Monthly TBRs

February 2024 TBR

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

Today I am sharing with you what books I hope to read in February, I am trying to prioritise books that I can use as references in my PhD thesis so mostly I am reading murder mystery novels at the moment but sometimes I do need a break from that.

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood

The Dog Sitter Detective Takes The Lead by Antony Johnston

The Murder Game by Tom Hindle

The Troublemakers by Tamzin Merchant

The Trial by Rob Rinder

What books are you hoping to read in February?

Uncategorized

Upcoming January 2024 Book Releases

Happy Friday Bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

Today I wanted to bring you a small list of some of the books that are being released in January that I have heard about. This is not a complete list, this is only a small list of the books I know about.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas – 30th January

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake – 9th January

An explosive return to the library leaves the six Alexandrians vulnerable to the lethal terms of their recruitment.

Old alliances quickly fracture as the initiates take opposing strategies as to how to deal with the deadly bargain they have so far failed to uphold. Those who remain with the archives wrestle with the ethics of their astronomical abilities, while elsewhere, an unlikely pair from the Society cohort partner to influence politics on a global stage.

And still the outside world mobilizes to destroy them, while the Caretaker himself, Atlas Blakely, may yet succeed with a plan foreseen to have world-ending stakes. It’s a race to survive as the six Society recruits are faced with the question of what they’re willing to betray for limitless power―and who will be destroyed along the way.

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole – 16th January

Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland.

Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft – 4th January

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins – 4th January

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord – 25th January

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood – 18th January

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. But who did it? And why?

The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable Mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club are about to face their most difficult case yet . . .

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett – 18th January

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.
 
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
 
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
 
And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
 
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

The Troublemakers by Tamzin merchant – 18th January

Cordelia Hatmaker has finally united the Maker families and restored the kingdom’s trust in Maker magic. But mysterious outbreaks of chaotic magic are beginning to happen across London… And then the unthinkable happens. Cordelia is accused of treason.

As the guards close in, she must flee London at once. With her father Prospero, and friends Sam and Goose, Cordelia sets sail on her family’s ship, the Little Bear, for the adventure of a lifetime. They’re determined to solve the mystery of a missing girl, and to clear Cordelia’s name once and for all.

But soon they are in the dangerous territory of a band of legendary pirates: the Troublemakers, captained by a fierce and unstoppable pirate queen…

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my review of The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant, the second book in the Hatmakers series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review. If you haven’t read The Hatmakers there is likely to be spoilers for that book here.

The Mapmakers Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

So, in this series we follow Cordelia Hatmaker who is living with her family members in their hat shop and they are one of seven magical families, their hats are created using magic. At the end of the first book Cordelia has just found a map brought to her by a boy who was on the ship with her Father, who she still believes is alive. She thinks that the map will lead her to her Father.
I loved every part of this plot. There are brilliantly created villains, new allies, people who you might not be able to trust and people you might have misjudged in the previous book. One big part of this plot is the quest narrative which I really liked – you as a reader are discovering things along with Cordelia, finding out where the map leads to but the story is filled with intersecting plot points that build up to what happens at the end.

The Mapmakers Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Cordelia Hatmaker is the protagonist of this story and she has to constantly find new levels of bravery to keep pushing forward. I felt like in this book you see Cordelia having to grow up a little bit more, and definitely before the time she should be growing up, because the world is changing and a lot of responsibility gets put on her shoulders.

The Mapmakers Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I already knew I loved the writing style of this author. Her plots are so intricate and absolutely filled with magic.

The Mapmakers Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I had to give this book four stars because I immediately got back into the hatmakers world and I was recruited to Cordelia’s character, I felt for her the whole way through.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to The Hatmakers. Perfect for fans of NevermoorA Pinch of Magic and Harry Potter.

Ever since Cordelia discovered the hidden map in her father’s precious telescope, she’s been searching the streets of London by starlight and trying to uncover its secrets. She’s sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she follows his map, she’ll finally discover the truth about his disappearance.

She never expects to stumble upon a secret society of Mapmakers – or to learn that magic isn’t limited to the few Maker families, but is instead is all around, if you just know where to look . . .

But danger is lurking around every corner, and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for once – not only to bring her father home, but to save the very essence of magic itself . . .

A gorgeous adventure from exceptional new storytelling talent, Tamzin Merchant, featuring beautiful illustrations by Paola Escobar.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoy it!

Uncategorized

Signed Books That I Own

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I thought it might be fun today to share what some books I have, that I have signed, are.

I would just like to say that I am not trying to brag about the books that I have I just thought it might be fun to share which books and where I may have gotten some of them.

The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino

I got this book as a wonderful signed edition from my monthly Illumicrate boxes

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

I also got this book in a book box!

Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

I also got this one in an Illumicrate box, I read it and loved it and now I own the second one in the series.

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

My friend ordered me this book from online because they had found a hardback copy and then when it arrived it was a great surprise to find out it was also signed

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

I got this amazing book in my Illumicrate box too.

Mrs England by Stacey Halls

I managed to grab a signed edition of this book from my local waterstones

Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah

I found this book in a charity shop and it turned out to be a signed hardback and it was an amazing bargain

A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz

I got this from a company called Forbidden Planet, I was just scrolling through their website and I ended up ordering a lot of books (oops!) and I managed to get a signed copy of this book from there.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

I got this one in my Waterstones, it didn’t say it was signed and I was very happy when I got home and saw it was signed

Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

I got this book and Once and Future Witches by the same author in my monthly book boxes

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

I got this one in my local Waterstones

Under the Whispering Door by T J Klune

I found a signed copy of this one in my Whsmiths and I was really excited to find this one

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

I got this book in a recent Illumicrate box

The Desolation of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs

I managed to preorder a signed copy of this book from waterstones

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

I got this book in my Illumicrate box too

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

I got this beautiful book in my Illumicrate box

One Of Us Is Lying/One Of Us Is Next/Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M McManus

I got these books signed when I met Karen M McManus at YALC in 2019 which was amazing!

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

I also got this in my Illumicrate box

The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

My local waterstones luckily had a signed copy of this book

This Woven Kingdom by Taherah Mafi

I also got this one in my Illumicrate box

Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix

I was looking everywhere for a signed copy of this book and I finally found one in Whsmiths

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab

I bought the special Illumicrate box for this book and along with some other items it got me a signed copy of this book

That’s it for this blog post, I hope you all enjoyed it! Do you have any signed books?

Uncategorized

The Most Beautiful Books I Own

Happy Friday bookish people! I can’t believe it is March already! I thought it might be fun to share with you all some of the books I own that I think have beautiful covers.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

Shadow and Bone Collectors Edition by Leigh Bardugo

Where Dreams Descend and When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Traitors Ruin by Erin Beaty

The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Lily by Rose Tremain

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Hatmakers and The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

That’s it for this post, I hope you enjoyed it. What are some of your most beautiful books?

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 27 – 27th December – 2022 Most Anticipated Books

Happy Monday bookish people! Today I want to show you the books being published in 2022 that I am very highly anticipating. This is a really fun post to make, I also love looking at other people’s version of this so I hope you all enjoy looking at mine just as much as I like looking at other people’s lists.

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This Woven Kingdom by Taherah Mafi

Glorious Poison by Kat Dunn

Gallant by V E Schwab

An Impossible Imposter by Deanna raybourn

Bloodmarket by Tracey Deonn

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman

All the Queens men by S J Bennett

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni

The mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

I was going to add pictures of the books, even though not all the covers have been released yet, but for some reason my laptop did not want to do that today so instead you’ve got just a list of the books, I hope that’s okay!

Are any of these on your list of anticipated 2022 books?

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 13 – 13th December – The Best And Worst Books 2021

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!

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 7 – 7th December – The Best Book Covers of 2021

Happy Tuesday bookish people! Merry Bookmas day 7. Today I am going to be showing you what I think are the best book covers of 2021, now I’m not just showing books that were published in 2021, I’m not even sure if there are any published in 2021 on my list, but the books that I have read in 2021. I have chosen my top ten and it’s a collection of books I wanted to read and books I was on a book tour for.

Up first is…

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig

This book is a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses and it has one of the most beautiful covers of all the books I own.

How The King of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories by Holly Black

This is a companion to the Cruel Prince series by Holly Black and depending on the version there are white, black and purple covers that I’ve seen.

Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu

This is an interesting books about witches and the power of women

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

This is a middle grade book that has a beautiful dust jacket and a beautiful cover under the dust jacket

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

The colours on this cover are fantastic

Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon

This cover fits the book perfectly – I have posted a book review for this book on this site this year as part of a blog tour

Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar

Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell

The illustrations on these covers are so detailed

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holt

and finally…

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

That’s it for my favourite book covers of the books that I have read so far this year, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Monthly Wrap Ups

June Wrap Up!

Happy Wednesday bookish people! So we’re here, it is finally the end of June. This month has been completely up and down for me in terms of my general life but in terms of reading I think it might have been my best month of the year… I did not complete my TBR but I was part of a bunch of book tours for this month so I was prioritizing them.

Also this month I was taking part in the Whatever-You-Want-A-Thon which was created by Maddie at Book Browsing Blog on YouTube. This was so much fun to be part of, I was part of team dreams and drama queens and I think it was one of my biggest motivations to read this month.

Onto the wrap up!

My June TBR and Thoughts:

  • Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell – I read the first chapter.. I’m not going to count this as reading because the first chapter is only about ten pages.
  • Deadly Curious by Cindy Astley – I did read this one! You can find my book review of it here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/14/book-review-deadly-curious-by-cindy-astley/
  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – I did not read this book.
  • Fable by Adrienne Young – I did not get around to this book.
  • The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I did read this book! My review of it is here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/07/book-review-the-hatmakers-by-tamzin-merchant/
  • I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan – I started this book while travelling to Bristol and back during this month but I wasn’t in the right mood for how dark this book is so I stopped reading at the halfway point.
  • Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova – I did not read this.
  • Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett – I did not read this either.
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I didn’t read this.
  • One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake – I didn’t read.
  • Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – I did not read.
  • Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – I read this! and LOVED it, I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to reading this.
  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri maniscalco – This was a reread but yes I did reread this! You can find my review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/04/26/book-review-stalking-jack-the-ripper-by-kerri-maniscalco/
  • The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner – I read this one also!
  • Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus – I did not read.

So from my TBR I read 5 books and I started another two… that’s not bad. On top of this I read some book for book tours which were: Happy Ever After: Financial Freedom (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/03/book-review-happy-ever-after-financial-freedom-isnt-a-fairy-tale-by-the-seven-dollar-millionaire/ ), The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (Review here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/17/book-review-the-maidens-by-alex-michaelides/), Embers by Josephine Greenland (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/18/book-review-embers-by-josephine-greenland/ ), Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/21/book-review-instructions-for-dancing-by-nicola-yoon/ ), Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-a-murder-at-rosings-by-annette-purdey-pugh/ ), Fake News by C J Dunford (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-fake-news-by-c-j-dunford/ ) and Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/27/book-review-mirrorland-by-carole-johnstone/ ).

I read 12 books and started another two so June was a pretty good reading month, hopefully July will be just as successful. That’s it for my June wrap up, I hope you enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for me to put up another book review! The book I will be reviewing today is my second book of June and I ended up reading it on the car journey to and from Bristol. During the trip I also learned that my friend, and a lot of people actually, can’t read while in a car, which was interesting information.

As usual 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.

The Hatmakers Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

First I will say, I am not a huge Middle Grade reader. I actually picked up this book because I’d seen the author in the TV show The Tudors and I was curious about what she might have written. The plot is beautifully intricate, it captivated me from the very first page. There is themes of family, friendship and loyalty sprinkled throughout this book like the magic that is used by the characters themselves.

This book has elements of the fantastical, a little bit of theatre and plenty of hat making to keep all readers entertained. The beginning part of the book sets up the world and the characters excellently, it felt like I was living in that world with them. Then the second part of the book the pacing really picks up – there’s so much happening in this story that I had to just let myself go along with the story rather than try to figure out every twist and turn. I enjoyed doing this.

The Hatmakers Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

It was very interesting for me to see this book through the eyes of Cordelia, the main protagonist, who is a child. It made me think back to when I was a child and all the wonder that the world seemed to hold. Cordelia was my favourite character in the book because she was very complex and had many layers to her story throughout. Also, one of my favourite parts of this book was her friendship with Goose, the son of the bootmakers, with which the hatmaker family doesn’t get along. It added an intriguing dynamic to this friendship.

the other characters in the story are all very well developed with their own stories and attitudes, the book has a particular focus on the hatmaker family but I still felt that the other maker families stood out in their own ways and had a role to play in the plot.

The Hatmakers Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I haven’t got much to say for this category. I thought it was written very well, it was clear and the writing style complimented the plot and the pacing. However, because I’m not used to reading this age of book it took me a while to get used to it. That is just my own opinion.

The Hatmakers Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m giving this book four stars overall because I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially the character of Cordelia. I got completely drawn in to the world and the magic and the mystery that needed to be solved. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series when it comes out.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Cordelia comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat. In Cordelia’s world, Making – crafting items such as hats, cloaks, watches, boots and gloves from magical ingredients – is a rare and ancient skill, and only a few special Maker families remain.

When Cordelia’s father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea during a mission to collect hat ingredients, Cordelia is determined to find him. But Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne have no time to help the littlest Hatmaker, for an ancient rivalry between the Maker families is threatening to surface. Worse, someone seems to be using Maker magic to start a war.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!