Winding down after a long day of travelling and nature spotting - today's critters included a snake, several insects, and two million bats 🐍 🐛 I'm also enjoying the crazy paintings on the wall of my room!

It's half term, it's sunny, and I've got a book in one hand and a coffee in the other. What else do you need??

Every action has a consequence... #quoteoftheday

#quoteoftheday I've only been reading translated SFF for a year or so, and I'm loving it! Reading a familiar genre from a very different perspective and culture is really quite fascinating. Western scifi tends to be more individualistic and character-driven while Cixin Liu's books focus much more on big plots - the characters are relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

This multi-generational tale of human colonists on an alien world was so close to being a five-star read! The world-building was astonishing, especially the sentient plants, and it was fascinating to watch how society shifted over seven generations. However, there were some annoying bits. The chapters were inconsistent in their tone and some could have been a lot shorter. ⭐⭐⭐ from me as it was an interesting read that dragged at times.

#quoteoftheday

I stayed up far too late to finish this book, and, just - wow. It's a simple story, but it weaves a complex narrative through different perspectives of all the characters, and asks some thorny questions about friendship, small town dreams, and the cost of doing the right thing. Insightful, moving, and very human. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!

My weekly update for #BFCr4 I'm pleased with the reading side of things - I finished two books and started a third - but I haven't been to the gym for a few days thanks to a lurgy I picked up from the kids 😷 And, yeah, not snacking has been hard...

@wanderinglynn @lapreader @4thhouseontheleft @rsteve388

It's monsoon season in Bangkok which means... traffic jams. The perfect opportunity to keep reading this fun gothic fantasy full of monsters and Victorian sensitivities

Woohoo! #BFCR4 begins today! Here are my goals for this challenge - 6 books in 6 weeks, gym four times a week, and (the hardest goal of all) NO SNACKING.
@wanderinglynn thanks for organising it again.
@4thhouseontheleft @LapReader @rsteve388 let's smash this!

I hit 1000 Litfluence! Thanks, Littens!

I love Netflix documentaries, so I really liked the set-up of Daisy Jones and the Six with each character telling their version of the story of the rise and fall of the biggest (fictional) band of the Seventies. Full of rock and roll, simmering resentments, and slightly different versions of the story, it was a great read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Having no internet is doing wonders for Mount TBR! #TBRBingo

It's been a hectic month - I lost my phone in Dubai airport, moved to Bangkok, and started a new job all within two days 😂 thanks for all the tags and comments- I'm gonna try to catch up with them today! Meanwhile here's a pic of my wee nephew with his nose in a book!

I'm really enjoying this retelling of King Arthur from the perspective of Lancelot - it's slow, but in a good way, and hopefully it'll pass the time until I board my 7 hour flight to Dubai 😴

I am loving this series so far - sci-fi full of sarcasm, heart and what it means to be human.

Six books down on #TBRbingo with John Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR counting as a book set on a spaceship.

It's taken me a while to read this because my heart could only take so much. IF THIS IS A MAN is Primo Levi's account of his time in Auschwitz written in a quiet and matter-of-fact way which makes it much more powerful as he describes how the Lager slowly eradicated his humanity. THE TRUCE describes Primo's Odyssean journey back to Italy which manages to be gently humorous and heartbreaking in a different way as Primo slowly rediscovers himself.

Military sci-fi is usually not my thing - space battles and square-jawed soldiers tend to bore me. But OLD MAN'S WAR is military sci-fi filled with warmth and humanity and very likeable characters. It also works in humorous musings on getting old and the joys of being young and unstoppable. An enjoyable read!

I was travelling all day yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to check in for #BFCr3 I'm pretty chuffed with myself this week - I've been out for 3 runs, and finished one book and I'm only a chapter away from finishing another. Snacks have been my downfall, but I'm on holiday 😎

@wanderinglynn @Airykah13 @BlameJennyJane @BeckyB @Minispok @ness @Peddler410 @Econaghan @bookandcat

I don't read a lot of crime fiction, but I love this series. Like the rest of the series, ALL THAT'S DEAD is Aberdonian noir full of heart, black humour, and f-bombs.

#crime

Thanks so much for my goodies @wanderinglynn and @jenniferw88 ! I love them - and you must have read my mind as I was on the hunt for a new book journal as my old one had an unfortunate tea-related accident

#bfcr2 #BookFitnessChallenge

A bookish post for bookish people! Lichfield is a gorgeous jumble of buildings, including this fine corner house which is where Samuel Johnson was born way back in 1709.

I'm taking advantage of a rainy afternoon to try to finish the book club book I really should have finished a week ago! IF THIS IS A MAN broke my heart as it quietly describes how Auschwitz reduced Primo Levi to nothing. THE TRUCE is breaking my heart in a different way as Primo slowly regains his sense of personhood on his journey home to Italy.

It's been a crazy few days. I am very late 🙈 but here are my goals for #BFCr3 🙌 I'm excited to be carrying on the challenge, and cheering everybody on to meet their goals!

@wanderinglynn @Meaw_catlady @Airykah13 @BlameJennyJane @Minispok @ness @Peddler410 @Econaghan @bookandcat @BeckyB

Wow, 6 weeks has gone fast! I'm really happy that I met my book target even in the midst of changing jobs, moving countries, and lots of family fun times. I'm a little disappointed in the fitness side of things but I think I was maybe a little too ambitious with my targets what with life and heatwaves!

@mcipher @wanderinglynn #BFCr2 @BeckyB @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @DebbieGrillo @okthislooksbad @krayoncolorz @twohectobooks

Ok, rant time. I HATE it when authors write shit like this 😡 no one NEEDS to wear make up and saying otherwise is a dick move. Ugh.

