WWW Wednesday – 25 October 2023

On October 26, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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 Armour of Light by Ken Follett (Hardcover)

The Armour of Light Cover

I started reading the new massive historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, The Armour of Light, this week and I am currently about 100 pages in. Another compelling entry in Follett’s most iconic series, The Armour of Light is off to an interesting start as it examines several great characters during a troubled historical period. I am hoping to finish this off in the next week or so and it is so far proving to be one of the better historical fiction novels of 2023.

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Ghost Story by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Ghost Story Cover

I honestly did not intend to listen to more of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels this week, but thanks to the major cliffhanger at the end of Changes, I had to dive into the next book, Ghost Story, as well. One of the darker books in the entire series, Ghost Story is a great listen and I am deeply enjoying it’s complex and powerful story.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham (Trade Paperback)

Age of Ash Cover

An intriguing and entertaining fantasy novel that I really enjoyed. I am hoping to get a review up for it soon and I am also planning to dive into the sequel when I get a chance.

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Changes by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Changes Cover

A particularly brilliant and brutal entry in the Dresden Files series that will have you hooked the entire way through.

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The Exchange by John Grisham (Trade Paperback)

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An intense and clever new novel from the always dependable John Grisham.

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The Night House by Jo Nesbo (Trade Paperback)

The Night House Cover

A gritty horror thriller with some compelling twists behind it.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Saevus Corax Deals With The Dead by K. J. Parker

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

If I manage to get through the Follett this week I will probably dive into the new K. J. Parker novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead. A fun fantasy novel about a battlefield looter who gets into all manner of trouble, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead sounds like an exceptional read and it has the potential to be one of the best books of 2023.

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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 – 20 October 2023

On October 20, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

Thanks to being away for a few weeks on a much-needed holiday I haven’t had much of an opportunity to update my blog lately. However, that time away ensured that I had a massive pile of books waiting for me when I got back so I figured this would be a good time for a Book Haul post. I actually received several really good books while I was away, including some of my most anticipated reads for the second half of the year, which was a great welcome back present. I cannot wait to read all the books below and I am sure they are all going to be cracking reads.

The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

The Armour of Light Cover

First up, I was very happy to receive a copy of the new Ken Follett historical fiction novel, The Armour of Light. A massive novel, The Armour of Light is the latest book in Follett’s Kingsbridge series and will follow a new group of protagonists in the titular city of Kingsbridge. Set during the industrial revolution and the Napoleonic wars, The Armour of Light looks set to be a mighty read and will no doubt be one of the best historical fiction books of 2023.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

I was particularly happy to receive a copy of the fun murder mystery Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, which is set to be one of the top Australian books of 2023. A sequel to Stevenson’s exceptional 2022 novel, Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect should be a hilarious and clever murder mystery that pokes fun at classic crime fiction.

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The Exchange by John Grisham

The Exchange Cover

One of the more interesting novels I recently received was The Exchange by legendary author John Grisham. The long-awaited sequel to his iconic novel The Firm, The Exchange looks set to be a great new legal thriller and I look forward to seeing how Grisham continues his original story. I am hoping to read this book next and it should be a compelling and exciting read.

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Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K. J. Parker

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

One of the books I was happiest to get a copy of was the cool new novel from awesome fantasy author K. J. Parker, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is the first book in a fun series that follows a battlefield looter as he gets into all manner of trouble. I am a big fan of Parker, especially after his outstanding The Siege Trilogy, and I cannot wait to see what sort of elaborate and comedic story he comes up with here.

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The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt

The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse Cover

Another great comedic fantasy novel I received is amazingly titled The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt. Tom Holt is the real name of K. J. Parker from above, so I’m pretty happy to receive a second book from him. The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse is actually a continuation of one of Holt’s ongoing series, so it will interesting to see how it turns out.

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The Defector by Chris Hadfield

The Defector Cover

Former astronaut turned thriller author Chris Hadfield returns with his second intriguing novel, The Defector. The sequel to his cool debut, The Apollo Murders, The Defector is another great sounding read that will examine espionage and betrayal in the 1970s as the protagonist tries to bring in a mysterious Soviet defector. I really enjoyed Hadfield’s first book and I cannot wait to see how this cool sequel unfolds.

