Happy Friday bookish people! It is my birthday! I am 23, which feels very strange – sometimes I still feel like I’m 20 but I think that may just be because of the Pandemic. So, I thought it would be a good idea today to do a fun bookish tag so I found the Birthday book tag. I found it on pagesplots.com but on their tag it says they found it on Always Books.
Let’s get to the tag!
Birthday Cake – A Book With a plot that seems cliché but you adore it anyway
For this I went with Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
I felt like I had read this plot a few different times but there were some new aspects to it in this book and I still really enjoyed this book.
Party Guests – Your most anticipated book release for this year
I think there are two for me, which are Only A Monster by Vanessa Len and Crescent City House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas and I now already own both! I have read neither but I am very excited to.
Birthday Presents – A book that surprised you with how much you loved it
For this one I am choosing Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
I knew I would like this book because it has an intriguing mystery but I ended up surprising myself with how much I loved it.
Happy Birthday Song – A book that certainly deserves all the hype it got
The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber, definitely!
Happy Music – A book with some very beautiful and truly memorable quotes
I have to choose the Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, it’s just so magical and fantastical. The quotes are beautiful.
Getting Older – A book that you read a long time ago but you think you would appreciate more if you read it as a more mature reader
This is a really tough one, I am not sure what I can answer this with. I am thinking probably any book by Philippa Gregory because I read them all a few years ago but I think they would mean more to me if I read them now.
Sweet Birthday Memories – A book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding period of your life
I have to choose the lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson, all her books kept me going throughout my high school period, there was a lot of things going on that I was struggling with and reading was the only thing that made me feel better.
That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Friday bookish people! Next weekend is Mother’s Day and so I thought why not have a look and see if there are any Mother’s Day themed book tags around and I found one on YouTube by blissful and bookish so that is what I will be doing for you today.
Best Friend: Pick characters in a book whose friendship you admire the most:
For this one I went with Irene and Kai in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. To begin with they don’t really get along and it was great seeing the friendship start to develop and what I like most about it is that they have seen the worst of each other and still they are there when the other needs them.
Comfort: what’s a book that always puts you in a better mood:
For this one I chose Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson because it is one of my favourite books and no matter what mood I am in or what has happened it always makes me feel calmer when I read it.
Doesn’t Give Up: What’s a book that you were tempted to DNF but instead finished:
I chose The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater because I didn’t love the book and I found it took me a long time to read it but I don’t like to DNF books so I pushed on and I did end up giving it three stars and I will read the rest of the series.
Selfless: What’s a book that you had to sacrifice for:
I went with the Queen of Nothing because I sacrificed having a complete set of paperbacks because I couldn’t wait to read the final book in the series so I bought it in hardback as soon as it came out.
Love: What’s your favourite love story:
I had to go with Caraval, the characters of Scarlett and Julian, by Stephanie Garber. Definitely my favourite love story even though it isn’t a romance book.
Homemaker: If you could live with a fictional family whose home would you go to:
I would go and live with the Brown Sisters in Talia Hibbert’s novels because they seem very supportive and fun and I don’t know anyone quite like them in real life.
Forgiving: name a character you hate but would eventually have to forgive:
I had to go for Eli Ever from Vicious by V E Schwaab, although don’t actually have a reason for it, I just think I would end up forgiving him.
Teacher: name a book that has taught you thins that will stay with you forever
I chose Stalking Jack the Ripper because it taught me that you don’t have to fit yourself into society’s expectations.
Dedication: what’s a book that you would like to dedicate to your mum and why:
I struggled with this one, I was looking for a title that would resemble this question but I couldn’t find one so I went with a book series that I think my mum would enjoy reading which is the Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices) series by Cassandra Clare.
That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is the new year and I am getting around to putting up my first book review of the year! The book review is for Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert and it is the final book in the Brown Sisters Trilogy.
In this book review 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. I hope you enjoy my book review.
Act Your Age Eve Brown Plot:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Okay so first I will admit that I only started this trilogy so that I could read this particular book. I thought the description of Eve was something that I could relate to and the grumpy and sunshine trope was something I hadn’t read before.
Now my actual reading of this book wasn’t as enjoyable as I hoped it would be. The beginning was something I did enjoy, with the introduction of Jacob and the setting of the Inn. It felt very warm and cosy and I was looking forward to the romance of it, which is very rare for me. However, one of the things that I really don’t like in books is when drama is added for the sake of having drama and that is what it felt like at some points in this book. A good point for it though is that it has representation of autism that I felt was good.
