Category: Weekly Book Memes

Sunday Post | Fever in the Morning

Posted June 8, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 7 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Fever All Through The Night

Sunday we went to the annual Lilac Festival and before I go any further, I should clarify that it’s not a festival for lilacs! The only lilacs featured were decorative lilacs, but otherwise, it was just a street market full of random things. I knew this so I wasn’t disappointed or anything, I just thought I should clarify because everyone I talked to seemed to think it was for lilacs!

Anyway, it’s an annual street market festival, this year featuring 500+ vendors and 70+ performances, and held from 10am to 6pm. My husband and I were there from 10am until 3pm, and we were exhausted at the end of it! There were so many things to see and explore. The handcrafted items were beautiful, the crafters and performers were amazingly talented, the food all looked and smelled delicious! It became extremely crowded and got increasingly difficult to navigate our way through the crowd, but we had fun!

Also, the weather was nice in the morning, and it got kind of hot actually, but then it rained in the afternoon for a while and then got hot and sunny again later. And I got a fever the next day. 🤒

Yeah, I think I overdid it. I felt nauseous, had no appetite, my skin was feeling really sensitive, I was brain-tired, and my whole body was sore. I had ambitious plans for the week and had to reschedule because I just couldn’t do much of anything Monday through Wednesday. Except read! Yay! (That’s also why I missed Top Ten Tuesday last week too, btw.😭)

Silver lining of being sick, I stayed in bed and read/listened to Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie. I alternated between physical book and audiobook whenever my eyes/ears got tired, and I managed to finish it from Monday to Wednesday!

I felt much better Thursday morning, but unfortunately, I also woke up to a city-wide alert about a water main break and that we had to ration water. They are still trying to fix it even now and we’re encouraged to use as little water as we can. So that means the laundry isn’t done, and is still continuing to pile up even more!

Honestly, I’m feeling really anxious about the state of the house right now after a whole week of not cleaning up because I was sick and then water rationing. I’m distracting myself with other good things as best as I can!

All the happy things:

  1. I made some strides on my work issue – not much because of being sick, but I’ve implemented some of my ideas and it’s early days but it seems to be working. 🤞
  2. I finally finished The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie! I meant to finish it last month but at least I got it read early this month.
  3. It’s strawberry season! I’ve been enjoying lots of strawberries!
  4. I crocheted a couple of summer hats! (Because of the heat at the Lilac Festival and having no hat – I’ve learned my lesson!)
  5. I finally bought a yarn winder – what a game changer! I just got it yesterday and I’ve been using it non-stop since, for fun!
  6. Had a fun jamming session with the husband, plus he taught me a couple of things on the guitar.
  7. We also watched The Martian again because we enjoyed it so much and it’s been a while.
  8. I binged on Heartstopper and omg, I love Charlie and Nick so much! They are the most adorable, cutest couple and they bring me so much joy! I cannot wait to watch the TV series!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center – I loved this one so much! It was just so fun and while I’m usually not a fan of the miscommunication trope, I loved the way this one played out. I made the mistake of starting this close to bedtime. I thought I could stop halfway at a lull point or something, but it was so good that I couldn’t stop and just read through the night! I finally slept at 4.30am.
  2. Heartstopper: Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman – I’m sorry but Nick and Charlie are just so cute and I can’t stand it!
  3. Heartstopper: Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman – I can’t stop thinking how cute they are! It’s just makes my heart swell!
  4. Heartstopper: Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman – I think this might be my favorite one because of events that happened here that I won’t spoil but they were just so freaking cute!
  5. Heartstopper: Vol. 5  by Alice Oseman – If I had known there was a sixth book, I might not have started the series until it was out. Now I have to wait for the last one!
  6. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie – I’m not sure how I feel about this final book of the series. On the one hand, I love the arcs for several of the characters and the development of the story, on the other hand, I really hated the arcs for some of the other characters. It’s still a great series, but I’m trying to decide if I want to read the other books in the series that are only tangibly related to the characters in this one. We’ll see.

Books I’m reading:

  1. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – I’m still making my way through the audiobook, I’m 10 hours into a 36-hour audio, so there’s still a long way to go!
  2. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman – Finally rereading this, but just starting out! I’m anxious and excited!

