Happy Monday bookish people! I hope the month of April has been good for all of you, for me it has been a rollercoaster nightmare! All medical things seemed to happen at once, so hopefully May will be a better month. BUT my reading has been okay this month, I didn’t really stick to my TBR but I was reading which is something good.
Books from my TBR:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I started to read this book (finally!), I haven’t finished it but I have started it and it is a long book so I am pleased with myself for that.
Crescent City House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – I did not start this book, waaaay too big for me to tackle this month!
Crownbreaker by Sebastien De Castell – I did read this, which means I finished the series!
The Girl In The Tower by Katherine Arden – I did not read
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – I did not read
Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco – I did not read
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber – I did not read
Sadie by Courtney Summers – I did not read
Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – I did not read this
European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewomen – I did not read, another big book I don’t know what I was thinking when I made this TBR
Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price – I did read this and loved it
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano – I did not read this
A Little Bit Country by Brian D Kennedy – I did not read this
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – I have been dying to read this all month but it just hasn’t happened yet
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon — I did not read
So, I read two books and started another from my TBR. outside of my TBR I also read: Gwen and Art Are Not In Love, Kingdom of the Cursed, The Bullet That Missed and I have started Murder Before Evensong. Overall in April I read 7 books!
How did you do in April?
What was your favourite book that you read this month?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all doing well and you’re ready for another fun book tag!
I found this tag on ellesbellesnotebook.co.uk
How many books have you read so far this year?
As of writing this up on the 20th March, I have read 31 books so far this year.
Have you already found a book that could be a 2023 favourite? Or what has been your favourite read so far?
I am not sure if it is a favourite or if it will be in my top ten but the best book I have read so far is the Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
Any 1 star books or your least favourite read so far?
My least favourite book read so far is Study in Charlotte and I was so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.
Your most read genre so far?
Mystery books, definitely.
A book that surprised you?
A Million To One – in a bad way. I had very high expectations for this book and it was okay but I did not like the ending at all.
A book that has already come out this year that you want to read but haven’t yet?
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, I bought this book the other day and I keep seeing it sitting on my shelf and I want to read it very badly.
A goal you made that you are succeeding at?
Reading more, I did not meet my target last year but this year I think I could do which is great.
A goal you made that you need to work at?
I think taking more time for myself, I am always busy doing something and I find it very difficult to just sit still and do nothing.
New to you booktubers etc that you would reccomend?
He’s not new to me but my favourite is Gavin at How to Train Your Gavin on Youtube!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today!
Today’s post was brought on because my Sister, who has moved out, and her Daughter came over and wanted to see if there were any books in the loft from her childhood, and my childhood, that would be suitable reading for her daughter. I was not ready for how many memories this brought back, the amount of books up there was crazy! Obviously, I am a big reader even when I was very young so most of the books were mine and I thought it would be fun if I shared some of the books that were the most nostalgic for me.
Lets start off with a good one:
The Rainbow Magic Fairies series
I LOVED these books when I was younger, to be honest I loved anything to do with fairies but these were one of my favourite series’. I have to say I kept a few of these books back for myself and my memories rather than giving them to my sister’s daughter, which I felt bad about and then I realised I had actually drawn all over the books anyway. OOPS!
Stardust by Linda Chapman
This was a seven books series which I also really loved. It is about a girl called Lucy who finds out she is a stardust spirit and has magic powers. I learnt a lot about nature and animals from this series and to be honest it is still enjoyable to read even now I am in my 20’s.
The Pony Mad princess Series
I had these books when I was young and I have to say they are very nostalgic because a few months ago, before we even thought about going into the loft, I kept remembering a scene from this book where the horse gets into trouble and she sees another girl in the bushes and I learnt that to keep a horse warm you need to rub its ears.
and finally…
The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jennison
If you have been on any of my other blog posts you probably know I love this book, I talk about it a lot. It was the first book that really showed me that I love historical fiction, especially around the Tudors which is my favourite historical era.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is April already and this month is busy, busy, busy for me. There’s so much to do. I have a table at Liverpool Comic Con (as you are seeing this, it will have already happened so fingers crossed it will have gone well). Then two days later I am heading to Bath to see Garth Nix which is very exciting, and that’s only the first week of April! So, with such a busy month I needed a big TBR for April.
Onto the TBR!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
Crownbreaker by Sebastien De Castell
The Girl In the Tower by Katherine Arden
An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman
Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
A Little Bit Country
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
What are you all reading in April?
Have you read any of the books on my TBR? What did you think of them?
Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my March wrap up today, a little early just because I am travelling to Liverpool on Friday to be a trader at Comic Con which is exciting.
Anyway, I did a lot better with my reading this month and I have finally gotten back into reading fantasy after reading a lot of mysteries.
The Good Thieves – I did not read
Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman – I did not read
Gwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher – I DID read and a review will be coming very soon, I was sent a proof copy of this book to read and review.
The Plague Letters by V L Valentine – I did not read
Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman – I did not read
A little bit country – I did not read
Finale by Stephanie Garber – I did not read, I am scared to read this as it is the final book in the series!
Murder on the christmas express by Alexandra benedict – I did not read
Blood and Honey – I did not read
The Bingo Hall Detectives – I DID read
Paris Dallencourt is about to crumble – I did not read
The bullet that missed – I did not read
The Hunting Party – I did not read
Kingdom of the cursed – I did not read however, I will be taking this on the car journey to Liverpool
So, I read two books off my actual TBR but I also read books outside of my TBR which were the seven Stardust books by Linda Chapman, Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell which is actually on my April TBR but I read it in one day- oops!, and 11 of the Rainbow Magic fairies books which means overall I read 21 books this month which is great!
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 Friday bookish people! This Sunday is Mother’s Day and this time last year I did the mother’s day book tag, what I thought would be interesting would be to do the same tag again this year and see if my answers were at all similar to what I said last year or not.
I hope you all enjoy my book tag!
Best friend: pick characters in a book whose friendship you admire most
I would have to say Judith, Suzie and Becks in the Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Comfort: what’s a book that always puts you in a better mood
this answer still has to be the lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson – I LOVE this book!
Doesn’t give up: What’s a book you were tempted to DNF but instead finished
Actually that would be the book I am reading now, the Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell, the beginning was very boring and I didn’t get on with the writing style. Now I am more into the story so I am glad I continued reading.
Selfless: What’s a book you had to sacrifice for
The very secret society of irregular witches, I had to put down a signed version of this book because it was on my christmas list but luckily my mum got it for me.
Love: What’s your favourite love story
Currently it is Emma by Jane Austen – you’ve got to love a classic
Homemaker: If you could live with a fictional family where would you go?
Thorn Manor in the margaret roegerson books definitely.
Forgiving: Name a character you hate but you would eventually have to forgive
my answer is the same as last year, Eli Ever from Vicious by V E Schwab
Teacher: A book that has taught you things that will stay with you forever
Still the same as last year, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Dedication: What is a book that you would dedicate to your Mum
Haven’t they grown – isn’t that what a mother thinks every year looking at their children
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day today, I am bringing you a book tag – the Medieval Queens Book Tag! I found this tag on onebookmore.com
1. Empress Matilda: choose a book with a protagonist who stands their ground
2. Eleanor of Aquitane: choose a book or series in which the heroine has more than one romantic relationship
3. Eleanor of Castille: choose a bittersweet book
4. Isabella of France: Choose a book where the romance overtook the plot
5. Philippa of Hainault: choose a book set at a University
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