Tag: bookaholic

Auto-Buy Authors

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Happy Monday Bibliofriends!

This week is the half term holiday and I am so happy to be able to sink into a little book cocoon for the week and catch up with some reading!

Whilst I was looking through various blogging things on the internet, I came across Jo Lindsell’s website. Jo discusses a range of different topics on her blog from fashion and lifestyle to travel and books. She had a really interesting post about a variety of book blogging topics for the whole of February and ‘auto-buy authors’ was one of the prompts!

I had a fair bit of fun thinking about this! When I first sat down to write my post, I began writing a list of author names in my journal, but the more I sat and pondered over how to compile these together, I started to really consider why I had chosen these particular authors above all of the others I have read.

What makes an author an ‘auto-buy’?

For me to add an author to my auto-buy list, I have to be completely, irrevocably swept away by the world they have created in my mind. I am one of those people that sees images in my head when I’m reading (I only recently learned that some people don’t do this, which is another intriguing topic in its own right). The crafting of a world, especially in SFF can sometimes be one of the most integral parts of investing into a story. The ability to do this well, fills us with hope that an author’s follow-up novels might be just as fleshed out and vividly appealing as their predecessors. If I can picture that world, as clearly as if it were a real-life place, then I can guarantee that will go a long way to making me fall in love with an author’s work and buy more of it.

Writing style is a hugely important factor. As a self-confessed logophile, the ability to balance elaborate and intriguing words in a way that doesn’t distract from the action of the plot is going to be a winner in my eyes. I teach English to 9 year olds and you can tell when they’ve regurgitated half the thesaurus into their writing just to try and make it sound more fancy – especially when half of the words are then out of context!

Appropriate word choices also go a long way in contributing to pace. Sometimes, all we’re in the mood for is fast-paced action which gets the characters from beginning to end in a way that doesn’t involve investing over half of our brain-power to it. Other times, the metaphors, imagery and language are actually what links us to the characters on the page and the emotions they’re going through. A heartbreaking scene can either be intensely heightened or left to fizzle out based on the vocabulary used to describe it.

Other times, all it takes is a series starter whose characters, plot, world-building, pace and narrative voice mix together in a wonderful cocktail of perfection, that we just can’t help ourselves going back for the next book, and the next book, and the next book… hoping they’ll be just as good as that first read. Then the author might branch out with a new series, or even a different genre altogether and we’re still picking up those works in the hope that we get to chase that flawless story which kicked off our passion in the first place.

So without further ado, here are some of my auto-buy authors and a few of the reasons why I’ll blindly follow their writing into the dark.

Carlos Ruiz Zafôn

Despite the fact that we sadly lost Zafôn in 2020, he was one of my first ever auto-buy authors and deserves his spot on this list as I own every single one of his books. My Nan had given me a copy of The Shadow of the Wind for my birthday and I had never heard of it before. Initially, I actually gave up reading it as I found it so hard to get into. However for some random reason, that book found its way back to me again, and when I dived in this time, I just couldn’t put it down! Zafôn’s beautifully lyrical writing style had me spellbound. He was an absolute artist with words and knew how to bend the magical realism genre in such an ethereal way. I’m so glad I gave his writing that second chance!

Sarah J Maas

Maas is the author I had in mind when I mentioned that perfect cocktail of perfection. Each of her books feel like they have imprinted themselves into my brain. Throne of Glass, ACOTAR and Crescent City are some of the most beloved books on my shelves. When my reading habits were cast slightly adrift after the ending of Harry Potter, these series gave me everything I was pining after and dragged me out of my mega reading slump. They gave me back my passion for reading and created this weird kind of soul-bond with their characters and worlds. Apart from the increasingly graphic smut scenes (ahem…), there is nowhere S J Maas can take her books that I wouldn’t follow. She could probably write a cookbook and I’d still have to buy it!

V.E. Schwab

Addie La Rue is emphatically one of my GOAT characters. She introduced me to the universe of Schwab’s writing and I haven’t looked back since. The thing I love about Schwab is that she is very upfront in telling her readers that her books have completely different vibes. The things I loved in Addie La Rue will not be the same things that I loved in the Shades of Magic trilogy or in Gallant. Schwab manages to create such multi-faceted characters and worlds which constantly surprise and intrigue me. It’s for this reason that she is on my auto-buy list and I’m gradually making my way through her catalogue.

Emily Henry

Romance isn’t my usual genre at all – however, Emily Henry does such a brilliant job at making you fall in love with her characters. So much so, that you want to put yourself in the book to try and ascertain that character their happy ending. To me, Emily’s books are the perfect balance of comedy, tragedy and those heartwarming feel-good moments. Her characters are usually book-lovers, or are written in a way which mixes their inner complexities with a relatable persona. Her author’s voice feels way beyond just generic chick-lit that I appreciate every single chapter, and they always leave me wanting just that little bit more!

Notable mentions…

I wanted to include some other authors who I’m ~95% likely to buy their new books, but it might be for a particular series or because I’m still making my way through the rest of their works.

  • Leigh Bardugo – I’m yet to read the Hell Bent series, but I already have The Familiar on pre-order because it sounds right up my street! I enjoyed the Six of Crows duology way more than the Shadow and Bone series. The ending of Crooked Kingdom still breaks my heart and I would adamantly campaign for justice for one particular character!
  • Ernest Cline – Ready Player One and Ready Player Two are probably in my Top Ten Books of All Time! I’m hoping to read Armada at some point this year but if it’s just as good as RP1 then I can see myself automatically buying whatever Ernest Cline writes next! Fingers crossed there’s something soon!
  • Jennifer Lynn Barnes – any of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ books in the Inheritance Games series is on my auto-buy list. I’m not too sure that her Debutantes or the Raised by Wolves series will be appealing to me but the Naturals series may also be worth me taking a punt on.
  • J.K. Rowling / Robert Galbraith – any new Cormoran Strike novel is always in my shopping basket, although I usually wait until it comes out as a paperback. I’m too invested in this crime series to stop now!
  • Stephanie Garber – I feel like I buy Stephanie Garber’s books for the hype surrounding them – I don’t want to get FOMO when nearly my entire bookish feed is filled with them! I initially got both Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart as part of my Fairyloot subscriptions and bought the sequels just to keep reading on. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy her books and the whimsical characters she creates, but I’m not sure I would have bought them as an ‘auto-buy’ if I hadn’t received them through book boxes first.

