Category Archives: Book Lists

Dune Saga

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Dune, the best cover

Dune, the best cover

In memory of David Lynch I think I’ll read the whole of the Dune universe for the first time, and read it in chronological order, all the short stories, novellas, and expanded universe.

I’ve been reading the original saga since the late 70s and it was one of the first series of books that I remember being excited about a new addition coming out, but I’ve always avoided reading any of the books outside of Frank Herbert’s original six just in case I was disappointed and it spoiled the whole ‘universe’, but now I feel I should really give them a go to round out everything.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the David Lynch film no matter what other people say, and no matter how much it diverted from the source material. It was visually stunning for the time and I’m going to watch that again this evening, and will probably watch all the Dune TV and film output as well as read the books.

There is an article on Tor.com called ‘Where to Start with the Dune Universe‘ and I’m going to follow the chronological reading order they recommend, and to this end have just got myself a copy of ‘The Road to Dune’ that has a lot of the early short stories in it.

I’ll give a really brief review of each story/book as I read them so you’ll see this post pop to the top of the blog occasionally as I read another part of the saga.

  • “Hunting Harkonnens” (story, The Road to Dune / Tales of Dune)
  • Dune: The Butlerian Jihad
  • “Whipping Mek” (story, The Road to Dune)
  • Dune: The Machine Crusade
  • “The Faces of a Martyr” (story, The Road to Dune)
  • Dune: The Battle of Corrin
  • Sisterhood of Dune
  • Mentats of Dune
  • “Red Plague” (story, Tales of Dune)
  • Navigators of Dune
  • “Imperial Court” (included in Sands of Dune)
  • Edge of a Crysknife” (included in Sands of Dune)
  • Dune: House Atreides
  • Dune: House Harkonnen
  • “Blood and Water” (standalone excerpt from House Harkonnen)
  • Dune: House Corrino
  • Fremen Justice” (also published as “Nighttime Shadows of Open Sand”, standalone excerpt from House Corrino)
  • “Wedding Silk” (story, Tales of Dune)
  • Princess of Dune
  • The Duke of Caladan
  • The Lady of Caladan
  • The Heir of Caladan
  • Dune
  • “A Whisper of Caladan Seas” (story, The Road to Dune)
  • “Blood of the Sardukar” (included in Sands of Dune)
  • “The Waters of Kanly” (story, Infinite Stars)
  • Paul of Dune
  • Dune Messiah
  • The Winds of Dune
  • Children of Dune
  • God Emperor of Dune
  • Heretics of Dune
  • Chapter House Dune
  • “Sea Child” (story, Tales of Dune)
  • “Treasure in the Sand” (story, Tales of Dune)
  • Hunters of Dune
  • Sandworms of Dune

 

  • The Road to Dune
  • Tales of Dune
  • Dreamer of Dune [biography of Frank Herbert]
  • The Dune Encyclopedia [hard to get]

Books of 2025

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Books of 2025

Books of 2025

Well it’s that time to set up a ‘What I’ve Read This Year’ page, this is where I keep track of what I’ve read in a year and make a list that includes links to the reviews.

I am sort of using StoryGraph to track owned and read books, but I still like this page as it is so satisfying.

This year sees me going on a more horror/folklore oriented kick, so slasher, fungal, ghost stories, mythology, witchy things, and much more – both fiction and non-fiction and for all age groups.

As always I don’t review three star reads or below.

