I expected to have a nice standalone book or something to review today, but instead I started my year by finishing two series which have been on my TBR for a while and starting a third totally new series. It's a new one for me as I usually avoid series like the plague because I have commitment issues. One thing I hate about reading series, though, is how do you review? It's a stressful situation because you want to talk about them like any other book but if I've just binge read the series surely it makes sense to look at the series as a whole. But then how do you do that without spoilers? But I did want to review something today because it's been a whole so let's talk books!
So here we are and I'm going to figure out how we'll talk about the All Souls series. I admit I am only talking about the original trilogy here. I have not read Time's Convert and currently, I have no plans to read it. I loved the series and it did feel like there could be more, but it also felt like an ending.
I’ll link and give the summaries for the three books below so you have the details of the trilogy if you’ve not read it already. I know each book summary might have spoilers but the important things you need to know are Matthew De Clermont is a vampire from an important vampire family. Diana Bishop is a witch who doesn’t truly practise magic and instead pursued a career as a historian. The series focuses on their romance them navigating the world of vampires, witches and daemons. I think that’s all you really need to know but I guess we’ll find out.
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) – Deborah Harkness
Published: 29th September 2011
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
My Rating:
Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew in the stunning first volume of the No.1 internationally bestsellling ALL SOULS trilogy.
A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it.
When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it's an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she's kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana's discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels...
Shadow of Night (All Souls #2) – Deborah Harkness
Published: 10th July 2012
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
My Rating:
It began with A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. Historian Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened.Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers... Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in this stunning, richly imagined, epic tale.
The Book of Life (All Souls #3) – Deborah Harkness
Published: 14th July 2014
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
My Rating:
After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness's enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches - with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
What I Liked
It wasn’t just vampires and they weren’t these weird recluses!
It was nice to have these various creatures all living within our world and whilst did have their own rules on how to live, none of them felt outside of our world and society. I know that sounds weird, but normally you read a vampire book and find yourself seeing this vampire that is almost totally separate from normal society. They seem to be otherworldly or whatever, and they are, but it's nice to see them just living a normal life and humans are aware there's something different about the creatures, be they vampire, witch or daemon, but they don't know what it is that's caught their attention. It was an intriguing concept even if it did have me rolling my eyes at how everyone seemed interested in Diana. It felt different, even though I know you guys can probably tell me a dozen other books doing this.
Vampire feeding wasn’t this whole killer situation.
The whole blood thing with vampires was dealt with very differently. I'm not saying vampires didn't drink blood, don't be ridiculous. But it was common for vampires to just drink animal blood. We didn’t have a whole Twilight thing with the Cullens valiantly resisting their killing urges. Instead, the issue with vampires was there was a blood rage lurking in certain vampires which meant that vampires had closely monitored their bloodlines. I won't say too much as it becomes a focus later on but it was nice to see vampires not presented as these bloodthirsty monsters (not to say they didn't have destructive tendencies). Vampires were viewed as deadly because they were strong and fast but it was almost more sinister as they all presented themselves to be so civilised so when they did become the killer they could be it was surprising.
The romance.
Look, I may be struggling to read contemporary romance right now but I did find the romance between Matthew and Diana addictive to read. I remember that was what really hooked me when I originally read the first two books (way back when the third book hadn't even been released). I think I liked the whole star-crossed lover thing they had going on. Sure, them having their whole special snowflake moments together was a little ridiculous but we are allowed to enjoy cheesy things sometimes. I loved them and was ready to fight anyone who got in their way. They were obviously meant to be and I enjoyed seeing them fall for one another.
The secondary characters
Every single one of these books was a tome. Like nearly 600 pages of drama (although they did drag at times) but they weren't painful to read because even when Matthew and Diana were being drips there were some amazing secondary characters to love. Ysabeau was spectacular as Matthew's mother, and I loved how she was just a total badass deceiving everyone as this pleasant cultured woman but she could just as soon rip your face off. And Philippe! I would die for Philippe, he deserved his own book to be honest and he was one character who could kill you without blinking but still made me cry. Don't even get me started on the rest of Matthew's extended family (where is Gallowglass's book I ask you?). I would happily have read a book about any of his family as they had so much history to explore (which is why I might eventually read Time's Convert). And let's not ignore Diana's family and friends either because they were just as brilliant. I appreciated seeing Chris later on in the series, he did make me smile with his ridiculous nicknames and his slight flirtation with Miriam. There was a strong cast of characters, which is probably why I can see this so easily translating well to TV because each character feels fully fleshed.