That’s pretty much the core of my auto-buy authors! Which writers would make it onto your list and why? Let me know in the comments, I’m intrigued to see what you come up with!

T xx

The Lunar New Year Book Tag

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Happy Lunar New Year Bibliofriends,

Whilst I was trawling the internet for a new Book Tag to sink my teeth into – this fantastic Lunar New Year Book Tag popped up! This tag was originally created way back in 2017 by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit and Josh @ Thoughts and Afterthoughts. Both of their blogs seem to have been dormant for some time so I’m not terribly sure if there’s an updated version of this somewhere in the ether, however I’m using the original 2017 prompts and graphics from Tiff’s post.

Back in 2017, we were celebrating the Year of the Rooster which had the prompt of ‘Most Anticipated 2017’ release; obviously in 2024, we’re celebrating the year of the Dragon, but I decided not to swap any of the prompts around as they seemed to fit so well with the personalities of the animals. Therefore, the Rooster prompt will read as most anticipated read of 2024.

You may have already heard me rabbit on about this book before, so it should come as no surprise that my Royalty book prompt is the American Royals series by Katharine McGee! I love the drama, it’s like a bookish reality show!

No pun intended, but The Once and Future Witches had me absolutely spellbound from the very first page. There was something so magnetic about the spooky atmosphere that Alix E. Harrow created, that I just couldn’t help but be drawn into the world of James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna.

My own Zodiac animal, the snake! Hand on my heart swear, that when I was choosing the book for this prompt, I didn’t intentionally match up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with the snake, purely for all of the snakenesssss… I genuinely saw this cover on my Goodreads list and thought, yes – this book is filled with manipulating characters from every corner! Is there even a character in here who doesn’t manipulate someone at some point?!

I am an absolute sucker for an eye-catching cover! As you can see, animals tend to be a running theme on these selections, however anything that is pattern-based, popping with colour and with a minutiae of intricate detailing is a winner with me!

Xander Hawthorne from The Inheritance Games is winning this prompt for me. He can always be relied upon to sneak up on a character, just at the precise moment to call them out or offer some witty one-liners and backchat.

This is my edited prompt to read ‘Most Anticipated 2024 Release’. With Crescent City 3 – House of Shadow and Flame already out in the world, it feels a little like cheating to mention that… Another read that I am desperate to get my hands on this year is The Grandest Game which is the fifth instalment in The Inheritance Games series! Out in August 2024! You can read my review for the previous book in the series The Brothers Hawthorne here.

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. Always. This book occupies a really special place in my bookish heart. Addie’s character captivated me in a way like no other and the bittersweet elements of the plot keep me coming back to this read over and over and over again.

When I first read Midnight in Everwood, I was astounded at the level of detail M.A. Kuzniar had put into researching her main character Marietta Stelle. In this Nutcracker retelling, the author not only created an in-depth world filled with all of the fantastical elements of this wonderful, well-loved ballet, but she also took a deeper look into the actual ballet dancers who shaped the role and used this to inspire her main character. It’s a fantastic piece of craftsmanship which I definitely feel needs a little more love. You can read my review for it here.

Erm… my book subscriptions themselves! Does that count?! I thought it wasn’t too bad to start with as I only get Illumicrate and the Fairyloot YA and Adult Combo each month, but then I started having to get the matching sequel editions to match… then came the gorgeous collector editions of books I already owned… it’s definitely a sickness. I’m in desperate need of a bookaholics anonymous society!

I could have gone with a multitude of characters for this. It seems like strong morals and ideals are an unofficial prerequisite for fantasy heroes on a crusade to save the kingdom. However, as my mind wandered, there was one character in particular who was exactly kind-hearted and resolute, even in the face of the darkest dark – step on up Samwise Gamgee! 💜

Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution – whilst I found the academic writing style a little tricky to get my head around, the powerful and poignant messages leaping from every corner of this book had me writing this down as my prompt pick almost immediately. Even R.F. Kuang’s brutally honest author note really put it out there. I wanted to high five for her reiteration that yes, although this book is set in a very real Oxford, the fictional liberties taken with dates and architecture were for the actual storytelling and not intended to be verbatim fact.

I mean, how can I not pick Divine Rivals for this…? For starters, that enchanted typewriter! 😱 Without sounding like Veruca Salt, “give it me now!” The way and Iris and Roman are drawn together, every element of their journey is so tender that is totally encapsulates the ‘sweet romance’ part of this prompt. I can’t wait to read the sequel Ruthless Vows!

That’s a wrap! Twelve Zodiac animals, twelve bookish prompts, twelve book selections! What do you think of them? Are you celebrating the Lunar New Year and do you know your own Zodiac animal?

As always, drop me a comment below to chat!
T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I have long been a fan of The Inheritance Games cycle, but when I first heard about The Brothers Hawthorne, I have to admit – I was a little apprehensive. I worried that taking the main narrative away from Avery and onto the Hawthorne brothers might have detracted from all of the elements I loved about the original trilogy… but boy was I wrong! Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Book: The Brother Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: Teens and YA / Mystery
Publication Date: August 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Pages: 480
Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.  
 
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
 
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favour, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
 
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

My Musings

From the very first page, I was instantly pulled into the world of Avery and the Hawthorne Brothers. With short, snappy chapters, a flashback from twelve and a half years ago, and the use of one of those 911-coded emergencies, it didn’t take me long at all to get sucked right back into this Inheritance Games novel.

We pretty much pick up from where The Final Gambit left off, but this time the central narration is a split perspective based on Jameson and Grayson’s POV. They each have different character arcs which focus on discovering more about the families on their fathers’ sides, and it is these familial branches which provide two weighty plot lines threading through the whole story.

