WWW Wednesday – 8 May 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence (Trade Paperback)

The Book That Broke the World Cover

I started reading the impressive novel, The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence this week.  The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2023, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn, The Book That Broke the World follows several intriguing characters lost in the intricacies of a massive and chaotic library.  Cleverly combining fantasy and science fiction elements, The Book That Broke the World is a deeply compelling novel, and I am having an outstanding time reading it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Deathworlder Cover

I literally just started listening to the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Deathworlder.  The debut novel from Victoria Hayward, Deathworlder is a dark and exciting book that follows the best jungle fighters in the galaxy as they are forced to traverse a world slowly being devoured by monstrous aliens.  I have barely made any progress on Deathworlder but I have no doubt this is going to be an amazing listen.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan (Trade Paperback)

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I managed to power through the epic fantasy novel The Silverblood Promise by James Logan this week.  The debut novel of Logan, The Silverblood Promise was a very awesome book that had me hooked the entire way through.  Review to follow very soon.

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Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

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A twisty and complex science fiction novel that follows a group of convicts on an alien planet as they a forced to contend with both vicious prison guards and the planet’s unique biology.

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The No.1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen (Trade Paperback)

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I was able to also get through the fantastic legal thriller, The No.1 Lawyer this week.  An addictive and fast-paced book, this was a very cool read and one I had a lot of fun with.

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Warhammer 40,000: Death or Glory by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

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I was in the mood for something I knew I would love so I listened to the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Death or Glory.  The fourth book in the always entertaining Ciaphas Cain series, Death or Glory was an excellent audiobook that I will also be reviewing very soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Death on the Tiber Cover

While I have a few potential books to read next, I think I will probably dive into the new Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest book in Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series, Death on the Tiber will see the series protagonist investigate another complex murder in ancient Rome, this time while dealing with demons from her past.  I really love this amazing series and I have no doubt I will have a wonderful time reading Death on the Tiber.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

 

 

 

WWW Wednesday – 10 April 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell (Trade Paperback)

Play of Shadows Cover

I just started reading the awesome and entertaining new fantasy novel from Sebastien De Castell, Play of Shadows.  Set in his Greatcoat universe, Play of Shadows is the start of new series from De Castell that sees a hapless actor become wrapped up in all manner of trouble when he begins to mystically channel the spirt of his city’s greatest historical villain while on stage. While I loved De Castell’s last book, The Malevolent Seven, I was initially a little wary of reading Play of Shadows, mainly because I haven’t read any of the other Greatcoat novels.  However, Play of Shadows is proving to be an exceptional book with a funny and compelling plot behind it that I am having an amazing time reading.

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The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry (Audiobook)

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I made a lot of progress with The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry this week and I am nearly finished with it.  The latest book in the long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver features an intriguing story about Japanese war loot and cryptocurrency as Berry once again blends historical conspiracies with modern day thriller storylines.  I have about an hour left of The Atlas Maneuver which I will probably finish off later tonight.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan (Trade Paperback)

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A compelling, fascinating and well-written historical drama that really dove into the various horrors inflicted upon the people of Poland.

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The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (Trade Paperback)

The Last Murder at the End of the World Cover

I had a wonderful time with the intriguing science fiction thriller, The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this book follows a small town of survivors who need to quickly solve a murder.  However, everyone in the town, including the murderer, has forgotten the events of the previous night, complicating the investigation. This proved to be an excellent read and I love the complex scenario that Turton set out.

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The Gathering by C. J. Tudor (ebook)

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I also read the new C. J. Tudor novel, The Gathering this week.  A fantastic and distinctive murder mystery/horror hybrid, The Gathering is set in a world where vampires exist and where the protagonist needs to discover if a gruesome murder was committed by a local vampire or a human killer.  This novel was so damn good, especially as Tudor set up a brilliant alternate world so quickly, and I loved the amazing mystery she featured within it.  One of the best books I have read in 2024 so far, I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Death on the Tiber Cover

While I have a few potential books to read next, I think I will probably dive into the new Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest book in Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series, Death on the Tiber will see the series protagonist investigate another complex murder in ancient Rome, this time while dealing with demons from her past.  I really love this amazing series and I have no doubt I will have a wonderful time reading Death on the Tiber.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Book Haul – 22 March 2024

I have been having another excellent couple of weeks for books, and I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including several books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year.  I cannot wait to dive into them, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out.

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Death on the Tiber Cover

I was very happy to receive a copy of Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis.  An intriguing new addition to one of my favourite historical fiction series, the Flavia Albia books, Death on the Tiber presents another intense historical murder mystery that I know I’m going to love.

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White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

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I was also very happy to receive a copy of White Ash Ridge by S. R. White.  Part of a great Australian murder mystery series that has previously featured awesome books like Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge has an epic and compelling sounding murder behind it that I cannot wait to unravel.