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Weapons Grade by Don Bentley

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Author Don Bently continues to expand the Tom Clancy universe with a new Jack Ryan Jr thriller. Weapons Grade sounds like a fun read and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

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Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston

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A fun and intriguing young adult thriller, Murder on a School Night sounds like a very entertaining novel and I am quite keen to dive into it.

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The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed

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A deadly treasure hunt and an intriguing adventure look set to dominate this great young adult read by Mackenzie Reed.

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The Girl From London by Olivia Spooner

The Girl From London Cover

A complex and emotionally charged historical drama about a missing refugee ship during World War 2.

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Zero Days Since Last Incident by J. E. Rowney

Zero Days Since Last Incident Cover

The last book I recently received was the exciting and entertaining sounding thriller Zero Days Since Last Incident by JE Rowney. This fantastic sounding book, which is billed as The Office meets Lord of the Flies, sounds very amusing and I look forward to seeing how crazy it gets.

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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.

WWW Wednesday – 18 October 2023

On October 18, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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?

Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham (Trade Paperback)

Age of Ash Cover

I finally got around to reading Age of Ash, an intriguing fantasy novel from last year by one half of The Expanse writing team, Daniel Abraham. I’ve made a fair bit of progress in Age of Ash and it is proving to be quite an awesome and fun read with a compelling mystery at its heart. I’m hoping to knock Age of Ash off in the next day or so and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

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Changes by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Changes Cover

Thanks to a recent holiday I’ve been in the mood for something very easy to listen to and so I continued my dive into the iconic Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. I’ve actually made a ton of progress with this series, finishing off two of them in the last week and just starting another with Changes. Changes is off to a really good start so far as Butcher closes out some key storylines and I cannot wait to see how the entire thing unfolds.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans (Paperback)

Notorious Sorcerer Cover

A compelling and elaborate fantasy novel I should have tried to read last year.

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Small Favour by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Small Favour Cover

Probably one of the better Dresden Files books, Small Favour was fun, exciting and re-sparked my addiction to this amazing series.

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Turn Coat by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Turn Coat Cover

A key and impressive entry in one of the best fantasy series out there.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

The Armour of Light Cover

I’m hoping to start reading the new massive historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, The Armour of Light, this week. Another compelling entry in Follett’s most iconic series, The Armour of Light promises to be an intense and captivating read that will probably be one of the best historical fiction novels of 2023.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2023 TBR

On September 12, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 Comments

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 was based around favourite character relationships, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to. However, as we are already a couple of weeks into the Spring (Autumn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I honestly should have pulled this together a couple of weeks ago.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 September 2023 and 30 November 2023. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated book 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 also excluded several awesome Spring releases that I have already read or started reading (such as Holly by Stephen King which I am nearly at the end of). I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads. I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher – 10 October 2023

Long Past Dues Cover

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The Exchange by John Grisham – 17 October 2023

The Exchange Cover

The long-awaited sequel to Grisham’s iconic novel, The Firm, this should be a very interesting and compelling thriller.

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The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom – 9 November 2023

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie – 15 November 2023

Vendetta Cover

Top Ten Tuesday:

Code Red by Kyle Mills – 12 September 2023

Code Red Cover

The latest book in the iconic Mitch Rapp spy thriller series (originally written by Vince Flynn and currently authored by Kyle Mills), Code Red sounds like a very exciting and intense novel that I am hoping to read this week.

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman – 12 September 2023

The Last Devil to Die Cover

Filled with mystery, great characters and a wicked dose of humour, Richard Osman’s fourth Thursday Murder Club book, The Last Devil to Die, is going to be exceedingly awesome and so much fun to read.

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The Armour of Light by Ken Follett – 26 September 2023

The Armour of Light Cover

An epic and massive historical fiction novel from the master of elaborate character-focused tales, Ken Follett.

