April is Here!

April is here!

This year I can honestly say I have failed, I have failed to keep this blog going as I would like. 

  If you have read my previous two posts you will recall that I made an immense decision to leave my job at college, and move back to the hospital where I previously worked.  When I left the hospital back in 2016 I claimed I would never return to their employment.  But here I am, I have now been in my current job for two months.  It has been stressful, leaving a job, and people, that I absolutely adored, but the changes that were happening at college- I could just not be a part of.  I think because of the stress caused by the move my blog went by the wayside,  there were other things to busy my brain with, and I needed to make room for that.  Fortunately, my reading has not suffered, and I’ve been enjoying the books I’ve read immensely!

All About the Books, let’s face it, thats why your here!

This year I claimed I was going to read Robin Hobb throughout the year! Wrong!  Instead I’ve been working my way through The Throne of Glass series!  I am reading each book very close together, some have been back to back.  This is the first time I have experienced doing this with a series, and I  have to say it really works!  My memory is really bad, but this way I know exactly who everyone is, and I can keep up with the story well.  I am currently reading The Whisperwicks by Jordan Less, but once I have completed this I will be moving on to tandem reading The Tower of Dawn and Empire of Storms.  I decided to read this series in the romantic order, and it placed Assassin’s Blade so nicely, after Heir of Fire.  I would highly recommend this order of reading.  

Today I finished reading Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad.  Although it is Waterstone’s book of the month for April, I was lucky enough to be gifted this for Christmas. I gave this book 4.5 stars.  It is a very interesting read, especially if you have a passion to visit Japan, although now I don’t know whether my interest has peaked, or if I am too scared to go.  Chris Broad is certainly a very honest writer.

Over the past couple of months  I have also worked my way through the Percy Jackson series, enjoyed some fantastic manga, such as Slam Dunk and Cat Gamer, and relived my childhood with a bit of Jacqualine Wilson due to her new adult book coming out in September this year!   I am also looking forward to reading my copy of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, the reviews for this are looking superb!  I also picked up Powerless by Lauren Roberts from The Works, so I am also really curious as to what this book will bring! 

I have really enjoyed reading so far this year, and I am thankful that I still felt like doing this amidst the chaos! What have you been reading, and what do you look forward to picking up in the future, I’d love to hear!  

Oh, and I will leave you with a current picture of my bookish embroidery journal!

My Favourite Books of 2023 & Exciting Tales for 2024

My Favourite books of 2023 and exciting tales for 2024!

Well, here we are again! We’re coming near to drawing 2023 to a close, and with that us bookworms start looking over the books we have read for the year.

This is a process I really enjoy, and although I have not had a lot of time for blogging in the recent months,  I just had to make the effort to write about the books that have really made an impact this year.  

To my surprise, this year I still managed to read 100 books, though my reading plans went right out the window!  I pledged to read a Brandon Sanderson each month, but the last book I read for this challenge was back in August.  This doesn’t exactly come as a  surprise, September is where everything became quite difficult and overwhelming at work, and I spent a lot of my spare time looking for a new job. I am happy to report that I  have had some success, and I am starting a new job in February!  New Year-new starts….and with new starts, this year’s reading challenge is going to be to read a Robin Hobb book every other month.  I intend to start this with The Assassin’s Apprentice.  Everyone raves about Robin Hobb books, and with me being such a fantasy fan, I must give her books a go!

Another promise I made to myself was to read one non-fiction book each month, which again, unfortunately I have not done.

But, I worry not, reading is meant to be a fun experience, and I am just so happy that I kept reading regardless of what genre it was.  

So without further ado, here is a list of my favourite fiction books I read in 2023:

Yellowface by R F Kuang

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J Mass

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

Tress of the Emerald Sea & The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

This Summer’s Secrets by Emily Barr

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

True Beauty by Yaongyi

Each of these books left me completely captivated, and left me thinking about them days after I had finished them.  In fact,  I can almost say these books left me in a little reading slump, as I missed reading them so much!

I also discovered some fantastic manga is 2023, which I am still currently reading!  I am looking forward to continuing these in 2024.

