Summer TBR

Well it’s summer, but this will be the strangest one I’ve ever experienced I expect. We’re still in lockdown here in Britain with no true end in sight, the government are making no sense so who knows what is going to happen. Anyway because I’m at home I have taken to reading all the hardbacks and chunky books that I have on my tbr list so until I go back to work that is what I’ll be reading!

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman – June

I have just started this, I’m loving it already. It has all the feels of His Dark Materials even though Lyra is now twenty years old and studying at Oxford University. There’s mystery, the Magisterium are still shady and terrifying. And the first book of this series which was a flashback to when Lyra was a baby gets tied in as well.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – June

I am so excited to read this, normally I don’t read books when they’ve just been released because I tend not to but hardbacks but I decided to treat myself! This is still set in Panem, it’s the tenth Hunger Games and the vile Coriolanus Snow is trying to prove himself as a mentor. This will be so interesting, I’ve missed the dark and twisty world of Panem.

The Lake House by Kate Morton – July

I always read a Kate Morton over the summer, they make me feel warm and the stories are beautiful and complex. This book begins with a summer party where a child goes missing. Alice was sixteen at the time and she has never stopped thinking about what happened to her little brother.

The Familiars by Stacey Halls – July

This is set in the 1600s, Fleetwood has had many pregnancies but none of the children have survived. Her husband is anxious for an heir but Fleetwood finds a letter from a doctor saying he doesn’t think she will survive another pregnancy. Fleetwood is already pregnant but when she meets Alice, a midwife her worries are soothed. Until Alice is accused of witchcraft, both women fight to prove Alice’s innocence. It sounds so good, I’m excited to read it.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – July/August

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

Atonement by Ian McEwan – August

One of my favourites, always, I haven’t read it for a long time so I’m really looking forward to re-reading it, especially in the heat of the summer. This book breaks my heart but it’s worth it for the superb story telling.

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson – August

I have been looking forward to reading this for a while, it’s the fifth book in the Jackson Brodie series. Jackson is a retired police officer turned private investigator, Jackson always finds himself involved in deeper conspiracies and it seems this book will be no exception.

What is on your reading list this summer?

Top Five Tuesday – Summer Reads

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week it’s summer reads. I can’t believe it’s nearly summer, what a strange one it will be.

1. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Kate Morton is always on my summer reads list. Her books always remind me of summer and make me a part of the stories. The Secret Keeper begins at a summer party, Laurel sees a stranger approach her house and her mother speaking with him. Before the day is over she witnesses a shocking crime and challenges everything she knows about her family.

2. The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

Most of this book is set in South America so it’s nice and hot. Maya goes to Rio to trace her roots. We also flashback to her ancestors and their lives in Rio. It’s a large book and set in a warm place, a perfect summer read. My full review is here.

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I love this book, it’s so powerful and it’s set in Mississippi so it’s hot and it’s a very important read. It follows the lives of two women of colour who work as maids and nannies for white families in the 1960s, they meet a young journalist who grew up in Mississippi and was raised by her maid, she wants to tell their story.

4. Tangerine by Christine Mangan

Tangerine is set in the 1950’s in Tangier, Morocco. We meet Alice first, she followed her husband to Tangier but has struggled with the city. The stifling heat and the crowds cause her to panic. Then an old school friend arrives out of the blue and brings back dark memories. My full review is here.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice reminds me of the countryside in the sunshine, it’s the perfect classic for the summer time. It’s also the only romance I will allow on my list!

What are some of your favourite summer reads?

Top Five Tuesday – Opening Lines

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week we get to pick our favourite opening lines

1. “Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – Just iconic, I can practically recite the first chapter but this will always be in my mind. It just sums up the Durley’s so well, who wants to be normal? Not me!

2. “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” – The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket – Never before had I read a book where the author tries to dissuade you from reading it, I love Snicket’s strange writing style.

3. “This is the bright candlelit room where the lifetimers are stored – shelf upon shelf of them, squat hourglasses, one for every living person, pouring their fine sand from the furture into the past.” – Mort by Terry Pratchett, I love the image this conjures up, and Death keeps an eye on all our hourglasses and comes to get us when our time is up.

