Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is the end of August already and time to talk about what I read this month.
I will tell you that I shocked myself with how well my reading went this month, what with a trip to London and back I got a lot of reading in.
Helle and Death by Oskar Jenson – I did read this book, a review is coming on the 20th September
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha – I did read this. It wasn’t how I thought it would be and I will say that it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me, not like I had expected it to be at least.
The Troublemakers by Tamzin Merchant – I did read this
The Dogsitter Detective by Anthony Johnston – I did read this
Seven Lively Suspects by Katy Watson – I did read this
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – As of the 21st August when I am writing this post I am currently reading this book and I should get it finished by the end of the month
Lightlark by Alex Aster – I started this book but I have DNF’d it for now because the part I read, the writing wasn’t working for me at the time and I am hoping to try and read it again at a later date.
So, for the first time since I started this blog I have completed a TBR and I’m quite proud of that. Not all of the books I read this month were ones I enjoyed but some of them I did which made it a successful month in my opinion.
How was your reading this month? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I found this tag on Confessions of a Serial Reader but they said the first person who did it was Deana @thecomfyreader
Onto the tag!
The beach – a book set somewhere tropical
I chose Love Him To Death by Tanya Landman. Amateur sleuths poppy and graham end up with Poppy’s Mum at a celebrity wedding on an island and things start going wrong…
Music festival – a book with a focus on music
The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead by Anthony Johnston, the main character Ginny is hired by a rockstar musician to look after his dog while he goes away on tour and then they all get caught up in the murder
Watermelon – a book with a juicy secret
Most of the books I read have juicy secrets but the one that jumped to mind was Last Girl Breathing, it was an intense thriller filled with secrets, honestly you wouldn’t see the twist coming.
Water park – a book set near or on the water
A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle, I haven’t read it yet but I know it is a murder mystery set on a boat so that works for water.
Ice cream – a guilty pleasure book or genre
I chose romance as a whole genre because it is not something I read much so when I do it feels a bit like a guilty pleasure read
Picnic with friends – a book about friendship
I chose The Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine because the main group is four characters and I love reading about their friendship
Road trip – a book that takes you on an adventure
What else could I pick but the Lord of the Rings, the ultimate adventure.
Sunburn – a book that you regret reading
I chose The Cat Who Caught A Killer, one of the worst books I have read, I did not enjoy it at all and I could not suspend my disbelief enough for a talking cat helping her solve mysteries I just couldn’t.
Summer Dress – a book that is light and cute
Plus One by Kelsey Rodkey, it is a sweet romance, I liked it a lot
Mosquito – a book with an annoying character
This might be controversial but I had to choose Mal from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.
Today I am bringing you my book review for The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine.
Blurb/Synopsis:
The honour of your company is requested at lord beaucastle’s fancy dress ball. Wonder at the puzzling disappearance of the Jewelled Moth! Marvel as our heroines, Sophie and Lil, don cunning disguises, mingle in high society and munch many cucumber sandwiches to solve this curious case! Applaud their bravery as they follow a trail of terrible secrets that leads straight to London’s most dangerous criminal mastermind, and could put their own lives at risk…It will be the most thrilling event of the season! This is a fast-paced and compelling mystery adventure with gorgeous Edwardian period detail, this is Mr Selfridge meets Nancy Drew!
My Review:
I read the first book in this series, The mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, a while ago and I enjoyed it, I did but I haven’t really been thinking about it since then so I was almost at the point of unhauling this series because I didn’t think I was going to pick up the second one but then I did, and I loved it. This book I was hooked form the beginning, there are balls and disguises and a great group of protagonists and overall it was a fun time reading it. This book is a middle grade but I didn’t think that the mystery felt young, it felt like it was well thought out and planned and it was just complicated enough to be fun and shocking.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.
Today I am bringing you my book review for Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project – a literal dream come true – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school – archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.