Last Week on The Blog

That’s it, that’s all I did this week. 😭

This Week

My plan this week is to finish the Dragonlance Chronicles books; Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. I also need to get caught up on book reviews, blog visiting, and replying comments. Thank you for being patient with me, my friends!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Everyday I’m Hustlin’

Posted June 1, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 10 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Everyday I’m Hustlin’

This was a week of catching up but I still feel like I’m not caught up yet. There’s still several loads of laundry to wash and fold. I’ve also been absorbed with trying to figure out a work issue and I’m having trouble thinking up solutions and it’s been an additional mental load.

I haven’t done much on the blog at all and I’ve got lots of reviews to catch up on, plus updating my books read on Goodreads and The Storygraph. Not to mention, it’s the beginning of a new month and I’m going to have to work on my May Wrap-Up post (but not before updating books read so I can actually know what to post in my wrap up)!

On the plus side, I’ve been reading a lot to distract myself from work during my down times, so I got more books read!

All the happy things:

  1. I signed up for a free 30-day Audible trial, and I binged 5 books in 5 days!
  2. Had a nice hangout and dinner with an old friend we haven’t seen in months.
  3. Our in-person bookclub for our May BOTM, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mendel, happened this morning (Saturday) and it was a really great discussion and fun time. We also had a new member join us, yay!
  4. Went for a nice lunch with a bookclub friend and had a great chat.
  5. We are going to the annual Lilac Festival tomorrow! I’m excited to see all the things!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells – I’m getting to know Murderbot a little bit better and I love how it pretends not to like people but it just happens to make friends everywhere and help others despite itself. I love it!
  2. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells – I love the reunion and I’m really excited for what happens in the next books. I got these from the Plus Catalogue on my free Audible trial, and the rest of the books aren’t free, so I’ll have to go back to waiting for the next books.
  3. Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone – This is an Audible Original and I loved the production! The story itself was really cute and I loved the banter, but honestly the highlight was just how well it was produced. Maybe it’s because it’s my first experience with an Audible Original that I was blown away, but I just really enjoyed it!
  4. Mad Love by Wendy Walker – Another Audible Original. It’s a great production too but I didn’t love the story as much. It wasn’t bad, just not the best mystery thriller, but I did really enjoy it too!
  5. Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft – I’ve been hearing about this book for a while now, and I got really curious. It was available on Libby so I decided to read it and it’s quite an eye-opener. I feel like everyone should read this book whether they think they’re in an abusive relationship or not; a lot of abusers get away with it because their victims don’t have enough allies who recognize what’s going on and/or know how to help. I think we all need to educate ourselves a little more and this is a good place to start.
  6. Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman – I have no idea why it took me so long to pick up this book! It’s so sweet and cute, and now I’m gonna have to read the whole series!

Books I’m reading:

  1. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center – Still working on this! I’m reading on ebook and I haven’t had much time to pick it up compared to the audiobooks I’ve been bingeing, but I’m sure it’ll be a quick read when I have time to sit down and focus.
  2. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – I’ve got this on audiobook. It’s a longer book but I didn’t want to wait too long after recently finishing Demon Copperhead. I’m already seeing the similarities between the books and I’m loving it!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m planning to catch up on my book reviews and updating everything I need to update. I’m also really excited about a new month and the books planned for this month – bookclub books of the month, and a couple of buddy reads! I’ll have my Wrap-Up post up this week too!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

Posted May 27, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 37 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

There have been so many books I was super excited about but ended up not reading. These are some of the ones I’m still excited about and still want to read as soon as possible, but haven’t yet for some reason or other.

Top Ten Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

  1. The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan – I love Stephen P. Kiernan’s books and I’m really excited to read this one too, but his books are the kind that require savoring and that means I have to find the right time and mental head space to read them.
  2. Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane – Mhairi’s books are categorized under romance, but they’re not quick, fun and silly romances. They tend to highlight serious real life issues as well and I love that about them, so I want to be fully present when I read this.
  3. The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin – I loved the two previous books I’ve read by MM, and I know I’ll love this too. They’re just pretty heavy because of the subject matter, but they’re also hopeful and heartwarming, and I’m looking forward to reading this soon.
  4. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – I think the thing holding me back with this one is that there are at least six books in the series and I’m just scared of starting a new series when there are so many I haven’t finished yet.
  5. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck – Nothing holding me back with this one, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
  6. The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan – Another one in the queue I intend to get to really soon!
  7. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson – And this one too! I meant to read this and the above book this month, but I had other time obligations!
  8. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman – I’ve got a planned buddy read for this series in June, and I’m anxiously awaiting it! It’s a reread for me, but it’s been a while and I’m excited to revisit the nostalgia!
  9. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie – I very recently finished the first two books in this series and I would’ve immediately started the next one, except my book buddies want me to wait for them. They’re supposed to have the book in a couple of weeks, but if they take longer than that, all bets are off!
  10. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent – I was so excited about this and I still am, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Soon!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Sunday Post | This Could Really Be A Good Life