  1. A Ride Across America (05/06/25) ★★★☆☆
  2. The World’s Worst Alien (02/06/25) ★★★☆☆
  3. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master (28/05/25) ★★★★☆
  4. Ionheart (21/05/25) ★★★★☆
  5. Slow Trains Around Britain (20/05/25) ★★★☆☆
  6. The Little Book of Trolls (17/05/25) ★★★☆☆
  7. Little Visitors & Other Abductions (16/05/25) ★★★★☆
  8. Mayowa and the Sea of Words (14/05/25) ★★★★☆
  9. Art Work: On the Creative Life (10/05/25) ★★★★☆
  10. Reframing Women Printmakers (08/05/25) ★★★☆☆
  11. Uncredited (02/05/25) ★★★☆☆
  12. Blueprint to Cyanotype (27/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  13. Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be? (26/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  14. The War of the Maps (The Vanished Kingdom Book 3) (26/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  15. A Bear Belongs (26/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  16. Land of the Last Wildcat (25/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  17. Skin Police Volume 1 (23/04/25) ★★★★☆
  18. The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic (23/04/25) ★★★★★
  19. Meat Eaters (22/04/25) ★★★★★
  20. Don McCullin (19/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  21. Bite Risk: Cold Blood (18/04/25) ★★★★☆
  22. A Box Full of Murders (17/04/25) ★★★★☆
  23. There Is No Giant In This Story (17/04/25) ★★★★☆
  24. The Biggest Dog In The Book (17/04/25) ★★★★★
  25. The Fib (14/04/25) ★★★★☆
  26. EC Cruel Universe (13/04/25) ★★★★☆
  27. When I Arrived at the Castle (13/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  28. Kick the Latch (13/04/25) ★★★★☆
  29. Failed Summer Vacation (11/04/25) ★★★★☆
  30. Basil Dreams Big (10/04/25) ★★★★★
  31. How To Be A Viking (09/04/25) ★★★★☆
  32. Riverskin (09/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  33. The Cat Bride (08/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  34. Fishfolk (07/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  35. Where is the Cat? (07/04/25) ★★★★☆
  36. MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious (05/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  37. Wolf Siren (05/04/25) ★★★★★
  38. Ghost Town (02/04/25) ★★★★☆
  39. North American Lake Monsters (02/04/25) ★★★☆☆
  40. A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel (01/04/25) ★★★★★
  41. Coven (01/04/25) ★★☆☆☆
  42. Heavy Metal Badger (31/03/25) ★★★★☆
  43. The Girl Who Sold Time (30/03/25) ★★★★☆
  44. Emerald and the Sea Sprites (30/03/25) ★★★☆☆
  45. England: A Natural History (29/03/25) ★★★☆☆
  46. Sometimes I Just WON’T (28/03/25) ★★★★☆
  47. Hank Goes Honk (28/03/25) ★★★★☆
  48. The Café at the Edge of the Woods (26/03/25) ★★★★☆
