Tag: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Involving Food

Posted September 3, 2024 by Nicky in General / 8 Comments

This week’s prompt is “Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks)”, which… I’m sure I know a lot of books which incidentally mention food, but I’m not sure how many will stand out for me. Let’s see…

Cover of Heaven Official's Blessing vol 4 by MXTX Cover of Sunshine by Robin McKinley Cover of Chocolat by Joanne Harris Cover of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

  1. Heaven Official’s Blessing (vol 4), by MXTX. This one springs to mind because I just read it, and because (alas) all the food Xie Lian cooks is awful, if not deadly. Only he and Hua Cheng can stand it, and in volume four, it gets used as a weapon… I’ll pass on the Love for All Seasons stew, and the Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs.
  2. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. It’s been a long while since I read this, but all the descriptions of baking stuck in my head! It’s so full of good food for a vampire novel.
  3. Chocolat, by Joanne Harris. I need to give this a reread, it’s been ages, but I always did enjoy it. And of course, it always makes me crave chocolate. (Oh no!)
  4. Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree. Okay, it mostly involves coffee, but it does feature the tasty, tasty snacks made by Thimble.
  5. The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (vol 1), by MXTX. The original Luo Binghe shows his harem favour by cooking for them… but the Luo Binghe that Shen Yuan meets after his transmigration will pretty much only cook for him. Unlike Xie Lian in MXTX’s other book, mentioned above, Luo Binghe really can cook. I have no idea if I’d like congee, but it makes me tempted to find out.
  6. Cold Clay, by Juneau Black. Food keeps getting mentioned again and again, and it all sounds so tasty. Though in this book it is slightly macabre to think that Joe’s been making apple pies using apples from the orchard where his murdered wife was secretly buried.
  7. The Biscuit: The History of a Very British Indulgence, by Lizzie Collingham. Time for some non-fiction! This one discusses biscuits, of course, but in a way that also tells us about a broader swathe of history too.
  8. White Bread: A Social History of the Store-bought Loaf, by Aaron Bobrow-Strain. A whole history about bread? And not just any bread, but just… store-bought loaves? Yep. And it’s fascinating, and in many ways it’s a book about class.
  9. A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, by Ned Palmer. I found this one totally fascinating — and it helps that I really do love cheese.
  10. Ice Cream: A Global History, by Laura B. Weiss. I love the Edible series in general, but I’ll stick to highlighting just one. My main complaint was that it wasn’t actually very global.

Cover of Cold Clay by Juneau Black Cover of The Biscuit by Lizzie Collingham Cover of White Bread by Aaron Bobrow-Strain Cover of A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles by Ned Palmer Cover of Ice Cream by Laura B. Weiss

Yay, I did it! I read a surprising number of books about food for someone who isn’t interested in food, per se. I’m not a cook or any kind of gourmet, but food can be such a strong indicator of culture, it’s a fascinating way to look at society and history.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Like To Be Pals With

Posted August 20, 2024 by Nicky in General / 16 Comments

This week’s theme from That Artsy Reader Girl is a relationship freebie: pick a relationship and then ten characters who you want to have that kind of relationship with, e.g. siblings, found family, etc. I’ve gone with friends — and I’m going to try to pick side characters, rather than the main event, since main characters tend to have a lot of drama (and sometimes danger) coming their way…

Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 3 by MXTX Cover of System Collapse by Martha Wells Cover of Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie Cover of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Cover of Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw

  1. Liu Mingyan, from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (MXTX). I think Mingyan and I have some things in common — we could definitely talk about books, if nothing else!
  2. Ratthi, from The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells). He seems like such a sweetie, and Martha Wells did say in an interview that of all her characters, he’d be a lot of fun to hang out with.
  3. Medic, from Ancillary Sword (Ann Leckie). In part, it’d be just kind of funny to get a Medic’s-eye-view of Breq, Seivarden, and all the trouble they bring with them.
  4. Csevet, from The Goblin Emperor (Katherine Addison). In the same vein as Medic, really, it’d be fun to get a different view of Maia and the court. And Csevet seems pretty fun.
  5. Lord Ruthven, from Strange Practice (Vivian Shaw). He knows so much, and he’s kind, and let’s face it, he’d probably make me cookies if I asked.
  6. Amanda Frisby, from Band Sinister (KJ Charles). I think we could make a pretty neat book club between me, Amanda and Liu Mingyan.
  7. Harriet Vane, from Strong Poison (Dorothy L. Sayers). Here’s another one for the book club. Sure, we’d all need some time to adjust to each others’ cultures and time periods, and I’m not sure if we’d all agree about the merits of each others’ reading matter, but you can bet after that we’d have the most fun.
  8. Lenore, from Shady Hollow (Juneau Black). She owns a bookshop. We’re natural friends. And while we’re talking about that book club idea, Lenore’s a good addition too (though I doubt she and Mingyan would see eye to eye).
  9. Dr Chef, from The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Becky Chambers). Okay, maybe this is slightly another one where I’d love him to cook for me. But also he has a heck of a perspective on the world from all he’s seen, and tries to be so kind and inclusive.
  10. Natalie Oscott, from The Tropic of Serpents (Marie Brennan). She drops out of the series and pursues her own career, and I’d love to hear more about her efforts at pushing boundaries.

