Happy Friday bookish people! This Sunday is Mother’s Day and this time last year I did the mother’s day book tag, what I thought would be interesting would be to do the same tag again this year and see if my answers were at all similar to what I said last year or not.
I hope you all enjoy my book tag!
Best friend: pick characters in a book whose friendship you admire most
I would have to say Judith, Suzie and Becks in the Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Comfort: what’s a book that always puts you in a better mood
this answer still has to be the lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson – I LOVE this book!
Doesn’t give up: What’s a book you were tempted to DNF but instead finished
Actually that would be the book I am reading now, the Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell, the beginning was very boring and I didn’t get on with the writing style. Now I am more into the story so I am glad I continued reading.
Selfless: What’s a book you had to sacrifice for
The very secret society of irregular witches, I had to put down a signed version of this book because it was on my christmas list but luckily my mum got it for me.
Love: What’s your favourite love story
Currently it is Emma by Jane Austen – you’ve got to love a classic
Homemaker: If you could live with a fictional family where would you go?
Thorn Manor in the margaret roegerson books definitely.
Forgiving: Name a character you hate but you would eventually have to forgive
my answer is the same as last year, Eli Ever from Vicious by V E Schwab
Teacher: A book that has taught you things that will stay with you forever
Still the same as last year, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Dedication: What is a book that you would dedicate to your Mum
Haven’t they grown – isn’t that what a mother thinks every year looking at their children
Happy Friday bookish people! It is March, the BEST month. Of course, I am biased, it is my birthday month and my Guide Dog’s birthday month – which makes it the best.
I have a variety of books on my TBR for this month and a lot that I am very excited about.
The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman
Gwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher
The Plague Letters by V L Valentine
Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman
A Little Bit Country by Brian D Kennedy
Finale by Stephanie Garber
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin
Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw
Paris Dallencourt is about to crumble by Alexis Hall
Happy Monday bookish people! As we near the end of 2022 I wanted to make a post about my goals for 2023, this year has been full of difficult moments and a lot of stress. Of course, there’s been lots of good moments too but it has overall been very draining.
I have three main goals for 2023 which are:
To find more time to read for me. By this I mean not reading for my PhD or any work purposes, just because I want to read. I haven’t been doing that much this year but I am hopeful for next year.
To organise everything I am doing in order of priority. This year I have been doing so many different things what with school and braille and guide dogs and starting at Etsy and so on and so on, I’ve been getting very very tired so I am aiming to not put as much pressure on myself, I’ll do all my work etc but if I can’t manage something then I am going to try not to push too hard.
work hard on a children’s picture book idea and find an agent (this has already been started, I sent my work to a few agents but I haven’t heard back yet so fingers crossed)
that’s it for my goals, what are your goals for 2023?
Happy Monday bookish people! As you can see by the title of this post – I finally read Throne of Glass! It’s taken me years, it has been on multiple TBRs but I never actually picked it up and read it. I actually read A Court of thorns and roses (only the first one) and House of Earth and Blood (the first Crescent City book) before I got around to reading this one. I took it to london with me and started reading it on the train journey up there. I finished it in the hotel room the next night.
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 this review as spoiler free as possible. I hope you all enjoy my book review.
Throne of Glass Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This plot had me hooked from the very beginning, what would a Prince want with an assassin? and it just kept getting better from there. I really love competitions in books – I have a lot of fantasy books with this trope – and this one was good, it took a backseat to the building of relationships and the other mysteries that were going on but it still made the book enjoyable for me. What I especially liked about this plot was that there was one, a lot of first books in series sort of forget about having a well thought-out and complete plot, but this one didn’t. There was a good balance between plot strands that were sorted out in this book and the ones that are going to be underlying mysteries throughout the series.
Throne of Glass Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Caelena is a great lead character. She’s a fighter and it is obvious in every action, and she has been through a lot which means she finds it hard to trust other people. I liked the inner turmoil the character was struggling with throughout and I hope that will be there in different ways throughout the series. Also in the book is Prince Dorian, who I did like but I thought there was room to expand his character, which might happen in the coming books, because he seemed charming and a good friend but there was also some jealousy.
Throne of Glass Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I already knew going into this book that I like Sarah J Maas’ writing style and especially her dialogue. If you’ve been reading my reviews a while you will know that dialogue is one of my favourite parts of a book and I enjoyed that aspect a lot in this book.
Throne of Glass Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed the book, as I knew I would, and I am excited to see where the rest of the series goes.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
That’s it for this review, I hope you all enjoyed it! If you have read this book let me know what you thought of it in the comments.
Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you the book review for Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore. I read this book on the train while on the way home from Londond.
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 this review as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.
Bringing Down The Duke Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
This story is about a woman who is not only a women at Oxford in a period when women weren’t accepted as intelligent, free-thinking people, but she also becomes part of the suffragist movement. First of all, I loved this take on historical fiction, it gave me a lovely sense of conflict and tension from the very beginning. Because of this involvement she gets mixed up with the Duke of Montgomery. So, this plot is a bit too far on the romance side for me, I enjoyed it don’t get me wrong but I thought the plot itself lacked a little and was used as a catalyst to bring the romance in as the main element. I would have liked more of an overall story but it was okay for a quick, calm read on the train home.
Bringing Down the Duke Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I have to say the characters were what made this book enjoyable for me. Annabelle is such a strong female lead character and although she does some things in the book I didn’t agree with her personality makes up for it, I liked her and I cared about whether or not she was going to get the life she deserved.
Then there’s the Duke of Montgomery and I also liked his character, up to a point. To begin with he seems moody and he makes assumptions to quickly but you see this is a miscommunication then a bit later on there is one scene that ruined his character for me, the way he acts towards Annabelle instantly says to me that I would not like this man at all.
Bringing Down the Duke Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I think the writing in this book is okay, it is smooth and clear and it does paint the picture, especially for the setting but it’s not my favourite style of writing, this could be because of the genre as well.
Bringing Down the Duke Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because at the time of reading it, I did enjoy it but thinking about it later I am not as sure on my enjoyment of it.
Blurb/Synopsis:
England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women’s suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain’s politics at the Queen’s command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can’t deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.
Sebastian is appalled to find a suffragist squad has infiltrated his ducal home, but the real threat is his impossible feelings for green-eyed beauty Annabelle. He is looking for a wife of equal standing to secure the legacy he has worked so hard to rebuild, not an outspoken commoner who could never be his duchess. But he wouldn’t be the greatest strategist of the Kingdom if he couldn’t claim this alluring bluestocking without the promise of a ring… or could he?
Locked in a battle with rising passion and a will matching her own, Annabelle will learn just what it takes to topple a duke….
A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford suffragists in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a powerful duke in a fiery love story that threatens to upend the British social order.
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Thursday bookish people! Merry bookmas day 9. I always love a good quiz, especially around Christmas time so I thought why not combine my love of Christmas, books and quizzes all in one. I will say I did not create this quiz, I found it on readingthroughinfinity.com.
So, let’s get on with the quiz!
Which genre is your go to? A. Fantasy, B. Historical, C. Contemporary/Romance, D. Thriller/Mystery, E. Sci-fi
What do you look forward to most over Christmas? A. Snow, B. Giving/receiving presents, C. Spending time with family, D. Decorating, E. Watching films
Pick a Winter Wonderland: A –
B –
C –
D –
E –
What is your favourite Christmas food? A. Mince pies, B. Stollen/Yule log, C. Christmas Cake, D. Roast Dinner, E. Christmas Pudding
Pick a Christmas jumper: A –
B –
C –
D –
E –
What would you ask for as a present? A. Books, B. An experience day, C. Clothes, D. something else, E. Game
Choose a decoration? A. Tinsel, B. Baubles, C. Mistletoe, D. Wreaths, E. Lights
If you got:
Mostly As: Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Mostly Bs: Three Sisters Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
Mostly Cs: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Mostly Ds: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Happy Saturday bookish people! Today I am so excited to be posting my book review for You’ll Be The Death of Me by Karen M McManus as part of the book tour hosted by TheWriteReads.
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.
You’ll Be The Death of Me Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This is another fantastic YA thriller/mystery by Karen M McManus. It is full of perfectly crafter twists that will throw you off for the entire book. I found myself trying to work out the mystery and every time I thought I was getting close some new theory or information was thrown out so I let my intuition guide me and just enjoyed the fast paced novel. I was drawn into the story from the very first chapter until the last page. The only part I didn’t enjoy a much was the ending, there were certain parts of it that I felt were tied up a little too neatly for the characters and the plot of this book.
You’ll Be The Death Of Me Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
There are three main characters in this book, Ivy, Cal and Mateo. They used to be best friends in Middle School but in the beginning of this book they aren’t friends anymore – you find out the reason as the book goes on. Each one of them have their own personal problems and each of them have their own secrets which adds a brilliant tension to the novel. Ivy is a very headstrong female character and I liked how she grew throughout although some of her progression was lost at the end of the novel because of parts of the ending. Cal was a character I disliked from the beginning, to me he was selfish and naïve and caused some of the problems that the characters later had to overcome. Mateo felt like a leader to me, he had this mature, older nature to him that Ivy and Cal didn’t have but again, his secrets led to problems that shouldn’t have been there – which was part of the tension of the novel. One thing I didn’t like was that the characters didn’t always receive realistic repercussions for their actions.
You’ll Be The Death of Me Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I love Karen M McManus’ writing, I own all her books and I have read two of them, The Cousins and One Of Us Is Lying. The mysteries are consistently intriguing and well structured.
You’ll Be The Death of Me Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because it was an enjoyable and pulse-raising read.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.
Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out–he’s been working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up…. again.
So when Cal pulls into campus late for class and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They’ll ditch and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say…
Until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school–and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse.
It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common. They all have a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.
Now they’re all wondering–could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?
From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand-new pulse-pounding thriller. It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly–and fatally–wrong.
That’s it for my book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday Bookish people! This is my second review for today, the first being City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab – the first book in the Cassidy Blake series. Tunnel of Bones is the second book in the Cassidy Blake 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.
Tunnel of Bones Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This second book takes place in Paris and it was very nice for me because I have been to Paris once and I recognised a few different areas and that made it even more spooky for me and added to the atmosphere. Also there was a part where they visited the catacombs and that was one of my favourite scenes in the book because of how it forced the characters to react. This one felt darker than the first book in the series which I enjoyed.
Tunnel of Bones Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I have mentioned some of my thoughts of the characters in my review of City of Ghosts and the two main characters are Cassidy and Jacob and the main thing I like about them is the friendship, in this second book the dynamic of that friendship is changing a little bit and it gave the book a dramatic element.
Tunnel of Bones Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I’ve also said this in my review of City of Ghosts but I love the writing of Victoria Schwab and I get along with it very easily so this series is very fun to read.
Tunnel of Bones Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed it just as much as the first book in the series and I gave that book four stars so I gave the same rating to this book.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.
She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.
When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.
And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for another book review. This week I was updating my list of what books I have and haven’t written reviews for yet and I realised I had written a review for Bridge of Souls, the third book in the Cassidy Blake series by V E Schwab but I hadn’t written reviews for the first two books in the series. So today I will be posting reviews for City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones.
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.
City of Ghosts Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This series follows Cassidy Blake and her best friend Jacob. Jacob is a ghost who has attached himself to Cassidy after something happens. This book is one of the first middle grade books that I have read since being an adult and it reminded me of how good the genre can be when it has a well thought out and intriguing plot. Cassidy’s parents are like a middle grade most haunted type thing, they travel to different cities and do documentaries about the history and the ghostly myths of places that are supposedly haunted. I loved the uniqueness of this part of the plot, I liked the irony of Cassidy seeing ghosts and her parents not knowing but they are doing a ghost show. The atmosphere of this book is perfectly balanced between the serious spooky nature of the towns and the things Cassidy and Jacob have to face and the relationships of family and friends.
City of Ghosts Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The two main characters are Jacob and Cassidy. I have some similarities to Cassidy in that she can’t help herself but get dragged into different scenarios because of her curiosity and that would definitely happen to me, I have no control over my curiosity whatsoever. Jacob provides an interesting dynamic because he’s so real and they have a great friendship but as a reader you are being constantly reminded he is a ghost and Cassidy is being reminded too.
City of Ghosts Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I haven’t got much to say here other than I love V E Schwab’s writing, I think I own nearly every single one of her books and her middle grade series is just as good. I don’t find the writing is too young for me or too simple which makes the reading experience enjoyable.
City of Ghosts Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars overall because I thought it was a great beginning to an interesting series.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspecters, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.
When The Inspecters head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for another book review and the one I am bringing you today is for Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens. This book is a collection of short stories from the world of the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens and I got it so that I could have a taster of the series before going out and buying them all.
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.
Once Upon A Crime Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was intrigued to see how the short stories would all be plotted and I ended up really enjoying most of them. I felt some of them were a little long for a short story but they were filled with subtle details that made the world come to life. One of my favourite short stories in the collection was May Wong and the deadly flat because it was different to the others both in character and in plot. Reading this collection made me excited to pick up the main series.
Once Upon A Crime Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The two main characters in this series is Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. I think the characters are written beautifully and are very distinct. Personally I liked Hazel more because she is the quieter intelligent type and I can relate to the quietness of her character more than I can to the character of Daisy who is a lot more outgoing.
Once Upon A Crime Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I really liked the writing in this book. Although it is a middle grade novel the writing didn’t feel too young. I felt comfortable reading it and enjoying it.
Once Upon A Crime Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I gave this book four stars because I thought it was a great introduction to the characters and the world and I’m looking forward to starting the main series.
Blurb/Synopsis:
A thrilling new short story collection in the number-one bestselling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike series.
Featuring six marvellous mini-mysteries, including four original, brand-new and never-seen-before stories: The Case of the Second Scream: set aboard the ship carrying Daisy and Hazel back from Hong Kong
The Case of the Uninvited Guest: Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy’s wedding is the target for an unlikely threat
The Hound of Weston School: the Junior Pinkertons investigate a mysterious arrival
The Case of the Deadly Flat: introducing Hazel’s little sister May, who’s determined to be the greatest spy ever
The Case of the Missing Treasure: the detectives crack fiendish codes to catch a daring thief who is targeting London’s famous museums
The Case of the Drowned Pearl: murder follows the Detective Society wherever they go, even on holiday…
The perfect book for all Detective Society fans and avid readers of the Murder Most Unladylike series.
That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!
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