2025 Resolutions

So, my reading plans for Reindeer Readathon 2024 went flying out of the window, and I have no idea why. I started this Readathon with such promise (I told you guys that I audiobooked two prompts in my last post as well as the three titles I had my eye on). And yet, my brain just wasn’t having any of it. I quit my library audiobook of Virigina Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway around 50% in (nothing is worth this torture) and I put on hold two reads as not in the right headspace. 

Then, after that, nothing really grab my attention. Nothing made me excited. I wasn’t in a reading slump, but I did think I was nearly there so I planned not to read over the Christmas period. Start 2025 fresh. 

And somewhere over the past few days, I realised something: the books and audiobooks I found quite fulfilling in the past year or so are books I took time with and didn’t force myself to rush. They were, also, in genres or sub-genres I don’t naturally go towards, which I found quite surprising. 

So, I decided that 2025 Reading should be books/ebooks/audiobooks that I found fulfilling to read, and not worry about rushing to blog my thoughts on here or my socials. 

But I think this should be my goal for this coming year as a whole. While I did things this year I thoroughly enjoyed, I want to do more of it. More museum visits, more libraries, more book events that I want to go to, more things that I will enjoy physically/mentally/etc. 

So, no plan expect to try and find balance and enjoy. But, with all the best laid plans, it will go off the rails quickly, me thinks. So, if you fancy following me on here or on any of my socials, you are more than welcome (I shall pop them below and I will try and keep them as updated as possible!)

INSTAGRAM - instagram.com/pewterwolf/

GOODREADS - goodreads.com/PewterWolf

STORYGRAPH - thestorygraph.com/profile/pewterwolf

FACEBOOK - facebook.com/ThePewterWolf

BOOKSHOP.ORG (Affiliate) - uk.bookshop.org/shop/PewterWolf

Now, with that all out of the way, all I have to say is thank you. Thank you to everyone this year for either reading my blog/socials (even though I am changing how I blog as I have been doing this for near 15 years!!!) and the all the authors/publishers/PR people and everyone in the bookish community who has either made me smile/recommend new (to me) books and for helping me keep going with this when there were days I just wanted to call it. 

A special thank you goes out to my family, friends and the Other Half. I love you all. 

Until we next meet, see you all in the New Year and happy reading. 

Happy 2024!

Hello and happy 2024! How we all feeling so far? Have you enjoyed the festive season and looking forward to this fresh new year? 

As you probably noticed, I took December off. It happened by accident. Due to redundancy in November, my reading and my attention span to audiobooks took a hit and, by the time I realised, I went “Well, I usually take a few weeks off over Christmas and New Year, why not start now and return in January…?”

So that is what I did. It helped as I decided to tackle so books on my To Be Read list that are a little bigger and longer than my normal reads and pick some titles that have been on my list for FAR TOO LONG!

While I await the new series of The Traitors to start tonight (anyone else excited?!), I might as well chat about some (not all) of the books I read over the Christmas period. 

Most of these are short stories or novellas. Don’t get too excited. 

Choice by Jodi Picoult is a 40-odd minute long audiobook, which came from the Wade vs Roe overturning that happened in USA, and the fact that states decided that ban legal abortions, even if the woman was a victim of rape or incest or if the abortion will save the women’s life. In this shorty story, men are beginning to wake up pregnant and women aren’t, and follows a recently broken up couple where, on the morning of getting a huge promotion, James finds out he is pregnant and, because of this, is refused the promotion and Margot, a social worker, is seeing young, desperate teenage boys who are pregnant and are begging for help. help she can’t provide because, if she did, she would be arrested. 

This turns on the tables on the US Supreme Court overturning Wade vs Roe and, while looking at sexism and why choice is so important. I wish this was longer than 40 minutes as I would love for it to go further, but is hugely timely. 

Another short novella I read during December was The Invitation by Ajay Chowdhury. Taken place after the events of the third book in the series, The Detective, it follows Kamil Rahman who offers to help his boss, Anjoli, when she receives a strange email entitled Beheading. Claiming it’s an invite to the Tower of London to celebrate the 500 year anniversary since Anne Boleyn’s beheading, the pair go. But when they get there, things take a sinister turn when they discover an old uni friend of Anjoli has been kidnappped and they are against the clock to save her… 

I have been meaning to read Ajay Chowdhury for YEARS now. Even since the first book in the series, The Waiter, first came out but I never get round to it. So, when I saw this short story and it was free, I jumped on it and devoured in almost one sitting, just like Choice… In 2024, I will be reading The Waiter. 