Cover of Band Sinister by K.J. Charles Cover of Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers Cover of Shady Hollow by Juneau Black Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Cover of Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

There we go, I succeeded without any main characters! And I think this book club idea would be really good, if only…

Looking forward to seeing other folks’ posts on this theme — don’t forget to drop your link in the comment if you visit.

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Top Ten Tuesday: On The Road

Posted August 13, 2024 by Nicky in General / 25 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday had me stumped for a bit, but it’s always fun to give it a shot, so let’s see what I can do: “Planes, Trains & Automobiles/Books Featuring Travel (books whose plots involve travel or feature modes of transportation on the cover/title)”.

Cover of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Cover of Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood Cover of The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Cover of Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

  1. The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison. This jumped to mind right away, because it opens with Maia receiving the news that he’s the new emperor — and a swiftly-arranged airship flight to the capital to take up that position, even though an airship crash was precisely the reason for his unexpected ascendance to the throne.
  2. Murder on the Ballarat Train, by Kerry Greenwood. There’s a rich tradition of mysteries involving trains, and Phryne Fisher solves hers so stylishly.
  3. The Wheel Spins, by Ethel Lina White. This leaps to mind for the same reason: it’s set mostly though not entirely on a train, covering the course of one fateful journey in which the protagonist puts herself in danger by refusing to accept someone’s disappearance.
  4. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. The book follows the crew of the Wayfarer as they travel to a far-off part of space in order to create a wormhole that allows other people to travel faster from point A to point B, so it feels like it fits handily into this prompt!
  5. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. While we’re being unconventional, how about this one? Phèdre certainly travels, not just in this first book but throughout the series. This book concerns one of her first journeys, through the snow of Skaldia home to Terre d’Ange.
  6. The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, by Malka Older. More mysteries and trains, but in a SF setting!
  7. The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi. Travel to a different dimension counts, right? Right?! And it’s such a fun book too.
  8. Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells. Murderbot is travelling! It doesn’t like it, but it sure is travelling. (Can you imagine a travelogue by Murderbot? Yikes.)
  9. The Masked City, by Genevieve Cogman. This one features a train — a Fae train, travelling between worlds! I can’t believe it wasn’t one of the first I thought of, because this is in some ways a favourite of mine in the series.
  10. Chalice, by Robin McKinley. I know, another unconventional choice, but hear me out: Mirasol ends up binding her demesne together by travelling around the whole area, doing her magic. And there’s the also the Master’s somewhat more metaphorical journey back from Fire, since he originally left the demesne to become a priest of fire. See? Travel.

Cover of The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older Cover of The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Cover of Artificial Condition by Martha Wells Cover of The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman Cover of Chalice by Robin McKinley

This feels like… a very typical list from me, heh. Somehow it comes down to the same books in many of my posts, somehow. I guess it’s because I feel like I’m supposed to be choosing the ten representatives of whatever the theme is that I like the best, or at least like a lot.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Favourites From Ten Series

Posted August 6, 2024 by Nicky in General / 12 Comments

Naturally, as soon as I saw this week’s TTT prompt, my brain went blank: “Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series”. But after some digging around on my shelves in the blog, I do have some answers! I’ve probably left out something perfect and amazing, but here goes. I’ve linked to my review in each case, assuming I have one posted on the blog!