4. “The shape of power is always the same; it is the shape of a tree. Root to tip, central trunk branching and re-branching, spreading wider in ever-thinner, searching fingers.” – The Power by Naomi Alderman, this opening line changes how I see power, as corrupting. The image of the tree is clever, trees are vital to our survival.

5. “The play – for which Briony had designed the posters, programmes and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crepe paper – was written by her in a two day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.” – Atonement by Ian McEwan, I love how quick and almost frantic this is, it sums up Briony so perfectly, full of energy, creative and slightly obsessive.

I found this slightly harder than I thought but it was great getting half my books down to see if they had good openers! What are some of your favourites?

A Song of Ice and Fire Re-read – A Dance With Dragons

This post will contain spoilers for A Dance With Dragons!

As I suspected I was not as into this book as I was AFFC. I enjoyed meeting Griff and Quentyn but some of the chapters at the beginning started to bore me a bit. Also please get Stannis away from me. In the middle it gets more exciting as everyone closes in on Meereen.

At the beginning it appears that both Tyrion and Jon have changed for the worse. Tyrion is horrible, all he thinks of is violence, he scared a girl half to death in his first chapter. Jon is making cruel decisions like sending Gilly away without her baby and sending Maester Aemon to his death to ‘protect them’. Just tell Stannis to go away, he’s a sociopath, you don’t have to be one too Jon!

Bran’s chapters end early on, we barely hear anything from him. He is still trying to learn how to use his gift. But there is a chapter with Theon where he is in Winterfell’s Godswood, he hears whispers and thinks he can see Bran’s face in the weirwood tree so clearly our boy is getting better.

I enjoyed reading about all the characters converging on Meereen. Quentyn, Griff, Aegon and Tyrion all trying to get to Dany and trying to navigate around all the armies headed for the city. Dany is in real trouble, she has about ten armies heading for her city. While inside the city walls her people are being murdered. It’s an absolute mess and I still don’t fully understand her decision to stay there rather than head for her ‘home’ in Westeros. Not that I want her to attack my babies but I am worried for her.

The biggest game changer in this book is finding out that Rhaegar’s son Aegon is still alive. Jon Connington, one of Rhaegar’s childhood friends somehow swapped the boy for another and has kept him hidden in Essos all this time. They have been plotting with Varys to get Aegon to marry Dany. Another Targaryen changes everything, ‘the dragon has three heads.’ Aegon is the second. But he decided to go in a different direction on Tyrion’s advice, Aegon takes the Golden Company across the sea himself to take Westeros. They don’t have any dragons but they do have the element of surprise and a war torn country to prey upon.

Tyrion gets his humour back later on. He also saves Jorah from being sold to a woman who kills her slaves for meat. They end up escaping their masters and joining the Second Sons. Tyrion is trying to convince them to join Team Dany again when we leave them. But Dany has gone, she has disappeared with Drogon so who knows if she will ever see Jorah again.

Jon also chills out slightly. He sasses Stannis’ wife and her stupid guards. It’s hilarious how up their own arses they are. Jon thinks Arya is riding to the wall fleeing Winterfell and the Boltons but it’s actually Alys Karstark who is running from her uncles and an unwanted marriage. As we know Arya is in Bravos learning how to become an assassin! I am proud of Jon, he made sure all the wildlings could come through the Wall and help protect themselves from the White Walkers. But some of the Night’s Watch loathed him for it. My Jon died alone in the cold, betrayed and stabbed by his own men.

The only Theon chapter I could read without wanting to throw the book across the room was quite late on. The Bolton’s and their allies are all snowed in at Winterfell, waiting for Stannis’ army to arrive. But men keep turning up, murdered, the storm is only getting worse. The North Rememberers.

Jaime only has one chapter, he’s just wandering through the Riverlands, in no haste to get back to King’s Landing where his sister is imprisoned! Thanks bro. But before he can get home he comes across Brienne. Usually this would be great, but she has been tasked with bringing Jaime to Lady Stoneheart. I don’t know how Jaime is going to talk himself out of this, I just really don’t want him to die!

Cersei’s chapters broke my heart. I hate seeing her suffer like that. The whole time she is imprisoned she still has faith that Jaime is coming with his army to save her. But we know that is not true. I am so in awe of her strength, even when faced with the humiliation of the walk of atonement, she is fierce and strong and knows that this is the only way to reach Tommen. I was sobbing through the whole chapter but she has her champion now, the Sparrows’ days are numbered.

