Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. As you will have seen last week I shared my least favourite books of the year so far, excluding December as that month has not finished yet, and now I am sharing my favourite books of each month so far this year.
January – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
This year started off with a bang. I had been putting this book off since it came out, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and now, I think about it every day. It also started a dragon obsession, I now own over ten dragon teddies.
February – Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin
I read this book one night while I was in the hospital as it was a deal on my kindle and I ended up absolutely loving it. I can’t wait for the third book to be released in January.
March – Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
Another book I had been putting off, I liked the first two but I didn’t love them but this one I must have read it at just the right time because I loved this one. It was fun and action packed.
April – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
This year is definitely the time for reading the books I have been putting off, this is another one. It is the final one in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I loved getting to see the end of this story though I love the characters and would want to spend every day with them, currently this is up there as my favourite book of the year.
May – In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
This book follows Lizzie and Darcy as they solve mysteries together, I adore this series and while there are some things I would change about the two characters I will read any book by this author.
June – The Protest by Rob Rinder
The third in his series, following a lawyer who gets more involved in solving cases than a usual lawyer. I love this series, I have so far read every book the day it came out. The mysteries are great but I just love Adam and can’t wait to see what happens to him next.
July – A Deadly Night at the Theatre by Katy Watson
The fifth? I think, in the three dahlias series. Even though this was my favourite read this month, this was my least favourite of this series so far. I felt that the relationship between the three lead characters was different and not as good as usual. But I still loved it.
August – Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Oh the nostalgia. The emotion. This book has my heart definitely. It was beautifully told and made me understand Hyamitch’s character a lot better.
September – The Killer Question by Janice Hallett
A great mystery, as usual from Janice Hallett. I love the way these stories are told through mixed media, it makes it much more interesting.
October – Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
I loved this book. It had both a gothic and a historical feel about it. It was much darker than I expected it to be but I really enjoyed it, I loved the character of Dora.
November – Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell
The third in the Way of the Argosi series, a spin off of the Spellslinger series. I have loved following Ferrius Parfax and seeing how her character became what it is in the Spellslinger series. This series is all about adventure and the unlikely hero. I love it.
What are some of your favourite books of this year?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all well today. September has been and gone in a whirlwind and that means it is time to share my wrap up for the month.
In terms of reading, it has been a mixed month. Good, when thinking about the amount of reading I managed to get through which I was surprised, though pleased, about. Not so good because I had a couple of DNF’s this month, they were books I had thought potential DNF’s but it was still a shame that I didn’t manage to get through them.
How was your reading this month? Any new favourite books?
My Wrap Up!
From my TBR:
The Killer Question by Janice Hallett – I did read this. I have read, and loved, all of her books so far and this one was no exception. I felt that the build up took a little while to get going but around a third in you do get hooked into the action. It was interesting to have it all centred around a pub quiz as I love a quiz myself. The end had a twist I did not see coming at all.
Murder In The Countryside by Helena Dixon – I did read this. Another quick, fun, cosy mystery.
Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore – I did read this. I will share my thoughts in a review coming on the 13th October.
Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera – I did read this and if you’d like to see my review that will be coming on the 20th October.
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan – Unfortunately, I did DNF this one, it took me seven days and I only got through 118 pages of it and I was not engaged in the story or the mystery of the missing girl.
The Wolf And The Woodsman by Ava Reid – Again, unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book and I ended up deciding to DNF it.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I am currently reading this book and I plan to finish it before the end of the month.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas – I am also halfway through this book currently and I plan to finish this book also by the end of the month.
Outside my TBR:
A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
Murder In New York by Helena Dixon
Murder On The Cornish Coast by Helena Dixon
Murder At The English Manor by Helena Dixon
Murder In Paris by Helena Dixon
So, in September I read 11 books and I did DNF 2.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day today. As I do every moth, today is the time to share some of the book releases happening in September.
The Killer Question by Janice Hallett – 4th September
Janice Hallett, “the new queen of crime” (Electric Literature), returns with a fresh, edge-of-your-seat mystery that takes place at a pub’s weekly trivia night, revealed through quiz categories, phone messages, and email correspondence.
Sue and Mal Eastwood run an isolated rural pub called The Case is Altered where a weekly trivia game has revived its flagging fortunes—that is, until a body is found in the nearby river. Soon after, a mysterious new team arrives and shakes up the diverse field of regulars by scoring top marks in every round…every week.
Meanwhile, Sue and Mal have a secret of their own. Before arriving here, they were caught up in a secret police operation which meant they had to leave town—and whatever happened back then seems to have finally caught up with them.
Five years later, the pub lies derelict, and their nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. What happened at this unassuming pub? And can a single question really kill?
Wild Card by Elsie Silver – 9th September
ebastian Rousseau is a grumpy, hot as hell fire pilot who is too damn good with his hands.
It’s the perfect combination. But unfortunately for me, he’s also my ex-boyfriend’s dad.
A chance meeting brought us together and a missed connection has kept us apart.
One year later, a stroke of fate has us living under the same roof—which makes everything between us downright messy.
Because even after all this time, he’s still the man I think about when I fall asleep. The one I can’t get over no matter how hard I try.
