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
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.
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! 😬
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.
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.
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.
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!
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… 🙈
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!
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! 😂
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!
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!
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!
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?
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!
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
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
After the Forest by Kell Woods
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
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!
Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Characters I’d Like To Go On Vacation With! This could be short mini breaks each with a different character, or one big massive party! It was so fun to try and compile this list. I picked the characters first rather than thinking about whether they would all be able to co-exist on the same vacay – imagine putting Snape and Nina Zenik on a Bahamas Beach together…! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Go On Vacation With
This list started out in two halves… one part ‘Caribbean Booze Cruise’, one part ‘Ancient City Tourist Super-Sleuthing’ – but then looking at my list in total, I could actually imagine some of these characters stepping out of their comfort zones into the realms of ‘good times’ with a little positive encouragement! 😉 Make of that what you will! 😂
We’d start off my making our way through the secret passageways of ancient cities, being complete tourists and uncovering age-old conspiracies and forgotten treasure. Then we’re heading over to the marina to board the swankiest yacht around, setting our sails for tropical shores to relax and unwind. Any sunphobic creatures can stay below decks with their book haul whilst those of us keen to party will stay up top with endless mojitos and palomas! At some point we’ll discover a remote island with white sandy beaches, possibly go beneath a mystical waterfall and discover more long-lost treasure before ending with a beach bbq, plenty of rum and a possibly cameo from Captain Jack Sparrow to sail us all home! When do we leave…?!
Robert Langdon – [The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Origin, Inferno by Dan Brown]
Nina Zenik – [Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo]
Ganymedes – [Voyage of the Damned by Frances White]
Princess Samantha Washington – [American Royals series by Katharine McGee]
Nesta Archeron – [A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas]
Jameson Hawthorne – [The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes]
Art3mis – [Ready Player One duology by Ernest Cline]
Professor Severus Snape – [Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling]
Mercy Birdsall – [The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen]
Addie LaRue – [The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab]
That’s it! My Top Ten Characters That I’d Like To Go On Vacation With! Who would you be going off on your adventures with? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!
Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is a freebie so I decided to take the opportunity to compile a list of my favourite Treasure Hunting books. I absolutely love the mystery and quest elements surrounding a treasure hunt. Easter eggs, the layering of clues, the placement of red herrings, tricky contraptions and puzzle boxes – all of appeals to the inner nerd inside me that just has to solve every unanswered riddle and loves to visit escape rooms in my spare time. So here are 10 of my favourites that I’ve read so far! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
The Inheritance Games Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
It was a no brainer that this was going near the top of my list. If Hawthorne Manor was a genuine tourist spot, you could count on it that I’d be visiting! Who doesn’t love a creepy mansion filled with hidden passages, trap doors, and puzzles in almost every object and antique?!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
An inter-reality quest across a creator’s multiverse to find three mysterious keys which lead to his hidden fortune… Initially, I had no idea what to expect when I went into this book. I think I only bought it because of the hype when it was announced that Spielberg would be directing the film version. As soon as I finished the final page of book 1, I knew immediately that this would become one of my desert island books that I’d treasure for a lifetime.
Locke and Key Series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Admittedly, it was the Netflix adaptation based on these graphic novels that captivated me to the series. I thought the Keyhouse was genius, especially with all of the many variations of what the hidden keys could unlock or do.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
I know these books tend to have a bit of a bad rep, however I love the attention to detail Dan Brown puts into his stories, even if he does take some factual liberties. Angels and Demons is one of my favourites in the series due to the landmarks that Robert Langdon visits along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Rome and see all of the architecture and artwork Brown references here and it really puts you in the heart of the novel’s quest.
Rabbits by Terry Miles
This novel is based on the podcast of the same name. I was completely hooked by both. The layers of conspiracies and mystery that this weaves about a game that you’re not sure if you are or you should be playing… it reminded me of a similar game we used to play in High School, but obviously without the sinister consequences of Rabbits! Weird coincidences, freakish disappearances – this book will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to work out what on earth is going on!
The Languedoc Trilogy by Kate Mosse
This series blends history and mystery together perfectly. With dual narratives and shifting time periods, Kate Mosse has sucked up all of these influences from the Languedoc region of France and merged them into three fantastic stories about time-spanning quests to discover the ultimate truths.
The Shakespeare Secret by Jennifer Lee Carrell
With so many conspiracies and curiosities surrounding Shakespeare’s life and works, there’s no surprise that people have written fiction about it. I really loved the murder mystery element of this and the parallels and influences based on Shakespeare’s famous plays.
Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
This isn’t quite a ‘mystery’ in the same way that my other picks are, however I loved the mountain quest element of this duology. It has quite a unique settting and a quirky cast of characters which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
This was one of the first historical mysteries that I remember reading and at the time, it taught me quite a lot about the Knights Templar. I loved the attention to detail that Khoury puts into his world to really set the scene and explain where these conspiracies are coming from and the myths that they are rooted in.
