Monthly TBRs

December TBR

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

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Uncategorized

End of year TBR

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.

Monthly TBRs

August TBR!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today. It is August, the middle of the summer holidays in the UK, and time to pick what books I will be reading this month. Or hopefully reading at least. I have a few things to be doing during the month: my PhD work, redecorating the dining room, taking a trip to see family in Hampshire, it is going to be a busy month. Which means I need some good books to get me through it. For some reason, summer months I get really into reading fantasy, their covers give Autumn vibes, but I love reading them in summer so you won’t be surprised to know the bulk of my reading is fantasy this month.

A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber

Fearless by Lauren Roberts

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

This Monster of Mine

Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin

A Novel Murder

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

I have also put together a small list of books I would also like to get to but only if I have time, which are: Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas which was on July’s TBR but I ran out of time, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas, Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis and the Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping.

What are you planning on reading in August?

Monthly Wrap Ups

March Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Today I’m bringing you my March Wrap Up.

I set myself a longer TBR for this month because I have been doing so well the past couple of months finishing the TBRs I set so I thought I would add a few more. So, as I am writing this I have just over a week left of March and two books left to read which SHOULD be possible but we shall see on that count.

From my TBR:

  • Powerful by Lauren Roberts – I did read this one, I originally wasn’t going to read this because I wasn’t sure about the character in Powerless but I decided it might have an impact on the rest of the series so I read it this month.
  • Murder In First Class by Helena Dixon – I read this one
  • The Village Library Demon Hunting Society by C M Waggoner – I read this book but I really disliked it.
  • The Last Word Is Death by Faith Martin – I read this – and it is a new favourite series.
  • The Dog Sitter Detective Takes The Lead by Antony Johnston – I did read this
  • A Court Of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas – I have not read this yet but I am hoping I will have by the end of the month
  • Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco – I have started this novel but I haven’t finished it yet but again I hope to by the end of March

Outside of my TBR I also read Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood.

What did you all read in March?

Monthly TBRs

March TBR!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a great start to the month of March.

It is time for me to share my TBR for the month and I have given myself some book choices this month because I am travelling with a friend to London for a weekend and I need some good books for travelling in the car. Onto the TBR!

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

This is the fifth book in the ACOTAR series and it will bring me up to date with the series until the next book comes out and also it will tick off some of my 50 books to read this year list.

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

This is the novella that goes alongside the first book in the series, powerless, following one of the side characters and I am looking forward to reading it then reading Reckless in April before the final book comes out that month but I have to say I didn’t love the character this one follows so we shall see what I think of it.

Murder in First Class by Helena Dixon

The next book in the Miss Kitty Underhay mystery series, I am reading one of these every month so soon I will have finished the series which is heartbreaking but also quite satisfying.

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

This is the second book in the princes of sin series, the spin off series from Kingdom of the Wicked, these books are SO good. I can’t explain anything about this series as its a spin off of the other and it would spoil things but all I can say is everyone should read these books. I will read anything Kerri Maniscalco writes.

The Village Library Demon Hunting Society by

I have no idea what this book is about really but it said something about a mystery and it has the word library on the cover so I am intrigued to read this book.

The Last Word is Death by Faith Martin

After reading the first in the series, Murder by Candlelight, in February and devouring it in a night I am excited to jump straight into the next one in the series.

The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead by Antony Johnston

This is the third book in the Dog Sitter Detective, a modern cosy mystery series that I like, I am looking forward to reading this but I am hesitant because there is a side character who keeps appearing and I don’t really like him so I will see how I feel after this book.

What are you excited to read in March?

Uncategorized

25 to read in 2025

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all good today, a bit of a warning, this might be a long one.

I have been seeing these lists everywhere and I thought it would be fun to do my own. So, these are the 25 books I want to prioritize in 2025. I have chosen these books because they are either: oldest on my TBR, continuing series I have started which is one of my goals for the year or they are books I feel like I should have got to by now.

The ACOTAR series (yes, I am counting the books I have left to read – A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Silver Flames – as one together because I really want to finish this series in 2025)

I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V E Schwab

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Traitors Blade by Sebastien de Castell

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

City of Brass by S A Chakraborty

Where Dreams Descend by Janelle Angeles

Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine

That’s the ones on my list, what books do you want to read in 2025?

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Book Tags

Top 5 Intimidating Books I Want To Read

Happy Friday bookish people! I’m back with another book tag! I was tagged in this by @moonraa23 (sorry if I’ve spelt this wrong) on Twitter, so thank you to them.

The idea of this tag is – telling you all five of the books on my TBR that I find intimidating and why. It was very difficult to get it down to just five, there’s a lot of books that anticipate me for many different reasons. Also, I will say the book title and then I will give you the synopsis of the book and then the reason that it intimidates me.

Let’s get to the first one!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

So… I read A Court of Thorns and Roses at the beginning of this year and loved it and I’m very excited to pick up A Court of Mist and Fury but it intimidates me. Simply because I’ve heard so many good things about it and especially about Rhysand that I’m worried about reading it even though I’m 99% sure I’m going to love it.

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.

But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy… 

This book isn’t out yet, I can’t wait for it to be published! I absolutely loved the Caraval series and that’s why I’m intimidated by this one, I’m hoping I’m going to love it at least as much but we shall see once I get it in my hands and get around to reading it.

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

From Harper Lee comes a landmark new novel set two decades after her beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch—”Scout”—returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a MockingbirdGo Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can be guided only by one’s conscience. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision—a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic.