  49. Outsider Art (26/03/25) ★★★☆☆
  50. The Lost Sunday (23/03/25) ★★★★★
  51. The Hotel (23/02/25) ★★★★★
  52. Shadowlands (23/03/05) ★★★☆☆
  53. Cloud Boy (22/03/25) ★★★★☆
  54. The Madman’s Guide to Stamp Collecting (22/03/25) ★★★☆☆
  55. Where Did She Go? (20/03/25) ★★★★☆
  56. Buzz Sausage Wolf (20/03/25) ★★★★☆
  57. The Godfathers of Horror Films (18/03/25) ★★★★☆
  58. Incidents Around The House (17/03/25) ★☆☆☆☆
  59. Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Wood (16/03/25) ★★★★★
  60. Uprooted (13/03/25) ★★☆☆☆
  61. Herbal Chronicles (12/03/25) ★★★★☆
  62. The Salt Grows Heavy (11/03/25) ★★★★★
  63. The Butcher of the Forest (09/03/25) ★★★★☆
  64. Idle Grounds (06/03/25) ★★☆☆☆
  65. This Place Kills Me (05/03/25) ★★★★☆
  66. Strange Tales From Japan (05/03/25) ★★★★☆
  67. It Came From The Multiplex (03/03/25) ★★★★★
  68. Snails of the Unexpected (01/03/25) ★★★★☆
  69. They Bloom at Night (01/03/25) ★★★☆☆
  70. Grumpfort (28/02/25) ★★★★☆
  71. Aliens Love Underpants (27/02/25) ★★★★☆
  72. The Biggest Breakfast (27/02/25) ★★★★☆
  73. Faithbreaker (26/02/25) ★★★★★
  74. The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family (9/02/25) ★★★★☆
  75. I Know What UFO Did Last Summer (16/02/25) ★★★★☆
  76. After (12/02/25) ★★★★☆
  77. Monsterland (12/02/25) ★★★★★
  78. The Invitation (11/02/25) ★★★☆☆
  79. The Freak (11/02/25) ★★★☆☆
  80. The Green Kingdom (07/02/25) ★★★☆☆
  81. How to Be Avant-Garde (06/02/25) ★★★★☆
  82. Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs (04/02/25) ★★★★☆
  83. Scuttler’s Cove (31/01/25) ★★★★☆
  84. The Power of Words (31/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  85. Wild Card (22/01/25) ★★★★☆
  86. Withered Hill (22/01/25) ★★★★★
  87. Epitaphs from the Abyss (18/01/25) ★★★★★
  88. Man’s War Against Nature (17/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  89. The Democracy of Species (13/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  90. Tales From the Folly (12/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  91. Stray Cat Blues (12/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  92. Here Be Dragons (12/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  93. Deadly Ever After (12/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  94. Monday, Monday (12/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  95. Amongst Our Weapons (11/01/25) ★★★★★
  96. False Value (08/01/25) ★★★★☆
  97. Joker: DC Compact Comics Edition (07/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  98. The Casebook of Carnacki The Ghost Finder (06/01/25) ★★★☆☆
  99. The October Man (04/01/25) ★★★★☆
  100. Sick Houses (03/01/25) ★★★★☆
  101. Nothing But Blackened Teeth (02/01/25) ★★★★☆