The Red Herring Mystery by Paul S. Adshead
And just to really cement by love of mysteries, this is a book that I adored as a child! It’s about a mystery at a dinner party and there are tiny golden fish images hidden in all of the illustrations to find. It brings back fond nostalgic memories of reading as a child!
That’s it! My Top Ten Treasure Hunts and Mystery Books. Have you read any of these selections? Are you a fan of the mystery genre? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!
Happy Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed the Easter bank holiday weekend if you celebrate it. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is the April Showers and could be anything rain related. After spending a large proportion of time thinking of all the rain/weather related books on my bookshelf, I found myself struggling to get a complete list. Therefore, I decided to twist the theme slightly this week and bring you ten of the watery worlds and swashbuckling stories that are on my TBR shelves just waiting to be devoured. All book synopses are from Goodreads. If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
The Kingdom Beyond the Waves by Stephen Hunt
Professor Amelia Harsh is obsessed with finding the lost civilization of Camlantis, a legendary city from pre-history that is said to have conquered hunger, war, and disease with the creation of the perfect pacifist society. Without official funding, Amelia is forced to accept an offer of patronage from Abraham Quest, the man she blames for her father’s bankruptcy and suicide. She hates him, but he has something that Amelia desperately wants–evidence that proves that Camlantis existed and that the Camlantean ruins are buried under one of the sea-like lakes that dot the murderous jungles of Liongeli.
Amelia will blackmail her old friend Commodore Black into ferrying her along a huge river on his ancient U-boat. With an untrusty crew of freed convicts, Quest’s force of fearsome female mercenaries on board, and a lunatic steamman acting as their guide, Amelia’s luck seems to be going from bad to worse. Her quest for the perfect society has a good chance of bringing her own world to the brink of destruction…
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.
Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.
But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?
Or will the empire as he knows it fall?
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.
Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.
Sing Me To Sleep by Gabi Burton
Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn’t struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.
As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren’t for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.
Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom’s brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they’re forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who’s plaguing the city. There’s only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.
Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.
More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.
In Daughter of the Pirate King, author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.
She will reign.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.
On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
1718: Puppeteer John Chandagnac has set sail for Jamaica to recover his stolen inheritance, when his ship is seized by pirates. Offered the choice to join the crew, or be killed where he stands, he decides that a pirate’s life is better than none at all.
Now known as Jack Shandy, this apprentice buccaneer soon learns to handle a mainsail and wield a cutlass – only to discover he is now a subject of a Caribbean pirate empire ruled by one Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard.
A practitioner of voodoo, Blackbeard is building an army of the living and the dead, to voyage together to search for the ultimate prize: the legendary Fountain of Youth.
The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.
And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams?
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.
Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.
What’s it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.
The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
Captain Bluebear tells the story of his first 13-1/2 lives spent on the mysterious continent of Zamonia, where intelligence is an infectious disease, water flows uphill, and dangers lie in wait for him around every corner.
“A bluebear has twenty-seven lives. I shall recount thirteen and a half of them in this book but keep quiet about the rest,” says the narrator of Walter Moers’s epic adventure. “What about the Minipirates? What about the Hobgoblins, the Spiderwitch, the Babbling Billows, the Troglotroll, the Mountain Maggot… Mine is a tale of mortal danger and eternal love, of hair’s breadth, last-minute escapes.” Welcome to the fantastic world of Zamonia, populated by all manner of extraordinary characters. It’s a land of imaginative lunacy and supreme adventure, wicked satire and epic fantasy, all mixed together, turned on its head, and lavishly illustrated by the author.
That’s it! My Top Ten Watery Worlds and Swashbuckling Stories on my TBR. Have you read any of these selections? What books make you think of April Showers? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!
March is over, it’s the middle of the Easter holidays, Spring is finally here! There seem to be lots of good things to celebrate in this month’s wrap post… and plenty to look forward to too!
Life Update
Life in March has been busy…! There’s quite a bit going on at work. We took my year group of 30 8-9 year olds away to the Peak District for a Residential which was super fun, but also took up lots of time and energy reserves. I have spent the first week of the holidays catching up with life admin, adulting things and lots of reading!
This month’s sports calendar has also been hectic! There have been horseracing and rugby events on throughout the month. The absolute highlight being my team winning the Premiership Rugby Cup! That victory was such a special night – I think I needed lots of time for my voice to recover from all of the pitchside screaming!
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 March
With the busyness of March, I didn’t really read as much as I wanted to, however I am still ahead of schedule on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. I had been waiting for the Easter holidays to dive into Crescent City 3 – House of Flame and Shadow and boy was I glad that I did!!! I felt like I entered a black hole until I’d finished it, and even then I would have to walk around my house at the end of certain chapters with ‘omg omg omg’ going round and round in my head like a public service announcement. It’s definitely been a fun reading month!
This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the mix of Ancient Greece and technical, A.I. automatons. You can check out my spoiler-free review for This Golden Flame here.
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well if this novel didn’t pack a punch! Savage satire poking a big ‘take-a-look-at-yourself’ finger to the publishing industry… this book absolutely slices and I loved it!! You can read my spoiler-free review here.