Act Your Age Eve Brown Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Eve was my second favourite of the sisters, Chloe being my favourite, and I loved her bubbly personality and how she went from being supported by her parents and having no confidence in herself to how she is at the end of the book. Jacob is the love interest in this book, he is the grumpy character at the beginning and I liked how he was represented.
Act Your Age Eve Brown Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Talia Hibbert’s writing is very enjoyable because of it’s witty dialogue and humour. It was clear and well structured.
Act Your Age Eve Brown Overall:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I am giving the book three stars overall because it didn’t quite live up to my expectations but I did really enjoy the characters and the dialogue.
In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.
Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…
Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.
Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Tuesday bookish people! merry Bookmas day 21! This month is speeding by. I’m bringing you another book tag. Today’s is the Christmas Cuisine Book Tag which I thought was a very interesting idea to turn into a book tag. I found this tag on narrativeparadise.com
Yule Log – A beautiful edition of a book
For this one I chose the Shadow and Bone Collectors edition because I already had two copies of this book but it was so beautiful that I had to buy this one as well.
Gingerbread House – A struggle to read but worth it
For this one I chose A Curse so Dark and Lonely because the first 50 pages I had no interest in it at all, I was bored to be honest but once I got into the story i was much more engaged and I gave the book five stars.
Roasted Chestnuts – read fondly at Christmas
I chose A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett because it has that hopefulness that I always associate with Christmas so it’s a book I like to read around this time of year.
Turkey – A character everyone else loved but you only pretended to
Tella in caraval. I did not like her character and even in Legendary where she was more bearable I still didn’t like her.
Pavlova – A book you’re most looking forward to reading next
I have to say House of Sky and Breath the next book in the Crescent City series because I loved the first book and I am very intrigued as to where the author is going to take the series next.
Ham – A book that makes the ordinary extraordinary
I can only think of one book for this and that is Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
Christmas cake – A book that had everything in it
And here I will put Crescent City by Sarah J Maas because it really does have everything, magic, intriguing plots, werewolves, angels, brilliant characters, romance. there’s so much in this book.
Prawns – The most popular book you read this year
I think the most popular book I’ve read this year is A Court of Thorns and Roses – so many people are always talking about this book and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
Sachertorte – An intimidating book
I have to choose City of Brass for this one because I was so intimidated by it that I read 200 pages and stopped reading, I definitely intend on going back to it sometime soon though.
Vitel Tone – Sceptical but surprised
Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert was the book that surprised me the most this year.
Stollen – Same old plot line but did it better
I think the Postscript murders works for this one because it has the same premise as a lot of mystery books that came out at the same time but it was still such a good book that made itself stand out against the others.
Parkanalaatiko – A book you need right now
Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell, I want everything he has ever and will ever write right now.
Ciorba De Perisoare – A book you bought without needing to read the blurb
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, she is an instant buy author for me. Plus the book is beautiful.
Risalamande – A book with a surprising plot twist
The Appeal. I won’t say any more than that.
Mince Pies – A book you would never sell even if you don’t re-read it
Happy Monday bookish people! Merry Bookmas day 13! I am really excited to be writing this post. I will be talking about what the best and the worst books are that I read each month. I had to think very hard about which books I wanted to feature because some months there were lots of books that I enjoyed and then I had to choose between them which one I liked most and that was hard. Then other months there were books that I really didn’t like so it was overall quite a balanced year.
January
For my favourite book I read in January I was trying to decide between two options, both were fantasy books and they were very different to each other. I ended up choosing A Court of Thorns and Roses as my favourite book of January because it’s a book I still think about and not just because I haven’t continued with the series yet.
For the worst book I read in January I chose The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag, actually I didn’t even finish the book this year. I Dnf’d it at about the halfway point of the book. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for it at that point or if I just found the plot a little boring but I do plan on giving the book another chance at some point.
February
My favourite book in February was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which surprisingly is a contemporary romance and not at all what I was expecting but I really loved it.
My least favourite book in February was What A Way To Go by Julia Forster. There was nothing about the book that I liked, that doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love this book it just wasn’t for me.
March
My favourite book was The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theadora Goss which I saw some of my favourite youtubers talk about and so I read it and loved the premise, I am excited to continue the series.
My least favourite book of March was Skyseed by Bill McGuire. It’s another book that just wasn’t a genre or plot that I enjoyed.
