Tag: bookish

#Top Ten Tuesday – Hyped Books I Haven’t Read Yet

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read. Not gonna lie, this list could be miles long as I have whole shelves full on unread books – a typical bookwyrm problem, I know! Here are ten of the ones, that I was most excited for but still haven’t clawed them from the TBR piles just yet! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

  1. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo – This was literally on pre-order the moment that it dropped. I waxed lyrical about it for everyone who would listen, and even though it’s only been out about 1 month, I’m still shocked at myself for not having read it yet.
  2. Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff – As a huge Buffy fan, vampires are one of my favourite fantasy fiends. The fact that Jay Kristoff was writing about them too made this one of my anticipated books of 2021. Needless to say, as it’s on this list… my Illumicrate edition is still neatly wrapped inside its bubble wrap casing! 😬
  3. Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cory McCarthy – It’s sadly, not that often that I go into a bookshop anymore and just pick up an unheard of book because I like the blurb. Once and Future was one of those books that just randomly spoke to me because of the King Arthur parallels. That was back in 2019 and it’s still stuck on the shelf of unread paperbacks.
  4. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Another book which I was so intrigued about because of the major hype. I managed to snag the Illumicrate editions of this trilogy but they still lie unread in their little yellow bags.
  5. The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafôn – I’ve explained my meanings behind this one many, many times. I’m hoping to reread the rest of Zafôn’s works one day before embarking upon this final ever instalment.
  6. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller – Pirates are another bookish theme that is going to make it 100% likely that I will buy the book. Still hasn’t made it 100% quicker for me to pick this novel up yet though!
  7. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal – Does anyone remember ShelfLove Crate? This was the one and only box I ever purchased from them, specifically to get their edition of We Hunt the Flame. That was back in 2018… 🙈
  8. Fierce Like A Firestorm by Lana Popović – This one is a little bit of a cheat as I don’t actually own a copy of this yet… however, I immediately added this sequel to my virtual TBR list as soon as I finished Wicked Like a Wildfire so it’s spent a long time on my TBR just waiting to be purchased!
  9. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson – Despite being a huge SFF fan, I have not yet read anything by this juggernaut of the genre. The Final Empire was on my partner’s Christmas list so I bought him a copy and he already knows that I’m hoping to read it myself once he’s read it! 😂
  10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – Another series that I have the entire collection of and just haven’t started yet. I see this on so many Fantasy recommendations that I know I have to get to it at some point in the not-so-distant future!

Which books are still on your TBR pile? Have you read any of my picks this week? Any recommendations for which of these 10 I have to be picking up fast? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – Funny Story by Emily Henry

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about Funny Story by Emily Henry. I don’t normally consider myself to be a ‘romance’ reader, but there is just something about Emily Henry’s books that make me laugh, cry, hope, love and gasp! I own all of the Illumicrate editions of her novels (since 2020) and I was so thrilled when this one finally landed on my doorstep. Thankfully, I had finished my previous read the night before so I was able to dive straight into Funny Story. Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Book: Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre: Romance / Fiction
Publication Date: April 2024
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 384
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

My Musings

With a plot centred around ‘falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex’ – you just know that this is going to bring all of the fun and feels you get with every Emily Henry novel! I adored the chemistry between Daphne and Miles, they are both such endearing characters – she a children’s librarian (who always does ‘the voices’) and he, a general jack-of-all-trades, community good guy with a few skeletons hidden in his mood closet. At no point, did you feel that they shouldn’t be together, despite just coming out of long-term relationships with each other’s exes. I guess because of that, the will-they / won’t-they aspect of the story, didn’t quite have some of the same angsty tension as in other books, but I was still rooting for both characters very much!

The thing I love most about Emily’s stories, is the sense of place that she creates with her settings and characters. Even though Waning Bay, Michigan is a fictional location, I can just imagine booking a flight there, rocking up and bumping into all of these characters as if they genuinely exist in my real life universe. From BARn, to the Winery, the beaches, the library – all of it is so reminiscent and familiar that it brings this sweet sense of nostalgia when reading. Special mention for the little nod to Beach Read in there too!

