Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is now December and that means it is time to talk about what books we will be reading this month.
What books do you hope to read in December and before the end of 2025?
December TBR
Murder at the Orpheus Theatre by Irina Shapiro
Pages and Co: Tilly and the Map of Stories by Anna James
Dog Sitter Detective Christmas Tails by Antony Johnston
Miss Beetons Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd
Traitors Legacy by S J Parris
Fearful by Lauren Roberts
Death and the Harlot by Georgina Clarke
Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day. It is the end of the month and that means it is time to discuss the books that I did and did not read in November.
What books did you read this month? Did you enjoy them?
From my November TBR:
Immortality by Dana Schwartz – I did not get around to reading it this month
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I decided, after putting two on my November TBR, not to do any rereads this month so I did not read this one
The Guest List by Lucy Foley – I did read this book. I have been putting it off for a long time but I have finally read it and I thought it was good, not amazing but good enough.
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrews – I did read this.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – this was the second book that I put on my November TBR as a reread, so I did not read this.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies – I did read this.
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft – I did not read this
To Steal From Thieves by M K Lobb – I did not read this.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna – I did read this.
Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood – I did read this.
Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell – I did read this.
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas – I am writing this a little early, I have a week left of November and in that time I plan on finishing Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn.
Outside of my TBR I also read The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding and A Quiet Life in the Country by TE Kinsey.
That means in November, I read a total of 8 books so far this month, but I might be able to add three more to this if I manage to read the three Sarah J Maas books.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope that you’re all having a good day today.
Today, I am bringing you my book review for Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson.
Blurb/Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling new YA fantasy about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead.
The dead of Loraille do not rest.
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.
When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.
As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.
My Review:
The first thing I will say about this book is that it is an underrated masterpiece. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, I had read both of Margaret Rogerson’s other books: Sorcery of Thorns which I loved, and An Enchantment of Ravens which I thought was okay but ended up being my least favourite book that I read in January of this year. Having mixed feelings about her books I was shocked to enjoy this one so much. An Enchantment of Ravens is very romance heavy, very little plot, Vespertine is all plot and no romance, and Sorcery of Thorns is in the middle as a mix of both of them.
Vespertine follows Artemisia and basically it is her and the voice of the being that has supposedly ‘posessed’ her as they attempt to solve the mystery of what is happening in their land. I loved the banter between the two characters, both of them are willful and stubborn and they slowly reveal their backstories to each other as they are forced into a working relationship. You are also slowly introduced to other characters who you become both trusting and nervous about, I especially loved the Captain Enguerrand.
This novel focuses a lot on the challenge of Artemisia having the weight of all these people on her, every choice she makes has an impact and being inside her head you see how her thoughts are battling, it is deeply emotional.
The other thing I loved is that it is written in a way that Margaret Rogerson could return to this world and I hope that she does.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all today? I hope you are all well. We are so close to the end of the year now, the time of cosy reading is here and with more time on my hands I have been thinking about the books I haven’t managed to read yet this year that I am still wanting to get to.
What books do you want to get to before the end of the year?
The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tail by Antony Johnston
A festive murder mystery where I have enjoyed the rest of this series, I will be putting this on my December TBR.
Queen of Shadows – Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas
At the start of this year I wanted to finish the Throne of Glass series and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and so both of these are on this list.
The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding
I am intrigued what this will be like because of who it is written by, and it is only a short book so I am excited to read it.
Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
I have started rereading the stalking jack the ripper series and I remember this second one being my favourite of the series so I am excited to get back into it.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas
I would love to be able to finish this series before the end of the year, I read the rest at the beginning of the year and then I took a pause because I wasn’t sure if I would like Nesta in this book but enough is enough, it is time to finish the series.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
I can’t wait to read this! Stephanie Garber is easily one of my favourite authors and I love everything she writes, I have been itching to read this since I got my hands on a copy.
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
I recently got hold of second hand copies of this series. I remember absolutely loving it when I was younger so I’d like to do a reread and see what I think of it now.
A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey
I recently bought this book after being recommended it, and I would like to read it soon so that I know whether or not I would like to continue with the series into next year.
A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett
Another mystery series I have loved all the books in so far, but I have been putting this one off as I need to be in the right mood to read it, but I would like to finish up this series before the end of the year.
Murder at Midwinter Farm by Helena Dixon
I have read and loved all of the Helena Dixon, Miss Underhay series so far and this book is coming out before December so I will be buying and reading that immediately.
Happy Monday bookish people! How are you all doing today?
It is a new month which means it it time to share some of the books being releases this month. As usual, the dates I use are those for the UK which is where I live.
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer – 6th November
The ghost of Bluebeard. A handsome count. A con artist in over her head.
Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts. She and her sister eke out a living by selling fraudulent spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the mansion of Count Bastien Saphir – who killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet his great-grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy and when he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his home of Bastien’s ghost, she can’t resist.
But when murder returns to the House Saphir, Mallory is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of payment, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.