As Grayson and Jameson’s characters are already well-established throughout the first three books – The Brothers Hawthorne allows for a perfect blend of action interspersed with character building. The high stakes, super-sleuthing and clue-solving still resonate within each chapter, whilst gradually chipping away at the brothers and their inner selves.

The idea of belonging and a sense of needing to feel needed is a key element within the development of both brothers. We see Jameson’s desire and absolute compulsion to win at all costs, how his relationship with Avery impacts upon that, and the secrets he is willing to sacrifice in order to succeed. Grayson on the other hand, is able to utilise his Knight in Shining Armour persona by coming up with clever tricks and strategies to help out his newly found family and relatives-in-need.

This novel is packed with an almost double dose of treasure hunting and problem solving. Whilst Grayson embarks upon his use of ciphers and cryptic puzzle boxes to find the means to an end, Jameson ends up on a full scale treasure hunt complete with stately home, ancient artefacts and secrets from a corrupt underworld thrown into the mix. There is danger, there is intrigue. There is suspense and betrayal. All of the quizzical gimmicks I adored in the original series are right back here unfurling page after page! At several times, I’m pretty sure I even gasped out loud when reading. The way Jennifer Lynn Barnes write these elements into the plot literally blows my mind!

The ending of this novel reaches an intensely satisfying conclusion, not to mention the jaw-dropping revelation and cliffhanger-y plot twist at the end – again, suspense by the bucket load! The scene is perfectly set up to whet your appetite for the fifth instalment of the series (The Grandest Game) which comes out later this year.

All in all, I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book. There is just something about the whole series which speaks to my bookish soul. It’s not just the treasure hunting, secret passageways and coded messages (although that is a hefty driver) – the Hawthornes stick together, and it makes you want to be a part of their crew. I think I’d happily live inside the world of these books if I could! The plot is written with the perfect amount of pace to drive the story forwards yet offering up enough world-building and character detail to keep turning page after page. I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for Avery, the Hawthornes & Co – and you can bet that when The Grandest Game comes out in August, it won’t be sitting on my TBR shelf for very long!

Why Should I Read This?

If you loved The Inheritance Games trilogy, then this refreshing continuation will be right up your street – what are you waiting for?!

If you haven’t read the original trilogy, then this you should try picking it up for:
> the sheer intrigue and cryptic bewilderment that is The Game itself…
> character arcs which combine morality with the need to discover self-identity and belonging.
> an easy reading page-turner which will have you second-guessing character motives at every turn!

Find out more about this book here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | Penguin Books UK

Connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

The Wrap – January 2024

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Howdy Bibliofriends!

Happy February! 2024 is well and truly underway! I always look forward to reflecting on my entire month as it gives a real sense of closure. Also thinking about the month ahead is always exciting as I like to be positive about all of the good events that are on the horizon!

Life Update

Life in January started off incredibly well. Having a good chunk of time off over the Christmas period, with a lighter-than-normal schedule, meant that I came into 2024 feeling quite chilled and relaxed! I finally got around to starting up my blog again which had been on my mind for so long.

At the start of the year, I decided that I was going to make a list of 12 day trips to new-found places! The first one of those we did in the middle of January by going to Oxford. I’ve visited the city of dreaming spires many times before, but I’d never visited The Castle and Prison or been there to specifically hunt for bookshops. We found some wonderful stores including The Last Bookshop (which is where I bought a brand new Mexican Gothic for £4!), Gulp Fiction in the Covered Market (a coffee shop turned bookstore) and Arcadia (which doesn’t really have a lot of second hand books, but is predominantly a cute little fairyland/treasure trove filled with loads of assorted knick-knacks).

Work has been somewhat mad this past two weeks for various different reasons, however having the blog to try and keep persevering with is presenting a good distraction from my constant procrastinations over the joy that is being a teacher! I honestly love my job and my class are adorable, but this last month has been Challenging – yes, with a capital C!

The rest of this Wrap Post follows my usual format (Past Reads, Current Reads, Upcoming Reads, Films/TV) so feel free to skip any irrelevant parts!

What I’ve Been Reading in January

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely adored this book! Having loved the original trilogy so much, I was initially a little hesitant about a seemingly spin-off novel, however I am so glad I dived in! This brought back all of the things I loved from the series but from the fresh perspective of Jameson and Grayson. I can’t wait for the Final Gambit to be released later this year.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
From one 5* read to another… boy am I glad I hopped on this hype train! This book came to me at the right moment and mindset for me to fall head over heels for it. Those closing paragraphs… what a cliffhanger!

King of the Cloud Forests by Michael Morpurgo ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was purely a school-based read. We’re doing a mountains topic and I was trying to find an English text which linked to that theme. I found the relationship between Ashley and the yetis so sweet. The ending was incredibly heartwarming too. I think our children will enjoy discovering Ashley’s adventures in the Himalayas.

A Storm of Swords (Parts 1 and 2) by G. R. R. Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After giving up on both the TV series and attempting to read this as a physical book a couple of years ago, I tried my luck with the audiobook and do not regret it in the slightest – I was hooked! And can we talk about that final chapter… 😱 Much has been said about Roy Dotrice’s narration, but I personally found it very charming. He managed to bring the characters to life in a way which just wasn’t happening for me on the actual page. I never realised he holds the Guinness World Record for the most character voices by an individual for an audiobook, but I guess if you’re solo narrating the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire Series’, you’re pretty much guaranteed the accolade right…? I wonder which book series has the most characters in ever? That would be an incredibly nerdy thing to find out! 🤓

#CurrentlyReading

Physical Book: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas – because y’know… Crescent City 3 👀

Audio Book: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – this is one I’ve had in my library for a while. I’m only a few chapters in but am quite intrigued the magical elements and the heartglass concepts.

