That’s another year over and done with. And in many ways I’m thinking people are delighted to see the back of 2018 as it certainly wasn’t great for a lot of people. But there was good news as well, and it helps to remember that is isn’t all doom and gloom.

There have been two new additions to my household in 2018, both of them accidental. Every year we foster a dog over the summer for a local rescue and usually these dogs head off to Sweden and new homes in August or September, but this year our foster puppy was quite a bit older than usual and the rescue thought he might not cope all too well with that journey and were trying to find him a forever home in Ireland. But no luck, so when September came around we decided that Drake would stay with us. So I guess they did find him a home after all…

And then towards the end of October a little kitten ran out in front of the car and so we had to stop. And so Shuri joined the family. Three dogs, three cats. I think that’s more than enough to keep us occupied.

Bookwise I read my 100 books with the late addition of some short stories and novellas over the past couple of days. I did not review all one hundred on the blog, I sort of fell off the blogging circuit the past few months. Likewise I know I haven’t reviewed even half of the films I watched, but I think I logged most of them on letterboxed, so a total there of 168.

Of the books I reviewed two thirds were by women, over half were by UK authors or US authors, only five were by Irish authors. 14 had LGBTQ+ characters, that could do with some improvement, and 3 were by LGBTQ identifying authors.

Still a lot of work to be done reading outside the mainstream white narrative.

On to the favs of the year! WHich, in no particular order are…

Swordheart

I loved this book. I pretty much read it in one sitting, with occasional breaks for a cup of tea ...
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Us against you

originally published as Vi mot er; translated by Neil Smith Beartown ; book 2 It has been a while since ...
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Exit strategy

Murderbot diaries ; 4 I love these books. They just feel so warm and comforting, like a hug, despite the ...
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22 July [based on the book One of Us]

This is a tough film to watch. As it should be; dealing with mass murder and terrorism as it does ...
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Beast

If you are anything like me, you hear a film called Beast and think of Beauty and the Beast. And ...
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The broken kingdoms

The Inheritance trilogy ; 2 I pretty much devoured this book. I just couldn't stop reading once I started; it ...
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Sun, Moon, Dust

First published by Uncanny A Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy in May 2017. Okay, this is wonderful. There is ...
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The language of power

The Steerswoman series ; 4 If you haven't read the previous books in the series then this is not the ...
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Hereditary

The best way to see this film is to know nothing in advance. So if you haven't seen it stop ...
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The Breadwinner [based on the book]

Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban The Breadwinner is the story of a family trapped by the ...
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Artificial condition

The Murderbot Diaries ; 2 The whole time I was reading this book¹ I kept telling myself to ...
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Avengers : Infinity War

Given the box office takings I'm guessing you've already seen this film. I mean, hasn't everyone? But nevertheless there shall ...
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The cat who walked a thousand miles

Read it online at Tor. reread in April, 2018 and loved it just as much. A long time ago in ...
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Annihilation [based on the book]

I'm not quite sure how to start talking about Annihilation. I really liked it. But plot-wise anything I say to ...
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Mayhem

Added to Mount TBR in March 2018 - I came across this book as it was longlisted for the 2018 ...
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Black Panther

This film is so awesome. I loved it. I mean, I'd heard good things before I went, although I did ...
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The unwomanly face of war

translated into English by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky When I saw this mentioned in some magazine or other I ...
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Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Ever since I first heard about this film I was hoping it would come to my local cinema. Frances McDormand ...
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Clockwork Boys

The Clocktaur War ; book 1 Any book by Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfihser) is one that I want to ...
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1. novella, whatever ↩