I read one more short story (an MM romance called Not In It For the Money by Gabbi Grey - which was a nice quick read that I read in less than 20 minutes) and I quit a ebook (that I purchased for free so no guilt) at the 60% mark called 1st Shock by Misty Evans and Adrienne Giordano. It wasn’t for me as was a tad too dry for my tastes. 

I did audiobook and read a few novels over December and I will probably chat to you about one or two in the coming days/week. 

So, Happy 2024! I hope your reading over the festive period was fun and your 22024 reading will be a delight!!!

What I Read Over Christmas And New Year (Part Two)

Oh yes, another post. This will be the last of these, then should be back to normal(ish) blogging schedule. A little more relaxed for the next few weeks but, hopefully, you will see some titles that I think you guys will LOVE! And some you might not. And some that are a little outside of my comfort zone and a little left-field! Oh yes, this year, I am planning to shake things up reading wise (you can blame last year for this! Sorry/not sorry in advance as I think you might be surprised and should be excited of the direction this year's reading is going to go!) 

So, let's shake off 2020 (again. I know most of us did it already but no harm doing it twice and with a Taylor Swift gif as well) and chat some of titles read over Christmas 2020 and New Year 2021, shall we? 

What I Read Over Christmas & New Year (Part One)

HAPPY 2021! Please, for the love of everything, can this year be better than last year!

Well, I hope you had a lovely Whatever-You-Celebrated last month and are ready for 2021. The Pewter Wolf Reads has had a tiny changes here and there. You might have noticed. You might not have. But the big thing is I have got rid of all my affiliate links and closed my accounts. Mix of reasons, in case you are wondering. Lack of traffic, Brexit, time and effect to use/create and, the big one, one less thing to worry about if/when I decide to call it a day with book blogging. 

But not yet. Nope. You are stuck with me for a little while longer. Though I might change how I blog for the next few weeks/months, so watch here and most of my socials...

So, what have you guys been reading over the past few weeks? Rather than write long reviews/write-ups on each of these, I thought I would briefly touch on each of the reads so you know briefly what I have read and, hopefully, will be up to speed. Also, just in case you are wondering, you can stay up to date with my reading via my Twitter (@PewterWolf) and my Goodreads (goodreads.com/pewterwolf) as I MIGHT - I stress this as am not sure on this plan as of yet - not review everything on the Pewter Wolf in the next few weeks...

End of 2020

2020. Well.... this has been a strange year, hasn't it? 

Well, yeah. Maybe I won't reference the car-crash of this year as this is my last post of 2020. And seeing as I didn't do this type of post last year (I went on a mad reading/blog tour sprint last year, didn't I?), I'm not sure what the rules are for these types of posts. Plus, with most of us feeling a bit burnt out due to 2020 (oh, this year was rough on us, wasn't it?), a nice few weeks off will be wonderful. 

Now, before I go, I'm going to put some music videos up as, while books and audiobooks did save me this year (and I had mini-reading/blogging burnout throughout the year because of this), music and podcasts were essential to me (as was binge-watching things on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, SkyQ and Disney+). 

But before I do, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to all you wonderful authors and illustrators for creating wonderful stories. Thank you to all the publishers for releasing them to the world in these trying times. Thank you to all the publicists who pushed books onto us. Thank you to all of the booksellers who kept selling books, even though stores closed and some for their jobs under threat. To all the book bloggers/Booktubers/bookstagrammer/Tik-Tokers/podcasters/etc for keeping promoting and loving stories. 

Now, to my family, friends and my Other Half, just thank you. 

Now, before I go, I want to you wish you all a lovely and safe holiday (whether that be Christmas, Hanukkah, Pancha Ganapati, Yule or other holidays that I need to do more research into) and I will see you sometime in January 2021! 

Now, the music that I have been into this year (it's a weird mix and yet, not so much)!

End of 2018 Post

Ok, this is a little earlier than I was expecting but I've decided that this post here is going to be my last for 2018! WHERE THE HELL HAS THIS YEAR GONE, GUYS?!

