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@gavreads

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It’s been over five years since Battle Ground. I’ll admit I didn’t finish it back then. I found the very long fight sequence exhausting. But the story hasn’t ended. Twelve Months is, I understand, a more reflective Dresden tale. And maybe the character, like the author, just needed time away.

Cover of Twelve Months by Jim Butcher, part of The Dresden Files. A man in a dark coat and wide-brimmed hat stands holding a glowing staff. Behind him, a circular magical sigil radiates light, surrounded by abstract, luminous structures. The top reads “THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES.” The overall tone is mystical and dramatic.

January 21, 2026 at 5:51 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

It seems I can’t walk into a bookshop on 2026 and not come out with a book. Slatter has been on my list for a while thanks to
various recommendations (it’ll be my first by her too) and the Abe was a vibes purchase fingers x I made a good choice.

January 12, 2026 at 9:38 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Thank you to everyone who recommended Sorcery and Small Magics. It was my read on a plane ride. The flight flew by, but I also cried. I mean, tears streaming down my face, crying. That f—ing ending!! I was agog. Highly recommend @orbitbooksuk.bsky.social @maigadoocy.bsky.social

Cover of Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy — starry forest backdrop, magical silhouettes, wolves, moths, and a red flower with a castle at its heart. Whimsical, rich, and spellbou

January 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

1st 26 read: @cstross.bsky.social’s novella A Conventional Boy. The lore is loring, and I think I need to reread some other works from The Laundry in order to do a review justice. Even if you’re not acquainted with the series, it’s a brilliant tale of what happens when TTRPGs get a little too real.

Cover of A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross. Two silhouetted figures stand amid flames and tentacles—one holds a gun. Oversized polyhedral dice, including a 20-sided die, float nearby. The background suggests supernatural chaos. A quote from Ben Aaronovitch reads: “Brilliantly disturbing and funny at the same time!”

January 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Do you know the best gadget I have bought this year for reading? Not the Boox Palma, which is a great phone-sized e-ink tablet perfect for ebooks as it has the Google App Store, but a Bluetooth remote that I can use to turn the pages without touching the screen. Game changer for ebooks.

A Boox Palma e-reader, a white remote control labeled “MTEAR,” and a graphic coaster rest on a dark surface. The Palma screen displays a library of unread books, including The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey and Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. The coaster features a stylized sun and moon, a ship, and wave-like vertical lines in red and black.

January 1, 2026 at 2:51 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

*breathes out* Oh, good, as it’s one of my books of the year, as well as my first Birdverse. I have these two. Any suggestions on what to read next?

Two fantasy book covers by R.B. Lemberg. Left: The Four Profound Weaves, dark background with golden birds and tapestry motifs, Nebula Award finalist badge, and a quote from Annalee Newitz: “The anti-authoritarian, queer-mystical fairy tale we need right now.” Right: The Unbalancing, blue and black design with stylized waves, birds, stars, and a mountain, labeled “A Birdverse Novel,” with a quote from Kate Elliott: “I am staggered by the richness and intricacy of R.B. Lemberg’s imagination.”

December 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

This is what happens when I get book vouchers at Christmas. I aim for poetry or classics. This time I satisfied both options.

Two books rest side by side on a train table with a wooden-effect finish. On the left, Southernmost Sonnets by Leo Boix shows a vivid collage of birds, butterflies, flowers, a snake, and a leopard layered over a map, with a quote from Chloe Aridjis. On the right, The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor features a black-and-white photo of a smiling woman, softened by a pink title band. A black bag peeks out beneath them.

December 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Horrormance! I can see that. I guess SF Specmance or Scimantasy?

A curated grid of twelve book covers themed “Horrormance”—a blend of horror and romance. The top two rows feature visually cohesive gothic designs, including The Dismembered by Jonathan Janz, The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, The Haar by David Sodergren, Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor, Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, and My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen. The third row, with Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, and Mestiza Blood by V. Castro, breaks the aesthetic pattern. Caption notes the genre mix and jokes about the visual shift. Instagram handle @georgesreads appears in the corner.