April
My favourite book for this month was Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin and I can’t believe it took me so long to read that book because it is definitely a contender for my overall favourite book of the year.
My least favourite book was Mirrorland by Carole Johnston. I couldn’t sleep after reading this book I just found it way too scary for me so I didn’t end up enjoying it.
May
My favourite book of this month was Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Another romance, I am surprising myself by reading outside of my comfort zone this year.
My least favourite book this month was Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. So, I’m not loving every book I read that is outside my comfort zone. I didn’t really like the characters in this book and that made it a struggle for me to read it.
June
My favourite book was The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant. It’s a fantastic middle grade book that I would highly reccomend.
My least favourite book was I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan because I hit a chapter that felt too disturbing for me, there was something about it that didn’t sit well with me so I Dnf’d it for the moment.
July
My favourite book of July was A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. It was nice to read a murder mystery that is set in Victorian times and I ended up realising I love books set in this period of time.
My least favourite book was Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. Now, I liked the book but it wasn’t a stand out book for me.
August
My favourite book was The Appeal by Janice Hallett because it was so different and engaging and one of the best mysteries I read this year.
My least favourite book this month was The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. There was a lot about this book I liked, such as the pirate style assassin Ned who I loved but there was something missing for me but I can’t pinpoint exactly what.
September
My favourite book of this month was A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by holly Jackson without a doubt. I loved this book and I am still thinking about this book now months later.
My least favourite book of this month was The Woman In The Woods by M K Hill. The mystery itself would have been okay but the characters were so hard to like.
October
My favourite book of this month was City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, it was a reread but I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
My least favourite book was Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens. I am not the biggest fan of short stories so I liked the writing but I needed more from the stories.
November
My favourite book of this month was Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – another romance book!
My least favourite book of this month was the Howling Hag Mystery by Nicki Thornton. The plot was too predictable for my liking, even as a middle grade book.
December
Now, I’m writing this in December so I am gong to say what I predict will be my favourite and least favourite books of the month. I think my favourite book will be either Eliza and her Monsters or All of us villains. My least favourite book I predict will be In the Crypt with a Candlestick.
That’s it for the best and worst books for 2021, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Saturday Bookish people! And Merry Bookmas day 11. Today I wanted to share some of the books that have surprised me throughout this year. There have been quite a few books that have done this actually, for lots of different reasons. I will try and show a picture of each book, give the title and give a little bit of information about why the book surprised me.
I’ll start with two books from the same series…
The first two books that I want to mention are Get A Life Chloe Brown and Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert. These two books are part of the Brown Sisters trilogy, I can’t include the third book yet because I haven’t read it but I imagine it would give me the same reaction. I was surprised by these two books because they are adult romance books and romance has never been a genre that I have enjoyed all that much. However, Talia Hibbert’s books have a good balance between wit and the actual romance, she also includes a plot in the books which made it easier for me to enjoy. I also loved some of the characters. If you are interested in my full thoughts about these two books I have posted reviews of them both.
Another book that surprised me was…
The reason I was surprised by this book is because it is written almost completely in email correspondence. I knew this before reading the book and it made me think that I might not enjoy the book as much because I couldn’t see how the mystery would still have those character relationships and the tension that I like in a book. I was wrong because I ended up loving the book and thought that using emails was a brilliant choice on the part of the author.
Another mystery that surprised me was…
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz surprised me because it is a large book and I hadn’t read anything by this author before. I was surprised that I was kept engaged in the complex and long mystery. It was one of my favourite books that I have read this year. I have a review of this book posted if you want to know my full thoughts on the book.
A historical book that I was surprised by is…
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. This book is, the first book in a series, about a woman, I believe in the Victorian period, who is thrown into the middle of a mystery. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book because I hadn’t read many historical mysteries but now it is a genre I actively look for when buying books.
Up next is a book that was bought for me..
Lireal by Garth Nix. This is a book that surprised me because it was recommended to me by my partner. He had showed it to me in the shop and I looked at the synopsis and thought it might be an okay book but I didn’t really feel like reading it but my partner bought it for me so then I had to read it. And of course, he was right, I loved the book and I ended up giving it five stars.
Up next is…
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. I got this book after seeing lots of great reviews about it and I thought well, it sounds okay so I’ll give it a go. I was surprised I liked it because again it’s not my preferred genre but I did end up liking it.