The reason I am writing this now instead of the next few days is because I will be back blogging in the New Year a week earlier than I planned so keep your eyes peeled! Plus, am going to try and do a little experiment on The Pewter Wolf where January is going to be a book reviewing free zone. It's kinda happened by fluke where other types of blog posts are taking up January and seeing as I am a tad stubborn and don't want to realise any blogposts on weekend, it's just happens that January is going to be a tad different than normal. So, no real book-review posts to my knowledge in January 2019, although I might - MIGHT -  break this with one, possible two books, but most book reviews will be up in February. Plus, this also gives me a bit of breathing room as scared am going to fall into reading slump over Christmas and New Year and I have made plans to read a few books by certain dates and I CAN NOT BREAK THEM!

Although, if you do want reviews, keep eyes peeled on my other social media outlets - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Goodreads - as I will try and put one or two up on these platforms in one form or another...

But this is gonna be a short post as all I want to say is thank you.

I know I don't have a huge readership compared to other book blogs who are smarter, funnier, cooler or more cat-like than me, but I am really grateful. I am grateful that authors, publishers, PR people and other cool book people still think my blog can be involved in promoting their book/series and allow time to tweet/email and check I'm ok. Same for when they meet me at events and am going through a tiny self-confidence crisis. Thank you for being kind and thoughtful.

To all my fellow book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters/instagrammers/etc, thank you for always being welcoming to old blogging folks like me (8 years I've been doing this! CAN'T YOU BELIEVE THAT?!) and yet always welcoming newer bloggers into the community! Your passion, warmth and dirty senses of humour are wonderful and there are a few of you I think of as wonderful friends so thank you.

To real life friends, family and my Other Half, thank you for being there and laughing at the amount of books I have and reminding me that there is a life outside of books, telling me to calm down when I get worried/stressed/flap over things I shouldn't worry over. And for your love. Thank you for loving me as much as I love you. I couldn't my lives without you all.

Just thank you all.

Now, am going to leave you and try and enjoy the last few days of 2018 (by working! And reading!) but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy and Hopeful New Year and wonderful holiday. See you in the future!

HAPPY 2018!

HAPPY 2018 AND WELCOME BACK TO MY BLOG!!!

So, we made it. We survived 2017! So, what's the plan for this blog this year? What is my blogging New Year resolutions? I must have loads, I hear you cry! I mean, I write one of these EVERY YEAR, outlining my plans and ideas and going "I'm going to do THIS! And THIS! And maybe even THIS!"

Well, I do. I have ideas of what I want to blog to do and went I want it to go in resolutions. I made a list and everything. But something made me go "Actually, I want to do all the things I want to do - use the library, read more diversity, take risks, reread more, use my kindle more, do more culls on my TBR. Yes, I want to do all them, but what I really want to do is one key thing."

So, that's what I'm going to do. This year, my main aim for my reading is fun. Reading for fun. Bring the fun back.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? It's not.

I enjoy reading, don't get me wrong. And I enjoy blogging, again don't get me wrong. But I want to inject the fun back. I want to read books that make me smile, laugh, gasp, scream in anger but go "I enjoyed myself with this. It's not perfect, but it was fun and I had a whale of a time!"

Now you see why the whale gif was put at the very start of this post...

Because, that's what's reading about. Having a whale of a time. Yes, I want books to challenge how I see the world or do reading challenges that make me go "Why did I think this was a good idea again? (yes, I might still do the Read All Dan Brown Novels This Year... maybe... I'm still in 2 minds about that) but I want to read fun!

So, that's what I am planning to do. Read more fun. This will mean that I might not read the latest "OMG!" read, or will post as often as I like (some of the books I have my eye on reading are over 500 pages long - ARGH!!!), but I am going to read some books that, I hope, are going to make me smile!

End of Year Time!

This time next week, we will be celebrating Christmas! So, this will be my last post for this year! Like Neighbours, Home and Away, and our fave US dramas, am going on my Christmas break. And I don't think I will be coming back till the 8th January! Maybe even later - it really depends on real life matters, but am working towards the 8th January 2018 (wow, that was weird to write!)

So, I hear you ask, why am I writing this post. To show you guys some of my fave reads of this year? Maybe... Or maybe I should show you some covers of books that I had fun reading. As, like am always saying on the blog (and maybe I should say more often), reading should be a pleasure and should be fun! So, let's do that! Here are some books I had fun reading!

I sense some of you are going to backtrack and go "You didn't give these 5 stars" for these. Yes, I know, but like I said, I want to go "Ta-dah" over books I had fun reading.