Upcoming Reads

I have that standard bibliophile problem that my shelves are stacked full of unread books. I try to keep my TBR fairly flexible and rather than set a fixed, monthly TBR, I tend to go with my reading mood or something that I’m desperate to either start or finish. As February is a short month, I’m going quite conservative here…

  • Taylor Swift The Whole Story by Chas Newkey-Burden (a Christmas gift from someone who knows me all too well!)
  • A Feast For Crows by George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones #4 – on Audiobook)
  • Rivals by Katharine McGee (American Royals #3 – my friend gave me her copy 😍 thanks Nikki!)
  • House of Shadow and Flame by Sarah J Maas (Crescent City #3 – I don’t think I’ll be able to keep myself away from it for too long!)

What I’ve Been Watching

With Six Nations starting this weekend, we recently started watching the Six Nations Full Contact on Netflix. It’s such a brilliant behind the scenes documentary which really showcases some of the men behind their rugby playing personas. I was quite taken aback by the hardships some of them had faced to get to where they are currently. Still in the middle of making my way through the Percy Jackson series, I just had to start Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+. I like that it’s more true to the books than the movies, and that Rick Riordan had more control over it. It does a pretty good job of bringing the series to life.

Movies, we’ve seen:

  • One Life (Cinema) – I was actually really taken by this. It was a little hard to get into at first with the flashbacks between time periods, but the impact of Nicholas Winton’s actions and the legacy he created was so heartwarming. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic at displaying that on screen!
  • Priscilla (Cinema) – Ever since watching Marie Antoinette, I’m always intrigued by Sofia Coppola’s portrayals of historical events. With Priscilla, she completely nailed the boundary between the love story of Elvis and Priscilla, but also the flipside of how Priscilla was essential groomed into being the type of woman and wife that Elvis wanted. It was mesmerising but uncomfortable at the same time. I came away really enamoured with the film and wanting to find out more about Priscilla’s story.
  • Lift (Netflix) – Kevin Hart & Co in an airplane heist… Fast and Furious meets The Italian Job with a little Mission Impossible thrown in for good measure. Harmless, action thrills fun!
  • Poor Things (Cinema) – I can totally see why Emma Stone won the Golden Globe for this! Barbie Oscars drama aside, I would totally give Emma Stone the Academy Award for this. The way she fully encapsulated the awkwardness yet vulnerabilities of Bella’s character was just beyond! From her movements, to her facial expressions and the intonations and inflections in her voice… I was blown away! Don’t get me wrong, this film is graphic and rude and slightly perverse on so many morality levels, but it was weirdly refreshing to watch something that wasn’t a biopic or a superhero movie. It’s made me intrigued to now see what the book is like. Overall, the movie is quirky entertainment with a side of twistedness!

And that’s a wrap! How was your January? Are you still on track with your 2024 TBR or reading goals? I’m totally looking forward to my February TBR pile and having the half term holiday to sink my teeth into it! What are you all looking forward to reading in February?

As always, drop me a comment to chat! ☺️

T xx

Characters of the Year Tag – 2023 Reads

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Happy Thursday Bibliofriends!

I was still reminiscing about last year’s reads when I stumbled across this great Characters of the Year Book Tag on Books are 42 blog. With it being Awards Season at the moment, this tag felt like a brilliant way to celebrate last year’s reads.

Favourite Male Character of the Year

This has to go to Jacks, the Prince of Hearts from the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy by Stephanie Garber. I really enjoyed trying to work out the motivations behind his character and the complex hero/villain vibes he gave off.

Favourite Female Character of the Year

This was quite tough as I read some pretty fierce famous characters this year. After scrolling through my reads, this accolade just has to go to Alex from When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. I totally fell in love with her character arc. From her naivety of the world around her, to the sheer maturity, resilience and determination she imbued to try and overcome her obstacles – I absolutely devoured her narrative!

Most Relatable Character of the Year

Reading so much fantasy, this was probably the most difficult of all of the prompts to be honest. If I had to pick one character, I would say Xiomara from The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – purely the facet of her that works so hard at trying to live up to the expectations put upon her by others. If that isn’t a relatable trait then I’m not sure what is!

Couple of the Year

Be still my beating heart… Iris and Roman from Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross were such a shoe-in for this role. I wouldn’t quite call them ‘enemies‘ to lovers, but the rivalry between them definitely adds to the building chemistry and tension. I can’t wait to find out what happens to them in the sequel which is very near the top of my 2024 Reading List.

Villain of the Year

This was another prompt which really made me think. Ian Hammond from Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton definitely caused a fair bit of villainous chaos! I was originally going to go with the dinosaurs themselves, but thought that wasn’t very fair to them considering they didn’t really ask to be brought back from extinction…! 😂

Most Disliked Character of the Year

Again, another difficult one… Sirscha from Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee was my pick for this, only because she was a main character which I never really bonded with or bought into when reading. Something about her, and pretty much the whole novel to be honest, just didn’t click with me.

Royal of the Year

Hands down, Princess Samantha from the American Royals series by Katharine McGee wins Royal of the Year. I’m so glad I stumbled across these books. Sam brings the perfect antithesis to the rule-abiding Princess Beatrice, and whilst I could have chosen them both as Siblings of the Year (along with Prince Jefferson, of course!), Sam’s refreshing bursts of rebellion and rule-breaking add some fantastic humour to the story. I’ve really enjoyed her transformation and character journey and can’t wait to read about what lies in store for her in the remaining books.

Sidekick / Non-Main Character of the Year

I mulled over this one for ages but I think I have to give it to the entire Bestiary from Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell. This is such a wonderful book about an archipelago of fantastical creatures and the creatures themselves steal the show. From Gelifen the Griffin, to the Sphinxes and the Ratatoskas, this book was filled with so many wondrous side characters who brought this magical world so vividly to life.

Siblings of the Year

Camino and Yahaira from Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo deserve this siblings of the year award. I was so taken by this found family story and how both of the girl end up coming together and making space for each other in their respective lives. It was a really heartwarming ending to what began as quite a tragic story.

There you have it, my characters of the year from my 2023 reads! Have you read any of the books these characters came from? Which characters would make your own character of the year awards? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

2023 Reading Wrap

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Happy Saturday everyone!

How are you spending the weekend? I am off to the dreaming spires of Oxford to wander round and see if I can spot any little bookstores hidden away!