The history!
I know I’ve probably mentioned this a few times but I studied history at university. I chose the subject because I like learning and history seemed the place to be to just learn random stuff, sadly they expected me to write essays and a dissertation but that’s a whole other issue. One of the modules I did was the history of science so a lot of this book I was like I know these names! It was so much fun to read a book with historical info I actually knew about, not in detail because I was nearly 10 years ago I graduated, but still exciting. There was history galore here, especially within the second book, so if that appeals go and check them out.
And My Grumbles
They’re a little long.
I mentioned they were tomes, right? Because they were long, and I don't think they necessarily needed to be. The first book dragged for a good long while, and I get there was world-building to be done but good god I couldn't wait to be out of Oxford. And I swear there's one point in the first book I thought it was close to the end but then they're at Diana's family home and a whole bunch of nothing happens and it was boring. She was learning and exploring her magic, brilliant, but where was the nice quick montage to get through that I ask you? And the second book kept stopping and starting, it was a pain. I remember DNFing through one attempted reread of Shadow of Night, which is why it took so long for me to finish this series. I think the third book was the only one I didn't struggle with, but I also didn't do much else other than read to finish it because it was time-consuming. It also helped it was my first read of the third book so it was all new to me, a reread might reveal moments that dragged as well.
Matthew and Diana could be a little annoying (but I still loved them)
It was a little annoying how Matthew and Diana could become drips that were a little too invested in themselves and their love. I know I said I liked the romance, and I really did, but they were so very focused on themselves! It got a little frustrating because it was obviously meant to be some Romeo and Juliet type situation with everyone trying to keep them apart but they really didn’t think about how it affected others until after the fact. I get it, no one should be in the relationship but the couple but come on! They knew it would cause problems, but then if they didn’t get together there would be no series to enjoy so there’s that. But then after they’d dragged everyone into their relationship they forgot that might also mean others getting hurt! I enjoyed it but I could see that whole thing annoying me if I was in a different reading mood.
To be honest, there was more to love than hate with the books. I know they’re long and might not be for everyone but I really did enjoy reading. I will definitely revisit their world… but I might just binge-watch the show instead because finally I can without risking spoilers!
Have you read this series at all or have you seen the show? What are some of your favourite vampire romances because who doesn’t need more to add to their TBR?
My positivity about 2022 was premature. The second week was much less successful. My stepdad got covid (he's ok, says it just feels like a bad cold) so he's in isolation at my mom's (she managed to avoid catching it thus far) and it means I can't spend my evening hanging at theirs which I usually do after work. I've managed to get out Thursday with a friend and I've been stealing Milo for daily walks but it almost feels like I've caught covid being stuck at home alone for the week waiting for his negative tests. Hopefully, next week I'll be able to go round again and hang out. I've missed properly chilling with Milo and just catching up with them. I've tried to stay positive, though. It was nowhere near as bad as 3 months of being stuck at home during the lockdowns, I can go out and see people and I've been able to go on walks and that really is the important part.
The interruption to my routine impacted my blogging motivation. I even had a second post drafted for this week but I just couldn't motivate myself to format and create a header and so I decided to leave it. I think because I was feeling a little down it meant I felt like my blog writing was a little off. It's cool, I've had Wordle as a distraction and I've been reading so it's cool. The second season of Cheer also dropped mid-week so I've been watching that on my evenings and it's been such a great escape for me. I did not expect how often the show would make me tear up, I really didn't. I just miss hanging out with my family, though. I've had to feed myself every night this week and had no takeaways! It's a travesty, I may be 30 years old but that doesn't mean I want to be a responsible adult every night. It's bad enough having to work full time and chase my solicitors on the daily to try and move, now I have to feed myself and do household chores? Ugh, it's just not fair. do my evening hangout at theirs on the daily. I've had to spend the whole week at home!