But this post is just a short "Thank you" post. Thank you to all the authors, publishers, PR comapnies/people and book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters for helping me this year with being involved with wonderful and exciting books and for pointing me in the right directions over books that you guys went "You need this on your radar!"

To my family and friends, thank you for dealing with me this year as I have been all over the place with blog and in real life. I know I am not the easiest person in the world - am a bit of a nervy person so... yeah. Thank you for being there. I love you all.

To my Other Half. I love you.

And now, to you, dear reader, I thank you for reading my blog/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest/etc and for chatting/interacting with me about books, cats and goodness knows what else. I hope I will still be able to keep writing this blog and keep the fun at it throughout next year! Fingers cross that 2018 is going to be a good year - I mean, it can't be worse that 2017 when you look at the news, right?

So, to you all, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas or whichever religious holiday you are celebrating over the next few weeks and I will see you in the New Year! SEE YOU IN 2018, YOU LOVELY LOT!!!

End of Year Note

When in doubt on how to start a blog post, use a gif. Hence why I used a Friends gif yesterday, a Modern Family gif now and goodness knows what gif I'll use to end this post! Shall we go and find out? 

*scrolls down* ... oh. Really, Andrew? Letting the side down, aren't you? I mean, this is the final post of the year - oh, you guys didn't know that? Ooops. 

Yeah, sorry to throw this at you. But this is my final post of the year, so I can enjoy the holiday season the only way I can... 

Ok, if you know me at all, you know I won't get stinking drunk. In fact, when I do have an alcohollic drink, most of my family/friends/partner look at me in shock. "You're drinking? Are you ill?! What's wrong?!" 

But after the year we've all had, I think we're allowed to let loose for a day or two. Within reason. I mean, 2016... wow, 2016. A year most of us will want to forget. Brexit, Trump, all the people we love/admire/respect dying. Yeah... 2016 wasn't a happy year. So, we will be running into 2017 and, when we do, we'll turn to 2016 and either give it a rude gesture or 

How many of you, I wonder, saw this gif and went either "CURSE YOU, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!!!" or sung "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorperated"? (That's the only reason this gif is in here. A tiny, tiny bit of humour!)

But, honestly, we'll be walking into 2017, hoping that this new year will be better than the last! We'll be staring at it, waiting for the moment it begins to look like it's going to misbehave so we can either do this...

... or this...

Well, this blog post isn't going the direction I was hoping for. So much for fun and light. 

So, this year was difficult, but we've made it. And hopefully 2017 will be easy on us (it better!!!). And reading was fun this year. A mixed bag as well and finally, I seem to have discovered that I can be ruthless on my reading (at last! Am practicing what I say!) 

And, hopefully, the new year will be the same. I will be reading and listening to stories that will excite me and I will fall in love with. So much so, I will turn to you guys and go "GUYS! GUYSGUYSGUYS!!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!!! IT'S SO COOL!!!"

And, hopefully, I will be more proactive on future blog posts. Hopefully, it will be a mixed bag of stuff I hope you guys will like to read. 

Now, am going to sign off now. Have been rambling. But, before I do, I want to thank you all. To all the publishers, all the authors, all the PR people, to you readers, to my fellow bloggers/vloggers/podcasters... I want to thank you all for making this year so much fun blog wise. It has been a struggle and there have been a few times I have gone "Should this be the end I wrap this up?"

But am having far too much fun now! AM BACK IN MY GROOVE!!! 

To my family, friends, fiancee - thank you for putting up with me. I love you all. 

So, I should wish you all a very merry Christmas or whatever festive holiday you keep and I shall see you in the new year (I am thinking either Thursday 5th or Tuesday 10th so mark those dates in your calendar!). 

Ok, that's a bit of a scary gif to leave you on. Ok, let's leave this post on here. See you in the New Year! 

Quick End of Year Note

So, it's Christmas tomorrow and the end of the year in a few days time, so it's time for us bloggers to write our end of year post. Our favourite reads, our favourite memories, our year...

Instead, I'm going to say something to you. Something I haven't told anyone expect a few people (my Other Half and a few family members). But here we go:

I was going to quit this blog this year.

