Sci Fi Month: Science Fiction in 2016... and beyond

Find out all about Lisa and Rinn's Sci Fi Month here.

Hi friends old and new. Apologies for falling off the radar last week; I had a family wedding to go to at the weekend, which fell during a time when I wasn't allowed to take holiday from work, so I ended up swapping shifts with a colleague and working for nine consecutive days. Good old retail(!) But I'm back just in time to wrap up November by having a look back on just a few highlights from 2016's science fiction films.

Star Trek Beyond: I'll try to keep this brief, as I still haven't got around to reviewing Star Trek Into Darkness, and I'd eventually like to have the set of full-length reviews. Star Trek Beyond coincided with the franchise's fiftieth anniversary, and in many ways the latest film went back to its roots. Into Darkness was, as suggested by the title, a rather gritty tale, with terrorism, revenge and moral ambiguities (mixed in with a lot of borrowing from The Wrath of Khan and the episode "Space Seed.) Beyond returns to the more hopeful Utopia that Gene Roddenberry conceived - even if all is not as it seems beneath the surface. The plot is fairly standard Star Trek fare; there are too many explosions and action sequences, but it is a wonderful celebration of the characters, who spend a decent chunk of the film separated and working in pairs. After a rather irritating start in the prequel films, Chris Pine has settled well into the role of Captain Kirk, away from the popular perception of the character as a cocky womaniser, and closer to how he actually was. Bones and Spock's bickering friendship is a thing of beauty; their scenes together were the highlight of the film. There was also a moving tribute to the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, who passed away last spring. And of course there was a double-whammy this time around with the death of Anton Yelchin this year; his Chekov played only a small part in the proceedings, but lit up the screen whenever he appeared, and we finally got to hear what was "inwented in Russia." A talented actor and an endearing character; he is irreplaceable and will be sadly missed.

Ghostbusters (2016 reboot): To be quite honest I wasn't sure whether to include this as science fiction, or whether it would be more strictly classified as supernatural horror. Ghosts aren't usually a feature of sci-fi, but, like the 1980s original, the team use science and technology instead of excorcism and magic in order to defeat the forces of darkness, so I'll include it anyway.

The new film attracted a lot of criticism when it was release, particularly from die-hard fans of the original cult classic. Remaking something so beloved is always a risky move. Although I've enjoyed the original, I must confess that I don't have a particular attachment to it (it is dryly amusing but I really don't see it as a comedy) and so I was happy enough to see what the new cast had to offer. It is more overtly comedic than the original, with varying levels of humour - some jokes were not to my taste, while others made me giggle like a schoolgirl in the cinema. On a repeat viewing, I wasn't sure it held up to my memory of it; perhaps being in a room full of laughing people made it seem funnier than watching alone at home. But the ghostbusting quartet (Kirsten Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and the amazing Kate McKinnon) form a formidable team. The film does not make a point of the team being remarkable despite or because of being women, they just get on with the job in hand without a mention of their gender - just like their male predecessors do! It's a rare movie not to have even a whiff of romance, unless you include Kirsten Wiig's character finding Chris Hemsworth to be pretty, or Kate McKinnon's Holtzmann finding her pretty. It's all about strong friendships and fighting the apocolypse.

Perhaps there is a pointed lack of subtlety in the villain being a marginalised geek who has been bullied and sneered at all his life, and has taken to sneering at the rest of the world. I can see why he might upset Ghostbusters fanboys. But he has his foil in the Ghostbusters themselves. They too have lived with being the outsiders, the geeks, the "ghost girl" and the freak. It's no excuse, the movie says. You get to choose how your experiences shape you. Use your weirdness for good or for ill.

I suspect the new Ghostbusters will not join its predecessor in the cinematic history books as a classic; there are no plans for a sequel, but that's okay. The last thing we need is another never-ending franchise outstaying its welcome. As a stand-alone, it is fun and enjoyable, and a good example to little girls who want representation in the world beyond princesses and fairies.

Arrival: Most of the films I've seen in cinemas in recent years have either been based upon books I've read, or part of an ongoing franchise. Arrival is the exception; it was originally a short story, but not one I've read, so I went in knowing hardly anything about it. This is the best way to experience Arrtival, and I can't say very much without spoilers. It is the tale of a linguist (Amy Adams) who is tasked with communicating with aliens whose vessels appear above twelve spots around the world. Arrival is a quiet, gently paced film with a small main cast, balancing a deeply personal, bittersweet story with the big implications of extraterrestrial life, the links between language and understanding the universe. It is an intelligent movie, thought-provoking and hushing, combining sadness and hope, and it was very satisfying to my geeky heart and mind.