I really enjoyed reading To Kill A Mockingbird, luckily I didn’t read it for school otherwise I might not have enjoyed it as much. I was surprised when they brought out this book and I’m not sure on it because To Kill A Mockingbird worked perfectly as a stand-alone so I want to read it but I also don’t.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth

Our story begins in 1902, at The Brookhants School for Girls. Flo and Clara, two impressionable students, are obsessed with each other and with a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls establish their own private club and call it The Plain Bad Heroine Society. They meet in secret in a nearby apple orchard, the setting of their wildest happiness and, ultimately, of their macabre deaths. This is where their bodies are later discovered with a copy of Mary’s book splayed beside them, the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, The Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors forever—but not before three more people mysteriously die on the property, each in a most troubling way.

Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer, Merritt Emmons, publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the “haunted and cursed” Gilded-Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation starring celebrity actor and lesbian it girl Harper Harper playing the ill-fated heroine Flo, opposite B-list actress and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. But as Brookhants opens its gates once again, and our three modern heroines arrive on set to begin filming, past and present become grimly entangled—or perhaps just grimly exploited—and soon it’s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins.

A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period illustrations. 

A murder mystery set in a school sounds amazing to me, and it reminds me of a more adult version of Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson a little bit but I’m intimidated by this book – not only because it is massive, but also because it might be too much of a thriller for me.

The Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir

I won’t give you a synopsis here because this is a whole series not just a single book. So, this one I’m intimidated by because I love books set in the Tudor Period and Philippa Gregory is one of my favourite authors but I’ve read all her books so I needed some new Tudor historical fiction and I’m hoping Alison Weir can give me that.

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

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes 80 – 71

Happy Friday bookish people! Have you seen any of your favourites on this list yet? We’ve still got a long way until we are in my top 10. Anyone else excited for that or is it just me? and really I shouldn’t be excited because I compiled the list and I know what’s in my top 10 already… nevermind, I’m still excited!

Today is numbers 80 – 71. There’s some interesting ones in this section although we are getting to the point now where there isn’t much I can say about each of the quotes so for this one I’m just going to list them. Enjoy!

At 80 we have a quote from a book that is on my TBR this month…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

80. “I’d walk into the burning heart of Hell itself to find you” this quote is so dramatic I love it.

up next is a quote from a series that it has recently been announced will be turned into a TV show…

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

79.”I could set this world on fire and call it rain”

As will be common throughout these book quotes lists the next one is from a book I haven’t read yet..

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

78.”Crooked smiles for crooked hearts”

Number 77 is from a sequel…

King of Fools by Amanda Foody

77.”love always carved the deepest wounds”

Number 76, I have so many quotes from this book all throughout my top 100…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

76.”let’s make this fight worthy of a song”

The next quote is from a series of books I’m not sure if I like them or not..

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

75.”dream me the world, something new for every night”

At 74 is a quote from the same book…

74.”what a strange constellation they all were”

Getting close to the end of this section now.. at 73 is a quote from a series I recently started…

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

73.”remember that you are a wolf and you cannot be caged”

next is a quote from another book I haven’t read yet…

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

72.”a lion fears only the fox”

and finally for this set of quotes at 71 is….

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

71.”a dream dirty and bruised is better than no dream at all” – can you tell I like quotes and books with themes of dreaming?

So that’s it for this weeks quotes, I’ll be back next Friday with 70 – 61 which include books like Serpent and Dove, Crescent City and The Wrath and the Dawn.

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas Book Review

Happy Tuesday bookish people! It is time for another book review. I would usually put up book reviews on a Monday however yesterday was my Partner and I’s first anniversary so I spent the day with him. Today’s review is of a book that I have had on my shelf for forever, I have the whole series on my shelf but it took me so long to get around to it. Then finally I did and I loved it.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The plot of this book intrigued me, I kept seeing it described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and after reading it I agree it does have some similar elements which I enjoyed. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put the book down until I’d found out what happened next – and then until I found out how it ended. If I’d had to I would have stayed up all night to finish it.

Personally I felt that the first 100 pages of the book is slow and didn’t keep me that interested but after the pace begins to pick up my interest returned as well. I felt that the plot had enough substance that there was always something happening, no page felt out of place in the story. Where the beginning was slow, I also felt the ending was slightly rushed, the big event at the end of the book I personally feel would have been better had it been explored further. Saying this I still enjoyed it and I did not predict most of the things that happened throughout the book.

Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There are plenty of characters in this novel, some have larger parts than others however all are important to the story. Starting with the antagonist of the novel, it was unclear for most of the book who the real antagonist was as there were a few possible contenders. I think the villain was just the right amount of cruel and mysterious for this book while leaving space for one of those other contenders to become the antagonist in later books in the series.

The main protagonist, Feyre, is sharp-minded, fierce, and loyal. She is a character that I felt connected to because of how relatable she is. Feyre’s family is briefly mentioned however from what I know, they become more important throughout the series. The character of Tamlin, I did not like him at all to begin with in this book. I felt he was distant and cold and as a reader I had no connection to him but as the book went on little pieces of information about him and his backsotry were given and by the end of the book I liked him better than I did at the beginning. I will admit that because the series has been around for a while and is popular on booktwitter, booktube and bookstagram I have heard things about this character that has influenced my opinion on him throughout the firs book.

Finally, Rhysand, he is exactly the kind of character I always get drawn to, cheeky and witty, he isn’t in the first book that much however I already know I’m going to love him in the next books of the series.

Writing and dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing in this book is cleverly weaved with interesting dialogue. It is clear, fast-paced and easy to read. The dialogue is one of the main features that made me enjoy this novel as much as I did. It felt natural and completely fitted each of the characters.

Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Overall I gave this book four stars because I enjoyed it and I am very excited to get the next book in the series onto a TBR as soon as I can.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

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