Still that all sounds easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when her heart’s desire might be the murderer himself.
‘Will steal the beating heart right out of your chest!’ – Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls, ‘The TikTok made me buy it’ sensation. ‘Thrilling!’ – Rachel Greenlaw, bestselling author of One Christmas Morning ‘I devoured every moment!’ – Alexandra Christo, the international bestselling author of To Kill A Kingdom
Witchlight by Susan Dennard – 12th November
The highly-anticipated finale in Susan Dennard’s New York Times bestselling Witchlands series.
Paths converge and prophecies unfold as Safi and Iseult – the legendary Cahr Awen – fight their way across the Witchlands to heal the final Origin Well. With ancient figures rising from the past, the Raider King’s armies gathering for war, and the magic at the heart of everything dying too fast, the entire world is now on the brink of collapse.
But, when Safi and Iseult reach the Air Well with the Bloodwitch Aeduan at their side, they discover too late that Eridysi’s Lament is not the prophecy they thought it was – and their journeys are only just beginning . . .
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by Mary Pearson – 13th November
Everyone needs something to hold onto, even if it’s a lie.
Discover the stunning second book in the Bristol Keats fantasy duology, filled with swoon-worthy romantasy, faeries and non-stop action, from Sunday Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson.
After Bristol nearly loses Tyghan to the monsters her mother unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But, when a daring rescue attempt turns disastrous and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could ever have imagined – and more dangerous, too.
Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he re-encounters his betrayer, Kierus, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question. Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a monster just like her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most if it means keeping them safe?
Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree – 13th November
Return to the cosy fantasy world of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree, a freshly baked adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern.
Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!
If only things were so simple . . .
It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.
A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.
As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when anything is possible . . .
Brimstone by Callie Hart – 18th November
Prepare for the breath-taking sequel to the runaway bestseller and global phenomenon Quicksilver from Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Callie Hart.
Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.
Saeris Fane doesn’t want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court’s lips, but now that she’s been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she’s discovering that a queen’s life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.
Her ward – and her brother – need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .
‘Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.’
Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.
A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers – 20th November
THE BOOKSHOP MUST HAVE AN OWNER . . .
If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron’s bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it’s a glimpse into a world of deadly bargains and powerful, magical books.
For Cassandra Fairfax, it’s a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she’s used her skills in less . . . ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys looking for power money can’t buy.
Then Chiron dies. And if Cassandra knows anything, it’s this: the bookshop must always have an owner.
To restore the shop, she’ll need the help of Lowell Sharpe, a rival bookseller who is everything Cassandra is not – and knows it, too.
But as she is plunged into a world of unscrupulous collectors, deadly ink magic and shady societies, a dark force threatens to unravel the bookshops entirely . . .
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is November and now that I am free from my PhD work (at least until January), I have a lot more time to read and that makes me very excited – so many options!
What are you all planning on reading this month?
Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell
Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
To Steal From Thieves by M K Lobb
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Immortality by Dana Schwarz
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a great day today.
October is over, Halloween has happened, and Christmas is on the horizon, which means it is time to talk about the books I managed to read in October. Honestly, I am surprised by how many books I managed to read, considering I have been finishing up my PhD this month at the same time. I thought I would maybe read one or two, but I also ended up in hospital at the beginning of the month so that gave me some more reading time that I wasn’t expecting.
What was your favourite read of this month?
What I read from my TBR:
Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas – I have not yet read this, mainly because I am still slowly making my way through Queen of Shadows, I am getting there and I will probably have managed to start Empire of Storms before we reach the end of October (I’m writing this on the 22nd)
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent – I have not read this yet either. Again, I have been waiting for some free time to sit down and read because I think when I start this one that I will want to sit there and read until I finish it. Again, I am hopeful I will have managed to start this one before the end of the month but we will see.
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson – I have read this one, actually I finished it last night and I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it.
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz – I did read this, it took me a while to get through it but I got there eventually.
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo – I am currently reading this book so I should manage to finish it before the end of October.
Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson – I read this, it is a book out of my comfort zone as it is a romcom novel but I surprisingly enjoyed it, there was more to the plot than just the romance which was nice.
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A Craig – I have not read this one yet but I am looking forward to it, I enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrow by the same author.
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman – I did read this one. It was a very original book which I very much enjoyed.
The Coven by Harper L Woods – I did read this one. It was a disappointing read for me, I expected more because the premise sounded so good but it did not deliver unfortunately.
So, I read six books this month, which considering how much work I have been doing and not so much free time, I am quite happy with six books read.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my answers to a Halloween Book Tag, I found it last year and I was curious to see if any of my answers would have changed between now and then.
1. carving pumpkins: what book would you carve up and light on fire – A Novel Murder by E C Nevin
I did not enjoy this book, actually I DNF’d it after only a couple of chapters, honestly I could not do a cosy crime novel with a main character who is so self deprecating, I couldn’t continue.
