Helloooo!

I usually do this the 1st of the month but to put it bluntly this past month was a toughie and I needed some rest. I’m off this week instead and taking it easier which is a wider aim for the year. But here are the things I want to do more of with the blog this year.

1 - Resurrect the Newsletter!

Tried to keep this going but spoons were not there thanks to The Project of Pain so I’m going for a relaxed fortnightly update on what I’m doing, reading and wider thoughts plus summaries of what is on and coming on the blog - you can sign up here. First one is weekend after next!

2 - A weekly Runalong The Short Shelves

A simple aim one magazine a week to look at! I’m getting into reading short fiction again and time to get into the habit.

3 - Restart the Discworld Readlong

I won’t put a frequency on this yet but I’m I am in the mood for a trip back to the Disc and Men At Arms is a great book! Hopefully not too long before I can reach it!

4 - Start A New Readalong

I have read the grand total of one book by Ursula K Le Guin. So lets change that! Expect a review soon!

5 - The Quarter Century Project

So for me 2026 is a milestone birthday and I thought in the run-up would be intersting for me to reead some notable books that won awards from 2000-2025 and see what I missed, how they stack up to a modern audience. I’ve decided on looking at

• The BFS Award (I’ll stick to Fantasy for now)

• The BSFA Award for Best Novel

• The Arthur C Clark Award

• World Fantasy Best Novel

I’ve started 2000 early (with mixed results) and this will be a regular blog mission over the next couple of years. The results are let’s say already interesting! They may not be always reviews and perhaps more argh and yuck! I’ll start with Thraxas soon.

So that’s my reading aims for 2024 - what are yours?