Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day. Today, I am bringing you my answers to the March Madness book tag. Note: I did not invent this tag.
Selection Sunday: Upcoming release that you are looking forward to
The new book in the Priory of the Orange series by Samantha Shannon, that book is beautiful
Sweet 16: a teen protagonist that you love
I would have to go with my first thought, which is Vasilissa Dragomir in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Final 4: top four books you think of
Sorcery of thorns – Margaret Rogerson Caraval – Stephanie Garber By The Book Stalking Jack the Ripper – Kerri Maniscalco
Championship Fame: a book that has a competition or dual
I actually couldn’t think of one but I am sure that there must be one somewhere in the A Darker Shade of Magic.
16 seed: an underrated book or series that deserves love
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite
Top #1 Seed: a good but overhyped book
The Love Hypothesis. I know people love it and I thought it was okay but definitely not amazing.
Buzzer beater: a book that surprised you in a good or bad way
Love in the time of serial killers – in a bad way.
Mascot: Favourite animal sidekick
Reichus in the Spellslinger series
Bracket Buster: a book that hurt you
Dangerous Remedy – That ending! I can’t even say anything else about ti without spoiling it.
Sports bar: A book with a great setting
Any and every book set in France!
I hope you enjoyed it, did you agree with my answers? How would you have answered them?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you all enjoy my book review of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
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 give any spoilers in this review.
The very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Cosy fantasy is a new genre, to me and in general really, but I loved it in this novel. It follows Mika Moon, a witch who has always been told to keep her magic a secret, as she takes up a new job as a witch tutor to three young girls. The job comes with two eccentric men, an emotional woman called Lucy, and Jamie the handsome but brooding librarian. This novel really engaged me, I loved every second of it.
The Very Secret Society of irregular Witches Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
It is really hard to say anything in this category without spoiling anything! What I will say is that Mika grows as character in a really brilliant way throughout the novel and I think she helps the other characters grow a bit as well which is a nice theme to see in fantasy novels.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
As I said, this novel fits in the cosy fantasy style and I really think it worked well. It is light even in the dark, tense moments and that made it so much easier to breeze through when reading it.
The very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I loved this book, I truly did. It was more fun than I thought it would be but the reason I didn’t give it five stars is because it just didn’t feel like a five star. I didn’t get that feeling while reading it.
Blurb/Synopsis:
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you all enjoy my book review of Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens.
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.
Murder Most Unladylike Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This book follows Daisy and Hazel at Deepdean school, they are friends (who definitely have small arguments) who end up embroiled in a murder mystery when they find the body of their teacher, but then it suddenly disappears. I enjoyed the slightly cosy mystery feel that this book had, it was nice to see it from a younger child’s perspective than all the adult murder mysteries I read. It was still complex and a great mystery though which made it even better.
Murder Most Unladylike Character:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The novel is written from Hazel’s perspective. I liked her because she had an organised and investigative mind, she always looked for every avenue that could be and needed to be explored. Even though she is afraid she knows what she is doing is important. In this first book in the series I did not like Daisy, she is bossy and full of herself and it really grated on me throughout the novel. I know that is her character flaw but she barely listened to Hazel’s ideas and for a whole series I think I would find that hard to continue reading.
Murder Most Unladylike Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I think generally the writing in this book is pretty good, it feels young but that is the age range it is catered to. Otherwise I don’t have a lot to say about the writing.
Murder Most Unladylike Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because it was an enjoyable mystery, and I am interested in reading more of the series.
Blurb/Synopsis:
1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up a secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find a truly exciting mystery to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia’s missing tie. Which they don’t.)
But then Hazel discovers the body of the Science Mistress, Miss Bell – but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls have to solve a murder, and prove a murder has happened in the first place before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally),
Happy Monday bookish people! Today, I am bringing you my book review for the new novella set in the world of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.
As usual, 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.