There are some absolute corkers of humorous lines within this book! I was definitely chuckling out loud for the most part, again adding to the major enjoyment factor. I’m also starting to think that Emily Henry is either a foil for Taylor Swift’s secret novel-writing passions, or she is actually a little bit Swiftie as I was definitely reading some lyrics and phrases woven into these chapters and paragraphs. The plot keeps moving at the perfect pace. We begin with a countdown to Daphne making a pivotal life decision, and this time frame gradually amends itself as events within her life unfold.

I loved the friendship that she created with Ashleigh. It reminds us that we are more than just the ‘we’ people who constantly refer to themselves as a pair, and actually consider our own identities. This friendship journey that both women were on served as a reminder to those of us wrapped up in our couple-ness to treasure the girlfriends that we do have in our lives and retain some of our girlish individuality.

I constantly adore the love for books and bookish themes which seem to shine through each of Emily’s most recent novels. Be it a bookstore, a library, an author… there is always some literary-related motif which tugs on to my bookish soul. It’s probably why I do enjoy her stories so very much.

Whilst I wouldn’t class Funny Story as my favourite Emily Henry novel that I’ve read, this was definitely a ‘Funny Story’ worth reading and treasuring!

Have you read Funny Story yet or is it on your TBR list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Connect with me here:

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

Biblioshelf Musings – The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni. I remember when this book was first published in 2021, the hype surrounding it was so big. As it came in one of my Fairyloot boxes, I automatically purchased the matching sequel editions for the whole trilogy despite not reading the first instalment. Fastforward 3 years, and they’ve been sat on my shelves ever since, completely unread! One of my 2024 reading goals was to finally tick this series off my list and reader, I’m proud to say that this goal has officially been started! Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Book: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
Genre: Fantasy / YA
Publication Date: April 2021
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 406
Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Here at Zalindov, the only person you can trust is yourself.

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan is a survivor. For ten years, she has worked as the healer in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, making herself indispensable. Kept afloat by messages of hope from her family, Kiva has one goal and one goal only: stay alive.

Then one day the infamous Rebel Queen arrives at the prison on death’s door and Kiva receives a new message: Don’t let her die. We are coming.

The queen is sentenced to the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals. Aware the sickly queen has little chance of making it through the Trials alive, Kiva volunteers to take her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

But no one has ever survived.

And with an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

My Musings

When The Prison Healer was featured in Fairyloot’s 2021 Aril box, the corresponding theme was ‘Hidden Identities’. This actually encapsulates a major part of the novel’s plot. Whilst I was able to guess around 85% of all the plot twists relating to this theme, there were still a few identities which did leave me guessing. The characters themselves are quite an endearing bunch. Being essentially ‘prison riff-raff’, you’ve got your loveable rogues, heroes in disguise, prickly people who are actually good at heart, guards with a sense of morality (or are they…?!) and the elderly comedian.

Kiva is quite an honest character who I warmed to. Her duties as a healer mean that she sees some of the more grizzly sides of prison life. I admired her abilities to want to stay positive and happy, whilst also keeping her steely resolve to stay focused and work towards getting herself out. When she becomes determined to do the Trials by Ordeal, you get to see more of her interactions with those around her and this brings her whole character arc to life. I particularly enjoyed the sections where she worked with herbal remedies as it gave a nerdy, botanical kick!

The Prison setting was quite unique to the book and definitely kept the story interesting. As the plot progresses, we get to visit each area and aspect of the prison which is referenced on the map so for me, the author did a great job at not only utilising this as the main location within the book, but also using the elements and areas of it as a tool to develop and push the story forward. Without going into copious amounts of detail, there was enough world-building to bring Zalindov to life, and even though I’m not adding it to my fictional travel bucket-list in a hurry, it will stay in my mind for quite some time.

The Trials by Ordeal that Kiva puts herself forward for in place of the Rebel Queen, is really the sole magical part of the story. In order to survive the trials and progress towards freedom, challengers ideally need to have an affinity in one of the four elemental areas of magic. It is these trials which also take us to the different prison areas as mentioned above. This was an intriguing part of the plot, if a little predictable at times, but it did heighten the level of drama and tension and added that much needed element of fantasy to the mix.