I know we’ve passed the middle of January but I haven’t quite got around to wrapping up my 2023 reading year just yet. I set myself a Goodreads challenge to complete 60 books and I literally just completed it on New Years Eve!

2023 was a fairly busy year for me but although I read 5 fewer books than 2022, I managed to read about 3,000 more pages (25,067 in total). On average, my typical book length was about 400 pages. I made my way through a range of genres including SF-F, Crime, YA and Literary Fiction.

I read Heartburn by Nora Ephron because, at some point in my memory, it had been a book pick for the Between Two Books book club. If you haven’t come across it before, they are a Florence + the Machine fan-based book club, Florence even picks some of the chosen reads for it herself! Although The Ink Black Heart was an absolute door-stopper of a book, I felt like it was a real achievement to make it all the way through to the end – I also like to think it acted as a bit of subtle weight lifting too… 😂

The Books…

First read of the year: Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries by Alan Rickman
Last read of the year: Congo by Michael Crichton

My Favourite Reads and Highlights!
Looking back at what I actually did read in 2023, I could rant on about why I read these particular books and even some funny stories about how/where I bought them from, but here’s just a few of my best bits!

  • Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries by Alan Rickman – I’m a huge Alan Rickman fan and devoured his diaries. The end-notes from Rima were almost too heartbreaking to read but I found this to be such a fascinating insight into his life.
  • Happy Place by Emily Henry – Oh how I adore Emily Henry’s writing! She has such an ability to craft a plot and characters in a way which make my heart melt!
  • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton – One of my favourite movies, I’m so glad I took the chance on reading this. If I didn’t love the film so much, I’d say the book was better!
  • When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill – I listened to this on Audible and for some reason it completely had me hooked. I don’t think I fully got my head around the ‘women as functioning dragons in society’ part but Alex’s character completely sucked me into her narrative.
  • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross – This was one of those reads that was definitely worth the hype! Magical typewriters, rivals to lovers, weird mystical creatures relating to some sort of world mythology… I can’t wait to read Ruthless Vows!
  • Throne of Glass rereads – This was the year I also finished my Throne of Glass rereads on Audible. It’s one of my all-time favourite series and I’m so excited for Crescent City 3 coming out later this month!
  • American Royals by Katharine McGee – I stumbled across an ARC of this in a charity shop and bought it on a whim. Boy was I glad I did! It’s one of those guilty pleasure reads and once I started, I just couldn’t put it down!
  • Darker Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab – After my little pilgrimage to the Portobello Book Shop on a trip to Edinburgh, I finally made my way through this series! I’ve finally been introduced to Lila Bard and the infamous Kell! I’m excited to see where Schwab takes the next part of the series.

And that’s 2023 all wrapped up! Have you read anything on my 2023 list? Are some of these on your never-ending TBR? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T – The Biblioshelf 🤗

Biblioshelf Musings – The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl. This book had me sold at ancient fairytale curses and an elite school setting so I was thrilled when my ARC request was accepted! It’s put me right in the mood for this spooky Halloween season!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Laura Pohl and the publishers SourceBooks Fire for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Book: The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
Genre: Teens and YA / LGBTQIA+
Publication Date: October 26th 2021 (UK release: November 26th 2021)
Publisher: SourceBooks Fire
Pages: 400
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Once Upon a Time meets Pretty little liars.

Four troubled friends, One murdered girl… and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled it a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.

When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn’t have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend’s last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies, discovering they’re all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories until they can break the cycle.

This contemporary take on classic fairytales reimagines heroines as friends attending the same school. While investigating the murder of their best friend, they uncover connections to their ancient fairytale curses and attempt to forge their own fate before it’s too late. 

My Musings

My university dissertation was based around fairytales so I absolutely jumped at the chance to be able to review this book straight from the mention of ancient fairytale curses. The Grimrose Girls is a fast-paced adventure set in a highly prestigious boarding school; it gave me all of the dark academia vibes and its links to some of the more ancient, classic fairytales gave this story a powerfully dark and gripping atmosphere.

For me, the best thing I loved about The Grimrose Girls was that Laura Pohl sort to showcase the original fairytale stories in all of their dark, twisted glory and break the glass slipper mould of ‘Disney-fied Happy Endings’. From The Little Mermaid and Snow White to Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, the ancient curses connecting this group of characters revealed the origins of these stories in their most brutal forms. It was quite a refreshing take on a genre which I love so much.

The characters themselves were each intriguing in their individual ways. I had so much fun working out which fairytale fate each character was destined to take up, some were slightly more obvious than others. Through Yuki, Ella, Rory and Nani, we are given a range of identities and representations to connect to. Be it parental expectations, grief, sexual identity or just working out who the hell you’re supposed to be whilst growing up – there were plenty of cultural and lifestyle character facets here to bring about diversity amongst this group of girls. It was interesting to see the range of emotions each one went through as they dealt with the death of a friend and sought to reforge and re-establish their fractured friendships. Even though the setting isn’t actually a single-sex girls’ school and there a couple of male characters in the story, sometimes the catty dialogue and humorous interactions between the girls sent my mind right back to my own education at an all-girls’ school!

I have to admit, I wasn’t totally aware that this book was going to be a series when I first started reading so the cliffhanger ending right at the end was abrupt in the best possible way. Although one or two mysteries get solved within the final pages, there’s still so much more to come from this fantastic plot. I’m already eagerly awaiting the sequel as it feels like these girls are just getting started on their epic fairytale-debunking quest!

Why Should I Read This?

For the representation of original fairytales in all their twisted, brutal glory.
For a diverse range of fierce female characters who bond together to overcome an ancient evil.
For the dark academia vibes of The Grimrose Académie setting.