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I haven’t quite digested my feelings on this book yet… I know that I liked elements of it, I just can’t quite verbalise or even put into words which bits those are at the minute – a review will come!
A Feast For Crows [A Song of Ice and Fire #4] by George R. R. Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These audiobooks have given me a newfound love for this series and I’m desperate to read A Dance with Dragons just so I can actually finish watching the TV Show – I know that Martin hasn’t actually finished writing the book series yet – but I’m trying desperately not to get spoiled by anything!
House of Flame and Shadow [Crescent City #3] by Sarah J. Maas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ There are no words… yet! Again review incoming, and when I say review I actually mean a longwinded, rambling post where all my inner-thoughts and feelings just fall onto the electronic page! 🤯
#CurrentlyReading
My April TBR is a little packed as I’m attempting to take part in the Magical Readathon hosted by @book_roast! I loved this challenge back when it was related to the OWLs and NEWTs from the Harry Potter series, but now G has intricately designed her own readathon with maps, guilds and different paths and side quests! I’ll be posting more about that tomorrow so stay tuned!
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
March has been pretty jam-packed with movies and TV shows!
Movies/TV, I’ve seen:
Lisa Frankenstein (Cinema) – When I found out that Isabella Summers (the Machine part of Florence + the Machine) had created the score for this movie, I immediately added it to my watch list. It’s a quirky, whimsical film which I enjoyed a lot!
The Royal Tenenbaums (Disney +) – I’d heard a lot about how great this Wes Anderson film is, the cast is pretty outstanding… however, I still fell asleep partway through.
Dune (Rewatch) – I am so glad that I rewatched this to refresh my brain before Dune 2. I’ve read the book so I already know what happens but it really got me in the Arrakis zone!
Dune 2 (Cinema – IMAX) – This was even better than the first movie and made me love the whole Dune series even more. I immediately left the cinema, went to Waterstones and bought the book sequel! 🙈
Damsel (Netflic) – Loved Millie Bobby-Brown, loved the costumes and the setting, landscapes etc… but seriously, the story is entirely predictable and top tip: when you’re trying to hide from a dragon, please stop screaming!!! 🤷🏻♀️
Past Lives (Netflix) – Some of my friends highly rated this film and I’d heard that it had a few nods during awards season. I loved the shifts between the characters’ childhoods and their adult lives. I genuinely had no idea where that ending was going, and even still… I’m not sure it was entirely what I wanted!
Drive-Away Dolls (Cinema) – I’m taking a leaf out of Thumper’s book here in that if I can’t say anything nice, I’m not saying anything at all. Drive-Away Dolls is really not my kind of movie. One of my friends loved it though…
Irish Wish (Netflix) – I’m not sure if I’m a closet Lindsay Lohan fan or if it was just the Irish vibes that made me watch this. You can guess what happens in the whole story just by watching the trailer. The acting was ok. The costumes and scenes of Ireland were magical and now I feel the need to visit the Cliffs of Moher too.
Freelance (Netflix) – John Cena, action film, lots of guns – pretty much your average action film!
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire(Cinema) – The opening action scene is by far the best ‘ghosthunters’ bit of the whole film. I loved the ideas for the storyline but felt like the mythology of the characters could have been expanded a little. It’s quite slow after the awesomeness of the opening but overall very nostalgic and satisfying.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix) – Whilst I haven’t read the Bridgerton books, I am a huge fan of the TV show and this spin-off was no exception. I loved the parallels between the young and old(er) characters from the TV show. Again, costumes and scenery were on point, particularly as I could recognise the shots of Blenheim Palace which is not very far away from me at all and I’ve been lucky to visit many times.
Beef (Netflix) – The opening couple of episodes of this were so good, then I felt like it got a little eccentric and lost its way – I still haven’t quite finished it yet so maybe it’ll have a spectacular ending. A super-fun concept though.
Music
Asides from all of the Taylor Swift music on my phone, I was so excited to finally download Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER album! 🤠 For about 18 years whilst I was growing up, I went to Line Dancing classes and even choreographed and taught some of my own – therefore I grew up with this huge love of country music. I love that so many legacy artists within the genre have come out in support of this record and helped contribute to it. Is this pure or typical country, for whatever pure/typical country actually is…? Perhaps not, it takes inspiration from a melting pot of musical genres but the influences are undeniably there within the soul of every track. Beyoncé’s rendition of Jolene keeps the spirit at the heart of an incredibly beloved song whilst turning it completely on its head. No longer is the lead singer begging for Jolene not to mess with her man in a politely assertive way, they are now upfront declaring their authority and calling out Jolene’s crap like an apex predator – it’s so brilliant! This album will definitely be on repeat for the foreseeable – at least until The Tortured Poets Department comes out next month!
And that’s a wrap! How was your March? Did you have a productive month? I’m totally looking forward to the Magical Readathon starting and compiling my book list from the prompts! What are you all looking forward to reading in April?
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