tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40389738729446812652026-02-07T09:54:53.164+02:00Exploring the wonderful worlds locked away in books! Science fiction, fantasy and other book reviews.KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.comBlogger511125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-27399351701048005632023-01-05T19:42:00.000+02:002023-01-05T19:42:24.520+02:00

The final results for the Science Fiction Invaders reading challenge are in. I've tallied all the points from participants who submitted their scores to be featured on the leaderboard and I was blown away by the truly impressive scores! The overall high score goes to @bflobookgeek with a staggering 596,500 points!!! Second place goes to Jayelsea with a score of 364,00

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-67831243878470862002023-01-02T07:00:00.002+02:002023-01-02T07:00:00.204+02:00

A new year means it's time to look back on the year that was and embrace the chance to start anew. 2022 was a tough year for me. I struggled with burnout and the constant load shedding (rolling blackouts) we are experiencing in South Africa didn't help at all. Having only a limited number of hours with electricity available each day sucked away all of my motivation and severely

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-21539020036698143282023-01-01T00:00:00.060+02:002023-01-05T17:54:44.597+02:00

2022's Science Fiction Invaders challenge was huge fun and quite a few people joined in on the challenge. The amount of participants exceeded all my expectations so I'm calling it a success. A huge thank you to everyone who participated!One thing I noticed was that while participating in the challenge I read loads of science fiction, but I tended to neglect all other genres. Who wants to read

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-16502720920748344852022-12-29T21:43:00.001+02:002023-01-01T08:41:57.625+02:00

This year has been a strange year for me. Everything started out fine, but about halfway through the year I found it harder and harder to focus on reading. Halfway through the year I lost all motivation. I couldn't bring myself to write reviews for the few books I did manage to read. And then things got even worse.   Months went by where I didn't even pick up a single

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-88605715778909547092022-08-16T19:58:00.002+02:002022-08-16T19:58:32.928+02:00

Over the last couple of months I've been struggling with severe burnout. It started at the end of April. Slowly, one by one, I lost all interest in all my hobbies and nothing seemed to be able to give me the joy and satisfaction it used to. Everything just seemed pointless. While I still read at a snail's pace I just couldn't motivate myself to write down my thoughts on anything I

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-91828664672087459872022-06-01T20:58:00.001+02:002022-06-01T20:58:55.264+02:00

I've always wanted to try my hand at building some model kits. Aside from some Star Wars papercraft this was something I've never ever tried before. Not even as a kid (well at least not that I can remember). As luck would have it I managed to pick up a Revell Star Wars Advent Calendar X-Wing Fighter model kit for a great price in March. It was my birthday month so I decided to spoil

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-27528714176369305462022-04-21T18:53:00.001+02:002022-04-23T13:05:18.452+02:00

Title: Giving The Devil His Due Edited by Rebecca Brewer Pages: 290 ISBN: 9781947041905 Publisher: Running Wild Press Published: 1 September 2021 Genre: Short stories / Horror Source: Review copy from publisher What if a young girl had the power to stop her tyrannical father from battering her mother ever again? What if a student had a secret

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-1831121869997209162022-04-18T07:00:00.003+02:002022-04-18T19:52:19.062+02:00

April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month. To raise awareness towards the worldwide struggle to stop violence against women The Pixel Project in collaboration with Running Wild Press have released their first charity anthology - Giving the Devil His Due.   Giving The Devil His Due will be available on all major bookseller platforms in the United States and its territories

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-35560180911689388612022-04-05T22:41:00.004+02:002022-04-07T18:13:28.287+02:00

The first quarter of the year has come and gone. So many books, so little time. It's time to announce the Science Fiction Invaders reading challenge leaderboard for the first quarter. Some participants have really blown through the challenges and are nearly done with all the yearly challenges already and on the brink of leveling up. Bflobookgeek - 115,500 Carter

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-22652361286376492222022-03-28T21:38:00.002+02:002023-01-08T18:40:26.492+02:00

Want to double your shelf space with minimal effort? Then building a shelf riser might be just the thing for you.Over the weekend I found myself with an overabundance of cardboard boxes (don't ask!) and while procrastinating I decided to try my hand at building some cardboard shelf risers for one of my bookcases. I found two cardboard boxes used for fruit packaging which turned out to be

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-67068592460655697332022-03-21T14:06:00.001+02:002022-03-21T14:06:22.871+02:00

For my birthday I decided to spoil myself with a teeny tiny book haul. Totaling just three books, this might be my smallest book haul ever.

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-21250057301649097582022-02-27T21:13:00.002+02:002022-02-27T21:13:59.671+02:00

Title: The Deathworld Omnibus Author: Harry Harrison Series: Deathworld #1-3 Pages: 512 ISBN: 9781473228375 Publisher: Gollancz Published: March 1960 Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera Source: Purchased The planet was called Pyrrus, a strange place where all the beasts, plants and natural elements were designed for one specific

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-74617942602689673372022-02-12T12:25:00.000+02:002022-02-12T12:25:07.615+02:00

Some novels have the ability to draw you in from the start. A single line or paragraph can grab your attention in such a way that the novel just demands to be read. Opening Lines is a feature where I'll share some of the best opening lines that hooked me. With a gentle sigh the service tube dropped a message capsule into the receiving cup. The attention bell chimed once and was silent.

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-35586099301728675702022-02-01T19:14:00.001+02:002022-02-01T19:14:55.694+02:00

Any respectable reading challenge should have a book tag to go along with it. Introducing the Science Fiction Invaders Book Tag. Seven questions to get to know fellow science fiction fans and to bare your sci-fi soul to all. (If this is a total flop. Procrastination made me do it!) 1. Blast off: Which book got you interested in or hooked you on science fiction?Despite how

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-2638951824359785782022-01-16T14:17:00.000+02:002022-01-16T14:17:00.187+02:00

2021 has been a YEAR, another trying year with loads of challenges and difficult circumstances to overcome. Thankfully it's over and a new year filled with hope and lots of books beckons. I kept my goals for last year pretty simple and overall I did pretty well, Read a total of 45 books: Success! I exceeded this by quite a bit and ended up reading a total of 70 books.Read at

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-30149514757297899352022-01-01T22:05:00.001+02:002022-01-01T22:11:02.623+02:00

Another year has come and gone. 2021 was a very tough year, in so many ways. I'm thankful to see it end. I managed to read 70 books, finishing the last book of the year with just 10 minutes to spare. There were some great reads this year, with just a few that didn't quite work for me. Here, in no particular order are my best reads of 2021. I could have made a list consisting

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-50939102491539560552021-12-29T20:38:00.002+02:002022-01-23T15:09:35.224+02:00

Nothing rings in a new year quite like a shiny new reading challenge. It brings me great joy to officially announce the Science Fiction Invaders reading challenge. This is a fun, low-commitment,  science fiction themed reading challenge which will blast off on 1 January and end on 31 December 2022.  How it works: Download the game sheet below to print out or keep as a

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-43031429226816733412021-12-21T12:59:00.002+02:002021-12-21T13:02:53.724+02:00

Title: You Sexy Thing Author: Cat Rambo Pages: 306 ISBN: 9781250269300 Publisher: Tor Books Published: 16 November 2021 Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera Source: Library loan TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that's just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it. Retired and finally free of the continual war of conquest,

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-4261379678372956292021-12-16T20:44:00.000+02:002021-12-16T20:44:37.669+02:00

Title: Leviathan Falls Author: James S.A. Corey Series: The Expanse #9 Pages: 560 ISBN: 9780356510392 Publisher: Orbit Published: 30 November 2021 Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera Source: Library Loan The Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-23412557772734612632021-12-12T18:57:00.000+02:002021-12-12T18:57:05.008+02:00

While I haven't been able to read much over the last two months I went just a little crazy during the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales from Reader's Warehouse. Who could resist a 50% discount on books? Definitely not me. At this stage I've pretty much exhausted the entire sci-fi and fantasy section on Reader's Warehouse's site. I ended up blowing the last of my book budget

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-28460642571160914312021-11-01T12:47:00.000+02:002021-11-01T12:47:49.325+02:00

I just spotted the cover for a new Neal Asher novel coming out in 2022. If you are looking for action-packed space opera goodness then Asher never disappoints! Weaponized by Neal Asher ISBN: 9781529050035 Release date: 26 May 2022 A bright new future for humanity – or a dark and inescapable past. With the advent of new AI technology, Polity citizens now possess incredible lifespans

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-34977841413449288792021-10-23T13:36:00.000+02:002021-10-23T13:36:55.482+02:00

Here's a little Halloween flash fiction treat for you. I'm not a writer by any stretch of the imagination, but this story idea just got stuck in my head and had to get out. Even if my writing is atrocious I hope you enjoy it and that it creeps you out just a little...**** It’s all in perfecting the rictus. You have to get the timing just right to capture that sublime sense of terror.

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-51591435128859469172021-09-20T07:00:00.001+02:002021-09-20T07:00:00.176+02:00

Title: Shards of Earth Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky Series: Final Architecture #1 Pages: 548 ISBN: 9780316705851 Publisher: Orbit / Tor Published: 3 August 2021 Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera Source: Library Loan Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-499508878905624012021-09-17T12:44:00.003+02:002021-09-17T12:47:34.592+02:00

The life of a bookworm is filled with things other people just don't understand. You can try to explain it to them, but only other bookworms will be able to truly understand and share in your pain and frustration. Here's a list of 5 bookish problems only other bookworms will get. Being surrounded by piles of unread books and still not having anything to read.

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4038973872944681265.post-54058507831429756842021-09-16T20:37:00.004+02:002021-09-16T20:37:50.460+02:00

It's not often that I need to do a book haul post in two parts (part one is over here), but given all the recent book sales and my complete inability to resist a good deal I ended up ordering way too many books. Showcasing them all in a single post would've been a bit too cumbersome.   Here, in all their glory, is the second part of my bookish shopping spree. Another

KJ Mulderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13306475344390343790noreply@blogger.com0