Top 5 Tuesday: Books That Got Me Into Reading

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, and now being hosted by Meeghan reads.

Hello!

The theme this week is brilliant because I will be honest when I was little I didn’t do much reading until my big sister introduced me to some fantastic books and then I soon became a book addict. So here are 5 of the books that helped get me into reading.

I remember reading this book when I was rather young. It took me a long time to get through it but I loved it. I have read it many times since then and now I realise it is quite a short book but when I was young it felt like a very long book.

My sister bought me for Christmas one year when I was little, a big pile of individually wrapped abridged classics. The first thing that amazed me was that my sister had wrapped all these books as she hates wrapping presents. Then the excitement of having all these wonderful books to read hit me. After Christmas we went to Scotland to celebrate New Year with my other sister and during the car journey I read some of these books and A Tale of Two Cities was one of them and I loved it. I then promptly got the full edition and read it all and have read it many times since. This book cemented my love of Dickens and reading.

I always have to include Jane Austen as one of my authors who cemented my love of reading. I have read all of her books more than once and love them all even the annoying Emma. Pride and Prejudice was the second Austen I ever read and it is a firm favourite.

This was the first ever Terry Pratchett book I read. I got my mom to join a book club to get a limited edition of The Lord of the Rings and three Terry Pratchett books. I remember being curled up in the armchair reading this book thinking I will just read one chapter then go and practice the flute and soon realised there were no chapters and just kept on reading. I then became a Pratchett addict and have been ever since.

Finally, I have gone for my favourite trilogy The Lord of the Rings. I usually read another edition that I own which contains all three books in the one, so I count it as one book in my mind. I love The Lord of the Rings and have read it so many times. This trilogy cemented my love of all things fantasy.

So there is my Top 5 Tuesday! Please drop me a comment with your Top 5 Tuesday and I will head over for a visit as I love to see everyone’s answers.

Happy Reading

The Weekly Brief

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone has had a nice weekend. I haven’t managed much reading but I have managed to cook a roast dinner and end up with the meat on the floor so I made up for it by making a cheesecake. I have also done more studying and piano playing.

Anyway, here is what I have been up to on the blog

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Books Acquired

I’m looking forward to reading these two books and I must admit my Mom has already said she wants to borrow the Richard Osman book off me.

Another blogging week complete.

I hope everyone has a good week.

Happy Reading

WWW Wednesday: 10/03/2021

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

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!

Welcome to one of my favourite posts of the week. I love WWW Wednesday because I just love seeing what everyone is reading and enjoying.

What I am Currently Reading

I’m really enjoying this so far.

What I have Recently Finished Reading

I loved both of these books but I will be honest I could not put down Worst Martian Playlist.

Things in Jars

What I think I will Read Next

Definitely one of these three. They all look so good!

There is my reading update, please drop me comment with yours!

Happy Reading

The Willoughby Book Club #6

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone has a good week planned with some good reading included.

My book from The Willoughby Book Club has arrived and it was in different wrapping! I’m not sure I am as keen on this wrapping as it is more of a sleeve instead of the gorgeous tissue paper but it is the book that counts.

The book I received was Mallory Cook and the Road Not Taken by Charlotte Nash. I know I say this a lot but Charlotte Nash is another new author for me. I do love discovering new authors especially when they become firm favourites, so fingers crossed I am not disappointed.

One single mother. Three escaped pensioners. An unforgettable road trip.

In their tiny, pale green cottage under the trees, Mallory Cook and her five-year-old son, Harry, are a little family unit who weather the storms of life together. Money is tight after Harry’s unreliable and impulsive father, Duncan, abandoned them to expand his business in New York. So when Duncan fails to return Harry after a visit, Mallory sets off, determined to bring her son home any way she can.

A chance encounter with three retirees on the run leaves Mallory leading an unlikely group road trip across the United States. Zadie, Ernie and Jock each have their own reasons for making the journey and along the way the four of them will learn not only the lengths they will travel to save each other, but that it’s never too late to change the path you’re on . . .

Drop me a comment with your thoughts if you have read this book.

Happy Reading

The Weekly Brief

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone has had a good weekend so far. I have done some fantastic reading this weekend which has been wonderful.

So here is what I have been up to on the blog this week

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Proving to be very interesting so far.

Books Acquired

I will be honest I have already read this. I bought it on Friday and read it on Saturday, I just couldn’t put it down.

So there is my week.

Please drop me a comment if you want to chat.

Happy Reading

Reading My Height in Books #2

Hello!

It is time for my monthly update on my reading challenge. Now I have noticed a little problem with my challenge and that is digital books. Last year I barely read a digital book and this year just because I have set myself this challenge there is a load of digital books I want to read! The question is do I count them in my challenge and if I do, how? So what do my fellow book dragons think? What should I do?

Anyway, until I make a decision here is my monthly update of the growing pile of books that I hope to get the same height as me this year. These are the books from January and February. The height is now 8.5 inches. I added 2.5 in February.