Find out more about this book here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | Author’s Website | Sourcebooks Fire | NetGalley

Connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

Biblioshelf Musings – Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar. There’s always something about The Nutcracker that signals Christmas is just around the corner so as soon as I read the blurb for the Nutcracker-esque retelling Midnight in Everwood, I immediately added it to my TBR pile! And boy, it did not disappoint! This is one of my all-time favourite reads this year. I had to give it 5/5 stars, it’s pure, delectable perfection from start to finish.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, M.A. Kuzniar and the publishers HQ for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Book: Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Literary Fiction
Publication Date: October 28th 2021
Publisher: HQ
Pages: 384
Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A spell-binding retelling of The Nutcracker, filled with enchanted toys, decadent balls, fierce feminine friendships and a forbidden romance. For fans of The Toymakers, Caraval and The Bear and the Nightingale.

There’s nothing Marietta Stelle loves more than ballet, but after Christmas, her dreams will be over as she is obligated to take her place in Edwardian society. While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure who wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms.

When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own. On the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, she is transported to a snowy forest, where she encounters danger at every turn: ice giants, shadow goblins and the shrieking mist all lurk amidst the firs and frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs. After being rescued by the butterscotch-eyed captain of the king’s guard, she is escorted to the frozen sugar palace. At once, Marietta is enchanted by this glittering world of glamorous gowns, gingerbread houses, miniature reindeer and the most delicious confectionary.

But all is not as it seems and Marietta is soon trapped in the sumptuous palace by the sadistic King Gelum, who claims her as his own. She is confined to a gilded prison with his other pets; Dellara, whose words are as sharp as her teeth, and Pirlipata, a princess from another land. Marietta must forge an alliance with the two women to carve a way free from this sugar-coated but treacherous world and back home to follow her dreams. Yet in a hedonistic world brimming with rebellion and a forbidden romance that risks everything, such a path will never be easy.

My Musings

The Nutcracker meets Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia is this beguiling wintry fairytale from M.A. Kuzniar. Whether it’s the twinkling Tchaikovsky soundtrack, the magical nostalgia of seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes or the curiously enchanted sugar plum fairies and Mouse Kings, there is just something ensorcelling about the tale of the Nutcracker in all of its numerous variations.

Whilst I’ve seen the Nutcracker ballet several times, I haven’t read the original tale of The Nutcracker and The Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman so cannot offer comparisons of Midnight in Everwood to the original telling of the tale. In spite of this, I was still equally blown away as to how Kuzniar has taken the most magical elements of this charming story and breathed fresh life and purpose into her reimagining.

I’m a huge fan of novels which craft a world I can imagine leaping into with my ‘literary worlds passport’ and the world-building in this novel is so on point, it’s exquisite! From frozen sugar castles, moose pulled sleighs, miniature reindeers, marzipan alleyways and ballet stage sets with mechanical moving mice, the whole creation of Everwood appealed to every single sense in my body. There was so much attention to detail in everything from what the characters ate to the elaborate costumes they wore to balls. Kuzniar’s language and descriptions were an absolute confectionary delight of storytelling which is one of the main reasons I had to give this book 5/5 stars.

The characters are truly endearing. Mariette starts off as a determined yet naive society girl who just wants to dance rather than settle down into an arranged marriage. Upon her arrival in Everwood, she gets beguiled by all of the enchantments and possibilities of that new world. When the rose-tinted glow of that kingdom finally wears off and she develops strong friendships with Dellara and Pirlipata, Mariette emerges as a fierce, confident woman who has the courage to stand up for what she believes in and follow her dreams.

Dr. Drosselmeier appears as the perfect sinister, morally grey villain. He tries so hard to ensnare her into his magical world, yet ends up providing her with the exact tools and experiences she needs to overcome him. His parody within the world of Everwood keeps you guessing as to whether his character resides within that magical world or if he is just the great orchestrator from the outside.

Captain Legat offers up the forbidden romance element of the novel and I was totally there for it! I loved all of his and Mariette’s interactions. I also liked the way he was able to stand up and be recognised as his own character within the story and even though it fell slightly into the ‘trope/predictable’ element of fantasy romances, there was certainly nothing wrong with a little indulgence.

Mariette’s friendships with Dellara and Pirlipata showcased strong females and added to the vibes of women overcoming the dominance of patriarchal suppression. This was a classic case of women uplifting other women and I really like how Kuzniar has paved the way for these characters to take up stories of their own in possible companion novels.

With background references to the suffragette movement and forbidden homosexuality in Edwardian England, Kuzniar does well to address these issues whilst keeping the narratives of the main characters as the focus in the plot.

Every little thing in this novel points to the small yet highly significant details. The deeper I look within this story and the more I research around the original tale and its ballet heritage, the more symbols, foreshadowings and allusions I pick up about how much work has gone into this masterful creation and reader, I wholly appreciate it!

Even the naming of these characters was special with Mariette linking back to the original character of Marie, whilst also sounding like a marionette. As Mariette is forced to dance for the evil King Gelum, I couldn’t help but think of her as a puppet or as the girl from the Anderson fairytale The Red Shoes. Dellara’s fairylike symbolism can be seen to take it’s influences from Antonietta Dell’Era, the original Sugar Plum Fairy. Even Captain Legat could be a reference to the Russian principal dancer Nikolai Gustavovich Legat. These are the kind of references that I absolutely live for in fiction and Kuzniar has done such a stellar job at weaving all of these references into her ode to the world of The Nutcracker.

I could probably wax lyrical about this book for ages and I’m sure there are a multitude of little pop culture / ballet references which I am yet to discover. Either way, this is truly a spectacular work of fiction. Kuzniar has taken the basis of a much loved winter fairytale and turned it into her own magical world brimming full of stories and adventure. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the Nutcracker then you’ll probably adore this book just as much as me. However, if you’re also a fan of the types of adventures where characters visit strange, new worlds, such as Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia then add this extraordinary, enchanting novel to your list – it may well become a new favourite!

Why Should I Read This?

For the incredible attention to detail in each and every page. This is a purposefully thought-through tale which shows how much of a beloved story and world this is to the author.
For the amazing world-building which I could have literally eaten off the page; this really deserves to be one of those scratch-and-sniff books!
For the perfect wintry fairytale to set you up for the forthcoming festive season.

