Uncategorized

Top 5 October New Releases!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well. Today I am sharing with you the five new releases I am most looking forward to getting my hands on in October! I hope you all enjoy. Let me know if you are excited for any of these releases too.

A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Starling House by Alix E Harrow

Book Reviews

Book Review: Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today.

I am bringing you my book review for Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett, the third in the Queen Investigates series.

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 keep this review as spoiler free as possible.

I hope you all enjoy! Let me know in the comments if you have read this book and what you thought of it.

Murder Most Royal Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Murder Most Royal is the third book in the Queen Investigates series of murder mystery books. In this one Queen Elizabeth II gets involved in a murder investigation after the hand of a wealthy man, known to the Queen, is found washed up on a beach.

I have read all of the books in this series so far, and I absolutely plan to continue with it, but this was probably my least favourite of them so far. The second one, A Three Dog Problem, is my favourite. I enjoy the series because of it’s unique premise but for me this one, although it threw you straight into the action with the discovery of the hand, was the most complicated and confusing. This was good in the fact that it was fun trying to work out all the threads and I’m not ashamed to admit I didn’t manage to guess what happened before it was revealed.

I liked that this book took a different route than the first two, in the first two of the series it is revealed very early on who was murdered and how but this book was more complicated because you had the who but there was no actual body.

Murder Most Royal Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There are two main characters in this series, the first being Queen Elizabeth II and the other being her assistant Rozie.

In the first and second books Rozie is the one who the narration focuses on, she is the main investigator with some input from the Queen. However, what I liked about this third book in the series was that Rozie took a backseat on the investigation while the Queen was more actively investigating. It made the book stand out and feel fresh while still keeping the overall cosy feel of the series.

Murder Most Royal Writing and Dialogue

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Murder Most Royal Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a very enjoyable read in a very quirky series that fits very well in the cosy crime genre.

Blurb/Synopsis:

December 2016 – A severed hand is found washed up on a beach next to the Queen’s estate at Sandringham. Elizabeth has become quite accustomed to solving even the most complex of murders. And though she quickly identifies the 70-year-old victim, Edward St Cyr, from his signet ring, the search for his killer is not so straightforward. St Cyr led an unconventional, often controversial life, making many enemies along the way in the quiet, rural world of North Norfolk, where everyone knows each other’s business.

But when a second man is found dead, and a prominent local woman is nearly killed in a hit-and-run, the mystery takes an even darker turn. With the Christmas break coming to an end, the Queen and her trusted assistant Rozie must race to discover how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Or the next victim may be found even closer to home.

Agatha Christie meets The Crown in MURDER MOST ROYAL, the much-anticipated third book in the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ mystery series by SJ Bennett – for fans of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin.

Monthly TBRs

October TBR

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well. Today I am bringing you my TBR for October, I am hoping that this month I will be able to find time to read and enjoy them as much as I did in September.

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

Assistant to the Villain

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Mrs Death Misses Death

Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovilino

Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Have you read any of these books?

What are your reading plans for October?

Monthly Wrap Ups

September Wrap Up!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I am bringing you my wrap up for September. I will tell you all now, my reading has taken a backseat because I have now started my final year of my PhD and that is what is taking precedence over everything else at the moment. I was still happy with everything that I got read this month, it wasn’t much but the books I did read I enjoyed more than I have been recently.

Wrap up!

  • Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwood – I did not read, I have to say I was really feeling big fantasy reads this month and as this book is definitely not one of those I wasn’t at all interested in reading it right now.
  • As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson – I did not read – I really want to finish this series but I didn’t get enough time this month!
  • Belladonna by Adalyn Grace – I did not read, I have seen mixed reviews for this book. I am still very interested in reading it thought.
  • From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout – I did not read this. I hoped I would get to this one, I am drawn to it at the moment (spoiler for my October TBR) hence why I am keeping it on my TBR and I will hopefully read it next month instead
  • Well Met by Jen De Luca – I did not read, another romance and I was not feeling this genre this month
  • Finale by Stephanie Garber – I did read this! I have finally finished this series and I LOVED it. My review of this book is coming in October so look out for that.
  • Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman – I did not read
  • The Luminaries by Susan Dennard – I did not read this either
  • The It Girl by Ruth Ware – I did not read this, actually I did a huge unhaul where I got rid of 107 books and this was one of them.
  • A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft – I did not read
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry – I did not read
  • Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett – I did read this book, another series I am now up to date with

I hope you enjoyed my wrap up, what was your favourite read in September?

Book Tags

Book For All Occasions Book Tag

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day today. I found this book tag on hannahsbookshelf.wordpress.com and I thought it would be fun to have a go.

Name a book that makes you cry

I don’t have an answer for this one because books don’t really make me cry, I can find them sad and upsetting but not enough for full tears, not yet at least maybe there is a book out there that will. Any reccommendations?

Name a book that makes you smile

Name a book that makes you feel cosy

Name a book that transports you to a magical place

Name a book that scared you

Name a book with an inspiring female character

I find her inspiring because of her determination, she knows she wants to be an investigator no matter the pressure put on her by society and the limitations they thought a woman should have.

Name a book with an inspiring male character

Kai in the Invisible Library

Book Reviews

Book Review: A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson

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

Today I am bringing you my book review for A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson.

I will be giving 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.

I hope you enjoy my book review!