Cover of Death of an Author by E.C.R. Lorac Cover of Mirror Lake by Juneau Black Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 3 by MXTX Cover of Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian Cover of A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles

  1. Death of an Author, by E.C.R. Lorac. Of the British Library Crime Classics series, this is one of my favourites. This is perhaps not the conventional sense of “series”, and perhaps I should’ve picked my favourite Lorac of her series about Inspector Macdonald… but, well, I didn’t.
  2. Mirror Lake, by Juneau Black. It’s hard to pick a favourite of this series, because it’s less about any individual book (at least so far) and more just enjoying the setup. Still, Mirror Lake is very clever.
  3. The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, vol 3, by MXTX. Okay, maybe it’s cheating to count this as a series, but we’re not being marked on accuracy here. I like book three the most because Shen Qingqiu starts to realise some things — and starts to finally understand Luo Binghe and treat him a little more fairly. And of course, they get their happy ending.
  4. Two Rogues Make A Right, by Cat Sebastian. I didn’t choose this just because a major character has TB, but that kinda factors into why I find this so memorable. But I also enjoy how Sebastian’s series usually take a character who seemed an unlikely love interest in a previous book, and get into why they acted that way, and make them worthy love interests after all, and — if I remember rightly, anyway — this was the first book where I noticed that pattern.
  5. A Fashionable Indulgence, by KJ Charles. I wouldn’t always expect a first book in a series to be a favourite, but I think there were things I found frustrating or just not to my taste in the latter two books — while appreciating the arc and story over the whole trilogy, and liking the second and third books quite a bit, to be clear! And I do enjoy the characters (and their relationship) a lot in this first installment.
  6. Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis. I’m not absolutely positive I shouldn’t pick Voyage of the Dawn Treader here, but on the other hand, this has all four of the Pevensies, and as a kid I ate up the introductory chapters with the secret midnight meetings in the tower…
  7. Tropic of Serpents, by Marie Brennan. This book is where that series fell into place for me, and it’s a perfect illustration of how Isabella is as a person (and a scientist). I just had a lot of fun with it, and always do.
  8. Feed, by Mira Grant. Honestly, this book has lived rent-free in my head for so long. I’m not as big a fan of the rest of the series — not that I dislike it, just, this is the book that I like the best.
  9. Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal. This is another series where it was the second book that made things really click for me. It was very unlike the first book, and went some bold places.
  10. Have His Carcase, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Perhaps a controversial choice, compared to Strong Poison or Gaudy Night, and there’s a strong argument to be made for The Nine Tailors, in my book. But ultimately I love Peter and Harriet’s early friendship and the wittiness this particular book is written with.

Cover of Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis Cover of Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan Cover of Feed by Mira Grant Cover of Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal Cover of Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers

Those are my choices, and I’m sticking to them!

What about everyone else? Would you/did you find this one difficult to answer?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Gimme More Of…

Posted July 30, 2024 by Nicky in General / 11 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is “Books I Wish Had More/Less [Insert Your Concept Here] In Them”. I decided to go slightly off-piste and talk about characters I want more of in given books, because there are some characters I’d love to understand more about or see the further adventures of.

Without further ado, here are my ten!

Cover of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 2 Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 3 by MXTX Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 4 by MXTX Cover of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

  1. Csethiro Ceredin, from The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. She’s really cool, but we only really see her through Maia’s eyes — and early in their acquaintance, at that. I want to know about why she learned fencing, I want to know about all her other interests, and of course I want to know how she and Maia work out as a couple.
  2. Liu Qingge, from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by MXTX. He’s a fairly prominent character, given the amount of time he spends protecting Shen Qingqiu and fighting Luo Binghe, but I’d love to know about his childhood, how he and Mingyan both came to Cang Qiong Mountain, more about his past animosity toward the original Shen Qingqiu… I just like him a lot, okay!?
  3. Ning Yingying, from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by MXTX. It’s fairly obvious that her “demotion” from love interest to side character actually allows her a chance to develop and grow. I’d love to have seen more of that.
  4. Liu Mingyan, from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by MXTX. Pretty much the same story here! And why did she decide to wear a veil, and when? What will she do when she’s not Luo Binghe’s love interest, and with her brother alive?
  5. Faramir, from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This has been a long-term wish for me. I loved the brief glimpse we got of Faramir from a very young age, and that interest in him hasn’t abated at all. How’d he come to be the best of his family, far nobler, braver and kinder in many ways than Boromir or Denethor?
  6. Don Abene, from Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells. And her whole group, really. How do they get on after meeting Murderbot? Does Murderbot ever join them again?
  7. Tom Wilker, from A Natural History of Dragons (and sequels) by Marie Brennan. He’s a major character of the books, and we do get to see him succeed, but what would he write in his memoirs? What did he make of his life after he and Isabella’s great discoveries?
  8. Cal, from Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. He’s a bit-part, really, coming or going as needed by the plot — but I wanted to know more about how he gets along in the world.
  9. Thimble, from Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. I think this might just be because he was cute. But also we didn’t get to know a lot about his thoughts and feelings, and I’m curious.
  10. Sun Li, from Shady Hollow (and some of the sequels) by Juneau Black. We know a bit about where he’s come from and why, but he’s developing a friendship with Vera and Lenore, and I’d actually like to see more of it — more than just them eating at his restaurant with him, for example. Do they hang out other than that? What does he do with his free time?