Posted May 25, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 17 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

A Good, Good Life

Hey friends, I’ve missed you all since the week before! I’m still catching up from all I’ve missed; I’ve got a ton of laundry to do, work I haven’t done, and a couple weeks’ worth of blog visiting and commenting! Please bear with me while I get myself caught up!

As for my friend’s visit, it was awesome! We had lots of fun and did a lot of stuff (and I had to take a couple of days to rest from all the activity I was not used to!) – I took her to the zoo of course, and to the annual big book sale in Calgary, signed her up for our public library tour – she’s a friend from my online book club so she was thrilled with all the book-related activities, I promise!

She was also very happy to meet my cats, the pictures above were all taken by her. They had fun hanging out with her although they were wary at first. We also did some tarot readings, had long chats and some really big laughs, enjoyed a few meals together. It was a great time and I was sad when it was time for her to leave. There were tears! 😭

All the happy things:

  1. It was so nice to hang out with my friend! This is actually the first time we met in person after years of hanging out online, and it was just a joy!
  2. I grabbed lots of great books from the book sale!
  3. I have always loved the zoo and the library, but I have a new appreciation for them, and other local fixtures, after seeing them through a visitor’s eyes.
  4. There have been more walks around the neighborhood with the husband on nice days.
  5. And another dance party while cleaning the kitchen together!
  6. I made more cookies!

My book haul! There were several more, but these are the ones I’m excited about and I hope to read them sooner rather than later.

The Books

Books I read last (two) week(s):

  1. Funny Story by Emily Henry – I think this might have become my favorite of Emily Henry’s books. I loved the banter, and it made me laugh out loud several times. It was just so fun to read.
  2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – I loved this book but for very different reasons. It’s heavy and difficult to read emotionally, but it was very good, and I feel like this is one I’d come back to and find new things to take away.
  3. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Another favorite from TJR. One of my top TJR books is Malibu Rising, and we first meet Carrie Soto there in a cameo. We get to know her better in this book and I’m definitely a fan.
  4. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth – My book club buddies were talking about this book and I couldn’t resist buying into their hype. I’m glad I did because it was really good. I finished it very quickly.
  5. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears – I grew up with Britney and really enjoyed her music. It’s horrifying to find out all the ways she’s been used and exploited because of her success. I have so much respect for her strength. I know I couldn’t have handled half the things she went through.
  6. What Happened To Nina? by Dervla McTiernan – This had been on my radar for a while and I finally finished it. It’s such an interesting look at the things we’d do for our loved ones. How far would you go? I think the social horror aspect of it is what scares me most.
  7. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – Many of you recommended this book after I finished reading Clap When You Land, and I’m glad you did because it was so good. I loved Xiomara’s voice and listening to it on audio, narrated by the author, made it all the more powerful.
  8. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells – Just finished today! I’ve been waiting a long time for the audiobook and it’s worth the wait, but I feel so impatient to read them all, so now I have a dilemma – read them all quickly on ebook? Or wait for the audiobooks to be available, one by slow one? 😩

Books I’m reading:

  1. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley – On a physical copy. This is a reread. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite childhood authors but for some reason I only rated this one two stars at the time. My book buddies have told me unequivocally that I’m wrong and it’s great, so I’m trying it again. To be fair, it’s been so long I don’t remember anything about it at all, so I might agree with them and shake my head at my younger self’s bad take.
  2. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center – On ebook. I’ve been meaning to read it for months! It was on my TBR before The Bodyguard, but I finished that some time ago so I thought I should finally get to this.
  3. Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft – On audiobook. I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for this book on some subreddits and it came up recently while I was browsing Libby’s catalog, so I thought I’d read it. It’s been pretty eye-opening so far but I’m only 20% in.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

Finish all the books I’ve already started, but I think I also have to catch up on some book reviews, and updating my books read on Goodreads and The Storygraph. I feel like I’ve also lost sight of some of my reading challenges, so I’m going to try to get back on track and focus on the books I wanted to read.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Top Ten Tuesday | Authors I’d Love a New Book From

Posted May 20, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 19 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Authors I’d Love a New Book From

I’m not sure that I have ten authors for this list. There are definitely a few I’d love more books from, but in general, there are so many authors I love whose works I haven’t finished reading yet, so I feel like it’s unfair to want more books when I haven’t finished the ones they’ve already written!