But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
My Review:
Okay, where to begin? It ahs taken me a long time to get around to reading this book. It has been on my shelf since the week it first came out and it has taken a long time to read it. I like Ali Hazelwood’s writing, it is the kind of writing that I fly through quickly but honestly, this book lost me towards the end. I enjoyed the romance, the will they won’t they was actually quite fun with this book although some points were a bit like miscommunication and I do hate that trope but for the first half of this book I was quite invested, the idea was interesting and I am not in STEM so it’s nice to read about it and learn a bit about it while reading. The part I did not like was the second half. Throughout there always felt like there was an undercurrent of something weird running alongside the romance part and I did think while reading I hope that part gets sorted in a minute because it was taking away from everything else, and I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it, but this thread comes to a head near the end of the book and it was like, what am I reading? I really disliked what happened with the end of the book, it came out of nowhere and made no sense. I didn’t like it so it took away from my enjoyment of this book.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.
Seeing as it is now fully summertime I thought it would be fun to think back on the books I have read and give a few summer recs!
Dead man’s Folly by Agatha Christie
This is my second favourite Agatha Christie novel, second to Halloween Party, and there are village fairs and secrets and I adore this book.
Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman
It is literally in the title, and it is a great, twisty mystery. I know a lot of people like to read thrillers and mysteries in the summer and this would be a great choice.
What Would Jane Austen Do by Linda Corbett
This is a nice, sweet, summery romance novel and I think it is set in summer because it features a literary festival and they are mostly held in the summer months if they are outside.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
This book is a sweet, cosy fantasy with some romance and it feels like a good summer read.
Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell
Even the colours on the covers of this series scream series, same as Vampire Academy the series gets dark in some places but it is a brilliant fantasy series great for the summer.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
This is a nostalgic one for me, I love this series and it is a young adult vampire series, to me it just feels like a summer series, it gets dark in places but the characters and their humour keep things light.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is August already, finally some of the summer weather is peeking out from behind the rain clouds. My Guide Dog is very happy about that, she loves sunbathing in the garden. What goes best with the summer? Reading, obviously. So it was time to decide on my August TBR and it was difficult because I have so many books that I want to read, but I did decide eventually on these books:
The Dog Sitter Detective by Anthony Johnston
The odd thing about this one is that I have already read the second book in this series (oops!) I didn’t realise when I got the second book that it was part of a series, read it, loved it and then realised it was a series so I want to read this one quite quickly.
Love Letters To A Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
I have recently bought this and the premise sounds really interesting so it is high on my list to read.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
This is another book I recently got after wanting it for a really long time and I haven’t been reading much fantasy at the moment so I am hoping to get back into it with this book.
Helle and Death by Oskar Jenson
This book is one I need to read so that I can mention it in my PhD theory work, I don’t think it would be a book I would pick up otherwise but hopefully it will be a good book.
The Troublemakers by Tamsin Merchant
I LOVE this series, it is a middle grade but the series is very sweet and magical and I am excited to read this next book.
Lightlark by Alex Aster
This one I happened to pick up because I saw it on social media a lot and thought it looked interesting, I like books that include games and trials so hopefully this book will be great.
Seven Lively Suspects by Katy watson
I have actually already started this book, I read 50 pages on the way home from a family trip and I already love this series so I am looking forward to keep reading this book.
Have you read any of these books?
What books are on your August TBR?
I hope everyone has a good reading month in August!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a great day today.
July is at an end and I think it is safe to say that it was my best month for reading so far this year, both in the amount of books and my enjoyment of those books.
So, my July TBR, technically I didn’t finish it because I didn’t read the exact books I put on it BUT I did read a bunch of books so I read more books than I put on my TBR so I am going to count that as finishing it.
This was my TBR:
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I did not read this book, it was actually in the pile for me to read next, to break up some of the mysteries I have been reading like a palate cleanser, but I didn’t get around to it.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
I am currently reading this book and I have three days left of the month so I am optimistic that I will finish this book by the end of July.
A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
I did not read this book, I didn’t even think about it this month so hopefully I will get to it soon but that time is not yet.
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrews
I was excited about this book but as with A Feather So Black I haven’t been drawn to fantasy at the moment so I didn’t get around to it.
The Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine
I did read this book, it is the second in the series and actually I enjoyed it more than the first book.
