Helloooo! Hope you’re surviving the stormy weather and drying out. This was one of those week, where a single train cancellation led to me getting up at 5am every day and getting home around 8pm every night. I also did some volunteering with tree planting. The next day in work was…interesting but while not stressed I did over the course of the get more and more tired. I read but time for reviews got tighter and I really needed a day off yesterday. Next week though will be a bit busier on the book front and even better after that I have a week off!!

Jury Duty - Brave New Words

I’m a huge fan of the Brave New Words podcast and in exciting news I was kindly invited this week to be a juror on Starburst Magazine’s Brave New Words. Now in it’s third year this award is made to an individual who produces break-out literature that is New and Bold; looking to highlight exciting work that breaks new ground in the field of cult entertainment – it can cover editors, writers, publishers and bloggers for work first produced or published in 2019. There will also be a special award for special contributions to the genre literature community.

I will be joining Starburst’s literary editor Ed Fortune, Urban Fantasy author Russell Smith, media expert Rebecca Derrick, book podcaster Jane Hanmer (from Dumpy Little Unicorn). Looking forward to discussing the shortlist and choosing a winner who will be announced at Edge Lit 9 in Derby between the 11-12th July. Nominations can be submitted until 12/3 and more details on this are here

Wombling into your ears

Speaking of Jane’s Dumpy Little Unicorn podcast episode 14 is out with a look back to 2019 with my friend Caro from Astounding Yarns (we discuss book-tempting you ahem our favourite reads) Three bloggers chatting and tempting each other what could possibly go wrong for your TBR piles? Plus discussions on grimdark, hopepunk and a lot more here

What have I been watching?

The Untamed – Just started watching this historical Korean drama on Netflix after seeing much emotional gif comment on twitter. Thanks to my friends Liz I got a little bit of background and it’s a fascinating start with lots of interesting characters with added killer statues, ghosts and magical powers. I am assured by my friends I will be emotionally compromised soon. So this looks like my weeknight project for a few months.

What have I been listening to?

Continuing Season 2 of Magnus Archives - up to episode 61

What have I been reading?

Runalong Readalongs

I’ve finished Mort for Discworld Reads and it’s been very very good – review should be out tomorrow

As my nighttime reading opportunities were reduced I lost out on time for Assassin’s Apprentice so this means next week’s reading material is

Discworld – Sourcery

Farseer – Assassin’s Apprentice

Deverry - Darkspell

Subjective Chaos

As I’ve a few books on the go this week I went for the easier category this week I finished the Novellas – reviews to come our over the week and recap on the others I have already reviewed.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh – a very sweet queer romantic fantasy tale set in a magical forests with secrets. Review out next week

We Are Made of Diamond Stuff by Isabel Waidner – this is WEIRD hard to explain. I appreciated it more than loved it

Incompleteness Theories by Wole Talabi – quite an interesting take on the SF concept of teleportation and what exactly is a human

Reviews and Reading

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold - Really impressed with this one

Double Feature by Donald E Westlake- 70’s noir which can be both snappy and problematic too

The Stars We Steal – review to come – this SF romance has some lovely character interactions and ideas and I’m being a little greedy in what else I though it needed to do

What Am I Reading?

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward – it’s taking a bit of time as huge but am enjoying this new start to a fantasy series I think this will be finished on my week off next month

American Monsters Part 2 edited by Margret Helgadottir - time to read the latest entry in one of my favourite series

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K S Villoso – time to meet the Bitch Queen with a new fantasy series

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – an intriguing tale set in 17th century Iceland where a village loses nerarly all its male inhabitants in a storm at sea. Sadly, although the women start to keep life going external forces are about o turn their world apart.

The Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith – ever wondered what happens to unfinished books?

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes - SF with kidnappers, emperors and psychic cats

Dread Nation and Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland – Civil war tale with zombies

Finally, I have some reading stats on influences when we grew up to show you!