Recent Blog Posts

 

Review of AUDIOBOOK The Labyrinth Index – Book 9 of The Laundry Files by Charles Stross

24 February

This is a review I wrote some six years ago, before Covid fell on all our heads and changed everything… Given that I’ve recently completed listening to this interesting series, I thought I’d publish my thoughts on one of the later books.
I have been following this series for a while now and earlier this autumn, woke up to the fact that I’d fallen behind. So I got hold of The Delirium Brief – see my mini-review of the audiobook – and treated myself to this one, too after I enjoyed it so much. I’m fascinated to see the direction in which it’s gone and intrigued to know exactly where Stross is now taking this series… In the meantime, see my reviews of The Fuller Memorandum, The Apocalypse Codex, The Rhesus Chart, The Annihilation Score and The Nightmare Stacks if you’re interested in getting a clearer idea of the series.
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SUNDAY POST

22 February

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
It’s been another fortnight which seems to have both sped by and crawled by in a welter of cold rain and eternally grey skies. Oscar got through his mock exams okay, while this last week – which is half term – has had particularly awful weather. We had Eliza to stay last weekend and cancelled our trip to the Wetland and Wildlife Trust in the face of torrential rain and strong, bitterly cold winds.
Amari is back to her rambunctious ways, so between the belts of rain, we have begun to introduce her to the garden on a lead and halter. She is thoroughly enjoying the experience and has been quartering the garden, exploring in a really organised way that is fascinating to watch. We have ordered a tracker for her collar online and want to continue her familiarisation, which will include training her to return (hopefully) to the bleep of the tracker. The photos this week are all of Amari – two of her exploration in the garden and one with her drinking out of Himself’s paint water. I would just like to add that she has a stainless steel drinking fountain, complete with special filters given she’s a real fusspot about drinking water at all. Except for dirty paint water…
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Castellan the Black and his Wise Draconic Tips on Life

21 February

If you’ve been entrusted with a major secret, do remember that all dragons get a bit silly and over-talkative once we’ve eaten a heavy meal. And bear in mind that rival aeries and overlords are aware of this tendency when you accept their generous hospitality.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday

18 February

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. This week’s Can’t-Wait offering: Pretenders to the Throne of God – Book 4 of The Tyrant Philosophers series by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Release date for the ebook – 10th March, 2026
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Review of NETGALLEY arc Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

17 February

I was delighted to get hold of a review copy of this book, as I absolutely loved the Emily Wilde series – see my reviews of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. So I looked forward to this one with huge anticipation.
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Review of NETGALLEY arc Trip to the Moon: Understanding the True Power of Story by John Yorke

13 February

It certainly wasn’t the cover that caught my eye – it ought to have an award all of its own for being the most boring book cover ever. But after having read Jeanette Winterson’s excellent book on storytelling and narrative, One Aladdin Two Lamps and hearing all sorts of good things about Yorke’s earlier book Into the Woods – I was delighted to be approved to read this book.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday

11 February

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. This week’s Can’t-Wait offering: Nonesuch by Francis Spufford
Release date – 24th February, 2026
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SUNDAY POST

8 February

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
It’s been a fortnight of two halves. The first half, I went down with a version of Eliza’s cold – sore throat, cough and tiredness, with bouts of nausea thrown in for good measure. Hence my non-attendance online. The weather hasn’t helped. We’ve had lots and lots of rain with grey, overcast skies. And poor Amari has taken until this weekend to return to her former rambunctiousness after her operation to be spayed. I’d got into the habit of picking her up and walking round with her, while she rested in my arms, purring. Today when I tried to pick her up, she danced away, glaring at me as if I’d just trodden on her tail. Ah well, I’ll swap the more cuddly version for seeing her race around the house with that daredevil gleam in her eyes, once more.
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