First Post of 2025

First blog post of 2025! Can you believe we’re in 2025!? I can’t and it’s boggles my brain a little. 

So, while I am binge-watching the newest series of the Traitors (my guilty pleasure as I am not a huge fan of reality TV), I thought I would share a few titles I am holding space for this year (something I rambled about in my last 2024 post). And yes, most of these are LONG (pray for me!)

Now, there are several titles I have my eye on, which I’m not going to share with you guys. Let me build the mystery on those (maybe I will make a shelf on my Goodreads & StoryGraph…). On some others that I have my beady little eyes on, shall we? (Oh, before I go further, I am going to put affiliate links for Bookshop.org but I will put a * next to it so you know where it is).  

The first is audiobook that I am currently listening to (so no surprise there), which is The Eye Of The World*, the first book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. This is a series I have been aware of for years, mainly by the black covers. As someone who enjoys reading fantasy, I am quite wary of long running series that have a lot of love/hype (why hello, Tolkien/Sanderson/Rothfuss). But this was on offer for 99p on kindle YEARS ago, so I bought it - only for it to sit angrily on my kindle like many ebooks on my TBR. But, sometime last year, I bought the audiobook (read by Rosamund Pike in connection with the TV series on Amazon Prime - yes, I am aware of the TV and I do want to watch it) and seeing as this is the year where I want to read longer books (without feeling guilty for taking my time), I finally hit PLAY in the first few days of 2025. 

I am only a few chapters into this 33 hour long audiobook, but I am really enjoying myself so I am eyeing the next few instalments. But seeing as the next few audiobooks read by her in this series range between 26 hours to 41 hours, if I decide to continue with this series, I will need to brace myself as it's a long series (14 books - 11 (12 if we include the prelude) written prior to the author's death and the final three by Brandon Sanderson (originally, this was meant to be one volume according to Jordan's plans, but due to several reasons [timing & continuity issues], this was split into three) and the pacing might be slower than my normal reads.

My second title on my radar to attempt this year is Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Suzanne Clarke*. Ok, I am going to admit that I have tried to read this several times since it's publication and each time, I get a little further but I always found myself losing interest and feeling that the footnotes took me out of the story (the story is quite dense, then you have the footnotes which are equally dense and some footnotes were longer than the chapter). But, I decided that I am going to try one more time but instead of reading, I am going to go via audiobook (36 hours and 35 minutes, so a tad longer than Eye of the World). But the only niggle I have is that Neil Gaiman reads the footnotes. I understand why he was chosen as he has championed this since its release, but with the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him coming to light the past few months, it leaves me with an unsettled feeling.

I keep saying this series over the past few years but I am determined to attack them this year: The Diviners by Libba Bray*. Yes, this series again. How many times have I said to you that I have this series on my Audible and I keep putting it off? Well, I really want to try this series, but I think I have always been put off by its length and the fact I am not a big fan of one/two of the lead characters. But, seeing as the longest audiobook is 22 hours 20 minutes (the shortest being 18 hours 14 minutes), I have no excuse seeing as both Eye of the World and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are both over 30-odd hours. If I can do an audiobook over 30-odd hours long, I can do this series with no trouble! Plus, I want to read Libba’s upcoming novel, Under The Same Stars, which is out next month so here’s hoping this will be the kick up the backside that I need to actually start and power through! 

Let me chat about one of my very few preorders so I know, once it's in my hands, I will be making time to slowly read this: The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare*. I took my time reading the limited proof first in the series, Sword Catcher*, over the course of the summer and autumn 2023 and I really enjoy savouring the world-building (yes, this was very much a set-up book for the series), so I plan to do exactly the same with Ragpicker King. Slowly read it over the spring months (though after how Sword Catcher ended, I do suspect I might find myself flying through this!).

Let me do one more title and then I will leave you to enjoy your day. Now, this is a late addition to the list and you can blame the bookish event I went to last year for this. Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu* is a cosy crime title (very different from the above titles which are very fantasy) and I am a sucker for a good murder mystery. Now, I know this character has been on BBC Radio 4 series and a TV series on U&Drama (I still hate the UKTV rebrand to U. Makes no sense) but not seen or heard either (though the TV trailer, which I will put below looks like fun! Adds to my neverending TV-To-Watch list!) so I am going to meet Mrs Sidhu via the book. I do hope I enjoy what people are calling Slough’s answer to Miss Marple…