I'm absolute trash for books like this. They are completely ridiculous and I'm rolling my eyes the whole time, but I love 'em! THE ALCHEMIST'S SECRET is a pretty standard offering with a troubled action man hero and a sexy scientist traipsing around southern France while being chased by evil Catholic priests.

I'm absolute trash for these kind of books 🙈 lots of globe-trotting action, a hero who kicks arse, and an ancient historical conspiracy that needs unravelling.

#thriller

So I loved this but was also a little bored with it..? It was slow and lyrical and beautifully written which, depending on my mood, meant I was either completely absorbed or easily distracted. I loved, however, how the different narratives slowly weave together and I was flicking through the last few chapters desperate to know what happened. Overall, it's a pick but needs to be read in long sittings (and not with a toddler rampaging around!)

Here's my weekly check in for #BFCr2 ! I've finished one (skinny) book and I'm halfway through three others so I'm happy with the bookish part of the challenge. Not a great week fitness-wise with lots of family stuff and a new baby to coo over, but I still managed to go for an 8 mile hike and a run.

@wanderinglynn @mcipher @BeckyB @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @DebbieGrillo @okthislooksbad @krayoncolorz @twohectobooks

My favourite fitness thing is a toss up between the Couch to 5K app and Yoga with Adrienne videos. I'm in a house with five adults, two cats, and an almost-toddler so finding a quiet room for yoga is impossible at the moment! So running it is 😀

@wanderinglynn @mcipher

#BookFitnessChallenge #BFCr2

A lazy day in the garden is the perfect place to read RIVER OF STARS. It's slow and beautifully written and can't be read in small snippets - I'm enjoying it so far!

A lazy cat and a good book makes for a perfect evening! I'm trying to read more out of my comfort zone, so I joined a reading group. June's book is Primo Levi's account of the months he spent in Auschwitz and his journey back to Italy.

#holocaust #memoir

WOMEN AND POWER is an essay based on a couple of lectures that Mary Beard gave about how some aspects of misogyny today can be traced back to the Greco-Roman times. A really interesting and thought-provoking read. I only wish it had been longer!

#essay #feminist

This week has been a bit of a washout for #BFCr2 and apologies to #teamlitnfit for being a bit MIA! It's been a busy week what with packing up my flat in Palma and moving (temporarily) back to the UK, meeting my new little niece, sorting out my paperwork for Thailand, and generally trying to Marie Kondo everything I own 🙈

@mcipher @wanderinglynn @BeckyB @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @DebbieGrillo @okthislooksbad @twohectobooks @krayoncolorz

Here we go... my #nomakeup #nofilter selfie for #BFCr2 I've had to wait for today as I was being a bit vain and was waiting for the scratch on my cheek to heal 🙈

#teamlitnfit

@mcipher @wanderinglynn

This chunkster took the best part of a week to read, but it means I can cross off one more book on the #TBRbingo

A new epic fantasy with lots of classic fantasy vibes, THE EMBER BLADE was a fun read. I really liked that it had a few more shades of grey than you usually find in classic-style fantasy, and I loved how much the main character grew throughout the story. My only niggle is the lack of strong female characters who really affected the story which, sadly, is too often the case with quest fantasies.

#fantasy

I'm rather pleased with myself this week! I finished two books, and made a solid start on a third. Also, I did three yoga sessions, and two stints of housework as I'm moving on Tuesday 😬

#BookFitnessChallenge #BFCr2 #TeamLitnFit

@mcipher @BeckyB @krayoncolorz @twohectobooks @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @okthislooksbad @DebbieGrillo @wanderinglynn

I'm a quarter of the way through #TBRbingo I love the summer holidays... lots of books and all the time in the world.

Except for packing up and leaving Spain. And then moving to Thailand. ARGHHHH...

I enjoyed JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER a lot. It was fun and full of snark, and reading about the eccentric time-travelling historians of St Mary's was exactly what I needed after the interminable slog that was 2312. A quick, easy read that fit my mood perfectly. ⭐⭐⭐

I can't finish this book. I tried. I really, really tried but I've given up. The world-building is astonishing and KSR has some really cool ideas about what humanity could look like in three hundred years. But I need more than just cool world-building. Like a plot. And interesting characters. And a protagonist I don't want to punch in the face for being such an immature, selfish, spoilt and downright unlikable human being. Ugh.

A light and easy to read YA fantasy with a very relatable heroine, a good sense of humour, and lots of heart. I enjoyed THE SEVENTH BRIDE but it didn't quite have the charm and humour of her more adult fantasies.

#fantasy #youngadult

Tackling Mount TBR with a #TBRbingo

Photo challenge for #BFCr2 I don't cook much, so boiled eggs on wholemeal toast is my go to healthy breakfast. Smashed avo on toast is another fave. No recipe needed!

#BookFitnessChallenge @wanderinglynn @mcipher

Week 2 check in for #BFCr2 I'm pleased with the bookish side of things - hooray for the summer holidays! I'm not so pleased with the fitness side - I've done a couple of walks. It's been hot and I've been lazy 🙈 The top photo is the view from my teeny tiny balcony, and the bottom photo is Valdemossa - a gorgeous wee mountain town

@wanderinglynn @mcipher @DebbieGrillo @BeckyB @twohectobooks @krayoncolorz @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @okthislooksbad

First book down on the #TBRbingo 🙌

I liked this retelling of Beauty and the Beast even if I didn't love it. The story sweeps you up, there's lots of meaningful glances and guarded secrets, and I devoured the last few chapters all while rolling my eyes at the teenage intensity of it all.

#fantasy #youngadult #retelling

Here are my #Top6Reads of 2019 so far - thanks for the tag @DebbieGrillo

Tagging the rest of #TeamLitnFit @mcipher @BeckyB @okthislooksbad @krayoncolorz @Books.Bottles.and.Babies @twohectobooks