Six For Sunday: Books to get people out of reading slumps….

It’s been a little while since I took part in a Six For Sunday! Or did anything else on the blog to be honest… You might have already seen a post this week but this is actually the first post I’ve written in 2022, or since last summer in all honesty! But I couldn’t think of a better place to start than one of Steph’s prompts!

Six for Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Steph at ALITTLEBUTALOT. You can find a list of prompts for January, February and March here

Books To Get People Out Of Reading Slumps

I’m right in the middle of a reading slump currently, and probably have been since the middle of last year to be honest so I’ll be eagerly keeping my eye out on other people’s posts to see what books they’re suggesting! To do things a little differently here I’m going to share six books I selected today in the hope of getting me out of my own reading slump!

Danger at Dead Man’s Pass by M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

A mysterious letter from an old friend asks Hal and Uncle Nat to help investigate a spooky supernatural mystery. Legend has it the Kratzensteins, a family of rich and powerful railway tycoons, are cursed, but there is no such thing as a curse, is there . . .?

Hal and Nat take the night train to Berlin and go undercover. From a creaking old house at the foot of the Harz mountains, they take the Kratzenstein family’s funeral train to the peak of the Brocken Mountain. Can Hal uncover the secrets of the Brocken railway and the family curse before disaster strikes?

First up is the 4th book in the Adventures On Trains series by M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. I absolutely adored the first three books, and the relatively recent arrival of the fifth book in the series, Sabotage on the Solar Express, reminded me I’m a book behind. I’m hoping that Danger at Dead Man’s Pass will be a relatively quick and enjoyable read that will get me back into reading!

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Rainbow Grey by Laura Ellen Anderson

Ten-year-old Ray Grey lives in the magical Weatherlands, high in the sky! Ray is surrounded by Weatherlings with astounding weather power at their fingertips . . . but she doesn’t have ANY magic!

Then, after a trip to Earth, Ray’s life changes forever. She is transformed from Ray Grey intro RAINBOW GREY! With the help of her best friends (and exploding cloud cat, Nim) now all Ray has to do is master her powers AND save the world from a mysterious, powerful enemy…

My Goddaughter adored the Amelia Fang series so I started reading them and really enjoyed them so when I saw Laura was creating a second series, with a cloud cat, I knew I just needed to pre-order it. This is another where a sequel arriving on my doorstep has prompted me to pick up the original. Apparently despite being in the middle of a massive reading slump I didn’t actually stop ordering more books…. Oops.

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The Infinity Files by S. M. Wilson

Get in. Get Out. ⁠⠀
Keep to the task.⁠⠀
Leave no trace. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Ash Yang dreamed of being a starfighter pilot. But when she crashes out of her final test – literally – she somehow lands the most powerful job in the universe. As Guardian of the Infinity Files she must secretly planet-hop through the galaxies, stealing or returning treasures that have the power to stop wars…or start them.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
But when her home planet is the one at war, can she get the job done?⁠⠀

I first read a teaser chapter from this way back in the before times when my friend Charlotte, picked up the Usborne sampler from YALC for me, back when it had a completely different name. I absolutely loved the sample, I think Covid caused the release date to be pushed back but it’s still sat for the best part of a year waiting for me to get around to reading it. Surprise surprise it’s the sequel The Infinity Guardians landing on my doormat that has reminded me I own this!

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Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly

Swan Lake is divided into the black acts and the white acts. The Prince is on stage for most of the ballet, but it’s the swans audiences flock to see. In early productions, Odette and Odile were performed by two different dancers. These days, it is usual for the same dancer to play both roles. Because of the faultless ballet technique required to master the steps, and the emotional range needed to perform both the virginal Odette and the dark, seductive Odile, this challenging dual role is one of the most coveted in all ballet. Dancers would kill for the part.

Ava Kirilova has reached the very top of her profession. After years and years of hard graft, pain and sacrifice as part of the London Russian Ballet Company, allowing nothing else to distract her, she is finally the poster girl for Swan Lake. Even Mr K – her father, and the intense, terrifying director of the company – can find no fault. Ava has pushed herself ahead of countless other talented, hardworking girls, and they are all watching her now.

But there is someone who really wants to see Ava fall …

I read He Said / She Said by Erin way way back and there’s been a few books of hers that have caught my eye since but I’ve never got around to buying but when I saw this blurb I knew I had to have it! I’m hoping it’s going to be intense and draw me in to the point I can’t put it down.

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All That Lives by James Oswald

Two victims. Nothing connects them, except that someone buried them in the exact same way.
Seven hundred years apart.

An archaeological dig at the old South Leith parish kirkyard has turned up a mysterious body dating from around seven hundred years ago. Some suspect that this gruesome discovery is a sacrifice, placed there for a specific purpose.

Then a second body is unearthed. This victim went missing only thirty years ago – but the similarities between her death and the ancient woman’s suggest something even more disturbing.

Drawn into the investigation, Inspector McLean finds himself torn between a worrying trend of violent drug-related deaths and uncovering what truly connects these bodies. When a third body is discovered, and too close for comfort, he begins to suspect dark purpose at play – and that whoever put them there is far from finished

If you’re not new to SWB you might remember I adore the Inspector McLean series and I cannot wait to get stuck in and discover what Tony has found himself stuck in the middle of this time! I especially love the fact the stories are set around Edinburgh so they’re places I recognise

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The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

I really loved Beth’s first two books The Flatshare and The Switch so I’m hoping this will be another heartwarming and enjoyable read! I need to get through this one as book 4 is due to arrive pretty soon!

They were my #SixforSunday! If you’ve taken part leave a link to your post below and I’ll be sure to check it out!