Hurrah, it’s the weekend again! And I have no plans (that’s a good thing).
Books acquired this week
I finally finally ended up going out for a ride on my bike this week, which means I made it to the library for the first time in a while! So here’s what I picked up on that adventure.
I picked up The Beheading Game because someone tantalised me by saying they felt there are links to the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in it, so I’m curious about that, despite it not being totally my thing… and I picked up a bunch of poetry collections almost at random because they were on a display, I didn’t know any of the poets, and I do like to explore poetry lately.
I did also get a book in the mail for review from Orbit/Hachette, too!
I actually got another one as well, but I’ve put it aside until I can get the first book in the series, as I hadn’t realised it was a sequel when I requested it (the email was not super clear, or I was daft, I don’t know which).
And finally, my rabbits (helped by my wife, of course, who definitely wasn’t the actual source) bought me two books on Kobo, and I accumulated enough Kobo Super Points to get myself a third:
So that’s quite a lot of new books on my plate this week. Oh nooo, etc.
Posts from this week
As ever, let’s do a bit of a roundup. Since it’s a busy time, I haven’t managed to post a review every day — the review posts are all ready to go, since I write reviews as soon as I finish a book generally, but I kept forgetting to come back and send a review post out as well on days I had other features. Still, there’s been a post every day, so there’s plenty to catch up with!
First up, the reviews:
- Fantasy: Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die, by Greer Stothers (1/5 stars, “didn’t like it”)
- Historical romance: After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine, vol 1, by Liu Gou Hua (4/5 stars, “really liked it”)
- Classic crime: The Duke of York’s Steps, by Henry Wade (4/5 stars, “really liked it”)
As ever, please do take my rating definitions literally! If it says I liked it, I liked it, even if you don’t use 3/5 stars that way. And these aren’t books I’ve read this week — those are discussed in the next section below!
Here are the non-review posts:
- Fantasy with Friends: Over the Years
- Top Ten Tuesday: Happy Memories
- WWW Wednesday
- Book Blogger Hop: Running Blogs
What I’m reading
As a quick note, it’s come up a few times that people assume me posting books I intend to review here constitutes a recommendation, so just to clarify: nope! I didn’t enjoy all of the books below, and at least one was a one-star read. I review everything I read, regardless of whether I liked it. If you see me post a book in the ‘What I’m reading’ section then try it yourself and don’t like it, that is not my problem. Even if the book is racist/misogynist/transphobic/etc, I don’t put a warning/disclaimer on this bit because I’m purely showing people what I’ve been reading; you’ll have to wait for my review (or ask me!) if you’re really keen to know my actual thoughts. Yelling at me about it or calling me out on your blog isn’t going to help anything!
Anyway! It’s been a good week for reading, thanks mostly to the month-long readathon I’ve been taking part in on Litsy! It’s been encouraging me to read some novellas and shorter books, and honestly that’s been nice, since sometimes it means taking a chance on something new to me. Here’s a sneak peek at the books I’ll be posting reviews for sometime in the foreseeable future…
As for this weekend’s reading, I want to focus on finishing Rachel Harrison’s Kiss Slay Replay and dig deeper into my actual October TBR, but I’m also planning to read some poetry and manga for palate-cleansing purposes (inasfar as trying different horror manga is very palate-cleansing, I suppose), and more of The Summer Hikaru Died because it’s really good so far.
In the end, as ever, it’ll be whatever my whim drives me to, though!
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.
The three books from the rabbits seem appropriate for October I’m in need of a short read after the book I’m currently reading and I have one lined up. I do love novellas in between longer books. Looks like a great batch to choose from, enjoy!
That’s exactly what we thought! Good October reading.
“Scholar’s Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts” as well as “The Haunted Librarian” caught my interest. I will have to look those up. Thanks for sharing.
I’m definitely interested in the new Genevieve Cogman, I’ve enjoyed her other work! And The Haunted Librarian seemed like a fun seasonal read.
Oooh, I’m super curious about X Marks the Spot – may have to look into that myself.
S.B. Milne recently posted…Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post
I can’t resist histories in X objects, and archaeology is a pet topic of mine, so I’m looking forward to it a lot!
Hope The Beheading Game is a good read. One of my first books as a young reader was about Gawain and the Green Knight!
Harvee recently posted…New Mysteries to Read
I’m curious about it, outwardly it doesn’t seem to have a ton in common with the Green Knight story other than the beheading, but I think that’ll be all in the execution (heh). We’ll see!
People are yelling at you / calling you out on their blogs?? Ohmygosh that’s terrible!!!! You didn’t WRITE the books for gosh sakes! Yell at the authors, people!
Jinjer recently posted…Deadline Looming
It’s been… two or three times, now? That someone saw I’d read a book, read it, and then blamed me for not liking it, one of them in a review. I hadn’t even posted my actual review of the book yet, it’d only appeared in my weekly roundup as a book I’d read. If they’d waited for my review, it certainly did point out the racism! Sigh.
That is insane!!!