Authors I’d Love a New Book From

  1. Madeline Miller – She’s at the top of the list because I desperately need more myth retellings, and from her because she writes them so well!
  2. Yangsze Choo – This might be unfair because she just published a new book this year, The Fox Wife, but I’ve already finished it, and I need more!
  3. George R.R. Martin – I know some people have given up on him, but I haven’t. I’m still holding out hope that we’ll see A Song of Ice and Fire finished. Also, I think he might still be publishing other books, but I really need new books for the ASOIAF series specifically.
  4. Stephen P. Kiernan – He’s an underrated author, and I’ve loved all his books I’ve read! He’s got one new book published last year that I haven’t read yet, but I would still love more books from him so that I can have a whole bunch of them to look forward to.
  5. Taylor Jenkins Reid – I haven’t read all her books yet, but she’s just an author I love who needs to also provide me with a whole bunch of new books to look forward to!
  6. Christopher Pike – One of my favorite authors from my childhood years, but he also writes adult novels and I loved them. He hasn’t published anything new in years, and I really wish he would!
  7. Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books and I think she needs to write more. So much more!

Have you read any of these authors? What did you think of their books? Would you read more from them?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Book Quotes from The First Law Trilogy

Posted May 13, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 2 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Favorite Book Quotes

What a perfect time to have this topic! I’ve been making my way through The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie and there’s just a whole treasure trove of quotes and catchphrases I love! I’m not sure that I can limit it to only ten, to be honest, but I’ll try!

I’ve only just finished the first two books, but a lot of the catchphrases from the first book make it into the second one, and I hear they continue on to the third, so I’m just including all three books for the sake of the topic.

Top Ten Book Quotes from The First Law Trilogy

  1. “You have to be realistic about these things.”
  2. “Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”
  3. “If you say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, and one thing only, say he’s a killer.”
  4. “Broken hearts heal with time, but broken teeth never do.”
  5. “Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be.”
  6. “You have to have fear to have courage.”
  7. “Treat a man like a dog and sooner or later he’ll bite you,”
  8. “You carry on. That’s what he’d always done. That’s the task that comes with surviving, whether you deserve to live or not. You remember the dead as best you can. You say some words for them. Then you carry on, and you hope for better.”
  9. “No one cares about the past any more. They don’t see that you can’t have a future without a past.”
  10. “It was a fact, he was only now beginning to realise, that the conversation of the drunk is only interesting to the drunk. A few glasses of wine can be the difference between finding a man a hilarious companion or an insufferable moron.”
  11. “If a man seeks to change the world, he should first understand it.”
  12. “Everything frightens me, and it’s well that it does. Fear is a good friend to the hunted, it’s kept me alive this long. The dead are fearless, and I don’t care to join them.”

Have you read The First Law Trilogy? What did you think of it? Or would you read it?

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Sunday Post | Keeping Me Waiting, Anticipating

Posted May 11, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 11 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

The Day We Find Love Once Again

I won’t be doing a Sunday Post next week because a friend of mine will be visiting during the weekend and I probably won’t be able to get on the computer. The good news is that I’ll probably have a lot more to share on my Sunday Post the week after! I’ll miss you all next week though.

Last week was mostly uneventful except for a wonderful time spent downtown with the husband the one day the weather was nice. We visited a few old haunts, a bookshop, and tried a new restaurant. We got the chicken wings platter, a salad, and onion rings. Everything was delicious, but it was ridiculously overpriced and I’m not sure if it’s worth the price. It was still a very nice date, though!

I’m still getting used to the walking desk and being on the treadmill while I’m on the computer. I realized that I haven’t been spending as much time working on the computer because I’m trying to avoid the motion sickness, but it’s good because I still have to use the computer and it forces me to be more mindful of what I’m doing on the computer and how much time I spend on it while also getting in some exercise when I’m on it. Win-win-win, right?

