This last week I have been participating in the Summer Mixtape Readathon. This has been such a fun week and I’m so excited that there’s one more week to go.
My weekly reading vlog
This readathon involves reading books that match up to some very summery songs. I’m not a summer loving person, so this has been an excellent way of feeling involved in the summer excitement that my friends have had.
Unfortunately, shortly after filming my previous vlog, I tested positive for coronavirus. This meant that I didn’t manage to read as much as I usually would. However, I did manage to read two books which ticked off 2/5 of the book related prompts so I’m very much on track! Plus, the two books that I read also technically tick two more of the prompts so I’m entering a new week feeling very positive about reaching my reading goals.
July turned out to be a very busy reading month. I read 21 books! Some were rather short and most of these books were read during the first 3 weeks of the month as I then caught coronavirus and mainly slept during my spare time instead of reading.
My Wrap Up Vlog
I’ve been toying with the idea of not sharing my ratings in reviews. So this month I’ve rated them in a slightly different way, I don’t know if I prefer this but we shall see!
At Bertram’s Hotel- Agatha Christie Hold Your Tongue- Deborah Masson https://kapowskireads.com/2022/07/23/hold-your-tongue/ Instruments of Darkness- Imogen Robertson A Kind of Spark- Elle McNicoll Leah on the Offbeat- Becky Albertalli Like a Charm- Elle McNicoll Love is Worth Fighting For- Effie Kammenou* The Quaker – Liam McIlvanney https://kapowskireads.com/2022/07/16/the-quaker/ Show Me Who You Are- Elle McNicoll
Not For Me 😿
Another Time, Another Place – Jodi Taylor Dark Earth- Rebecca Stott* Grand Theft Astro- Scott Meyer Just One Damned Thing After Another- Jodi Taylor When I Was Ten- Fiona Cummins
Non-Fiction 👩🎓 Hook Them or Lose Them- D. Leitao Sidesplitter- Phil Wang
What an excellent month of Reading Scottish! I read 6 books by Scottish authors in July. This was a big surprise to myself as I’d miscalculated and was convinced that I had read 5.
My Reading Scottish Wrap Up Vlog
This month I read some gritty Scottish crime novels: The Quaker – Liam McIlvanney and Hold Your Tongue- Deborah Masson. These books were set in Glasgow and Aberdeen, respectively, and having lived in both of those cities I felt like I got an extra little something from them. Turns out I’m a huge fan of Scottish crime featuring serial killers.
After all of the serial killer reading, i needed something a bit cheerier. I had been recommended Elle McNicoll as an author and since their entire back catalogue was available on Amazon prime, I ended up reading all three of their books. I enjoyed A Kind of Spark, Show Me Who You Are, and Like a Charm. These were delightful middle grade books.
I rounded off my month of Scottish reads with What Happens in Dubai by Sophie Gravia*. You may remember my cackling while reading A Glasgow Kiss which was this author’s previous novel. This was just as hilarious and I cackled once again.
If you’ve read any excellent Scottish fiction that you’d recommend, please let me know in the comments.
I hate summer. I’ve said it before and I will say it every summer. The summer heat, mixed with the dampness of the Scottish air, always makes me ill. So I decided to treat myself to a solid 24 hours of reading with zero expectations or obligations, other than to relax.
This was such a chilled readathon, possibly because it was self induced. I managed to finish 3 books, one of which I had started previously. I’m taking this as a win!
I read: Leah and the Offbeat by Becky Abertalli, A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson*, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
I also went for a wee walk because I do love a stroll through the woodland and park. Mainly, I just hope to see more deer and squirrels, the seal is usually out this time of year but I didn’t see him. I did see a swarm of ducks though, which was lovely. I’ve added a little bit of my walk to the end of the Vlog for anyone who wants to see the Aberdonian green areas.
Somehow we are now in July and that means that it’s time to review the last 6 months of reading. I had intended to do a quarter 1 review but time flew and I forgot.
In this Vlog I talk about the following; Best book read so far, best sequel read so far, new release I want to read, most anticipated release, biggest disappointment, biggest surprise, favourite new to me author, book that made me cry, book that made me happy, most beautiful book, and books I want to finish this year. Phew!
Here’s my June Wrap Up, plus stats! I’m absolutely loving having reading stats. I’ve been much luckier with book ratings recently as I’m getting better at giving up on books that I’m not feeling, so that resulted in a most excellent reading month. I also ticked off all of my birthday bingo so I’m off to buy my reward books!
4 #ebooks 3 #nonfictionbooks 15 #fictionbooks
My Wrap Up Vlog. I very much did drop this pile of books shortly after taking this thumbnail
I recently had a week off of work as a birthday gift to myself, from myself. I decided to read as many books as I could and got through seven. Most of these books were excellent, so I’m feeling very lucky!
Also, it’s been way too hot up here in Scotland to do anything other than read and plod about. So a nice excuse to stay indoors away from the day star
My vlog for my seven days of reading during a heatwave
I’m back to work now but really did enjoy having a whole week to just enjoy some excellent reading. How do you spend your time off?
I know I’m a little bit earlier than usual but here is my Reading Scottish wrap up for June. I read the, what is now, standard 4 books by Scottish authors. I had a pretty wide variety of genres this month; contemporary, post apocalyptic/dystopian, and fantasy. I really enjoyed having this variety as these books really showcased how Scottish fiction is so much more than just a few genres. Even my two contemporary reads were so different-both regarding content and structure. Also, these were all debut adult fiction , this was not planned but does make me very happy to have a secret theme. Secret even to me!
I read the following books:
📚 Happiness is Wasted on Me by Kirkland Ciccone
🐉 The Flames of Albiyon by Jean Menzies
💊 The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla
🐕🦺 The Black Dog by Kevin Bridges*
*gifted
Wrap up vlog where I give reviews
If you’ve read any Scottish fiction recently, I’d love to hear all about it!
Im trying something different today and made an actual vlog. This gives the illusion that a. I go outside a lot and b. That Aberdeen is sunny and bright. Don’t be fooled, it was just that one weekend and now Aberdeen is back to being grey and drizzly.
I don’t mean to boast but I really did have a productive Bank Holiday weekend last weekend. So many lovely nature walks and so many amazing books!
I decided to treat myself to 4 days of reading. What a treat!
I read, and finished, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Other Peoples’ Clothes by Calla Henkel, and A Silent Voice Speaks by Trishna Singh. I also started Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie.
Plus steam cleaning my entire house because I have a new cleaner, I didn’t vlog that though.
May was a super productive reading month for me. I somehow managed to read 21 books. I know! I have no idea how that happened either.
Wrap Up Vlog
In my wrap up vlog, I chat about my favourite books of the month. I was lucky enough to have nine 5 star reads, which included some non-fiction. I also talk about my June TBR which is a little bit more whimsical because June is my birthday month.
Since I read far more books than expected, I’ve only had time to write reviews for my 4 and 5 star reads and have provided links below. There are a couple that are still pending though as it’s been a good month.
3 💫 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes- Suzanne Collins Cat Brushing – Jane Campbell * A Study in Scarlet and the Sign of the Four- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2 💫 Conviction- Denise Mina The Man Who Died Twice- Richard Osman The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters- Balli Kaur Jaswal
1 💫 The Castaways- Lucy Clark
Non-Fiction Ayoade On Top- Richard Ayoade The Grip of Film- Richard Ayoade Ayoade on Ayoade – Richard Ayoade Single Taken Cursed- Nikki Bell*