Now that some big reveals have happened, and based on the outcome of the story ending, I’m not too sure where this book series will go next. Asides from giving out major spoilers about the fates of Kiva, the Rebel Queen and other characters. All of the major parts of what made The Prison Healer that little bit unique, may almost render themselves a bit irrelevant now as we follow down a more traditional fantasy plotline. Nevertheless, I will still be reading the sequels to see how the story pans out – I just hope the follow-ups have the same amount of charm that Zalindov had in this first instalment.

Have you read The Prison Healer yet or is it on your TBR list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Connect with me here:

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

#Top Ten Tuesday – Authors I’d Love a New Book From

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! I was so excited when I heard about this week’s theme. I feel like we are an incredibly lucky book community as we get so many fantastic releases each and every month, yet sometimes it seems that we’re just pining after something new from one of our favourite authors – enter todays Top Ten Tuesday theme! This week, we are considering which authors we would kill to have some new materials from, be it old/new, dead/alive, this floor is wipe open for the theorising! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Authors I’d Love a New Book From

Carlos Ruiz Zafôn
I was so shocked to hear of Zafôn’s unfortunate passing back in 2020 and it made me sad to think that there would come a point where I read the last novel I ever could from his repertoire. That book, The Labyrinth of the Spirits, is still sat on my shelves because I can’t quite bear to pick it up yet knowing that to do so will be the final time. If there’s anyone I would be craving future releases from, it would definitely be this Spanish literary hero!

William Shakespeare
I keep imaging how different a writer Shakespeare might be if he were writing nowadays? My brain has loads of fun imagining his opinion on the Gen Z generation, or if he would like pizzas and make his Tik Tok videos in iambic pentameter… a new book from him in today’s era would probably be completely wild!

William Blake
William Blake is one of my all-time favourite poets. I like the dark, gothic references he weaved into his Songs of Innocence and of Experience. If he brought out a new anthology, it’d definitely be on my preorder list.

Sarah J Maas
I don’t think there will ever be a point when I get enough of Maas’ writing! It’s one of those ‘crowds were chanting MORE’ moments, even though we got 900-odd pages in January, I’m still impatiently waiting for the next release!

George R. R. Martin
I’m still listening to A Dance with Dragons on audiobook, but my Goodreads also still lists there being two more unreleased titles to come in The Song of Ice and Fire series… I’d love it if we could get the final two… pretty please?!

Ernest Cline
After loving Ready Player One and Ready Player Two so passionately, I am 100% ready for a little more Ernest Cline in my life. Armada is already sat in the TBR pile, but if we were to get a Ready Player Three and spend more time exploring the OASIS and the live of Wade Watts or even Anorak – yes please!

J. R. R. Tolkien
Again, another classic author – and again, another author whose back catalogue I haven’t completely exhausted yet, but just how good would a return to Middle Earth be…?! 🙏

Neil Gaiman
I’ve devoured pretty much all of Neil Gaiman’s stories and I’m so eager for a new, adult fantasy from him to get my teeth into.

Dan Brown
I’m a bit of a treasure hunter / conspiracy theory nerd! I know the Robert Langdon ship has probably exhausted itself but I really enjoyed the way Brown blended fiction, history and art together in these weirdly sinister mysteries.

Angela Carter
Nobody quite writes a bloodthirsty feminist fairytale retelling quite like Angela Carter! The Bloody Chamber remains one of my favourite short-story and fairytale retelling collections of all and if the Magic Mirror is going to grant me anything, it would be another book from this genius of a writer.

Which authors are you desperate to get more books from? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#Top Ten Tuesday – May Flowers!

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! Last week’s Top Ten Tuesday post completely slipped my mind!There’s a fair bit of drama happening at the moment in several aspects of my life, and they kinda just took over this past week or so! This week’s theme is supposed to be favourite bookish quotes, however I am so bad at annotating books or even sticking post-it notes inside them so it sounded like a little bit of a mission to even think about where to begin! Because I am a huge fan of a floral theme on book covers and sprayed edges, I thought I’d go back and do last week’s prompt instead and share with you some of the prettiest floral books that I have on my TBR shelves at the moment! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

May Flowers – Floral Covers on my TBR Shelves

Have you read any of these or do you have any recommendations for which I should read first? What are your favourite types of covers? Are you a florals fan too? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – Faebound by Saara el-Arifi