Cover of Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells, the audiobook version Cover of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Cover of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree Cover of Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

In the end, these are books I love just as they are… but it really wouldn’t hurt to see more of these characters.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Debut Novels I Enjoyed

Posted July 23, 2024 by Nicky in General / 13 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is “debut novels I enjoyed”, which I found a bit tricky as I don’t generally keep track of whether a book is an author’s debut or not. Still, let’s have a crack at it…

Cover of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 4 by MXTX Cover of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Cover of Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey Cover of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

  1. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin. I should reread this trilogy at some point, it’s been ages. I remember reading the first book vividly, and curling up with it to just get started, and of course ending up reading most of it.
  2. The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù. Remembering that the Scum Villain webnovel was MXTX’s first, I couldn’t resist including this one! I wrote ten reasons why I loved it last week, if you’re curious.
  3. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. A chunky historical fantasy with liberal use of footnotes that not everyone enjoyed. I say this because I can hear the comments coming and I want to get out ahead of it: I know! Not everyone liked it! But I did, and have read it at least twice (and am partway through a third read).
  4. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. What a saga this one launched! Once again, it has its detractors (particularly for its flowery language and, of course, the masochism and sex), but I enjoyed the story and characters very much: I found the worldbuilding rich and exciting, and Joscelin is a heck of a love interest. “If I’m to be damned for what I’ve done, I’ll be damned in full and not by halves.”
  5. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. I keep wondering if this will enchant me as much if I read it again, and I think I should probably give it a shot.
  6. Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie. I admit that when I first read it, I didn’t entirely get it: it’s one of those books that stayed with me, and which I had to read again to fully fall in love. Still, I was convinced by the end of the first book, and have enjoyed all Leckie’s other work since.
  7. Strange Practice, by Vivian Shaw. Not always accurate about what it’s like to be a GP in Britain in general (said Mum when I eagerly made her read the series), but enjoyable nonetheless — and some inaccuracies can be forgiven since the patients are vampires, ghouls, banshees and mummies. And the story has such a good heart.
  8. Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee. It took me a while to get into the right mindset for Ninefox Gambit when I first read it, and I have no doubt it’ll take the same again: there’s just so much going on with the worldbuilding and the politics. That said, everything you need is there in the story, if you give it the time. It’s not always easy to trust readers to do the work, and I know some people who bounced off for that reason, but I found it entirely worthwhile.
  9. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. I’m unapologetic in my love for this series, even though (like most others on this list) it has its detractors. It may be about aliens and a galaxy far, far away, but it’s also about people, the connections between people, and how small lives go on amongst much bigger events — with an unapologetic interest in those small lives.
  10. The Summer Tree, by Guy Gavriel Kay. It’s been quite a while since I read anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, and his more recent work didn’t get me so excited somehow (though I still need to give it a shot). The Summer Tree has flaws, yes — but the story of Paul, Kim, Dave, Kevin, Jennifer and Fionavar has stuck with me. Maybe I should reread it soon!

Cover of Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Cover of Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw Cover of Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Cover of The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

Whew, we got there! Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s lists.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Things I Loved About The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Posted July 16, 2024 by Nicky in General / 5 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is “Ten Things I Loved About [Insert Book Title Here]”.

The obvious choice for me would be to tell you all about the things I love about Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor — and there’s so much I could tell you about that I love, from the world-building to some of the descriptions, like one character looking at another (whom she has underestimated) “like she’d been bitten by a pillow”.

