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April Wrap Up!

May 1, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Sunday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day. Today I am bringing you my April wrap up and I’m so glad to say that my reading has been a little bit better this month, not amazing to the extent that I was at this time last year but so much better than March and February. So I’m going to get straight into which books I did and didn’t read in April!

Small Favours by Erin A Craig – I did not read this book – I just wasn’t in the mood for this style of plot this month
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas – I finally managed to read this book, my review for it will be up soon but I really enjoyed it
Daughters of Night by Laura Shepard-Robinson – I have started this book but I haven’t finished it yet, it’s a pretty big book so it might take me some time
Rose by Holly Webb – I did read this book
there was a non-bookish prompt and for this I had a nice warm bath and I watched some videos
Lily by Rose Tremain – I did read this book too so a review of this book will also be up soon
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros – I did not read this book
The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I read this book too!
Down Comes the Night by Alison Saft – I did not read this book
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I did not read this book and I’m sad about that because I am really excited for it
Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell – I am currently 3/4 of the way through this book and it is also on my May tbr so I will be finishing it in the next few days
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – I did not read this book
The Five – I did not read this book
A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske – I did not read this book but it is on my May tbr
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite – Again I didn’t read this book but it is on my May tbr
Only A Monster by Vanessa Len – I didn’t read this book
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read this book
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore – I did read this book!
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I did not read this book
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – I did not read this book – I did take it all the way to London with me and then still didn’t read it
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

So that was what I did and didn’t read in April. I ended up reading 5 books and started two others, one of which I will finish in a few days so I am really happy with that.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

April 18, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

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:

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:

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:

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

The Mapmakers Overall:

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 Nevermoor, A 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!

Book Tags

Easter Time Book Tag!

April 15, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you an Easter themed book tag that I found on My Reading Escape.wordpress.com

I hope you will all have a wonderful Easter weekend with however you will be spending it, I will probably be spending mine eating a lot of chocolate and using my new coffee maker.

1. Easter Egg: Book that feels like a hidden gem

I have to choose The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson for this one because it is a wonderful book that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else talk about

2. Bloom: Debut Novel You Loved:

I chose The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant for this book because I received it in an Illumicrate box and I read it in one sitting. It is a retelling of Les Miserables set in a beautifully described France.

3. Chocolate Bunny: Book so good you didn’t want it to end

I chose Caraval because it is one of my favourite books and as the prompt says, I didn’t want it put it down! This series is so magical I wanted to keep reading it for as long as I could.

4. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap: Book you bought for super cheap:

I actually was given this book for free by a really lovely bookseller, I was given a few of the little world book day books and this was one of them, I have already read it.

5. Jelly bean: Book you thought was sweet:

This book has a lot of lovely, sweet themes so Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell was the first book I thought of for this prompt.

6. Easter Basket: Filled with many surprises:

For this one I am choosing the entire A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas because although I have only read the first book, I have heard that there are many surprises throughout this series and I am excited to read them.

7. Rabbits: Books you wish would multiply (have a sequel):

I chose House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig because ever since finishing it I really wished there had been a sequel, I just felt there were questions left unanswered.

8. Hunt: Book that was hard to get hold of:

I had to look everywhere for this book, there was only one bookshop that had it and the drive was over an hour, then when we got there I forgot to look for this book (I know, I couldn’t believe I did this either) and so I had to order it.

So that’s the end of this Easter book tag! I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

April 11, 2022April 4, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I will be sharing my thoughts on the book Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell.

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.

Rooftoppers Plot:

This is my first Katherine Rundell book and I was very excited to read it because it is set in Victorian (I think) Paris and and it features rooftoppers which are groups of children that live on the rooftops of Paris and rarely touch the ground.

I loved the atmosphere of this book, the sensory descriptions were engaging to the point that I could almost smell the smoke from the chimneys.

The main thing that I enjoyed about the plot was the focus on family. It wasn’t only biological family either, Sophie (the protagonist) is looking for her Mother, but also found family – the rooftoppers are family to each other and Charles is Sophie’s guardian throughout the book. It’s great to see wonderful children’s books featuring strong family bonds.

Rooftoppers Characters:

Sophie is the protagonist in this book, she lost her Mother as a baby and is being raised by a man called Charles, who raises her with curiosity, imagination and a love of wearing trousers. Sophie believes her mother is still alive. She is adventurous, brave and willful. I enjoyed seeing the development of the character as she found herself and what she would give to find her mother. Mateo is the main rooftopper featured in this book and the relationship between him and Sophie was one of my favourite parts of this book.

Rooftoppers Writing and dialogue:

I definitely want to pick up more books by Katherine Rundell after reading this one. The writing was whimsical and full of meaning. There was the perfect balance between sad tones and joyful tones throughout the novel.

Rooftoppers Overall:

I gave this book four stars because it took me away to a different world, a world where I was living amongst the roofs of Paris and that for me is one of the best things that books can do.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

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

blog tours

Sense and Second Degree Murder Book tour: Book Look

April 8, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am excited to be bringing you my book look for the book blog tour of Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price.

To give you a sense of what I was basing my look on I will show you the book cover here and the synopsis of the book:

Blurb/Synopsis:

Three of Jane Austen’s classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy and Stalking Jack the Ripper. In Sense and Second-Degree Murder, aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne, a budding detective, work together to solve the mystery of their father’s murder.

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery that points to foul play, and the killer might be family.