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about Faebound by Saara el-Arifi. Normally I am such a mood reader, however in April I was taking part in the Magical Readathon so had pre-picked all of my TBR and prompts beforehand. Sometimes when I do this, I almost feel like I’m forcing myself to read something just to tick it off the list, rather than because I wanted to – however, this was definitely not the case with Faebound! I was caught hook, line and sinker from the first few pages! It gave me everything I was craving in a brand-new fantasy and I just had to give it the full 5 stars at the end! Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Book: Faebound by Saara el-Arifi
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: January 2024
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 392
Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Two elven sisters become imprisoned in the hidden world of the fae where danger, and love, lies in wait. Faebound is the first book in an enchanting new trilogy from the internationally bestselling author of The Final Strife.

A thousand years ago, the world held three beings: fae, elves, and humans. But now the fae and humans exist only in myth and legend, survived by the elves who are trapped in an endless war over the remaining lands.

Yeeran is a colonel in the elven army and has known nothing but a life of violence and hardship. Her sister, Lettle, is a diviner whose magic promises a different future for her and her sister, but the prophecies have yet come to pass.  

When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, Lettle, fearful for her sister’s life, follows her into the uncharted territory beyond their borders. In the wilderness the sisters encounter the largest obeah they have ever seen. Part leopard, part stag, the obeah’s magic is harnessed to make weapons for the elven war. It is during this hunt that they are confronted with the impossible: a group of fae who take them captive. Imprisoned in a new land, they must navigate the politics of the fae court all while planning their escape.

Now Yeeran and Lettle are fighting a different kind of war: between their loyalty to their elven homeland and the intoxicating world of the fae, between what duty decrees is right, and what their hearts tell them they need.

My Musings

Sometimes, you just come across a book which grabs hold of you from the very first lines – for me Faebound was that book! I haven’t really read many stories about Elves, other than Lord of the Rings so I had a pretty preconceived idea about what I anticipated an elf to be. Saara el-Arifi completely made my perceptions of the elfish shift and I am so here for how she has represented them in this book!

I adored the sisterly relationship between Yeeran and Lettle. The story was a split narrative between their two perspectives. It took me a little time to find my balance between the two, but further into the story their characteristics were so distinctive that I didn’t need the heading at the chapter beginnings to know who I was reading.

As a Colonel, Yeeran is an exceptional warrior – fierce, strong, smart, always ready for a fight and constantly with some kind of battle weapon or armour. I was thoroughly intrigued by her and the military vibes she was giving off. Add into that the Africanesque, desert style surroundings and this presented my reading brain with an aesthetic I couldn’t get enough of.

Lettle on the other hand, is almost a complete antithesis of Yeeran. Whilst Yeeran is all about strength, mettle and fighting – Lettle reads prophecies about the future. She has a more wistful and romantic outlook on life which perfectly complements her sister. Lettle’s strength comes from more than just physicality, it comes from the devotion and loyalty she feels towards those that she loves, and also the conviction of her beliefs and actions.

The plot was pacy and clearly driving towards goals and revelations. It had me turning page after page, and I was so happy when my train was delayed so I could keep reading those extra few pages! The magic style offered a familiarity that I expected with elves and the fae, whilst still bringing in this breath of fresh air about how they use their magic within their environment.

The obeahs were also thoroughly intriguing characters. I’m a little jealous that I don’t have an obeah of my own in all honesty! The role that they play within the story reminds me of the deamons from Philip Pullman’s The Northern Lights. They are characters within their own right and I loved how these personalities intertwined between the lives of the elves and fae.

Political tensions were well-written, without being dull or long-drawn out. We found out all we needed to know and there was still room for a few plot twists and revelations to see how all of the threads were coming together.

When you think of a story about Elves and Fae, you might think that you’ve heard it all before. But Saara el-Arifi has absolutely smashed that threshold with this amazing novel. I devoured every inch of the wild escapist ride it gave me and am now eagerly awaiting the next instalment to find our what on earth is going to happen to my merry band of el-Arfians!