But it would be terribly obvious for me to pick The Goblin Emperor, and I’ve talked about it plenty before. So instead, here’s my list of things I love about The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System. It’s technically released as a series of four volumes, but it’s really a single story (originally a webnovel), so I’m going to talk about the whole thing.

Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 2 Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 3 by MXTX Cover of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol 4 by MXTX

  1. The illustrations in the English translation! I usually have trouble imagining characters, as I have total aphantasia, but the illustrations in these books are gorgeous and expressive.
  2. Luo Binghe’s curly hair. I know it’s not actually in the text of the books, as far as I can remember, but it looks pretty lush in the illustrations.
  3. Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu’s total lack of self-knowledge. Bless him, he’s an idiot, he has no idea he’s gay, he doesn’t understand his own motivations, he’s just a mess. But he gets there in the end!
  4. Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu is a total nerd. He tries to hide it, but he has so many opinions about the story and the monsters, and he’s unabashedly fascinated by so much of it.
  5. Liu Qingge. He becomes so protective and supportive of Shen Yuan (as Shen Qingqiu), and he doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything. When he thinks Shen Qingqiu is worried about being a burden to the sect, he doesn’t try to say he isn’t — but he says he doesn’t fear that burden. How supportive can you get?!
  6. The fact that Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu canonically get married, and that Shen Qingqiu’s total idiocy doesn’t stop him from trying out calling Luo Binghe his husband one more time, even when they aren’t having sex.
  7. None of Luo Binghe’s love interests from the original story are demonised, and the fact that the story becomes about Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu’s love story allows those characters to grow and shine.
  8. The story doesn’t take itself too seriously. Shen Qingqiu is constantly commenting about the dramatic moments and silly plots, lampshading it all. And it’s so aware of fandom: the story knows what the fans are thinking (indeed, that’s kind of the point).
  9. It’s one of the few stories where the love interests have bad sex, not just once or as a plot point, but continually. It makes sense with their characters and levels of experience, and the constraints of the world — and they are getting a bit better at it in the extras… They’ll get there. It just feels surprisingly realistic, all things considered, that things aren’t magical for them right away.
  10. It has a happy, unambiguous ending. Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu are in love, together, married, and will work things out, whatever life throws at them. I won’t say no tragedy here, because they go through a lot to get there — but despite everything, they get their happy ending.

Now, would I recommend this series to everyone? Mmm, no. I thought I wouldn’t like it myself, reading the first book, and there are things about it which are tricky (a teacher having a relationship with his former student, whom he met when he was a lot younger, for example). But it wormed its way into my heart, and dealt with all of that surprisingly well, and I could use about three books more (especially if they feature Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe having to wear a metaphorical get-along shirt).

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Could Reread Forever

Posted July 9, 2024 by Nicky in General / 7 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie for missed TTT themes. I have no idea if I’ve done this one before, but I love rereading, so I picked #379, “books I could reread forever”.

I know some people feel that there’s just not enough time in the world for rereading, and if that’s you, that’s totally fine! But I love to reread, because I think the books I’ve already read can hit differently in the future. Sometimes you notice different things, sometimes you’re a different person, sometimes your experiences change how you understand things.

And, to be frank, reading is not a job. It’s usually meant to be for pleasure, for most people. If you feel like you have to be reading all the latest books, are you having fun or just kicking yourself in the shins?

Which is not to say that everyone needs to enjoy rereading, but it’s a pretty common response when I talk about rereading, and I don’t have time for that in my own life. I read what I enjoy, for fun, and I’ll happily encourage anybody to say “stuff that” to obligation and doing things because you “have” to.

Without further ado, here are some of my iron-clad rereads.

Cover of The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper Cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Cover of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Cover of Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

