As the year round down I ran out of reading steam, and I also stopped recording my books of Goodreads.
I have struggled to find a reading community on goodreads and, as an author, I've been disappointed by the prevalence of trolls on the platform. Having become more involved in Bookstagram, the support of book lovers there compared to activity on Goodreads is quite marked.
Part of my approach to 2025 is to try and remove negativity from social media from my life, and I have rolled Goodreads into this.
This month I moved my reading from Goodreads to The Story Graph. I will pop back into Goodreads to leave the occasional review, but I will be tracking my reading on The Story Graph.
When I moved, I updated the books I could remember reading on December, and even joined a couple of reading challenges. I'm hoping this move will make my 2025 a happier, less fraught year.
Although I was in a bit of a reading slump, I have a couple of books reviews I wanted to share with you from the end of the year.
The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovich
This series is one of my happy place listens. Ben Aaronovich has built a great low fantasy world with addictive characters, and fun story lines. When read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, these books really come to life.
When I was in a reading slump in December, I went back to one of my favourite series to pull me out of my slump.
In the Rivers of London newly minted Constable Peter Grant finds a whole magical/paranormal London when he is asked to babysit a murder site. When a ghost comes forward as a witness, he finds there is an Inspector in the Metropolitan police who believes his tale.
As they look for the murderer, we meet river goddesses, more ghosts, magical creatures and wizards. Not only does this book have good world building, it integrates history with the story and a whole range of magical beings.
Revisiting this book managed to pull me out of my reading slump, but I tink'll I'll delve back into the series again over the next few months.
Buy The Rivers of London Series from Amazon
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I'm not usually a fairy-tale retelling type of girl, but I found this book based on a slavic folk tale on audibles's free list, and it was so intriguing and I couldn't stop listening.
With touches of Beauty and the Beast and eco friendly overtones, this story centres around Agnieszka and her life with the ageless wizard who is lord of the valley she lives in. It is unique and thought provoking tale set in an amazing fantasy world.
Naomi Novik surprised me into enjoying her academy series, The Scholomance, and she's done it again with this book. She's fast becoming one of my favourite fantasy authors.