He’s working on mending a fragile relationship with his son and we both know acting on these urges would be the ultimate betrayal.
But I see the heat in his eyes. That look of need that never fails to send a shiver down my spine.
The mutual longing is borderline unbearable and the simmering heat between us is downright palpable.
We both know there are rules when it comes to situations like this.
But then again…following the rules never has been my strong suit.
The Gingerbread Bakery – 11th September
From the international bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Café and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, comes the highly anticipated Dream Harbor romance for 2025!
A wedding in Dream Harbor can only mean one thing, everyone wants to get involved!
With Jeanie and Logan set to tie the knot, and Kira desperate to hire out her newly renovated barn at the Christmas tree farm, everything seems to be going well. Annie has agreed to bake the cake, and Mac is responsible for, well… just being Mac. And as the whole of Dream Harbor comes together to celebrate the wedding of the year with the snow falling around them, can Annie and Mac put aside their dislike for each just long enough for the ‘I Do’s’ or is that one request too far…
The Gingerbread Bakery is a cozy romantic novel with an enemies to lovers dynamic, small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross – 11th September
Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.
As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.
Among The Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon – 11th September
With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.
Take your first steps into the epic. Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.
It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.
Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.
A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.
And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . .
A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic circumstances that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.
A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal – 25th September
The epic conclusion to the #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal; the gritty fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.
She’s had her tea, now she’s out for blood.
White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.
Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time – and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.
In Ceylan.
After the jaw-dropping ending of #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea, Arthie and her crew still have plenty of hearts to break and crimson-red secrets to uncover. Hafsah Faizal crafts a deliciously twisty and seductive sequel that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.
Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan – 30th September
Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess—for fans of Renée Ahdieh, Tahereh Mafi, and Stephanie Garber.
Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.
This sweeping fantasy romance inspired by Cinderella and a Chinese fairy tale is the first in a breathtaking new series by the acclaimed author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
Soul Searching by Lyla Sage – 30th September
Home is where the heart is—and this one is haunted.
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series returns with a brand-new story, featuring a small-town upholsterer in need of a fresh start, a photographer whose life has come to a screeching halt . . . and the supernatural forces that bring them together.
Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antique shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts that have always been her companions have recently gone silent.
But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates being ignored.
Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least, that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else.
When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looked like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts that have been pushing them together—wondering whether or not their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is September, and that means it is time to talk about the books I am planning on reading this month.
The Killer Question by Janice Hallett
Murder in the Countryside by Helena Dixon
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore
Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
This month is a bit of a mix for me, its some books that I am excited to get reading but also others that I have had on my shelves for years and I need to get to them to see if I like them, I have less excitement for these but I still want to give them a chance.
What are you reading in September? Have you read any of these books, what did you think of them?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today!
Today I am bringing you my book review for The Examiner by Janice Hallett. I don’t usually include spoilers in my reviews but there is one tiny twist from this book that I want to talk about, I don’t think it will ruin a big part of the book for you if you read this review then read the book but if you want to go in with no spoilers at all, maybe wait and read my review after.
Okay, on with the review!
Blurb/Synopsis:
Six Students. One Murder. Your Time Starts Now.
The students of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course have been trouble from day one. Acclaimed artist Alyson wants the department to revolve around her. Ludya struggles to balance her family and the workload. Jonathan has management experience but zero talent for art. Lovely Patrick can barely operate his mobile phone, let alone professional design software. Meanwhile blustering Cameron tries to juggle the course with his job in the City and does neither very well. Then there’s Jem. A gifted young sculptor, she’s a promising student… but cross her at your peril.
The year-long course is blighted by accusations of theft, students setting fire to one another’s artwork, a rumoured extra-marital affair and a disastrous road trip. But finally they are given their last assignment: to build an interactive art installation for a local manufacturer. With six students who have nothing in common except their clashing personal agendas, what could possibly go wrong?
The answer is: murder. When the external examiner arrives to assess the students’ essays and coursework, he becomes convinced that a student was killed on the course and that the others covered it up. But is he right? And if so, who is dead, why were they killed, and who is the murderer? Only a close examination of the evidence will reveal the truth. Your time starts now.
My Review:
I have read all of Janice Hallet’s books so far, I absolutely love them. I love the unique way that she writes entirely in different forms of mixed media. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to do it that way, with its limitations on plot and form and it not really having an active voice as everything has already happened when it is talked about but I love the way she does it. I can’t day much about this book because it will be spoilers but I can say that I found I had strong feelings about each character individually and that is what drove me to keep reading, I wanted to know what happened to them and which one of them had supposedly been ‘murdered’ or not.
Now, as I warned at the beginning, there is one thing I want to talk about that can be considered a spoiler. So, stop reading here if you missed my earlier warning.
One of the characters in this story is revealed to be visually impaired. Personally, I had figured this out a long time before it was revealed but that is because I was reading the character and relating to how they described people by smells not aesthetics and the other things they were doing, it is the same way I recognise people being visually impaired myself, and that is why I wanted to talk about this. There are so few books that include blind characters and the ones that do, that I have read, don’t do it very well or they use the character as a gimmick, or worse than all of that – they put in a blind character and then the twist is that they were faking it the whole time. I just wanted to make a comment about how nice it is to have a visually impaired character written well.
Have you read The Examiner? What did you think of it?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is the first of November and the cold weather has arrived which means it is time for my October Reading Wrap Up! Enjoy!
What I read from my TBR:
Murder at Enderley Hall by Helena Dixon – I did read this! This is absolutely my new obsession. It is the second book in the Miss Underhay mystery series. Kitty Underhay and her Grandmother run the Dolphin Hotel and Kitty ends up getting involved with investigating thefts and murders alongside an ex-military man named Matthew Bryant. I love this series, I am planning on reading one a month so I should finish the series in around eighteen months….
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft – I did not read this, I am interested in the premise but this month there were other books I was more excited about.
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco – As I am writing this post, I am currently 100 pages into this books so I should get it finished by the end of October. Another book that I am loving, it follows Envy, the brother of Wrath from the Kingdom of the Wicked series, he is a prince of sin and I am very intrigued so far about what Envy needs the main female character, Camilla, for.
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this, again there were other books I wanted to read more.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace – I did not read this. Honestly, in September and October I have been redecorating parts of my house and I am not sure where I have put my copy of Belladonna so I wasn’t able to read this in October.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – similar to Belladonna, I didn’t read this because my copy is hidden away on my bookshelves for the time being.
Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I have not read this yet but I am hoping to still get to it by the end of October, I am going on holiday so I will have some travel time to do some reading.
Shadowscent: The Darkest Bloom by P M Freestone – Same as Enchantment of Ravens I have not got to this book yet but I am still hoping to by the end of this month. Fingers crossed.
Outside of my TBR, I also read The Examiner by Janice Hallett, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman and also, (I haven’t yet, as I am writing this my copy will be arriving tomorrow but I will be reading it immediately), Spectacular by Stephanie Garber.
Overall, that means I have read 5 books and hope to finish two more on top of that by the end of the month. I am happy with that, I didn’t realise I had read as much this month as I have.
How has your reading been this month? Any new favourite books? Let me know in the comments!
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.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you all had a great October! If you have seen my November TBR that I posted on Friday then you will know that my October was so busy, with my sister getting married, working towards my RDC2 and meeting a potential guide dog match (I will be posting about this on Friday if you are interested in knowing more about it).
So, my reading month in October was much better than it has been recently so that has made the month a lot more enjoyable. And now I am going to share with you which books I managed to read this month. Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these, what you thought of them and what you read in October!
October Wrap-Up!
Beach Read by Emily Henry – I did not read this
Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovelino – I did not read this one
Nothing more to tell by Karen M McManus – I was so excited to read this one but I didn’t manage to get around to it this month
Pages and Co 3 by Anna James – I did read this one and as with the rest of the series, I really enjoyed it.
Finale by Stephanie Garber – I did not read this
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace – another book I was so looking forward to reading but I didn’t get to this month
The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson – I did read this book and loved it
Miss Marple short stories collection – I read this one too
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber – I did not read this either
A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle – I did not read this
Your Turn to die by sue wallman – I did not read this one either
European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss – This book is huge, so I did not read it this month
Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanaugh – I did not read this either
outside of my October TBR I also read The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett which I also really enjoyed.
So, this month I read four books which is a great amount for me at the moment.
That’s it for my October Wrap-Up, I hope you enjoyed reading it!
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. My goodness it has been a busy couple of months, and being that busy has meant my reading has taken a backseat.
In August I started three or four different books and I was just… bored quite honestly, I couldn’t get through them and I don’t think that is anything about the books themselves I think it was my tired brain. So, I decided not to do an August wrap up and now it is October so I am going to do the books I have read in August and September all in one big wrap up!
So, August!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this book
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I was not in a fantasy mood at all.
Ninth House by leigh Bardugo – Same point as above
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this book either but I am very excited to get around to it hopefully soon
The Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith – Another book I did not read in August (this was a very common theme this month)
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – I did not read this. I don’t know why I put so much fantasy in my August TBR because I obviously wasn’t going to eat it.
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read this book either
Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell – this is one of the books that I started reading, I got about halfway before I stopped
Six Tudor Queens Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir – I did not read this book either
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – there was no way I was going to read this book in August
By the Book by Amanda Sellett – I actually did read this one, in August and September
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett – I did not get around to this but I am excited to.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this
Small Favours by Erin A Craig – Another book I did not read
The Shadows between us by Tricia Levenseller – I did not read this either
Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey – I did not read this
The Falconer by Elizabeth May – I did not read this either
So, also in this month I read The Very Nice Box (review is already up) and Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah which brings my total books to 3.
September!
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – I did read this and by the way, I loved it!
The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton – I am currently reading this so technically I read this in September
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I did not read this
Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – I would have liked to get around to this one but unfortunately I did not
It sounded better in my head by Nina Kenwood – I did not read this
Down comes the night by Alison Saft – I did not read this
Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I did not read this.
So in two months I read five books which is pretty good considering everything else I have been doing.
What was your August/September reading like? let me know in the comments!
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