  1. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a classic and deservedly so. I do love The Lord of the Rings too, but there is something special about the warm tone of The Hobbit. Mind you, I had to take just one book to a desert island, The Lord of the Rings would be in strong contention. I’ve never read it without noticing something new (and I’ve read it quite a few times, since I studied Tolkien’s work during my MA). It’s very rereadable, in my view.
  2. The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper. Technically all of this series, and maybe most of all The Grey King. I listened to the BBC radio adaptation as a kid and adored it (though it scared the pants off me too), and it’s remained something I read and reread fondly. Though it’s a children’s book, there are details on many levels.
  3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. I think a lot of people felt betrayed to realise it was an allegory, but I don’t think I was ever “fooled”. I knew it was an allegory and still loved it. In fact, some of the sentiments in The Last Battle helped to form some of my thoughts about life and religion, even though I’m not a Christian. I still think these books are a delight and worthy of rereading. In fact, I might be tempted to do just that right now.
  4. The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison. I hope this one will never wear thin for me, because so far each time of reading has been a total delight. I love how intentional and thoughtful Maia is, and how some of the people around him respond to that and start to build a better world.
  5. Strong Poison, by Dorothy L. Sayers. I don’t think any of the choices on this list are a surprise coming from me, and this one certainly isn’t. The radioplay adaptations and the BBC adaptation with Edward Petherbridge are all wonderful.
  6. A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. I recently reread this, in fact. It’s a relatively personal story, focused less on political events in the galaxy (though they happen) and more on the immediate effect on the people of the Wayfarer, and also on the interpersonal stuff between the people on the Wayfarer. It’s a lovely novelised discussion of how we can treat different people with different beliefs and different needs with equity and dignity. There are aspects I’m conflicted about, but even those are good to think over.
  7. Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie. I think I like this book more each time I read it. It’s hard to separate which book of the trilogy is my favourite, but I love Breq and I love to feel conflicted about Seivarden.
  8. A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan. You can tell this list is in no particular order, because I adore this series. I love Isabella and her deranged practicality, and the serious attempt to imagine what it would be like to be a naturalist studying dragons, and the different cultures and peoples one might encounter. It’s also a rare example of a book I’ve loved more and more with each reread, starting from not rating it very highly.
  9. Feed, by Mira Grant. This one’s pretty uncharacteristic for me in many ways, but the book fascinates me. I found it deeply disquieting at first, but now I find myself hankering to revisit now and again, and discover all of the details again (horrific as some of them are as scenarios). It’s also one of those books I rated low at first, but which grew on me.
  10. Chalice, by Robin McKinley. Also among that number, I didn’t “get” Chalice right away, and I’m still not entirely sure I do. There’s something warm about it, though, and I love to reread it and ponder over again how everything comes together. Also, the magic system is pretty unique and fascinating (based around honey, for the main character).

Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Cover of Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Cover of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Cover of Feed by Mira Grant Cover of Chalice by Robin McKinley

Oof, those were difficult choices! I feel like there are others I should surely include (Murderbot comes to mind) — and my choices are likely no surprise to long-time readers — but for now, this is it!

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2024 Releases

Posted June 25, 2024 by Nicky in General / 14 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is about the new book releases coming up in the latter half of 2024! I always feel like I have no idea, and then discover fascinating books upcoming, so let’s dive in a bit…

Cover of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst Cover of Summer's End by Juneau Black Cover of Tour de Force by Christianna Brand Cover of The Duke at Hazard by KJ Charles Cover of A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

  1. The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst. This one sounds so cosy, I’m keen to dig in. And will get to do so soon: out 9th July!
  2. Summer’s End, by Juneau Black. No surprises that this one’s top-of-mind: it’s coming 10th July, if memory serves, and I’m very ready to return to Shady Hollow and spend some time with Vera Vixen.
  3. Tour de Force, by Christianna Brand. This one’s a funny inclusion in that I don’t want it so much for itself, but because it’s the British Library Crime Classic for July, and I’d want it no matter what. But I’m just in the perfect mood for mysteries right now, so this month finds me a little impatient!
  4. The Duke at Hazard, by KJ Charles. This one sounds like a romp, and I’m definitely in need of that. Due on 18th July, and you better believe I have it preordered.
  5. A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher. I love Kingfisher’s fairytale retellings, and her style in general, so I’m looking forward to this one. Due out in August, so maybe it’ll be a birthday present to myself.
  6. Haunt Sweet Home, by Sarah Pinsker. I’ve been meaning to read Sarah’s work forever, but still haven’t got round to it. I’m determined to change that before September, which is when Haunt Sweet Home comes out — I have an eARC.
  7. The City in Glass, by Nghi Vo. I actually know very little about this beyond the title: it’s an insta-buy because it’s Nghi Vo. I haven’t always loved her work (I wasn’t a huge fan of The Chosen and the Beautiful), but she’s written some things I really love. Due out in October!
  8. Swordcrossed, by Freya Marske. The cover and description sound so fun — and a bit of a Swordspoint vibe. Plus a comparison to Legends & Lattes, which I loved. Due out in October, though I should read it sooner as I have an eARC!
  9. The Bloodless Princes, by Charlotte Bond. Very curious where this goes, after the first novella surprised me. Due out in October.
  10. Heavenly Tyrant, by Xiran Jay Zhao. We’ve been waiting for this so long! I’m definitely going to have to read the first book again to remember all the details. Coming out in December, at last.