These are:

Demon Slayer by Koyoharu

Attack On Titan by Hajime Isayama

Solo Leveling by Chugong

Spy Family is also ongoing, and I am loving this also!

I have a special feature up my sleeve for this year, which I look forward to sharing with you all in January, if you want to be kept up to date with this, keep an eye on my instagram for early seek peeks! 
At the moment all I can say is yes it includes books, and also another love of my life, crafting!  I am very excited about this.

But I know the question you are all eagerly awaiting an answer for, and that is Tammy, which was your absolute favourite book of 2023….well I have to say without a doubt it was….

THE BONE SEASON by Samantha Shannon. 

I adored it!  Although it was a long book, I sailed through it, and did not notice its length in any way, and if I had the second book I would have picked it up immediately, but alas I do not.  I was thinking about going out and buying it, but I decided I would wait until May 24 when the revised editions are hitting shelves!

I hope 2024 brings you lots of good reading, and I look forward to discovering, and sharing lots of new reads with you all.

Take care, and until I blog again, keep reading…

Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Review: The Bone Season-Anniversary Edition 

by Samantha Shannon

Pages:512

Published: 22/08/23

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing PlC

Available from: Waterstones, WHSmiths, Independent bookshops, etc.

Welcome to Scion. No safer place.

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.

In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.

When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.

This book has been on my radar for such a long time, and I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of the original Bone Season in a charity shop.  It sat on my shelf.  In February of this year I was very fortunate to get to meet Samantha Shannon on her tour for A Day Of Fallen Night, if you would like to read about it the link is below:

Meeting Samantha Shannon!

During the talk about this wonderful book, The Bone Season came up in discussion, and it was there that she said, if you haven’t read The Bone Season yet, she advised waiting for the anniversary edition-and so I did! 

Oh! Was it worth the wait, my word yes it so was, I absolutely adored this book! It is what I would describe as a pot at the end of a rainbow for bookworms, this is a treasure discovered! It didn’t take long to get into the book, but at first the world was confusing me slightly, but as you read through the book, more and more becomes explained.  There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but again, you soon get it sorted, and also there is an index of characters included at the back of the book, which I referred to from time to time.   Because of the story of this book, it needs a lot of characters, there is a lot happening.  The lore of the world is fascinating, learning about the different powers the voyants have, and the classes these come under is really interesting.  

The main characters are superb, I love Paige, and I really had no idea what was going to happen to her in the beginning, my breath was taken away.  It was good to go into this book blind, so to speak.  The thing I really only knew was that the book was dystopian, and had supernatural leanings.    

I gave this 5 out of 5 bats!

Read this book if:

• Like Dystopian fiction
• Like books with supernatural powers
• Like book which go into detail
• Like Books with lots of characters to follow
• LIke reading a series you can get your teeth into

There are going to be seven books in this series, four are already with us, though I believe these are all going to be ‘revised’.   Although I am desperate to start the next book, I think I will wait for the next revision, due out next year.

I may just have to satisfy the itch by purchasing The Pale Dreamer-a novella prequel available as an ebook! 

Thanks for reading!  See you all soon. 

Review Time: This Summer’s Secrets by Emily Barr

Review: This Summer’s Secrets by Emily Barr
Pages:432

Published: 08/06/2023

Published by: Penguin Books

Available from: Waterstones, WHSmiths, Independent bookshops, etc.

ONE HOT SUMMER, FIRST LOVE AND SO MANY BURIED SECRETS . . .

Senara has never been in love before. She’s not done anything exciting before. Always the sidekick . . . Until the summer that changes everything.

Cliff House is closed off for most of the year until its rich Londoner owners come down to Cornwall for the summer. This year, despite herself, Senara finds herself pulled into this world of wealth and ease, sunbathing and beautiful people. She even finds herself falling in love for the first time.

But Cliff House and its owners are hiding things. They’ve been hiding things for too long and now, despite all their efforts, their secrets are coming out . . . Secrets that involve Senara’s friends and her family in a way she could never have imagined.