This is a re-read but I completely forgot what happened in the epilogue! Kevan Lannister is now acting a regent. He is trying to make the chaos around him better. But he is doing too good a job. He was summoned to Grand Maester Pycelle’s chambers, only the old man is dead and Kevan gets shot in the chest with a crossbow. Varys has somehow managed to get back into to capital. He’s determined to have chaos so that Aegon can swoop in and take the throne. Kevan was the Lannister’s only hope, I have no idea what is going to happen in The Winds of Winter but it doesn’t bode well for most of my favourites.

On my kill list: Stannis, Melisandre, Theon, The Boltons, Walder Frey and all of his offspring, The High Sparrow and all his followers, the Ironborn, Jon’s murderers and Varys.

Let me protect them: Cersei, Jaime, Brienne, Arya, Tyrion, Jorah and Dany.

Heartbreaking death: Jon Snow

Some people believe that Jon isn’t dead or that he will be brought back in TWOW but to me it was clear that Jon died in his last chapter. I will never forgive those traitorous pieces of shit for killing Jon. He was the kindest and most intelligent person at the Wall. Jon was the only person who could see that by protecting the wildlings he was stopping the Wights army of the dead from growing stronger. The betrayal is the worst part, Jon put everything into being the best Lord Commander of the Nights Watch he could and they stabbed him in the back, literally. I am so sorry Jon.

Favourite quotes: “Men are beasts, selfish and brutal. However gentle the words, there are always darker motives underneath.” – Vagarro’s Widow

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one.” – Jojen Reed

“I rose too high, loved too hard, dared too much. I tried to grasp a star, overreached and fell.” – Jon Connington, this quote breaks my heart. He’s spent most of his life in love with Rhaegar and hoping some day to avenge him.

“I am a lioness, I will not cringe for them.” – Cersei Lannister

“However bright a torch might burn it could never match the rising sun.” – Kevan Lannister, thinking that if Rhaegar had married Cersei the prince would not have turned to Lyanna.

That’s all we have for the moment, most of my favourites are in peril and I am patiently waiting for The Winds of Winter to be published!

Top Five Tuesday – Worst Rulers

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week’s topic is so fun, five terrible rulers! I wasn’t sure if we should do real or fictional so I did a mixture, there is a fair amount of ranting in the post so be warned, also the numbers don’t mean much because I hate them all.

1. King Henry VIII of England (1509-1547)

My hatred for this guy runs deep. I mean where do I start, in my opinion the reason Henry was so unfit to rule is because he was brought up as a second son. His older brother Arthur was the Prince of Wales so Henry got away with doing what he liked, that is why he was so arrogant and had no way of coping with the pressure of ruling. The real reason I hate him so much is because of how he treated his wives. Catherine was a loving and loyal wife and he humiliated her and ruined her life. After the divorce, Catherine was not allowed to see her daughter Mary and died alone. But of course Henry would never be content, the woman that he had turned the entire country upside down for, also displeased him. Anne Boleyn did in no way deserve the end she got. I don’t believe that she would have been stupid enough to have affairs with anyone under Henry’s nose. Anne gave birth to one of our greatest monarchs Elizabeth I but never got to see her grow up, thanks to Henry. The real reason he wanted to get rid of Anne was because he had fallen for one of her ladies in waiting, Jane Seymour. Then Anne of Cleves was humiliated by Henry but had a narrow escape. Young Katherine Howard was not so lucky and again was executed on claims of adultery. Catherine Parr understandably didn’t want to marry this repulsive man and spent most of her marriage to him paranoid that she would also be killed. Thankfully she survived him and went on to look after Elizabeth and Edward. Henry also spent stupid amounts of money, his father had saved well during his reign but Henry was a disaster with money, even after he seized all the churches and monastries lands and money, he still didn’t have enough to keep up with his lavish lifestyle. Historians predict that anywhere from 57,000 to 72,000 people were executed during his reign. A great portion of which were the people that got close to him and those of Catholic faith. My only consolation is that Henry had a terrible wound in his leg from a jousting accident in 1536, the wound festered and never healed for the remainder of his life. He was in pain all of that time and that my friends is karma.