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

How to Solve Your Own Murder Cover

A cool and fun sounding murder mystery book with a great concept behind it, as the protagonist attempts to solve her great aunt’s long-predicted murder.  I have heard good things about How to Solve Your Own Murder and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

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Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

Play of Shadows Cover

An intriguing fantasy novel from acclaimed author Sebastien De Castell.  I will have to see how I go with Play of Shadows, mainly because I haven’t read the previous series that was set in the same universe.  Still, I had a lot of fun with De Castell’s last book, The Malevolent Seven, so I am sure I will have a great time getting through Play of Shadows.

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War Cry by Ian Ross

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I was very happy to finally get my hands on the new Ian Ross book, War Cry.  The sequel to his outstanding 2023 novel, Battle Song, War Cry is an awesome piece of historical fiction that follows a young knight involved in a brutal civil war.  I’ve actually already read War Cry, and it proved to be an epic novel with a brilliant story behind it.

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The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

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I was intrigued to get a copy of the fantastic sounding historical drama, The Winter Palace.  Following a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II, The Winter Palace promises to be an exciting and moving read about love, sacrifice and war.

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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The final book I recently received was the compelling young adult thriller, Where Sleeping Girls Lie.  An intriguing and dark mystery set in an elite private school, Where Sleeping Girls Lie sounds like an excellent novel and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post.  As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in.  Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2024 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week required participants to list the most unusual topics that they have looked up online as a result of reading a book, which while interesting, wasn’t something I felt I could contribute to.  However, as this is the first Tuesday of March, I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere).  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with the ten books coming out between 1 March 2024 and 31 May 2024 that I am most excited for.  There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am looking forward to, including some of my most anticipated books of the year (as well as my most anticipated fantasy/science fiction books of the year).  Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list, but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions).  I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world.  I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads.  I am really excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White – 14 March 2024

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A cool, imminent Australian murder mystery with a very intriguing premise behind it.

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The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill – 19 March 2024

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Another unique novel from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.

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Behind a Closed Door by J.D. Barker – 13 May 2024

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A brilliant and dark thriller from the always impressive J. D. Barker

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The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton – 21 May 2024

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A fantastic sounding science fiction thriller with a particularly distinctive murder premise behind it.

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Top Ten List:

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox – 26 March 2024

Devil's Kitchen Cover

The first book on this list is probably the novel I will be reading next, with Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox.  A compelling and fun sounding thriller by one of Australia’s most popular crime fiction authors, Devil’s Kitchen sounds extremely awesome and I cannot wait to read it, especially after how much I enjoyed The Murder Inn by Fox earlier this year.

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Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 28 March 2024

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After his exceptional 2023, where he released both City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds (two of my favourite books of 2023), I am eagerly waiting to read all of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s upcoming books.  His first 2024 release is Alien Clay, an outstanding and entertaining science fiction read set in a deadly prison on an alien planet.  It sounds like Alien Clay will combine over-the-top characters with unique science fiction concepts and I have no doubt that this is going to be one of the most entertaining reads of the next three months.

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The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence – 9 April 2024

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The gripping sequel to Lawrence’s exceptional 2023 novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, The Book That Broke the World is an awesome upcoming read that I am so very excited for.  Continuing the elaborate narrative started in The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, which follows two connected characters whose lives revolve around a massive library; The Book That Broke the World will no doubt contain more of Lawrence’s exceptional world building and amazing storytelling.

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Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller – 9 April 2024

Star Wars - The Living Force Cover

It has been a little while since I read a Star Wars novel, but that is going to change in April when I get my hands on The Living Force by John Jackson Miller.  Set before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force has an intriguing story that will expand out the early lore of the Star Wars franchise.  I cannot wait to see what excellent story Miller has planned for The Living Force, and I have no doubt I am going to love this book.

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Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis – 9 April 2024

Death on the Tiber Cover

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Lindsey Davis, will continue her impressive Flavia Albia series in April with the new book, Death on the Tiber.  Featuring another intriguing mystery set in ancient Rome, Death on the Tiber promises to be a particularly awesome addition to the series, especially as it pits the protagonist against an old foe from her traumatic past.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward – 23 April 2024

Warhammer 40,000 - Deathworlder Cover

I have been loving some of the great Warhammer 40,000 novels in 2024, but one of my most anticipated releases is Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward.  Set to feature the ultimate battle of survival between the hardest human jungle warriors in the canon and the deadliest aliens, Deathworlder has so much awesome potential and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

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The Silverblood Promise by James Logan – 7 May 2024

The Silverblood Promise Cover

The fantasy release that has me most intrigued in the next few months is The Silverblood Promise.  The debut novel of James Logan, The Silverblood Promise will combine a cool new fantasy world with thrilling criminal intrigue, as a young lord tries to determine who killed his father in a deadly city.  This book sounds so damn amazing, and I am hoping to dive into it very soon.