The minute I heard that Emily Barr’s new YA book was releasing in the summer of 2023 I was very excited!  Back in 2022, when attending the book event for her book Ghosted, it was mentioned that she was writing a mystery book then, based in Cornwall.  I had been waiting for this book! 

In June this year I attended the release event for this book, and it sounded like it was going to be a fab read, as is always the case with Emily’s books. 

As with all my reviews, I don’t like to say too much, and give the story away, I often feel with books, you just need a little feel for it, otherwise the whole air of surprise and wonderment is destroyed.

So, this book is based in Cornwall, in the area of Penzance.  If you know Cornwall at all, Penzance is a beautiful place, with gorgeous beaches, and views of the ocean, so when you discover our main setting is at a place called Cliff House, you understand this is going to be a stunning place, surrounded by the gorgeous blue backdrop-though perhaps a little rainy and drizzly!

This story consists of several characters, we have a group of friends, and then we also have their parents and connected family members as well.  As the story progresses, we have a handful of separate people introduced as well.  The book also explores three different timelines. Initially you think this is going to be a lot to keep up with, but the author does a great seamless job at delivering this, and it does not distract from the story what so ever.  You soon get into a wonderful flow.  The characters are very interesting.  I particularly loved one character, she was a lot of fun, and a major part of the storyline. I really enjoyed the timeline which was based during the second world war, something you wouldn’t really expect to be in this book.

I devoured this book in a couple of days, I loved the pacing, and writing style.  I loved the mystery that you are trying to discover throughout-why is this happening, why did they find this, why is this person acting this way? Etc.  There are a lot of secrets to uncover!  And a lot of characters to learn about along the way, with their hidden secrets.

Although this is a YA book, it can easily be enjoyed by adults, one hundred percent!

I gave this book 4.5 stars/5.

Read this book if:

• Read and enjoyed We Were Liars & Family Of Liars.
• Looking for something with mystery, and secrets.
• Have enjoyed other books by Emily Barr.
• Like books with multiple timelines.

Emily Barr, has written a lot of books, and although I haven’t had the privilege of reading them all yet, I have enjoyed all four of the books I have read so far. Each has been reviewed here on my blog, so do be sure to check those out, they are all fantastic, and highly recommended!  Emily Barr quickly became a favourite author of mine last year, and I have been very lucky to have met and chatted with her twice now. I look forward to her next exciting novel, but in the meantime I have plenty of her other books to read. Look out for the reviews!

Thanks for reading!  See you all soon. 

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Review: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Pages:160

Published: 4/07/23

Published by: Bonnier Books Ltd

Available from: Waterstones, WHSmiths, independent bookshops, etc.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books.Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier.When Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop.As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

I was first intrigued by the book when I heard the title, surely a book about a bookshop has to be good doesn’t it?  I have loved a lot of translated fiction so again, I was very interested.  Then, the icing on the cake, one of the staff in Waterstones recommended this me, saying have you read ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold?’ Have I read that book??? Of course, it is one of my favourites, and apparently if I loved that, this book was the next thing to read!

I bought the book, and within the next few minutes, I found myself in their cafe, enjoying a dragon fruit and papaya lemonade, and starting my new book. By the second page, I was mesmerised, and gobsmacked by what was happening.  I knew I was going to love this book already.

As with all my reviews, I don’t like to say too much, and give the story away, I often feel with books, you just need a little feel for it, otherwise the whole air of surprise and wonderment is destroyed.

The whole story revolves a couple of main characters, Takako and her uncle.  Her uncle owns a secondhand bookshop,  and his place of book heaven is there for her when she most needs it.  The book looks at families, and also the importance of friendship, and how it can surprise us at times. 

It is a short, quick read, but I love it, along with other books I have read which are similar such as She and her cat, and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.  If you love translated fiction, definitely pick this one up!

Read this book if:

• You like translated fiction
• Looking for something cosy
• You like books about books
• You enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold etc.

Five stars…and a new one for the favourite list.

Thank you so much for stopping, see you again soon!