I've found it interesting to notice that the stand-out sci-fi of this year has been rather more optimistic than of late. How many dystopian futures have we seen in the twentieth century? How many darker and edgier remakes? (Battlestar Galactica, I'm looking at you!) Arrival is bittersweet but ultimately optimistic about humanity. Star Trek turned its back on the "grimdark" and returned to its hopeful vision of teamwork. And I've absolutely fallen in love with Becky Chambers' novels, with their vision of a far-distant future with good intergalactic relationships and alliances.

But science fiction inevitably is influenced by the time it was written, and 2016 has been a time of great change - and not for the better. The dark spectres of humanity have crept out of the shadows; people begin to forget the lessons learned from history's shames. The new year will bring with it a very different understanding of the world than many people held as we entered 2016. So I wonder how science fiction creators are going to respond to this changing world. Will we be deluged once more with dystopian warnings? There is a valuable place for this, but also for hope. Remember that Star Trek first aired in the 1960s, during the Cold War, in a time and place of great racial and gender inequality, and the show helped pave the way for social change. And I think we need that now as much as ever.

What were your science fiction highlights of 2016? Where do you think the genre will take us in the next few years? I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

2015 in review

 Hi all! Sorry (again!) that I haven't updated my blog for a couple of months. I took November off in order to focus on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which was a bit of a struggle in places but I managed to hit 50 000 words on day 29! Since then I've been working most of the time. I've got some posts I'd like to write (or finish writing) between Christmas and New Year, including my review of the new Star Wars film, a review about Booker nominee A Little Life which I liked most of the way through, but which left a bad lingering impression (which is why I haven't finished the review) and a post about updated adaptations of classic literature, such as BBC's Sherlock, all the rom-coms based on Pride and Prejudice, and the two webseries inspired by Anne of Green Gables. But for now I'm going to review my reading year with the help of Jamie The Perpetual Page Turner's annual end-of-year Survey. (Thanks Jamie!)

Number Of Books You Read: 139

Number of Re-Reads: 19

Genre You Read The Most From: General/literary fiction (40 books.)

1. Best Book You Read In 2015? 

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett. If the Discworld books must end, as all things must, this was as close to a perfect rounding-off of the series as you could hope for. Yes, I cried.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Needful Things by Stephen King. I really love some of King's books, (The Shining, 11/22/63) but others leave me unmoved (Cell.) Needful Things had an excellent premise: the new shop in town with the sinister proprietor, who will sell you your heart's desire - at a price. But by the end, the body count was so high that I stopped really caring. It's a shame.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld, which was surprising in a good way: a book about books, mysteries, a crumbling old house and a great plot twist. A really intelligent and gripping book.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? I handed Bex a copy of How The Marquis Got His Coat Back in Waterstone's, but I don't know if she's read it yet. And I bought my friend Paul Ready Player One when I found it in a book sale, and lent his brother John my spare copy of Neverwhere, but again, I don't know whether they've had time to read then yet (this was only a couple of weeks ago.)

 5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015? I don't read many series books, but I did begin Robin Stevens' wonderful Wells and Wong mysteries. The best sequel was "How The Marquis Got His Coat Back" by Neil Gaiman, a short story/novella really, long-awaited sequel to Neverwhere which is my absolute favourite book of all time (perhaps second to Anne of Green Gables.) As for the best series ender: see my answer to #1.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015? Ali Smith. Her name had been on my radar for a very long time, but I'd always felt a little intimidated by her experimental prose. But The Accidental was very readable and thought-provoking, and I do not intend to leave it so long again before reading more of her work.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth (language and linguistics.) It examines good writing at great detail, exploring all the techniques Shakespeare, for example, used, and shows exactly why his plays have lasted for centuries.

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Possibly Mr Mercedes by Stephen King - not one of the horror novels which he's best known for, but a detective story that keeps you guessing.

 9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan. Reminds me a bit of the cover for The Night Circus which is another favourite.

11. Most memorable character of 2015? Harriet Manners from the Geek Girl series, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong from the Wells and Wong mysteries, and poor Jude from A Little Life.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015? The Accidental by Ali Smith. Pure poetry.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern. It encourages you to have compassion even for some of the more unlikeable, unsympathetic people you come across in life. Or Elizabeth is Missing, whose protagonist's mind is slowly being worn away by dementia; she is so clear on some matters and yet cannot keep new things in her head all the time. 

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? 

