Top Five Tuesday: Series I Want to Start

This meme is hosted by Shanah @  Bionic Book Worm. For more details head over to her blog.

I really liked the look of this weeks theme as there are loads of series I would like to start but I’m a bit naughty with books in a series and I tend to give up or read the books in the wrong order. So here are my Top Five Series I Want to Start…

 

1. The 100 Series by Kass Morgan

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I own all the books in this series and they are currently sat on my TBR pile making me feel guilty for not starting them yet. I haven’t seen the TV series but my husband has watched them all.

 

2. The Expanse (Novel series) by James S. A. Corey

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I love the TV series of this and I own the first book in the series which I really want to start as I love a sci-fi book.

 

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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This is another series that I own but have never attempted reading but really want to but the first book is rather thick and tends to put me off slightly.

 

4. Languedoc Series by Kate Moss

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I love the sound of this series and to be honest I’m not sure why I haven’t read them yet. Maybe something to start whilst in lockdown.

 

5. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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I have read some of Robin Hobb’s books in the past and really enjoyed them so would love to read this series.

 

So that is my Top Five Tuesday this week. Please drop me a link with your Top Five and please give me your thoughts on the series I have mentioned if you have read them.

 

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Top 10 Tuesday: Titles that would make good band names

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For more info please check out Jana’s blog.

Hello!

I’m back again for another Top 10 Tuesday, I must admit I was very excited about this one as it appeals to my my musical background and my love of books. Some titles are linked to the reviews. So here goes…

 

Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss

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Dead Men by Richard Pierce

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Fear Itself by James Swallow

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Jaws by Peter Benchley

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The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

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Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov

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Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

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Watermelon Snow by William A. Liggett

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Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott

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Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter

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So that is my Top 10 Tuesday! Drop me a link with your thoughts and with your Top 10 and I will check them out!

Keep Reading!

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Top Five Tuesday: Five Books That Made Me Laugh

Hello everyone!

So today I have decided to have a go at another book meme this one is hosted by Shanah @  Bionic Book Worm. This one I have seen many times on different peoples blogs and have always liked reading them but have never taken part and this weeks seemed to be right up my street. I love books that make me laugh.

I will be honest I could easily just pick 5 of my favourite Terry Pratchett books but I will try to branch out a little.

Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

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Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle – aka the Wee Free Men – a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds – black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors – before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone…

I have read this book more than once and it always leaves me laughing my head off. The Wee Free Men are such brilliant characters.

 

The Martian by Andy Weir

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Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

I will be honest I saw the movie before I read the book but I loved the book and it made me laugh so much. Mark Watney is such a brilliant character.

 

A Scone to Die for by H. Y. Hanna

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When an American tourist is murdered with a scone in Gemma Rose’s quaint Oxfordshire tearoom, she suddenly finds herself apron-deep in a mystery involving long-buried secrets from Oxford’s past.

Armed with her insider knowledge of the University and with the help of four nosy old ladies from the village (not to mention a cheeky little tabby cat named Muesli), Gemma sets out to solve the mystery—all while dealing with her matchmaking mother and the return of her old college love, Devlin O’Connor, now a dashing CID detective.

But with the body count rising and her business going bust, can Gemma find the killer before things turn to custard?

I love the entire series of these books and they all make me laugh, I think the character that makes me laugh the most is Gemma’s mom especially in this book.

 

The True Meaning of Smek Day by Adam Rex

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It all starts with a school essay.

When twelve-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens – called Boov – abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.

I read this quite a while ago but it has left a lasting impression on me because of how funny I found it.

 

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

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In a fit of enlightenment democracy and ebullient goodwill, King Verence invites Uberwald’s undead, the Magpyrs, into Lancre to celebrate the birth of his daughter. But once ensconced within the castle, these wine-drinking, garlic-eating, sun-loving modern vampires have no intention of leaving. Ever.

Only an uneasy alliance between a nervous young priest and the argumentative local witches can save the country from being taken over by people with a cultivated bloodlust and bad taste in silk waistcoats. For them, there’s only one way to fight.

Go for the throat, or as the vampyres themselves say…Carpe Jugulum

I decided to finish with my favourite Terry Pratchett Discworld novel and the first one I actually ever read. I’ve read this so many times but I still love it. It incorporates some of may absolute favourites The Witches and The Watch!

