latter. Definitely one I want to get around to soon.

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of 2022:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

5. Biggest disappointment of 2022:

That I haven’t read a few more books so far, and I’d have liked to make a little bit more progress with my bookish bingo cards. Hopefully I’ll add a few more books to each of these soon.

6. Biggest surprise:

The Hollows by Mark Edwards

The Midnight Man (Slayton Thrillers #1) by Caroline Mitchell

Both of these were thrillers with a slightly spooky air that made them very enjoyable.

7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you):

New-to-me – Louise Douglas. I really enjoyed The Room in the Attic. I could have mentioned the two authors and books I used for the previous question here as well, because they’re both new-to-me and were enjoyable reads as well.

8. Newest fictional crush:

Pass

9. Newest favourite character:

The Eastwood sisters from The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I can’t pick just one of them as I liked each of them for different reasons.

10. Book that made you cry:

Billy Summers by Stephen King had a moment or two.

11. Book that made you happy:

I’m going back slightly further than I should for this one to mention a book that I read at the very end of last year as it seems to fit the prompt best – The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I’ve thought about this one a few times since I finished it and enjoyed every moment spent in this world.

12. Favourite book to movie adaptation of 2022 you’ve seen:

Death on the Nile is perhaps the only move I’ve seen that fits this category. I saw the movie before I read the book but that didn’t take away any of the enjoyment of reading it. I liked seeing what was changed and what stayed the same.

13. Favourite post/review you’ve written this year:

I haven’t done many Top Ten Tuesday posts so far this year but I did enjoy writing about books featuring Lighthouses and Sailing Ships.

I think one of my favourite books to review recently has been Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. It was a good story and trying to write about it without giving anything away was interesting.

14. Most beautiful book you bought or received this year:

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex has a striking cover. I haven’t read it yet so can’t comment on the story, but it’s one I’m looking forward to.

15. Books you need to read by the end of this year:

There are many, many books I could mention but I’ll limit myself to just a few…

The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower #5) by Stephen King

So concludes my 2022 edition of The Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag.

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As always, if you’ve not already done this and you fancy reminiscing over the amazing books you’ve read so far this year, feel free to consider yourself tagged.
See you next time for another Book Tag!

Booking Ahead: June 2022

Booking Ahead is an opportunity to glance through my never-ending TBR list/pile and select a few potential reads for the coming month. If I’m not reading books I love talking about books I’d like to read, so this post is a perfect excuse to do just that.

It’s time for another glance at my TBR list to select potential reads for the coming month. I’m doing something a little different this month. I’ve been thinking about books I might like to read for my reading challenges, not just this month, but beyond that, so I’ve created a list to remind myself of the possibilities. If you see anything here that you’ve enjoyed then let me know. On to the book list…

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware
Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower #5) or another novel by Stephen King
The Highway by C. J. Box
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
We Begin at the End by Chris Whittaker
Shorefall (The Founders Trilogy #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Scarlet Dress by Louise Douglas
The Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier
The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier

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What are you hoping to read this month? Have you read of my picks, and if so what did you think?
See you again next month for another Booking Ahead.

Booking Ahead: May 2022

Booking Ahead is an opportunity to glance through my never-ending TBR list/pile and select a few potential reads for the coming month. If I’m not reading books I love talking about books I’d like to read, so this post is a perfect excuse to do just that.

Welcome to the TBR pile once again! This month there’s one book I will definitely be reading as I’ve already started it:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers – Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Beyond this I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for reading at the moment.
I might try another Agatha Christie, which will possibly be Death on the Nile, or I might go for The Highway by C. J. Box as I’ve been watching the series Big Sky which is based on this book.
I might even get back to my Dark Tower reread. Next up is Wolves of the Calla.

Or, I might end up choosing something completely different.

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What are you hoping to read this month? Have you read of my picks, and if so what did you think?
See you again next month for another Booking Ahead.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Click on the link for more info and to find out about future topics.

This week’s theme is:  Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To

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Top Ten Tuesday this week is all about authors I haven’t read yet. I’m adapting this slightly for my final two mentions and including a couple of authors whose first-in-a-series books I’ve read and would like to continue with the rest.
I’ve chosen mostly series or trilogies this week, some of which have been on my TBR list for such a long time. The many standalone books I’d still love to find time for would make up a whole new post in themselves.
On to the books…

Brandon Sanderson – The Mistborn first trilogy (The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages)

Robin Hobb – The Farseer trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin’s Quest)

Joe Abercrombie – The First Law trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings)

Julia Quinn – The Bridgertons series

Alice Hoffman – The Practical Magic series

Becky Chambers – The Wayfarers series

Mary Robinette Kowal – The Lady Astronaut series

Jodi Taylor – The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series

Genevieve Cogman – The Invisible Library series. I’ve read the first book in this series.

Diana Gabaldon – The Outlander series. I’ve also read the first book in this series, and I’ve kept up with the TV adaptation, but I’d really like to get back to reading the books too.

So, any recommendations about which of these I should definitely try to make time for?

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So, what did you write about this week?
See you again next time for another Top Ten Tuesday.

Top Ten Tuesday: Lighthouses and Sailing Ships

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Click on the link for more info and to find out about future topics.

This week’s theme is:  Freebie AKA Lighthouses and Sailing Ships

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This week on Top Ten Tuesday we can choose our own topic, so here is ‘Lighthouses and Sailing Ships’, a post in which I gather together a selection of books based on either of these themes, whether as a main feature or a passing scene.
I decided on this theme when I noticed that many of the books that have recently caught my attention featured either lighthouses or ships.

I’ve read three of these, and linked to my reviews where possible (marked with a*), and have even included a non-fiction title this week, which is very rare. On to the books…

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow*

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane – Read this in my pre-blogging days so no review unfortunately.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin

Temeraire by Naomi Novik

The Bone Ships by R. J. Barker

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton*

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So, what did you write about this week?
See you again next time for another Top Ten Tuesday.