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Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead by K. J. Parker – 3 October 2023

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

An intriguing and awesome upcoming fantasy comedy book that I know I am going to love, Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead will follow a battlefield looter as they experience all manner of trouble. Two sequels to Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead are also coming out in the next few months, but I think I will just highlight this first book for now.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson – 17 October 2023

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

The fantastic sounding sequel to Stevenson’s hilarious and addictive 2022 Australian murder mystery, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect sounds extremely amazing and should be one of the funniest and most compelling crime fiction novels of 2023.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly – 7 November 2023

Resurrection Walk Cover

Michael Connelly continues his entertaining and captivating Lincoln Lawyer series with Resurrection Walk, which sees the titular lawyer protagonist face off against a corrupt police force. An awesome legal thriller featuring several of Connelly’s best characters, this is going to be something very special.

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Murtagh by Christopher Paolini – 7 November 2023

Murtagh Cover

Acclaimed author Christopher Paolini returns to the world of his original work, the Inheritance Cycle, with a new standalone novel focused on the amazing character of Murtagh. Set to follow this conflicted and hated dragon rider as he encounters a new dangerous threat, this will be an awesome book and I am very excited to finally have a continuation of one of my favourite series.

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Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 14 November 2023

Rebellion Cover

The always exciting Simon Scarrow continues his excellent Eagles of the Empire series with the fantastic sounding Rebellion. Set to follow the brutal battles of Boudica’s uprising, Rebellion looks set to be an outstanding addition to this already epic series.

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Defiant by Brandon Sanderson – 21 November 2023

Defiant Cover

Sanderson brings his fantastic Skyward series to an end with the fourth book Defiant. Following on from previous epic reads, Skyward, Starsight and Cytonic, Defiant should be pretty damn exceptional and I am eager to see how Sanderson brings everything to an end.

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Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath – 28 November 2023

Kill Your Husbands Cover

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the awesome upcoming Australian crime fiction novel, Kill Your Husbands. The sequel to author’s previous fantastic read, Kill Your Brother, Kill Your Husbands will feature a unique murder scenario with a twisted web of lies, deceit and intriguing characters surrounding it, and I cannot wait to read 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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On June 27, 2023June 27, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller12 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2023. While my previous list looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.

Just like with my list about fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe – 5 July 2023

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

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Agent Eighteen by John Brownlow – 8 August 2023

Assassin Eighteen Cover

A cool sequel to Seventeen, one of the best debuts of 2022, Agent Eighteen will continue Brownlow’s thrilling tale of elite assassins trying to kill each other.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin – 8 August 2023

Dark Corners Cover

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The Exchange by John Grisham – 17 October 2023

The Exchange Cover

A sequel to the classic John Grisham novel, The Firm. Need I say more?

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Top Ten List (by release date):

Kill for Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh – 3 August 2023

Kill For Me Kill For You Cover

A fantastic and intense standalone thriller from the always impressive and fun Steve Cavanagh. I am a big fan of Cavanagh’s legal thrillers (see my reviews for The Devil’s Advocate and The Accomplice), and I look forward to powering through this awesome book, especially as it has a fantastic Strangers on a Train vibe to it.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr – 30 August 2023

Ripper Cover

Shelley Burr, the author of Wake, one of the best debuts and Australian fiction novels of 2022, returns with an intriguing new crime fiction novel, Ripper. Set in a dying Australian town made famous for its serial killer heritage, Ripper sounds like another outstanding read from Burr, and I am interested to see how she continues the cool story started in Wake.

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Holly by Stephen King – 5 September 2023

Holly Cover

The master of suspense, Stephen King, has yet another awesome book coming out later this year with Holly. Following one of his most compelling recurring protagonists, Holly Gibney, this new novel from King will see Holly face off against dark secrets, hidden opponents, and a mysterious set of married, octogenarians, to find a missing child. This sounds like a very cool new book and I cannot wait to dive into the latest, captivating Stephen King novel in a few months’ time.

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Code Red by Kyle Mills – 12 September 2023

Code Red Cover

For the last few years, I have had a lot of fun with the fantastic Mitch Rapp series, going out of my way to get a copy of each new release in the series. Following a dangerous government agent who faces off against all manner of elaborate threats, the Mitch Rapp books are a ton of fun and I have deeply enjoyed the excellent stories that author Kyle Mills (who took over from original author Vince Flynn) has come up with (check out my reviews for Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates and Oath of Loyalty). The next book in the series, Code Red, will see Rapp once again face off against the Russians in a deadly conspiracy, and I know I’m going to have a fun time getting through it.