So that is my first attempt at a Top Five Tuesday. Please drop me a comment with a link to your list and I will pop over for a look. Thanks.

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WWW Wednesday: 11th December 2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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?

 

It’s that time again! I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I myself have been busy reading and thoroughly enjoying it, although I really do need to get back into studying, it has been nice to have a little break after my assignment hand in.

 

What I am currently reading

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I have literally just started this so can’t really say much about it so far. I hope it proves to be good.

 

What I recently finished reading

 

It has been a busy week on the reading front, I really enjoyed all three of these books and reviews will shortly follow. My favourite out of the three was probably A Very Country Christmas.

 

What I think I will read next

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Looking forward to this book and I have been desperate to read it but wanted to leave it till it was closer to Christmas. I can’t wait any longer though!

 

So that is another WWW Wednesday! Please drop me a comment with your thoughts and your WWW Wednesday links!

Happy Reading!

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WWW Wednesday: 4th December 2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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 everyone!

I’m very happy because I have managed to get quite a bit of reading in over the last week. I hope everyone else is having a good December so far.

 

What am I currently reading?

I’m reading A Literary Christmas in bits so I am basically dipping into it when I want something festive to read. 

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is going OK so far even if it is making me grimace in places.

 

What I recently finished reading

I finished these three books basically at the same time I enjoyed them all but my favourite of the three was Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley.

 

What I plan on reading next

I am rather excited about these two books and I’m not sure which I will read first so I have put them both up.

 

Drop me comment if you have read any of these books and please drop a comment with your link in if you have also done the WWW Wednesday and I will check it out.

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WWW Wednesday: 20th November 2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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?

 

Well it is time for another WWW Wednesday, I must admit I only do these when I have started new books and at the moment I seem to be on a roll hence the weekly posts!

 

What I am currently reading

Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley

I started this a few days ago and so far really enjoying it, fingers crossed it continues that way.

One Day In Winter by Shari Low

I’m still going with this one but as it is on my phone and I only really read it when I’m waiting for students to turn up it isn’t going very fast. However, I am enjoying it and I am averaging a chapter a day.

 

What I recently finished reading

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Finished this a few days ago and really enjoyed it. A great book to dip into or read straight through. My review is here.

 

What I think I will read next

 

I recently bought both these books and I know I am Christmas reading but I do not think I have enough Christmas books to see me through till Christmas. I need to pad my list out a bit with none Christmas books.

 

So that is my WWW Wednesday, please drop me comment with your WWW Wednesday link in and I will head over to check it out. Also if you have any thoughts on the books mentioned today please feel free to comment below.

Bye for now.

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WWW Wednesday 13th November 2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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?

 

What I am currently reading

One Day in Winter by Shari Low

This is a new author for me and I got the book for free on Apple books. I’m only two chapters in but so far it seems to be going ok.

A Very Murderous Christmas by various authors

I have read six stories so far and so far absolutely loving the book!

 

What I finished reading recently

 

Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare

I finished this on Monday and sadly I found it a really disappointing read and I feel like a bad person for saying it because it is by William Shakespeare!

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

I loved this book so much, it kept me hooked from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

 

What I plan on reading next

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The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller

This arrived at the weekend and I am so excited to read it after my best friend told be about it. I must be well behaved though and wait till I have finished at least one of the books I am currently reading.

 

Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday or if you have read any of the books.

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WWW Wednesday: 6th November 2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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?

 

What I am currently reading:-

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

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As some of you may know I do love books by Elly Griffiths and this is no exception, I am racing through this book.

Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare

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I’ve set myself the challenge to read more Shakespeare, as I have only read his work that I had to at school, so far this is proving to be an interesting if slightly long winded read.

 

Books I have recently finished:-

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

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Really enjoyed this and could not put it down. Fantastic read.

The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs

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Another great read, that I polished off in a few hours.

 

What I think I will read next:-

This is always a tricky question for me as I generally always change my mind, so apologies if I don’t stick with my first choices.

Miss Marley by Vanessa Lafaye

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A Literary Christmas.

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That is another WWW Wednesday complete. Please drop me a link to your WWW Wednesday and please feel free to comment about any of the books listed.

 

Happy reading.

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WWW Wednesday 2/10/2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and a 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?