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The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe – 14 May 2024

The Girl in Question Cover

Back in 2021, I had the very great pleasure of reading The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, a young adult thriller that pitted a teenage con artist with a past against deadly bank robbers.  I absolutely loved The Girls I’ve Been, and I was excited to find out a sequel, The Girl in Question, is coming out in May.  Set to follow the protagonist as she once again faces off against the ghosts of her past, The Girl in Question is going to be outstanding and I cannot wait to read it.

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Cloaked Deception by Timothy Zahn – 14 May 2024

Cloaked Deception Cover

One of the more unique books coming out in Autumn this year is Cloaked Deception by Timothy Zahn.  An epic and entertaining science fiction thriller, Cloaked Deception features a brilliant narrative that will see a deadly assassination plan involving nuclear weapons become entangled with the theft of advanced cloaking technology.  I love the over-the-top plot of this book, and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

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Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry – 28 May 2024

Necrotek Cover

The final book I want to highlight on this list is Necrotek by one of my favourite authors Jonathan Maberry.  The first book in a new series from Maberry, Necrotek is a dark and brutal sounding piece of science fiction that will see human scientists encounter a deadly, Lovecraftian threat in space.  I have no doubt that Maberry is going to deliver another outstanding read here with Necrotek and I cannot wait to get my hands on its audiobook version, especially with the always amazing Ray Porter narrating it.

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list.  I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months.  Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon.  Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months.  In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.

Waiting on Wednesday – Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I look at the next upcoming book in one of my favourite historical fiction series with Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis.

Death on the Tiber Cover

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Fans of this blog will know that I have a lot of love for historical fiction, as it was the genre that I started my reviewing career with.  While I do not read as much historical fiction these days as I would like, one series that I always go out of my way to read is the Flavia Albia series by Lindsey Davis.  A sequel to Davis’ iconic Falco series, the Flavia Albia books follow the titular protagonist as she investigates a series of compelling crimes in ancient Rome, while also trying to manage her chaotic personal life.

I have had a wonderful time reading and reviewing all the books in this great long-running over the years, with several appearing on this blog.  This includes The Third Nero, Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death, The Grove of the Caesars (one of my favourite books of 2020), A Comedy of Terrors, Desperate Undertakings (one of my favourite books of 2022) and Fatal Legacy.  All these books were awesome in their way, and I love the elaborate mysteries, unique historical insights, and fun comedic moments that Davies adds into her stories.  As such, I always make an effort to grab the new Flavia Albia book each year, as I know I will have a great time with it.

Well it looks like I do not have too much longer to wait before getting my next Flavia Albia fix as Davis has a new novel coming out later this year with Death on the Tiber.  Set for release in Australia on 9 April 2024, Death on the Tiber will draw the protagonist into another deadly case, one that will force her to go up against an old enemy from her past.

Plot Synopsis:

The brilliant new novel in the must-read, laugh-out-loud Flavia Albia series.

Rome is in chaos. The empire of a mobster chief is falling apart following his death. Rivals, fearsome relatives and associates are taking up position to vie for the spoils.

With hideous murders in the streets of Rome, a lone female traveller arrives with an agenda of her own. But when her corpse is dragged out of the river bearing signs of foul play, Flavia Albia is drawn in, concerned about her fellow Briton’s fate.

Albia’s quest to find the killer becomes deeply personal when she discovers a man at the centre of the plot is an old adversary of hers. Will she be obsessed by revenge? Can she let the past go, or will it consume her?

There are many cool bits in the above synopsis for Death on the Tiber that has me very excited.  Not only do we see Albia sticking her nose into the middle of a gang war, but the murder of an involved party has some great potential.  It is always fun to see Albia go up against some of the most dangerous people in Rome, especially as she is always dramatically underestimated, and I am expecting some fun humour around that.  I am also once again holding out for a big, over-the-top set piece somewhere in the book, as those usually end up being pretty damn fun.

However, the big element of the synopsis for Death on the Tiber that has me most excited is the mention of an old adversary.  A different synopsis online reveals that this adversary is Florius, an enemy of her father in the Falco series, who caused great harm to Albia years ago in The Jupiter Myth.  Albia has been bearing emotional wounds from this event for years, and it has come up a few times throughout the recent books.  As such, it will be interesting to see another confrontation between the two, especially as Albia might go out of her way to get revenge.  It will be pretty heartbreaking to see Albia risk the unorthodox family she has spent the last several books building up to settle this old grudge, and I am sure it will make for some excellent and emotionally charged reading.

Look, there is no way that I am not going to grab and enjoy Death on the Tiber when it comes out in April.  I am such a huge fan of Lindsey Davis and her Flavia Albia series, and I am always so excited to dive into her new mystery.  Death on the Tiber sound like it is going to be a particularly interesting and memorable part of the series that continues some long-running storylines.  I cannot wait to see how Death on the Tiber turns out and this has the potential to be one of my top books of 2024.

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