Author: theblindscribe

Book Tags

Halloween Creatures Book Tag!

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you a book tag perfect for the cosy, spooky vibes of October- the Halloween Creatures Book Tag that I found on blogging with dragons.com

I hope you enjoy!

Witch – A magical character or book

the first book that came to mind for that was A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske because of the highly inventive magical world.

Werewolf – the perfect book to read at night

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, it is my favourite classic novel but it did used to freak me out the first few times I read it. The atmosphere and location make it the perfect book to read at night.

Frankenstein – a book that truly shocked you

moonflower murders by Anthony Horowitz, I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did.

The Devil – a dark, evil character

I have to be honest, no character comes to mind other than the white walkers in Game of thrones because I like to think most characters have more depth than just being pure evil.

Grim Reaper – a character that never should have died

Matthias in Six of Crows duology – sorry if you haven’t read this yet and I just spoiled it for you!

Zombie – a book that made you hungry for more

Easy, it is definitely kingdom of the wicked, I loved that book and now I have the whole trilogy.

Vampire – a book that sucked the life out of you

Wuthering heights by Emily Bronte. I disliked this book, maybe it was because I had to read it at school but it is not in my top classic books.

ghost – a book that still haunts you

this lie will kill you by Chelsea Pitcher. This book honestly gave me nightmares.

Demon – a book that really scared you.

I have to give the same answer as above for the same reason, this lie will kill you by Chelsea pitcher.

Mummy – a book you would preserve throughout time.

the starless sea by Erin morgenstern!

that is it for this book tag, how would you have answered these questions?

Book Reviews

Book Review – By The Book by Amanda Sellett

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I read very little in the past few months but a book I did enjoy was By the Book by Amanda Sellett and I am excited today to be bringing you my book review for it.

As usual, in this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include any spoilers.

By The Book Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book follows Mary, a classic literature loving girl who feels rather ordinary compared to the rest of her very intelligent family. What I loved most about this book was the clever weaving of literary analogies and quotes throughout the story. As with a lot of the romance genre novels I’ve read, a lot of the conflict is brought about by miscommunication which isn’t my favourite thing to read.

By The Book Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I loved Mary’s brain – the way she references books and their characters and uses that to inspire her friendships group. She is imaginative and I found her attitude and personality relatable on some level.

By The Book Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I enjoyed the style of this novel, its writing was very easy to get lost in it.

By The Book Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Overall, I gave this book four stars because I surprised myself by enjoying it. Of course a romance I would like involves books!

Blurb/Synopsis:

As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you enjoyed it! let me know if you have read this book and what you thought of it.

Monthly TBRs

October TBR

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I am happy today to be bringing you my TBR for october!

October is a busy month for me, I have my RDC2 Assessment coming up in December so a lot of work needed for that and also – my sister is getting married this month! Which is so exciting. While she is on her honeymoon I get to stay at her house and look after her cat so that will also be interesting.

I am also going to London this month for the Billy Idol concert, and while there I have been invited to a book event with Orion publishing and excited doesn’t even begin to cover my feelings for that. After the event I am getting the sleeper train home and that will be an experience I am sure.

Anyway, to do all this I am going to need some good books so here is my October TBR!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I am quite excited to read this book, I currently have the ebook on loan from my local library.

Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovelino

This book is set in a library or school and is full of spooky plot ideas perfect for October reading.

Nothing More to tell by Karen M McManus

I have just bought this book and I am very excited to read it, I love her books and this one is perfect for my PhD.

Pages and Co by Anna James

The third book, I can’t remember right now what the title is but I enjoyed the first two and this could be a nice light read for me.

Finale by Stephanie Garber

I have read the first two books in the Caraval series and loved them but I have heard mixed things about this final book so I have been putting off reading it, maybe this month is the month.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

This books sounds so good and I just got this book in last month’s fairyloot box.

Three Dahlias by Katy Watson

This book has all the elements I love, an old manor house, a small cast of characters, a murder mystery I cannot wait to read it.

Marple

The new anthology of Marple short stories is another book that is right up my street, I always loved Poirot more but honestly I will take any Agatha Christie I can get.

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

I really love Stephanie Garber’s books and this one has such a beautiful cover that I can’t wait to read it.

A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle

A murder mystery, set on a boat. It sounds amazing.

Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman

Her books are always so tense and psychological so I am very excited to read it in October.

European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewomen by Theodora Goss

This book is big but I am loving historical settings at the moment.

Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanaugh

After reading the synopsis of this book I love the idea of a law setting in a thriller.

That’s it for my October TBR, I hope you all enjoyed it. What books are you reading in October? Have you read any of these?

Monthly Wrap Ups

August and September Wrap Up!

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. My goodness it has been a busy couple of months, and being that busy has meant my reading has taken a backseat.

In August I started three or four different books and I was just… bored quite honestly, I couldn’t get through them and I don’t think that is anything about the books themselves I think it was my tired brain. So, I decided not to do an August wrap up and now it is October so I am going to do the books I have read in August and September all in one big wrap up!

