LOTR

This Week by Proxy: 01 – 18 March

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Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I look back on the past week to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted and the goals I’ve completed.

| This Week by Proxy: 01 – 18 March 2018 |

I seem to have managed to avoid doing an end of week or end of month post for some time so this week’s post will be a little more beefy than usual! Even though it serves to make me look as though I’ve read a hefty amount of books, it really does highlight the abysmal number of reviews that have surfaced over that time. A big fat zero. I definitely need to schedule in a few more… or at least one. Yes, one would probably do it.

I hope you’ve all had wonderful weeks, happy reading everybody!

| Books Read |

| 1. |

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

A complete impulse buy, the hype surrounding this book completely went over my head. But wow, were they right. With a band of gritty and dangerous characters, Kings of the Wyld is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish.

| 2. |

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Following on from my Top Ten Tuesday post about books I could re-read forever, I realised it was about time I reread The Secret Garden, one of my childhood favourites. As charming now as it ever was, this book is an enchanting tale of growth, friendship and childhood in Edwardian England.

| 3. |

The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams

Having spent far too long on my bookshelf, the sequel to the wonderful Copper Promise lived up to all expectation as an exciting and dangerous adventure through icy kingdoms and frozen wastes. The Silver Tide, here I come.

| 4. |

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Another book from my Top Ten Tuesday list, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a book I can return to again and again and always find enjoyment.  Nonsensical and amusing, Lewis Carroll’s famous works never get old.

| 5. |

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

My favourite book of all time, this year’s re-read of The Lord of the Rings couldn’t come soon enough. The absorbing narrative, the beautiful descriptions and the intricately drawn characters all work together to create a book that is a perfect component of the whole.

| 6. |

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is a beautifully wrought novella which, in its few pages, manages to create an absorbing tale with believable characters, and wonderfully succinct worldbuilding. I cannot wait to continue Binti’s adventures in book two.

| Currently Reading |

Shamefully I’m still currently reading The Vagrant by Peter Newman and The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Neither of these books have really got my juices flowing so they’ve fallen a bit to the wayside, however I am determined to continue with them both!

Having also added two classic re-reads to my currently reading list, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë I’ve decided I’ll probably put together a Classics Club list in the very near future.

Added to this, I’m also re-reading The Builders by Daniel Polansky, a beautifully dark novella and Shadowblack by Sebastien de Castell, the second book in the wonderful Spellslinger series.

| Posts |

Tough Travelling: Apprentices

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books I Could Re-Read Forever

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Book Quotes by P.G. Wodehouse

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books With Plot Twists and Surprises

Teaser Tuesdays: February 27 – Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Teaser Tuesdays: March 06 – The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Teaser Tuesdays: March 13 – Binti by Nnedi Okorafor + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Waiting on Wednesday: The Hyena and the Hawk

Waiting on Wednesday: Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell

Waiting on Wednesday: Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

Friday Firsts: The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams

Friday Firsts: The Builders by Daniel Polansky

Friday Firsts: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

The Friday Face-Off: Greek Mythology

The Friday Face-Off: …But Icarus Flew Too Close

The Friday Face-Off: I Got No Strings to Hold Me Down

Chapter + Verse – The Hobbit: Chapter IV – Over Hill and Under Hill

| March Goal Progress |

To read five books

Status: 5 of 5 Complete

What have you been reading this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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Teaser Tuesdays: March 06

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays – a weekly feature hosted by The Purple Booker. Expect a new teaser every week!

| Teaser Tuesdays: March 06 |

The Iron Ghost

Book Two of The Copper Cat Trilogy

by Jen Williams

Fantasy | 544 Pages | Published by Headline in 2015

“Reluctantly, Wydrin looked up into the snow. The foot of the mountain rose before them like an ominous storm cloud, and rising from its centre was a great wound filled with lights and stone and smoke – the city of Skaldshollow.“

~ Chapter 5 | Page 30 | The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams

| Synopsis |

Beware the dawning of a new mage…

Wydrin of Crosshaven, Sir Sebastian and Lord Aaron Frith are experienced in the perils of stirring up the old gods. They are also familiar with defeating them, and the heroes of Baneswatch are now enjoying the perks of being very much in demand for their services.