Instagram post from @claymcleod listing two horror book releases for August. First: Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman (Aug 11, Mira), a “horrormance” about love, possession, and a man back from the dead meeting a woman from somewhere worse. Second: Godfestation by Jendia Gammon (Aug 11, Sley House), a Southern Appalachian tale of grief and monstrous beings following Ivy Fernberg’s father’s death.

December 11, 2025 at 7:09 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Almost £1.5m in pledges!

This is going to go @joeabercrombie.com’s head isn’t it?

Screenshot of Kickstarter campaign The First Law: Signed & Personalized by Joe Abercrombie. Fantasy book covers displayed. Project expanded from signed editions to a special edition release. Campaign shows £1,419,778 pledged of £315,076 goal, 8,524 backers, 11 days remaining.

December 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

And the other two books I picked up.

Cover of At the Louvre: Poems by 100 Contemporary World Poets published by NYRB Poets. The book has a dark blue background with yellow and white text. Beside it is a colorful bookmark showing a cozy reading room labeled “OLD SMOKY READING ROOM,” with the phrase “OPEN DOOR OPEN BOOKS OPEN MIND OPEN HEART” above the entrance.

Cover of Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum, featuring a surreal, chaotic painting with mythical creatures. Includes a promotional bookmark from Shakespeare and Company advertising “A Year of Reading” subscription with 12 curated books and treats, plus a QR code and website link.

November 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Are you a book lover in Paris if you do not go to @shakespeareandcompany.com? I happily queued this weekend to get in. I came away with three books, all stamped. And I am very pleased with my selection and that I was able to have them stamped.

Exterior view of Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, taken while queuing. The storefront features green awnings with yellow lettering, a portrait of Shakespeare above the entrance, and chalkboard-style texts on either side. Benches sit outside the classic Parisian facade with tall windows and white walls.

Brown paper surface, likely a shopping bag from Shakespeare and Company, printed with a bold blue quote by Voltaire: “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” The bookstore’s name appears below in matching blue font.

Cover of Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Meyer, labeled “Winner of an English PEN Award.” Next to the book is a Shakespeare and Company bookmark promoting “A Year of Reading,” with details about curated books and treats shipped throughout the year, plus a QR code and website.

Open book showing copyright and title pages of Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Meyer, translated by Katy Derbyshire. Includes publication details from Fitzcarraldo Editions and a stamp from Shakespeare and Company featuring a bearded Shakespeare illustration and the phrase “KILOMETER ZERO PARIS.”

November 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Rachel Pollack (whom I was honoured to meet a couple of times) not only instilled in me the joy of divination (talking to the divine through tarot) but also created one of my favourite urban fantasy detectives in The Fissure King: A Novel in Five Stories.

Cover of The Fissure King by Rachel Pollack. Diagonal layout with three panels—orange, red, and brown—each showing a twisted, leafless tree in a rugged landscape. Top panel has birds in flight and an orange sky. Middle panel includes the subtitle “a novel in five stories.” Bottom panel shows rocky terrain, distant buildings, and the author’s name with the note “World Fantasy Award winning author of Godmother Night.”

November 20, 2025 at 9:50 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

I can’t decide which one to start next. Any thoughts to help me choose?

Cover of the science fiction novel These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs. The artwork features a fiery red and orange sky with stylized clouds and spacecraft flying across it. A tall, dark structure stands in the foreground, surrounded by silhouettes of birds and architectural elements. A large celestial body, possibly a planet or moon, looms in the background. Text includes a quote from author Kate Elliott praising the book as “baroque, intense, inventive, vivid, violent and visceral,” and credits Bethany Jacobs as the author.

Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. A silhouette of a person stands on a hill beneath a starry night sky, gazing upward. The scene evokes wonder and exploration. A circular sticker notes the book as “Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Series.” Text includes a quote from the Guardian calling it “a quietly profound, humane tour de force,” and identifies Becky Chambers as a Sunday Times bestselling author.