Find out more about this book here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Goodreads | Author’s Instagram | Author’s Website

Connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

Biblioshelf Musings – The Violent Season by Sara Walters

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about The Violent Season by Sara Walters. I first heard about this book through the SourceBooks Fire newsletter. They included a brief sampler and after reading the blurb and the first chapter or so I requested an eARC through Netgalley which was thankfully approved!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Sara Walters and the publishers SourceBooks Fire for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Book: The Violent Season by Sara Walters
Genre: YA / Thriller
Publication Date: October 5th 2021
Publisher: SourceBooks Fire
Pages: 320
Rating: 📚📚📚📖

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

An unputdownable debut about a town marred by violence, a girl ruined by grief, and the harsh reality about what makes people decide to hurt each other. The Violent Season is a searing, unforgettable, and thrilling novel that belongs on shelf with Sadie and Girl in Pieces.

Every November, the people in Wolf Ridge are overwhelmed with a hunger for violence–at least that’s the town rumor. Last fall Wyatt Green’s mother was brutally murdered, convincing Wyatt that this yearning isn’t morbid urban legend, but rather a palpable force infecting her neighbors.

This year, Wyatt fears the call of violence has spread to her best friend Cash–who also happens to be the guy she can’t stop wanting no matter how much he hurts her. At the same time, she’s drawn to Cash’s nemesis Porter, now that they’re partners on an ambitious project for lit class. When Wyatt pulls away from Cash, and spends more time with Porter, she learns secrets about both of them she can’t forget.

And as the truth about her mother’s death begins to emerge from the shadows, Wyatt is faced with a series of hard realities about the people she trusts the most, rethinking everything she believes about what makes people decide to hurt each other.

My Musings

When I first heard about this book, it sounded like an eclectic mix of The Purge mixed with a science-fiction worthy violence-virus which infected a town each November leaving a lot of devastation in it’s wake. In truth, the main focus of this book is really about the emotions and trauma we feel when we experience pain, hurt and suffering at the hands of the people we love, or even ourselves.

This novel definitely earns it’s place amongst the thriller section of the YA genre. We are led on a spiral of events and revelations which keep twisting and turning as the novel progresses. I kept coming up with little theories about who did what or which characters I could trust but then as the plot got deeper I found myself constantly changing my mind! The pace kept me on my toes right up until the very final pages and the ending left me with with a haunting sense of foreboding which is perfectly in-keeping with the upcoming spooky season.

As the leading character, the story is told through Wyatt’s perspective and everything that happens in the story we witness simultaneously through her eyes, emotions and actions. This made her narrative particularly powerful to me as the pain and suffering she experiences comes across so raw, brutal and honest. Some of the things that her character went through made me feel for her and at times I just had to stop and think about how some of these things are the harsh reality of life for people all over the world.

In places, you experience the flip-flopping of Wyatt’s personas – from that tough-girl stance of self-belief and personal empowerment, to the crippling feelings of anxiety and doubt that you put on yourself when you’re facing inner turmoil. Walters’ writing really communicated those feelings of suffering strongly enough to make me consciously feel them.

In some ways, Wyatt almost takes on the role of unreliable narrator too, which may seem odd given that I’ve just described her perspective as brutally honest – however… Wyatt’s recollection of her Mother’s death is hazy and some parts of it have been blocked out of her mind completely. As she gradually begins to remember more and and reconnect those lost memories, we also start to find out how she genuinely believes that there is some strange and mysterious sickness causing the season of violence each November. On the one hand you want to believe her, but then on the other hand – some part of you starts to doubt whether she’s not just creating a false narrative because she can’t bear the actual reality of the truth. The depth of Wyatt’s character is so wide that I think it’s the part of this book that I liked the most.

The relationship between Wyatt and Cash takes many turns during the course of the plot. I feel it’s safe to say that this is an extremely harmful relationship which comes with several trigger warnings. This is countered slightly through Wyatt’s reconnection with Porter who, although has secrets of his own, forms as the counter to Cash.

The Violent Season is a powerful standalone thriller which transforms an urban legend into the harrowing reality of just how deeply grief, trauma and violence can affect a person, especially when it is dealt out by the ones we love the most.

Why Should I Read This?

For a slightly unreliable yet brutally honest main character who transports you from her deepest pit of pain to a place of self-love and empowerment.
For the nod to Great Gatsby in the middle of the book.
For an interesting concept of how violence can be construed as a sickness.

Read a sampler:

You can read an excerpt of this book here: https://read.sourcebooks.com/fire-a-violent-season-excerpt

Find out more about this book here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Goodreads | Author’s Website

Connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

The Wrap – September 2021

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Howdy Bibliofriends!

September definitely felt like a ‘blink and you’ll miss it moment’ – seriously where has that month gone?! Although the pace was fast, looking back on it there were actually so many things that happened: the return of the Magical Readathon, starting my new job at a new school and our first stable yard Open Day (post-pandemic restrictions). Overall, this September seems to be the most positive month I’ve had in ages filled with lots of wonderful times! ☺️

We’re off to see the James Bond film tonight and I’m so excited!! I also have a new Audible subscription so please send recs of audiobooks as I’m totally procrastinating on what to get with my 2 free credits – HELP! 😂🙈

Life Update

Starting at my new school has been so wonderful and such a breath of fresh air after all of the work related problems from the past couple of years. I am actually loving my job again and it’s brought about a whole new energy which I’ve really been missing. Even friends have commented and said I seem like a much more positive person nowadays! 😂 I guess it’s pretty amazing what a change of scenery and a reduction of toxicity can do for your personality!

For the first time in about two years we were able to hold our annual Open Day at the stable yard I’m a part of. It was so nice to have visitors around the yard again and show them our fabulous horses and facilities. So far, this is our best season yet as we’ve had more winners already than ever before with the biggest part of the jumps racing season still ahead of us. The good vibes are in full flow at the minute, long may it continue!

I was so happy to see the return of the Magical Readathon hosted by Book Roast! I loved it back in it’s HP form but G has really pulled out all of the stops to make this bigger, better and more unique than ever before. You can read my original TBR below or scroll down to the What I’ve Been Reading section to find out more!