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The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 14 September 2023

The Last True Templar Cover

Few new books from 2022 impressed me as much as the fantastic historical fiction novel, The Lawless Land by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. Following an excommunicated knight as he tries to regain his honour by saving a precious artefact from a corrupt cardinal, The Lawless Land was a brilliant, exciting, and powerful historical adventure, and one that I took great joy in reading. I was very happy to see that the Morrison’s were returning for a sequel this year with The Last True Templar, and I know it is going to be an outstanding read. I already have a copy of The Last True Templar and I am hoping to read it soon.

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman – 15 September 2023

The Last Devil to Die Cover

Few books in 2023 are going to be as awesome as the new Thursday Murder Club book, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman. Following on from the exceptional novels, The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite novels, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2022), The Last Devil to Die sounds like an incredible read and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Continuing the story of the titular Thursday Murder Club, a group of bored retirees who solve elaborate murders, The Last Devil to Die will no doubt feature Osman’s trademark humour, intelligence and outstanding character work, which is always so impressive. I already know this is going to be one of the top books of the year and I am so damn excited for it.

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The Armour of Light by Ken Follett – 26 September 2023

The Armour of Light Cover

I was very happy to find out that Ken Follet was releasing a new historical fiction novel in 2023, especially as it is part of his iconic Kingsbridge series (see my reviews for The Evening and the Morning and A Column of Fire). This outstanding series follows a range of unique protagonists at various points in the history of the English town of Kingsbridge, and every novel in this series has been pretty damn incredible. This new book will be set during the start of the industrial revolution and the war with Napoleon, and you just know that Follett is going to have a lot of fun diving into this complex period. I have no doubt that this epic read is going to effortless grab my attention and this will prove to be one of the best historical novels of the year.

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Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson – 17 October 2023

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

Few Australian authors are impressing me as much as Benjamin Stevenson these days, especially with his work in the crime fiction genre. As such, I am very keen for his new book, Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, especially as it is a sequel to his fantastic 2022 novel, Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone was one of the funniest and cleverest novels of the year and Stevenson wove together a brilliant narrative that combined a clever mystery with messy family dynamics, all while hilariously parodying classic detective novels/whodunits. Everyone on This Train is a Suspect looks set to continue this trend by forcing the protagonist to solve a murder on a train full of professional crime fiction authors. I have no doubt that I am going to laugh myself silly reading this book and I am so damn excited to read it.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly – 7 November 2023

Resurrection Walk Cover

What would the end of a year be without a new novel from legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly. I have had an amazing time reading some of Connelly’s recent novels, including Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire, The Dark Hours, Desert Star and Fair Warning, and I am always excited for a new novel from this amazing author. Luckily, I won’t have to wait too much longer as Connelly is releasing the intriguing novel, Resurrection Walk in November. The seventh book in the Mickey Haller series (make sure to check out my review for the sixth book, The Law of Innocence), Resurrection Walk will see the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, defend another desperate client. Featuring a collaboration with Haller’s brother, Harry Bosch, Resurrection Walk should be an amazing read, and I cannot wait to see what cool shenanigans and heartbreaking character moments Connelly will feature.

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Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 14 November 2023

Rebellion Cover

The final upcoming book I want to highlight tonight is the outstanding upcoming historical fiction novel, Rebellion by Simon Scarrow. The latest book in Scarrow’s long-running Eagles of the Empire series (The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor), Rebellion will follow two veteran soldiers as they try to stop the hordes of Boudica’s rebellion. I have had an amazing time with the Eagles of the Empire books over the years and this new book from Scarrow is going to be pretty awesome. The perfect upcoming book to end this list with!

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Well that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2023. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

On February 8, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

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 Top Ten Tuesday, I look at the book that is probably going to be the most epic historical fiction read of 2023 with The Armour of Light by Ken Follett.

The Armour of Light Cover

Amazon Book Depository

Out of all the authors who dive into the complex and impressive genre of historical fiction, few are as well-known or epic as Ken Follett, who has been dominating the genre for years with his massive and epic tomes. An accomplished thriller author, I have only really had the chance to explore Follett’s historical fiction books, with his Century trilogy being a particular favourite of mine (one of my favourite trilogies of all time). However, Follett’s most iconic work has to be his Kingsbridge series, which have long gained mass recognition and accolades.