2. trick or treat: a character who is a treat and one who is a trick – Adena in Powerless, Eli from Vicious
Adena is one of the sweetest characters in any books I have read and she did not deserve her ending, on the other hand Eli from vicious started my obsession with morally grey characters and he did deserve the ending he got.
3. candy corn: what book is always sweet – What Would Jane Austen Do?
This book is one of few romance novels that I have actually enjoyed. It merged classic romance of Jane Austen with a light, fluffy, funny, romance plot.
4. ghosts: a character you would like to visit you as a ghost – Ferrius Parfax from Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell
She takes no nonsense and she will give you the harsh truths that you need to hear.
5. Dressing in costume: a character you would want to be for a day – Violet Sorrengail from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
I had a stall at London Film and Comic Con July 2025, and I dressed as Violet Sorrengail for that. First time ever wearing leather trousers – they’re not the easiest to wear! But I thought it was great fun to dress as a favourite character for a day or two.
6. blood and gore: a book so creepy you had to take a break – A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
This book has a big focus on the dead coming back to take revenge on the living and I made the mistake of reading it at night, I thought the book was excellent but it was creepy.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.
Today, I am bringing you my book review for Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera. Have any of you read this book? If you have let me know what you thought of it.
Blurb/Synopsis:
What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?
Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.
It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie and its too-good looking host, Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one who did it.
The truth is out there, if we just listen.
My Review:
I will start by saying I did not think I would like this book. I originally bought it as research for my PhD and then I continued to push it back and find reasons not to read it because I was sure I would not enjoy it. However, I can tell you now, I was completely wrong! I loved this book. Throughout the novel, you are following Lucy who has returned to her hometown where her best friend was killed and she lost all of her memories of that night. There is a podcaster in town who is investigating the case and together they try to work out what happened. I loved that there was the vibes of an unreliable narrator going on, Lucy had no idea what happened so she was trying to piece it all together while at the same time every single person around her is telling her that she must have killed her, including her parents and the man that was her husband at the time. It added a great dimension because everyone is sure of her guilt, except her, and as a reader you root for Lucy to not be the killer and yet also she might be. It is something I haven’t read before and I really enjoyed that. I have to say, Amy Tintera’s writing is excellent because there were characters in this I absolutely hated, I hated how they treated other people and the book really made me feel for the people in it. This was a book I read in an evening, when people say I couldn’t put it down – I honestly could not put this book down until I knew what had happened.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. As it is getting so close to Halloween and October/Autumn is when we all start reading the spooky/atmospheric books I thought I would share some of my favourites with you all.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Mansicalco
This novel follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, an upper-class woman in Victorian London and her desire to train as a surgeon in a time when women were not allowed to, alongside this it features the murders of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Audrey Rose teams up with Thomas Cresswell to solve the mystery. This is one of my favourite books of all time, I love the mystery and I love the romance. The time period provides a spooky, dangerous atmosphere that keeps you reading.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
This novel follows Emilia, a witch and when her Twin Sister Vittoria is murdered she summons a prince of sin to find out what happened. It is dark, brooding, enchanting, just overall incredible.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
I have seen that a lot of people are divided on this book, some like it and some don’t. For me personally I loved the isolating feeling of the location and the mental confusion of whether there was something fantastical and at the same time sinister going on or whether Effie is imagining it. I devoured this book in one day.
Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
I believe this book is listed as a YA read but it is still sufficiently spooky. It follows a girl who enrolls in a prestigious school to find out more about her father and she gets dragged into a mystery concerning the school library, a curse, and an annoyingly handsome ghost.
Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin
This novel is somewhere between cosy crime and historical crime. It follows Arbie and Val as they team up to solve mysteries. I absolutely loved this series. Arbie is a writer whose books send him to locations to explore ghost hunting, even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts, and due to this keeps accidentally running into val and running into crime scenes. These two characters are the epitome of chalk and cheese and yet they work together so well. I can’t wait for the next book coming in 2026.
Murder at Highgate Cemetery by Irina Shapiro
This novel opens with the body of a young girl who has been murdered, suspended from an angel grave in the cemetery. It goes from there to be told from two perspectives, Gemma Tate a crimean war nurse who has returned to London and found herself in trouble when her brother dies, and Sebastien Bell a Police Detective who is strugglign in his own personal life. They keep running into each other and although Sebastien keeps telling Gemma to stay away from the crime for her own safety, they end up working together anyway.
The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis
This series follows the Bronte sisters as they solve various mysteries. For me this is the spookiest in the series. The sisters end up investigating a woman who it seems has vanished into thin air and there are constant references to dark, gothic manors and ghostly occurrences. Very creepy but very good. I have just read the last in this series and I loved them all.
The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
Graveyard Shift by M L Rio
This is only a short novel but I loved how it all came together, how slowly we learnt things about the group of people who accidentally ended up together in the wrong place at the wrong time and witness something they shouldn’t have.
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
City of Ghosts by V E Schwab
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
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