It's cool, the second week has been boring, lots of work and reading and sleep but I've got stuff booked for later in the year and it's not like I can afford to do much anyway, I'm holding out for payday when I can treat myself to stuff again. I've done a lot of fantasy shopping where you add everything you want to your shopping basket and then sweat and the basket total and save everything until later.
What I've Been Reading
One good thing from being stuck at home is my reading time has been insane. I've very much used reading as an escape and a break from the things bothering me and I love that for me. I started The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series at the very end of last week and I am hooked! I would have read more but I did have a couple of early nights this week so didn't get in my usual hour of reading before crashing. At first, I was like, what is this awful series that you're reading, but by the third book, I was totally hooked. I mean, the first two books weren't bad but I think I could just tell a couple of characters were blergh and needed them to skedaddle before I could truly enjoy the series. I'm on book 6 now and I know the last 3 books are extended epilogues so I cannot wait to have the main story wrapped up and just have three novella-length books of fluff to look forward to. And then I can say I've finished 3 series this year! But this one I hadn't started so I don't know if I should count a series I started and finished this year? I kind of want to finish series I'd started and abandoned partway through instead.
New To Me
I've bought nothing this week. I did borrow most of The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy from KU so they're my only new books. I do have 4 audible credits to use before I cancel my subscription so please give me audio recs below but I'm proud there have been no purchases, just a couple of preorders but preorders don't count until they actually arrive, right?
And that is my week. Pretty dull really but I left the house and I've been reading so I won't complain too much. How was your week? And what audiobooks do I need to get ASAP?
I know the post title probably gives it away but I still don’t know how to say this. I’m not loving romance right now.
I know! I have been reading romance pretty much exclusively for the past few years. Pre-pandemic I would be able to read 5 romance novels in a week and still be eager for more the next week. They might not all have been the same romance sub-genre but they could very easily be placed in the romance section at the book shop… if UK book shops had a romance section (that’s a grumble for another day). I needed the strong romantic plot within my books to give me the HEA/HFN I craved and any book I read needed to have that subplot even if it wasn't a romance book. I would read fantasy and get bored if it was obvious I wouldn't be seeing a decent romance playing out. It was a rarity for me to comment about a romance in a book being a negative thing. But now I'm really struggling.
That's isn't to say I'm not reading any romance. I have been reading some. I've even included them in my favourites post. But I have noticed that one of my go-to romance genres is becoming a real struggle to read and I thought it was just fatigue from reading so many books in that one genre but I'm beginning to question if it's not something more.
I'm really struggling with reading contemporary romance. I know mentioned it a little in other posts when I popped back into blogging for a second there last year, but I really have been leaning into reading more fantasy type books rather than contemporary stuff. In fact, I am very actively avoiding picking up contemporary romance unless I force myself to read them and that approach really gives mixed results.
At the start of the pandemic I know why I struggled with contemporary romances, I just couldn’t read books set in a world I wasn’t seeing right then. We couldn’t go out and see friends, meet random people and just date. It was all about staying home, wearing face masks and keeping the soap and hand sanitiser companies making an insane profit. As such, a romance where a couple was going out to work and seeing people just wasn't an escape for me. I know for some people it was great to see that normal world they couldn’t experience but, for me, it just felt like another reminder of what I was missing out on when I was stuck at home alone and could only see my family either on video calls or at a safe distance when exercising outdoors. To be fair, I went through many a reading slump during that time as well so I wasn’t really reading anything, but I really started to actively avoid contemporary romance. I didn't want to read them and whilst I kept buying them I knew they were for a later date when I was in a better frame of mind.
But we’re almost two years into this pandemic now. Things have changed. So many of us are vaccinated and governments are doing more to help keep people safe (or some of them are). So why do I still struggle to read contemporary romance? I’ve always been a mood reader but I’m finding myself being so critical of every book I pick up to read in that genre. The cute things which I used to think were swoony I now roll my eyes at. I know I'm putting down books I would have loved two years ago. And I want to say I've just put them to one side but I'm not, I'm marking them as DNF and putting them on my 'never going to read' shelf. It's a little upsetting when these are books by authors I love or they're books you guys have raved about and I want to join in the fun but it's like my mood reading is stronger than ever and it has it out for contemporary romance.
