So you know I was all ‘I’m halfway through Troy‘ in the post yesterday? Well I wrote that post on Wednesday afternoon, and then that evening and the following day involved more driving and more sitting about reading whilst I waited for things and people than I was expecting… so I finished it.
And also a second book that I hadn’t even started when I wrote the original post.
Books Finished – the Complete Version!
- Heroes – Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures: Stephen Fry’s Greek Myths #2 by Stephen Fry (Read half in audio and half from the hardback book)
- To Save Every One – 200 Years Of The RNLI (Hardback book)
- 365 Days Wild: A Random Act Of Wildness For Every Day Of The Year by Lucy McRobert (Paperback book)
- Goroth: Everybody Loves Large Chests Volume 7 by Neven Iliev (Audiobook)
- A Dream So Dark: The Nightmare-Verse #2 by L. L. McKinney (Paperback book)
- A Crown So Cursed: The Nightmare-Verse #3 by L. L. McKinney (Paperback book)
- Here’s To Us: What If It’s Us #2 by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera (Paperback book)
- A Symphony Of Echoes: The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Book 2 by Jodi Taylor (Audiobook)
- Cryptids, Creatures & Critters by Rachel Quinney (Paperback book)
- The First To Die At The End: Death Cast Book #0 by Adam Silvera
- Troy: Stephen Fry’s Greek Myths #3 by Stephen Fry
Mini Reviews (of the last two – see yesterday’s post for the other titles)
I knew exactly what I was getting into when I bought The First To Die At The End. I did.
I knew that the first book (They Both Die At The End) broke me into a million pieces whilst delivering exactly what it said on the cover, and that this prequel was going to do exactly the same.
It’s not like you aren’t forewarned by the titles. And yet.
And yet.
So. Much. Crying.
A beautiful exploration of love and loss and joy and heartache and fear and humanity. Of working out what matters, seeing the best, seizing the day, and making the most of what you have.
These books should be depressing, but they’re not. Don’t get me wrong, they are SAD, but overall they are uplifting and full of burning hope for the world and the future.
I have preordered the third book in the series, so please expect more ‘why do I do this to myself’ in a few months’ time.
Adam Silvera – master of words that break your heart whilst also making you happy. It’s a skill.
Pass the tissues.
*
As for Troy, I enjoyed this one for all the same reasons as the others, but with the added thing of it joining together all the random bits of the legends that I knew from reading/watching Greek plays at college and uni.
Mostly what I remembered from those was a lot of women wailing and crying and not much else. Oh and a baby being thrown out of a window, or off a tower, or something.
Turns out there was indeed a lot of that, with copious amounts of buff Greek mortals and Demi-gods strutting about claiming to be the best at fighting/planning/wrestling etc and then killing each other over it all.
The sacking of Troy was vile and the women’s response of wailing a lot was entirely valid. (And yes, a baby did get launched out of a tower window for the crime of existing. I said it was vile.)
This means I am now all caught up and can read the next book (which I got for Christmas) – I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to launch straight in, or if I need a bit of a decompression break from the world of Greek Mythology after consuming so much of it this month.
Currently Reading…
I have picked up Coming Up For Air by Tom Daley next. I know, not my usual catnip – non-fiction and sport-based – but I am quite looking forward to it. I’ve read a whole 10 pages so far, but the style is easy and engaging so I’m hopeful.
I haven’t started my next Audiobook, but I have picked and downloaded Jay Kristoff’s DEV1AT3: Lifelike Book #2 ready to go next time I’m alone in the car or in the mood for stories not music round the house.
2025 Total So Far
Flying ahead of schedule now at 11/52.
Let’s see how long I can keep it up!
Carole Finds Her Wings 