Have you read Faebound yet or is it on your TBR list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Connect with me here:

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

Magical Readathon 2024 – Wrap Post

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Hey Bibliofirends,

April is over, as is the first part of the Magical Readathon challenge for 2024! This readathon is so vast and wide ranging that I’m sure I’m only scratching the surface of the entirety of it, however I’m actually feeling quite OK with just keeping it as an April and August reading quest for myself. I’m guilty of piling heaps of pressure on to complete all of the elements, and usually always end up biting off more than I can chew! I probably would have been a little more successful in my goal had The Tortured Poets Department not come out, however there is no way I am blaming Taylor Swift for distracting me from my reading when she drops a 31-track album that is quickly becoming my favourite!

The Magical Readathon which is hosted by the fabulous G @bookroast! You can find out more information about the Readathon in general, my created character Nárendîl Damenor, chosen career paths and my monthly TBR in my initial TBR post here.

The End Goal

Since my mid-point review, I knew I was pretty much guaranteed to complete one of the six Callings I was aiming for – and I did! I managed to complete the four reading prompts required for the Aeldia Excavationist Calling and I am pretty chuffed about that as it was one of the newer ones. The key traits of being patient, detail orientated, analytical and curious seem to call upon my own natural strengths anyway and I am such a big fan of archaeology – it seemed like the most fitting calling of them all for me to be honest!

Completed Prompts and Books

✅ Animal Studies – A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
✅ Conjuration – Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
✅ Elemental Studies – Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
✅ Inscription – Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
✅ Lore – Reread The Legend of Dia
✅ Restoration – Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

The Autumn Equinox Challenge

In August for the Autumn Equinox part of the readathon, my character Nárendîl Damenor is going to have to achieve a D in Animal Studies and a Q in Restoration. This means completing 5 books which is definitely do-able in August and I’m so excited to see what the prompts are for these.

I haven’t really accessed the Guild parts of the Readathon just yet, perhaps that can be something I look into during August! Anyways, that’s all for Part One at least!

Have you taken part in the Spring Equinox part of the Magical Readathon? Did you manage to achieve your chosen calling this month? Feel free to drop me a comment and let me know where your character is headed next and what you’re looking forward to from the Autumn Equinox!

T xx

The Wrap – April 2024

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Howdy Bibliofriends!

Where on earth has April gone? I feel like the last few weeks have been such a whirlwind and May is literally here and we’re barreling towards the mid point of the whole year…!! 🤯 The first half of my month was so very productive, however this last part has kind of fallen to sh*t in terms of my reading and blogging. More on that below!!

Life Update

Initially April was fabulous because I was on my Easter holidays from school. My partner and I got to visit my parents down in Cornwall and spend some time near the sea – it was blissful. We visited Tintagel castle and I became very obsessed with Arthurian legends. We also took a trip to an aquarium in Plymouth. We seem to be cursed with our aquarium visits as the last two that we have visited, we’ve both had to leave because the fire alarm was going off – thankfully we still got to go back in and see all of the sharks and big fish. After returning from Cornwall, we did one of our 2024 day trip adventures and went to Cardiff on the train. We took a tour around Cardiff Castle and visited an amazing second-hand bookshop! I talked a little about this in my mid-month Magical Readathon review.

Then fast forward to the return to school and the absences have been bonkers, we’re all picking up extra lessons and my parallel teacher is currently on medical leave so I’m doing my best to hold up a whole year group – thankfully I have a great team of helpful colleagues who are all pitching in too.

There is another reason for the lack or productiveness on my reading and blogging part – but I thought I’d save that for the music section! 😉

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

What I’ve Been Reading in April

The first half of April was incredibly productive with my participation in the Magical Readathon. It definitely helped me tick quite a few books off the list!