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. I didn't love it, but I'd had my eye on it for years.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?
"It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else." Catherynne M. Valante - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship of Her Own Making.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015? Longest: probably Cross Stitch (better known as Outlander) while the shortest would have been the Happiness Is... book, which although it was quite thick, had only a couple of words on each page. That, or some of the Penguin Little Black Classics, which were about 50 pages each.

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

The ending of Dexter's Final Cut. I know there's another book to follow it in the series, but I don't know whether I want to read it. Dexter's Final Cut had an open ending, but one that says "this is where it all changes." 

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

*shrug* Nothing springs to mind. I did reread Anne of the Island though, which has a more romantic focus, and Anne and Gilbert are a lovely couple. But the rest of the romances, I can just take or leave.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Maybe Jude's friendships in A Little Life. The ending of that book has soured my memory of it, but I did find some of the relationships in it really heartwarming, especially between him and his adopted father, and another friendship that turns into love later on (but I am counting it here rather than "OTP".)

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Reaper Man, Wintersmith and The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett.

21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

HHhH by Laurent Binet, which Hanna put into my hands when we found it in a charity shop in Chesterfield. 

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015? None really. Maybe Jamie from Outlander.

23. Best 2015 debut you read? The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? Also The Gracekeepers.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? The Wells and Wong Mysteries (Arsenic for Tea was my favourite) or Nunslinger. A nun on the run in the Old West. What's not to love?

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

The Shepherd's Crown. Of course.  

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Vintage Girl by Hester Browne - a really happy book. 

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

A Little Life by Hanya Yanigihara. I've had a half-finished review in my drafts folder for about two months which - when I get to finish and post it - will explain in great detail why. But I can't quite bring myself to think about that book enough to finish writing about it.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

The Gracekeepers, probably.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

A Little Life again. 

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 

2015?

I - I don't think I've actually followed any new blogs this year, unless Erica at The Bookshop Around the Corner was a 2015 discovery. I thought I'd been following her longer though. Hers is a bookshop blog, rather than a book review site, and I've found lots of new shops around the country thanks to her recommendations.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

The Atticus Problem, a discussion on different ways to understand the differences between To Kill a Mockingbird, and Go Set A Watchman, which was published this year, more than 50 year after its prequel. 

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Meeting up with various friends that I've made through blogging: Laura and Bex (twice together, plus Bex once) and Ellie and Hanna in Chesterfield. 

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015? Although March was a very sad time in the geek world, with the death of Sir Terry Pratchett, it was heartening to see so many people come together to celebrate his life and work, and share why he was so well loved by so many.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Getting back into blogging after taking a month off for NaNoWriMo (which turned into two months and ended with this post here. I've got three or four posts I'd like to write before the new year, and hopefully 2016 with bring plenty more wonderful books and blogging events to get me back into the swing of things.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My "In Memoriam" post for Terry Pratchett got a "+10" on Blogger, which is not a thing I knew even existed. Other than that, I only get a few comments on each post, and that if I'm lucky. 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? Well, I always appreciate comments. Nice to know people are reading things I've worked hard on.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? So many bookshops! Some that stand out are the Little Apple in York, (small, bright and friendly) Babushka Books in Shanklin (rather Black Books-esque in a way, but with typewriters for the customers to share their creative powers, and a little poetry nook) and Persephone in Bloomsbury. 

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I usually aim to read 100-120 books a year, and this year I went up to 139 (and still a few days to go.) My main challenge was to buy two new books for every three I read, in order to work through my to-read shelf. I let that slide in October and November, but still have 28 books (including three loans) on my shelf compared to 38 at the beginning of the year. (I know that's pathetic compared to a lot of my blogger friends who have entire libraries of unread books. But I want to buy only books I'm actually going to read, and older titles do tend to get pushed aside in favour of the shiny new ones.

I'm not going to answer the questions about 2016 releases, for the reason that I don't really know of many books that are coming out next year, and I don't request proof copies from the publishers for review. So my main hope for 2016 is that I will be pleasantly surprised many times over by books and authors I currently don't even know to anticipate. 

Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope to be back to blogging on a more regular basis in the new year.

Goodbye 2013

So here we are, at the end of another year. I hope you've all had a very merry Christmas. Mine was very short, as I was working on Christmas Eve, then was back in Boxing day through to the end of Saturday 28th, but I'm having part two of my Christmas break now. I'm feeling utterly exhausted - somehow it feels doubly tiring working when you know you should be on holiday than on a normal week - and Christmas feels like a distant memory, but I'll show off my bookish Christmas presents nonetheless.

