Wooo, it’s the weekend. It’s been a long week, but I think I’m starting to be caught up with everything. Let’s talk books!
Books acquired this week
Technically this is actually part #2 of my London book haul (part one covers my purchases from museum bookshops and indies). This time we’re going through my haul from Waterstones Piccadilly, which was actually the last destination after the Forbidden Planet Megastore. The SF/F floor was closed, so I spent all the time on the non-fiction floor… which probably saved my wallet somewhat, it must be admitted.
First, let’s have some science!
I did see a potentially interesting book about infectious diseases, but I’ve got so picky about that topic now — I no longer find it as soothing to read, at least for now. So I gave that a miss.
Next up, let’s have the Egyptology books I found, a significant subset of what I got. I’d probably have got them even if I hadn’t gone to the Petrie museum recently, as I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, but it had certainly put me in the mood for them.
I already tore through Ramesses the Great and loved it, but I’m looking forward to the others, too! I imagine there won’t be as much new to me in Egypt’s Golden Couple, because I’ve always been fascinated by the Amarna period, but I don’t mind the refresher.
Finally, a more miscellaneous bunch:
I’d seen Threads of Empire on someone else’s post a couple of weeks ago and added it to my wishlist, so I was pleased to spot it in person, and I’d heard about Queen James somewhere or other, probably from KJ Charles. The title made a couple of people to whom I mentioned it wince, so I’d note that it’s presumably based on the contemporary saying Rex fuit Elizabeth, nunc est regina Iacobus (“Elizabeth was king, now James is queen”), and it does seem to be a serious examination of James’ relationships with men. If it turns out weird and homophobic/biphobic, I promise there will be a scathing review, but I’m pretty sure KJ Charles would’ve said something already if so.
As for A Woman’s Work, I remembered liking Cleghorn’s Unwell Women… while Rummage was a completely random choice just out of interest.
Almost-finally, I have a manga I got this week on a whim, and the single manhwa I got in Forbidden Planet, since it seems appropriate to put them in the same post:
I was not a huge fan of Cat + Crazy, sadly; I tried it because I liked Cat + Gamer, but I think it’s too goofy and “out there”. I’m excited for volume 9 of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, though!
And finally-finally, here’s my library hold of the week, which came in way sooner than I’d been expecting:
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give this a try, but the sheer market saturation of it has finally needled me into giving it a shot. Thank goodness for libraries, which let us take a chance on things sometimes.
Posts from this week
Let’s start with the reviews, as ever:
- Non-fiction: A History of England in 25 Poems, by Catherine Clarke (5/5 stars, “loved it”)
- Horror graphic novel: Home Sick Pilots: Teenage Haunts, by Dan Watters et al (4/5 stars, “really liked it”)
- Fantasy novella: A Long and Speaking Silence, by Nghi Vo (4/5 stars, “really liked it”)
- Travel and folklore: Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination, by Nicholas Jubber (3/5 stars, “liked it”)
- Poetry: Southernmost: Sonnets, by Leo Boix (1/5 stars, “didn’t like it”)
- Horror manga: Sailor Zombie, by Jiji, Pinch and Isshin Inudo (1/5 stars, “didn’t like it”)
As ever, most of those aren’t recent reads, I just have a huge review backlog written but not yet posted, in my efforts to post a mixed selection of reviews.
And the other posts:
- Fantasy with Friends: Underrated Fantasy Books
- Top Ten Tuesday: Surefire Tropes
- What Are You Reading Wednesday
- March Reading Wrap-Up
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Novels in Verse
I’m steadily getting to the point of doing a bunch of non-review features again after a long drought where I really just posted STS posts and reviews, which is nice. Actually having people visit my blog and having people whose blogs I read, and having time for all that… magical!
What I’m reading
I’m not sure how much I’ve actually read this week, because it’s felt like I’ve been too busy. Let’s have a look — here are some previews of covers of the books I finished this week which I will review on here soon(ish):
Not bad, really!
As for this weekend, I hope to finish Amal El-Mohtar’s Seasons of Glass and Iron, for a start, and maybe start my BookSpin book for the month, which is actually Gareth Russell’s Queen James (featured above). Or maybe I’ll go with some of the fiction I’ve just barely got started, like Stephanie Burgis’ Wooing the Witch Queen.
Whatever I read, I’m hoping to do more of it this weekend, and charge up my batteries for the week ahead.
Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? at The Book Date.
This looks like a very diverse group of books. Although I would have cried if I’d gone to Waterstones and been told the SFF floor was closed! I’m curious to see what you think of Butter, it’s one I see all over the place too. Happy reading!
If I hadn’t just been to Forbidden Planet and bought loads of SF/F, I’d have been so sad.
Yeah, I’ve got very curious about Butter, I hope it’s good.
I’m surprised people winced at the “Queen James” title – that’s just an in-community term as not? But I suppose being already familiar with the latin phrase would help (I didn’t remember that I knew it, but the title immediately made me go “oh we get to talk about James as being queer?! Yay!).
HarpGriffin recently posted…A book with tie-dye on the cover
I guess kind of a kneejerk “…huh?” — I admit sometimes I don’t jump to assuming good intent these days around queer stuff, ahaha. Apparently the book is very sympathetic to James’ queer loves, so I’m looking forward to it a lot.
You can never go wrong with a little science and Egyptology!
S.B. Milne recently posted…Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post
Exactly!
How strange that they had a whole floor closed!
Keira @Keira’s Bookmark recently posted…April 2026 TBR
It was for some kind of event! I’ve never seen a Waterstones do that before, and the choice of the SF/F, comics and kids’ books floor is a weird choice…
Buying lots of books at a bookstore seems to me to be a treat from the past, now that everything is on amazon. In fact we are even thinking of buying our replacement TV on amazon.
I don’t use Amazon on principle, whenever I can help it. I don’t want to get everything cheap and fast if it means supporting abusive working environments, tax evasion, the rich getting richer than anybody in the world needs, creators like authors making a loss, dirty energy generation and use with impacts on the climate, union busting, spying on consumers and workers, etc.
While this trip was a treat, and it’s not like I only bought from small indies… supporting brick-and-mortar shops and independent businesses is not a treat, in general, but a moral imperative. It’s impossible to do this perfectly, but I find it is possible to avoid Amazon for most purchases.
In some areas this is of course harder than others — I’m pretty lucky now with location and availability of shops, and transport to get to them, it was harder where we lived last year. But I do think it’s important to try when we can!
A great looking haul! The Egyptian books look good. I’ve seen Butter around too but I’ve not properly looked into it.
Have a good recharging weekend!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2026/04/04/stacking-the-shelves-145/
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog recently posted…Stacking The Shelves
I’m very keen to dig into them, haha. Though I must get round to Butter soon, since it’s so popular; almost certainly someone else wants it out of the library!
The history of Dinosaurs sounds fascinating, i love dinosaurs.
It was a good read!
My library allows me to check out 50 books at a time, and that’s wonderful for me!
I’m especially looking forward to hearing your thoughts about How Flowers Made Our World and Threads of Empire.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz recently posted…The Sunday Salon: The Black Death and the Tooth Fairy
Wow! My library has a much smaller allowance, and also I can’t really get there at the moment with my wrist injured. I think I’m starting to heal, so I can’t wait to get back to cycling. Just in time for better weather (hopefully) too.
Rummage piques my interest, as does Lost Voices of the Nile.
Wishing you a happy reading week
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out recently posted…It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #SundayPost #SundaySalon
Yeah, I’m very curious about both — especially Rummage since it was a very random pick, I haven’t heard anything about it.
You always find the most interesting nonfiction. I hope you love them all!
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Sunday Post #401
Thank you! I’m very hopeful, hehe.
Libraries really are the absolute best!
100%! I wish my local library had more available, but it’s still great to use the library whenever I can, and they have some pretty great online stuff.
Yay for the library. You really have some varied genres and types of books you are reading.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Always! Magpie-minded, as I’ve taken to saying: I’ll read anything shiny, haha.
I will be interested to hear what you think about Butter. I read it last year. I found it interesting without being compelling. I am already looking forward to her next book though!
Have a great week!
Marg @ The Intrepid Reader recently posted…This week
I’m very curious about it from the description, but not sure if it will be my thing. We’ll see!