My Reading Thoughts: July 2023

My Reading Thoughts for July ’23

July was a very welcomed month!  Work has been incredibly stressful, and I’m not sorry to say that the doors have now closed on that for six weeks. I have many plans for the holidays-apart from a spot of decorating, everything else involves reading-sitting in cafes-meeting friends, gaming and crochet.  Seeing as the holiday began on the 15th July, I was hoping to get a few more books read than I actually did, but I think decorating the conservatory, and getting outside when I was able, must have taken a little bit of a priority! 

No of books read: 5

My favourite reads were:

• A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab
• A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwab

Books that made me think:

• City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer

Unusual Activity for me:

• Reading two books from the same series in one month.

My overall favourite book was:

• A Darker Shade of Magic.

I am happy to say that this month I did read a Brandon Sanderson book for my yearly challenge!  I completed Firefight at the beginning of the month, and although it was a little slow to begin with, I really did enjoy it, if you want to read my thoughts on this book, check out this link:

A Year of Reading Brandon Sanderson: Firefight

My biggest reading distraction in June was the Shades of Magic read along, which I discovered on youtube.  It is a lot of fun, reading the Shades of Magic books, and then hearing thoughts from the author. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is interested in picking up these books.  In August I hope to purchase the third and final book, and read that in readiness for the new book- The Fragile Threads of Power, which is coming out on the 26th September.  This book will be a spin off from the original series, and I believe this is the first in a trilogy.  So if you love Shade of Magic, do be sure to check that out.  

I had planned to read the next book in the ACOTAR series, but unfortunately I didn’t get the time, and this was also the same with This Summer’s Secret by Emily Barr, and The Orchid Outlaw.  I will try and get to a couple of these in August-though at the moment I am really craving some great manga!

In June I purchased: 

• Poster Girl by Veronica Roth
• Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald
• Murdle by G.T Karber
• I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki by B. Sehee & A. Hur
• Point Horror The Cemetery by D E Athkins
• Point Horror Nightmare Hall The Silent Scream by Diane Hoh
• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
• The Well of Ascension 
• The Hero of Ages
• The Bands of Mourning
• The Alloy of Law
• The Frugal Wizards Handbook for Surviving Medieval England-All the above by Brandon Sanderson
• The Mysterious Mr Quinn by Agatha Christie

I purchased a lot of books in June!! But most of these were reduced, bought in charity shops, or with book vouchers, which was a lot of fun, and a very big surprise.  I am thankful for them all, and look forward to picking these up in the future!  We have been working very hard on our new conservatory.  The old one wasn’t really a conservatory, but more of a lean-to, but I loved it very much, and it was a great place for taking photos for this blog, and for Instagram.  The past couple of months photo taking has been a lot more challenging, but I am so pleased to say we are nearly there-in fact my hubbie (who is a carpet fitter-handy!) is currently fitting the carpet as I am sat here writing this!  I just have a touch more painting to do, and it will be finished! It is going to be a great space for reading, and a chilling area, for when the anxiety goes spiralling! I’ve nick named it ‘The Zen Den’ lol! I hope to share some photos with you soon.

I hope your reading in June has been a lot of fun, thanks for stopping by! 

My Reading Thoughts for June 2023

My Reading Thoughts for June ’23

June has been a very busy month.  I’ve been out some evenings, which is very unusual for me, especially since lockdown and covid.  It has taken me a long while to recover from those events.  I went to the cinema with my daughter, attended a few book events, and had an 80’s evening with work, which I think is why I have been so tired, and I haven’t read as much as I normally do.  Work has also been very difficult, but the summer holiday is in sight, and I am looking forward to sitting in the sun with a great book!  Where will books take me during the upcoming hols? 

No of books read: 6

My favourite reads were:

• True Beauty by Yaongyi
• A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Mass (re-read)

Books that made me think:

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• True Beauty by Yaongyi

Unusual Activity for me:

• True Beauty by Yaongyi
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• I did start my Brandon Sanderson book of the month, but I didn’t finish it in time to include it on my June list of completed books.

My overall favourite book was:

True Beauty

Again, I am really disappointed there isn’t a Brandon Sanderson book on this month’s list to tell you about, I have now missed two months for my challenge.  I did start Firefight, but unfortunately I didn’t finish it in time to add it to my June list of books.  However, I am happy to say I am really enjoying it, and I shall be finished over the weekend I am sure.

