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?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. Today I wanted to share some of the exciting book releases happening in January. Please note: this is not an extensive list, actually it is usually quite small, it is only a selection of the books that sound most interesting and also the dates I include are the UK release dates.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today.
It is 2025! Can you believe it? 2024 was such a long year, both in good and bad ways and I am hopeful that 2025 will see better books and better things in general. Do you have any goals for 2025? Reading or otherwise I’d love to hear about them. A goal for me is to make progress in my series’, I have a habit of reading the first book, buying the whole series and then they just sit there on my shelves waiting for me to read them while I read newer and shinier ones instead. I want to do better with that this year.
Today I am bringing you what I will be reading in January:
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. It is time for the final wrap up of the year, and what a reading year it has been. I was struggling to find time in most of the months but since October I have been enjoying my reading again, and picking up brilliant books too.
Here is what I read in December,
From my TBR:
A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson – I did read this and a review is coming on the 20th December
Everyone this Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson – I read this
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose – I did read this
Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah – I read this
Murder on the Dance Floor by Helena Dixon – I also read this
Which means…. I completed my TBR this month! I only had five specific books that were christmas themed that I wanted to read and I am very happy that I got the chance to read them all this month. Not only that but I also got to read some books outside my TBR, which were:
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan – review coming on the 13th December
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I know, I FINALLY read this book and yes, I absolutely loved it. So much so that I went and bought the complete hardback series immediately after I finished it..
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – At the time of writing this post I am currently reading this book and I will finish it before the end of December
Shadowscent by P M Freestone – I started this book and I have decided to soft DNF it, I still want to try it again but what I read wasn’t keeping my interest so I decided to leave it for later
So, in December I read 9 books – so far at least, as I am writing this it is the 15th December so it is likely I will read something else this month too, but right now I’m not sure what book that will be.
Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all today? I hope you are all good. This is the big one everyone. Today I will be sharing my favourite books that I have read this year.
Share with down in the comments what some of your favourite books have been this year, I could easily have done a top ten with almost all five star books that I have read this year but I decided to stick only with a top five, the best books I have read this year.
In at number five is…
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
I was torn on this decision, actually until I was writing this list down to make this post I had a different book in this spot but I have just read Powerless and I gave it a 4.5 stars to begin with and then I just could not stop thinking about it. I had to change it to a five star and put it in spot number five.
In number four is…
Murder At The Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon
This is a series I have discovered this year, this book is the first in the series, and I absolutely adore it. If you love cosy mysteries set in the 1930s then I am sure you would love these as much as I do.
In number three is…
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Kerri Maniscalco is now definitely one of my favourite authors, I loved her Stalking Jack the Ripper series and then her Kingdom of the Wicked series and now this is the first in the spin off series and this one follows Prince Envy. It is a brilliant book, I loved it.
In number two is…
The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite
This novel is a follow up to her first novel, Cecily, it follows Cecily Neville – the mother of King Edward IV, his wife Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort – the mother of Henry VII as they navigate the royal court as women. It is powerful and beautiful and emotional and it will always be one of my favourite books I have ever read. Especially as I got to visit the Neville’s family Castle the day after I read this book.
And finally, in my number one spot is…..
A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
This novel is gothic and enchanting and just everything I hoped it would be. I know some people don’t love this book but I honestly can’t think of one thing that I did not like about it.
Happy Monday bookish people! How are you all doing today? I hope you are all doing good.
Today I am bringing you my book review for Queen B by Juno Dawson, a novella prequel from the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and The Shadow Cabinet world.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Blurb/Synopsis:
The next enchanting instalment of the sensational #1 SUNDAY TIMES bestselling HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN fantasy series takes us back to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven under the beautiful, the bewitching, Anne Boleyn.
BOW DOWN WITCHES
It’s 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.
Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play – that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven.
Wild with the loss of their leader – and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Grace’s own end – she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor.
But there’s more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isn’t the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and they’re organized like they’ve never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself.
If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.
She will have to be reborn.
In this gripping, propulsive, sultry novella, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood.