November 20, 2025 at 6:25 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

It hits different reading this whole thread.

Alt text:
Image showing four text messages about fae in romantasy books:
Message 1: “Romantasy question: are the fae open source? I had only known them from SJM books, but didn't expect to see them in Quicksilver!”
Message 2: “Didn't have getting dragged in the comments on my bingo card today. Thank you to those that were kind. I'm new to romantasy and fantasy in general. Until I had read SJM, I hadn't encountered books with fae described like that. I didn't make the connection between Celtic folklore, fairies, elves, or sprites with being fae since their characteristics and mannerisms are drastically different. Tink is tiny. Puck has goat legs. The closest I encountered were elves in LOTR, but those were not faeries.”
Message 3: “Forgive me for not knowing fae were inspired by Celtic folklore. I'm not Irish. I was never told these stories. I was just surprised two separate book series shared very similar interpretations of fae. I've enjoyed the genre of romantasy bc it's really gotten me back into reading. That's the goal, right? To continue to learn and escape into stories and discuss theories and celebrate the beauty of imagination? At least, that's what I'm gonna focus on.”
Message 4: “Clarifying my original point: I never said SJM invented fae. My post was only comparing how Quicksilver and SJM depict fae characters (their traits, dynamics, etc.) and whether THIS interpretation of fae is common in romantasy books, not the origins of the mythology. I also didn't grow up connecting fairies, elves, and fae as one mythology. They were always separate in my mind, so I'm still learning how interconnected they are across folklore. Thanks to those who pointed that out respectfully.”

November 20, 2025 at 10:24 AM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

So I mentioned that I had a book voucher burning a hole in my pocket. Well, this is what I bought. Have you heard of them? Which would you read?

• Hazelthorn by CG Drews
• The House of Sapphire by Marissa Meyer
• The Fate of Mary Rose by Caroline Blackwood
• The Haunted Library: Tales of Cursed Books and Forbidden Shelves by [editor not listed]

November 14, 2025 at 8:21 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Well @thestorygraph.com is keeping me honest. Must read faster.

October 2025 StoryGraph wrap‑up for @gavreads: 5 books, 1,624 pages, average rating 4.35. Top reads—The Listeners (4.75), Yoke of Stars (4.75), Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good (4.25). Average book length 228 pages, average finish time 6 days. Compared to September: books +25%, pages +20%. Includes a line graph of daily pages read.

November 1, 2025 at 8:59 AM

@gavreads

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Winter Nights or Winter Knights? I could not resist the latest from @alixeharrow.bsky.social and @tashasuri.bsky.social

Two fantasy book covers side by side.

• Left: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. The design shows a sword entwined with flowers, radiating golden sunburst lines. A blurb at the top reads “A wildly inventive, truly magical tour de force” — Ava Reid. A circular sticker notes “Waterstones Signed Exclusive Edition.” The author is credited as a Sunday Times bestselling writer.
• Right: The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri. The artwork depicts two characters in an intimate pose: one in armor, the other in a red cloak, framed by ornate architecture and swirling decorative motifs. The title is in bold gold and white lettering.

October 28, 2025 at 9:09 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

You’re more consistent than me. Though I’m making sure I read everyday.

Screenshot from theStoryGraph app. Text at top: ‘1 page every day.’ Current streak: 37 days. Longest streak: 37 days. Line graph titled ‘Pages – Last 28 Days,’ covering 28 September to 25 October. Y‑axis ranges 0 to 200 pages. Green line shows daily reading: most days between 20 and 80 pages, several peaks above 150, a few dips near 0, but no missed days. Average reading is about 55 pages per day.

October 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

You say this but @thestorygraph.com has a challenge that makes you read at least 1 page a day. I am committed now.

October 26, 2025 at 11:26 AM

@gavreads

@gavreads.co.uk

Right, I’m going in. What’s going to be interesting is if my brain links this to The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis, which is one of my books of the year. They are both magical school stories, but that’s all the overlap I can see happening.