In June I purchased: 

• City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
• Point Horror Prom Date by Diane Hoh
• Orchid Outlawed by Ben Jacob
• Your Not Suppose To Die to Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
• Bite Risk by S.J Wills
• Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

During the month of May I attended three book events at my local Waterstones.

A book signing where I met A.F Steadman-the writer of the Skandar books!  It was fantastic to meet her.

I also attended two evening events, one with Emily Barr-who was launching her new book This Summer’s Secrets.  I always love an Emily Barr event, and it was great to go and say Hi again, as we have met previously. (Check out her books, they are brilliant!). The second was for a non-fiction book called Orchid Outlaw, written by Ben Jacob.  I was mesmerised to learn a little about British Orchids, and absolutely had to buy the book, as I was hungry for more!  Both of the above books are on my TBR for the month of July.

I am also happy to say that I have managed to pre-order a Waterstones Exclusive copy of the second Fourth Wing book The Iron Flame!  Roll on November!

I hope your reading in June has been a lot of fun, thanks for stopping by! 

Review Time: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Review Time!

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Pages: 512

Published: 02/05/23

Publisher: Little Brown Book Group

Available from Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmiths etc 

Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last . . .

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general – also known as her tough-as-talons mother – has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away . . . because dragons don’t bond to ‘fragile’ humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter – like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Alliances will be forged. Lives will be lost. Traitors will become allies . . . or even lovers. But sleep with one eye open because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

I think, like a lot of people, one minute I knew nothing about this book, and then the next it was everywhere, and you’re asking yourself  ‘What is this book about?’ 

The hype surrounding this book is completely crazy, it seems everyone is reading it, or everyone knows someone who is!  But is this hype deserved? 

 I was very concerned, when I started out reading this, that perhaps I was going to that individual that said, I don’t understand what the hype is about, exactly why is everyone going mad over this.  I was worried, I didn’t want to be that person, as the start of the book began a little slow for me, and I just couldn’t see it..BUT I gave myself one hundred pages, but by page 70 my enjoyment increased, and by page 167 I had tears rolling down my face. Tears of enjoyment, and surprise….tears of relief and jealousy I guess!

I did enjoy this book, and I can see why there is a lot of hype surrounding it.  There is a phenomenal amount of what I call ‘Love Chemistry’ in this book.  The characters are diverse and interesting.  It has a good magic system, and the story and setting makes for an interesting one.  My favourite part was definitely the dragons!  I loved the dialogue between the dragons, and their riders, and it made for some funny moments.  The world of the dragons was excellently done.

My problems with this book…(as I felt they were significant enough to warrant me wanting to throw the book out the window, at a couple of points!)…it got incredibly repetitive at times…sparing on the mats became a boring place to be, as did the battle briefings (thought I admit these were very important from a world building point of view.)  A few more scenes with the dragons themselves would have been warmly welcomed, rather than time spent fighting on the mats again.  I would have liked to see our main character spending more time in conversation, and bonding with her dragon.  It would have been nice to see them both go off together-alone-on their own adventure.

The way the book is left definitely makes you want to pick up the second book, the very last sentence leaves you with a wide open mouth BUT it also leaves something else very much up in the air, which has been used time and time again, and I wish we could have some books where this doesn’t happen….I’m sorry to be so vague, but spoiler if I say too much.

I give this book 4 stars.  Yes, I will read the second book, probably when it comes to paperback.

Read this book if you like:-

• Dragons
• Hunger Games
• Dark Academia Books
• Fantasy
• Books with lots of twists and turns

Thanks for stopping by, and see you soon!

How Many Books Can I Read in 24 Hours- A Challenge!

How Many Books Can I Read in 24 Hours?

I’ve done a couple of 24 hour readathon’s in the past, though of course I’ve never managed to stay up all night reading, I normally end up reading from 8am to about 22.30-though of course there is the meals to make, family to take care of, and dog to entertain, so it’s never a clear picture of what you could read, nor is it really 24 hours spent with books.  After watching one of my favourite booktubers-Jodie on her channel Vanillamoon timing herself reading, I was also inspired to find out how much I could  read in an actual twenty-four hour period.  So over the Easter holidays I took out the stopwatch and started to record the time it took me to read.