The next one is part of a series…
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. I have only read the first two books in the series so far but I was surprised by them because of the premise of the series. If it is a book about books or librarians I’m almost guaranteed to love it. But I was less sure about this book because it combined librarians with the supernatural world of vampires and fae and spies. I was imagining a retelling of James Bond but it was nothing like that but I ended up enjoying it and continuing with the series.
The next book is a stand alone I put off reading…
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is another book that is way out of my usual genre, I had to fulfill a prompt for a readathon and I ended up picking Fangirl because it is a book about a girl who loves writing stories and fanfiction which to me is more relatable than some other romance/contemporary books. I was surprised that I actually became very emotionally invested in the characters, especially Cath and I gave the book five stars.
The final book for this list is…
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden surprised me because it is based on folklore and is a very dark book, there is a dark and cold atmosphere to the story. But I found the whole book to be beautiful, whimsical and magical. One of the best books I have read.
That’s it for the books that have surprised me in 2021, I hope you all enjoyed reading about it. What books have surprised you in 2021?
Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you another book review of a book that is outside of my usual genre – Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert.
In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review!
Take A Hint, Dani Brown Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I read the first book in the Brown Sisters trilogy, Get A Life, Chloe Brown, earlier this year and I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying it. It is rare for me to enjoy a romance book, I sometimes don’t mind romance in books but a romance book isn’t a genre I gravitate towards. However, as I said I enjoyed Get A Life Chloe Brown and so I was excited to continue the series. I have to be honest, after reading the synopsis of Take A Hint Dani Brown, I wasn’t sure if I would like the book because it features fake dating and that isn’t a trope I usually like. In this book, I didn’t love the fake dating aspect but I understood why it was there and it did add to the overall book. I enjoyed the story, less than the first in the series, but I still enjoyed it.
One thing I would like to mention that I liked a lot about this book was how anxiety and panic attacks were portrayed. I don’t talk a lot about my own mental health on here but I do have panic attacks and anxiety, I had two years where every time I tried to sleep I would have panic attacks and it took a lot to get through them, I’m not free of them now, I still get them daily, but I am much better at dealing with them. It was something that I struggled to see that I didn’t need to go through them alone and seeing one of the main characters in this book struggle with it too and see them start to accept help and support was a really nice thing for me.
I didn’t really like the end of the book, I can’t say too much without spoiling what happens but the way the end scene goes didn’t sit very well with me. It isn’t the last last scene of the book but it is near the end.
Take A Hint Dani Brown Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I loved Dani as a main character. I liked how confident in herself she is, which is completely the opposite to the way I am. I also liked how the character grows throughout the book and she becomes a great character, she has strong family values and I liked the way she interacted with other characters.
Zaf is the very charming love interest in this book. I really liked that this book switches around the stereotypical ideas of a romance. In this book the man is the overly romantic one and I thought this fit Zaf so well.
Take A Hint Dani Brown Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I already knew I liked Talia Hibbert’s effortless writing style from reading Get A Life Chloe Brown and reading Take A Hint Dani Brown only reinforced my opinion that I love her writing.
Take A Hint Dani Brown Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because although I liked it less than the first book I still was surprised by how much I did enjoy this book. I think it is down to the way that Talia Hibbert writes her books, both the writing style and the plot.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral…
Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.
When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?
Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.
Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Happy Friday bookish people! I have been seeing a few different videos on BookTube where people look at the book series’ they have started and not finished yet. It got me thinking about how many series’ I’ve started and so I am making this post to share them with all of you! As you can tell by the title, there’s quite a few of them.. 25 actually which seems like a lot, well, it IS a lot but I honestly thought there would be more.
Let’s get onto the book series’ I’ve started and not finished!
The Spellslinger Series by Sebastien De Castell
I don’t know if there is a title for the series overall but I’ve just called it the Spellslinger series because the first book is called Spellslinger. My progress on this series is pretty good actually, I’ve read Spellslinger, Shadowblack, Charmcaster and Soulbinder so I only have two more books in the series left to read. And then I can start on the Way of the Argosi series which is like a spin-off series. I really like the blend of serious fantasy and comedy in these books and I find I can read them very quickly and enjoy every page. Also, on Monday I won the chance to be part of a zoom meet and greet with Sebastien De Castell which I am so excited for!