My reading lately has definitely been more fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal leaning. It is very obvious the books aren't set in the real world and I seem to be better at reading those. The stupid thing is, I know bookish worlds aren't real but there is something that is stopping me from reading contemporary romance right now. I very much hope it's something that will pass but how long can you not be in the mood for contemporary romance? I may have read a few recently but I've definitely been forcing myself to read them with mixed results.
Maybe I still need that sense of escape to other worlds? I know the world is not the one we knew at the start of 2020 and who knows how long it might take to feel normal again. I don’t know why my reading has changed so much but I miss contemporary romance, even if I still can’t seem to read it. I'll still keep trying, my mood reading has definitely gotten worse and that might be because of the reading slumps I've been through but I'll figure it out.
How has the pandemic changed your reading? Has it led you to different genres or has it just changed how much you read? And what were your favourite contemporary romances of the last year so I can try them out and get back into reading them?
It’s going to take me a while to get used to writing 2022 but Happy New Year! It’s weird to be back blogging but I feel really excited about it. I think I’ve missed having something to do in my spare time other than watching TV. In fact, I’ve had a week of only having the TV on for background noise. Or having it on a lot more for background noise because there are still a few shows I like to watch weekly (I’m looking at you First Dates). I think I’ve enjoyed the first week of 2022. It’s not been too awful (although a few friends have been struck down with covid this week) and I’ve been reading a lot which has been a nice change from the slumps I’ve suffered. It may not last but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
I can’t say I’ve done much other than work this week. As with many other countries, the UK is in the middle of a wave of covid with the Omicron variant, so it’s been a low key week of seeing my mom, working, and just chilling reading. I know I’ve told you all about the struggles with my house, I’ve still not moved for various reasons and so I’ve been avoiding my house in the evenings. I know you’ll all be dying to know why I haven’t moved. There was a problem with my buyer’s finances, so the start of the chain collapsed (yay for the weird quirks of the English property system) and the house had to go back on the market. I had a week of viewings at the start of December which was fun for me. I managed to find another buyer, but it delayed everything considering I was ready to exchange. Frustrating all around so now I have daily phone calls to my solicitor to try and ensure no further delays. I’ll let you know when I move but until then I’m worried about jinxing it again. I’ve just had no luck when it comes to this house and don’t want to tempt any further bad luck.
I’m trying to think what else to update you on but it really has been a quiet week. I just haven’t done anything other than work. Some friends have been messaging to make plans for a couple of hen dos I’ve been invited to as well, but those plans are a bit up in the air so I don’t want to say too much until things are certain.
What I’ve Been Reading
I finished 5 books this week, one had been started before the start of the year but I didn’t properly start reading it until New Years Day. I just wasn’t invested in it at all. It also means I’ve finished two series this year and we’ve only just finished the first week! I don’t think my success with reading and finishing series will hold out much longer as I have been very uncertain on what to read every time I finish a book. I worry I slump will hit. But I’ve finally finished the All Souls trilogy after 7 years and I feel like I’ve had the Psy Changeling series on my shelf for years. I know my reread of the first few books started way back in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic so it’s taken me this long to finally finish the main series. I think I’ll wait a little while before starting the next one since I only own the first book for that so far. Be a bit of an investment to continue it right now. I think Shield of Winter was my least favourite of my reads this week and I’m not sure on my favourite. I think I rated The Book of Life the highest but I actually think Shards of Hope was my favourite.
New To Me
Whilst I’m excited about how many books I read I did overindulge in new purchases this week too. It’s only 4 books but still, it's more than I might like. I’d been dithering over buying These Hollow Vows and then saw someone post a positive review and couldn’t resist purchasing when it was discounted. Fates Blades and The Hidden Moon have been on my TBR a little while so also purchased when they were on offer. And, weirdly, I’d just added Heart & Seoul to my TBR when I got an alert the price had dropped and I figured that was a sign I was meant to get it. I did read a sample of it first, though so hopefully it’s not a totally impulsive buy.