What really surprised me was actually how long it took to do twenty-four hours of reading!  Some days I have a lot of time to spend reading, whereas others-especially on the days I work, I was finding my average time spent within the covers of a book was just over an hour.  I do have quite a lot of other commitments, other than reading, all of which I enjoy.

Anyway…here are the results.  In twenty-four hours I managed to read a total of…

7 Books

These were:

Solo Leveling Volume 3 by Chugong

Attack on Titan Volume 5 Hajime Isayama

The Long way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

Thunderhead (Audio) By Neil Shusterman-not finished

Night School by Caroline B Cooney

The Sad Ghost Club 2 by Lize Meddings

Did I like timing myself?  Not really….I quite often forgot, I’d pick up my book and have to find my phone-and then I would get disappointed to find I hadn’t read as much as I would have liked, and felt a little like I had failed.  I think I much prefer the fun of doing an actual twenty four hour continuous challenge, and planning to spend the whole day and evening reading.  I hope I can do one of these very soon!  There’s nothing like planning a day, and evening, of reading, preparing the books, mixing the genres, and getting some snacks at the ready-of course reading is exhausting work, and refuelling is very important!!

Maybe timing yourself reading would be something you would like to do?  How many books do you think you could read in twenty four hours?  I must admit I didn’t expect to read this many-though of course some were graphic novels and manga.  Now if I’d timed myself reading something like The Way of the Kings by Brandon Sanderson-this would have been a completely different story!!! 

A Year of Reading Brandon Sanderson. April:Tress of the Emerald Sea

A year of reading Brandon Sanderson!

April: Tress of the Emerald Sea

This month’s choice of Brandon Sanderson books, is one I have been waiting to read for a while, and that is his newest release Tress of the Emerald Sea! 

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

I don’t know how to go about explaining the wonderful voyage I have been on with Tress, and the rest of the crew in this magical book.

I don’t know how to do this book justice, and I have no idea how I can explain how wonderful this is without giving away too many spoilers!

This Cosmere story is told to us by Hoid. Now I know from searching the internet, that Hoid is a fan favourite, and is one of those characters that keeps appearing in several of Brandon Sanderson’s books.  What I don’t know is how much we actually know about him, because unfortunately, I have only read one other book with him in, so far.  This book does give us a lot of information about him, though whether this is entirely new I have no idea-but I can firmly say I too, am now a fan of the famous Hoid-in fact all of the main characters in this book are well developed and interesting, from the smallest to the largest.  There are also some mythical creatures-which I really didn’t expect.  I would love to go on another voyage with this wonderful crew, though currently this book is a stand alone.

In a nutshell- Tress leaves the rock she lives on to go rescue the boy that she loves, and bring him back to their home.   This adventure involves boarding a boat, and hopefully finding passage to the place where He is being held captive-which is easier said than done, as it lies in the middle of perilous ‘waters’.  I feel if I say anymore than this I will ruin the wonderful story that lies awaiting, those brave enough to venture forth!

This book, as is always the case, is very well written. The language in this book is absolutely gorgeous.  When I reread this I definitely want to annotate, as there are some wonderful quotes within.

So from this review you have probably guessed the end score… I give this book a shining six stars out of five! LOL!  This has to be one of my favourite books of all time, I absolutely adored it, and of course it’s my favourite read of 2023 so far.  I will without doubt be re reading this over and over- the book has a lot to give, and I am sure on a second read through I would find other bits to pick out and appreciate.

*A Fantasy Tale

*Wonderful World Building

*Different Idea of a Magic System

*Mythical Creature Inside

*Magic

*Adventure on a Ship

If you’re in the reading mood for any of the above I highly recommend this book.

I have no idea which book I will pick up for my Brandon Sanderson Challenge next month, perhaps I will read The Way of the Kings-it’s definitely calling to be read!

Thanks as always for reading, and stopping by my little corner of the web, until next time…..