 

What I am currently reading:- 

Girl in Trouble by Stacy Claflin

On Monday I made the mistake of going to work without my book for my lunch break but thankfully I remembered I had a few books on my phone from Apple Books and started reading this. So far it is really good but I do wish it didn’t have so many chapters.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I really can not put this book down, I am really enjoying it and at this rate should be finished soon.

 

What I recently finished reading:-

 

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Just finished this and review will follow soon. I will be honest I did not enjoy it as much as I am enjoying The Testaments. 

Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard and John Henderson

Read as part of the preparatory work for my course, was an excellent introduction.

 

What I plan on reading next:-

I have a feeling a lot of my future reading will be course related but I am hoping to go for some fun stuff as well. I might read a Victorian classic next but I am not entirely sure.

 

Please drop me a link if you are also taking part in WWW Wednesday or want to chat about any of the books I have listed.

Happy reading.

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Down the TBR Hole #15

Down the TBR Hole was the brain child of Lost In A Story. The idea is to reduce the length of your Goodreads TBR.

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want to read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added
  • Take the first 5 or 10 books.
  • Read the synopses of the books.
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

 

Time for another sort through the TBR list as I have added a few books recently so I should get rid of some as well.

 

1. An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

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It was first serialised in the Merry’s Museum magazine between July and August in 1869 and consisted of only six chapters. For the finished product, however, Alcott continued the story from the chapter “Six Years Afterwards” and so it ended up with nineteen chapters in all. The book revolves around Polly Milton, the old-fashioned girl who titles the story. Polly visits her wealthy friend Fanny Shaw in the city and is overwhelmed by the fashionable and urban life they live–but also left out because of her “countrified” manners and outdated clothes.

 

 

I love Little Women, Jo’s Boys and Little Wives and I would love to read more of Alcott’s work so this stays on the list.

KEEP

 

2. Can you Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope

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Alice Vavasor cannot decide whether to marry her ambitious but violent cousin George or the upright and gentlemanly John Grey – and finds herself accepting and rejecting each of them in turn.

Increasingly confused about her own feelings and unable to forgive herself for such vacillation, her situation is contrasted with that of her friend Lady Glencora – forced to marry the rising politician Plantagenet Palliser in order to prevent the worthless Burgo Fitzgerald from wasting her vast fortune.

In asking his readers to pardon Alice for her transgression of the Victorian moral code, Trollope created a telling and wide-ranging account of the social world of his day.

To be honest I have a lot of Trollope on my TBR list so I think I will remove this one incase my TBR list becomes mainly books by Trollope as he did write a lot of books.

GO

 

3. Jonny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett

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Sell the cemetery?

Over their dead bodies . . .

Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he’s got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site. But the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They’re not going to take it lying down . . . especially since it’s Halloween tomorrow.

Besides, they’re beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were . . . well . . . alive. Particularly if they break a few rules . . .

 

 

Well it is a Terry Pratchett book so it stays put and that is final.

KEEP

 

4. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

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Far from the Madding Crowd was Thomas Hardy’s first major literary success, and it edited with an introduction and notes by Rosemarie Morgan and Shannon Russell in Penguin Classics.

Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in the fictional county of Wessex, Hardy’s novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.

I own several copies of this book because I just cannot resist pretty book covers so I really should read it.

KEEP

 

5. Lady Susan/ The Watsons/ Sanditon by Jane Austen

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Together, these three works – one novel unpublished in her lifetime and two unfinished fragments – reveal Jane Austen’s development as a great artist.

Lady Susan, with its wicked, beautiful, intelligent and energetic heroine, is a sparkling melodrama which takes its tone from the outspoken and robust eighteen century. Written later, and probably abandoned after her father’s death, The Watsons is a tantalizing and highly delightful story whose vitality and optimism centre on the marital prospects of the Watson sisters in a small provincial town. Sanditon, Jane Austen’s last fiction, is set in a seaside town and its themes concern the new speculative consumer society and foreshadow the great social upheavals of the Industrial Revolution.

This is the only book I have not read by Austen so it will stay on the list as well.

KEEP

 

Just five books today and only one off the list but that does mean the TBR is one book shorter. I know, I know I must try harder. Next time I will do ten books I promise.

Happy Reading.

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