The Kingsbridge books are a series of massive, epic novels that chronicle the complex lives of the residence of the town of Kingsbridge in historical England. Each book follows the lives of several intriguing characters as they attempt to survive the various challenges and turmoil of the age, often coming into conflict with each other in some elaborate and extended ways. The series started in 1989 with The Pillars of Earth, which is probably Follett’s most successful novel. Set over the course of 50 years in the 12^th century, The Pillars of Earth showcased a range of personal, political, economic and social issues that the characters spent their lives overcoming in different ways, often loaded with dramatic or historical significance. An exceptionally epic book, The Pillars of the Earth is very highly regarded and was turned into a compelling TV miniseries with an awesome cast.

Follett has since followed up his original novel several times throughout his career, with each of the Kingsbridge books set in a different period of the town’s history. For example, the 2007 release World Without End (which was also adapted into a miniseries), is set in the 14^th century around the start of the Hundred Year’s War. The 2017 novel, A Column of Fire, was another compelling sequel that mirrored the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I and featured a compelling plot involving Catholic spies and religious conflict. The fourth book was the 2020 novel, The Evening and the Morning, which served as a prequel to the rest of the series and showed the founding of Kingsbridge in the early years of Viking infested 11^th century. All four of these books have been exceptionally good, and I love following a whole new group of characters while exploring the unique aspects and conflicts of their particular historical era.

Due to how impressive and addictive the first four books of this series have proven to be, I was naturally deeply excited when I found out that Follett was releasing a fifth Kingsbridge novel later this year with The Armour of Light. Set for release in late September 2023, The Armour of Light will follow several new characters amid the age of revolution and industry.

Plot Synopsis:

The grand master of gripping fiction is back. International No.1 bestseller Ken Follett returns to Kingsbridge with an epic tale of revolution and a cast of unforgettable characters.

Revolution is in the air

1792. A tyrannical government is determined to make England a mighty commercial empire. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power, and with dissent rife, France’s neighbours are on high alert.

Kingsbridge is on the edge

Unprecedented industrial change sweeps the land, making the lives of the workers in Kingbridge’s prosperous cloth mills a misery. Rampant modernization and dangerous new machinery are rendering jobs obsolete and tearing families apart.

Tyranny is on the horizon

Now, as international conflict nears, a story of a small group of Kingsbridge people – including spinner Sal Clitheroe, weaver David Shoveller and Kit, Sal’s inventive and headstrong son – will come to define the struggle of a generation as they seek enlightenment and fight for a future free from oppression…

Taking the reader straight into the heart of history with the fifth novel in the ground-breaking Kingsbridge series, The Armour of Light is master storyteller Ken Follett’s most ambitious novel to date.

Wow, 2023 just keeps looking brighter and brighter for awesome upcoming books and I am particularly happy to see that Follett is dropping another Kingsbridge book, which is easily one of my favourite historical series of all time.

My excitement has been peeked even further by the fact that The Armour of Light is going to be set around the Napoleonic era and the following industrial revolution of the early 19^th century. The hints of the turmoil and conflict that follows the industrial revolution is pretty intriguing, especially as the wool and cloth trade has always been such a centrepiece of the Kingsbridge novels, with the characters usually involved with them in some way. Seeing that entire industry get radically altered in The Armour of Light is going to be exceeding interesting, especially as two of the main characters are a spinner and a weaver. I have no doubt this is going to result in quite an epic story of revolt and a philosophical war, and that’s not even taking into account the inevitable and powerful personal conflicts that are bound to show up. Follett is bound to take this story in some extremely captivating and dangerous directions, and I am sure I will be caught up in them the entire way through.

If I’m going to be honest, there is no way that I will not have an amazing time reading The Armour of Light when it comes out. All of Follett’s previous Kingsbridge novels have been incredible and I doubt The Armour of Light is going to be any different. If it features the author’s usual impressive combination of historical detail and awesome characters, then I will power through this upcoming book in no time at all, even with its 1000+ page length. I have very little doubt this is going to be one of the absolute best historical books of 2023 and I cannot wait to get my hands on this fantastic tome later this year.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books With a Unit of Time in the Title

On June 7, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday, participants are required to list their favourite books with a unit of time in the title, such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, years, centuries, eternity, etc.