All the happy things:

  1. So happy that the audiobook for Funny Story by Emily Henry is finally available to borrow! I have been waiting and anticipating so long!!
  2. Not sure if it counts because I was going to write it after the fact and not before, but I’m very happily anticipating my friend’s visit!
  3. I was able to spend some time crocheting and I finished a couple of small projects! They’re in the wash right now, but I’ll post pictures next week (the week after)!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – It’s a short book, but powerful, and painful at parts. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and I’m glad I finally did!
  2. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie – This is the second book in The First Law Trilogy, and it’s been such an immersive experience. I’d love to immediately move on to the third book but I’m waiting on my reading buddies to get their copies.

Books I’m reading:

  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – I’m at 80% of the audiobook and really loving it. I haven’t read David Copperfield so I had no idea what to expect. I’m also looking forward to reading David Copperfield soon after.
  2. Funny Story by Emily Henry – I’ve got the ebook but I’ve been waiting for the audiobook because Julia Whelan narrates it and I love her! I finally got the audiobook today and I’ve started listening despite not having finished Demon Copperhead yet!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m not expecting to be able to read much this week since my friend will be visiting, but I’m hoping to finish Demon Copperhead and Funny Story for sure, and maybe a couple of shorter, easy reads. Any recommendations?

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Time Travel Thursday | May 9

Posted May 9, 2024 by Haze in Time Travel Thursday, Weekly Book Memes / 0 Comments

It’s Time Travel Thursday! Hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog, this is where you get to take a look back at what you were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and get to relive those bookish memories!

This time in 2023 I was reading:

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey

My thoughts:

I started and stopped reading this book so many times because it was quite difficult to get into in the beginning, but I kept trying because a friend whose book recommendations I trust gushed about it so much. Once I finally got into it, I was *in* it. It was so hard to put the book down and I just needed to know what happens next. I love that there were so many interesting elements to the story, like the sentient, carnivorous trees, and the tech that is way more advanced than what we know. I found the interpersonal relationships fascinating, their beliefs and way of life, the way they learned – the tech, the intrigue, how things worked. There’s so much to this book, on so many levels! I love it!

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This time in 2022 I was reading:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

My thoughts:

Such a fun romantic read! I like that this one is a bit different, but I also got a bit annoyed with the lack of communication about Charlie not moving back to the city and not just straight up telling Nora. Libby’s lack of communication was also very annoying. I do like the push-pull and sexual tension with Nora and Charlie. It was written so well! I’ve read a few Emily Henry books and I’ve always enjoyed them. They’re just really easy to read and fun.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This time in 2021 I was reading:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

My thoughts:

It has been a while since I watched the movie so there are a lot of details I’ve forgotten and can’t compare with the book. However, I really enjoyed the book itself – the telling of it and the way everything unfolded. There were moments of frustration and disbelief, and definitely also fear and wonder.

There’s a lot of details about the dinosaurs that I feel like we now take for granted because Jurassic Park has been in our pop culture for quite a while now, but I can’t help but wonder, if I was reading it for the first time in the time it was written, would I be asking more questions about the characteristics of the dinosaurs? Would I be more curious and skeptical about their behaviors?

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This time in 2020 I was reading:

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and series. Charlotte “Sherlock” Holmes is definitely not what I expected but I love her, and I love the whole concept of how Sherlock came to be because of her character needing to carve out a living for herself. I read up to book 5, if I’m not mistaken, but I haven’t read the latest books so perhaps it’s time to catch up and reacquaint myself with Charlotte.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Overall Comparisons

All 4 stars and above! I was having a great time this time in the years before. Once again, I love that they are all such different books and yet I enjoyed them all. It’s also fun to revisit because I remember really loving The Book of Koli and the other books in the series, as well as the Charlotte Holmes series.

I am currently reading The First Law series and loving it so far, so I believe it will be fun to look back on this time again next year and add another series I love to the list!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What were you reading at this time in history?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Flowery Books

Posted May 6, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 36 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is May Flowers

I went broad with the topic this week and got as many different varieties of flowers as I could. Not a lot of variety with the genres though, there’s a lot of historical fiction here. I don’t appreciate this topic adding so many new books to my TBR, by the way. 😭