Outside of my TBR I have also read: I finished Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood, The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite (the best book I have read so far this year!), The Suspect by Rob Rinder, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, Queen Macbeth by Val Mcdermid, and I started Seven Likely Suspects by Katy Watson as well.
So in July I read 8 books this month! I am very happy with that amount. How has your reading been this month? Any great books?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.
Today I am bringing you my book review of How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. Have any of you read this book? What did you think of it?
Blurb/Synopsis:
For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club , an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate… Now it’s up to her great-niece to catch the killer.
It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.
My Review:
Well, what to say about this book. As I am writing this I have literally just finished reading it. For me it was one of those books that are okay, they are easy to read but I couldn’t fall into the book and become absorbed by the story. It was an average read.
In this book we follow Annie, who has been called to her Great Aunt Frances’ house, she has never met her but the meeting is to discuss changes to her will and then when they get there it turns out that Frances has been murdered, just as a fortune teller told her she would be when she was a teenager.
I loved the premise of this book, I thought it was very interesting how you could live your life afraid of the fortune you received as a teenager and there was a competition to do with the inheritance but the execution wasn’t what I was hoping it would be.
I thought Annie was a fun character to follow, she was thrown into the deep end head first and you could feel that in her POV and that was nice because it felt like you were learning along side her instead of her knowing things that you as the reader didn’t. Overall, there were parts I enjoyed to the book but I was starting to become bored with the story towards the end.
Happy Monday Bookish people! How are you all doing today? I hope you are doing well.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Gwinny Tuffel is preparing for her first acting role in a decade in the West End, but she is dog-sitting on the side to keep the wolf from the door. So, when ageing rock star Crash Double needs help with his Border Collie, she jumps at the chance. After all, looking after the charming Ace on Crash’s Little Venice houseboat shouldn’t be an onerous task. But that’s before the singer’s dead body surfaces during the annual Canal Carnival festivities.
While the police dismiss the death as an accident, Gwinny suspects murder most foul. With a medley of suspects and some far-fetched motives to make heads or tails of, it is up to Gwinny, with Ace’s on-the-ground knowledge, to make sure the killer faces the music.
My Review:
Okay, so first off, I didn’t realise that this book was the second in a series and I did not read the first one before reading this one. I have since bought it but I haven’t read it yet. I am looking forward to reading it.
In this book we follow Gwinny, she is an actress who has returned to performing but is passed over because of her age. In her spare time she looks after dogs for people and in this novel she ends up looking after the dog of a singer from a band while he goes on tour. Except, he didn’t go on tour because his body appears in the middle of a festival in Little Venice London, with all the canal boats.
I liked the unique set up of the canal boats and the rock star being murdered. I did think the dog kept being forgotten about, Gwinny goes about investigating but its not said where she leaves the dog while doing this. It was a nice, simple, cosy mystery and I enjoyed it. Gwinny is a good character, she takes no rubbish from anyone and I liked that. Her partner in crime though, I can’t remember his name off the top of my head, I didn’t warm to, I would have had a few choice words for him if I had met him. However, it was a good time and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, starting with book number one!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today.
I have been seeing lots of people doing this tag and it looks fun so I wanted to share my answers as well.
Best book you have read so far in 2024?
Best sequel you have read so far in 2024?
New release you haven’t read yet but want to?
Most anticipated release for the second half of 2024?
Biggest disappointment?
Biggest surprise?
New favourite author?
Rob Rinder, I like him on TV anyway and I met him at the end of May which was a great experience but I wasn’t sure how I would find his writing but I loved it.
Newest fictional crush?
This was a difficult one but in the end I chose Detective Rowan Crane from How to Solve your own murder, which was a surprise even to myself because the book itself was only a three star, but I did love his character.
Newest favourite character?
This would be Juliet from Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi, because of her strength with everything she goes through in the book.
A book that made you cry?
A book that made you happy?
Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year?
What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
There aren’t any specific books I need to read but I would like to make more progress in series’ I have started because what I tend to do is read the first one, buy all of the series and then not get around to reading them.
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