This was a rather interesting list topic in the same vein as several other recent lists I’ve done that containing certain types of words in the title including colours, adjectives, character names and numbers. I usually have a pretty easy time pulling these lists together as I have read a bunch of books with these items in the titles. However, I really struggled with this list as it turns out authors use units of time a lot less in titles than you’d expect. I was barely able to find a full 10 items for this specific list and that was after I extended my criteria to include seasons (I originally wasn’t planning to feature them). Still, I was eventually able to get a descent list together, even though it lacks my customary honourable mentions section. I am pretty happy with how it all came together so let us see what books I was able to scrounge together.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Day of the Caesars by Simon Scarrow

Day of the Caesars Cover

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

The Dark Hours Cover 2

One Minute Out by Mark Greaney

One Minute Out Cover

The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden

The Third Day, the Frost Cover

The Last Hour by Harry Sidebottom

The Last Hour Cover

Usagi Yojimbo: Seasons by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo Seasons

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

The Grace Year Cover

The Last Second by Catherine Coulter and J. T. Ellison

The Last Second Cover

Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski

Season of Storms Cover

Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett

Edge of Eternity Cover

Well that’s the end of this list. As you can see, even with the apparent scarcity of appropriately titled books, there are still a few good reads out there that feature a unit of time in the title. All 10 entries above are pretty fun reads and are worth checking out in their own way. Let me know which of the above books you enjoyed in the comments below and I will be interested in hearing about your favourite books with units of time in the title.

WWW Wednesday – 19 January 2022

On January 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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?

Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie (Trade Paperback)

I started the awesome Australian thriller Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie this week. This is a dark and shocking novel that follows a former child molestation victim turned vigilante as she is forced to once again confront the serial killer that tormented her as a child. A grim but captivating novel, I cannot wait to see where this novel goes next.

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray (Audiobook)

I am still going with The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray. It is a pretty awesome Star Wars story, I just haven’t had as much time to listen to it. I should hopefully finish it off in the next week or so.

Never by Ken Follett (Audiobook)

I still haven’t made any progress with Never yet, but I am hoping to get to it this week.

What did you recently finish reading?

Beastslayer by William King (Paperback)

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Burning Road by Harry Sidebottom

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 – 12 January 2022

On January 12, 2022January 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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?

Beastslayer by William King (Paperback)

I was in the mood for something fun so I decided to check out another awesome entry in the Gotrek and Felix series of Warhammer Fantasy novels with Beastslayer. Following on from the first four books in the series, Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer, this fifth entry follows the series’ protagonists to a besieged city as they attempt to throw back the forces of Chaos. I have already made a fair bit of progress on this novel and I should finish it off really soon. I love the thrilling and action-packed narrative contained in Beastslayer and this is proving to be quite an entertaining read.

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray (Audiobook)

I also recently started the latest book in the Star Wars: The High Republic range with The Fallen Star. Following on from the main High Republic novels, Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm, this intense entry sees the Jedi bastion, Starlight Beacon, under threat from a ruthless and dangerous monster. I am really enjoying the cool story contained in this book and I cannot wait to see what happens with it, especially as it is likely to be one of the defining moments of this period of High Republic fiction.

Never by Ken Follett (Audiobook)

I have made no progress on this audiobook since last week as I dived into the new Star Wars book. I am planning to really get into Never next and I want to finish it off soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Maid by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie

WWW Wednesday – 5 January 2022

On January 5, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday4 Comments

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 Maid by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading this intriguing debut from Nita Prose today and I am really enjoying it. The Maid is a unique novel that follows a socially awkward maid at a fancy hotel who, after finding the body of an infamous guest, finds herself stuck in the middle of a murder investigation. This book has a compelling central protagonist and Prose has already set up some cool twists and plot points. I look forward to seeing how this book turns out and I know I am going to have an outstanding time with it.

Never by Ken Follet (Audiobook)

I have not made that much progress on Never since last week, mainly because I listened to another audiobook that I needed to check out first. I am hoping to get into it a bit more this week, although I might pause it again to listen to the next Star Wars novel first. Despite this slow progress, Never is an interesting book and while it is a little slow at the moment, once the pace increases I reckon it will be a great read.