The rest of this Wrap Post follows my usual format (Past Reads, Current Reads, Upcoming Reads, Films/TV, Music/Podcasts, Pokemon Go) so feel free to skip any irrelevant parts!

What I’ve Been Reading

Having a readathon definitely helps my drive and determination to try and plough through the books – I think is probably my best reading month of the year so far. Despite only needing to fulfil two prompts to ‘pass’ the readathon, I always try to pick something for every prompt just in case I change my mind on the book I want to read, I’m such a mood reader at times! I’m going to write a proper wrap post for the Magical Readathon soon to go back over the prompts and challenges etc. but for now, here’s what I read in September:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was so much fun and the perfect ‘end of school holidays’ distraction that I needed!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I finally started the Percy Jackson series! Greek mythology is one of my favourites so I can’t believe it took me this long to get around to it. I loved the way Riordan blended ancient Gods and contemporary worlds together. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me ages to finish this behemoth of an audiobook (clocking in at 19hrs long) and I’ve decided audio is definitely the way forward for me in terms of reading more of Murakami’s works. I much preferred Kafka to The Wind Up Bird Chronicle as I think I had a bit more of an understanding as to what was actually happening! Nakata’s character was adorable and the loved the speculative, magical-realism element the book had.

The Violent Season by Sara Walters (eARC)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Violent Season comes out into the world next week! I was fortunate to get an eARC of it via Netgalley. The story revolves around a sleepy little town called Wolf Ridge where every November a strange sickness takes over the town’s residents and it turns into the season of violence (hence the title). I thought it would have paranormal / The Purge style vibes but this wasn’t quite the case. It was still an enjoyable read though. Review to come next week!

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this was probably my favourite read of the whole month! I listened to it on audio with narration by Julia Whelan and it had me both laughing and crying at different points! Sometimes a book just comes along for you at the right time and it becomes everything you needed in that moment – You and Me on Vacation was exactly that. I’m turning into such a fan of Emily Henry’s writing, she creates some endearing characters and storylines. You can check out my spoiler-free review here.

Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never Have I Ever is a short story collection from Isabel Yap and is based on Filipino folktales, myths and legends. I first came across the book on the Book Riot SFF Yeah! podcast and remember having to wait weeks for it to arrive from Bookshop.org as it had to be ordered direct from the supplier. I’ve always been intrigued by mythologies and tales from different cultures. Yap has a superb writing style which mixes threads from fantasy, speculative and magical-realism genres with contemporary vibes for modern readers. It’s a remarkable anthology and definitely got me in the spooky Halloween spirit!

#CurrentlyReading

As it was only £4.99, I completely caved and purchased the audiobook of Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer. I was determined not to continue anything to do with the Twilight series as I read it so long ago but curiosity (and my love of bargains!) got the better of me! I can’t believe it’s over 24 hours long and I must confess that I’ve had to crank the speed up to 1.5x because Edward’s narration is a little drawn out in places. I’m loving the background into the Cullen family so far.

In a bid to try and ‘read it before you see it’ I’ve recently started Dune by Frank Herbert in the hope I can finish it before the film comes out in cinemas later this month. At over 500 pages and tilted more into the Sci-Fi part of the SFF genre, I was a little apprehensive at first but now I’m about 200 pages in and loving it. Now I have majorly high expectations for the movie! 😂

Upcoming Reads

My book haul this month is making me so excited about my upcoming reads! I got the Illumicrate edition of Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff which is so stunning – the sprayed edges, the pearlescent hardback… it’s so gorgeous I almost don’t want to read it. (if that makes any sense?!)

I’ve also got some pretty cool ARCs on Netgalley and the release dates are fast looming so I’m keen to make my way through those pretty soon:
Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar – publication date: 28th October
The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl – publication date: 2nd November
Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks – publication date: 9th November
A Three Dog Problem by SJ Bennett (Book 2 of the HM the Queen Investigates sereis) – publication date 11th November

What I’ve Been Watching

TV this month has been all about Grey’s Anatomy (again!) – it’s one of my all-time favourite series so I’ve been binging my backlog including Seasons 14, 15 and 16 and I’m now trying to rapidly make my way through Season 17 before it disappears from Sky later this month. Season 16, episode 16 (Leave a Light On) had me bawling my eyes out! In one way I’m so angry and gutted that the storyline had to go in that direction but what the writers did with it was so sentimental and just felt so right for that particular character that even though I don’t like it, it’s pretty perfect really.

Money Heist is back!! I can’t believe I got to the end of the 5th episode and then have to wait another few months for the second part of the season! Another cliffhanger/resolution/ending which made me grab the tissues. I get so sucked in to these TV programmes! 😂

Has anyone seen The Chair on Netflix with Sandra Oh? It’s on my watchlist but I haven’t started it yet.

Cinema movies this month have been:
Free Guy (LOVED IT!)
Respect – Aretha Franklin biopic (I never knew how turbulent her life was)
Shang Chi and the Ten Rings (the dragon scenes were epic)
The Many Saints of Newark (Sopranos prequel film)

Pokemon Go Update

I’ve definitely lost a bit of interest in the game since school started again. I basically leave my house at 7.15am and don’t return until 6.30pm so with the nights drawing in and the weather definitely turning more autumnal by the second, I’m not able to get out and play as much as I used to. The Fashion Week event was quite fun but it was a real sprint to the line to make sure I found all of the Fashion Challengers to battle for the Timed Research. I did manage to get a hundo Chansey and a hundo Furfrou out of it though.

September’s Shiny Haul
Lugia (finally!)
Oshawott (and all it’s evolutions on Comm Day)
Galarian Meowth (spotlight hour – I was so happy to see this guy!)

My Trainer Code: If any fellow Pogo players want to add me, my trainer code is: 8327 7170 2277

And that’s a wrap! How was your September? Are you heading into Autumn or is your weather still sunny and warm? I’m totally feeling the spooky vibes of Halloween and the witching season so feel free to send some bookish recommendations my way! What are you all looking forward to reading in October?

As always, drop me a comment to chat! ☺️

T xx