When a job comes up in the distant city of Skaldshollow, it looks like easy coin – retrieve a stolen item, admire the views, get paid. But in a place twisted and haunted by ancient magic, with the most infamous mage of them all, Joah Demonsworn, making a reappearance, our heroes soon find themselves threatened by enemies on all sides, old and new. And in the frozen mountains, the stones are walking…

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fantasy | 306 Pages | Published by HarperCollins in 1995

“There are strange things living in the pools and lakes in the hearts of mountains: fish whose fathers swam in, goodness only knows how many years ago, and never swam out again, while their eyes grew bigger and bigger and bigger from trying to see in the blackness; also there are other things more slimy than fish.”

~ Chapter V: Riddles in the Dark | Page 70 | The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

| Synopsis |

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.

Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo.

Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

| Join In |

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

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This Week by Proxy: 19 – 25 February

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Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I look back on the past week to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted and the goals I’ve completed.

| This Week by Proxy: 19 – 25 February 2018 |

Once again, I’ve seemingly been mired under a never-ending to-do list – which didn’t even manage to include a review! At least this week I managed to finish two books, which is a far cry better than the last. I’ve also moved on to my first re-read of The Fellowship of the Ring in preparation for future There and Back Again posts – and because I couldn’t resist starting it already! (Mostly because I couldn’t resist starting already). And I can’t even describe my joy at picking up a book I used to re-read on a yearly basis.

I hope you’ve all had wonderful weeks, happy reading everybody!

| Books Read |

| 1. |

Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

With an interesting magic system, a witty narrator and twists and turns a-plenty, the first book in the trilogy of the same title is an exciting young adult fantasy that had me tearing through its pages. (Though not really as I’m very gentle with my books… also it was on kindle).

| 2. |

Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell

Lois the Witch is a short story by Elizabeth Gaskell published in 1861. This piece of historical fiction, depicting a young girl’s experience of the Salem witch trials, is a dark, depressing and incredibly well written tale.

 

| Posts |

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books I’m No Longer Interested In Reading

Teaser Tuesdays: February 20 – Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Waiting on Wednesday: The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

Friday Firsts: Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Friday Face-Off: The Staircase

Chapter + Verse – The Hobbit: Chapter III – A Short Rest

| February Goal Progress |

To read four books

Status: 4 of 4 Complete

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To write a review once a week

Status: 2 of 4 Complete

What have you been reading this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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This Week by Proxy: 12 – 18 February

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Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I look back on the past week to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted and the goals I’ve completed.

| This Week by Proxy: 12 – 18 February 2018 |

This week has been quite a busy one and, though I’ve been reading throughout the week, have not actually finished any books at all! Shocking, I know. I have however, probably done the equivalent of reading The Hobbit once again as part of my There and Back Again season – so I’m going to take it as another re-read down! Hope you’ve all had a wonderful week!

| Reviews Posted |

The Hit by Nadia Dalbuono

| Posts |

Top Ten… Doomed Romances of Fantasyland

Teaser Tuesdays: February 13 – Half the World by Joe Abercrombie and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Waiting on Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday by Raymond E. Feist

The Friday Face-Off: Groovy Baby

Friday Firsts: Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

Chapter + Verse – The Hobbit: Chapter II – Roast Mutton

| February Goal Progress |

To read four books

Status: 2 of 4 Complete

heart

To write a review once a week

Status: 2 of 4 Complete

What have you been reading this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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Teaser Tuesdays: February 13

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays – a weekly feature hosted by The Purple Booker. Expect a new teaser every week!

| Teaser Tuesdays: February 13 |

Half the World

Book Two of the Shattered Sea

by Joe Abercrombie

Fantasy | 484 Pages | Published by Harper Voyager in 2015

“Thick neck darted towards her and she blocked his sword with hers, steel clashing, chopped at him and struck splinters from his shield, stepped away, trying to give herself room to think of something, slipped on fallen fruit in darkness and lurched against the table. A sword chopped into her leg.“

~ Chapter: Rage | Page 303 | Half the World by Joe Abercrombie

| Synopsis |

Thorn Bathu was born to fight. But when she kills a boy in the training square she finds herself named a murderer.