2. Mad King Aerys II of Westeros (262-283)

Aerys Targaryen is from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. When we say mad, it’s almost an understatement. Aerys was paranoid and cruel, towards the end of his reign he became convinced that his own son Rhaegar was plotting against him. The court was split in two, there was talk of another civil war, but thanks to Rhaegar’s idiotic actions the North and the Stormlands rose up in rebellion instead. Aerys had become obsessed with wildfire, a powerful potion which creates a fire that burns through everything, even water. He hatched a plot and had pots of wildfire planted throughout his capital city. “Let him be King of the Ashes.” He was reported to have said about Robert Baratheon, he would rather burn 250,000 people alive than loose the war. Aerys also had some of his enemies burned alive. Rickard Stark demanded a trial by combat to defend his honour but the King chose fire as his champion. Rickard was burned alive by wildfire as his son Brandon was forced to watch, strapped to a wall at the neck, he strangled himself in his attempts to save his father. That was when four of the Seven Kingdoms rose up against Aerys, the North, the Stormlands, the Riverlands and the Vale. Before his death Aerys ordered his pyromancer to burn the city as the war was lost. But thankfully Jaime saved the city and killed both men.

3. King John of England (1199-1216)

What a mess John’s reign was! Before he even became King he was causing trouble, Richard the Lionheart was John’s brother but spent most of his time fighting in the Crusades. While he was away John tried to take his throne, foolishly Richard forgave his brother. During his time as king, John lost England’s lands in Normandy, he also had countless affairs with his nobleman’s wives, which was a pretty bad idea. He fought with France, Scotland and the Pope. The people were sick of John spending all their tax money on pointless wars in France. The Magna Carta was created to protect ‘the rights of free men’. It promised the protection of church rights, protection from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, new taxation only with baronial consent. A council of twenty-five barons would be created to monitor and ensure John’s future adherence to the charter. But John refused to have the barons monitoring him so the rebels waged war against him. He was incredibly unpopular, his people didn’t trust him, he over taxed them and has been portrayed for years as a villian and a fool.

4. King Robert Baratheon I of Westeros (283-298)

Robert is also from ASOIAF. Robert was an awful person but the reason he was such a terrible ruler is because he literally did nothing. He let his council do all the work while he drank, ate, had countless affairs and spent way too much money. He was abnoxious, gluttoness, lazy and arrogant. And he really reminds me of Henry VIII. When he won his throne there were two Targaryens that escaped, they were very young children and he sent assassins after them. He was happy for children to be murdered because they happen to be Targaryens. I hate this guy! He met his end via boar, he was hunting it and got very drunk and the boar gave his a grievous injury. Did Cersei have a hand in it, yes. Do I blame her for getting rid of his abusive arse, no!

5. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic (1990-1996)

I don’t hate Fudge as much as the others and he was a pretty good Minister until things got dangerous in the Wizarding World. When Harry and Dumbledore told him that Voldermort was back, Fudge was so scared he accused them of lying and being mad and buried his head in the sand. He only believed them when he saw Voldermort for himself and by that time it was too late to stop him. Fudge lost his job as soon as the Wizarding community found out about his incompetence. He wasted a whole year when they could have been preparing for Voldermort’s take over. Fudge was weak and afraid and he inflicted Umbridge on the students of Hogwarts, a true crime!

I really enjoyed making this post, I hope it hasn’t got too much ranting in it! Have a good week everyone, stay safe.

Top Five Tuesday – Cute Romances

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week’s topic is cute romances, I don’t ready many romantic books so the bulk of this list is classic novels!

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I love this book and I adore Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s relationship. They meet at a neighbour’s ball and instantly dislike each other. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is rude and arrogant and Darcy dismisses Elizabeth because her family isn’t wealthy. But as the story goes on things change, Darcy realises how rude he was and tries to improve his behaviour. I think that’s pretty romantic in itself, not that he needed to change, but he realised he was becoming a bad person and didn’t like that, Elizabeth helped him see that but she didn’t make him change. There is also the romace of Elizabeth’s sister Jane and Mr Bingley which was also adorable.

2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

In this story Margaret has to leave her home in Hampshire (which is where I live!) with her family, her father has had a crisis of conscience and left the church. They move north to Milton, an industrial town. Margaret becomes aware of the poverty of the mill workers and their families and tries to help them however she can. She comes across the mil-owner John Thornton and fiercely opposes him over the treatment of his employees. However their heated arguments and debates hide an attraction between them. Another enemies to lovers tale, I love the angst!