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the eerie atmosphere surrounding Hiraeth Manor and the way the surrounding waters, coastline and mists were almost swallowing up the land. The secrets surrounding the Angharad book were also mystically intertwined to the story and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A murder-mystery set on a ship… loved it! Everything about Ganymedes Piscero’s character was so endearing. I really bought into the whole blessings part of the storyline and trying to work out not just whodunnit, but also the unique blessings of each of the individuals. The animal references and likelihoods were also cleverly crafted.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow didn’t I just devour this book! From the setting, to the characters, to the idea of magic and war – this book had everything I was craving in a magical escapade. I also loved this representation of elves and fae too as my brain automatically puts them in LOTR or ACOTAR vibes so it was nice to see this varied representation.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Looking back on this I actually want to downgrade my original rating a little as I feel 3* was too generous. I went into this hoping for a bit of a Tomb Raider style, archeologically driven storyline but about 90% of the story was centred around the character relationship and the smut. It was far too much into the romance box for my liking and I have to admit that I speed read it towards the end.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Without spoilers… I had to reread the final two chapters again because I could not believe what I had read and if I had read it correctly. I still can’t tbh! I have no idea how this story can possibly unfold now… My mind is reeling but I am so irrevocably in love with this series!

#CurrentlyReading

I’m going to take it a little easier in May at deciding what to read. I posted a Top Ten Tuesday a couple of weeks ago about which books are kind of in the starting line, but after being so driven with the Magical Readathon, I just want to let my bookish whims roam free.

I’m currently reading The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni, as well as a non-fiction book about horse racing called The Jumping Game by Henrietta Knight. On audiobook, I’m on A Dance With Dragons to finish off the Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.

What I’ve Been Watching

As part of a Film Club, we’re often at the Cinema at least once a week so I watch a lot of movies. I’ve been using the app Letterboxd to track what I’ve seen and give them rating. If you’re on the app and want a new follower be sure to add me! My profile name is: tillyj

I finally finished Beef! And watched quite a bit of other stuff…

Movies/TV, I’ve seen:

  • Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Cinema) – I freakin’ love Godzilla! This movie was action-packed, and we saw it in IMAX so the images and sounds were on-point! One of my favourite films of this year so far!
  • Seize Them! (Cinema) – I liked that this was a British medieval-style comedy. Some of it was funny and had me laughing, but it was also a bit of an average watch.
  • Monkey Man (Cinema) – Don’t get me wrong, although this film is gory, violent and quite sad – the storytelling was brilliantly and poignantly done. Films in this style don’t usual capture my attention but the references to Hanuman and Indian mythology throughout sucked me right in.
  • Scoop (Netflix) – Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell as Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew were phenomenal castings! They really got into the depths of their characters and for some strange reason it (almost) made me want to watch the original interview again!
  • Civil War (Cinema) – Wow, oh wow do you have to see this movie! I was blown away and gave it 4.5*! Although you might think this is about war, and whilst it does contain highly graphic depictions of war brutality, the underlying story is about the press photographers on the front line and the dangers they go to just to get their pictures and report the news. Kirsten Dunst was exquisite in her role and did so well at playing the emotionally detached, yet emotionally vulnerable journalist. Spectacular!
  • Back to Black (Cinema) – Marisa Abela did such a stellar job at taking on the role of Amy Winehouse. She showcased everything and sounded so hauntingly like the real Amy without just being pegged as a tribute act. I know there have been plenty of dividing opinions about it, but what I took away from the film was just how deeply one person could feel and the tragic circumstances of how the addictions to whatever love, alcohol or drugs affected her life.
  • Abigail (Cinema) – I can’t help but think of Matilda every time I see Alisha Weir in a film. That being said, she was fantastic as a scary-ass ballerina in this film. It was spooky but funny at the same time and the bloodiness of it all by the end had me squirming in my seat.
  • Challengers (Cinema) – There is something so brilliant in the way this film tells you a story about the lives of three tennis players and then leaves you reeling about how the tennis is almost the fourth character in the whole story. Very cleverly done and engaging!
  • Baby Reindeer (Netflix) – I literally had no idea where this was going. This was dark, twisty yet had some comedic elements at the same time… The fact that it is genuinely a true story and acted by the person who wrote it and lived through it is brilliant. A story I won’t forget in a while that’s for sure!
  • Lost in Translation (Netflix) – This is one of those films where I couldn’t quite decipher what the plot was supposed to be. I was waiting for some major event or storyline to reveal itself but it just appears to be one of those films which follows the ins and outs of a couple of characters and their major life crisis for a couple of hours. I don’t think it’s quite my type of movie!
  • Beef (Netflix) – I finally finished it – the ending two episodes ramped it right up! I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing on my screen at one point (sliding doors – iykyk…!) I can’t help but feel like the characters got what they deserved even after all of the absurdity that it started with a honked horn and a little bit of road rage!

