You may have noticed I’ve been somewhat absent the last week or so, not spending as much time in the community. There has been an issue offline that has kept me away and in order to get books read on time I’ve been spending less time blogging and more time reading. Hopefully everything will get done, but whilst I’m reading them I thought I might as well tell you about the books I’ve acquired recently so that if I am a little later you’ll still know what’s happening.

Anne O’Brien: The Forbidden Queen – Any book on medieval history is going to catch my eye, and O’Brien is an author I’ve been meaning to read for a while.

Becky Aikman: Saturday Night Widows – I’ve seen this book on a couple of blogs and it gained my interest.

Elizabeth Fremantle: Queen’s Gambit – See above statement on Tudor history.

Louise Douglas: In Her Shadow – I read The Secrets Between Us some time ago, and reading more of Douglas’s works just makes sense.

Manisha Jolie Amin: Dancing To The Flute – India and music, yes please.

Margaret Mitchell: Gone With The Wind – This was the only book I got for Christmas, which is very strange given my love for books. The page count is daunting but one’s got to read it, right?

Nancy Bilyeau: The Chalice – I love reading about the Reformation (though I’m not sure why as the change means we’ve been left with ruined buildings rather than completed ones) and a book about a nun working during this time is incredibly appealing.

Pam Jenoff: The Ambassador’s Daughter – I love learning about the time period, and loved that it is a sequel whilst being a stand-alone.

Susan Cain: Quiet – I have wanted to read this book for ages.

So yes, quite a number of books to get to and less time than expected. I’m thinking of doing a few solo readathons to get back to a reading comfort zone. When I finally finished my first book of the year on Wednesday, I was so happy. There’s nothing like getting past that first book, especially in bad circumstances, to capture motivation again.

What books have you bought/received/borrowed recently?

I think I am suffering what is commonly described as blogging burnout. I say “think” because I’m unsure, it could just be writer’s block – I wasn’t happy at all with my last review and these grey sunless days are uninspiring, however I am slowly getting back into reading. This feeling is due to a couple of weeks spent almost solely on university applications; as I said to my most recent tutor (I’ll be leaving the university he teaches at) I thought editing an essay to comply with a 2000 word limit was tough, 4000 character limits for personal statements make essays seem easy. It wasn’t that I was writing a lot, it was that I became mentally exhausted from the editing and I guess this impacted my reading and desire to write. Thankfully the next review copy on my list was pitched to me as a literary chick-lit not unlike Marian Keyes, and I am happy to say that it has proved to be so. I am racing through Laura Rae Amos’s Exactly Where They’d Fall and am looking forward to reviewing it, so hopefully I’ll be back to “normal” very soon. Today I’ll leave you with the books that will be coming up in November or a couple of months thereafter, whilst I continue to get my head around the English language.

Debbie Dee: The Last Witch – Self-published paranormal Young Adult which caught my eye on a blog tour site. I signed up for one of the remaining spots and am looking forward to reading the book.

Jim Al-Khalili: Paradox – My reading of Zor and The Bond left me wanting more quantum physics, so I couldn’t say no to this. Reviews have said it’s for the layman, so it will be reviewed with that in mind.

Laura Rae Amos: Exactly Where They’d Fall – The book mentioned in the paragraph above, a self-published chick-lit.

Anna Karenina – I thought it was about time, especially since Keira Knightley kept popping up on television during the adverts and the film looked stunning.

William Makepeace Thackeray: Vanity Fair – I put Thackeray on my 2012 goals list and this year isn’t getting any younger. I’m happy to say that it’s a lot better than the Reece Witherspoon film.

Voilà. I won’t put this in bolded text because that would be confusing with all these book titles: What are you currently reading and looking forward to reading next?

I suppose you could say that this is a heads up as to what I’ll be covering on this blog over the next month or so. There will likely be a couple of additions to my review list, but for the most part this is it. I’m glad to say that I’m not perturbed at the idea of having a list because the following is an eclectic mix of books, and all ones that I am incredibly excited about. If you enjoy these sorts of posts please take your time over this one as it’s not my favourite post topic to write and you may not see another this side of Christmas. Yes, I’m one of those people tending on the discomfort side of flaunting my wares, even if they are ones I’ve bought. The reason I wanted to share these with you is that I’m aware in some cases there will be little publicity, a few being self-published/lesser-known titles.

Hélène Grémillon: The Confidant – Literary translated fiction compared to Irène Némirovsky, who I’ve not yet read but heard a lot about.

J R Crook: Sleeping Patterns – I’m incredibly excited about this book. The author approached me after I expressed my interest on Andrew’s blog, and that I’m going to read something that sounds so intriguing and unique is making me want to finish my current reads sooner.

Laura Navarre: By Royal Command – Medieval romance. I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Chadwick but now I’m half way through her back list I’m realising I’d better find some replacements. I’m hoping this fits the bill.

Lisa Jewell: Before I Met You – I used to be a big fan of Lisa and when I was going through my teenage lesser reading phrase her new release each year was the only book I’d read. Since I started blogging I’ve not read much of her newer work, but this one… well, look at that cover, I had to.

Richard Weihe: Sea Of Ink – The newest Peirene Press release, about a Chinese poet.

Robin Shulman: Eat The City – Due to my sudden break this summer I’ve not yet got to this book that I received a while ago, but now I’m reading it and I have to say it’s fascinating. Maybe I’m an unconscious fan of reading about the economy (scarily I reckon this is true given my love of buying and selling in video games) but reading all about how the common man is creating his own food is both appealing to the taste buds and just outright engrossing.

Tom Reiss: The Black Count – This should be a good one, history and literature somewhat combined. The man who influenced Alexandre Dumas – his father.

So there you have it. Most of these books should be reviewed in the next coming few weeks with a couple in October. Of the ones that I didn’t receive for review however, I may take longer to read because I have David Copperfield batting his eyelashes at me and he’s one detailed, hefty guy.

It’s been a long time since I wrote one of these posts, and truth be told the most pressing reason why I’m doing so now is because it’s a quicker, easier, post to create while I’m knee-deep in revision for my end of year exams. The second reason is related – because of my exams I’m not going to be able to get to my review copies as soon as I would like and therefore feel the need to mention them at the time they are being published rather than solely afterwards when I review them. If honesty’s the best policy, I’ve perhaps never been so honest.

But aside from this, all of the books I am presenting to you today are ones I’m truly very interested in reading. I’m not in a position in life nor in sanity to accept every proposal that drops into my inbox, and therefore the books that I have lined up for review are ones I’m passionate about for one reason or another.

Ella Drake: Desert Blade – Having just about completed my venture into romance, Drake has become a rare exception in my decision to not take erotic romance any further. Whilst I may not always be comfortable with explicit sex scenes, especially when it comes to reviewing (you will notice from my forthcoming review of the book that I have an unconscious tendency to review such books in the same fashion I do a history non-fiction), Drake’s ability to create often unique and always well-planned worlds is something I find too appealing to pass up, and therefore no matter my strange reviewing methods, I always look forward to her latest book.

Nichole Bernier: The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D. – I have absolutely no idea what to expect with this book, besides the basic information on Bernier and the plot summary, but it managed to attract the interests I have in society, culture, and domesticity in today’s world. The context is the personal aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on a woman who lost her friend, and the usage of a diary in discovering secrets was an aspect I found attractive.

Pia Juul: The Murder Of Halland – I know I need not define my reasons for accepting this book anywhere near as much as any of the others here. Peirene Press consistently publish fantastic novellas from the continent. I have read four of their books so far, out of the eight they’ve released (The Murder Of Halland being one of those eight) and have never awarded less than 4/5 to them. Having high expectations of each is a “no-brainer”, with little chance of being disappointed.

Samantha Sotto: Before Ever After – A début novelist writing about a woman torn asunder by the death of her husband, only to later find out she may not really have known him – and that he might still be alive. The mystery in the summary gripped me straight away, because I love books with a possible paranormal reasoning behind them (I specifically love the paranormal being an ever-present possibility rather than definite feature). As a bonus the book appears to be literary fiction, which I want to read more of despite not being keen on the term itself.

Shannon Stacey: Slow Summer Kisses – Shannon Stacey is the second of the romance authors I’ve marked for continued reading, and whilst I found the last book of hers I read to be strictly adequate, the others were the best things since sliced bread (I reject the notion that Hovis’s Soft White bread is “the best thing since sliced bread”). This time Stacey has written a novella, and I am desperate to get back to a better example of her writing, which I hope most fervently this will be.

So there you have it. These books are likely to make up the core of my reading for the next month or so, if not the entirety. I have a couple of non-fictions on my shelf which my inner geek is begging to read, but after having revised for history exams you can be sure that reading the subject for pleasure is going to be far from my thoughts for at least a short while.

These are my first exams in several years, and although I’m nervous because as a teenager I had no clue how one undertook study, I am going to view the events as a fun few hours in which to ramble on about a subject I enjoy. Hopefully that will aid my motivation.

I’ve received quite a few books this month which is awesome and means that I have a packed schedule until mid-June.

Freya North: Chances – I’m finding Freya North to be an interesting writer but I’m yet to read a book of hers that I love completely. This is my newest attempt.

Grainne Toher: Comings & Goings – Look at that cover! From the author for review.

The Hippie: Snowflake Obsidian – This memoir reads like a novel and combines humour with sadness to project it’s theme of self-harm. From the author for review.

J B: Zor – A novel of philosophy, this book appeals to the interest I have recently gained in the subject having studied Plato and Aristotle a few months ago. In addition to that the author sent the most brilliant email, the kind of pitch book bloggers are desperate for authors to write. From the author for review.

Jan Van Mersbergen: Tomorrow Pamplona – This book looks fantastic, a road movie in book form, and I loved Peirene Press’s release of Beside The Sea, so Tomorrow Pamplona is a logical choice. From the publishers for review.

Lisa Jewell: After The Party – Every year since 2004 I’ve bought Lisa Jewell’s release soon after publication, it’s been a sort of tradition for my spring. Then last year I didn’t get round to it so I’m trying to get back in the game.

So yes, a lot to get through, but I’m looking forward to it. The first received book for review is scheduled for two days before my final essay deadline for my current course so I’ve a lot to read in a short amount of time. I guess I’d better stop typing and get on with it!