Books of 2024

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Books of 2024

Books of 2024

This is a list of the books I’ve read throughout 2024. I usually set a target of 52, so one a week but quite happy to see where it goes.

I’ve decided to stop using Goodreads as I’m cutting down on all my social media use and just going back to blogging for me and anyone who wants to read these little streams of consciousness.

I’ll list each book with it’s star rating and I’ll link it to the review on this site if it has one. This will be done with the most recent being at the top of the list.

I’ll start a list like this for each year from now on as well.

  1. The Fey and the Furious (31/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  2. Lies Sleeping (31/12/24) ★★★★☆
  3. Water Weed (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  4. Cry Fox (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  5. Detective Stories (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  6. Winter’s Gift (28/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  7. Elements of Horror: Air (27/12/24) ★★☆☆☆
  8. The Hanging Tree (24/12/24) ★★★★☆
  9. The Furthest Station (22/12/24) ★★★★☆
  10. Black Mould (21/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  11. Night Witch (21/12/24) ★★★★☆
  12. What Abigail Did That Summer (21/12/24) ★★★★☆
  13. Night of the Ghoul (20/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  14. Foxglove Summer (20/12/24) ★★★★☆
  15. Body Work (19/12/24) ★★★★☆
  16. Broken Homes (18/12/24) ★★★★☆
  17. Whispers Under Ground (17/12/24) ★★★★☆
  18. 30 Days of Night: Volume 1 (15/12/24) ★★★★☆
  19. Think Like A Street Photographer (12/12/24) ★★★★☆
  20. Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny (12/12/24) ★★★★☆
  21. A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire (10/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  22. Moon Over Soho (09/12/24) ★★★★☆
  23. Root Rot (07/12/24) ★★★★☆
  24. Rivers of London (07/12/24) ★★★★☆
  25. Orbital (05/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  26. Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  27. Rivers of London: Action at a Distance (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  28. The Masquerades of Spring (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  29. Light Matters (16/11/24) ★★★★☆
  30. Uncanny and Improbably Events (11/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  31. The Colour of Magic (10/11/24) ★★★☆☆
  32. GUMAA: The Beginning of Her (09/11/24) ★★★★☆
  33. The Deorhord (06/11/24) ★★★★☆
  34. Crypt of the Moon Spider (04/11/24) ★★★★☆
  35. The Game Changers (04/11/24) ★★★★★
  36. This Can’t Be Happening (02/11/24) ★★★☆☆
  37. The Dragonfly Will Be the Messiah (31/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  38. The Party (30/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  39. The December Witches (29/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  40. Dread Wood (26/10/24) ★★★★☆
  41. Doomsday Clock: The Complete Collection (25/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  42. El Fuego (24/10/24) ★★★★☆
  43. Blue Skies Through the Window of a Moving Car (23/10/24) ★★☆☆☆
  44. What Moves the Dead (23/10/24) ★★★★★
  45. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (22/10/24) ★★★★☆
  46. The Vampires of El Norte (19/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  47. Night People (18/10/24) ★★★★☆
  48. Akogan: Brutalizer of Gods (18/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  49. The Whispering Night (17/10/24) ★★★★☆
  50. Barrowbeck (12/10/24) ★★★★☆
  51. Armed With Madness (10/10/24) ★★★★☆
  52. Witchcraft: A Graphic History (09/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  53. One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer (09/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  54. The Snowman Code (08/10/24) ★★★★☆
  55. Moonrise (07/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  56. Shy (05/10/24) ★★★★★
  57. Soma (30/09/24) ★★★★☆
  58. Lockett & Wilde’s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries: The Ghosts of the Manor (28/09/24) ★★★★★
  59. A Mudlarking Year (26/09/24) ★★★★★
  60. Strange Stones (23/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  61. The Great When (23/09/24) ★★☆☆☆
  62. A Gift for a Ghost (22/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  63. Vampires Never Get Old (22/09/24) ★★★★☆
  64. Cult of the Lamb (17/09/24) ★★★★★
  65. Where the Daybreak Ends (17/09/24) ★★★★☆
  66. The History of Cinema (13/09/24) ★★★★☆
  67. The Watkins Book of Urban Legends (10/09/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  68. Cemetery Kids Don’t Die (09/09/24) ★★★★☆
  69. Jill and the Killers (08/09/24) ★★★★☆
  70. Tales from the Gas Station Volume 1 (06/09/24) ★★★★☆
  71. Design: A Very Short Introduction (05/09/24) ★★☆☆☆
  72. Tales Accursed (02/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  73. The Book of Forgotten Witches (01/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  74. The Sky On Fire (31/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  75. Kaleidoscope Japan (31/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  76. Supernatural Creatures (30/08/24) ★★★★☆