Jinjer recently posted…Deadlines Behind Us
I like the rabbits’ choices! You’ve added two books to my “want to read” list this week: The Pen and Scholar’s Guide to Demonology and Other Dark Arts, neither of which I was aware of. As a budding fountain pen enthusiast, I’m really interested to read about the history of pens. And Cogman’s new book looks like fun!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm’s Hoard recently posted…Sunday Post – 10/11/2026
Genevieve Cogman’s books have definitely been a lot of fun in the past! I loved the Invisible Library books, I’m hoping this one will be just as fun.
My mother’s super into pens, so I figured I’d see if this history is a good read! I think I’ve read something by the author before and enjoyed it, so I’m hopeful.
Oh my! I certainly hope that no one thinks that just because I liked a book or didn’t like a book that everyone in the universe is also going to like a book or not like a book. Even though I often love to read the books you loved, I know that not every book you love is a book I am going to love. But I am sad to hear that others are yelling and calling out people on their blogs. I had hoped that readers were kinder than that.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz recently posted…The Sunday Salon: Exit Party, Theo of Golden, and The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances
I think it’s partly because it’s a book that turned out kinda… misogynist and racist, so they’d thought I’d either not read it/review it at all, or that I’d put some kind of warning on it. As it is, I hadn’t known in advance of reading it that it’d turn out that way, and once my review was up it did say all that… but I guess they jumped the gun. It’s not the first time people have assumed that posting about a book at all meant that I’d enjoyed it, which is a bit uncomfortable for me, honestly. I don’t want posting a book at all to be taken as an endorsement!
It’s unbelievable that people would yell about liking or not liking a book. We all don’t like or dislike the same things. Books I rate high might not be ones that someone else would rate high. It’s a shame people would act this way.
Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews recently posted…The Weekend Review – October 10th-12th
It’s even sillier given that I only said I’d read it, not that I liked it! They read way too much into the inclusion.
I’ll be interested to see how you like the Genevieve Cogman book. I like her books but haven’t read the more recent ones. I love those Stephanie Burgis novella.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I have high hopes! I’m not caught up in the Scarlet Pimpernel retelling series, but I love the Invisible Library books.
I’m sorry you were targeted like that, I have no patience for such manufactured drama.
I’ve added Genevieve Cogmans’s new book and X Marks the Spot to my WTR, thanks!
Now where can I find book buying rabbits??
Thanks for sharing your week, happy reading.
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out recently posted…It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #SundayPost #SundaySalon
I think it’s mostly a bit of a misunderstanding, but it feels like a silly one since I don’t think there’s any reason to assume that featuring a book means I recommend it, beyond a certain level of screening where I won’t knowingly spotlight a book by someone completely awful.
I’m excited about both of those! My rabbits are most generous, ahaha.
Ooh nice new reads! These are new to me ones but the Haunted Librarian sounds fun! Hope you enjoy all of your new reads as you get to read them!
Thanks for visiting my StS!
I think I’ve read one other book by Auralee Wallace but I was mostly just attracted by how cosy and appropriate to the season it feels! I should really get started on it soon.
Hope you have a good week!
Thanks, you too!
Interesting list! Almost all new titles for me. I have the Haunted Librarian on my list and hope to get to it soon.
Cheryl @ CherylsCozyCorner recently posted…Cozy Sunday Sip & Share #2
I really want to get to it soon, too, it seems so apropos for autumn/Halloween!
I look at the books people plan to read as something that piqued their interest. It gives me a sense of what they like to read or are interested in reading. However, without an actual review, they cannot be seen as you vouching for the book. Sorry that you’ve gotten heat for someone picking up a book solely based on your upcoming reads, and then blaming you for it not being to their taste or maybe even needing a editor scrub-down.
Kristin recently posted…Review: She Who Was Once the Sea by Dana Shea
Exactly, yeah. And even when someone does post a review, unless I know their taste very well, I wouldn’t assume that means I’d like it.
I’ve added The Inspector Poole series to my TBR list. I’m attempting to get more classics into my reading diet for reasons I don’t fully understand. So I appreciate your review.
Wow! The people who assumed because a book showed up on your blog meant you were recommending it, must not be very familiar with you or your blog. While I tend to DNF books I would rate as less than a 3/5, I certainly would not assume everyone does. You very clearly discuss your ratings. The structure of your blog is very obvious.
Looks like you have some delightfully spooky books in the queue!
Olivia recently posted…Weekly Reading Update 10-10-2026
I’d love to read more of that series, I’m surprised there’s not more of it in ebook. I usually don’t go for second hand, but I might have to…
There have been a few times when people familiar with me jumped the gun and assumed I’d recommend a book because I read it, which I don’t really get. I do try to make the linkup posts as clear as possible to make sure there’s no misunderstandings since they often bring in new people, so I might try phrasing things a bit differently and see what I can make clearer!
Enjoy your new books!
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Sunday Post #406
Thank you!
Nice looking assortment of books. I added a few this week too but need to put myself on a book-buying ban. I am really trying to read everything I buy in 2026 this year. I do write reviews of everything I finish for the first time. I seldom write reviews for rereads and I do a lot of rereading. Come see my week here. Happy reading !
I never do well with book buying bans, somehow they make me want to buy more! So I just try to focus on keeping up with what I buy. It went well last year but… less so this year. Still, I’m trying!
Thanks, I added the book on archeology to my TBR, sounds fabulous