Obviously, the girls must investigate. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

Publishing Date: April 5th 2022

You can find the book here:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53171418-sense-second-degree-murder

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Second-Degree-Murder-Austen-Mysteries/dp/0062889834/ref=sr_1_1?creative=330641&keywords=Sense+%26+Second-Degree+Murder&qid=1643928993&s=books&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sense-and-second-degree-murder-tirzah-price/1139798958?ean=9780062889836

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Sense-Second-Degree-Murder-Tirzah-Price/9780062889836?ref=grid-view&qid=1643929039965&sr=1-1

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/sense-and-second-degree-murder/9780062889836-item.html?ikwid=sense+and+second+degree+murder&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=b14

Indie Bound Books: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062889836

This is my book look:

I chose a dark green top for the background colour of the book, although I didn’t have anything in just the right mix of green and blue but I will definitely be looking out for some now because it is a great colour. I chose pink trousers to match the pink stitching, which you can’t see that well in this picture because I have an ebook copy of the books – kindly sent to me on Netgalley by the publishers. I chose a floral cardigan because the cover is full of flowers.

If you would like to check out other blog posts on this book tour here is the link to the schedule: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/02/20/tour-schedule-sense-and-second-degree-murder-jane-austen-murder-mystery-2-by-tirzah-price/

Tirzah Pricegrew up on a farm in Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands onand never outgrew her love for YA fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young AdultsfromVermont College of Fine Arts, and is a former bookseller and librarian. Now, she’s acontributing editor at Book Riot, where she can be found recommending books on the site,newsletters, podcasts, and social media accounts. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking aboutYA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to lastthe fierce Michigan winters.Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her.

That’s it for my post today, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Monthly TBRs

April TBR!

April 1, 2022March 29, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my April TBR which includes what books I will be reading for the prompts of the Easter readathon I am co-hosting this month.

Once again, my TBR game gave me a lot of rolls so there are quite a few books to read this month, I am hoping that my reading will improve this month.

So, onto my TBR!

Flower – first book you look at: Small Favours by Erin A Craig – I read her first book, House of Salt and Sorrows and really enjoyed it so I am looking forward to this one
Chocolate – Plot twist: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas – this is a book that I have been putting off but I am looking forward to reading it
Cake – Multiple POV: Daughters of Night by Laura Shepard-Robinson – I think this book has multiple points of view but also, it is a haunting, dark victorian mystery so it sounds right up my alley
Bunny – a short read: Rose by Holly Webb – I read this book when I was younger but I love this story
The sun – a non-book, self care prompt: I am not sure what I will do for this, probably watch some bookish videos and have a warm bath
Moon – a mystery: Lily by Rose Tremain – I am so excited to read this book
Carrot – a title starts with a c: The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
The Mapmakers by Tamzen Merchant – I loved the hatmakers so I am very excited to continue this series
Down comes the night by Alison Saft – I love Victorian, gothic themed novels
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I love his books and the premise of this book sounds really good
Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell – I am two books away from finishing this series so I would love to read this one soon
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – this is another book that has been on my TBR for a long time
The Five: the untold story of the victims of Jack the ripper – I love anything about the jack the ripper mystery and I think it is great to see the women he killed as women
A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske – I got this in my Illumicrate box and it sounds very interesting
Cecily by Anne Garthwaite – I am looking forward to reading historical fiction again
Only A Monster by Vanessa Len – this sounds very dark and fantastical
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I am excited to start reading the Hobb books
Bringing down the duke by Evie Dunmore – this will be interesting to try and read another genre outside of my comfort zone
An enchantment of ravens by Margaret Rogerson – the cover is beautiful and I love this author’s writing
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – this book looks like it has a morally grey male lead that I think i will like
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – carrying on over from March TBR

That’s it for my April TBR!

Book Tags

Birthday Book Tag!

March 25, 2022March 10, 2022 theblindscribe

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!

Book Reviews

Book Review – Pages and Co: Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James

March 21, 2022March 2, 2022 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day so far. Today I am bringing you a book review for the second book in the Pages and Co series by Anna James.

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.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Plot:

This book picks up from where the first book finished or very close to it at least. The idea of fairytales and fairy tale characters disappearing was what really caught my attention in this book, I felt drawn into the mystery of what was happening to them and I was invested in what the outcome would be. I liked that this book developed on plot points from the first book and that some of the things in the first book turned out to not be quite as they seemed. The world was also something that I loved being able to discover more of it, in terms of its rules and the politics surrounding everything, it added a lot of needed tension. At some points I felt that the mystery was too vague in a way and that there were a few things that needed to be explained more but I am hoping they will be in future books.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Characters:

Tilly is a great main character. She is headstrong and somehow finds trouble no matter what she is doing. I felt for her in a lot of ways, the first book left her with a lot of questions and this impacted her a lot throughout this book. The other main character is her best friend Oscar, and I love their relationship. They work great together but they also have differing opinions which keeps their friendship realistic.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Writing and Dialogue:

Anna James’ writing is a style that I enjoy because it doesn’t feel like it has been simplified for its intended audience of middle grade readers, some books I have read in the past have done this.

Tilly and the Lost Fairytales Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because its a very comforting series to dive into and I am excited to pick up the third book.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A magical adventure to delight the imagination. The curl-up-on-the-sofa snuggle of a series from a uniquely talented author.

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .

On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?

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

Book Tags

Mother’s Day Book Tag!

March 18, 2022March 2, 2022 theblindscribe

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!

Uncategorized

Signed Books That I Own

March 11, 2022March 4, 2022 theblindscribe

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.