What have you done with the first week of 2022? Any good books or shows you’ve been enjoying?
It’s that time of year where everyone is ready to set new resolutions and goals only to abandon them in a few weeks. Hopefully, that isn’t the case for those I choose to do this year but I know I might be a bit optimistic with those I have chosen.
Challenges
The past few years I’ve started the new year vowing not to join any challenges or have any crazy resolutions because I almost never follow through with either. This year I’ve been the exact opposite, I’ve wanted to join reading challenges in the hopes of clearing my shelves and to help motivate me to keep reading and try books from my shelves I might not get around to reading otherwise. I do worry I might be regretting the decision to do some reading challenges in a few weeks but why not try something different when I’ve been in on/off reading slumps for two years?
The focus of 2022 is very much clearing the shelves and reading the books I already own. I know there will be plenty of book purchases in my future but let’s start by focusing on reading some more shit before then. As such, here are a few reading challenges I’m hoping will help me clear my damn my shelves and focus my reading.
Beat the Backlist 2022
Buzzword Reading Challenge 2022
The Buzzword Reading Challenge is by Booksandlala, I actually discovered it adding the Beat the Booklist to my reading challenges on Storygraph and I thought it sounded fun. I figured a more low key reading challenge with just 12 prompts should help me pick up an additional book each month. My third challenge is very similar to this one, in fact, but I couldn’t choose which one I liked better and three sounds like a good number, right?
2022 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge
The 2022 Monthly Key World Challenge by Kim and Tanya should also hopefully make me read a few more books. Another low key one with just 12 prompts, but a lot more words to help me choose what to read. On all of these challenges, I’m letting my mood reading guide me and hoping for the best. If I don’t succeed I might be a little sad but they’re all to help me achieve my reading and blogging goals so hopefully the fact they should combine together to help me read should work as motivation. That’s the theory anyway.
Goals
I feel like my reading and blogging goals are similar every year in the fact I hope to blog regularly and clear my shelves, as well as maybe requesting fewer arcs. The fact I never seem to achieve my goals should probably be a sign I should change things up but I’m a glutton for punishment. My goals are as below with my slight explanation for each:
- Clear my bookshelves – this is really self-explanatory. I have a book buying problem so I really want to work on reading more of what I own or trying to read them even if I DNF.
- Stop impulse purchasing without reading an extract first– impulse buying books because they’re cheap is my biggest flaw. I am easily drawn in by books on social media and when they’re on sale I one click so fast for my Kindle. I need to learn to be better about actually reading samples for books before buying and being smarter about what I buy. I now try to wait a little while before purchasing but it doesn’t do enough to reduce my spending so the book sample is my new test to reduce my buying.
- Don't request any ARCs - I feel like this may be a difficult one to commit to but I really want to focus on reading books I own. If I do get access to an ARC for a book I am really excited for I'll probably go for it but I haven't kept up to date with new releases so I'm hoping my blogging absence might actually work in my favour this year. I can only try, right?
- Finish at least 6 series I've started - I am terrible at finishing a book series, as I've previously discussed. So this year I want to work on finishing some more. I was going to say 10 series but I know my mood reading is strong. I figure 6 should be achievable. Hopefully, I'll finish more as I read through my shelves but let's not get too optimistic.
- Blog when I want to and not because I feel I have to – this is something that will be harder to monitor. I don’t always really I’m doing things because I feel I have to because it’s part of a habit or a routine but I did notice when I was blogging some posts felt like I was going through the motions to write them. I want to bring the joy back whilst still trying to keep blogging semi-regularly. I think this means no blog schedule and see what ideas or posts I get inspired or enjoy writing.
- Visit and comment on blogs even when I am not feeling inspired to blog – my biggest regret over the past 2 years is that I haven’t visited and commented on other peoples blogs even when I’m in a blogging slump. I feel like I could have stayed present in the comments even though my blog was a ghost town so I hope that this year even if I haven’t got anything posted for 2 weeks I’ll still be about seeing what you guys are doing.
Are you joining any reading challenges this year? And what are your goals for 2022 or are you avoiding making any goals and just seeing when the year takes you?
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