Top Ten Flowery Books

  1. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht – I’d never heard of this book but it sounds so good and right up my alley. It’s historical fiction about Korea under the Japanese occupation, and there are two timelines. I need this!
  2. One Hundred Daffodils by Rebecca Winn – This is a memoir that I was initially not interested in, but it actually sounds interesting and I can’t help but be curious.
  3. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – I’ve read only one other book by this author and loved it and have been meaning to read more.
  4. Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick – Vincent Van Gogh as a character? I am very, very intrigued. This is fiction but I’m curious to read this fictional account of Van Gogh’s life.
  5. Peony in Love by Lisa See – I have several of the author’s books on my TBR, including this one, and I have yet to read them. I really want to, eventually!
  6. Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee – I always love the story of an underdog taking on the world and coming up on top. I’m not sure if it will end well, but I am taken in by the description.
  7. Under the Magnolias by TI Lowe – This one is set in the 1980s in South Carolina. I don’t necessarily seek out historical fiction, but I find that I do love a lot of them and can’t help wanting to read more!
  8. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach – The tulip mania has always been a curiosity for me and I’d love to read more about it. This one is also historical fiction.
  9. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley – Another author with multiple books on my TBR list. I really need to read them some time!
  10. Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – This one sounds interesting to me as well. It’s set in India and apparently in the 2000s, but not far enough back to be considered historical fiction I’m sure.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Sunday Post | And I Would Walk 500 Miles

Posted May 4, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 27 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

And I Would Walk 500 More

Last week was a total contrast with the week before, weather-wise. The weather was so nice two weeks ago and I walked so much outside, but last week it rained/snowed pretty much the whole week and I didn’t go outside at all. I did manage to get some exercise indoors though. I paced while reading, and I set up my computer on my walking desk so I was doing blog stuff while on the treadmill too, which is great!

Except that I got a bit of motion sickness and I had to take a lot of breaks.

I had wanted to post more, write some book reviews, but didn’t feel up to it with the motion sickness. I also had a lot to catch up on with replying comments and visiting blogs, and I’m still catching up, but I think I’m getting better doing longer sessions on the treadmill/computer, and I’m sure it will get easier once I get used to it. It’s a chore setting up the computer, so I can’t just switch it out when I get tired of walking and want to sit. I mean, I can, but it’s a whole lot of work. And I want to get used to this because I think it’s better for my health in the long-term.

It’s getting better already, see! I’m writing this post while at my walking desk!

In other news, husband and I finished watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and I finished watching Blown Away. We are now watching Physical: 100 Season 2 together, and I’m continuing with my 911 watch.

I also got caught up on laundry, yayyy, but of course it never really ends. And I took a break on cooking last week and husband cooked instead. He sautéed some salmon belly which was simple, but oh so delicious!

All the happy things:

  1. We had our final check-in for The Count of Monte Cristo readalong and had a wonderful discussion that went almost 3 hours!
  2. I managed to finish The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie in time for the book discussion and we had another great discussion for it, plus, I ended up really loving it and now I’m obsessed and have started reading the next book!
  3. I organized my work space – cleared some old papers, threw away stuff I no longer needed. More to go, but it’s a great start.
  4. The bad weather didn’t get me down because I still managed to walk a lot – indoors, but it still counts! I’m getting into the habit of pacing while I read and walking on the treadmill while working on the computer, and honestly, it doesn’t come naturally and I get tired easily, but I’m looking at the long term benefits.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – I thought it was cool that a whole book was dedicated to the importance of having checklists. For the regular layperson like me, checklists are usually just part of the tools I use for convenience and keeping myself organized, and it has also saved me some stress many times, but in aviation, construction, and medicine, it can be the difference between life and death. I think checklists are worth implementing in any situation you can think of though, and I think the book is definitely worth reading.
  2. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton – I didn’t expect such a heavy subject matter, but I think it was an important story to tell and I appreciate the author being vulnerable and telling her story. It’s given me a different perspective about the oil sands industry, and about male-dominated industries in general.
  3. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel – This is my in-person bookclub’s BOTM for May, and I’d usually not read the BOTM so early, but I borrowed the book from the library before it was chosen for the BOTM, and I decided to just go ahead and finish it anyway. I might do a quick recap before the book discussion as a refresher.
  4. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie – I just finished this book yesterday and I loved it! It was the highlight of the week! I had such an immersive experience reading it, plus having discussions about it immediately after. I’m still processing, or rather, I’m still half in the world of the book and I’ve already started on the next book, so I feel like I’m still immersed. Totally leaning into it!

Books I’m reading:

  1. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie – Just started but already excited about reading more!
  2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – I’m reading this on audio. It’s only 3 hours and I’m already halfway through. It’s breaking my heart a little.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m so obsessed with The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie that I might try to finish the second and third books this week. Let’s see if I can do that!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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