So, August!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this book

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I was not in a fantasy mood at all.

Ninth House by leigh Bardugo – Same point as above

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this book either but I am very excited to get around to it hopefully soon

The Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith – Another book I did not read in August (this was a very common theme this month)

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – I did not read this. I don’t know why I put so much fantasy in my August TBR because I obviously wasn’t going to eat it.

Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read this book either

Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell – this is one of the books that I started reading, I got about halfway before I stopped

Six Tudor Queens Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir – I did not read this book either

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – there was no way I was going to read this book in August

By the Book by Amanda Sellett – I actually did read this one, in August and September

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett – I did not get around to this but I am excited to.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

Small Favours by Erin A Craig – Another book I did not read

The Shadows between us by Tricia Levenseller – I did not read this either

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey – I did not read this

The Falconer by Elizabeth May – I did not read this either

So, also in this month I read The Very Nice Box (review is already up) and Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah which brings my total books to 3.

September!

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – I did read this and by the way, I loved it!

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton – I am currently reading this so technically I read this in September

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I did not read this

Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – I would have liked to get around to this one but unfortunately I did not

It sounded better in my head by Nina Kenwood – I did not read this

Down comes the night by Alison Saft – I did not read this

Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I did not read this.

So in two months I read five books which is pretty good considering everything else I have been doing.

What was your August/September reading like? let me know in the comments!

Uncategorized

Kingdom of the Feared Book Blitz

theblindscribe

Happy Tuesday bookish people! I am so so so excited today to be bringing you the book blitz for Kerri Maniscalco’s latest book The Kingdom of the Feared, the third and final book in the Kingdom of the Wicked series – one of my favourite series’ ever. So happy publication day to Kerri Maniscalco!

Synopsis:

Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.

When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.

Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.

Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.

And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.



If you’d like to buy the book, here are links to Amazon and Waterstones:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-Feared-Wicked-Kerri-Maniscalco/dp/1399703218https://www.waterstones.com/book/kingdom-of-the-feared/kerri-maniscalco/9781399703215

Waterstones:

mid you’d like to check out the rest of the tour here is a link to the schedule:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/08/25/book-blitz-schedule-kingdom-of-the-feared-kingdom-of-the-wicked-3-by-kerri-maniscalco/
Book Tags

Totally Should’ve Book Tag

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.

Today I am bringing you my answers to the Totally Should’ve book tag!

Gotten a sequel – Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

This book was left on an unacceptable cliffhanger! I was so annoyed when I read the end, I needed a sequel immediately and of course there wasn’t one. I think there is definitely more to explore with these characters that could fill a sequel.

Had a spin off series – The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

I loved this book and for me I thought there was a lot of room to go back and share more stories, maybe in a spin off series, from the apothecary when it was being used by women looking for ways to be rid of their husbands, like a series that would come before this book.

Author who should write more books – Erin Morgenstern

Erin Morgenstern is one of my favourite authors and I would love to get more books by this author.

Should have ended differently – Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Only because of that one character’s death, I personally feel that was out of place and I would have liked the ending better if it hadn’t happened.

Been a movie franchise/Had a TV series

These are two separate questions but because I am giving the same answer for both I put them together. That answer is pretty simple: all of them!

Only had one point of view

I am honestly struggling to think of an answer for this on so I’ll unfortunately have to pass on this question

Had a cover change – The Left Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

I love this book, I love this author, I do not like the cover on the one that I own. It just doesn’t fit the weird, whimsical story.

Should have kept the original cover – The A Court of Thorns and Roses series

I did not like the changed covers and now my editions don’t match because of the cover of A Court of Silver Flames!

Stopped at one book – Spin the Dawn

Without giving away any spoilers, I enjoyed Spin the Dawn a lot with the competition and magic plotline, even the little bit of romance in it but I didn’t like the plot twist event that happened near the end and is consequently the main plot in the second book, I just don’t think it needed it at all.

That’s it for this book tag! I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you my book review of the Ex Hex by Erin Sterling. I hope you all enjoy it.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to avoid any spoilers.

The Ex Hex Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book was a fun, witchy contemporary read to split up my reading of murder mysteries and fantasy. This book follows Vivi who, while going through a bad breakup, accidentally curses her ex and then when he comes back to town things start happening. The book did start to take on quite a serious tone towards the end which didn’t really fit the rest of the book in my opinion but most of the plot I did enjoy.

The Ex Hex Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I loved Vivi as a main character, she is witty and sarcastic and a very strong female character, I didn’t always agree with her choices and in her place I definitely wouldn’t have done some of the things she did but I still enjoyed reading her story.

The Ex Hex writing and dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There’s not a lot for me to say here, only that the pace and tone kept up with the plot very well and the writing was clear.

The Ex Hex overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a fun palette cleanser in the middle of a readathon.

Blurb/Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Tags

Count to 10 with me Book Tag

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you the Count to 10 with me book tag!

First Book in a series – Shadowscent The Darkest Bloom

I don’t really know why I chose this one it was just the first book that jumped into my head for this question, I believe this is the first book in a duology.

Two or more copies of the same book – Finale by Stephanie Garber

I have two copies of this book, I bought the hardback edition as soon as it came out because I couldn’t wait and then I had to get the paperback edition to match my copies of the first two books in the series so I ended up with two copies but I do love them both.

Three colours on the cover – The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

This cover has all sorts of pastel colours on it so I thought it would be a nice choice for the three colours on the cover.

Four or more perspectives – The Gilded Wolves

I had a really difficult time with this one I ended up having to choose a book I thought had four or more perspective but I couldn’t actually check so I think The Gilded Wolves does.

Five Star Read – Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I had to choose this book, it was my biggest surprise five star read so it sticks in my head often.

Six or more short stories – How the King of Elfhame Learned to hate stories

I love this collection of short stories, it really adds to the Cruel Prince series for me, it gives a lot of extra context to the characters in the series.

Seven on the cover of the spine – the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I loved this book and I can’t believe I had a book to answer this question, I thought I would have an awful time looking for one but I found it on my shelves really easily.

Eight letters in the title – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

My favourite classic is the perfect book for this question.

Ends on a page ending with a 9 – Spirit Bound

This book ends on page 489 in my edition so I was happy I found this one. This is the fourth (or maybe fifth?) book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

Ten books in a series – Rivers of London

I have to admit, again I am not 100% sure on my answer to this question. My copies of these books are on my top shelf and from there they all blend into one but there are a lot of books in this series, so it has to be somewhere in the region of ten.

That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Howling Hag Mystery by Nicki Thornton

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my book review of The Howling Hag Mystery – a hint of my opinion before we get into the book review, I am currently trying to sell my copy of this book as I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

As usual in this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.

The Howling Hag Mystery Plot:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

First of all, how great is this title? The Howling Hag mystery, some lovely alliteration and imagery. The title didn’t match the plot in my opinion. I ma being generous and giving the plot 3 stars because (this is a few months after reading) while I am writing this review I can barely remember what happened in this book. I was sold on the synopsis, a cat helping solve mysteries, and for me this wasn’t what was happening in the book.

The Howling Hag Mystery Characters:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Again, I know there was a cat and I think there was a girl and a boy as the main characters but I can’t remember, it was all very forgettable for me. I am not trying to be harsh but I do think it is important to share my opinion on this book even though I didn’t enjoy it to be a fair reviewer, and I leave it a while after reading before reviewing so that I can say whether it was a forgettable read or not and for me, this one was.

The Howling Hag mystery Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing in this book was pretty good. It is a book aimed at 8-12 I believe but the writing wasn’t too young and as an adult reading it I didn’t feel it was too young for me to be reading it.

The Howling Hag Mystery Overall:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Overall I gave this book three stars because it wasn’t my cup of tea, a younger reader might love it but it definitely wasn’t a new favourite for me.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Raven Charming knows the rules of using magic in the real world. So she is horrified to uncover the worst kind of trickery in her village. Luckily, help is at hand – a sharp-talking black cat called Nightshade with a talent for solving magical mysteries…

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Tags

The Book Title Tag

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you my answers to the Book Title Book Tag. I found this tag (and I believe all three of the tags I am doing this month) on alittlebutalot.com

Title that is the story of your life – The Sanatorium

I had to laugh when I saw this as the first question because this book popped into my head instantly, with all the different medical conditions and disabilities I have my life pretty much revolves around the hospital so the title of this book is very fitting.

Title that describes your perfect weekend – By the Book

I don’t care where I am or what I am doing, if there are books with me or by me then it’s going to be a pretty good weekend.

Title of an adventure you’d like to go on – Scavenge the Stars

How amazing would it be to go on an adventure which takes you to see stars up close and you could collect them or something like that.

Title you want to name your child – Eve Green

I didn’t have much choice for this one. Most of the books I own are fantasy and you wouldn’t really want to call your child something like Gallant, or maybe you would I am not judging if other people would call their child that. So Eve Green was a book I read as part of my University course.

Title of your ideal job – Angel Mage

Angel powers and mage powers mixed together into one would be an incredible job, of course I’m going for a fantasy job here not a reality one because I don’t know any books that have one of those in their title, plus fantasy jobs are so much better.

Title of a place you’d like to visit – The Court of Miracles

France, and miracles. I don’t need to say anymore.

Title of your love life – Master of One

There is just me, my love life is nonexistant.

Questions you ask yourself – How to be human

I think we all ask ourselves this at least once a week, maybe more.

Title of a kingdom you’d want to rule – Kingdom of Ash

As long as it wasn’t completely burnt down or something I think this would be a cool kingdom.

Title you’d name your band – Optimists Die First

This could be a good rock/punk band I think.

That’s it for this book tag! I hope you all enjoyed it. What would you answer these with?