Music

Y’all know this is going to be about The Tortured Poets Department right??? This is the entire reason my productivity has hit the floor and I haven’t read a book or written that many blog posts since mid-April. I have been listening to this album non-stop…. I think it may dethrone Folklore as my favourite TS album! It has grown and grown and grown on me with every listen. I love it, and it’s ruining my bookish life! I’m gathering a post together about my album thoughts – 31 songs is a lot to get your head around so I don’t really want to say too much else about it here, but know that the musings are definitely coming! 🤍🖤

And that’s a wrap! How was your April? Did you have a productive month? I’m really hoping I get my reading groove back this month, especially after my little book buying splurge earlier in April. What are you all looking forward to reading in May?

As always, drop me a comment to chat! ☺️

T xx

#Top Ten Tuesday – Petty Reasons for DNFing a Book

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Petty Reasons for DNFing a Book! I have to be super honest here, I’ve only really DNF’d two books in my life. Those books which I’m finding a bit of a drag, I seem to abandon in a pile on the floor until I get too annoyed with the pile and then eventually pick them up to finish them off. Therefore, this post has been quite difficult to compile – however here’s some reasons (I may not get to a full 10!) for why I might put a book down for a bit of a break, or why I’m inclined to give the book a quite low rating. If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Petty Reasons for DNFing a book, putting it down for later, or giving it a low review score!

The main character is grating on you: Sometimes you come across a character that no ability on this earth can make you bond with them. It could be that their narrative seems whiny or sycophantic or their whole personality and perspective just jars on you. I find it incredibly difficult to plough through a read if I’m not bonding with the MC.

The story isn’t going anywhere: Have you ever read one of those books which seems like you’re reading the off-air parts of a reality TV show where nothing actually happens? This is one of the biggest reasons I’ll give it a low score, especially if the dialogue is meaningless drivel and the plot is minimal.

Books that try too hard: Somewhere along the line you come across that book that seems to be yelling “PICK ME, LOVE ME!” right into your face. Then the storyline is filled with millions of tropes, none of which are original or stylishly interwoven into the story and the whole thing ends up making you roll your eyes with the turning of every page – I find those books particularly hard to persevere with.

Catfish Books: These are the books that say they’re one thing and then they’re not… You’re expecting tons of thrilling history references, links to an exotic country and an ancient civilisation – yet when you get there it turns out all you’re getting is a romp in the jungle…

The writing is overly complicated: We can’t all be Tolkien, expertly winding juxtaposition through our narratives, but sometimes using tons of fancy words to describe the most basic of things just disrupts the reading pace of the story and interrupts my reading flow. It’s a slog to wade through all of the garble.

Copycat Reads: Rarely (but sometimes) I’ll be reading a book and get this sense of deja vu – as if I’ve read it before. Then it twigs that I haven’t actually read it but the story is so similar to a book that I devoured I begin to question whether I’m reading someone’s fanfiction from the story I loved so much.

The ending let-down: If you’ve ever read a brilliant book which keeps you on the edge of your seat but then catastrophically unravels all of that good work in the last 30 pages – you’ll know what I’m talking about!

That’s it! I can’t quite get to an out-and-out 10 reasons to DNF a book or give it a low rating – sometimes if you just don’t gel with it, you just don’t! What are your main reasons for DNFing a book or giving it a lower rating? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#Top Ten Tuesday – Unread books on my shelves I want to read soon

The Biblioshelf3 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Unread books on my shelves I want to read soon! To be honest, I could have photographed my shelves and just told you to pick 10 off it! I have so many books that are unread, and because I’m a bit of a mood reader it’s quite hard to definitively line up my next read unless I’m taking part in a readathon with a locked TBR. So I’ve tried, here’s 10 of my unreads that are waiting for meto pick them up imminently. If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Unread books on my shelves that I want to read soon

  1. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
  2. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
  3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
  4. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
  5. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
  6. After the Forest by Kell Woods
  7. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
  8. Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
  9. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

That’s it! My top ten unread books on my shelves that I’m highly likely to read next! Have you read any of these or are they on your TBR? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx