This year, we're returning to Ann Leckie's much-awarded debut for our ScifiMonth read-along. The Justice of Toren is a Radchaai troop carrier, bringing her cargo of ancillaries - once-human soldiers, now mere bodies slaved to her consciousness - to its new conquests. Trouble is stirring at the empire's edges that will one day lead to sole ancillary leaving the Radch in search of a weapon that can kill its millennia-long leader Anaander Mianaai.

I'm seizing the opportunity offered by today's ScifiMonth prompt to round up the SF I've read and loved over the past 12 months. I've been particularly bad at both reading and reviewing in 2025, so it's good to pause and reflect on what I've enjoyed.

Is it Friday already? Awesome, that's day when your ScifiMonth co-captains throw a theme out into the universe and see what top fives our crew come back with. We're kicking off this year with the journey not the destination to explore physical, metaphysical, psychological, emotional, culinary, ecumenical (I typed this as a joke then thought of 3 books that suited it, whut) but never banal journeys.

Is it Friday already? Awesome, that's day when your ScifiMonth co-captains throw a theme out into the universe and see what top fives our crew come back with. We're kicking off this year with the journey not the destination to explore physical, metaphysical, psychological, emotional, culinary, ecumenical (I typed this as a joke then thought of 3 books that suited it, whut) but never banal journeys.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish, and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It's all about books, lists and sharing the love we have of both with our bookish friends. I'm mixing our TTT prompt of the first ten books I randomly grabbed from my shelves with our ScifiMonth prompt of nonlinear equations (aka chaos) to share randomly selected SF titles that I still need to read.

Close your eyes. Feel that strange sensation whooshing over your skin? That's the dislocating feeling of being whirled away to another place and time. November is here, which means ScifiMonth when we share our love of a favourite genre with an amazing crew of geeks across the verse. Let's do this!

My October plans were disrupted by high winds (thanks Amy) and a work trip to London for my company's tenth birthday celebration. I've spent most of the month being surprised it's nearly winter, although we got one last summery day for a walk before winter's darkness. Reading Round-up I started my spooky reading back in August, and I've been enjoying it ever since.

When the tyrant who rules your land with an iron grip demands you revisit your worst nightmare to save his children, you obey. Knowing what they face in a dark, haunted land, you obey. Knowing what horrors your family face if you don't succeed, you obey. Without hope, perhaps knowledge will see you safe home.  

When the tyrant who rules your land with an iron grip demands you revisit your worst nightmare to save his children, you obey. Knowing what they face in a dark, haunted land, you obey. Knowing what horrors your family face if you don't succeed, you obey. Without hope, perhaps knowledge will see you safe home.