I have been trying to listen to the last 30mins of a book for 2 days, but keep getting interrupted.
Usually right near the end of a book!!
Blog / Reviews
Quotes
“In the end we all become stories”
Margaret Atwood
Book 2 of 2025
Knight of Shadows by Kel Kade 🎧
The King’s Dark Tidings series – Book 6
Finished off Knight of Shadows, the sixth and latest instalment of The King’s Dark Tidings series by Kel Kade yesterday.
I have been immersed in this series, so immersed that whenever the boys get in the car or walk into the kitchen, they ask, is this another Rezkin book?? Yes, it is!
I can’t see that this will be the last book in the series, so I will absolutely be keeping an eye open for the next release.
The magic world, the diverse characters, the twists and turns are all so good. My only gripe would be with the character development of Frisha, one of the key characters in the series.
There are so many strong female characters throughout the series, that Frisha’s personality (at least in the first 3/4 books) is very annoying and whiny. She does have a number of strengths which could have been emphasised but instead she comes across a bit like a spoilt, needy woman. Not my favourite kind of character at all.
Perhaps it was simply the perception created by the audiobook version and she may come across differently in print form but that was my impression.
The books are very easy to listen to and Nick Podehl’s narration and accents are superb.
A great series to read/listen to.
Book 1 of 2025
The Daughter of Dr Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 📖
This is one of those books where the cover drew me in and then the story did the rest. I mean, how beautiful is this cover art?
I was so undecided as to what my first book of 2025 should be, just couldn’t figure out what mood I was in. I am in the middle of multiple series, and decided that my first read of the year should be a standalone book.
I am very glad I chose The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The characters, the plot, the science. The storytelling was magical.
Taking the premise of the classic The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells, this story is based in Mexico and tells the tale of Dr Moreau’s experiments from the perspective of his daughter, Carlota. The characters of the laboratory, the descriptions of the surroundings, the historical references, the magic of Yaxaktun were all beautifully written. The most magnificent writing shines through in the building, and development of the relationships between the residents, the outsiders, the father and daughter. Truly memorable.
I have to be honest though, there were definitely times that I wanted to have a stern lecture with Carlota but what an amazing character.
Highly recommended
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And we’re back …
Let’s try revive this book blog of mine.
Last year proved to be a great year for reading, managed over 100 books (across all platforms) but an awful year for pretty much anything else.
But let’s hope 2025 is a better year to really get my blog going.
Our first 2025 reads are:
- 12 yo
- Eragon (Inheritance series) by Christopher Paolini) 📖
- Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase series) by Rick Riordan 🎧 – a re-listen
- 15 yo
- Mistborn (The Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson 📖
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter series) 🎧 – a re-listen
- Me
- The Daughter of Dr Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 📖
- Knight of Shadows (King’s Dark Tidings series) by Kel Kade 🎧
- Family 🎧
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Let’s jump straight in!
Reading wrap for May 2024
A good month but I must confess, most of my attention has been hijacked by The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
The audiobook is 45 hours long 😱 but I am loving it and listening every chance I get.
Only 11 hours left to go!
Proud mom
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that both my boys love to read.
My 11yo is a voracious reader. He is currently going through a stage of reading series. He has recently finished The Bodyguard series by Chris Bradford.
He has just started a new series called Department 19 by Will Hill and collected the second and third books of the series from his school library yesterday.
Yes, it is about vampires. He enjoys a wide range of genres which is awesome!
Book 2 and book 3 are each over 700 pages long. 700 pages! And standard print size. There are whole adults that have never read a 700 page book. Let me remind you, he is 11yo.
I teased him and said he better not fall asleep reading, this book could break his nose 😂
I am so pleased. Proud mom for sure! I am trying to persuade him to do some reviews on this new series so stay tuned.
I shall read on a train, on a plane …
But sadly, I can’t read under water. Well at least I couldn’t, until this weekend.
I have acquired a new phone housing for diving that allows access to all your apps, including Kindle! So if I wanted to, I could read under the water 😂
But Aliwal Shoal is well known for its active population of sharks, so taking a moment or two to read is really not advisable 🦈😂
In reality, I was taking a photograph of a diving buddy.
It was such an amazing trip, and of course I did read, but safely above the water 📖
This is my other love. The sea 🌊 it brings me peace and calm.
Change and a holiday
Yes, I am reading (listening to The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson) on the patio of a wooden house, overlooking the sea and watching the moon rise above the clouds.
Two great dives today have left me exhausted so I opted out of dinner with the crew and opted for a quiet evening with Mr Sanderson on the patio, cup of tea in hand.
Also, sharks, whales, dolphins 🤩 so much to see.
Quote
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
Jane Austen
Tales with Tazz 