Category: General

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted March 29, 2025 by Nicky in General / 8 Comments

Greetings! It’s been a quiet-ish week for me in most respects, though the new raid tier has been released in FFXIV, and the Savage version releases on Tuesday, so getting ready for that is keeping me busy.

But we’re here to talk about books, so let’s get to that.

Books acquired this week

I didn’t get chance to go to the library this week, and though I technically have some money to buy a couple of books, I haven’t 100% decided which to get, so this week there’s just one book, the latest British Library Crime Classic via my subscription. It’s a bit late this month because of printing issues, and it doesn’t seem to have a matching bookmark, which makes me very sad.

I have mixed feelings; I like reading the novels from this series as an academic interest, but sometimes misogyny etc bleed through, and that’s the case with several of Anthony Berkeley’s books, if not all. Still, I’ll give it a shot.

Posts from this week

Time for a roundup!

Mystery: The Leavenworth Case, by Anna K. Green (2/5 stars)
Non-fiction: Book Curses, by Eleanor Baker (4/5 stars)
Non-fiction: Close Encounters of the Fungal Kind, by Richard Fortey (3/5 stars)
Graphic novel romance: If You’ll Have Me, by Eunnie (4/5 stars)
Fantasy novella: The Bloodless Princes, by Charlotte Bond (3/5 stars)

What I’m reading

I’ve fit in quite a bit of reading considering how much I’ve been playing FFXIV, so let’s start with the usual peek at the books I’ve finished this week which I plan to review on the blog:

Not sure what’s next, actually, but I’ll be following my whim as always.

Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup

WWW Wednesday

Posted March 26, 2025 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

Hello all! Yesterday was “patch day” in FFXIV, with a new raid wing released — which might mean nothing to most of you, but mostly it means “ouch, busy time with a hobby!” So I haven’t been reading a whole lot, but I’m hoping to fix that somewhat tomorrow.

What have you recently finished reading?

The last thing I finished was Mortal Follies, by Alexis Hall. I went into it really not sure if I’d get along with the prominent non-involved narrator’s voice, and ended up loving it. I feel like maybe it could’ve been trimmed and tightened here and there, but mostly when it was over I was annoyed there wasn’t just a bit more.

I’ve also been mainlining the Fence graphic novels by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad, and I’m also annoyed there wasn’t more! I love Seiji and Nicholas, and the supporting cast too.

What are you currently reading?

Actually… nothing, which is kind of the problem. If I had something I was partway through, I’d probably be doing a better job at picking something up… but nothing’s really grabbing me. Or the books I want to read are not the ones I think I “should” be reading (in order to make progress on the book spin bingo challenge on Litsy).

Which strikes me as very silly now I write it out — who cares if this isn’t a book I put on this month’s card? Gaah, brain.

What will you read next?

I don’t know! Same problem applies. I’m currently tempted by a book on Jane Austen I got recently (Jane Austen in 41 Objects, by Kathryn Sunderland), or Molly O’Neill’s Greenteeth. I’m not a huge fan of Jane Austen, but I love that kind of format for non-fiction… and Greenteeth sounds really good too.

So I guess it depends whether my brain keeps on insisting on the bingo card books!

How about you?

Tags: books, WWW Wednesday

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted March 22, 2025 by Nicky in General / 22 Comments

Good afternoon, folks! It’s still a weird and busy time around here, but that’s almost the “new normal” for me. It isn’t going to get less busy anytime soon, so I’m just trying my best to do stuff that I enjoy whenever I can.

So, let’s talk about books!

Books acquired this week

First, I got a couple of gifts from my wife, just ’cause:

I’m not a mega-fan of Jane Austen (though I have enjoyed some of her books, sorry Mum), but I’m a sucker for “x in y objects” type books. As for Strange Pictures, I read about it and I’m kinda mesmerised by the idea — and Mood Machine sounds like the perfect way to really understand some of the issues around Spotify. (I’ve been aware of general problems forever, and I always buy the music I like… but it’s hard to resist the convenience of Spotify, so one likes to be at least open-eyed about it.)