Fate places her life in the hands of the deep-cunning Father Yarvi as he sets out to cross half the world in search of allies against the ruthless High King. Beside her is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in her eyes and his own, the voyage is his last chance at redemption.

But warriors can be weapons, and weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn always be a tool in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path? Is there a place outside of legend for a woman with a blade?

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fantasy | 306 Pages | Published by HarperCollins in 1995

“To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.

Very puffed he was, when he got to Bywater just on the stroke of eleven, and found he had come without a pocket-handkerchief!“

~ Chapter II: Roast Mutton | Page 29 | The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

| Synopsis |

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.

Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo.

Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

| Join In |

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This Week by Proxy: 01 – 11 February

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This Week by ProxyWelcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I look back on the past week to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted and the goals I’ve completed.

| This Week by Proxy: 01 – 11 February 2018 |

The beginning of February saw my return to blogging – something I have missed for a long time. While I’m still finding my feet once again, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating new posts, reading books, both new and old, and catching up on everything I’ve missed in this wonderful blogging community. A huge thank you to all my blogging friends for welcoming me back, continuing to reading this blog and for continuing with my neglected memes in my absence!

| Books Read |

| 1. |

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

With the start of my There and Back Again season, I decided to give The Hobbit an initial re-read before proceeding chapter by chapter every week for my Chapter + Verse posts. Suffice to say my love for this book only grows with age, and I cannot wait to explore the ins and outs of Middle Earth a little further.

| 2. |

Half the World by Joe Abercrombie

The second book in Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea trilogy lived up to all expectations as an action-packed, exciting read full of the trademark sword swinging, blood letting, comic violence and sticky ends. I cannot wait to continue the series with Half a War in the near future. 

| Reviews Posted |

The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley

| Posts |

The Month Ahead: February 2018

Tough Travelling: Shapeshifters

The Friday Face-Off: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The Friday Face-Off: My, What Big Teeth You Have

Friday Firsts: The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

Friday Firsts: Half the World by Joe Abercrombie

Chapter + Verse – The Hobbit: Chapter I – An Unexpected Party

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books I Still Haven’t Read

Teaser Tuesdays: February 06 – The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Waiting on Wednesday: Black Mirror – Volume 1 edited by Charlie Brooker

| February Goal Progress |

To read four books

Status: 2 of 4 Complete

heart

To write a review once a week

Status: 1 of 4 Complete

What have you been reading this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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Teaser Tuesdays: February 06

| proxyfish

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays – a weekly feature hosted by The Purple Booker. Expect a new teaser every week!

| Teaser Tuesdays: February 06 |

The Grace of Kings

Book One of The Dandelion Dynasty

by Ken Liu

Fantasy | 641 Pages | Published by Head of Zeus in 2015

“Kuni looked at Mata, standing atop the walls like some arrogant hero of the Diaspora Wars, careless of the volleys of arrows that flew around him, and his heart was filled with admiration. Indeed, everyone was mortal in a terrifying world, but one could choose to live like Mata Zyndu and fight with no doubt, or cower in fear and indecision and let error compound on error.“

~ Chapter 22: Battle of Zudi | Page 238 | The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

| Synopsis |

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.

Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fantasy | 306 Pages | Published by HarperCollins in 1995

“As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and a jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.“

~ Chapter I: An Unexpected Party | Page 15 | The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

| Synopsis |

The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.

Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo.

Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction. Written by Professor Tolkien for his own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when published.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

| Join In |

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

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