3. The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

This story has a lot of layers to it but the romace in it is really cute! Star has always been in the shadow of her overbearing sister CeCe but she has finally managed to find her own path. Star finds a job in an old book shop in London, the owner is eccentric but incredibly kind. She gets drawn in to his family life, his stand-offish brother and their cousin who looks after her deaf nephew. Star is not sure about her boss’s brother nicknamed Mouse but eventually she discovers why he is so cold and quiet. They make a really adorable couple in the end.

4. Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion’s love story is all about missed opportunities, eight years ago Anne was engaged to Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer, but suddenly broke off the engagement because her friend convinced her the match was ‘unworthy’. But now Anne’s family are on the brink of financial ruin and Frederick has returned as a wealthy captain. There is a fair amount of angst with these two as well, but it’s a great story.

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Possibly a slightly odd choice for a romance but I was stuck! Lets face it everyone in this book is mad and it’s primarily a gothic novel but Cathy and Heathcliff have a creepy romance that lasts for years. Heathcliff was an orphan until Cathy father took him in to work in the kitchens. He didn’t forsee the connection that the two would form. As children they were unseperable and that addiction to each other carried on into adulthood.

Top Five Tuesday- Series I Want to Start

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week is series we want to start reading. I do have quite a few on my to-read list at the moment!

1. Outlander

I started watching Outlander a while ago and I really want to read the series I just haven’t got around to it yet. In the first book we meet Claire, a WWII nurse who is on her honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands. She comes across an ancient circle of stones and somehow ends up in 1743. During this time Scotland are on the brink of war with England. Outlander is a love story and Claire and Jamie are couple goals, they love each other so much. I can’t wait to get my hands on the books.

2. The Witcher

I didn’t know this series existed until I saw the tv series but I loved it. Witchers are warriors that were made by magic, they have incredible strength and they live longer than mortals. They were made to protect people from the monsters that plaugued their lands. Geralt is a Witcher but he struggles to get by, his profession isn’t as respected as it once was. For years humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves have lived together in relative peace, but war is coming. There are lots of books and I am very excited to read them!

3. Throne of Glass

I’ve seen this series mentioned a lot on blogs that I follow which is how I found it. It’s another fantasy series, there’s a badass female assassin, Celaena who has spent a year in a mine as punishment for her crimes. Until the Prince comes asks her to be his champion in the competition to find the new royal assassin. It has Hunger Games vibes because Celaena is forced to compete for her freedom, but it also has the secrets and uncertainty of a royal court.

4. Dorothy Must Die

This series looks so good. Dorothy has found a way back to Oz, she seized power and it went to her head. The ‘Good’ Witches can’t be trusted and the Wicked Witches have formed a Revoulutionary Order. They have recruited another girl from Kansas in the hope that she can get close to Dorothy and take her out. I love the idea of taking a well known story and flipping it on it’s head.

5. Red Queen

In this world it’s people are divided by blood, red or silver. The Reds are ruled by the Silver elite who possess superpowers. Mare is living in poverty and it seems to her like nothing will ever change. Until one day she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. She discovers that she has her own powers, but the Silvers try to pretend she is a long lost Princess. Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

There’s definitely a fantasy theme here, but what are some of the series’ that you’re eager to start?

The Virgin’s War by Laura Andersen Review

“She was a princess walking a dangerous path between competing powers that would tear her to pieces the instant she slipped.”

This is the last in the Tudor Legacy series, what a thrilling and wonderful end it is. I will miss this series and the characters in it. The Courtenay family have such strong bonds with each other and as a reader you feel part of their family too.

The book begins two years after the events of The Virgin’s Spy. Stephen and Kit are training in France with their father’s oldest friend Renaud LeClerc. Lucette is at home with her husband but has suffered miscarriages. Her family are worried for her because of the emotional toll it has taken. Pippa is at Princess Anabel’s side in the North of England. Pippa saw in a vision that it was important for Anabel to win the Catholics in the North to their side. Minuette and Dominic are at their home in Wynfield Motte, they have not spoken to Queen Elizabeth since she banished Stephen.

War is coming, much like in history the Spanish are building an armada and plan to invade England. But in this story Philip thinks he has an extra weapon in his daughter Anabel. He believes that Anabel and Elizabeth have fallen out. He sends a vile fanatic to try and mold the Princess and get her to change her allegiances.

One of the things I have loved about this series is how Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anabel are portrayed. They are fiercely strong, independent and intelligent. They cannot be manipulated and rule brilliantly on their own.

I really enjoyed reading how everyone prepared for the war. The Courtenay’s were key to the plan, their ties to our royals are strong and they are dependable friends. It was great to see all the younger characters evolve over the story. They are strong and clever and brave. I am so proud of them. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but well worth it! I cried a lot at the end which is not unlike me, I hate goodbyes.

“You’ve been playing games with royalty. Royalty does not require evidence.”

A Song of Ice and Fire Re-read: A Feast for Crows

This is my favourite of the series so far simply because three of my best characters have the most chapters; Cersei, Brienne and Jaime! It’s the first time we get to see Westeros through Cersei and Brienne’s eyes and I have the best time reading their thoughts. Cersei is sassy and so brutal I laugh a lot, unless she makes me emotional. Brienne is an absolute gem, I love learning more about her and her childhood. I just want to give her a massive hug. Jaime continues to be the chaotic sass king that we know and love.

We get to go to Dorne, finally! I love Dorne, the people are so badass, I would not mess with them! Arianne Martel is the next in line to rule Dorne. In Dorne women can inherit lands and titles before men and Arianne is a true feminist, she wants those rights for Princess Mrycella as well. Dorne however is in meltdown, they have lost their beloved Prince Oberyn, his bastard daughters The Sand Snakes want revenge. But Doran Martell is intelligent, he knows they can’t win a war against the Lannisters now that they have the Tyrell’s with them. He makes the decision to keep the girls imprisoned so they don’t stir up anymore trouble.

Brienne is literally the kindest person in Westeros and everyone treats her like crap and always has, it’s so depressing! When Brienne went to fight for Renly, the knights in the camp had a bet on who could seduce her first. They were all being nice and romantic to her face and then laughing behind her back, they are all on my kill list. Brienne cares so much about others, even when she came across some of the Bloody Mummers who captured her and Jaime in A Clash of Kings, they attacked her again, she killed them and still felt guilty. Even though they are evil! She deserves all the good things in the world and I would love to adopt her and show her the love she deserves!! Her last two chapters broke my heart completely, she tried to protect a group of children against seven horrible men and then got captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners. They took her for a Lannister, unfortunately her sword does have a lion on its pommel…and she has a note from the King granting her permission to move about the land. Lady Stoneheart told her to kill Jaime and she could go free, but Brienne would rather die until she sees her friends being killed too. I’m still crying about it.

Cersei starts the book having just learned her father is dead. And has been murdered by Tyrion who she thought was locked away. Cersei gets increasingly paranoid that Tyrion is still creeping around the castle in the walls. She decides to burn down the Tower of the Hand with wildfire after Tywin’s funeral. So extra, I love it! Cersei is not going to let anyone take her power from her, Tommen is still far too young to rule and like hell is my girl going to let a man rule over her again. Unfortunately Cersei manages to anger both Jaime and Kevan in her ruling. They are the only dependable family she has left. She makes some questionable decisions, the worst by far was letting the creepy, pious ‘sparrows’ take up arms in the name of the Faith. The Faith Militant were disbanded and banned back in the early Targaryen days. They caused trouble for Maegor I who had super powerful dragons at his disposal. To give them power back is beyond stupid, these idiots are obsessed with ‘sinners’ and punishing them. No one is safe. One of the most important things we learnt about Cersei was the prophecy she heard about herself when she was a child. She went to see a Maegi with her friends, Cersei still thought she would get to marry Prince Rhaegar at this point so her questions were about that. “Queen you shall be, until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear. Three children for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the volonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” The prophecy explains a lot of Cersei’s paranoia, she believes Margaery is going to take everything from her, that all her children will die before her and that Tyrion will kill her. I don’t think the younger brother mentioned in the prophecy is Tyrion. Jaime was born after Cersei, by moments but he is younger and his growing rage towards her could spell serious trouble. I worry for Cersei, mainly because I know what’s coming.

Jaime is spiralling in King’s Landing. He’s still trying to recover from loosing his hand and Tyrion’s warning to him that Cersei has been having multiple affairs keeps ringing in his head. He also has to deal with the guilt that he caused his father’s death. He let Tyrion free and his brother went straight to kill Tywin. Awkward. Jaime refuses to rule as the King’s Hand, he struggles enough with leading the Kingsguard. He is better at politics than he gives himself credit for but he’ll never be as good as Tyrion. Cersei sends Jaime to the Riverlands to take Riverrun back from Brynden Tully. On his way there he saw how desolate that part of the realm is now. It has been destroyed by the war. Outlaws roam the land along with a huge pack of wolves led by a direwolf. Jaime’s disdain of the Frey’s made me laugh, he tore some of them apart. They are a bunch of idiots and Lady Stoneheart is coming for them. Jaime seemed to feel better outside the city walls, but the outlaws may find him too, before long.

On my kill list: Littlefinger, Hyle Hunt and all the vile knights who were horrible to Brienne, Randyll Tarly, Walder Frey and all of his pathetic spawn, Olenna Tyrell, the Ironborn, The High Sparrow and his followers.

Let me protect them: Brienne, Cersei, Jaime, Arya, Sansa, the smallfolk of Westeros.

Heartbreaking death: Maester Aemon

Maester Aemon was one of the kindest and wisest characters in the whole series. He thought he was the last Targaryen in the world for years, but luckily before he died he found out about Dany and her dragons. I will miss all the knowledge he had to share, one of the things I find most incredible about him is that he could have been a king. His older brothers all died but he was already training to become a maester. He knew he wouldn’t be a good ruler so he declined and the throne went to his younger brother Aegon instead. He was never hungry for power, and he worked at the Wall to protect the whole Kingdom. And now his watch has ended.

Favourite quotes: “It was one thing to slay a lion, another to hack his paw off and leave him broken and bewildered.” – Brienne thinking about when Jaime lost his hand.

“She wanted sleet and ice, howling winds, thunder to shake the very stones of the Red Keep. She wanted a storm to match her rage.” – Cersei – this sums up Cersei’s constant rage so well, whenever I am angry this quote comes into my head.

“The women are the strong ones, truly.” – Arys Oakheart – thanks bro.

“Words are wind. They cannot hurt you. Let them wash over you.” – Brienne – this woman is so strong the amount of crap she puts up with from everyone else and still she carries on, so proud of her.

“It is being common born that is dangerous when the great lords play their game of thrones.” – Septon Meribald

The next in the series is A Dance With Dragons, George decided to split AFFC and ADWD up to focus on different characters which is why everyone at the Wall and in Essos wasn’t mentioned in AFFC. I’m probably not going to have as much fun with the first half of ADWD but I am looking forward to reading from Tyrion’s point of view again.

Top Five Tuesday – Things I’m enjoying in isolation

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. I’m really glad that Shanah is still thinking up topics for us all because they’re a really nice distraction from the chaos. This week is focused on things we’re enjoying while in isolation, this is such a weird time so it’s good to try to concentrate on the positive things!

1. Reading

Of course, I usually spend lots of time reading when I’m at home so I’ve continued that tradition! I’m currently at the end of A Feast for Crows. It is tearing my heart out, but that’s all part of the fun with A Song of Ice and Fire! Next I have The Virgin’s War which is the last of Laura Andersen’s alternative tudor novels.

2. Daily exercise routines with my sister

My sister Olivia usually goes to the gym every few days and was going mad stuck inside so she was doing different routines everyday. Me and my brother wanted to join her and I’m so glad we did because it has really kept me sane. I would get really lethergic if I didn’t have something active to do. It’s also nice to spend more time together.

3. Drawing and colouring

I love doing creative things and I’ve had lots more time to do some more drawing. I also love my coulouring books, they’re so calming, I really like doing them while listening to audiobooks.

4. Watching films with my family via facetime

It can be difficult to all get our film in sync but it is really fun when we do! My Dad and other sister don’t live with me so it’s been really nice to catch up with them and watch a film together.

5. Listening to music non-stop

I love music, I cannot sit in silence and because I’ve been at home I have barely stopped listening to some of my favourties. I’ve also got a playlist of all new music that I have discovered over the past couple of weeks, it’s great.

I hope you are all getting on okay, let me know in the comments some of your favourite things to keep you sane in isolation.