Mysteries of Thorn Manor Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This short book is a follow up to the novel, Sorcery of Thorns, it follows Elisabeth and Nathaniel as they embark on their relationship together. In this new story the gardens and house of Thorn Manor have turned against the residents and are magically keeping them locked inside the house. I found this story extremely fun and engaging, I loved being back with the sorcery of thorns characters, it is one of my favourite books and this book still had that mystery element but in a much cosier way.
Mysteries of Thorn Manor Character:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
In this follow up you get to know the characters on a deeper level, they reveal more of their pasts. Especially Nathaniel who was very secretive in Sorcery of Thorns, it was also nice to see a lighter side to him. Elisabeth was her usual hot headed and interesting self which was great.
Mysteries of Thorn Manor Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
There’s not much more I can say here, Margaret Rogerson is one of my favourite writers, her style of writing is engaging and magical and everything I would want in a fantasy novel.
Mysteries of Thorn Manor Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall, simply because I wanted more! Give me all the sorcery of thorns novellas, I would read them all.
Synopsis:
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you my book review for A Million to One.
I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible.
A Million To One Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was first interested in this book because it mentions the Titanic, which is one of my biggest interests, and then when I saw that it featured four girls coming together to commit a heist I was sold. I bought it and read it the first day it came out in my local bookshop. I loved most of the elements that came together in this book, it really has that high tension dramatic twists feature that you need in this kind of book.
A Million to One Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The four main characters in this book are Emilie, hannah, Violet and Josefa. I have to say I loved Josefa’s character, she was methodical and intense and really knew how to lead a group. Violet on the other hand, for me personally, I really did not get along well with her character. I thought she was antagonistic for no reason and this frustrated me to no end while reading the book.
A Million To One writing and dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I’m not sure what age range this book falls into but the writing style is a little young in the words and the pacing but at some points the actions do not match this younger age style.
A Million to One overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars because I really enjoyed it and I was not expecting the ending.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time‘s Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in a heist for a treasure aboard the infamous ship that sank in the Atlantic many years ago.
A thief. An artist. A acrobat. An actress. While Josefa, Emilie, Hinnah, and Violet seemingly don’t have anything in common, they’re united in one goal: stealing the Rubaiyat, a jewel-encrusted book aboard the RMS Titanic that just might be the golden ticket to solving their problems.
But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes. While the odds of pulling off the heist are slim, the odds of survival are even slimmer . . .
Perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Girl in the Blue Coat, this high-seas heist from the author of The Henna Wars is an immersive story that makes readers forget one important detail— the ship sinks.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you my book review for Love in the time of serial killers by Alicia Thompson.
I will be giving star ratings to four categories and writing a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible.
Love in the time of serial killers plot:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
This book is about Pheobe, a PhD student studying true crime who becomes suspicious of her new neighbour. I will be honest I was expecting a lot more tension from the whole ‘is he dangerous’ plotline than there actually was. For me, it ended way too quickly because I would have liked a development from this suspicion into actually trying to figure out if he is and from there the romance could bloom as they say but the book decides he isn’t dangerous only a few chapters in. I did like the PhD plotline, I mean I am also doing a PhD in crime fiction so I saw a lot of similarities between myself and Pheobe in this bit.
Love in the time of serial killers characters:
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
I am actually struggling to write this bit because I can’t remember much about the characters, I wasn’t invested in them or what happened to them enough to actually remember them.
Love in the time of serial killers writing and dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
The writing in this book was good, it was clear and well structured. I did like the pacing of it in terms of the length of the chapters.
Love in the time of serial killers overall:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I gave this book three stars overall because it was okay, it definitely was not the worst book I have read but I don’t think it was for me.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst.
PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.
It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. As it is February I thought it would be fun to do some Valentine’s themed book tags, starting with the Cupid Book Tag I am doing today – which I found on rootingbranches.com.
What’s the perfect sweets to eat while reading?
I don’t usually eat while reading but if I did I would be more partial to a biscuit then to sweets.
What is a song that reminds you of your favourite romance or your favourite romantic song?
