Book Review – Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

books, reviews

Rating: 2 out of 5.

It’s been a while since I requested anything from Netgalley because I just don’t need the hassle. I just never get around to reading them and it always makes me feel guilty. I have too many of my own books that I would rather read, so I might as well get them done first. Sometimes, I find a book that I just can’t resist requesting. This was one of those books. It just sounded like my thing. As always, it’s been sitting in my account for ages waiting for me to remember it. I had actually forgotten about it until I checked my Kindle before going away. Then I felt so bad about it that I started it immediately. It wasn’t the holiday reading I was expecting but at least it ease my conscience a bit. Was it any good though?

Sunday Rundown: That’s What She Read

books, films, rundown
Sunday Rundown

What have you been reading this week?

There’s really not much point in posting this rundown this week because I basically didn’t post anything new last week. However, I have read a couple of things so I figured it was worth a quick update. I didn’t end up reading as much as I expected on my week off. Mostly because we spent the week exploring and doing so much. I had assumed the weather would keep us inside but it was lovely. So lovely that we didn’t spend much time inside relaxing. At least I managed to finish a couple and get a good chunk into the next one. Hopefully, it’ll get May off to a good start.

Bookish Post – April 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

books, wrap-up
Teacup on top of vintage books.

Number of books read: 7
Number of rereads: 0
Number of physical books: 3
Number of ebooks: 2
Number of audiobooks: 2
Number of ARCS: 0

5* reviews: 1
4.5* reviews: 1
4* reviews: 3

What a month. April has felt super stressful and I’ve not felt like reading a lot. Even though I picked up a few of my most anticipated books. On the plus side, I did manage to take a few ARCs off my TBR as well as a few super fun reads. Even though I’ve not read more, I think it’s been a good month in terms of quality. I don’t think we’ve had a 5-star book in ages let alone five with 4 stars or above. This year was always supposed to be about quality over quantity so that’s a pretty good sign. Let’s see how the month went.

Sunday Rundown: That’s What She Read

books, films, rundown
Sunday Rundown

What have you been reading this week?

I’ll be in Scotland enjoying my holiday by the time this gets posted. That could either mean getting out in the nice Spring weather or hiding from the torrential rain inside. Either way, it beats being at work. No doubt I’ll have packed a huge pile of books to take that I definitely won’t finish. I’ll hopefully get a fair amount done but I always overestimate. It’s so easy to do. Especially when your TBR is as big as mine. As I’m writing this in the past, I don’t actually know which books I’ll be taking yet because I’m leaving it to the last minute. That seems like the best way. Otherwise, I’ll never decide.

Film Review – Bullet Train (2022)

films, reviews

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

We’re going away tomorrow, so I should really be finishing packing. Or, at least, getting an early night so I can finish packing in the morning. Admittedly, we’re not setting off early but it still doesn’t seem wise to be sitting up writing blog posts. Still, I actually watched a film this week that wasn’t a rubbish animated film. It was a film that I was actually looking forward to seeing. I was meant to see it at the cinema when it came out but that never happened. It’s taken a while but I finally go around to it this week. All the more impressive considering it’s the first film I’ve seen in ages that’s had a run time of over 90 minutes.

Book Review – Villains Academy by Ryan Hammond

books, reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5.

By now, you should know that I love a good piece of middle grade fiction. If it’s an exciting book that’s intended for kids then I’m probably going to read it. It helps that Waterstones email everyone about their books of the month so often. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t even know about the most recent releases. This is one of the books that I was introduced to through email marketing. Honestly, if all of our customers were as easy to market to as I am then my job would be so much easier. This book just sounded like so much fun and I’m always going to be up for a story set in a magical school. Especially

Book Review – Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

books, reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I have to admit that I wasn’t drawn to this book because of Eleanor Catton. It was purely because of the Shakespeare reference. I read the title and had to find out more. It sounded like an interesting read and it was certainly creating buzz. So I pre-ordered it. I was a bit concerned because I normally end up disappointed by hyped books. It was also much longer than the books I’ve been reading recently. That’s probably why it took me so long to finish. It didn’t help that I was reading it during a really stressful time at work and didn’t feel like reading much. In the end, I put down the physical book and bought an audiobook copy. I’m trying to stop relying on audiobooks but I had to this time. Otherwise, I’d still have been reading it this week.

Sunday Rundown: That’s What She Read

books, films, rundown
Sunday Rundown

What have you been reading this week?

This has been a stressful week at work and I haven’t been sleeping well. So, this hasn’t been a great week for anything. Very little reading has been done and I’ve fallen behind with writing. I’m just glad it’s over. For one thing, it meant I could spend all of yesterday doing absolutely nothing. It also means that I’ve only got to get through 4 more days because I’m off for a week. I’m heading to Scotland, so I’ll be taking a break from the blog. Hopefully, by the time I get back, I’ll be back in the flow again. It also means I’ll have a week of relaxation and time to read. Good for getting a few books off my TBR.

Film Review – Love Sarah (2020)

films, reviews

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

I love Yotam Ottolenghi. I am obsessed with his cookbooks even though I’ve only ever made a few recipes. That’s mostly because the ingredients always include something random that isn’t a cupboard staple. It’s also because they tend to be about 2 pages of instructions and who has the time? One day, I will go through them and make every single one. Or at least any without mushrooms, olives or any other foodstuff that I can’t stand. But for now, I can just dream of a time when I’m drawing in my own versions of his recipes. I’ve also never been to his place in London but I’ve walked past it and lusted over the cakes in the window. The same cakes that have a starring role in this film. I wanted to check it out as soon as I knew about the Ottolenghi connection but I didn’t exactly have high expectations.

Book Review – Adventuremice: Otter Chaos! by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

books, reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I think I’ve forgotten how to read long, grown-up books. Or at least, physical books. Normally, Birnam Wood would take me a bit of time but not this long. I’m nowhere near finishing, so I had to find something quick to fit in for today’s review. Thankfully, my recent book haul had given me the perfect choice. This had the benefit of being super short and it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun. Children’s books these days are so much fun. They probably always were but I probably didn’t appreciate them enough when I was a kid. I can do that now and I can just pretend I’m researching books for when my niece gets older. It’s just amassing a library for when she’s old enough.