My Review:
I will be honest, I picked this book up for the simple fact that it had Anne Boleyn in it. I basically will read anything for Anne Boleyn. I can’t say I didn’t like this book, because I did but because it was only a novella I didn’t feel like I got to know the characters well enough to care about them. I thought the story was well thought out to try and include historical fact and mix it with the fantasy elements but for me there wasn’t enough of the book for me to get into it and really enjoy it.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is that time f the year, time for me to share of the 50+ books I have read this year, which ones are the five I have least enjoyed. I can tell you this year has been very varied, I have had a few five stars which you will see next week in my favourite books of the year post so keep your eyes peeled for that but on the other end I have also had some books that I really did not enjoy.
Of those, here are the five books I enjoyed the least this year.
In at number five is…
The Twat Files by Dawn French
This is a nonfiction book that I got a signed edition of when I went to see her at my local Theatre with Darcey Bussell, I enjoyed the show but the book was a miss for me. I didn’t find it funny and I wasn’t entertained by it. That’s why it is number five on my least favourite books of this year.
In Number four is…
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series and some of the books in the series I have enjoyed but this one I really did not. I have put up a book review for this one in November if you’d like to read all of my thoughts.
In number three is…
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
This one was such a disappointment for me. The premise of this book was very promising with a woman needing something in her life and writing letters to a serial killer and then getting wrapped up in a murder mystery but the execution of this novel was not good. It could have been much better in my opinion.
In number two is…
The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
This was another mystery book that had a great premise but poor execution. In my opinion this book felt lazy and there were more than one plot point that didn’t fit or was never finished and it was a book that I wish I had DNF’d it instead of pushing on to finish it.
My least favourite book of this year was….
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
This was not a terrible book, I will say that, my problem with it was that it too closely resembled another book to the point where I felt that it bordered on plagiarism. Obviously it was a more modern version of that book but the plot was very similar and that ruined it for me.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you a book review today of Powerless by Lauren Roberts. If you have read this book, what did you think of it?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Blurb/Synopsis:
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.
The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.
My Review:
Let’s just start by saying I think this book was fantastic. I loved the premise of the kingdom turning against those who are ordinary and wanting everyone to have powers. Usually it is the other way around in the books I have read so this was quite refreshing. The main thing that I think I loved was the character dynamics, Paedyn was a great female lead character and the two princes with their own motivations and limitations and how they all interacted I found fascinating, I never quite knew where this book would go next. I will say, for the people who have read it, I did not like the character if Adana, when I was reading her I was reading her as a young child character but I later found out she was older and that did not work for me, I also think that she could have been utilized better as a character. I finished this a few days ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about it, I want to pick up the next one immediately.
Happy Monday Bookish People! How are you all doing today? I hope you are all doing well.
As we approach the end of the year I am continuing with a post I now do monthly which is to mention some of the books that are being published in the coming month. I have to say, I live in the UK, and I really struggled to find some books that were being published this month, I believe I have three to share with you which is a bit disappointing but I wanted to make this post anyway and just share those three. So, those books are:
A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon – coming out 5th December
Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.
After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?
As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.
The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.
The Voyage Home by Pat Barker – this is coming out in the beginning of December
The follow-up to Pat Barker’s Number One bestseller THE WOMEN OF TROY
Continuing the story of the captured Trojan women as they set sail for Mycenae with the victorious Greeks, this new novel centres on the fate of Cassandra — daughter of King Priam, priestess of Apollo, and a prophet condemned never to be heeded. (When she refuses to have sex with Apollo, after he has kissed her, granting her the gift of true prophecy, he spits in her mouth to make sure she will never be believed.)
Psychologically complex and dangerously driven, Cassandra’s arrival in Mycenae will set in motion a bloody train of events, drawing in King Agamemnon, his wife Clytemnestra and daughter Electra. Agamemnon’s triumphant return from Troy is far from the celebration he imagined, and the fate of the Trojan women as uncertain as they had feared.
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson – coming out 6th December
The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.
Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare―and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.
Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide―Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.
At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.
Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all doing today? It is December, the final month of 2024, and I am excited to get stuck into reading the christmassy books that I have, admittedly I don’t have very many but the ones I have, I plan on reading.
December for me is looking like it will be a busy month, my diary is already getting pretty full so hopefully I will still have some time to read.
What are you planning to read in December? Any special plans for Christmas?
December TBR
A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson
Everybody This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Hercule Poirot’s Silent night by Sophie Hannah
Murder on the Dancefloor by Helena Dixon
Okay, this one isn’t exactly christmas but it is set in winter and I have been reading one a month of this series so I want to continue this.
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