Tomes

What I’ve been reading during the lockdown period #3

by Meaghan @ Tell Tale & Travel

Hopefully you’ll already be aware that I’ve been keeping track of all the books I’ve read during the UK Lockdown, and that I’m writing a small mini-review for each. But if you weren’t aware, now you know! Today’s list contains Reads 11-15, with considerably more traditional books than comics or graphic novels, due to the fact that I’ve started writing my first book. You can catch up with Reads 1-5 here, and Reads 6-10 here.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Silence of the Girls was a five-star prediction for me, as I love Greek myths & retellings so much that these books nearly always become favourites. However the fantasy/magic realism elements were fairly minimal so for that reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The magic was quite literally missing. That being said, there were some great lines and interpretations, especially the interpretation of Achilles as a butcher man-baby.

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

I can’t say truthfully that I enjoyed this book very much. I’ve heard so much about Holly Black that I was expecting some great things from Tithe, even though it’s her first book. I probably won’t be reading the sequels Valiant or Ironside, and with the mixed reviews about The Cruel Prince, I’m not sure I’ll be reading that one either.

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I think A Touch of Darkness is probably the first fantasy-romance book I’ve read since the Twilight series, as I’m generally not a great fan of romance. But this book, a modern interpretation of the Hades & Persephone myth, actually surprised me. Yes, it was cringe at times, but not half as much as I was expecting. I definitely will be reading the sequel, A Touch of Ruin, when it comes out.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places by Henry Carroll

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This was a book I asked my mum to get me as a birthday present this year – so even if it was rubbish, I wouldn’t have complained! Luckily, it wasn’t rubbish at all, and actually has some pretty good technical tips for amateur photographers like me, who generally only get their cameras out when they’re in a pretty place. The only problem is that I need lockdown to be over so I can put the tips to the test!

Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4

Rating: 4 out of 5.

In Curse of the White Knight #4 Batwoman takes centre stage as she searches for Azrael… and revenge. I read this at the beginning of the month and I clearly enjoyed it enough to give it a 4-star rating, but there isn’t a lot that sticks in my mind about it. You can make your own conclusions about that!

That concludes Reads 11-15, meaning next time we’ll pick up at #16! We’ve just entered May so sadly April’s Magical Readathon is over, but we’re heading straight into the Asian Readathon! See you next time for some Asia-inspired reads, but if you have any recommendations in the meantime, please let me know.

46 thoughts on “What I’ve been reading during the lockdown period #3”

  5. It’s great that you can read more during lockdown … I’ve never read less :/ but NO TIME TO WHINE, I really like that “Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places” is useful because I also enjoy photography and now I want to read it as well. Thank you for bringing attention to it 🙂

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  9. Ugh, Tithe was a book I read years ago and didn’t care for it either. Glad it wasn’t just me!
    I haven’t been reading as much as usual, but that’s because I have been updating my blog lol
    Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on more.

    tonyalee @ vivaciousbibliophile.com

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  13. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places is a book I kept seeing on Goodreads, so I’m happy to see it here. I’ve been reading Pride and Prejudice and finished Call me by your name last week. Got me in a reading mood!

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  14. I’ve been reading a lot too during lockdown. I haven’t heard of any of these books before though, thanks for sharing!

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  16. I love how the last two books on the list are so vastly different from the first three.
    The Silence of the Girls is a beautiful story; I love well-done retellings of myths and fairytales, especially if they shed light on previously confusing concepts. 🙂

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  17. The artwork on some of these books look really creative! During this lockdown when not working from home, I have been reading several books that have been on my shelf for some time, but hadn’t got round to reading until now! I have also been making a list on the ones I have finished, and I have got more to come too!

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  18. I also have The Silence of the Girls on my TBR and it is also a 5-star prediction for me. Now I am afraid to pick it up. Although, my expectations are not leaning towards the magical/fantastical elements. Crossing my fingers that I’ll still love it!

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  19. What a great range of books you have there! Being a lover of all things travel and photography, it looks like I might have to pick up the ‘Of Places’ version of Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs; after all, the original version was life-changing for me when I was first learning a few tips and tricks!

    Gabija | everylittlethingblog.weebly.com

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  21. I loved The Cruel Prince but I definitely don’t think I’ll be reading Tithe. I haven’t heard great things about it. Even though I’m not a fan of romance either, A Touch of Darkness does sound interesting so I’ll definitely have to check that out!

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  24. I’ve been reading more during lockdown too. Touch of Darkness and Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places both sound interesting. I quite like romance novels and anything that helps me better my skillset. I might have to add these to my amazon basket! Thanks for sharing dear.

    Tx. // Tajinder Kaur

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