I haven’t taken part in this Tag since 2021 so I thought it was high time I took part again. I haven’t read as many books as I usually have by this time of the year but hopefully I will have some good answers.
What is the best book that you’ve read so far in 2025?
I just can’t choose between these two as they have definitely been my favourite reads of 2025 so far.
What has been your favourite sequel of the first half of the year?
This is the only sequel I have read this year so far so it is definitely my favourite. Review
Is there a new release that you haven’t read yet but you’re really excited to?
I had this preordered but as per usual it has been sat on my TBR pile since it arrived. I am planning on reading it this year though.
What is your most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
I have had this preordered for ages and I can’t wait for the release.
What is your biggest disappointment so far?
I was really excited to read this but I was really disappointed with it.
What is your biggest surprise so far?
I downloaded this book in 2018 when I fist got my Kindle and it was a 99p purchase. It has sat on there ever since but this year I decided to give it a read and I will be honest I wasn’t expecting much but I was absolutely hooked. I downloaded book 2 straight away.
Favourite book to movie adaptation this year?
Haven’t seen any sadly.
What is the prettiest book cover so far this year?
I loved the cover of this book and the pictures inside.
Who is your new favourite character?
My favourite new character that I have discovered this year is Paige Mahoney.
A book that made you happy?
I was so happy to reread this book. It made me laugh so much.
A book that made you cry?
Haven’t had one so far this year.
What are your anticipated reads for the second half of 2025?
These are definitely the two books I am most looking forward to in the second half of this year.
If you have taken part in the Mid Year Freak Out please drop me a link and I will head over for a visit.
I hope everyone has had a good day. I am really looking forward to the weekend.
My chosen poem this week is by the British poet, novelist and translator who writes in English, Sheenagh Pugh (1950).
What If This Road
What if this road, that has held no surprises these many years, decided not to go home after all; what if it could turn left or right with no more ado than a kite-tail? What if its tarry skin were like a long, supple bolt of cloth, that is shaken and rolled out, and takes a new shape from the contours beneath? And if it chose to lay itself down in a new way, around a blind corner, across hills you must climb without knowing what's on the other side, who would not hanker to be going, at all risks? Who wants to know a story's end, or where a road will go?
One of the things I love about this challenge is that you can substitute certain books. I have made the decision to substitute some of the books on my list because I can’t find them! I have a lot of books in piles and a lot of books in boxes because I am still trying to sort out my library and now I can’t find certain books I had planned to read. I know I own them, I just can’t find them! You can find my original list here.
So here is my new list:
Medea by Rosie Hewlett
Hera by Jennifer Saint
Vertigo by G. S. Jennsen
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
The Royal Game by Anne O’Brien
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Lady Catherine and the real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon
The Princes in the Tower by Philippa Langley
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom
Hopefully I will manage to read these over the summer.
The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?
Hello!
I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am managing loads of reading this week which is lovely.
What I am Currently Reading
I am flying through this and really enjoying it so far.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
I finished The Three Musketeers and I am really missing those wonderful friends. I needed a quick read whilst I was at school so I managed to finish the next short story in the Far Reaches series. Reviews to follow soon.
What I Think I will Read Next
As usual I have no idea what I will read next but I think one of these is a strong contender.
My chosen quote today is by Walt Disney (1901-1966) who created the wonderful Mickey Mouse amongst other fantastic characters.
“Fantasy, if it’s really convincing, can’t become dated, for the simple reason that it represents a flight into a dimension that lies beyond the reach of time.”
A young man caught between two disparate worlds searches for his place in the universe in a wrenching short story by New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse.
Light-years from home, it’s Ira’s second chance. Just another anonymous student at a space station university. Not the orphan whose Earther heritage was erased. Not some social experiment put on display by his adoptive father. Not the criminal recruited by the human rebels. But when Ira’s loyalties clash once again, two wars break one on the ground and one within himself. Which will Ira stand with? Which will take him down?
Rebecca Roanhorse’s Falling Bodies is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
Review
This is the first story I have read by Rebecca Roanhorse and I was not disappointed. The story focuses on Ira. Ira’s is a sad tale, he is a human orphan who was adopted as a social experiment which means he grew up in a life of privilege but with this privilege he lost all his Earther history.
In this story humans are not the dominant species and they are trying to find ways to fight back. Humanity has been conquered and yes they are allowed to live but their history, their culture is being obliterated. This short story shows a small snippet of humanity fighting back.
This little story of just 35 pages really packed quite a punch and I really enjoyed it even if I would have preferred a different ending. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons and I will be definitely looking out for more books by Roanhorse in the future.
🐲🐲🐲🐲
About the author
Rebecca Roanhorse is a New York Times bestselling and Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Award-winning speculative fiction writer. She has published multiple award-winning short stories and novels, including two novels in The Sixth World Series, Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, Race to the Sun for the Rick Riordan imprint, and the epic fantasy trilogy Between Earth and Sky. She has also written for Marvel Comics and games and for television, including FX’s A Murder at the End of the World, and the Marvel series Echo for Disney+. She has had her own work optioned by Amazon Studios, Netflix, and AMC Studios.
Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club. All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.
Happy Monday!
I hope everyone has had a good start to the week. I have been going through my book trolleys to see what books I have on them that I have forgotten about and I found this one lurking at the back. I might pop this one on to my Summer TBR pile.
Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain
Death stalked the Vale. In every corner, every whisper. They just didn’t know it yet. Six neighbours, six secrets, six reasons to want Olive Collins dead. In the exclusive gated community of Withered Vale, people’s lives appear as perfect as their beautifully manicured lawns. Money, success, privilege – the residents have it all. Life is good. There’s just one problem. Olive Collins’ dead body has been rotting inside number four for the last three months. Her neighbours say they’re shocked at the discovery but nobody thought to check on her when she vanished from sight. The police start to ask questions and the seemingly flawless facade begins to crack. Because, when it comes to Olive’s neighbours, it seems each of them has something to hide, something to lose and everything to gain from her death.
Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality. It is all about sharing the books that you have recently added to your bookshelves. These books can be physical books, ebooks and of course audiobooks.
Hello!
I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I have been looking at Kindle offers to stock up my Kindle ready for my holiday next month. I haven’t found many that appeal to me yet but I will keep looking. Here is what I have gone for so far.
I have always been a fan of Dan Jones so I am looking forward to reading his book on the Plantagenets. I haven’t done much historical reading this year so I am looking forward to getting back into it.