And I got a pre-order of a much-awaited book (see below for my review):

Other than that, I also had a quick library trip, partly to pick up my hold of Greenteeth, and partly for a quick browse, in which I picked up a mystery novel I’ve seen around quite a bit, and a non-fiction book that hadn’t been checked out of the library for a few years, on impulse. Here they are:

A random mix, as usual, which is always nice for me.

Posts from this week

First up, a round-up of the reviews I posted:

Non-fiction: The Other Olympians: A True Story of Gender, Fascism, and the Making of Modern Sport, by Michael Waters (5/5 stars)
Fantasy manga: A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 3, by Misaki, Momochi & Sando (4/5 stars)
Non-fiction: Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, by John Green (5/5 stars)
SF novella: Volatile Memory, by Seth Haddon (4/5 stars)

And other posts:

What I’m reading

As ever, first let’s have a peek at the books I’ve finished this week that I plan to review!

As for this weekend, I’m not sure yet what I’ll be reading. Maybe The Apothecary Diaries (light novel), vol 3. We’ll see!

Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup

WWW Wednesday

Posted March 19, 2025 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

What have you recently finished reading?

The last thing I finished was Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, which I’d stalled on for a bit due to life stuff. It took a bit to nudge me back into it, since I was halfway through and had stopped at a weird spot — but not that much, ahaha. I read the last 150 pages or so in two big gulps. I really liked it; I’m not sure if it’s actually the conclusion or there are thoughts about more, but it makes a good potential conclusion.

What are you currently reading?

Most of my other current reads are stalled for similar reasons, but yesterday I started reading Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones’ The Cleopatras, which I’m fascinated by so far — it’s really interesting to see “the” Cleopatra as part of a dynasty of remarkable women.

I’m also reading Scarhaven Keep by J.S. Fletcher, via Serial Reader. So far it’s… well, it feels like a classic mystery, which it is, and that sort of familiar structure is very comforting to me. I’m enjoying it, although so far it’s not particularly remarkable.

What will you be reading next?

As soon as I’m done with my tasks for the day, I want to make a start on Everything is Tuberculosis (John Green). Tuberculosis is a bit of a special interest for me, and it sounds like for him too (based on the blurb on the back), and I’d love to have a pop-science book about TB to recommend people.

(If you take one thing away from my blog, please let it be that TB is still a very important disease, and in some ways a growing — not diminishing! — threat. It’s the biggest cause of death by a single infectious disease in the world.)

Other than that, I want to start on the third volume of The Apothecary Diaries light novels soon, especially since finishing that would get me a bingo in the Litsy book bingo game I play.

How about you?

Tags: books, WWW Wednesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2025 TBR

Posted March 18, 2025 by Nicky in General / 16 Comments

It’s been a while since I did Top Ten Tuesday — mostly I haven’t had the brain capacity to think about it, with a lot going on (as discussed elsewhere). But this week’s topic is all about the TBR, and that I can still manage!

So here’s a few thoughts at what I might maybe read in the next few months, or so I hope!