The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
Again, I don’t know if The Invisible Library series is what these books are called but the first one in the series is called The Invisible Library. I haven’t read as many of this series as I would have liked to by now. I have read The Invisible Library and The Masked City. I’ve had the Burning Page on my TBR before but I didn’t get around to reading it. This series follows Irene who is a librarian spy, it is such an interesting premise for a character and the books have a variety of other fantasy creatures like Fae and Dragons.
Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo
I think I read this in the wrong order because I read the Six of Crows duology first – and loved them! – so when I read Shadow and Bone I felt I knew the world quite well. I have only read the first book in this series so far but I did enjoy it, especially the villain of the series, I do think this is a series I will get to eventually but it’s not one I’m in the mood to finish right now.
A Darker Shade of Magic series by V E Schwab
I got the first book in this series from a special edition box that Illumicrate did and it is a beautiful edition of the book. I loved the idea of having four different Londons and being able to travel between them. I have only read the first book in this series because the second and third ones are quite long but I am hoping to get to A Gathering of Shadows soon.
The Way Of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
This series is set in Edinburgh and is a dark mystery series. I have read The Way of All Flesh, the first book in this series. I loved the atmosphere the book had and the mystery was eerie and dark and the reader is thrown right into the centre of the tension when the novel opens. I am looking forward to continuing this series over the Winter months hopefully.
The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert
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This series follows the three Brown sisters, Chloe, Dani and Eve and their romantic exploits. This is a genre I rarely read and if I do read it I don’t usually enjoy it. I read Get A Life Chloe Brown earlier this year and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t a five star read but it was still good. I have the second and third book in this series on my TBR for November so maybe I will get this series finished this month.
Ship Of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar
I was put on the book tour for the second book in this series, Secrets of the Stars so I bought the first book in the series Ship of Shadows as well and read that before the tour. I’ve put this series on the list because the way Secrets of the Stars ended I think there is going to be at least one more book in the series.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
This is a series I am very excited to continue with very soon. I own all the books in this series but so far I have only read the first one, A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Court of Mist and Fury is on my November TBR and I can’t wait to be back in the world of Feyre.
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
In this series I have read Three Dark Crowns, the first in the series and I liked it but I didn’t love it. I want to continue the series but it’s not very high on my priority list. I liked the sibling dynamic of the first book and the magic elements.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder follows Pippa and Ravi, who she meets in the first book, as they try to solve mysteries that from what I can gather steadily get more intense as the series goes on. I loved the feel of the mystery in the first book and I am looking forward to diving back into this series with the second book sometime soon.
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
This series is so dark and mysterious and filled with folklore and superstition. I loved the Bear and the Nightingale, the first book in the series and I have been waiting for the winter nights to come again to curl up with a hot chocolate and continue this series.
Scythe series by Neal Shusterman
I read Scythe, the first book in this series a few years ago and I remember really enjoying the worldbuilding and the competition element of the first book and I want to continue the series but as with a few of the others it’s not high on my priority list because I don’t anticipate it being a five star series for me.
The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix
From this series I have read Lirael which is the second book in the series technically but Sabriel is sort of a prequel to the series. My partner was the one who got me to read this series and I ended up loving it. I don’t own them all yet but I am steadily buying up the series and looking for any chance to put them into my monthly TBR’s.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This is one of my favourite book series’ I have read so far. I loved the first book, Caraval, and then I liked the second book, Legendary but not as much and I am excited to read Finale and finish up this amazing series. I’m worried the ending of the series will disappoint me but I am hopeful it won’t.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
For this series I have read the first book and I have started the second book, European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman. I loved the different characters in this series and how the author has made it so the different characters are interjecting into the writing process.
Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer
I have read A Curse So Dark and Lonely from this series and I liked how it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling but it was so much more than that at the same time. I’m scared to read the rest of this series because of the reviews I have seen and how people say that it breaks their hearts. I cry so easily anyway so I will definitely cry at these books I think.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
I have read the Raven Boys, the first book in this series and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I still intend to read the rest of the series but I’m not in any rush to do so.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
I have read Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair and The Hand on the Wall which is the main three from this series and I thought that would be the series finished but then the fourth book, The Box in the Woods, came out recently and of course I bought it because I loved the series and I am excited to continue with it.
Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco
This is another of my favourite series’ and I have read the first three books in it. I have read Stalking Jack the Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula and Escaping from Houdini. My favourite of them was Hunting Prince Dracula and I didn’t enjoy Escaping from Houdini as much as the others but I am excited to finish the series soon.
The Prison Healer series by Lynette Noni
For this series I have read The Prison Healer and liked it and I think it has potential to be a great series. I own The Gilded Cage but I haven’t read it yet and Blood Traitor hasn’t been released yet.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I really enjoyed the mystery in the Thursday Murder Club and the original premise of a group of elderly people being the investigators. I love the comedy in the series too. I recently bought The Man Who Died Twice and I’m hoping to read it very soon.
The Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco
I loved Kingdom of the Wicked the first book in this series, especially the character of Wrath and the dialogue between him and Emilia. I am so looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
I read Serpent and Dove on my way to Hampshire earlier this year and I loved it, I gave it five stars but I haven’t gotten around to continuing the series yet.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
I have read the first book in this series and I enjoyed the premise of it and the found family aspect. It slightly reminded me of Six of Crows in that way and with the heist. I am looking forward to reading the second book and I love the title of the third book in the series: Glorious Poison.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
This is the final series of my list of the book series’ I have started and haven’t finished yet. I read The Beautiful, the first book in the series and honestly I don’t remember a lot of what happened in the book but I do own the second book and I want to read it soon.
That’s it for this blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading about what series’ I have started and I haven’t finished reading yet, let me know if you have read any of these book series’!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day so far. Today I am bringing you the third round of my Friday First and Lasts segment. For today’s round I will be giving you three first and lasts which I hope you will enjoy!
Up first is:
No Number Nine by F J Campbell and The Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar
“Philippa Mitchell was eighteen when she left England/ it was her home” – This one actually works really well together, which surprised me but I like the sentence that it created.
Next is:
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson and Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black
“Dead-eyed that’s what they said wasn’t it?/ Consider it done” – ooh now this one works so well together! It gives me a very strong murder mystery from the POV of the murderer vibe, that’s probably a little strange but there you go. And both books were written by a Holly which shouldn’t make me as happy as it does.
My final one for today is:
Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey and Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
“There’s a bird in the store/ with a wry smile he said seriously “I know”” – okay. There’s so much to say about this one. It does work, grammatically but honestly, if there was a bird in a shop that I was in just flying around and someone with me just said ‘I know’ I would be so irritated with them… although maybe that does work for this one..I’m not sure, let me know what you all think.
That’s it for this week, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Thursday bookish people! I’m sorry this post is going up so late, it is now the second of September and a few things have changed this week, the main thing being that I moved in with my partner! So I’ve spent the last few days packing up most of my things and then yesterday moving into the new place. But I’ve got some time now where I can finally put up this post and right after I’ll be posting my September TBR post so check that out too if you’re interested.
onto the wrap up!
The month of August was really busy for me, I finished and submitted my dissertation, I went for a job interview which I’m hoping to get and of course I moved out of my old house. Honestly, I’m surprised I managed to read as much as I did this month.
Olay, let’s get it out of the way, I did not finish my TBR, but I did read a few books outside of my TBR. Let’s see what I did and didn’t read this month!
August TBR and thoughts:
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I did not read this, I wanted to get to it but in the end there wasn’t time.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – I read this one! I surprisingly really enjoyed this book and if you want my full thoughts I have written a review of this book.
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis – I did not read this.
The House in the Cerulean Sea – I didn’t read this one either.
Legendary by Stephanie Garber – I read this one! I loved Caraval so much and although I didn’t love Legendary as much it was still a great book.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – I did not read this.
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – I didn’t read this one either, there were some big books on my TBR so I didn’t get to most of them.
Rivers of London – I wanted so badly to get to this one but I didn’t manage it.
Soulbinder by Sebastien De Castell – I read this one and loved it, I don’t have many left in the series and I’m so sad about that.
The Appeal by Janice Hallett – I read this one and thought it was a very interesting take on a murder mystery, you can see my review post if you’re interested in all of my thoughts.
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman – I read and loved this book, Kai and Irene are quickly becoming two of my favourite fictional characters.
The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry – I read this one and I’m excited to get to the sequel soon.
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan – I did not read this.
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angelles – I didn’t read this one either.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – I read this one!
So that was my TBR and I ended up reading seven of the books but on top of that I also read:
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horrowitz
Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath by Ian Green
Alice Shaken and Definitely Stirred by Paula Smith
The Turnout by Megan Abbott
Overall I’ve not done too badly this month, I read 12 books and I’m pretty proud of that. So, that’s it for this wrap up, I hope you all enjoyed it!
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