Physical Books Read in February

Caliban’s War by James S. A Corey

Die Standing by John Jackson Miller

Just another 4 foot 10.5 inches to go! I think some very thick books are required.

Here is my January picture in case you want to compare.

January Post

Happy Reading!

Top 5 Tuesday: Books from your Childhood

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, and now being hosted by Meeghan reads.

Hello!

I love this week’s topic as I have so many books that I loved as a child and still love and read today.

So here are my top choices.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Toad! I think Toad is one of the reasons I love frogs and toads, he is such a funny character and my favourite story is about Toad and his motorcar.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

I have very fond memories of this book and I still remember the day my sister gave me this book, we were sat in the kitchen and I remember being so excited to start reading it.

The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter

I love all the Beatrix Potter stories but I chose Tom Kitten today because he is rather a fat little kitten and reminds me of my rather tubby cats.

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Eeyore! I am obsessed with Eeyore, the house is full of Eeyores. My poor long suffering husband despairs when another turns up in the house. I adore all the Winnie the Pooh stories but the very best always include my beloved Eeyore.

The Brambly Hedge stories by Jill Barklem

I have fond memories of these stories and I recently bought the treasury for my best friend’s little boy because I wish to pass on the joy they brought me.

So there are just some of my favourites. What were your favourite children’s books? Remember please drop me a comment if you want to chat.

Happy Reading

The Weekly Brief

Happy Sunday!

I almost forgot to do this post because to be honest I forgot what day it is. I hope everyone has had a good weekend.

So without further ado, here is what I have been up to this week.

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Really enjoying this so far but I do find the descriptions rather long winded.

There is my blogging week. I hope everyone has a good week next week, full of sunshine and reading.

Happy Reading

Die Standing by John Jackson Miller (Review)

Die Standing by John Jackson Miller

Blurb

No one in the history of histories has lost more than Philippa Georgiou, ruler of the Terran Empire. Forced to take refuge in the Federation’s universe, she bides her time until Section 31, a rogue spy force within Starfleet, offers her a chance to work as their agent. She has no intention of serving under anyone else, of course; her only interest is escape.

But when a young Trill, Emony Dax, discovers a powerful interstellar menace, Georgiou recognises it as a super-weapon that escaped her grasp in her own universe. Escorted by a team sent by an untrusting Federation to watch over her, the emperor journeys to a region forbidden to travellers. But will what she finds there end the threat—or give “Agent Georgiou” the means to create her old empire anew? 

Review

This is the latest book in the Star Trek Discovery series and I must admit I was a bit hesitant to read it at first because I was worried about whether Emperor Georgiou would annoy me or not. Thankfully I did read it and was mistaken.

It has been a long time since I have read a book that has made me laugh so much. Georgiou is hilarious and very dangerous. Georgiou the emperor is a ruthless woman who has lost it all but is determined to make the best of the situations she finds herself in by any means necessary. Georgiou delights in causing chaos and the things she says are hilarious but one thing is for sure she is a lethal weapon. Georgiou is an expert killer, tactician and spy and this is all shown in the book.

In this book we also meet Finnegan. Georgiou knows Finnegan as Blackjack in her universe and by sheer coincidence she meets Finnegan in the current universe. Finnegan loves a good brawl and definitely loves a drink. You can happily imagine him getting drunk in a pub and starting a fight for fun. However, Finnegan does not agree with killing or enjoy it and that is where he differs from Blackjack. I really enjoyed the relationship that developed through the book between Georgiou and Finnegan and found it very funny how Finnegan was quite happy annoying Georgiou.

Emony Dax was an interesting character and one who wasn’t daunted by the scary things Georgiou kept coming out with. I felt quite sorry for Emony at times as people did not take her seriously and just ignored her opinions and ideas. Emony is an interesting character and I really enjoyed seeing how Finnegan took her under his wing and taught her how to fly a shuttle craft and even Georgiou at times looked after her and taught her things. 

I loved this book, the storyline was excellent but the main thing that really made this book was Georgiou, Finnegan and Emony and how they interacted with each other. A big 5 out 5 Dragons from me.

🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Purchase Links

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About the author

New York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.

He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site. 

He is also a comics industry historian, specialising in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.

WWW Wednesday: 24/02/2021

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

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.

Here is my reading update…

What I am Currently Reading

Just started this today and only 24 pages in as I have read it in gaps between teaching as all my spare time has been used wrestling with an essay, but so far I am really enjoying it. It took me a bit to get used to Kidd’s writing style as she is very descriptive but I’m hooked!

What I have Recently Finished Reading

Loved this and found it highly amusing. Review will follow shortly.

What I think I will Read Next

There are so many books I want to read at the moment and so many I have on my wish list. I just don’t know what to read next!

What is on your WWW Wednesday? Please drop me a comment with your link and I will head over for a visit.