From my Secret Santa at work: 

I love these "sprouting" bookmarks, they are adorable! And I think that the book holder could prove very useful for keeping my page open when I read while eating my lunch.

From my sister:

Dedicated To... compiled by W. B. Gooderham. This book is a collection of inscriptions found written in the front of second-hand books. I love second-hand books with writing in them; they are a little piece of history, and each one tells a story.

From Ellie:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I could not resist this book, but as it was not yet published in the UK, Ellie sent it to me as a lovely surprise. I read this book on Christmas day and Boxing day, and it's absolutely wonderful: the story of a shy, nerdy girl in her first year at university, juggling the real world with fanfiction-writing in the run-up to the release of the final book in her favourite series. Wonderfully identifiable - a proper review is coming soon.

From my parents: 

Doctor Who: The Vault. Treasures from the first 50 years. I haven't really looked at this book yet, but it's a gorgeous, massive collector's book for any fan of the show, going through the series year by year, Doctor by Doctor.

Other books: 

A Steroid Hit the Earth was a present from my friend Sharon, while F in Retakes was a stocking present from my parents. Both are hilarious books full of hilarious errors, one in published material (especially newsletters) and the other from exams. Good for a giggle

From my friend Hannah:

I haven't seen much of Hannah the last year or so. She's one of my best friends from university, now married to Paul, one of our former housemates, and she, like me, works in retail. She sent me this wonderful personal library kit, so that I can keep track of who I've lent books to, and (in theory) they will remember to return them to me. (Also, I always wanted to use one of those library stamps.)

I also got some book vouchers, which I will save up to have a big splurge in the new year (once I've got my to-read pile down a bit.) All in all, a good year for bookish presents. I am very satisfied.

Top Ten books of 2013

1. Redshirts - John Scalzi. I read this just as I was discovering Star Trek, which was perfect timing. Hilarious, fourth-wall-vaporising, embarrass-yourself-laughing parody of science fiction TV in general and original series Trek in particular.
2. Tell the Wolves I'm Home - Carol Rifka Brunt. A heartfelt story of growing up, love, loss, family and art. 
3. The Universe Versus Alex Woods - Gavin Extence. Thought-provoking, encouraging, funny and sad in equal measures, a wonderful, lovable character and a beautiful friendship between a teenage boy and an elderly curmudgeon.
4. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline. A treasure-hunt set within the world of a computer game, packed full of nerdy references, a real edge-of-the-seat adventure.
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman. The first adult novel from Gaiman in eight years, I finished reading the book the same day it was released, and went right back to the beginning to start again. A thoughtful, magical novel about childhood, family and identity, the power of memory and surviving in a messy world.
6. The Casual Vacancy - J. K. Rowling. Rowling leaves Hogwarts far behind her in her first novel for adults. The Casual Vacancy is a grim read, dark and furious, Dickensian in her passion for social justice. Not a pleasant book, but a very important one.
7. The Fictional Man - Al Ewing. All about storytelling and humanity, fiction and reality, and where to draw the line. Engrossing and hilarious, another book to be read in public at your own peril.
8. The Rose Petal Beach - Dorothy Koomson. Koomson's novels, though definitely very feminine, belay their pastel-coloured covers. The Rose Petal Beach was a thriller to be compared with Gone Girl. I got far more emotionally invested than I was prepared for.
9. Watchmen - Alan Moore. This graphic novel is a deconstruction of the superhero genre, dark but fascinating for its worldbuilding and storytelling. 
10. After the Fall - Charity Norman. A story "of families and secrets, and the futility of running from the past," the author kept me on my toes, surprising me and avoiding the trap of predictability. I read it with suspicion, but Ms Norman got past the emotional barriers I'd put up, with unforeseen, devastating plot twists.

Other new story worlds discovered:

• Dollhouse. Was it really only this year that I discovered this? Joss Whedon's science-fiction series about an illegal organising dealing in programmable people started off engaging me intellectually rather than emotionally, but by the end of series 2, I was shouting at the TV in almost every episode. 
• Les Miserables. The book, the film and the music took over part of my brain at the beginning of the year. I saw the film twice, once before and once after reading the book. Far from being the best novel ever written (and in serious need of a good editor), nonetheless Les Miserables is a massive epic of humanity (and one you can really hum!)
• Star Trek. This year I became a most reluctant Trekkie (I considered Dungeons and Dragons and Star Trek the point of no return when it came to nerdiness.) I watched the reboot movies, and the characters and the possibilities grabbed my attention and sent me right back to the original. Oops.