  77. 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need To Know (30/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  78. Psych 101 (19/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  79. The Story of Art Without Men (13/08/24) ★★★★★
  80. Tender (06/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  81. Byobu (02/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  82. Of Cattle and Men (01/08/24) ★★★★☆
  83. Invasive (31/07/24) ★★★★☆
  84. The Devourer Below (31/07/24) ★★★☆☆
  85. SmörgåsBOARD (31/07/24) ★★★★☆
  86. These Deathless Shores (17/07/24) ★★☆☆☆
  87. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank (16/07/24) ★★★★★
  88. Crave (15/07/24) ★★★★☆
  89. We Called Them Giants (14/07/24) ★★★★☆
  90. The Night Mother Vol. 1 (14/07/24) ★★★★☆
  91. Cursed Under London (18/06/24) ★★★★☆
  92. The Ministry of Time (14/06/24) ★★★★☆
  93. The Complete Chronicles of Conan (11/06/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  94. One Day On Our Prehistoric Planet… (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  95. The Boy On Fire (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  96. Cub (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  97. Everything Is Fine (09/06/24) ★★★★☆
  98. The Silence In Between (05/06/24) ★★★☆☆
  99. Garbage Nights: The Complete Collection (29/05/24) ★★☆☆☆
  100. The Serpent and the Wings of Night ((29/05/24) ★★★★☆
  101. Dragon Den (26/05/24) ★★★★☆
  102. Wolf Road (22/05/24) ★★★☆☆
  103. How to Read a Tree (22/05/24) ★★★★☆
  104. The Court of Thorns and Roses (20/05/24) ★★★★☆
  105. House of the Unholy (18/05/24) ★★★★☆
  106. The Third Love (14/05/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  107. Dandelion (13/05/24) ★★★★☆
  108. Woven Song (13/05/24) ★★★★☆
  109. A Rivalry of Hearts (09/05/24) ★★★☆☆
  110. Space-Mullet (01/05/24) ★★★★☆
  111. The Details (01/05/24) ★★★★☆
  112. Green Frog (30/04/24) ★★★★☆
  113. Freaky Folklore (29/04/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  114. Book Lovers (28/04/24) ★★★★☆
  115. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (25/04/24) ★★☆☆☆
  116. Do/Photo (23/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  117. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (21/04/24) ★★★★★
  118. Most Haunted Theatres (21/04/24) ★★☆☆☆
  119. When Among Crows (20/04/24) ★★★★★
  120. Flowers from the Void (20/04/24) ★★★★☆
  121. A Haunted Girl (17/04/24) ★★★★★
  122. Off the Tracks (16/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  123. Is It A Seed? (16/04/24) ★★★★☆
  124. Griz Grobus (14/04/24) ★★★★★
  125. The Honey Witch (13/04/24) ★★★★☆
  126. Sisters of Sword and Shadow (09/04/24) ★★★★☆
  127. Murder Road (03/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  128. The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction (02/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  129. Scotland’s Forgotten Past (01/04/24) ★★★★☆
  130. Abroad in Japan (31/03/24) ★★★★☆
  131. Faceless and the Family (26/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  132. A Tempest of Tea (25/03/24) ★★★★☆
  133. Magic: A Very Short Introduction (21/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  134. The Spellshop (20/03/24) ★★★★★
  135. Anna’s Garden (19/03/24) ★★★★☆
  136. Tomorrow’s Children (17/03/24) ★★★★☆
  137. The Great God Pan (13/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  138. Not a River (12/03/24) ★★★★★
  139. Bight Risk: Caught Dead (09/03/24) ★★★★☆
  140. Black Hole Cinema Club (06/03/24) ★★★★☆
  141. The Man From Maybe (02/03/24) ★★★★☆
  142. Nights Volume 1 (01/03/24) ★★★★★
  143. The Essential… Taylor Swift (28/02/24) ★★★★☆
  144. The Cull Volume. 1 (25/02/24) ★★★★☆
  145. My Throat An Open Grave (21/02/24) ★★★★☆
  146. The Harrowing (20/02/24) ★★★★☆
  147. Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad (19/02/24) ★★★★★
  148. Gogmagog (13/02/24) ★★★★☆
  149. Dwellings (12/02/24) ★★★★★
  150. Hobtown Mystery Stories Volume 1 (09/02/24) ★★★★★
  151. Welcome to Arkham (08/02/24) ★★★★☆
  152. Let Me Out (07/02/24) ★★★★☆
  153. Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame (26/01/24) ★★★★☆
  154. This Skin Was Mine and Other Disturbances (25/01/24) ★★☆☆☆
  155. What Happens to Girls? (18/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  156. Whose Dog Is This? (13/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  157. The Queen Next Door (13/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  158. The Secret Elephant (13/01/24) ★★★★★
  159. Wolf and Bear (13/01/24) ★★★★☆
  160. Wild Wild Wood (07/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  161. Sunbringer (03/01/24) ★★★★☆
  162. Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of (01/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  163. Snail (01/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  164. The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish (01/01/24) ★★★★★
  165. The Last Stardog (01/01/24) ★★★★☆
  166. Gina Kaminsky Saves the Wolf (01/01/24) ★★★★★