Strange Pictures, by Uketsu. This is a mystery novel I came across somewhat recently, and I’m intrigued by the idea (which centres around some strange drawings that provide clues to a horrible mystery). My wife got me an e-copy this weekend, so I’m keen to dig in soon!
The Apothecary Diaries (light novels), by Natsu Hyuuga. I have volumes three and four ready to read, and I’m keen to dig in, after volume two got into the mystery of Maomao’s parents. I love Maomao.
The Apothecary Diaries (manga), by Nekokurage. Maybe this seems like cheating, but I’ve found it fascinating lately to read the manga/manhua/manhwa adaptations of light novels quite close to when I read the light novels themselves. Often the adaptations are very close, but it does provide a bit of perspective. I’m quite far behind on the manga compared to the light novels, so I’m not sure if I can keep up, but we’ll see!
A Drop of Corruption, by Robert Jackson Bennett. I hope to get round to this one fairly imminently, since I have an ARC, but we’ll see…
Everything is Tuberculosis, by John Green. I’m likely to dig into this as soon as I get my copy, which is allegedly on the way. I love learning about and talking about tuberculosis, and it sounds like it’s got under Green’s skin too (hopefully not literally). And I’d like to have a new pop-sci book to throw at everyone, since Catching Breath (Kathryn Lougheed) is now pretty old.
The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I think I may have put this on my list at the start of the year, but then it took until mid-February to actually resolve an issue where my copies hadn’t arrived, and I didn’t want to start on it until I had them all. Maybe soon now!
Breath of the Dragon, by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee. I’m very curious about this one, love the cover, and recently grabbed it on a bookshop trip. So it’s high on my list.
Hemlock & Silver, by T. Kingfisher. I love Kingfisher’s work, and I have an ARC of this. I requested it more or less automatically, let’s be honest. Eager to dig in!
Necrobane, by Daniel M. Ford. I actually have an ARC of the third book, Advocate, but I need to read the second book first. Hopefully I’ll get around to that soon.
Poetic, Mystic, Widow, Wife, by Hetta Howe. This list wouldn’t be complete without a touch more non-fiction, so here we are — a history I’ve been curious about for a while, and one of the books I got for Christmas.

Eager to see what other people have on their lists…

Tags: books, Top Ten Tuesday

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted March 15, 2025 by Nicky in General / 22 Comments

Hi all! Continues to be a bit of a tough time for me (re: my grandmother’s death as discussed last week), but I do have an extension on my assignments now, which helps a bit. And I got out to the library this week, which is always nice.

Acquired this week

As I said, I got down to the library, so I got a bunch of books out as usual (including my hold).

A bit of a weird mix perhaps, but you’re used to that from me.

I did also pop into my local indie bookshop, because indies need our love. I found a couple of options, but picked the first volume of the Solo Levelling manhwa in the end, as someone I know is a big fan.

Posts from this week

Let’s have a bit of a roundup, as usual!

Fantasy manga: A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 2, by Misaki, Momochi & Sando (4/5 stars)
Fantasy novella: Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, by Neon Yang (4/5 stars)
Mystery: The Shortest Way to Hades, by Sarah Caudwell (4/5 stars)
Non-fiction: The End: Surviving the World through Imagined Disasters, by Katie Goh (3/5 stars)
Classic romance: Wired Love, by Ella Cheever Thayer (3/5 stars)

What I’m reading

I did quite a bit of reading earlier this week, and then stalled out again. Ah well; that’s what my brain does when stressed. Let’s have a look at what I finished:

As for this weekend, I’m trying to settle down with Carter Dickson’s The Ten Teacups, and other than that I’m not sure. Might be some time for some manga/manhwa, if my attention span’s that bad.

As with last week, I might be a little slow to reply/visit back, but I’ll do my best!

Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup

WWW Wednesday

Posted March 12, 2025 by Nicky in General / 0 Comments

What have you recently finished reading?

The last thing I finished was Fighting Fit, by Laura Dawes, which was all about the multi-level effort to keep Britain healthy during WWII. Some of it I knew already, but a lot of the details I didn’t. I found it really readable and enjoyable, except maybe the chapter on scabies (really made me feel itchy, gah).

On the same day I also finished The Roads to Rome, which I ultimately found a really annoying read where I struggled to retain anything no matter how carefully I tried to pay attention. Probably a bit too much of a travelogue for me.

What are you currently reading?

I’m most of the way through The Virtues of Underwear, by Nina Edwards, which I’m enjoying — even if it introduced me to the concept of the, I kid you not, “corset hoodie”. Which sounds like a travesty to me, I’ll be honest.

Other than that, I’m partway through Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, by Heather Fawcett, which I paused for really not fitting the mood. I might be ready to get back to it now.

What will you read next?

As usual, that’s hard to answer. More rereads of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, for sure, and I should start on reading more of my library books, so maybe Zen Cho’s Spirits Abroad.

What are you reading?