A Very Lively Murder Plot:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A Very Lively Murder is the second book in the Three Dahlias series by Katy Watson. This book follows Posy Starling, Caro Hooper and Rosalind King as they once again must team up to solve a murder mystery. In this book they are on the set of the new Dahlia Lively film, of which Posy is playing the leading lady, when it becomes clear that Rosalind is receiving death threats and then someone gets murdered.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the first one, The Three Dahlias, but I liked the second one more because I already felt as though I knew the characters and also their relationships with each other were already established too. We, as readers, were able to get stuck straight in to the murder itself. It is hard to say a lot about this book’s plot without revealing any spoilers but what I can say is that there are so many twists even I didn’t solve the mystery before the end, and that is unusual.

A Very Lively Murder Characters:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

As in the first book, the main character we follow is Posy Starling. She is an actress who wants to get the press back on her side after a difficult time as a child star. I like Posy, she is young and vibrant and it is fun to follow a character as they are finding out who they are themselves and we get to go on that journey with them. In this first book Posy felt like a leader but for me, in this second book Rosalind felt like a stronger character. More of the plot was focused around her and her backstory and I loved that we got to see more of her life.

A Very Lively Murder Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A Very Lively Murder Overall:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book was definitely a five star read for me, I am already excited for any future books from this author.

Blurb/Synopsis:

One murder mystery movie. Three Dahlias. And a whole cast of suspects…

Ex-child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role – Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie. But things take a nightmare turn when a prop weapon is replaced with the real thing – with almost fatal consequences for her fellow Dahlia, Rosalind King. There’s something very wrong on the set of The Lady Detective – which means it’s time to call in Caro Hooper, so the three Dahlias can investigate.

In between filming scenes, signing autographs for locals, photoshoots in London, talk show appearances and jetting off to France for an impromptu party, the three Dahlias do what they do best – surrupticiously sleuth. And very soon the evidence starts to point towards one particular co-star…

But before they can prove it, another murder rocks the production. And this time, with a storm raging, the river flooded and the bridge washed out, there are no police to rely on so it’s up to the three Dahlias to stop a murderer in their tracks… before another victim is claimed.

Book Tags

The Superlatives Book Tag!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’ve all had a good September. I thought it would be fun today to do the Superlatives Book Tag that I found on brigiddowney.com

Best Dressed: A book with a beautiful cover

Class Clown: A book that made you laugh

Cutest couple: A book that features your favourite OTP

Nicest Car: The most expensive book you own

Most Likely to be late: a book that is under hyped and you are still waiting for the fandom to arrive

Most likely to succeed: a first book in a series that is going places

Most athletic: The biggest book you own

Most Intellectual: The most thought provoking book you’ve read

Best All Around: a book or series that you will always recommend to anyone

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today! I am bringing you my thoughts on the book The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell, which I read in August.

For this book review I will be giving a star rating to four different categories and writing a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include any spoilers in this book review.

The Good Thieves Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Good Thieves follows Vita, a young girl who sets out to reclaim her Grandfather’s property that has been stolen, to do this she recruits three others to join her heist.

I was very excited to read this novel, after enjoying some of Katherine Rundell’s other books earlier in the year, and ‘heists’ are a favourite topic of mine to read about. I enjoyed how this book focused on the build up with a much energy as it had for the actual heist part. This novel wraps you in it’s atmosphere from the very first chapter, with the sensory descriptions and well researched setting.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did her other book, Rooftoppers, but I still enjoyed it and I would recommend it as a nice, light read.

The Good Thieves Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Vita is the main character in this novel. Although she is young she is motivated by family loyalty, it is obvious from early in the story that Vita would do anything for her family. Driven with a sense of justice and her headstrong personality she shows her intelligence, creativity and bravery by creating a plan to steal back what was taken from her family.

The Good Thieves Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I knew already that I liked Katherine Rundell’s writing style but I especially like how the writing doesn’t feel young, it is just as complex a plot as it would be in an older age bracket.

The Good Thieves Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars.

Blurb/Synopsis:

From award-winning author Katherine Rundell comes a fast-paced and utterly thrilling adventure driven by the loyalty and love between a grandfather and his granddaughter.

When Vita’s grandfather’s mansion is taken from him by a powerful real estate tycoon, Vita knows it’s up to her to make things right.

With the help of a pickpocket and her new circus friends, Vita creates the plan : Break into the mansion. Steal back what’s rightfully her grandfather’s. Expose the real estate tycoon for the crook he truly is.

But 1920s Manhattan is ever-changing and full of secrets. It might take more than Vita’s ragtag gang of misfits to outsmart the city that never sleeps.

Award-winning author Katherine Rundell has created an utterly gripping tour de-force about loyalty, trust, and the lengths to which we’ll go for the ones we love.

Book Tags, Uncategorized

My Perfect Library Tag!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope your September is going well so far.

I found this tag on anaveragelife.org and I thought it would be really fun to think about what my perfect library would look like.

Location

My perfect library would be in a small, cosy cottage at the end of a garden. It would look like a cottage out of any of the old Enid Blyton books or books from a similar age, like a house that has magically appeared for all those who love books.

Seating

My perfect library would have four or five large windows, got to have that na

Lighting

Sound

Snacks

Bookshelves

Organisation

Monthly TBRs

September TBR

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I barely read anything in August but I’m hoping September will be much better.

Here are the books on my September TBR!

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

Well met by Jen De Luca

Finale by Stephanie Garber

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

A Far Wilder Magic by Alison Saft

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Murder Most Royal by S J Bennett

What are you all hoping to read in September?