Other highlights of 2013

• Obviously, the top of the list was meeting my favourite messy-haired fantasy author, Neil Gaiman, when he came to Portsmouth this summer. It was a pretty much perfect day, starting with Neil walking right past me as soon as I got off the hovercraft in Southsea, continued by meeting one of my blog and twitter friends in person, quite by chance, and then having my hat complimented by Neil himself! 

• Meeting Ellie and buying up half her bookshop, when on holiday in the Peak District this year. It is a fine bookshop, and I'm sad that she's selling it, but happy for her that she's escaping the crazy customers and hectic six-day working weeks. Next time I'm up north, perhaps we can invade other bookshops together!

• The Peak District holiday in general: exploring caves, getting lost, falling over in the Chatsworth cascade waterfall-staircase, long walks with gorgeous scenery, and imagining myself to be in The Lord of the Rings. And more ice creams than I care to admit to.

• The Isle of Wight Festival: I spent a relaxing day at Seaview path, sitting on the grass and listening to music, culminating in Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," and then, the crowd moving en masse towards the Big Top, all chanting "one way, or another, I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha..." like a pack of zombies. 

• Snow! Yes, the winter went on far, far too long this year, but the first snow day was good fun.

• Visiting my friend Anna in Cardiff! It was good to catch up with her in her own environment, and I always enjoy visiting new cities. This trip included a visit to the Doctor Who Experience, free "milkshakes" (ahem) at TGI Friday's when the waitress got our orders wrong, and sampling as many different food places as I could. (Highlight had to be the crepe shop's "I'll have what she's having" crepe with strawberries, chocolate and cream.)

• Barbecues on the beach. We didn't have a spring this year, but summer made up for the last few years of wash-outs, and I spent much of June, July and August in the sea and eating sausages and burgers on the rocky beach at Gurnard.

So, that was my 2013. How was yours?

Happy new year to you all, and best wishes for 2014.

15-Day Book Blogging Challenge: Day Eleven

Day 11: Show off! 5 of your best blog posts!

1. The 50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments.

This one is what it says on the tin. My definitive top fifty moments from the entire series, both books and movies - but if I've forgotten one of your favourite scenes, lines or characters, let me know!

2. When Children's Books Were Two-And-Sixpence

An old post from the days before I actually had more than a couple of followers, before I'd found a book blogging community. In which I rant about kids' classic books being updated for a modern audience.

3: Adults: Why do you read YA?

From 2010, I wrote this post shortly after I'd rediscovered that teen fiction was not all shallow fluff. Also contains pictures of me as a scrawny teenager for you to laugh at.

4. Theatre: Much Ado About Nothing

A review of William Shakespeare's comedy, as performed in London by a certain Mr D. Tennant and Ms C. Tate. Be warned: contains fangirling.

5. V for Vendetta

A review in my very occasional "Graphic Novel Novice" series, this review compares book and film, setting the book against the context in which it was written, and how the different versions of the story complement each other.

Bout of Books Wrap-Up Post

The Bout of Books readathon finished on Sunday night, and yet it's taken me until now to write a brief wrap-up post. My apologies!

So, how did I do?

I read a total of 860 pages, which averages out as just under 123 pages per day. Not too shabby, considering that I was working full-time, spent one evening watching Star Trek and another in front of the TV, and was too ill to read on one of my days off. Of the three books I had set myself to read, I have read one and a half, plus one that I had not planned for.

The highlight of the week was definitely The Universe Versus Alex Woods: A charming, funny but sad coming-of-age tale with a narrator you can't fail to love. It's a book that inspires, challenges and gently educates the reader, and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Non-book-related highlights of the week included the Star Trek movie, both the film and the spending time with my friends beforehand. There are a few of us who have formed a sort of unofficial coffee and film group, specialising in science-fiction, superhero movies and kids' films. Several of us work in shops in the town centre, so we go to a late-opening coffee shop (or the pub) for snacks and hot beverages, (or wine) before heading down to the cinema. 

I spent quite a bit of time on the #boutofbooks hashtag on Twitter, participating in the first getting-to-know-you Twitter chat. (The second took place at 2AM here, and the third was while I was at work. I stayed up to date with some of my favourite book bloggers (such as Ellie and Hanna) and discovered others who were new to me (notable mentions go to Riv and another Ellie.) 

So, that was Bout of Books 7.0. Another readathon has been scheduled for August this year, and you can be sure I'll be taking part once more. Here's to a glorious summer, so I can spend my reading time on the beach, in the garden or in the park!