Hmm… my favourite romance book would be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell but I don’t really know a song that could link to it but my favourite romance song is probably So Good it hurts by Olivia Lane.
If you were to go on a perfect reading date where would it be?
That is a very good question, I think it would be somewhere overlooking water, a river or something but it would only work in the spring because I hate bugs, anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I will not be outside in a field when there are bugs around.
What’s the best friendship you have read in a book?
Another very difficult question, I think I would have to choose Kellen and Reichus in the Spellslinger series be Sebastien de Castell.
Create the perfect bouquet for your favourite book or character
I would have to choose Sorcery of thorns by margaret rogerson, Nathaniel would bring Elizabeth a bouquet of roses made form pages of books that he would have haphazardly glued together.
What romance do you not necessarily need a whole sequel for you just want to check in on them and make sure everything is okay?
By the book definitely, I adored that book and I would love to know what has happened between the characters since the book ended.
What date in a book or movie do you wish you could go on yourself?
Strangely I have read this question and every book/movie date I know of has left my mind. Instead why don;t you all answer this question in the comments, what date would you want to go on?
What is your favourite nickname from a romance?
I can’t think of an answer for this one either!
Most anticipated romances of 2023?
The secret service of tea and treason by India Holton which is being published in April of this year.
That is it for this book atg, I hope you have all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you one of my favourite reads so far this year – Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood.
As usual, I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.
Death Comes To Marlow Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This book is the second in the Marlow Murder Club series by Death In Paradise writer, Robert Thorogood. It has some of the best mystery elements, an expensive manor house, a locked room mystery and every suspect has an alibi. For me personally I love these types of mystery stories because it is all about the puzzle, I knew pretty much from the beginning who the murderer was but the fun for me was figuring out how they did it.
Death Comes To Marlow Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The three main characters in this novel are Judith, Suzie and Becks. Three woman who, in other circumstances, should not get along as well as they do. Their relationship is started in the first book in the series but it gets developed much more in this novel. I love how each character is so different, there are parts about each of them that can grate on me but it is balanced out by their brilliant amateur detective skills.
Death Comes to Marlow Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The writing style Thorogood uses is extremely cosy which is the style I think fits this type of mystery best, it stops the darkness of the crime overtaking the whole novel and lets it stay enjoyable.
Death Comes to Marlow Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because I thoroughly enjoyed it, even more than the first book in the series.
Blurb/Synopsis:
It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne.
But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study.
The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she’s concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again…
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am excited about everything that will be going on this month, and the books I have chosen to read. First of all there is the February Valentine’s edition of the Chopped Readathon that I host with my friend @plaid_reader. There will be more information coming soon about this so let me know if you are interested in taking part!
My February TBR!
Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price
Murder in the House on the Hill by Victoria Walters
Winterhouse by Ben Gutterson
The Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell
Everyone in my family has killed someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
Daughter of smoke and bone by laini Taylor
Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Agency of Scandal
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
Happy Monday bookish people! I am back with my January wrap up. This month has really been a rollercoaster for me, I had a huge assessment – my RDC2 exam for my PhD which was a written essay and a presentation, incredibly stressful but I passed which is great and I got offered a research assistant job, I also applied for another job but I haven’t heard back yet. Anyway, January was a good month for my reading. At the end of last year I was reading maybe one book a month but with a few days left to go I have done so much better to start this year.
Onto the wrap up!
Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – I did not read this, I haven’t been in the mood for much fantasy with all the stress I have turned to lighter reads – and of course murder mysteries
A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwab – I did not read
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T A Willberg – I did not read this
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross – I did not read
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake – I did not read this
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi – I did not read
Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I did not read
House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune – I did not read
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – I did not read
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson – I did not read
Love in the time of serial killers – I did read!
So, from my TBR I only read one of the books but other than the TBR I read: Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood, A Million to one by Adiba Jagirdar and A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. That means I have read 4 books this month which is really great for me.
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