Tags: books, WWW Wednesday

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted March 8, 2025 by Nicky in General / 26 Comments

Well, it’s been a pretty awful week: I went down to Wales in a hurry on Monday to see my grandmother before she died, and stayed at her side until she passed on Tuesday morning. I haven’t been in the mood for reading, really, though I know it does me good so I’ve found time for a chapter or two here and there.

Books acquired this week

None, except that I acquired my own copies of beloved manga I previously borrowed.

Posts from this week

I did manage to get some posts out, in a bid for a bit of normality, so here’s a roundup of the reviews!

Romance manga: A Side Character’s Love Story, vol 9, by Akane Tamura (4/5 stars)
Cosy fantasy: The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst (3/5 stars)
Mystery: Thus Was Adonis Murdered, by Sarah Caudwell (4/5 stars)
Non-fiction: The New University, by James Coe (2/5 stars)
Non-fiction: The Light-Eaters: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, by Zoë Schlanger (2/5 stars)

What I’m reading

I’ve only finished one book this week that I plan to review, so here it is:

This weekend, I’m reading a variety of things to try and spark something, so I’m nibbling away at bits of The Rainfall Market, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects, and The Virtues of Underwear. (Perhaps an odd mix… but that’s how I am.)

My apologies in advance if I’m slow to respond — I will try to reply and return visits.

Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup

WWW Wednesday

Posted March 5, 2025 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

Hello all. Trying to get back to normal after a rough week with a bereavement, so here’s a little pinch of routine for me.

What have you recently finished reading?

Feels like a lifetime ago, but I actually started rereading A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation. I really only just read it, but a reread has already proved useful, reminding me where Lizel found the map that is only finally fully explained in volume 10, and some of the circumstances around meeting Ray (and then Shadow). Odd some of the details my brain didn’t hang onto, but a comforting reread is really just the ticket right now anyway.

What are you currently reading?

Most actively, I’ve started on A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects, by Sally Coulthard. In format and topic, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be soothing to me, and indeed it is. As often happens with non-fiction aimed at a very broad audience, I wanna stick “citation needed” all over it, because there’s no way to track a particular assertion in the text to a source, argh! But it is more or less what I expected it to be, and that’s nice.

I’m also partway through a few other books, including The Rainfall Market (You Yeong-Gwang) and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Heather Fawcett), but I’m not in a fiction mood and never am in this kind of situation, so knowing myself well, I’ve laid those aside for a few days.

What will you be reading next?

I’m probably going to continue my reread of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, as a volume of that works well with my bedside light’s sleep timer to put me in a good mood for sleep. But since I’m generally focusing on non-fiction for now, the next non-manga I read will likely be The Virtues of Underwear (Nina Edwards) or Fighting Fit (Laura Dawes).

What are you reading?

Tags: books, WWW Wednesday

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Posted March 1, 2025 by Nicky in General / 8 Comments

It’s continued to be a busy week, but my wife’s in an orthopaedic boot now, which helps a lot — now we can share some household tasks again!

I got a couple of new books this week, though my reading has still been disrupted by an abundance of personal stuff going on. But let’s talk books while we can…

Books acquired this week

I got a gift book and spent a voucher this week, which is nice. Here they are!

A quiet week, but I’ve had plenty of books to go on with in the last months!

Posts from this week:

It’s been a quiet week for reviews too, but nonetheless, here are the handful I posted:

Fantasy: The City in Glass, by Nghi Vo (4/5 stars)
Classic crime: Murder as a Fine Art, by Carol Carnac (4/5 stars)
Non-fiction: Around the World in 80 Birds, by Mike Unwin, illustrated by Ryuto Miyake (3/5 stars)

And I did post for What Are You Reading Wednesday, too.

What I’m reading:

This weekend I’m trying to finish off February’s bingo card for BookSpinBingo on Litsy, meaning I’m reading Mortal Follies (Alexis Hall), Villainy at Vespers (Joan Cockin) and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Heather Fawcett). That’s keeping me plenty busy!

And here are the books I’ve finished this week that I plan to review: