Fat Friday, General

Fat Friday: Weeks 3 and 4

Liz Whitehouse

I took a little break last week as I am in a bit of a blogging/reading rut and hadn’t lost any weight. My motivation was not at it’s highest when it came to sharing and the journey, so I simply opted not to post.

Fat Friday is a weekly blog post tracking my weight loss and fitness journey, used to keep myself accountable, keep a record of my progress, and share hints & tips that have helped me. To track my progress, or read my previous entries, click here.

Please join me, support me, and help me along my way as I aim to improve my life for the better! Continue reading “Fat Friday: Weeks 3 and 4” →

Books, General

A Chain Across The Dawn | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title:The Stars Now Unclaimed

Author: Drew Williams

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 20 Aug 19 – 27 Aug 19

Publication date: 08 Aug 2019

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Adventure, Space Opera

Description:

It’s been three years since Esa left her backwater planet to join the ranks of the Justified. Together, she and fellow agent Jane Kamali have been traveling across the known universe, searching for children who share Esa’s supernatural gifts.

On a visit to a particularly remote planet, they learn that they’re not the only ones searching for gifted children. They find themselves on the tail of a mysterious being with impossible powers who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the very children that Esa and Jane are trying to save.

With their latest recruit in tow—a young Wulf boy named Sho—Esa and Jane must track their strange foe across the galaxy in search of answers. But the more they learn, the clearer it becomes—their enemy may be harder to defeat than they ever could have imagined.

*I received a copy of this book courtesy of Dark Room Tours and Simon and Schuster UK as part of their The Chain Across The Dawn Bookstagram/Blog Tour*

Continue reading “A Chain Across The Dawn | Review” →

Books, General

The Stars Now Unclaimed | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title:The Stars Now Unclaimed

Author: Drew Williams

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Dates read: 09 Apr 19 – 12 Apr 19

Publication date: 23 Aug 2018

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Adventure, Space Opera

Description:

A century ago, a mysterious pulse of energy spread across the universe. Meant to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity, it instead destroyed technology indiscriminately, leaving some worlds untouched and throwing others into total chaos.

The Justified, a mysterious group of super-soldiers, have spent a hundred years trying to find a way to restore order to the universe. Their greatest asset is the feared mercenary Kamali, who travels from planet to planet searching for gifted young people and bringing them to the secret world she calls home. Kamali hopes that those she rescues will be able to find a way to reverse the damage the pulse wreaked, and ensure that it never returns.

But Kamali isn’t the only person looking for answers to unimaginable questions. And when her mission to rescue a grumpy teenaged girl named Esa goes off the rails, Kamali suddenly finds herself smack in the centre of an intergalactic war… that she started.

*I received a copy of this book courtesy of Dark Room Tours and Simon and Schuster UK as part of their The Chain Across The Dawn Bookstagram/Blog Tour*

Continue reading “The Stars Now Unclaimed | Review” →

Fat Friday, General

Fat Friday: Week 2

Liz Whitehouse

Hello friends! Can you believe it has already been a whole week back on the dieting wagon? No, me either! I am not sure if it is a good or a bad thing that it has taken no time for a week to pass, but it has and we’re here and the diet is still around and I think even here to stay! It isn’t easy, but it isn’t terrifying, and I really feel like I can do it.

Fat Friday is a weekly blog post tracking my weight loss and fitness journey, used to keep myself accountable, keep a record of my progress, and share hints & tips that have helped me. To track my progress, or read my previous entries, click here.

Please join me, support me, and help me along my way as I aim to improve my life for the better! Continue reading “Fat Friday: Week 2” →

Books, General

Gods of Jade and Shadow | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Gods of Jade and Shadow

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: 3 Stars

Dates read: 04 Aug 19 – 14 Aug 19

Publication date: 23 Jul 2019

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Genre(s): Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology

Description:

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

*I was given an eARC of this book courtesy of Jo Fletcher Books/Quercus and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review* Continue reading “Gods of Jade and Shadow | Review” →

Books, General

Moon Over Soho | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Moon Over Soho

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 01 Apr 19 – 04 Apr 19

Publication date: 21 Apr 2011

Publisher: Gollancz

Genre(s): Fantasy, Mystery, Crime

Description:

The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul. They’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

Continue reading “Moon Over Soho | Review” →