Of course I haven't quit. I'm still here, writing blogposts and plotting my future posts for this blog. But yes, a few years ago, I had a plan for this blog. A few years ago, when I had started this blog and other cooler book bloggers and UK publishers started to see my blog, I decided to think ahead. Think about when I should call it a day for the blog, just in case.

2015 was my last year of blogging. I had a plan for this year. I would either email all the publishers at the start or the end of this year, then I would give myself 12 months to get all my blog affairs in order - reviews, guest posts, everything to make 2015 the best year ever!

But I changed my mind. I changed my mind back in March, just after I won my Blogger's Blogger award from UKYA Blogger Award. I was excited over the win, honoured beyond belief and thought "Why not?". Plus, I didn't want to call time on this, just yet.

But this year has been a weird year. I won an award, then I panicked for a good few months, worrying that my blog had to be good enough to represent the award. To show that I deserved the win. But you guys never forced me. I forced me. It took till August for me to go, "Wait a minute! Why am I getting in a state over this?" and, once that clicked in my brain, I started to have fun again and plot things. I have something planned in the New Year which I need to announce and write up so... keep eyes peeled.

But this year has been a strange year. I won an award, panicked my blog wasn't good enough, did public speaking (while panicking! Thank God I had wonderful people who were doing the public speaking with me as I had fun and didn't tie myself into physical and mental knots!), got excited over the wave of new and old book bloggers heading this way and the books. Oh, the books!

Shame am only just climbing out of my reading slump, but BOOKS!!! SO MANY EXCITING BOOKS IN MY TBR PILE! Keep your eyes peeled over the course over the next year for them write ups!

And with private life, I moved (a fact some publishers still haven't grasp), got a kitten, still got a wonderful family and Other Half in my life and feel weirdly like am happy with the way my life is going (though the employment front is still a bit hit and miss, but you can't win them all!).

But to everyone (family, friends, publishers, bloggers, authors, readers, the love of my life), I just want to say thank you. I owe you all so much and I have no idea where to start. So thank you. Just thank you.

Before this gets too soppy, 2016. Where am I going with the blog next year? I can answer in one of two ways. The first is this:

The second (and probably more truthful) answer is I don't know. I have no idea. It's going to be one weird blogging journey and you know what? I can't wait to find out. Hopefully, by then, I will be out of my reading slump. Well, here's hoping... Of course, 2016 could be the year I decide to wear more "grown up" clothes... 

WHAT AM I SAYING?!

So, before I leave you to enjoy the next few weeks silence from me, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy start to 2016, and remember...

Sorry, couldn't resist. See you in 2016!

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Oh, were you enjoying that lie-in?

GETUPGETUPGETUP!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

WELCOME TO 2013!!! Let's get this year started with a BANG!!!

(My thanks to the tumblr of CassJayTuck)

Thank You

I know. I know it's a Monday and I know you want a SMILE post. I do. But I wanted to write a small New Year's message to you guys. I doubt you'll read this but... oh well! 

This is just a thank you. Thank you! THANK YOU! Thank you to each and every one of you who made this year awesome for me. From the publishers who (foolishly) sent me books to read and review. To authors who wrote wonderful, heartbreak, perfect stories (and who I met, hugged and almost fainted at their feet *cough* JK Rowling *cough*) To fellow book bloggers all over the world (but mainly to my fellow UK YA book bloggers) who have always made blogging and reading exciting and fun! And who have, always, welcomed me (and my weirdness) into the blogsphere! Thank you to my friends who have seen me go hyper over the weirdest of books and other things. Thank you to my family who I love beyond words and who have kept me mildly human and having a life away from books (does that even exist?). Thank you to my other half, who I love more than I thought possible and who bribes me with hugs when I getting into a fit of fury when I'm not enjoying a book (try it. It works). And to you, dear reader. Thank you for reading my blog, even when I doubt if my opinion matters.

Basically, am writing this post in this kinda mood...

2012 was a brilliant year. And here's to 2013, an even better year! I hope you have a wonderful New Year as well. 

And yes, I will try and keep my blog as weird as possible. Like Mike said in Friends:

(The GIFS come from CassJayTuck & FYeahFriendsGIFS. Just sharing the love...)

SMILE - Recovering From The New Year Celebrations!

Thanks to Fell From Fiction tumblr for these!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! To celebrate, here is a song that we should do more this year!

First Blog of 2011!

HAPPY 2011! See ya throughout the year!!!

PS - I stole the above from Reasoning with Vampires tumblr.