Cover of Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker Cover of The City in Glass by Nghi Vo Cover of Swordcrossed by Freya Marske Cover of The Bloodless Princess by Charlotte Bond Cover of Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

I know, I know, no non-fiction — I usually find that by browsing in shops, so I don’t always know what’s coming down the pipeline. Let me know if there’s anything cool that I’ve missed…

I’m eager to hear what books other people are looking forward to, as well! I definitely need recommendations and absolutely don’t have a massive TBR pile already. Mmmhmm.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reading List

Posted June 18, 2024 by Nicky in General / 20 Comments

Well, well, well — it’s been a while since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday! I’ve been super busy with my exams, but I’m starting to get back on track and have a bit more time to chat.

And read! So here’s a glimpse at some of the items on my summer reading list.

Cover of Summer's End by Juneau Black Cover of The Duke at Hazard by KJ Charles Cover of You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian Cover of Necrobane by Daniel M. Ford Cover of A Breviary of Fire by Marie Brennan

  1. Summer’s End, by Juneau Black. No question, this is the first thought on my mind. It’s out on 11th July (in the UK at least), and I’m going to grab it on release day. I had a lot of fun reading the series so far (check out my enthusiastic reviews!), and it’s going to be perfect light reading.
  2. The Duke at Hazard, by KJ Charles. KJ’s work is an auto-buy for me, so when this comes out on 18th July, I’ll grab it straight away. I did actually request the ARC on Netgalley, but no luck so far. It sounds like a fun romp, and I’m eager to get started.
  3. You Should Be So Lucky, by Cat Sebastian. This one I already have, and it should be a fun romance read. Cat Sebastian’s work is always a good time.
  4. Necrobane, by Daniel M. Ford. This is, uh, less light reading, since it involves necromancy and all. I’m keen to start on it soon, since I enjoyed The Warden so much. It’s queued up ready on my ereader — I just want to finish one or two more of the stalled books on my “currently reading” list before I return to Aelis’ problems.
  5. A Breviary of Fire, by Marie Brennan. I love pretty much everything by Marie Brennan, and this new short story collection is pretty short, so it should be a nice pick while I’m still steadily recovering brain function after the epic marathon that was my exam period.
  6. The Bloodless Princes, by Charlotte Bond. I quite liked the first book, and I’m curious where this one will go. It should be a relatively short read, as well, which works well with my current attention span, though it won’t be light reading as such — I found the first book surprisingly grim in some ways.
  7. The Undetectables, by Courtney Smyth. With the tagline “be gay, solve crimes, take naps”, this certainly sounds like a fun romp, and I could do with that. Definitely on my shortlist for the summer.
  8. The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst. It had me at the comparison to Legends & Lattes, let’s be honest, and I’ve seen it described as a “fluffy blanket” of a book. Sounds lovely, and just what the doctor ordered right now.
  9. The Hands of the Emperor, by Victoria Goddard. This would actually be a reread, but I’m holding a place for it anyway because it’s a chonker, and summer’s the perfect time to read those, before the academic year starts again. I’d like to refresh my memory for the other books in this world, and also just spend some more time with Tor and Cliopher. I loved this book. I’ve realised that inexplicably I never posted my review here, so I’ve put that in my queue to post (good thing I have a copy on StoryGraph) — though I might just wait and post a whole new review after a reread.
  10. A Coalition of Lions, by Elizabeth E. Wein. This is also a reread, albeit of a book I read longer ago. I just reread The Winter Prince, and now I’m revisiting the whole series. I feel like I remembered The Winter Prince quite well, but I don’t remember anything of the following books except that I enjoyed them (perhaps because only the first is solidly Arthurian).

Cover of The Bloodless Princess by Charlotte Bond Cover of The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth Cover of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst Cover of The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard Cover of A Coalition of Lions by Elizabeth E. Wein

It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and I haven’t even touched on any of the non-fiction I might read, because what catches my attention can change so rapidly. I’m looking forward to all of it, though!

How about you? Any plans for the summer, readers?

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